Trucker Buddy

Trucker Buddy News- Six Years of Postcards and Visits

For more than six years, Tim Maryniak has been writing to Barb DeHorn’s second-grade class at Campbell Elementary School in Muskegon, MI. Many of the students have had older brothers or sisters who corresponded with Trucker Buddy Tim. One student, Jamie, said she “couldn’t wait to get in second grade and have the opportunity to write to him,” because her older brother John had shared his enthusiasm about the program with his family.

Another student, Beth, said that both of her older brothers “were pleased to have Tim for a Trucker Buddy,” and she appreciates learning about the United States and likes receiving postcards Tim sends from around the country.

Maryniak, a driver for Roadway Express, lives in East Amherst, NY with his new wife, Anita. Tim and Anita visit the class and talk about truck safety with the entire school. Tim's safety lessons focus on blind spots, speed limits, wearing seat belts, as well as geography and the transportation industry.

Maryniak 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 who is 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 visiting www.truckerbuddy.org or calling 1-800-MY BUDDY.

As this month's honoree, Maryniak will receive a personalized jacket, along with a check for $300 to spend on the class and $200 in Trucker Buddy merchandise.
Pro Trucker and Over the Road magazines are proud sponsors of the Trucker Buddy program.