BETWEEN THE LINES - Andrus Transportation

Transcription

ANDRUS TRANSPORTATION SEPTEMBER 2015 NEWSLETTER
BETWEEN THE LINES
ANDRUS TRANSPORTATION NEWSLETTER
AT ANDRUS WE ARE
AMERICAN PROUD!
IMPROVED RESULTS WITH DETENTION PAY
EXTRA CASH FOR DRIVERS MPG
L
ast month I spoke about a
serious subject. This month I
would like to discuss something I
feel is important. Fuel Mileage
bonus as well as Detention Pay. I
would like to first give a little history. Fuel mileage pay is somewhat new; we started it in March
2014, and began tracking our detention pay around the same
time. We have made huge strides
of improvement in both categories. Our first payout in MPG bonus was a total of $3,200.00. Then
a year and a few months later, we
paid out $13,440.00. I commend
all those who have taken a conscious effort in improving their
MPG, and want to encourage all
the others to do the same. Detention is much the same. The distant
path was to stay the least contentious when it came to deten-
tion. We didn’t document well or municating with their dispatch. As
notify customers well about being for myself, I do not like to be held
detained. What that resulted in, up at customers. Our ultimate
was little to no detention collec- goal is to never have our drivers
tion so that we could pay our driv- be detained. With that being said,
ers. We have since brought in and it will happen. And when it does,
assigned the task to aggressively let’s do the things that will make it
go after detention. That coupled possible to for us to be able to bill
with the wonderful communica- and collect so we can continue to
tion from many of our drivers we pay you what you deserve while
have begun to make big improve- being detained. Thank you for all
ments not only billing detention, you do. Be safe. I want you to
but also collecting it, so that we know I pray for each of you to be
can pay our drivers. In January of safe every single day. I would like
2014, we paid out a total of $1,700 to leave you with a thought. “If
in detention for the month. This you but go about doing things
past month we paid out just under that are good, you will be happy.”
$9,000. Now many may think we
are being detained more. This is
not the case. What it is, is we
have more and more drivers doing
Jimmy Andrus
their part in arriving on time send- President
ing in the proper macros and com- Andrus Transportation
necessities for the times that you
are out of your tractor chaining or
fueling. Extra food and water are
also a necessity to ensure your
safety and comfort in times of road
closures or breakdowns.
A
s the message stated last
week, Colorado chain laws
require chains to be carried as of
September 1, 2015. It seems early
but we all know that weather conditions change fast and not being
prepared is one of those mistakes
that a professional driver does not
want to make.
Not only are the fines costly, but
being ill prepared for bad weather
can put you in a very compromising situation. As you winterize
your truck, make sure you think
about yourself. What cold weather
gear do you need to keep warm and
dry in the cold weather? Extra
blankets or sleeping bags are crucial in case of a break down.
Gloves, boots and a warm coat are
Making sure that you have chains
that are in good condition is vital.
If you do not have chains on your
truck at this time, please make sure
that you get through one of Andrus
shops asap to have chains put on.
All drivers need to make sure that
your chains are in good condition
and that you know how to install
them correctly. Finding out that
you have broken and unusable
chains as you are putting them on
because you need them is not the
time to discover that. If this is your
first winter or you are in need of
some additional chaining help,
please communicate this with your
dispatcher to have them route you
through St. George for some additional help and training.
Knowing how to drive on chains is
crucial. The maximum speed you
should ever travel on chains is 25-
30 miles per hour. You should
check your chains with regularity
as you are driving to ensure that
they are still on and are secure.
The most important part of bad
weather driving is you the driver.
Knowing to drive for the conditions is more important than anything. Snow and ice requires you
to slow down and not worry about
how others are driving. Trying to
keep up with the traffic in bad
weather is the wrong thought process. Driving in bad conditions
requires the most defensive driving
practices. Looking ahead and always planning an out for your self
is crucial to staying safe in the winter months.
Lynn Shrum
VP Safety—Human Resources
September 6, 2015 - September 12, 2015
and the focus is on brakes. Last
year over 13,000 inspections were
done during this time.
P
lease be prepared for National
Brake Safety Week September
th
6 -12th. There will be thousands of
inspections done during this week
Inspectors will be looking for brake
adjustments and also concentration
on malfunctioning ABS indicator
lamp. Please make sure that you
adjust the brakes each time you pick
up a trailer and that you are doing
thorough inspections on all of your
equipment.
Negative inspection
results can result in lost time, citations and CSA points for both the
driver and Andrus.
Lynn Shrum
VP Safety—Human Resources
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toured traffic started to arrive,
drivers weren’t able to maneuver
around the goat very fast. This
caused the traffic to slow and
back up. Well, as one could imagine, some impatient driver decided to just run over the goat.
M
any years ago, there was
a legal case that found
its way to the Supreme Court. It
was commonly referred to as the
“goat in the road case”.
A section of highway was undergoing construction during the
daytime hours and opened up at
night. But, during the day, traffic was detoured around on a
rural dirt road. A farmer that
lived on the rural road got tired
of people unsafely speeding
along the road and causing a lot
of dust. So, one night while
traffic was back on the highway,
the farmer dug a hole in the middle of the dirt road, planted a
post and tied a goat to the post
with a rope that was just long
enough for the goat to roam
back and forth on the road. The
next morning, when the de-
This started a huge legal battle.
Who was at fault? The guy who
blocked traffic with the goat, or
the guy who ran over the goat?
While it was a bit more complicated than this, the major outcome was, “just because the goat
was in the road, and shouldn’t
have been in the road, that didn’t
give the other guy the right to
run over it!”
Why I bring this up may be obvious. I can’t tell you how many
times I’ve heard excuses for accidents like, “the other guy was
parked illegally” or “the nose of
this truck was sticking out too
far” or “he shouldn’t have pulled
up so close behind me that I
couldn’t see him”, “and that’s
why I hit them”. My response
will usually be, “the goat in the
road”.
neuver these big rigs better than
I can my pickup. However, if
you wish to avoid running over
any goats in the road, make sure
the goat is out of your way before you proceed. Sometimes
this isn’t easy, but at least attempt to remove the obstacle.
Your job is hard enough, why let
it be difficult if it doesn’t have
to be? Many successful people
can sometimes be the laziest
people. They are successful because they find the easiest way
to perform a task and there’s
nothing wrong with “easy”.
Bottom line though, just because
it was there, and shouldn’t have
been there, it doesn’t give you
the right to run over it.
Thanks and be safe.
Wes Peterson—Director
Insurance & Risk Management
I know that every day our drivers are faced with incredibly difficult tasks and as I’ve said
many times, they are able to ma3
The definition we have assigned
that value is “No delivery is so
critical, no profit so gratifying, no
expectation so important that it is
worth anyone’s life or health.
While I recognize that accidents
do happen, I do everything in my
power to ensure that my actions
promote the safety of those I work
with and for, the communities we
serve, and myself. Everyone in the
company is empowered to bring
up safety concerns without fear.”
caused by riding my bike in 105
degree weather, even after repeated pleas from my wife and daughters not to do so, it cannot be
completely ruled out. Regardless
of whether the hospital stay was
caused by that action or not, in
hindsight there was no reason to
do it and plenty of reasons not to.
Had I been “doing everything in
my power to ensure that my actions promote the safety of . . .
myself”, I would have run my errand when it was cooler or used
the car and gone swimming for
my exercise that evening. Why
take unnecessary risk?
and health is important not only to
ourselves, but all those associated
with us. As a company I applaud
the attention you all give to safety, especially you drivers. There
are probably a few of you, like
me, that could improve our effort
to avoid unnecessary risks and
recommit to “ensure that [our]
actions promote the safety of
those [we] work with and for, the
communities we serve, and
[ourselves].”
Doug Dredge
Executive VP
It has recently been brought to my
attention that I have not been living that value as fully as I should.
While there is no evidence that
my recent stay in the hospital was
The business we are in has plenty
of inherent risk. It is important
for all of us not to add to that inherent risk by being the least bit
complacent about safety. Our life
WHY TAKE
UNNECESSARY
RISK?
Lesson Learned
One of the Andrus Corporate
Values is Safety
I
t has been a changing month
this month with the sales department. We saw a few changes
happen here. First, a few changes
were made within the network of
freight for the better to help keep
drivers moving and improve the
quality of life. Second, a change
in the sales department. With
Jack Reynolds no longer with us
we had to make some coverage
adjustments. We are pleased to
announce that Tom Menzel has
accepted to take on some additional territory and effective September 1st is now covering the
west coast states along with the
southern states, the Carolinas, and
Missouri. Please
help in congratulating Tom on
this exciting promotion.
Justin Allen
VP of Sales and Marketing
Compliment from Waste Management
Thanks for sending Chief we really like him and he does a great job!
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I
t is already a circus out on the roads! Construction,
weather, accidents as well as the distracted (taking on
phones or texting) and erratic behavior of other drivers
are just a few things you deal with when driving. With
such a demand on your vision and concentration, fatigue
can happen. Switchbacks, mixing bowls, steep grades,
optical illusions are all part of the roads you drive every
day. When you are tired, you lose the ability to fully
concentrate, which can reduce your ability to detect and
respond to road hazards. Driving while fatigued also
increases your chances of being involved in an accident.
When you are near your destination, you will push to
make it regardless of experiencing symptoms such as:

Difficulty Focusing or daydreaming

Frequent yawning

Trouble remembering the last few miles you drove

Missing exits or traffic signs

Drifting out of your lane
It is important to take a rest break when these symptoms
start. This is for your safety as well as the safety of others on the road with you.
Cathy Maxwell
Customer Service
T
he Driver Referral Bonus is
$500 which includes an upfront pay of $250
when the referred
driver is in orientation. Another
$250 is paid out
when the driver has been with the
company for 6 months. Hiring for
Solo, Teams, and Flatbed drivers!
For more information please contact a recruiter Holly or Carolyn.
The best way to find good drivers,
come directly from our great driv-
ers. Drivers are the #1 asset. We
have professional driver cards for
you to pass out to
potential drivers.
Please stop by the
STG office to pick
them up.
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WELCOME ABOARD NEW ANDRUS DRIVERS
SHERIE KOLLEN—11 WESTERN
RUTH SLY—11 WESTERN
CRAIG PARKER—MILLER FLEET
SCOTT MOORE—11 WESTERN
LOVELL HENDERSON— WATER FLEET
JOHN CHAVARRIA—MILLER FLEET
DAVID SLY—11 WESTERN
HILBERT MURILLO—11 WESTERN
THOMAS PASCALE—FLATBED
JANE ANDREWS—11 WESTERN
LESTER HUFF—11 WESTERN
TIMOTHY CANTELME—WATER FLEET
DAVID HESSON—11 WESTERN
DARRYL HARVEY—WATER FLEET
KELLY BATES—11 WESTERN
KERIN ADAMS—FLATBED
DANIEL DELANEY—11 WESTERN
CARMEL WALKER—CLEARWATER
JAMES EPPLE—11 WESTERN
L
Leland Lesicka & Toni Lesicka
eland Lesicka started here in December
of 2011 and soon to follow was his wife,
Toni Lesicka who joined the Andrus family in
February 2012. Between the two of them
they have over driven over 750,000 miles.
We can always count on these two to take
care of business and have the peace of mind
that all the while they are being safe while
doing so. Thank you two for all you do here at
Andrus, we really appreciate ya! As always,
drive safe, and keep on truckin’!
Thank you Leland and toni for all you do!
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H
CINNAMON DAVIS—BROKERGE
i, my name is Cinnamon
Davis I work in the Brokerage Division of James Andrus
Transportation Management. I
am the one that deals with the
paperwork, A/P questions, setting up carriers, etc…. I have 2
kids, a girl and a boy and a dog. I
have been around the trucking busi-
I
ness pretty much my whole life. My dad was a truck
driver until just a few years ago and about 15 years
ago, I worked for another trucking company for almost 5 years. Someone once told me trucking gets
into your blood and you can never really leave it, well
it must be true because I am back. I am so happy to
be with Andrus. I have been here for 4 months, and
don’t plan on leaving anytime soon. I love it here and
the people I work with.
HEATHER WAYMAN—CUSTOMER SERVICE
started at Andrus on 2/21/14 - I was hired on my
birthday. What a great present! I was referred to
Andrus by my uncle who is a driver. I began working
here as the receptionist and did that for several
months. That was great opportunity to learn as much
as I could about the trucking industry. After being
receptionist for a few months, I had the opportunity to
move to the Customer Service department. I handle
accounts for Waste Management, Family Dollar, and
Kapstone out of Cedar City to name a few. I really
enjoy the interaction with both my customers and my
coworkers here at Andrus and I appreciate the team
effort that goes into making
our company great!
I have lived in St George since
1998 and I love it here. I enjoy the company of good
friends and my cat, Angel.
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GOOFY CRYPTOGRAM ANSWER
“A composer who takes lots of showers every day probably writes soap operas.”
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BETWEEN THE LINES - Andrus Transportation

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