TRUCKS THAT KEEP GIVING

The humble truck not only plays a key role in making sure we have access to our daily necessities, but it also plays a part in helping local communities. From mobile healthcare clinics to hay runs for drought relief, trucks can and do play a big part in positively impacting people and communities in need. These worthy causes often fly under the radar, with the good work done quietly while making a big difference to the lives they touch. Let’s have a look at some of them.  

Photo credit: Royal Flying Doctor Service

Giving back smiles—mobile Flying Doctor Dental Clinic Amongst the fine work of the Royal Flying Doctor Services, you will find the mobile Flying Doctor Dental Clinic, which aims to bring dental healthcare to small rural communities that require outreach services. Dedicated to making a difference to dental health in regional Australia, these mobile dental clinics travel rural and remote areas of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. Finding their home in various trucks—even in an 18-wheel semi-trailer—the clinics are stocked with state-of-the-art equipment, and are staffed by qualified dentists and assistants. Mission Zero Waste—OzHarvest on hand Food wastage is no joke and the diligent team at OzHarvest understands this better than most. The organisation labours tirelessly to combat Australia’s food wastage and insecurity, collecting and delivering surplus food to communities experiencing food insecurity. The trucks are a major factor in OzHarvest’s ability to deliver millions of meals to vulnerable communities all over Australia. And an efficient truck fleet makes all the difference between what constitutes “fresh” food and what doesn’t. “The speed with which our organisation moves means that we can rescue quality fresh food and get it to someone in need that evening or the next day,” said OzHarvest’s Queensland fleet manager, Amy Cobb. OzHarvest also runs educational campaigns and nutrition workshops, continuing to fight the good fight against food waste, partnering with proud sponsors, an energetic team and a fleet of reliable hard-working trucks. Keeping the dream alive – hay runs for drought relief If there was ever a cause that highlighted the way in which trucks can help everyday Aussies, it’s through the charities who strive to deliver hay to drought-affected farmers. Organisations such as Need for Feed, Buy a Bale, and the Burrumbuttock Hay Runners (BHR) all gather donations of hay and deliver it in convoy to some of the driest rural communities across Australia. Farmers impacted by drought often struggle to ask for help and many battle mental health issues caused by the emotional and financial strain of trying to keep their farms alive. In April this year, the BHR alone mustered over 500 volunteers and loaded 180 trucks with donated hay and fodder and set off to make a difference to farmers suffering drought conditions. That’s a lot of hay, and a lot of trucks to move it. Driving the future—Life Education Everyone from Generation X through to today’s kids will remember Healthy Harold and the Life Education truck with the mobile learning classroom visiting their school at some point. Life Education travels to preschools, as well as primary and secondary schools, providing educational programs in mobile learning classrooms on a variety of health-related subjects, including cyber safety and nutrition. The trucks are an integral part of Life Education’s operations, providing the means to transport their teaching crew and the mobile learning classrooms to schools all over the country. Supported by the Department of Education and Training and organisations including Isuzu Australia Limited, Life Education relies on their trucks to bring those fun and educational programs to bright young Australian minds. Wheels of fortune So apart from being the driving force behind our transport industry, trucks also play a big part in offering a beacon of hope to those in need, providing the wheels needed to make a real impact on local communities. And that, in our books, is pretty darn cool.   Trucks also play a vital role in helping to keep our local communities safe. Check out the different types of trucks in our emergency services.