Outreach Initiatives Inspire Communities

Interacting with a product that is almost unattainable is fascinating for all ages. Through Touch a Truck events, Navistar educates members of the community on an industry that is often overlooked and even misunderstood.

Mash Angolkar , one of the coordinators of Touch a Truck events, explained that these events are special since there are very few ways for the general public to access commercial vehicles. Though several types of vehicles can be rented, a Class 8 truck isn’t an option for most. Additionally, many won’t get in one unless they have a family member in the industry.

During a recent event in Naperville, while participants waited in line, Navistar volunteers and subject matter experts described the functions of different parts of the truck. The team even took pieces of the wheel apart as a hands-on demonstration for children. Age appropriate and engaging explanations have always been a strength of Navistar volunteers. Mash recounted how he can see the gears turning in the children’s faces as they learn about Navistar’s products—and their parents are always just as interested.

The R&D Operations team receives requests to provide trucks at a variety of events and locations. The most recent Touch a Truck events occurred at the DuPage Children’s Museum, various schools, and at Lisle during a family day event and Juneteenth celebrations. Volunteers provided practical knowledge about the work Navistar engineers complete, serving as an introduction to the commercial trucking experience.

“As Navistar employees, I believe that we have a responsibility to participate in outreach events and share the vehicle experience,” Mash said. “It’s important that we take advantage of our unique position of having access to trucks and buses to impact various communities.”

These events are not solely based in the Lisle area. In June, Kelly Herrera, a thermal validation engineer at the Advanced Technology Center, organized Navistar’s involvement at an elementary school in the surrounding area.

Kelly’s manager expressed an interest in developing more community outreach events and she seized the opportunity for Navistar to participate in a career fair at Medio Creek Elementary school. When Kelly presented this opportunity to her colleagues, she was met with excitement and openness to help organize it.

More than 100 students learned about Navistar during the career fair. Volunteers provided a brief background on the company, explained how the vehicles are built, and introduced the kids to the validation department and the testing they complete. To conclude the experience, students sat inside of the truck.

“This experience was very rewarding as a woman in engineering,” Kelly said. “Young girls are not typically exposed to this field, and I showed them that they can pursue any career.”

Kelly presented a recap of the event and its success to upper management in her department. This increased excitement surrounding community outreach initiatives that will inspire future generations.

In the future, a volunteer portal will be developed that will provide information about upcoming volunteer opportunities.

Volunteering offers the opportunity to meet new people and is crucial to the success of Touch a Truck events. These events would not be possible without the excitement and willingness of volunteers to educate, inform, and inspire the community.

“I wanted to emphasize that organizing these events is a team effort,” Mash said. “Teams across R&D Operations, Fleet Operations, Vehicle Engineering, Marketing and ERG's work together on creative ways to provide vehicles and navigate the logistics of getting them in front of families.”

Comment below to share your own experiences volunteering or attending community events!