ARLINGTON, Va. – In response to the humanitarian crisis following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, the American Trucking Associations delivered for hundreds of refugees being re-settled in the United States.
In August, when many Afghan refugees were first taken to the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly, Virginia, for quarantine and processing, area residents began dropping off donations of clothing, diapers and other staples, according to an ATA news release.
“When those refugees were relocated to U.S. military bases, ATA stepped in to get those dontations from member company Interstate Van Lines, which managed collection and storage of the items, to where they were needed,” the news release stated.
“We heard the call and saw a need and were happy to respond,” said Nate McCarty, a professional driver with ABF Freight and an America’s Road Team Captain, who drove ATA’s image truck and Louisa Swain trailer from Northern Virginia to Fort McCoy in Wisconsin with 24 pallets of donations.
“These people had been through so much, so if we could make things just a little bit easier for the, it was just something we had to do,” said Jeff Payne, a professional driver with Yellow Corp., who moved 24 pallets of donated goods to Camp Atterbury in Indiana, in ATA’s Workforce Heroes truck.
ATA, through its members and through the Trucking Cares Foundation and Trucking Moves America Forward, makes numerous charity moves like these two annually.
“Trucking is always first to respond when people are in need,” said ATA Executive Vice President Elisabeth Barna.
“Whether it is drivers like Nate and Jeff delivering for these refugees, or the countless drivers who respond to natural disasters every year, this is the kind of commitment to service we expect from our professional heroes.”
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
