By Timothy Cama, Staff Reporter
This story appears in the Oct. 17 print edition of Transport Topics.
Truckers from Indiana brought seven truckloads of hay to Texas last week in an effort to help the state’s agriculture industry through one of the worst droughts in its history.
The Indiana Motor Truck Association organized the effort to coincide with American Trucking Associations’ Management Conference & Exhibition, scheduled for Oct. 15-18 in Grapevine, Texas, said Cari Baylor, director of sales at Baylor Trucking Inc., Milan, Ind., and the ATA vice president for Indiana.
“When we were talking about going to Texas, we talked about how the farmers were really struggling in Texas, because of the lack of feed, due to their weather conditions,” Baylor told Transport Topics. IMTA leadership came up with the idea at the group’s annual meeting in early October.
“We thought it’d be really neat, since we’re going to Dallas and we’re a pretty big ag area,” said Charles “Shorty” Whittington, president of Grammer Industries Inc., Grammer, Ind., and 2008-2009 chairman of ATA.
Texas has seen one of the worst droughts on record in recent months, the National Oceanic and Atmo-spheric Administration said. The agricultural industry there had about $5.2 billion in crop and livestock losses, as of September, in the most expensive drought on record, the agency said.
“We’re headed to Dallas for MCE, and we’re leaders embarking on Dallas to focus on being the best industry we can be,” Baylor said. “And I think it’s important that your head and your heart are always in alignment.”
Reaction from agriculture in both states has been very positive, Baylor said. David Eaton of Meritor Inc., an IMTA board member, took responsibility for gathering hay for the project, she said.
“They’re really excited,” Baylor said.
While Eaton organized the hay effort, Baylor found trucking companies to haul it, she said.
Bestway Express Inc., Vincennes, Ind.; Prime Inc., Springfield, Mo.; TransCorr, Indianapolis; and Venture Logistics, Indianapolis, volunteered to carry the hay, along with Baylor, Grammer and ATA’s Share the Road program, ATA said in a statement.
“This effort was made possible by the generous donations of hay from our local farmers and, of course, the motor carriers hauling the hay,” Gary Langston, president of IMTA, said in a statement. “We are happy to be able to send some relief to our friends in Texas.”
The hay arrived in Terrell, Texas, on Oct. 13, ATA said.
