5,000 miles in five days – all for a good cause

The goal is to raise awareness as well as funds for Truckers Final Mile as former truck driver and endurance rider Shawn Kitchen attempts to ride his motorcycle 5,000 miles in just five days.

Transflo – an innovative software company that helps supply chain clients excel, says their company website – is sponsoring the coast-to-coast journey, which was named the Transflo 5,000 by Kitchen.

The sponsorship, in conjunction with Geotab, will fund fuel and lodging expenses during the five-day trip.

“As a driver, I wondered what would happen if something happened to me on the road, how my family would handle the strain and stress,” Kitchen said in a news release. “Truckers Final Mile’s mission of providing dignity and support to America’s truck drivers and their families is something I’m really fond of. This nation relies so heavily on truck drivers to keep our economy moving. We need to do whatever we can to support a charity that has such an important, yet unspoken mission in this industry.”

Kitchen drove professionally for 16 years, including long-haul, tanker, flatbed and local pickup and delivery, according to the news release. Kitchen also spent time as a driver trainer, recruiter and safety manager with multiple fleets. Now, he is the director of operations for True Load Time.   

“We appreciate every fundraiser that occurs on our behalf,” Robert Palm, founder of Truckers Final Mile, said in the release. “The families we assist are in some of the darkest hours of their life, and they are the ones who benefit from these events. We’re thrilled that Shawn reached out and is doing this for our organization.”

Kitchen will begin the fundraiser on Nov. 15 in Jacksonville, Fla., on his 2016 Honda Gold Wing. He will travel to Dog Beach, Calif., before returning to Jacksonville by 5 p.m. on Nov. 19. To reach his goal, Kitchen will need to ride more than 1,000 miles and about 14 hours per day, according to the news release.

“Truckers Final Mile does one of the most important jobs in our industry, taking care of drivers and their families when tragedy occurs in the line of work,” Don Mitchell, director of marketing at Transflo, said in the Transflo release. “We’re proud to partner with Shawn and to bring greater awareness to the serious and significant service that Truckers Final Mile does and to help raise funds so they can continue to carry out this purpose.”

Kitchen’s ride will be tracked live on Transflo’s website and social media updates will be available via the hashtag #5000in5. Donations can be made at TruckersFinalMile.org, using the “donate” button on the homepage. Donors are asked to add “5Kin5” to the notes line.

A donation goal of $5,000 – one dollar per mile – has been set by Kitchen. LL