Bruce Richard and the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund
September 2019
For Bruce Richard, July 2014 was one of the hardest months of his life. While in the midst of a move to Florida, his wife was in a severe traffic accident. The accident left her with a broken leg, and needless to say, Bruce was at his wife’s side for every step of the recovery.
He took time off to care for her full time. He made plans with his managers at Heartland that would allow him to be home almost every day, once he was able to return. In the 3-4 months, he had to figure out how to pay the bills, while caring for his wife full time.
That is when Bruce reached out to the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund. Read More >
RAGBRAI 2017
July 2017
This year was the 45th Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAIGBRAI). Heartland was honored to be a truckload carrier in the RAGBRAI participants' support staff. We hauled the bicyclists' gear from city to city each day. This year's route went 411 miles across the beautiful northern counties of Iowa, starting in Orange City and ending in Lansing.
Our veteran drivers Anthony "AD" Dunbar and Bill Harris were once again our drivers for the event. Our excitement surrounding this great event was heightened more than usual due to the amazing new Heartland RAGBRAI trailers our drivers were hauling.
We are so proud to have provided these event specific trailers and look forward to partnering and supporting in future events. Congratulations to all the riders who participated!
columbus children's hospital gift
April 2017
Heartland donated and delivered a skid of Teddy Bears to the Columbus, OH Children’s Hospital on Wednesday the 26th. There were 96 teddy bears distributed to sick kids to brighten their day.
Columbus shop guys Robert Riffle and Brian Randolph managed the delivery and Robert actually came up with the idea! The hospital employees were thrilled to receive the teddy bears for the kids.
Any day you can make a difference in a sick child’s life is a good day.
The leukemia & Lymphoma society Big Climb 2017
March 2017
Heartland associates Laurie Glavin, Andrea Teal, and John Daly participated in “The Big Climb” in Seattle, WA on Sunday the 26th. Heartland matched company donations dollar for dollar, raising a grand total of $2,650.00.
The Big Climb is a fundraiser for the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society where participants climb 69 floors and 1,311 steps going up 788 feet of vertical elevation in the Columbia Tower located downtown Seattle. Many of our team members fought through illness and injury to participate on the day of the event.
Our team times may not have beaten years past but together, all 25 team members completed the climb with several beating their personal bests and placing in the top 25 of their age brackets. In addition, we had 12 team members place in the top 750 climbers. Of these 12, one placed 31st and another 79th overall.
To put this in perspective, there are 6,000 total climbers. Our team placed 11th fastest out of over 200 teams and together we raised $13,070.00 which greatly surpassed last year’s record amount of $8,660.00. Thank you to everyone who donated and contributed to the cause!
St. Mary's Food bank
March 2017
Heartland participates in donating food every year to the St. Mary's Food Bank in Phoenix, AZ. Tom Kertis, President and CEO of St. Mary's, presented Heartland Express with the Hunger Heroes award for 2016.
This is the third time Heartland has won this award and we are pleased to be helping the people of Phoenix by donating food whenever we can.
Thanks for the great partnership!
WEARING RED FOR AVERY
February 2017
The Phoenix terminal team showed their support for Avery Flatt and her battle against CHDs for the second year. Each employee wore red to raise awareness, and to share Avery’s story.
The following letter is from Avery’s mom and explains a little about Avery’s condition and why it is so important for everyone to support this cause:
Thank you so very much for offering your time and efforts to support and spread awareness on behalf of CHDs. My family is very appreciative as we are affected greatly by CHDs. Our daughter, Avery, was born seven years ago with a Congenital Heart Defect (CHD). She had a heart procedure done at two days old and open heart surgery when she was two years old. She will need to have another heart surgery in the future. This is a lifelong battle we will endure as there are no cures for CHDs. Avery has weathered many tests, specialist appointments, procedures and surgeries in her short seven years of life. She is the bravest, sweetest, most fun-loving little girl you could ever meet. She tackles every hurdle like a pro. Our family has learned so much from her.
CHDs are the #1 birth defect. One in 100 infants are born with a CHD. CHD’s are also the most common cause of infant death due to birth defects. It is so very important to continue to spread awareness of CHDs so more research can be done to help families like ours. The odds are that either you or someone you know will be directly affected by a heart issue in your lifetime. Thank you for making a difference and joining our cause.
Heartfelt Hugs,
David, Kim, Allyson, and Avery Flatt
Wreaths Across America
December 2016
For the third consecutive year, we used Dennis Razis (RAZD) to participate in the Wreaths Across America project. We donated our truck and trailer to pick up a load of wreaths in Columbia Falls, ME and deliver to Plattsburgh, NY, Schuylerville, NY and Hopewell Junction, NY on December 14th and 15th. Dennis is a top notch employee and looks forward to participating in this each year and is very glad to help out with this cause. I can’t think of a better driver to use for this when this comes around each year. Dennis takes a great amount of pride in doing things the right way and always representing Heartland Express in a professional manner.
The wreaths are delivered to sites where they are stored in a warehouse until the scheduled presentations to the grave sites on December 17th. All of us in Carlisle, PA are very proud to participate in any way we can to honor and remember those that have given their lives to make the country what it is today. We all look forward to participating in the future. Dennis took many pictures to build a picture of what we were doing and donating our time and equipment to and I hope it is something that we do for many years to come.
toys for tots
November 2016
Heartland Express Truck Driver, Marvin Hill, was put on a load assignment to pick-up a trailer full of toys from a warehouse in Cedar Rapids and deliver it to Iowa City. This load, however, was a unique and rewarding experience for Marvin Hill because the trailer was loaded with doll houses, games and all kinds of toys for the US Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots program.
The mission of the Toys for Tots Program is to collect new or unwrapped toys during the holiday season (October, November and December) and distribute them to less fortunate families. In delivering toys to these families, the goal of the program, is to bring hope to affected children and allow them the opportunity to enjoy Christmas.
Main activities for Toys for Tots are held within communities where a Marine Corps Reserve Unit is located. In communities without a Reserve Unit, generally veteran Marines have started programs. When Marvin arrived in Iowa City to deliver the load, he was met by a Volunteer for the Program. Marvin said, “They were a great, enthusiastic group.” Marvin said the boys were laughing and having a lot of fun. What made this assignment extra special for Marvin is that he was a Marine. He enlisted when he was 24 years old and served for 8 years as a radio repairman.
It may seem like a small gesture to drive the toys 20 miles down the road, but nevertheless, without Marvin to deliver the toys, they would not have been able to make it to the children receiving them.
Thank you Marvin, for your service to our Country, to Heartland Express, and to all of the children out there in need. May you never forget this experience, as you Made a Difference in many children’s lives!
Lady Racer: The Past Life of a Safety Auditor
Some people would describe safety auditor Wendy Carnahan as quiet and reserved. Don’t be so quick to judge a book by its cover because some may be surprised to hear that she raced stock cars for eight years and did two demolition derbies.
In 1999 Wendy came onto the racing scene after her husband Shawn decided to build a car to race himself. She decided to give it a try and was instantly hooked. They had to share the car, “the red, white and blue 42” while he raced in the Thunderstock division and she raced the Women on Wheels division at Hawkeye Downs Speedway in Cedar Rapids, IA. She raced with the ladies in the W.O.W division on Saturdays from 1999-2002. Read More >
'55 Studebaker Truck
For those who made it to our last North Liberty Driver Appreciation event, it was quite a special occasion. Harold Spring, Heartland’s most Senior Driver, and Justin Spring (Harold’s son) honored us with the presence of their 1955 Studebaker Pickup that has quite the story. Harold originally purchased the Pickup in 1984 about the same time the “Mega Bit Chip” was invented at Bell Labs. The Soviets boycotted the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and Mary Lou Retton wins two gold, two silver and two bronze medals. Pop Culture is winding up with both Madonna and Prince’s popularity at an all time high and then there’s the Studebaker. Read More >
Summer Blood Drive
May 26, 2015 in North Liberty, IA
Heartland held a summer blood drive for the American Red Cross and had our most successful drive ever! The goal the Red Cross set for us was to collect 44 pints of blood. Well, in good ‘ole Heartland fashion, we blew that goal out of the water collecting 59 pints. We had the potential to collect 62 as we had willing givers, but had to turn some donors away for various reasons. Thank you all for your generosity and doing your part in giving or trying to give!
The Red Cross sent the following, “Thank you so much for taking the time to host a blood drive! With your amazing recruitment efforts, and the help of your wonderful donors, we were able to collect 50-life saving pints of blood! We registered 62 and deferred eight of those donors-six donors did our double red procedures for a total of 59 pints! All of you that gave potentially saved a life. Your gift is invaluable. Thanks again.
A Piece of the Heartland
One of Heather Snipes’s (NL-Ops) favorite things to do is to get on her Harley Davidson motorcycle and just drive. Her trips often lead her down quiet country roads, where she takes in the scenic farmlands and landscapes. It was during one of these rides when she first became entranced by the beauty and intricacy of the quilt paintings hanging on area barns. “When you see those old barns out there with those beautiful designs on the sides of them, I thought, ‘you know, I could do that,”’ Snipes said. Read More >
HEartland takes on hunger
April 18, 2015 in Coralville, IA
The North Liberty employees started collecting money and non-perishable items in August 2014 for a local food pantry whose motto is: “Give food. Give Hope.” The food drive would last until April 2015, the goal - 40,000 pounds of food. Although the goal was nowhere near being met, the sentiment was all the same. For Football Friday’s, every Friday from August 29 to November 28, we could show our team pride by wearing our favorite team’s shirt, jersey or sweatshirt for either $2 or two non-perishable items. Read More >
Thank you
Heartland Express,
Due to a large part of Heartland employees that donated to Joshua’s Journeyers for the Muscle walk this year, our team raised $8,089.00! Thanks so very much to all who contributed and to Heartland for matching!! 100% of this money will go towards research for Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy. Joshua’s MD is Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy 2I. So please know how important and cherished your hard earned money given, means to us. There were a total of 22 teams and combined we raised a total of $55,224.29 for the walk.
Thanks again to everyone who donated!
God Bless,
Cindy Downes (NL-Ops)
Visit from Dad
Heartland Express driver visits his children and their class on the last day of school. Dad gave the kids a tour of a Heartland Express truck! The kids really enjoyed blowing the air horn and their gifts of CAT scales ticket collector cards. What a fun treat for the kids and what a fun Dad!
G.I.S' NIGHT IN FIREFIGHT HELL
For Army Staff Sgt. Jesse Landazuri, Heartland Driver #644, the decision to bail out of his two-man border outpost last month came after the ninth or tenth incoming rocket-propelled grenade finally knocked him to the ground. Wounded in the face and leg by the shrapnel, the 82nd Airborne Division trooper abandoned his position just as he and Queens-born Pfc. David Joy were about to be overrun on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border by a platoon of suspected Al Qaeda fighters. Read More >
Hometown Connection: Iowa City
When Heartland employees hear “Iowa City” they think of the corporate office. But did you know the Iowa City area is pretty interesting by itself? Iowa City is a vibrant college town that’s rich in history. It is the former state capitol, and it is the proud home to The University of Iowa. (Go Hawkeyes!)
The population of Iowa City is about 72,000. This number nearly doubles on football game days when over 70,000 fans pack into Kinnick Stadium. The University of Iowa is part of the Big Ten conference, our mascot is Herky the Hawk and we bleed black and gold. But we’re not only about football. The UI Children’s Hospital is known as one of the 50 best hospitals in the country, our International Writing Program is ranked #1 and actor Ashton Kutcher is from here.
What’s neat about Iowa City is our history. Iowa City was the first capitol of Iowa. The city operated as the state’s legal hub from 1846 to 1855, when legislators decided to move the capitol to more centrally located city, Des Moines. The original capitol building, “Old Cap” as we know it, remains in the heart of Iowa City and is still fully operational. The chamber rooms are used for college classes and speaking events and the entire building is a museum that is open to visitors daily. Whether you are coming for a college visit, to see a Hawkeye game, or to brush up on your history, Iowa City welcomes you. See you soon! - Sara Post (NL-Bill)
Gift to Ronald McDonald Family Room
December 15, 2014 in Cedar Rapids, IA
Hundreds of families with hospitalized children will be the beneficiaries of a major gift from the Gerdin Family Foundation. The family is gifting $300,000 to St. Luke’s Foundation for the creation of the Ronald McDonald Family. Room®, which is located on the second floor of St. Luke’s Center for Women’s and Children’s Health. The Foundation will use $100,000 of the gift to open an endowment to support future capital needs as there will always be a demand for this type of facility for the families of critically-ill children. Read More >
Wreaths Across America
December 13, 2014 In Arlington National Cemetery
As a society, we have long observed traditional, solemn funeral ceremonies as a means of remembering, honoring and mourning those who have passed. As a nation, we observe some very formalized rituals as a means of affording our very highest honors to members of the armed forces who have died in the service of their country, particularly those who have fallen in wartime. Military funerals with honor guards, flagdraped coffins, salutes and burials in cemeteries set aside for veterans are all symbols by which we honor and acknowledge our gratitude to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Read More >
Trip to Antarctica
December 7-19, 2014
Penguins, seals, whales, icebergs and exploring the southern-most continent was how I spent the best two weeks of my life. I had the great opportunity of going on a Study Abroad trip through Iowa State University from December 7 - 19, 2014. We flew 6,822 miles total going from Des Moines to Atlanta to Miami to Buenos Aires and finally to Ushuaia, Argentina, the Southern-most city in the world. Once there we got to spend a day hiking in Tierra Del Fuego National Park, it was there that I learned that hik-ing is not meant for those who are out-of-shape! Read More >