Cat Trucks throws its support behind the Transhelp Foundation by donating $20,000 to the group
By Gary Worrall | April 7, 2011
Cat Trucks has thrown its support behind the Transhelp Foundation, presenting a $20,000 cheque to CEO Dianne Carroll.
The foundation, based at Tarcutta on the Hume Highway in southern NSW, offers a wide range of support services to drivers and their families, such as health checks and counselling.
The donation from Cat Trucks came after a charity auction of paintings by indigenous artists commissioned for the Cat’s global launch in 2010.
Cat’s general manager of sales and marketing, Jeff Tyzack, says he is proud to support the Transhelp Foundation continue its work.
“Transhelp lends valuable support to those in times of need and as a leader in the industry Cat Trucks thinks it is only appropriate to play our part and give something back,” Tyzack says.
Dianne Carroll says the idea for Transhelp came after her first husband was killed in a truck accident.
“I had been involved with the truck memorial and met widows and families and realised there was no support after accidents,” Carroll says.
“Jeff has been a big supporter from the outset and promised to help when he could. Now he has delivered on that promise, and it is this support that keeps Transhelp running.”
As well as offering counselling services, Transhelp runs a mobile support unit to provide free driver health check-ups. Drivers can also phone Transhelp for help while on the road.
“We also work with a chemist in Gundagai to fill prescriptions for drivers, they can drop them off and we have them ready for collection the next day,” Carroll says.
She says Transhelp does not qualify for government funding despite working with all drivers and helping injured drivers return to work sooner.
“We need government funding to expand. My fear is demand will outstrip the existing resources,” Carroll says.