Outreach road: truck driving making a difference

Australia’s trucking family has a big heart and wherever you turn, it seems there’s someone on the lookout for ways to support the broader community.

From trucks in regional towns building bonds between strangers to trucks delivering donated food items to support families, or the famous Convoy for Kids—there’s dedicated people putting in the time to do good for Aussie communities.

Truck drivers are also using the space available on their trailers, pantechs and curtainsides to raise awareness for charities and not-for-profits with causes they feel strongly about, such as anti-bullying and children’s health.

In this blog, we look at a few of the fantastic charitable initiatives that either involve trucks or are run by the hard-working truckers themselves.

Foodbank WA

There are many Aussies across the country facing food insecurity who are also without the means to reach locations where support is on offer.

The Western Australian branch of Foodbank is addressing this problem with their Mobile Foodbank program to make sure more people have access to fresh groceries, prepared meals and hampers.

Volunteers drive these cheerful Mobile Foodbanks to remote and hard to reach areas to those unable to collect from Foodbank’s regular distribution centres.

The food and produce distributed by the Mobile Foodbanks play a vital role in reducing food waste in the area and is often surplus food that would have been otherwise sent to landfill.

Oz Harvest

The bright yellow and black Oz Harvest trucks are now a common sight in loading docks around the country. An Australia-wide initiative to prevent food from ending up in landfill, Oz Harvest use their truck fleet to pick up and deliver surplus food, keeping everything refrigerated and cool until it can reach its intended destination—which is not the rubbish heap.

Oz Harvest began in Sydney in 2004 and has grown to become a national charity with a massive truck fleet to support its edible endeavours.

The organisation delivers food to vulnerable people, as well as other charities that then put the surplus food to use making delicious dishes for the people they support.

You might wonder where the food comes from, and the answer could be surprising: Oz Harvest collects from cafes, restaurants, delicatessens, supermarkets and grocery stores, hotels and even airlines all over Australia. 

Sadly, a huge amount of high-quality food and produce is binned every year because of distribution issues. But with Oz Harvest’s hard work, that volume is reducing, and food and produce is reaching those who need it most.

Gotcha4Life Foundation

Doing the important work of promoting mental fitness, the Gotcha4Life Foundation teamed up with Isuzu Trucks in 2022 for the Mateship Miles Roadshow.

Using a tricked-out truck that was raffled off to raise money for Gotcha4Life Foundation’s worthy mission, the truck was a mobile event centre drumming up interest in a road trip that spanned regional Victoria to regional New South Wales—with many a pitstop, impromptu barbie and chance to chat along the way.

The goal of the Mateship Miles Roadshow was outreach to regional communities where the impacts of bushfires, flooding, and pandemic had hit hardest.

Getting people talking, connecting, and considering ways to improve their mental fitness, the roadshow was a big success with hundreds of people gathering to share their stories.

Convoy for kids

Held in multiple locations all over Australia, Convoy for Kids is an organised convoy of truck drivers raising funds for sick children.

Some Convoy for Kids have been running for over 30 years straight, and others closer to 20 years, starting in different locations around the country, at slightly different times. What they have in common are truck drivers and owners who want to make a difference in the lives of sick children, raising funds for medical costs and raising awareness and support.

Participants register to enter, and each location and branch have their own approach to how the event is run and what's involved.

The Brisbane Convoy for Kids not only features great locations for spectators to safely watch but also involves a family fun day with rides and entertainment, market stalls, laser lights and fireworks. Another great way to get involved is businesses and individuals sponsoring the Trailer of Hope.

Convoy for Kids is not limited to Brisbane though, so if you have your eye on joining the worthy cause, there are other locations around Australia including Goulburn and Sydney.

Sydney’s Convoy for Kids is the longest running one in the country, originally established in 1992.

Roads of resilience

More than ever, we are reliant on the hard work of truck drivers to keep Australia moving.

The initiatives that celebrate community spirit and make it their business to ensure there is access to food and health resources are just as important.

So, hats off to the charities and truckies who tackle the distance of this great and rugged land, and the support networks behind them!

If you want to explore more stories of trucks that make a difference, check out the recap on the winner of the Gotcha4Life truck raffle.