Across the country, as school bells chime for the final time this year, students and teachers are not the only ones set to begin a much-deserved summer vacation.

Reading readiness tutors, including those who volunteer as part of the , have placed a period on a school year filled with equal parts smiles and laughter as they helped spark the imagination of students through reading.

Among the many tutors in the program’s Star Readers initiative this school year were Rosemary Schaffer (on the right in the above photo) and Lisa Schultz (pictured left), Penske associates in , who donated time each week to read and to be read to by students at .

As mothers who read to their own small children, both became volunteers because they understood what the research shows about the connection between reading and lifelong success.

“There has been a lot of research that shows third-grade reading levels are a predictor of success in the rest of the child’s school career and even beyond in life,” said Cindy Line, Ready.Set.READ! program director.

From Struggling to Star Readers

Ready.Set.READ! was developed as a community-wide initiative to address grade-level reading. By 2023, the program hopes to reach a goal of having 90 percent of Berks County third-graders be proficient readers.

While Ready.Set.READ! is the umbrella program for several initiatives, Star Readers is the one that most people are familiar with, Line said.

Through Star Readers, volunteers work with students who are reading just below grade level in an effort to help them increase their reading proficiency. The tutoring supplements reading instruction and activities in the classroom.

“These are kids who require a bit of a boost to get up to that proficient reading level,” Line said. “If they have a tutor who encourages them and says you can do this, it makes them confident in their ability to read. They are likely to try harder.”

“When the tutors come in, they don’t present new material to the students. They are actually practicing material that has already been reviewed in the classroom with them, so it gives them that extra bit of practice and builds their confidence,” she added.

Volunteer Spirit

Penske’s Schaffer, director of non-profit business, and Schultz, senior manager of IT customer support services, have actively volunteered for the United Way for years before joining the Star Readers program.

As a mother of four, Schultz read to her children when they were little because she understood the benefit of developing a lifetime love of reading. Star Readers allowed her to give back to the community’s children and youth.

“So when this program came about a few years ago, it piqued my interest, and I thought this would be interesting and enjoyable to me,” said Schultz, who has volunteered with Star Readers for four years.

“It is amazing to see the growth from the beginning to the end, and they look forward to it,” Schultz said. “Every week they are excited to do this. And that is what makes you feel good because you feel like you are making a difference in a child’s life.”

Like Schultz, Schaffer made reading a priority with her daughter. Saturday trips to the library were something they shared together.

Star Readers gave Schaffer, who has volunteered for five years, the ability to help students experience the same joy of reading she shared with her own now-adult child.

“I get to hopefully enrich a child’s life a little bit with reading because I think you can learn about the whole world if you can read,” Schaffer said. “If you can’t read, you miss out on so much of life.”

By Bernie Mixon

Take a trip through Penske's network of supplies and services providing what you need, when you need it – so you can keep moving forward.

View the to see what you can save on your next big move!

By "Move Ahead" staff

New regulations, e-commerce, and increasing customer preferences for fresh, wholesome foods are all having a sweeping impact on the of leading grocers, convenience stores, quick serve restaurants, retailers, and foodservice distributors. and Food Logistics Magazine have teamed up with several leading experts to produce a special digital edition of the magazine that addresses many of the food industry's top industry trends, including: Food Safety Modernization Act, omni-channel fulfillment, fresh channel strategies, the state of the logistic industry, and much more.

Learn more about how serves the .

, a leading provider of rental trucks as well as will team up with in a joint expo booth at the upcoming 2015 Worldwide ERC Relocation Conference from May 6 – 8 in Las Vegas in booth 302. Penske Truck Rental collaborates with moving helpers like Simple Moving Labor to provide a range of moving options from do-it-yourself moves with optional labor assistance to a white glove moving experience.

Penske Truck Rental and Simple Moving Labor make it easy for corporate relocation professionals to customize a moving program with:

• Scalable solutions for any sized move
• shipped direct to home
• More than 2,300 rental locations nationwide
• Moving specialists to help you with planning
• Consolidated invoice for each transferee
• Customizable billing options including direct bill and lump sum

Visit for additional information about working with Penske Truck Rental for corporate relocations or please call 1-877-280-4315 for more information.

By "Move Ahead" Staff

The year 2014 marks a milestone for Penske Truck Rental and – 15 years of a successful collaboration. To celebrate, Penske Truck Rental is kicking off its new, Open Road Sweepstakes. Penske is giving away 15 truck rentals per month all year long in the United States.

To enter Penske Truck Rental’s Open Road Sweepstakes and for official rules please visit:

“Penske and AAA share a long history and a mutual commitment to safety on the road,” said Penske’s Don Mikes, senior vice president of rental. “We’re pleased to be working with AAA and to continuing to serve their members and their moving needs.”

is the exclusive truck rental provider to AAA’s members. AAA members enjoy discounts on truck rentals and moving supplies.

“AAA is proud of our longtime relationship with Penske Truck Rental and the valuable benefit it provides members,” said Scott Denman, AAA vice president of financial services and member benefit programs. “We look forward to continuing the relationship for many more years to come.”

NOTE: This sweepstakes promotion has ended.

By “Move Ahead” Staff

Okay. You’re moving. Don’t freak out. Penske Truck Rental has a new moving relationship to help make your next move a whole lot less stressful. Kandela Concierge provides a true concierge experience when you are moving into a new residence by coordinating all the details of your home services including: cable TV, internet, phone service, home security, and much more.

By working with home service providers from a broad range of categories Kandela offers customers a single point of contact, who will educate them on the best home services available, discuss pricing and service options, activate services, schedule installation times, and help in every way possible to bring their new home to life.

The best part is the service is free to Penske Truck Rental customers. And, the pricing for all the home services will be the same as if they call the service providers directly. Instead of spending hours researching packages and waiting on hold with service providers, Penske Truck Rental customers can now speak to a friendly, knowledgeable Kandela Concierge. They set up your home in minutes and make your next moving experience a much more pleasant one.

Once you make your truck rental reservation on you’ll be introduced to the wide range of free services available to Penske Truck Rental customers through Kandela Concierge.

"Move Ahead Staff"

Fall semesters are cranking-up across the nation and students are heading to campus for another year of higher education. Not every student needs to rent a moving truck to get their stuff back to school, but if you’re one of those who do, below are some benefits to making that move in a Penske truck.

Student Discounts

10 percent on all truck rentals when they show their college ID. Save an additional 10 percent when you book your one-way rental online. Add those discounts up and you’ll save almost 20 percent. Hint: AAA members can save .

Free Miles

Penske offers on all one-way truck rentals – all day, every day.

Great Trucks

With one of the youngest fleets in the industry, the majority of Penske trucks won’t stay in our fleet long enough to get a bachelor’s degree (e.g. 4 years). In other words, we buy a lot of new trucks every year.

No Surcharges

Some companies include a surcharge on truck rentals for anyone 18-23 years old. ��DZ����’t.

Free Moving Invites

Invite your friends to help you move from your favorite social channel.

Picture Prizes

You don’t have to rent to win. See a Penske truck. Snap a photo of the truck. Send your photo to truckphoto@penske.com for a chance to win one of .

Sweet Tunes

Every Penske rental truck is equipped with an MP3 jack and/or CD player.

Storage Space

Tap into the largest on the Web.

Great Careers

Today you may be renting one of our yellow trucks to help during a college move. When you’re ready to think “career,” keep Penske in mind. Penske Truck Leasing is a diverse transportation company with operations all over the world.

By "Move Ahead" Staff

Penske Used Trucks is now offering complimentary warranties and emergency roadside assistance services with the new purchase of select used trucks and tractors.

“Purchasing equipment from Penske is about value,” said Jack Mitchell, vice president remarketing for Penske Truck Leasing. “We are very happy to offer enhanced value to our customers and to help ensure a stronger peace of mind.”

Customers acquiring Penske trucks and tractors will receive both a complimentary one-year membership to emergency breakdown services from and a limited-time warranty (Class 3 to Class 7 trucks, 6 months/25,000 miles; Class 8 tractors, 3 months/25,000 miles) from .

Certain restrictions apply, so interested parties should call 888-803-5675 for additional information, or access .

By “Move Ahead” Staff

If you’ve been waiting for a good time to enter the housing market, wait no longer! Now may be a perfect time to sell your home. So what do you need to do to increase your home’s value and ensure the selling process goes smoothly? Our friends at offer these key tips.

Have a Pre-Inspection Done

This simple action alone could save you thousands of dollars. A home inspection will turn up a lot of simple, and sometimes a few major, fixes that the buyer could potentially use against you during the negotiation process. Be proactive and take care of these items before the buyer even walks in the door.

Put Yourself in the Buyers’ Shoes

Shop around in your local market. See what others are selling their homes for, and what you could get for the asking price of your home. This helps you to objectively place a value on your property.

Price Your Property According to Market Value

Before you put your house on the market, it’s wise to talk to a professional real estate agent. They will be able to provide you with a Comparative Market Analysis on your home to determine its value. If you price your home comparable to others in your neighborhood, it will catch buyer’s attention. If the price tag is too high, it may slow down the amount of offers coming in and leave your house on the market too long. If your home is priced too low, you won’t get the full value of what it’s worth.

Clean, De-Clutter and Prepare to Move!

To many home buyers, it’s all about the first impressions. Not setting the stage when that first buyer walks through the door could cost you a sale. Don’t wait until your home is already on the market. Start packing now. You’re anyway, right? This will help de-clutter your home and also minimize the workload when you move to your new home.

Ready to Buy, Sell & Move?

If you’re ready, contact and when you’re finally ready to move visit and call 1-800-GO-PENSKE for a high-quality moving truck, moving supplies, and expert moving advice.

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Editor’s Note: This is an edited guest post written by She writes for the Quicken Loans Zing! Blog and works for In-House Realty, a sister company of Quicken Loans. Reused with permission.

It's moving season and recently teamed up with the folks at to produce these moving tips to help you plan the perfect move featuring ideas from Philadelphia designer Jeanine Hays, co-founder of

Get Started: Reserve Your Penske Moving Truck

Packing Appliances and Kitchenware

What to Do on Moving Day

Move-In Day

Very soon, thousands of will be donning caps and gowns, grabbing their diplomas and marching into the “real world.” So, what will that world look like? A new infographic from gives a glimpse into that world.Here are just a few nuggets of information in the infographic:

• 51 percent of college graduates plan to move to a new apartment after school.
• Among college graduates who are moving, almost three-fourths are relocating away from their college town.
• 80 percent of college graduates would relocate to a city where they can find a job rather than to their favorite city.

A lot of this year’s college graduates actually will be moving back home, a new survey by Accenture found. One-third of 2013 graduates plan to live at home after graduation, while 44 percent of 2011 and 2012 college grads live at home now, the survey showed.

Okay, the findings from the Accenture survey aren’t too rosy. So, let’s end on a positive note. Here’s one of the best quotes from Steve Jobs’ speech in 2005 to graduates of Stanford University.

“Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma—which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

No matter where they wind up, here’s wishing the best for the estimated 1.8 million members of the Class of 2013!

Editor's Note: This is a guest post reused with permission and written by John Egan. He is editor-in-chief at .

Is your home bigger or smaller than the average for your area? A new infographic fromwill help you find out.

Did you know that there are more than 76 million owner-occupied homes in the U.S.? Now you do.

Did you know that 75% of those are considered to be inside metro areas? Now you do.

Did you know that by average cost of square footage, New York City is 20 times more expensive than Detroit? Now you do (and now you know that metro-Detroit has some great deals for real estate – trust me on that, my friends).

Did you know that in the Northeast, average homes are older and smaller than the rest of the country? Now you do.

That’s right. You now know all those things and you’ll learn a lot more home-based facts with today’s infographic from Quicken Loans.

Editor's Note: This is a guest post written by Clayton Closson and reused with permission from the

Penske Truck Leasing now has among its full service lease offerings 2014 Volvo sleepers and day cabs equipped with Volvo Enhanced Stability Technology (VEST) for improved efficiency and safety.

Lease units can also come equipped with optional I-Shift (automated manual transmission) and the Volvo Enhanced Cruise (VEC) technology that aids drivers to maintain safe driving distances between other vehicles.

I-Shift controls the truck’s engine to offset changes in grade, vehicle speed, acceleration, weight and air resistance. VEC provides audio and visual alerts when the truck is too closely approaching another vehicle and also gives automatic vehicle intervention when the truck is in cruise.

Penske has special deals on these vehicles for a limited time. The offer expires on May 31, 2013. For more information, .

By “Move Ahead” Staff

Penske Truck Leasing has in its leasing inventory a limited number of low-mileage 2012 M2 medium-duty trucks now available.

The M2 features Cummins ISB 2010 emission engine technology, providing excellent fuel economy and the latest in cutting-edge specs and driver comfort, with quick delivery.

Visit the Penske Truck Leasing for additional information.

This offer has expired.

By “Move Ahead” Staff

Penske Truck Rental is ahead of schedule with its planned retrofitting of 5,000 commercial semi-tractors with cutting edge custom LED headlights from Truck-Lite, an initiative it announced in late November of 2012. Penske Truck Rental is the first company to offer these LED headlights.“Retrofitting has gone exceedingly well and by month’s end we will have approximately 3,000 units completed available to rent within our fleet,” said Penske’s Don Mikes, Senior Vice President of Truck Rental. “The response to these new lights has been good and truck drivers really like the added visibility.”

Contact Penske to request more information about custom LED headlights in your truck fleet.

****Editor's Note: This Post Shows a Simulated Photo. Illustration Only.****

****Video Courtesy of Truck-Lite****

By Randy Ryerson

Penske Truck Leasing has in its inventory a limited number of 2012 Freightliner trucks for lease with low mileage. The vehicles provide the latest in cutting-edge specs and driver comfort, and feature quick delivery and short-term lease options at discounted rates.

The models include: 2012 M2 straight truck, 2012 raised roof sleepers and 2012 tandem axle day cabs.

Visit the Penske Truck Leasing for additional information.

By “Move Ahead” Staff

Editor's Note: This offer has expired effective March 15, 2013.

Penske Truck Leasing is retrofitting 5,000 of its 2012 and 2013 semi-tractors currently within its commercial truck rental fleet with new, cutting-edge LED headlights from Truck-Lite. Penske is the first and only commercial truck rental operation to currently offer thisinnovative headlamp option within its fleet.

The retrofitting will take place over the next 12 months. Penske plans to make these LED lights part of its core standard specifications for all the semi-tractors in its .

“We’ve field tested these new lights,” said Art Vallely, executive vice president of operations for Penske Truck Leasing. “They provide greater nighttime visibility compared with traditional headlights, which enhances safety for commercial truck drivers operating our equipment. The high durability of these lights also provides a significant cost-savings from a maintenance standpoint.”

Incredible Durability

The new Truck-Lite custom LED headlamps were initially developed for military use and offer increased durability, visibility and safety. Manufactured in the U.S., Truck-Lite’s forward lighting technology is battlefield tough and tested on vehicles serving in the Iraqi and Afghan theater since 2007.

“Our LED forward lighting capabilities and product line has continued to strengthen and grow,” stated Beth English, vice president of marketing for Truck-Lite. “The overwhelming response from the military and commercial vehicle markets has allowed us to push forward and move the technology toward the custom heavy-duty market and our fleet partners. As a direct replacement to current headlamps, retrofit is easy, taking only minutes.”

English continued, “Our new LED headlamp offering really speaks to high performance, durability and increased visibility for forward lighting applications. Offering longer life than comparable incandescent lamps, these LED headlamp products are worth the upfront investment, saving the time and expense of replacing lamps multiple times while offering increased safety for the driver.”

A "Better Kind of Light" for Truck Drivers and Fleet Managers

Truck-Lite’s custom LED forward lighting headlamps offer improved driver visibility through its more natural light spectrum, leading to improved object recognition at night. Truck-Lite’s LED beam pattern also reduces eye-strain for drivers and reduces harsh headlight glare to oncoming traffic. An additional benefit is a significant reduction in amperage draw on the vehicle’s electrical system, freeing up power for other uses and resulting in a 50-times longer lighting system life than conventional halogen technology.

Clear Benefits Over-the-Road for Truckers and Fleets Driving at Night

• Meets DOT Specifications
• 2.9A Low-Beam | 4A High Beam @12.8V
• Rated at Over 30,000 Hours
• Special New Lens Coating Combats Hazing, Crazing and Yellowing
• Quick Aim
• Plug and Play Installation
• Sunlight Color Temperature Provides Excellent Light Color and Intensity
• Better Overall Visibility for Truck Drivers
• Less Maintenance
• Uses Less Energy than Halogen Headlights
• Added Durability Helps Reduce Waste Stream of Discarded Traditional Halogen Bulbs

Request More Information for Your Trucks or Truck Fleet

To request more information about using or installing these custom LED headlights in your truck fleet please contact Penske here.

By "Move Ahead" Staff

offers Great Rates on select routes in and out of different states. Airlines promote things called e-Savers, getaways, special fares or travel deals to help them fill vacant seats on flights. Unlike an airline, when you rent with Penske you’re renting the whole vehicle, not just a seat.

Penske’s free unlimited mileage on one-way rentals and our newer, well-maintained trucks make Penske a , which is why our trucks end up in popular “move-to” destinations.

We love being popular, but we can’t keep all of our rental trucks in Florida and Arizona – we need to spread them out across the country, which is why we offer great rates on one-way moves out of certain states and into others.

Moving from Arizona to New Mexico? Great rate.

Moving out of Florida and into New York? Great rate.

Moving to California? You got it…Great rate.

are a win-win-win. Movers save money on quality rental trucks and Penske gets trucks moved where they’re needed. The environment even wins when you take advantage of our Great Rates due to the fact that we don’t have to use extra fuel to geographically re-position vehicles.

Note: This promotion is no longer valid.

By Bill Combs