Trucker Buddy News

John Wayne Manering serves as students' 'eyes to the country'

What do John Wayne Manering and his son, John William Manering, have in common, besides their first and last names? Both men are company truck drivers for WH Transportation of Wausau, WI, and both are also active participants in the Trucker Buddy program. However, John William Manering has the distinction of being chosen as the February Trucker Buddy Driver of the Month.

Third-grade teacher Kathy Madigan and her students at Smithville Elementary School in Smithville, OH nominated their Trucker Buddy for Driver of the Month honors. “He’s a true gem!” says Kathy. “He sent us pictures of landforms we were studying, and he became our ‘eyes’ to the country. I cannot thank him enough for making geography ‘come to life’ for my students. We began tracking him on our classroom map with a marker so we could see what states he’d visited. This really helped sharpen the students’ mapping skills.”

“We gave him a stuffed rabbit named Blue Bouncer to show how much we appreciate him. He takes Blue Bouncer on all of his trips. Blue Bouncer keeps him company on the road,” wrote student Hannah. “I think he really cares about us because of all the things he does for us. He is the greatest!”

John lives in Jackson, OH with his wife, Dena, who helps him prepare seasonal gifts and goodies for the students. They visit the class often and had a pizza party with the students.

John has made an impact on these children by adopting their class through the Trucker Buddy program in 2004. 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 can find out more about the program by visiting www.truckerbuddy.org or calling 1-800-MY BUDDY.

Each Trucker Buddy Driver of the Month receives a personalized jacket, along with a check for $300 to spend on the class and $200 in Trucker Buddy merchandise, compliments of ACS-MultiMedia. Over the Road and Pro Trucker are proud sponsors of the Trucker Buddy program.