Stewart Transport, Inland Kenworth team up to support TAT
It takes a high level of motivation, passion, and execution to make as big of an impact in the local community and around the country as Don Blake, new truck sales manager at Inland Kenworth in Phoenix.
Blake’s involvement with Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT), a non-profit organization devoted to stopping human trafficking, influenced one of Blake’s customers, Collin Stewart of Stewart Transport, to join the cause.
During a live auction at Richie Bros. last year, Stewart’s company submitted a winning bid of $162,000 and bought a special edition “Everyday Heroes” Kenworth T680, which Blake helped develop.
All proceeds went to TAT. It was the largest single donation ever made to the organization.
“I can’t say enough about Don and the person he is,” said Stewart. “I’ve known Don for a number of years and his involvement with TAT has been really inspiring. When word came out that a Kenworth T680 would be auctioned to help support TAT, I knew I wanted to place a bid. The T680 is a high-quality truck—we operate 55 of them—and they have worked great for us.”
The Everyday Heroes Kenworth T680 is fully loaded with a 76-inch sleeper and features the PACCAR Powertrain with a 485-hp PACCAR MX-13 engine, PACCAR 12-speed automated transmission, and PACCAR 40K tandem rear axles.
Stewart assigned the truck to one of the company’s longest tenured drivers, Kelley Lindsey, recipient of the Arizona Trucking Association’s Driver of the Year Award in 2017. It’s in service with the company’s auto and aviation division, which operates nationwide to give the TAT message maximum exposure.
The truck has received plenty of recognition on the road, and is especially noticed when making deliveries to customers.
“Our auto and aviation division is unique in the sense that our end customers come in direct contact with our drivers and see the trucks they drive,” said Stewart. “Many customers let us know that they appreciate how we’re raising awareness of human trafficking. It’s a terrible crime, and our hope is that we can encourage someone who may see suspicious activity to pick up the phone.”
Stewart Transport started purchasing Kenworth T680s in 2012 when they first hit the market.
“The T680 is truly one of the best trucks ever produced—the drivability, visibility, fuel economy, and performance are top notch,” Stewart said. “We’ve been able to keep our driver turnover low by providing our drivers with equipment they want to drive.”
Stewart Transport is a long-time TAT supporter and all of the company’s trucks feature TAT stickers with information about how to report human trafficking. In 2016, Stewart Transport added TAT driver training into its onboarding process.
“Don really opened my eyes to the problem of human trafficking in this country,” said Stewart. “With our drivers always on the road, it made sense to equip them with training that could save someone’s life. I appreciate Don’s efforts in combatting this crime and I’m proud to help support the movement to bring an end to human trafficking.”
Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) is a 501(c)3 working to educate, equip, empower and mobilize the trucking industry to combat human trafficking as part of their regular jobs. More information is available at TAT’s website: www.truckersagainsttrafficking.org.
