The Logbook is a weekly rundown of human-interest stories related to the transportation industry. This week: J.B. Hunt inspires inclusion with in-house resource groups, ParkMyFleet sponsors first U.S. solar car race and Flock Freight creates a trucking-inspired playlist.
J.B. Hunt inspires LGBTQIA+ inclusion with resource group
Transportation and logistics company J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT) has consistently showcased its inclusion strategy, including its recent additional donations to the University of Arkansas Sam M. Walton College of Business for inclusion scholarships and its Accelerator Fund.
Related Article: The Log Book: J.B. Hunt announces $1M supply chain inclusion scholarship
The company’s external outreach to foster a more inclusive transportation industry is rooted in J.B. Hunt’s internal efforts.
The company’s employee resource group (ERG), PLUS(+) aims to provide a safe space for workers who identify as LGTQIA+, along with any employees who want to show their support for their coworkers and improve inclusion efforts at J.B. Hunt.
PLUS(+), led by Shelley Simpson, chief commercial officer and executive vice president of people and human resources, gives workers an opportunity to have open conversations to create awareness and understanding around the LGTQIA+ community.
“It’s so wonderful to be a part of PLUS(+) in general, just because everyone’s so loving, and wonderful, and sweet, and just open-minded and caring,” said Qamar, a data privacy engineer and PLUS(+) member, in a recent company blog about the ERG. “For me, the value that PLUS(+) brings is awareness of the things that are happening in our communities, the awareness of the discrimination, and how people are dealing with it.”
PLUS(+) is not the only ERG at J.B. Hunt.
The company has created a number of groups to provide safe places for employees looking to meet other employees within their underrepresented groups throughout the organization and to spread awareness of their individual communities. These ERGs include the African American Employee Resource Group (AAmERG), Growing and Retaining Outstanding Women (GROW), Latinos Engaging, Advancing and Developing (LEAD) and Veterans Employee Resource Group (VERG).
ParkMyFleet sponsors first cross-country solar car race
The nationwide provider of parking locations and technology solutions for fleet operations ParkMyFleet has teamed up with Charge Across America, a racing production group, to sponsor the first cross-country car race to be completely solar powered.
The racing car group, known as “Cannonball Sun”, began its 3,000 mile journey this week in New York City. Consisting of three engineering students, Kyle Samluk and Danny Ezzo from Michigan Technological University and Will Jones from the University of Michigan, the group aims to cover about 300 miles a day with a goal to reach Los Angeles within two weeks.
Samluk and Jones came up with the idea for the vehicle while at home for remote learning during the fall. Once out of school, the students spent 14 hours a day working on their vehicle to attempt the first trip across America in a solar vehicle.
Ezzo joined the crew to help support the car’s functionality during the trip by operating a support truck with spare parts and supplies to handle any unforeseen breakdowns.
ParkMyFleet, which has recently partnered with groups like TruckPark to provide parking for truck drivers across the country, explained the importance of sponsoring the group of engineers.
“I’m so pleased to help finance innovation from young people who will be the key players in revolutionizing the automobile industry,” said Mike Landau, CEO of ParkMyFleet, in the release.
On Saturday, the group announced on its Instagram page that they had made it to Sunbury, Pennsylvania but were dealing with issues of overheating. Fortunately, the students found the root of the cause and were working on fixing the issue.
Flock Freight creates trucking inspired playlist; hires Coyote veteran
Flock Freight, a logistics company focused on sustainability and capacity optimization, has created a Spotify playlist for truckers and industry drivers called “On the Road”. The playlist consists of 100 road-themed tunes, providing drivers with more than six hours of over-the-road entertainment.
The logistics company recently announced it has opened a new 15,000-square-foot office inside Chicago’s Fulton Market, a technology hub that hosts companies like Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL), Instacart and TikTok.
The new office will also be the home of Flock Freight’s newest executive and Coyote veteran, Chris Pickett. He is now the company’s chief strategy officer.
“As I have gotten to know the Flock Freight team, I’ve been blown away by the technology solution they have brought to market, the talent they have assembled across every corner of the organization, and the mission that aligns it all. I know how difficult it is to execute shared truckloads at scale – both mathematically and operationally, and Flock Freight has solved it, period,” said Pickett in the release.
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