“The Church has pledged to distribute 250 truckloads of food totaling 9 to 10 million pounds to 250 food banks across the country in 2026.” – Steven Roberts, CTP, Manager of Fleet Operations for NPTC Fleet member Deseret Transportation, the private fleet of the Church of Jesus Christ.

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“IN COLLABORATION WITH America 250’s ‘America Gives’ initiative, The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints, by mid-2026, delivered more than a hundred truckloads of food to faith groups, nonprofits, and community groups across the country,” Steven Roberts said.

Roberts is the manager of fleet operations for Deseret Transportation, the private fleet of the Church of Jesus Christ, and a member of the NPTC Board of Directors. “Deseret” derives from the Book of Mormon and means honeybee, a symbol of hard work, industry, and cooperative spirit in the community.

A Brigham Young University-trained chemical engineer and MBA graduate, Roberts attended the council’s Private Fleet Management Institute (PFMI), earned his Certified Transportation Professional (CTP) designation through NPTC, is a PFMI faculty member, and is a frequent speaker at the council’s annual conference and National Safety Conference. “The Church has pledged to distribute 250 truckloads with a total of nine to 10 million pounds of food to 250 food banks across the United States throughout 2026,” Roberts said.

America250 is the primary nonpartisan organization authorized by Congress to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and to recognize the freedoms established by the Declaration and the Constitution.

“The Church’s special food donation effort as part of America250 pays tribute to the freedoms and rights identified in the Declaration and the U.S. Constitution. The freedoms have allowed all faiths, including ours, to prosper,” Roberts said.

“We have trucks going out every day to food banks and community organizations of all faiths and backgrounds,” he continued. “Food insecurity is always a problem for the less fortunate and more vulnerable, but worsening for many people and communities due to inflation and the higher food costs.”

Deseret Transportation’s private fleet is a regional operation using a “hub-and-spoke” system. The fleet consists of 45 tractors; 140 trailers, including 10 with specially wrapped indicia promoting JustServe; and around 40 full-time employee drivers.

“This makes it easier for us to find drivers because we offer more home time during the week and more weekends at home with their families,” Roberts explained.

The fleet does not run on Sunday. All drivers are members of the Church and spiritually aligned with the welfare mission to assist people. About 85% of the Church’s freight is handled by the private fleet, and 10% to 15% of loads are outsourced.

“Each delivery across the country has been met with excitement not only for what it contains and how it will help families and individuals in need but also for how it brings a community together,” Elder Matthew S. Holland, executive director of the Church’s communication department, said.

“The America250 America Gives initiative, which aims to make 2026 a year of unprecedented service, is a chance for individuals to work together and care for their neighbor,” Holland added. “We all long for unity of purpose, regardless of our differences, and we can always, no matter our differences, unite in service. The opportunities for that service are unlimited.”

“In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the Church’s vision is that serving together, relieving the hunger of others in need, binds us together as communities, as a nation, and as God’s children. It also brings us personal joy,” he said.

While most of the private fleet deliveries are sent to the Church’s Bishops’ storehouses at locations across 45 states, distribution to other charitable organizations has increased substantially in recent years, according to Roberts.

“In 2025, the Church donated $1.58 billion in humanitarian aid and 7.4 million hours of volunteer service worldwide. Being engaged in the America250 initiative is a part of the Church’s broader global outreach of giving to those in need and serving the children of God,” Roberts said.