Trucker Buddy News

Plenty of Reasons to Salute This ‘Buddy’

The students at St. John the Baptist School in Vermillion, MN created a “Top 10” list of reasons why their Trucker Buddy, Dave Volkert, should be chosen as Driver of the Month:

1. He shows us love and care.

2. He gave us a liquid nitrogen show.

3. He made us frozen marshmallows.

4. He is nice.

5. He showed us how cold liquid nitrogen is.

6. He let us in his cab.

7. He sends us a lot of letters.

8. He has sent us pictures all year.

9. He has shared about his family.

10. He visited us with his truck.

For the past five years, Volkert has been matched with Maria Therres’ second-grade classes. “Every year he has personalized all his letters to us, answering students’ questions and giving them superb information regarding liquid nitrogen,” Ms. Therres says. She is pleased with the impact Dave has had on the class. “He opened a new world to my students,” she adds. “They receive practical knowledge in geography, reading, writing, properties of gases and many other subject areas.”

The students have learned a great deal about nitrogen and its properties, as Dave is a company driver for Praxair in Inver Grove Heights, MN. Each spring he brings his tanker truck to the school and gives a presentation about the product he delivers.

Trucker Buddy Dave lives in Rosemont, MN. He is one of nearly 4,000 professional drivers who share their time with elementary classes throughout the world. The only criteria to be a Trucker Buddy is to be a truck driver willing to send a postcard each week to a class in grades two through eight. Drivers and teachers can find out more about the program by vis-iting www.truckerbuddy.org or calling (800) MY BUDDY.

Dave Volkert will receive a personalized jacket along with a check for $300 to spend on his class and $200 in Trucker Buddy merchandise.

Over the Road and Pro Trucker magazines are proud sponsors of the Trucker Buddy program.