(TORONTO: July  14, 2022) – As the final bells of the school year were about to ring out, dozens of Canadian carriers that are part of the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) and Trucks For Change (T4C) stepped up to deliver nutritious food packs to nearly 80 food banks across Canada throughout May and June.

As part of Food Banks Canada’s After the Bell program, the Canadian trucking industry helped deliver 175,000 food packs to support food-insecure children in high-needs communities. Food Banks Canada’s HungerCount 2021 reports that 33 per cent of food bank users in Canada are children. After the Bell was created to help fill the child hunger gap during the summertime when school meal programs are closed down.

“Following up last year’s successful campaign, we continued our collaborative efforts with the Canadian Trucking Alliance in 2022. I am proud to say that we were able to build on our experience to broaden our geographical reach by moving more pallets to more food banks,” said T4C chair, Scott Smith.

Capacity challenges in 2022 certainly factored into this year’s After the Bell program, said the network’s executive director, Betsy Sharples. “But that did not seem to deter Canadian trucking companies from doing what they could to support this important initiative that saw an increase of nearly 20 per cent in Food Banks Canada’s commitment in the number of food packs this year when compared to 2021,” she said.

Added CTA’s CEO Stephen Laskowski: “The annual After the Bell program provides an ideal opportunity for our members to pay it forward and give back to Canadian communities. Our industry is full of people with generous hearts who live, work and play in all parts of this country. It is a privilege to acknowledge their community contributions.”

Kirstin Beardsley, CEO of Food Banks Canada, is thankful for CTA’s and T4C’s support.

“This summer will be the toughest Canada’s food banks have ever experienced in our 41-year history,” she says. “Many families with children are going for the first time, making the difficult choice to ask for help because the money simply isn't stretching far enough to cover expenses. That’s why Food Banks Canada’s After the Bell program is needed now more than ever. It’s thanks to our partners like the Canadian Trucking Alliance and Trucks for Change, that we are able to continue helping those that need it most this summer.”

Participating Carriers include:

• B & R Eckel's Transport Ltd.
• Bandstra Transportation Systems Ltd.
• Berry & Smith Trucking Ltd.
• Bison Transport
• ColdStar Solutions Inc.
• Eassons Transportation Group
• Erb Transport Limited
• GX Transportation Solutions Inc.
• J & R Hall Transport Inc.
• JBC Transport Inc.
• Kriska Transportation Group
• Transport Guilbault
• Champion Express Ltd.
• LTT Logistics
• Manitoulin Transport
• Minimax Express
• Onfreight Logistics
• PNW Group of Companies
• Mountain Transport Institute Ltd.
• Rosenau Transport Ltd.
• Spring Creek Carriers Inc.
• TST-CF Express
• Willy's Trucking Service
• XTL Transport Inc.

For more information on Trucks For Change, or to become a carrier participant, contact Betsy Sharples via its website: www.trucksforchange.org. Follow us on Twitter: @TrucksForChange.