As part of its Career Week, Andrew Maier Elementary School in Blandon, Pennsylvania, hosted a “Touch-a-Truck” event that gave students a hands-on look at the world of transportation, and one of our Ingredients Plus sugar trucks stole the show!
The event invited kindergarten through fourth-grade students to interact with six different trucks, giving them the chance to meet the drivers, explore the vehicles and learn what it’s like to work in the field as a truck driver. One of our featured trucks was a sleeper cab sugar hauler, complete with a bed, refrigerator and microwave, and it was a huge hit with the kids!
“Our drivers gave short presentations about what they do, how many tons of sugar they haul and what life is like on the road,” said Kara Roth, Director of Human Resources for Ingredients Plus. “And yes, we let them honk the horn!”
The event wasn’t just fun—it also had a purpose. With a growing shortage of Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) drivers, outreach like this is a chance to spark early interest in a rewarding and often overlooked career path.
“A CDL-A driver can easily earn six figures,” said Kara. “It’s important that we show kids early on that truck driving is a real, respected profession with excellent opportunities.”
The children’s excitement, especially when they learned the truck hauls sugar, made the event extra sweet.
Thank you to the team for inspiring the next generation of drivers!