Load board provider Internet Truckstop announced its sponsorship of the Truckload Carriers Association’s Highway Angel program during TCA’s business meeting held in conjunction with the American Trucking Associations’ Management Conference & Exhibition at the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, Texas. Internet Truckstop says it will commit $75,000 to the program over the next two years. Highway Angel aims to improve the public’s image of truck driving as a profession by collecting and promoting positive stories about truck drivers who help fellow motorists while out on the road.
“Our company has long supported TCA and its Angel campaign,” says Scott Moscrip, president of Internet Truckstop. “In fact, 2011 marks the fourth year we’ve helped reach thousands of football fans by recognizing a Highway Angel of the Year live at the annual Humanitarian Bowl in Boise, Idaho. Now we are pleased to increase our commitment, providing more opportunities for TCA to spread the word to a larger pool of trucking companies and drivers. As the program builds momentum, our two organizations can increase the scope and depth of Highway Angel to ensure that the broadest possible audience becomes aware of what our professional drivers are doing.”
Besides reaching out to the general public, Internet Truckstop’s sponsorship package includes many internal promotions within the trucking industry. It plans to educate truckers and trucking management through exposure at most of the major industry trade shows, Web and print advertising, and a monthly highlight on the Dave Nemo Radio Show. Its affiliates – uDrove, Roady’s Truck Stops and the OTR Pro Card — will participate in giveaways for each Highway Angel. Also, Internet Truckstop will continue its Angel promotion at the uDrove Humanitarian Bowl (now renamed the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl) and will continue to pay for a positive trucking commercial to air on ESPN during its live coverage of the game.
“Professional truck drivers are out there helping people every day, and it’s only right that we properly recognize them for their efforts,” says Leigh Foxall, director of sales and marketing for Internet Truckstop. “We’ll be looking at ways to modernize and brand the materials that new Angels receive so these good samaritans can be instantly recognized by their peers for what they have done.”
Within TCA, oversight of the Highway Angel program falls to the Communications & Image Policy Committee. “This is a great day for Highway Angel,” says Steve Sichterman, associate co-chairman of the committee, and vice president of business development, safety and compliance at ACS. “Clearly, our sponsor understands the importance of continuing to build on the positive messages we’ve delivered to the general public over the past 14 years. Now we can enhance that positive image even further.”
Launched in 1997, Highway Angel “feel good” stories have been distributed to a wide range of media outlets, ranging from drivers’ and companies’ hometown newspapers, to national media, to Facebook pages and blogs. TCA says the positive exposure goes a long way toward improving the image of the professional truck driver and the trucking industry.
“We are thrilled to have such strong support from Internet Truckstop for our Angel endeavors,” says Dennis Dellinger, for-hire carrier co-chairman of the committee and the president of Cargo Transporters Inc., of Claremont, N.C. “We’re ready to take the program to the next level, and this sponsorship is the impetus that will take us there.”
