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The Log Book: Pilot donates $100K to Hire Heroes USA

TravelCenters of America taking nominations for trucker awards

Pilot recognizes Military Appreciation Month. (Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)

The Log Book is a weekly rundown of human-interest stories related to the transportation industry. This week: Pilot donates $100,000 to Hire Heroes USA; Scrubblade becomes a sponsor of the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund; and TravelCenters of America starts taking nominations for its trucker awards.

Pilot donates $100,000 to Hire Heroes USA

Travel center operator Pilot Company announced this week it has donated $100,000 to Hire Heroes USA, a nonprofit organization that assists military members, veterans and their spouses get hired, trained and retained by companies across the country.

According to Hire Heroes USA, the donation will help 100 service members and family members find employment this year.

“We are passionate about serving those who protect our country and are grateful for organizations like Hire Heroes USA that are helping find meaningful and successful careers for these highly skilled servicemen and women,” said Shameek Konar, CEO of Pilot Company. “Pilot appreciates and recognizes the strong leadership qualities and talents that they bring to our team and is proud to have veterans employed across our organization. We hope partnerships like this will bring more veterans into the workforce.”


The donation to the nonprofit is a part of Pilot Company’s May initiatives in recognition of Military Appreciation Month, which was approved by Congress in 1999.

Pilot Company also announced veterans and their families will receive an extra 10% discount on food and beverages in May. And for the first time, Pilot Company is recognizing Canadian military veterans, who can now take advantage of the travel centers’ military discounts all year long.

Scrubblade sponsors St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund

St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund (SCF) announced it has secured a new sponsor, wiper blade producer Scrubblade, for its trucker support programs ranging from financial assistance for drivers who find themselves off the road due to injury or illness to health and wellness programs.

“The trucking community has been a huge contributor to our business growth throughout the years. Because of this, we feel extremely honored to support the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund,” said Scrubblade founder and CEO Billy Westbrook.


Scrubblade, known for its patented heavy-duty wiper blades, announced as part of the sponsorship it will donate 1% of net profits from wiper blade sales, including online and nationwide retail and brick-and-mortar sales.

“It is amazing to know the sale of every single Scrubblade wiper blade nationwide will help keep truckers and their families rolling,” said Westbrook.

SCF recently announced the organization has already helped 78 drivers and raised over $188,734 this year.

“We are thrilled to expand our relationship with Billy and the Scrubblade team,” said Shannon Currier, director of philanthropy at SCF. “It’s an honor to partner with such a generous company that shares our vision to help truck drivers and support the industry we all depend on.” 

TravelCenters of America begins accepting nominations for Citizen Driver honor

TravelCenters of America (TA) announced this week it has opened up its portal to begin taking nominations for its 2022 Citizen Driver awards, which honor drivers for their safe driving and dedication to the trucking industry.

Nominations are being accepted through June 30 for licensed and employed over-the-road truck drivers at least 21 years of age who have not received any tickets or moving violations in the past five years and are U.S. or Canadian citizens.

The top 10 finalists will each receive 10,000 UltraONE points to be used at TA locations. Up to two grand prize winners will receive 10,000 UltraONE points, $5,000 in cash and a $2,500 donation toward the charity of their choice.

Grand prize winners will be showcased at the National Association of Small Trucking Companies Annual Conference, scheduled for Oct. 20.


Last year, TA honored two grand prize winners, Don Talley of Carter Express Inc. and Dan “Dusty” Porter of Werner Enterprises.


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Grace Sharkey

Grace Sharkey is a professional in the logistics and transportation industry with experience in journalism, digital content creation and decision-making roles in the third-party logistics space. Prior to joining FreightWaves, Grace led a startup brokerage to more than $80 million in revenue, holding roles of increasing responsibility, including director of sales, vice president of business development and chief strategy officer. She is currently a staff writer, podcast producer and SiriusXM radio host for FreightWaves, a leading provider of news, data and analytics for the logistics industry. She holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Michigan State University. You can contact her at [email protected].