Con-way Freight Teams Up with Elves and More of Northeast Ohio to Deliver 1,300 Bikes to Local Akron Kids for Christmas

AKRON, Ohio, Dec. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — For the eighth consecutive year, some 1,300 underprivileged kids in an Akron neighborhood will experience the Christmas spirit first-hand with the gift of a new bicycle, thanks to non-profit organization Elves and More of Northeastern Ohio, the Akron Police Department and a host of local businesses, including local trucking company, Con-way Freight.

Con-way Freight’s tractor trailers played the part of Santa’s Sleigh this weekend, rolling into an impoverished Akron neighborhood on Sunday morning and surprising children there with a delivery of 1,300 new bicycles — all given away as gifts. Elves and More and its volunteers fitted the bikes to each child, also providing safety helmets, tricycles for younger children and gift boxes for infants.
The organization has come a long way from its first surprise delivery in 2006, when it assembled and gave away 400 bikes, noted Elves and More Founder Tim House. “Everyone remembers their first bike. For me personally, it represented freedom and opportunity,” said House. “When we started Elves and More, we wanted to give local, underprivileged kids the joy of owning a bike, and to bring neighborhoods together to support those children as they grow up.”
House coordinates a team of partners to bring Elves and More to life, including the Akron Police Department, the Akron Children’s Hospital, foundations in the Akron area and local businesses. Con-way Freight became involved through House’s childhood friend, Joe Caliri, a long-time employee of Con-way Freight in Akron. “My buddy, Joe Caliri is a truck driver. He and I grew up poor in the Akron neighborhoods we deliver to now. When I started this project eight years ago, he and Con-way Freight immediately stepped up and helped make it possible.”
Con-way Freight donates its trucking services to ship the bikes across country and deliver them in time for Christmas. Its local employees also volunteer for the annual “bike build” event the weekend before, when hundreds of volunteers come together and spend a day assembling the bikes. “It is one of our busiest times of the year, but Elves and More is a cause that we all feel is well worth the extra time and effort,” said Con-way Freight’s Caliri, who’s worked with House on Elves and More since its inception. “I still remember my first bike and how it gave me the ability to start my own paper route as a kid. I learned the value of hard work and determination, which allowed me to make a better life for myself and my family.”
“Con-way Freight is proud to support Elves and More both in the volunteer time our employees give and the pro-bono services we provide to transport the bikes,” said Tom Clark, the company’s senior vice president of operations. “My family and I were personally thrilled to participate again in the bike delivery day. It reminds us all of the true meaning of Christmas, and the importance of giving back to our communities and helping those less fortunate than ourselves.”
Con-way Freight is one of hundreds of donors and volunteers supporting Elves and More in this, its eighth year of making Christmas a bit more joyous for Akron children from infants to age eighteen.
Follow Con-way Freight on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Conway_Freight
Con-way equipment images are available at http://www.con-way.com/en/about_con_way/newsroom
Elves and More is a 501(c)-3 headquartered in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. For more information about Elves and More, photos and video, visit http://www.elvesandmoreneo.org/.
About Con-way Freight
Con-way Freight is the industry’s leading less-than-truckload (LTL) freight transportation company, providing guaranteed, day-definite regional and transcontinental service with exception-free delivery, on-time service performance and faster transit times through a single, unified network of 425 operating locations in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico. Con-way Freight offers LTL freight transportation across North America and through Global LTL™ delivery in the United States from around the world. Global solutions include international less-than-container load (LCL) ocean shipments from Asia through its OceanGuaranteed® service; direct service to more than 30 Bahamian and Caribbean ports through TropicalDirectSM; and domestic offshore transportation to Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Based in Ann Arbor, Mich., Con-way Freight is a certified FAST highway carrier and is C-TPAT/PIP-, ACE- and CSA-certified.
Con-way Freight is a subsidiary of Con-way Inc. (NYSE: CNW), a $5.6 billion diversified freight transportation and logistics services company. For more information, visit http://www.con-way.com/en/freight.
SOURCE Con-way Freight

Professional Truck Drivers Offer Safety Tips For Holiday Travel

ARLINGTON, Va., Dec. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — American Trucking Associations want to ensure the 94.5 million motorists traveling over 50 miles or more during the year-end holiday arrive at their destinations safely.

“This time of year should be a festive and happy occasion for Americans, not one spent remembering loved ones lost in tragic highway crashes,” said ATA President and CEO Bill Graves. “As we all hit the road, take time to learn from America’s Road Team, elite drivers with millions of miles of safe driving under their belt. By following their advice on the roads, you’ll be better able to share the road and arrive at your destination safely.”

America’s Road Team Captains, elite professional truck drivers with millions of accident-free miles, are offering advice on how to navigate through highway traffic and winter driving conditions this busy traffic season.  Tips include:

• Prepare your vehicle for long distance travel: Check your wipers and fluids. Have your radiator and cooling system serviced. Simple maintenance can prevent many of the problems that strand motorists on the side of the road before you leave your home.
• Plan ahead:  Before you get on a highway, know your exit by name and number, and watch the signs as you near the off-ramp. Drivers making unexpected lane changes to exit often cause accidents.
• Do not cut in front of large trucks:  Remember that trucks are heavier and take longer to make a complete stop, so avoid cutting quickly in front of them.
• Be aware of truck blindspots:  When sharing the road with large trucks, be aware of their blind spots.  If you can’t see the truck driver in his or her mirrors, then the truck driver can’t see you.
• Check your emergency kit: Contents should include: battery powered radio, flashlight, blanket, jumper cables, fire extinguisher, first aid kit, bottled water, non-perishable foods, maps, tire repair kit and flares.
• Be aware of changes in weather: Weather conditions across the U.S. will be changing – especially during early mornings and evenings with the cold. Watch for ice, snow and other weather related obstacles.
• Keep your eyes on the road:  Distracted driving is a major cause of traffic accidents. Even just two seconds of distraction time doubles the chances of an accident. Use your cell phone when stopped and never text while driving.
• Leave early and avoid risks:  Leave early so you won’t be anxious about arriving late and to accommodate delays. Road conditions may change due to inclement weather or traffic congestion.
• Avoid extreme weather conditions: Ice, hail and snow make roads difficult to travel. Try to avoid driving through extreme weather conditions, and travel during daylight.
• Remove ice and snow from your vehicle:  Clear your windows and roof of snow to insure you have maximum visibility and avoid creating a hazard for the vehicle behind you. Don’t allow ice and snow to create additional blindspots on your vehicle.
• Be aware of the vehicle in front of you: Leave extra room between you and the vehicle in front so you can avoid snow and ice blowing onto your windshield or maneuver around patches of ice.
• Pack your vehicle smart:  With luggage, sports equipment and presents be sure to pack your vehicle so that you can see out of all of your windows and mirrors.
• Slow Down: With the extra highway congestion due to Holiday travel, speeding becomes even more dangerous. Allow plenty of a space cushion and reduce your speed.
• Buckle up: Safety belts reduce the risk of fatal injury by 45 percent and are a simple way to increase your safety on the road.

“Always buckle up,” said America’s Road Team Captain Dale Williams (Trimac Transportation).  “Weather can also be a factor during this time of year so check weather conditions before you get in your vehicle,” Williams added.

“The holidays are a challenging time on the highways,” said America’s Road Team Captain Bryan Wold (Con-way Freight).  “Between motorists visiting families or finishing up last minute shopping there is nothing better than patience and safe driving practices behind the wheel,” he added.

*Editors: America’s Road Team Captains are available to speak in your local area about Holiday and winter safe driving tips during the holiday season.

The America’s Road Team, sponsored by Volvo Trucks North America, is a national public outreach program led by a small group of professional truck drivers who share superior driving skills, remarkable safety records and a strong desire to spread the word about safety on the highway.  Follow America’s Road Team on Facebook or Twitter.

American Trucking Associations is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. Through a federation of 50 affiliated state trucking associations and industry-related conferences and councils, ATA is the voice of the industry America depends on most to move our nation’s freight.  www.trucking.org.

SOURCE American Trucking Associations