The Log Book is a weekly rundown of human-interest stories related to the transportation industry. This week: XPO driver reaches four million safe driving miles, Walmart opens a new facility in Illinois and donates to local charities and Getir donates over 80,000 pounds of food to nonprofits.
XPO driver reaches company safe-driving milestone
Freight transportation provider XPO Logistics recognized its tenure driver David Frazier on Wednesday for reaching a company milestone: exceeding 4 million miles of accident-free driving.
XPO colleagues, leadership and community members celebrated Frazier’s achievement at the company’s location, and the driver’s hometown, in Kernersville, North Carolina. He was escorted to the terminal by the Kernersville Police Department and was presented with a personalized decaled tractor for his 34-year achievement.
For perspective, it would take the average driver nearly 300 years to reach 4 million miles of driving, with the average over-the-road driver taking an average of none years to drive 1 million miles accident free, according to the company.
“David is a legend in our network and a role model in every respect, particularly when it comes to safety procedures. Our drivers have watched him operate thousands of times and learned to always do things the right way. It’s a privilege to share his milestone with the industry,” said Mario Harik, president of less-than-truckload operations at XPO Logistics.
Walmart opens next-gen fulfillment center, donates to local charities
Retailer Walmart celebrated on Wednesday the opening of its Next Generation fulfillment center in Joliet, Illinois, the first of four fulfillment centers that will feature the company’s patent-pending processes that brings its twelve-step fulfillment process down to five steps combined with its people, robotics and machine learning technology.
When all four locations are completed, Walmart will be able to provide next or two-day shipping of its marketplace purchases to 75% of the U.S. population.
“As the first-of-its-kind for Walmart, our newly opened facility introduces an array of opportunities to our associates, including brand new tech-focused jobs. There’s never been a more exciting time to join Walmart Supply Chain,” said James Bright III, general manager, Fulfillment Center FC3040. “I look forward to seeing the positive impact this team of associates and the Joliet facility will have on not only the Northeast Illinois community and economy, but also for Walmart customers across the Midwest.”
As part of the opening celebration, Walmart granted two donations to local nonprofits, SOS Children’s Villages Illinois and the Spanish Community Center.
“The gift today and ongoing support will ensure that children and families in our community are cared for and given all the resources to heal. This commitment not only strengthens a child’s life but also makes our community stronger,” said Tim McCormick, chief executive officer of SOS Children’s Villages Illinois.
“We are very grateful to Walmart for supporting our community and our New Americans Initiative Program. Their investment in local communities helps us provide ESL and citizenship instruction for recent immigrants hoping to receive their citizenship,” said Sylvia Acosta, acting executive director of the local Spanish Community Center.
Getir fights hunger with tech company Copia
On-demand grocery delivery app Getir announced it has reached a milestone with its partnership with Copia, a technology company that works to connect nonprofits with food donors. Since working together in March 2022, the partnership has been able to provide over 84,000 pounds of food to local charities, providing over 70,000 meals.
“This is exactly the type of impact we wanted to have when we began partnering with Copia earlier this year,” said Langston Dugger, head of U.S. operations for Getir. “At an inflationary time when food insecurity has only worsened, I’m proud of the hard work and commitment to this partnership by our storefront employees. The work continues. Our goal is to collaborate with the local actors, be an active part of the community and we always focus on the well-being of people. We are committed to the city and the country, and we would like to be part of the cycle, give back what we receive and contribute to improve the lives of those who need it most.”
A few of the nonprofits to benefit from the Getir-Copia partnership include the Salvation Army, the Bowery Mission of New York City, The Dwelling Place of New York City, Community Solutions of Illinois and the Boston Rescue Mission. Most food donations come from Getir stores in Boston, Chicago and New York City.
“The Getir donations we’ve received have been amazing. They’ve included avocados, strawberries, an amazing amount of fresh fruit, and more,” said Deborah Pollack, president of the Dwelling Place. “The items serve a very different and crucial component to our services by supplementing our pantry bags. These donations allow us to support many more from the community. People are so grateful because they are, in many cases, items they wouldn’t be able to afford. The healthy items are great and our community members are so grateful. Thank you, Getir and Copia.”
Watch now: A new era at XPO
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