Sunset Transportation's Volunteer Fleet Delivers 1.9 Million Items During Scouting for Food Drive

ST. LOUIS - Nov. 24, 2015 - PRLog -- For the 12th consecutive year, Sunset Transportation, Inc., a national third-party logistics (3PL) and freight payment company, organized a team of 25 tractor trailer trucks and logistics volunteers for the St. Louis Scouting for Food drive. On Nov. 21, Sunset’s volunteer fleet braved the early winter weather to transport the 619,584 pounds of food donations collected by local Boys Scouts of America (BSA) troops to the St. Louis Food Bank in one day.

Since Sunset began overseeing the logistics for the annual food drive in 2003, the locally-owned, national 3PL firm has delivered approximately 24 million cans of food for the bi-state region. Each year, about 30,000 scouts through Missouri and Illinois canvass their neighborhoods for canned and boxed food items, distributing plastic bags and returning for the filled bags a week later.

On average, the Scouting for Food drive generates enough donations to provide 500,000 meals for local children, adults and families. The 2015 collection alone yielded 1,955,525 canned and boxed food items.

“It’s amazing how our community comes together to help those in need. We are honored to be a part of the largest single-day food drives in the country,” said Lindsey Graves, vice president of operations for Sunset Transportation. “We thank our volunteer drivers and staff who donated their time, trucks and fuel to help bring much needed food to our city.”

Sunset would like to thank the following St. Louis area companies who volunteered to help transport the donations for Scouting for Food:
- A-Mrazek Moving Systems Inc.
- Dodge Mayflower
- E.J.A. Trucking
- Hines Trucking
- Must Go Xpress LLC
- Pilot Air Freight
- Regal Roads Trucking LLC
- RichKidd Carrier Services
- Shaker Enterprises
- Sibic Trucking
- Special Delivery Xpress
- Starex Transport

In 2003, Sunset Transportation started handling the delivery and logistics support for the Scouting for Food event when the U.S. Army, which used to provide the service, was deployed to Iraq. The 3PL’s volunteers deliver the millions of donated canned goods to the St. Louis Food Bank, which in turn distributes them to 500 local food pantries and agencies.

“We are grateful to the people in the St. Louis area for their generosity, and we are glad to partner with Sunset for the logistics of our food drive,” said Christine Dieckmann, director of marketing and communications of the BSA Greater St. Louis Area Council. “Transporting millions of canned goods collected at 40 fire stations across the area is an enormous task, and we’re thrilled that Sunset has streamlined our process and helped us accomplish everything in one day.”

About Scouting for Food – http://sff.stlbsa.org
Since 1985, the Scouting for Food drive has distributed more than 50 million food items to benefit children, adults and families in the St. Louis region, with 1.8 million items collected in 2014 alone. The annual one-day food drive, which stocks over 500 pantries in Missouri and Illinois, originated in St. Louis, and has since spread to other Boy Scouts of America councils.

About St. Louis Food Bank – www.stlfoodbank.org
The St. Louis Area Food Bank, established in 1975, collects and delivers millions of food and personal care items annually to those in need throughout the bi-state area. Serving approximately 42,000 local people each week, the food bank provides four meals for every dollar donated and allocates 97 percent of its resources for food distribution.

About Sunset Transportation, Inc. – http://www.sunsettrans.com
With over 25 years of experience, Sunset Transportation is a leader in third party logistics (3PL) and freight payment services. The company supports customers by creating efficiencies within their supply chain; leveraging its extensive network and decades of transportation knowledge.

Backed by a combination of proprietary and industry-recognized business intelligence systems, Sunset customizes a solution that best suits each customer’s needs, with a personalized service level that exceeds customer expectations…the right size 3PL for growing businesses. Sunset Transportation’s corporate headquarters are located in St. Louis, Missouri, with branch and agent offices across the United States.