From feeding families and supporting foster children to building homes and organizing blood drives, the effort added up to thousands of meals, hundreds of donations, and countless volunteer hours.

Fighting food insecurity year-round

Helping address hunger remained a consistent focus. In Rockford, Illinois, current and retired Landstar employees regularly volunteer at Carpenter’s Place, a nonprofit homeless day center. Every three months, the organization hosts a free community lunch, with Landstar employees handling fundraising and food preparation.

Those efforts helped serve more than 400 guests with hot meals in 2025.

At Landstar’s Jacksonville headquarters, employees once again partnered with Feeding Northeast Florida for the company’s annual Thanksgiving food drive. Coordinated by Debbie Templeton and Alexis Williams, the effort expanded significantly this year. Through employee donations and support, Feeding Northeast Florida was able to provide 22,998 additional meals and collect 743 pounds of food. Altogether, Landstar generated 23,618 meals for the organization.

Supporting children and families during the holidays

Community involvement increased as the holiday season approached. For 35 years, employees at Landstar’s Jacksonville headquarters have partnered with the Child Guidance Center, which provides support services for children and families.

In 2025, employees donated more than 120 new bicycles and helmets, which organizer Sid Sutphin helped deliver before the holidays. Employees also fulfilled Christmas wish lists for 125 children at the center by donating gifts and monetary support, with coordination assistance from Kristin McNaron.

In Rockford, employees supported the Winnebago Boone County Foster Care Alliance Adopt an Angel program. Thanks to coordinated efforts led by Lori Bauch, 55 Christmas wish lists for foster children were granted. Donations included toys, winter clothing, and other essential items to help children in the foster system during the colder months.

Investing in education and community health

Landstar employees also focused on needs beyond the holiday season. School supply drives in Jacksonville and Rockford collected hundreds of folders, notebooks, crayons, and backpacks for students at Holiday Hill Elementary in Jacksonville and Riverdahl Elementary in Rockford.

Ongoing blood drives at both locations made an impact as well. Donations are estimated to have provided enough blood to help save more than 300 lives, reinforcing the year-round value of employee participation.

Helping build stable housing

Housing stability became another area of focus in 2025. Landstar partnered with Habitat for Humanity, an organization dedicated to building and repairing homes for families in need.

Employees from the Rockford service center volunteered to help construct a new single-family home in their community. Twenty employees took time away from their regular duties to support the build, marking the first home completed through this partnership.

The program is expected to continue through 2026, with future builds planned at both the Jacksonville and Rockford locations.

Raising awareness through community events

In addition to hands-on volunteering, Landstar employees participated in several corporate runs to raise funds and awareness for important causes. These included Relay For Life events with the American Cancer Society in Jacksonville and the BKS Partners Corporate Run 5K, also held in Jacksonville.

A reflection of trucking values

For drivers and industry professionals, community involvement often reflects the same values that matter on the road: reliability, teamwork, and showing up when it counts. Landstar’s 2025 outreach efforts highlight how those values extend beyond freight and into the neighborhoods that support the trucking industry every day.

Source: Truckers News

The post Landstar Employees Step Up for Communities Across the Country in 2025 appeared first on Truck Drivers USA.

The foundation also used the year end update to highlight continued fundraising goals and announce additions to its board of directors.

Industry support continued despite economic pressure

“The extraordinary generosity and steadfast commitment of trucking industry leaders and companies that contributed to the Trucking Cares Foundation this year are truly inspiring,” said Greg Owen, TCF Chairman, head coach of Ability Tri-Modal. “In a year marked by significant economic challenges, your continued support speaks volumes about the compassion and resilience of our industry. I want to extend my deepest gratitude to each and every donor who chose to give despite the headwinds we all faced. Together, we made a meaningful difference for a wide range of nonprofits that support not only truckers, but the communities our industry serves every day. While the financial impact of these contributions is impressive, the positive ripple effects are immeasurable. I look forward to building on this spirit of generosity and momentum in 2026.”

Where the 2025 donations went

The Trucking Cares Foundation listed the following organizations and amounts it supported in 2025.

Disaster relief

• $10,000 to the American Logistics Aid Network to support delivery of humanitarian aid to disaster affected areas

Support for truckers and workforce development

• $15,000 to the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund to help truck drivers and families recover from injury or illness and support health and wellness initiatives including funding used to purchase cancer screening kits for drivers
• $15,600 to Garrett High School to support a high school CDL program developed through the Center for Transportation Safety

Veterans and first responders

• $10,000 to At Ease USA to support confidential trauma treatment and therapeutic support for active military, veterans, and their loved ones regardless of ability to pay
• $13,380 to the North Bangor Fire Co. in Pennsylvania to support the purchase of a heavy lift airbag extrication kit

Trucking Cares and community support

• $25,000 to TAT formerly Truckers Against Trafficking to support its work training transportation professionals to recognize and report human trafficking
• $5,000 to West Kerr Education Foundation in Texas to support teachers and counselors impacted by catastrophic flooding in the Texas Hill Country with the contribution made on behalf of H E B as the recipient of the John Lex Premier Achievement Award
• $5,000 to the Monarch School in San Diego which provides academic, social, emotional, and life skills support to unhoused youth and is in the host city of ATA’s Management Conference and Exhibition with TCF noting it plans to partner with a similar school when the event convenes in Charlotte in 2026

Fundraising focus moving forward

The Trucking Cares Foundation said it is redoubling fundraising initiatives with the goal of creating an endowed fund to support long-term giving. The foundation said continued support from trucking companies and industry leaders is needed to reach that goal.

Board of directors’ additions

The foundation also announced the following additions to its board of directors.

• Joey Ballard, Covenant Logistics
• Andrew Okuyiga, UPS
• Sheri Call, Washington Trucking Associations
• Randy Clifford, Ventura Transfer

Source: The Trucker

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