BETWEEN THE LINES - Andrus Transportation

Transcription

ANDRUS TRANSPORTATION JULY 2015 NEWSLETTER
BETWEEN THE LINES
ANDRUS TRANSPORTATION NEWSLETTER
AT ANDRUS WE ARE
AMERICAN PROUD!
SALES DEPARTMENT
T
he Sales Department continues to focus on improving
the quality of life for our drivers
and employees. With the close of
some new dedicated fleets and
improvement in our freight this
month. We are excited about the
growth we see at Andrus and continued improvement we all are
working on to make the best place
to work at in the Industry. Tom
Menzel and I had the opportunity
this month to spend a few days
with one of our big accounts
ConAgra Foods and touring their
facility in California. It was great
to see the part of the supply chain
process in action from the raw
materials coming in, to finished
product moving out of the warehouses.
Thanks,
Justin Allen
VP of Sales and Marketing
CHARLES “MIKE” HENRY
C
harles “Mike” Henry
joined the Andrus family
on the flatbed fleet just a little
over a year ago… and as sad as
it sounds I have maybe only
talked to him twice. He is one
of those guys that just gets in
the truck and drives, but he also has a smile on his face
while doing it. When you do
speak with him he is hard to
forget as he has one of those
genuinely awesome attitudes
and is just all around a great
guy. He has driven almost
120,000 accident free miles
here at Andrus, and we hope to
have him for many more years
to come. Thank you Mike for
everything you do and as always drive safe!
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO!
1
As of July 1, 2015 all *qualified drivers will receive three days
(24 hours) of Paid Sick Leave!
Now in addition to your six paid holidays, you will have three days of Paid
Sick Leave to help you take care of your medical and dental appointments!
These Paid Sick Days can be used for the diagnosis, care, or treatment of
an existing health condition, or preventive care for, themselves or a “family
member.” For instance an employee could use the leave for an annual
physical or other preventive care, like a flu shot.
*In order to qualify, you must be employed for 90 days.
2
there. Some of the complaints
are merited, but many are not.
Nevertheless, if we receive a
motorist complaint, it is not
only our obligation to investigate, but our opportunity to
check on you to assure that
you’re ok. There are occasions when we were able to
determine that our driver was
not ok and that they needed
our immediate attention to ensure their safety.
A
ndrus is limited in our
knowledge of how well our
drivers are performing, while out on
the highway. We have technology
that gives us snapshots of certain performance, however, there is another
means that provides us a glimpse as
well. Other motorists.
For years, we’ve had a “typical”
amount of motorists call us and relay
their thoughts about our drivers.
While, not surprising, we receive
some very good comments and compliments, although it is unfortunate
that most calls are negative. But
what has us concerned, is that we’ve
recently experienced a dramatic increase in motorist complaints. Granted, with advances in technology, it is
easier to “reach out and touch us”,
yet that will not explain all the current activity.
Most things never change and the
majority of the complaints are alleged tailgating, erratic lane changes
and my personal favorite, left-lane
loungers. And certainly, we’re not
naïve about the things that go on out
Technology is here to stay and
will only become more advanced as the industry moves
forward. In most cases, we
embrace this technology and it
has proven to be a valuable
tool in making you and our Company
safer and more profitable.
The
downside to technology is that it can
also be discovered and presented as
evidence in the event you have the
misfortune of being involved in an
accident and it becomes litigated.
This is why it is increasingly more
important to always be doing the
right things out there. Our technology can alert us to excessive speeds
and other critical events. And, social
media and other recording devices
seem to be everywhere and record
everything.
I could elaborate on a lot of the motorist complaints we receive and
whether or not they were merited, but
for now, I would like to challenge all
of you to truly and objectively grade
your own driving.
How are you perceived? We’ve
found that as our drivers become
more experienced and their skill levels increase, they are able to perform
at a different level. They can choose
to navigate and move in and out of
traffic more fluidly, they can quickly
maneuver and position the equipment, and, because they are very familiar with their territories, they are
not hesitant in getting their objectives
rapidly accomplished.
But…, to someone else, who doesn’t
know you or what your experience
level may be, you are perceived to be
a giant, scary, dangerous and unforgiving mass of moving metal. Let’s
face it, if they see you moving quickly in and out of traffic, you may be
thinking, “wow, I’m good!” and everyone else is thinking you’re a maniac that should be arrested.
It’s all about perception.
So, take our challenge. Objectively
look at your own driving habits and
consider how you may be perceived
by others. Would your friends or
family feel comfortable sharing the
highway with you? If you generate
merited motorist complaints and
modern technology, social media or
other devices catch you doing stupid
things, it won’t be long before you
cannot be defended. And, if we can
no longer honestly defend you, we
cannot employ you. Always be the
professional driver that we brought
you on to be. Follow our policies,
which are designed to protect us
both, and don’t give anyone the excuse to be “mad about you”!
Thank you and be
safe out there.
Wes Peterson – Director
Insurance & Risk Management
3
A
n article was written
in a London newspaper years ago about a middle-aged
woman who purchased a roll of
English “biscuits” (not like American biscuits -more like a cookie
or cracker) in the airport. After
getting seated in the gate area and
arranging her things under her
chair and on the table between
seats, she opened the pack of biscuits on the table and ate one. A
young man, a total stranger, appearing to be in his twenties, seated on the other side of the table,
reached over, took one of the biscuits, and began eating it. She
was upset, but being a proper British woman she said nothing, gave
the young man a bit of a look and
took another biscuit. A minute or
so later the young man began eating another biscuit. As he continued to help himself to her biscuits
without so much as a “would it be
alright if I had one?” she was indignant. Keeping her British reserve, she quickened the pace of
eating biscuits and intensified the
looks, trying, in as proper but firm
a fashion as possible, to stay ahead
of him and consume most of the
biscuits she’d paid for. Finally
they were down to the last biscuit. The young man smiled at
her, took it, broke it nearly in half,
and handed her the larger piece as
he stood up and boarded his
plane.
She was appalled. The
audacity! With many an unkind
word for the young man she expressed her outrage by detailing
the story to another person in the
gate (who happened to be a reporter and later wrote the article). About the time she finished,
the boarding call for her flight
came over the speaker, she
reached into her purse to get her
boarding pass, and there, in her
purse, was the roll of biscuits
she’d purchased. The outrage immediately turned into embarrassment as she realized she’d been
acting under a false assumption. It
was not her roll of biscuits they’d
shared.
What was the young man’s
assumption about her that he was
seemingly so happy to share his
purchase with her?
It’s summer. The freight and temperatures are hot . . . sometimes
feelings can get a little hot as
well. Three of the Corporate Values at Andrus are Trust, Respect,
and Loyalty. As things heat up it
is important that we assume the
good intent and competence of
one another. It is a valid assumption. I’ve not encountered a more
qualified group of people, nor
people who work harder to help
one another succeed. If we are
confronted with actions or communication that appear otherwise,
it’s probably a good idea to check
the perspective and respond in
such a way that shows that assumption of competence and good
intent.
Let’s enjoy
sharing a summer
Doug Dredge
Executive VP
4
Automatic Transmission Revolution
Prior to 2013, the majority of professional drivers had the opinion that
they could outperform an automatic transmission. In matter of fact,
performance metrics support the professional driver’s opinion. Yet, over
the last couple of years a major change in the professional driver’s opinion and supporting metrics have occurred. The majority of professional
drivers that drive a 2014 or newer automatic vehicle comment on the
drastic improvement of the automatic transmission. Furthermore, most
professional drivers feel that they cannot outperform the new transmissions. Several drive tests completed by professional drivers even support that new automatic transmissions will outperform even the most
efficient driver.
“Where is my gear shift?”
Automatic Transmission Effectiveness
Automatic transmissions use a progressive shifting technique. Progressive shifting is the technique used to reduce fuel consumption. This is accomplished using two methods. First, shifting into top gears while at higher speeds. Second, shifting gears to keep
the truck engine RPM’s low. The most efficient RPM range for the maximum fuel savings is between 1100 to 1200 RPM. Most
drivers know this as the “sweet spot”. Volvo states, “Operating in this range yields about 1.5 percent fuel improvement for every
100 RPM”.(Volvo Group North America, LLC., 2013)
Your Efforts to Earn MPG Bonus
In addition to the automatic transmission reducing fuel consumption; you as a professional driver, can assist in reducing fuel
consumption.
Constant speed (Use cruise control as often as possible during safe conditions)
Let the automatic transmission shift your vehicle. Do use manual shift while on an increased grade
10% fuel efficiency increase by reducing speed from 65 to 55 MPH. You can expect .10 mpg increase by slowing down 1 mph
3% fuel efficiency increase by closing the trailer gap from 60” to 40”
Release the accelerator when approaching the top of a hill or a red light
Manage your stops. (Acceleration from 0-65 mph uses up to ½ gallon of fuel)
Maintain tire pressure. Each 10 PSI underinflated reduces fuel efficiency by 1%
Works Cited
Volvo Group North America, LLC. (2013). Proven Fuel Efficiency: Effective strategies for Getting More out of Every Drop. Retrieved from Volvo trucks Site Collection Documents: http://www.volvotrucks.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/VTNA_Tree/ILF/Products/Fuel_Efficiency_iBook/phone-pdf-ibook_2013.pdf
Allan Vogel
Asset Manager / Fuel
A LITTLE
HUMOR…..
REMEMBERING OUR HEROES THIS FOURTH OF JULY
HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY
5
I
JIM BLACK—INTERNATIONAL FREIGHT / EQUIPMENT CONTROL MANAGER
was born in El Paso, TX, but
lived in Northern California, Fredonia, AZ, Southern California before I left for an LDS mission in
1971. I returned and quickly married
the lovely Zelpha Gardner. She is my
companion, best friend, and partnerin-crime for the escapades I’ve perpetrated in my life. Together we
have moved 15 times in the 42 years
we have been married. We are the
parents of 7 children and grandparents of 16 grandchildren.
I began my transportation career
with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa
Fe Railway Company in 1974 as a
switchman. I was quickly promoted
through the ranks to Assistant Superintendent-Operating in 1989
working many many positions enroute
to that place. I spent 10 years
working and supervising operations in
the 2nd largest piggyback terminal in
the world in Vernon, CA. Because of
my missionary experience and my
fluency in the Spanish language, I
was transferred to El Paso in 1989
to be the company’s liaison with the
Mexican National Railroad, and to
manage the Import/Export business
there.
I retired from the Santa Fe Railway
when it merged with the Burlington
Northern. I was uncomfortable with
the ethics the BN management team
brought with them and I determined
to leave.
In 1996 I became associated with
Andrus Transportation Services as a
driver, but didn’t stay long because
the railroad offered me a very large
sum of money to help merge the
computer systems of the Santa Fe
and the Burlington Northern. The
two computer systems didn’t speak
the same language, so the company
asked a bunch of us younger retirees
to translate while the software team
designed a whole new operating system to run the combined railroad.
I came back to Andrus in 1999 after
working with the railroad and after
learning the flatbed trucking business, and worked as a driver for
about 3 months before Jim Andrus
asked me to come into the office to
run the container business as I had
previous experience in the intermodal portion of the transportation industry. In my time at Andrus I
drove truck, worked as Dispatcher,
Customer Service Rep, Planner,
Equipment Controller and now back
to managing International Freight
along with my Equipment Control duties.
I have enjoyed my time at Andrus
Transportation Services, and expect
to retire, when
the time comes,
after having spent
a good portion of
my working life
here.
I’ve made
some
great
friends and some
good relationships
here.
Compliment from Paul M. Haviland / Genpak LLC
We work with numerous CSR's from many companies all over the country. There
are a few that stand out and Cathy Maxwell is definitely one of them. She is top
notch and goes above and beyond most of her counterparts at other companies.
She is excellent at what she does and I would hate to ever lose her on our account.
I wish all the CSR's that we deal with were of Cathy's caliber. You really do have
an excellent CSR and person in Cathy. Andrus should be proud of her. Disclaimer:
Cathy did not pay me or bribe me in any way to say any of these things.
Compliment from Tammie Namanny / Carlisle Syntec
We LOVE BOB MADISON. He is our favorite driver of all carriers. Every single
time he is in town we would love to give him stuff. He is so nice, good with our
loaders, professional with our customers and extremely dependable. ANYTIME he
needs a load, we will part the Red Sea looking for one for him.
6
REGINA DAVIS—WATER FLEET
BENJAMIN GILLIE—11 WESTERN
WILLIAM MERCHANT—WATER FLEET
SYLVERJO VARGAS—11 WESTERN
TIMOTHY PEARSON—RESTORATION HARWARE
JAMES STARR—NESTLE WATER / LOCAL
ROMON SOMOZA—FLATBED
WALTON BUFKIN—NESTLE WATER / LOCAL
KASSIE NICHOLSON—11 WESTERN
DWAYNE FICKLIN—NESTLE WATER / LOCAL
MARK GEORGE—DEDICATED
JUAN CALLAU—MILLER FLEET
DOUGLAS NEYLAND—WATER FLEET
MARCUS LANDRUM—WATER FLEET
MARQUIS GRIFFIN—MILLER FLEET
SAEID MOGHADDAM—NESTLE WATER / LOCAL
YUNIOR NARANJO—WATER FLEET
ANTHONY HILL—NESTLE WATER / LOCAL
GARY JACKSON—FLATBED
DANIEL BRANNON—11 WESTERN
ROBERT SUNDERLAND—11 WESTERN
ALEJANDRO ZABALA—FLATBED
ERIC STEPHENS—WATER FLEET
MATT CARLOCK—FLATBED
SHONNETTE MOSLEY— NESTLE WATER / LOCAL
ROBERT MATE—WATER FLEET
BARRETT MITCHELL—NESTLE WATER / LOCAL
RENE SNIDER—NESTLE WATER / LOCAL
KEITH WOOD—RENO / DEDICATED
MARCUS WILLIAMS—NESTLE WATER / LOCAL
JAMEL LOCKE—RENO / DEDICATED
CEASAR RIVERA—NESTLE WATER / LOCAL
DAVID ALEXANDER—RENO / DEDICATED
RONALD THOMAS—NESTLE WATER / LOCAL
MICHELLE BAKER—CUSTOMER SERVICE
M
y name is
Michelle
Baker and I
started for Andrus in June 2012
so I am just at 3
years. I started
as the CSR for
the NW areas of WA and OR, later
working the Northern UT area, picking up numerous National Accounts
along the way and now run the Nor
Cal, Bay and Reno areas. Some of my
larger national customers are Lowes,
Barnes and Noble, Nestle Purina, to
name a few. This was my first job in
trucking but I had worked in customer
service my whole life, working for UHaul International in Phoenix, AZ
from 1991 to 2002 when the company
went through chapter 13 and let go
just under half of their staff.
We moved to St. George, UT in 2003
for a better place to raise our children
and since then, I was constantly on the
lookout for a job with a family orientated company that cares about my
success and a quality of life for their
employee’s. I finally found that in
Andrus Transportation and am truly
honored to work for such an amazing
company. When I spent a month in
the hospital January of last year and
faced the myriad of health problems I
encountered as a result, I really came
to see just how supportive and caring
the crew at Andrus really was. I still
get choked up thinking back to when
I was unable to feed my own children,
due to being out of work for 3
months, and my wonderful coworkers came through for me by donating their vacation and PTO days so
I would have some kind of income. I
am eternally grateful for that and the
favor will be returned if anyone ever
needs it.
I love my job and am most grateful
for the relationships I have developed
with my co-workers with my customers and with drivers. It all goes hand
and hand and the key to a happy
customer is one where you are more
than just a name to them.
Please stop in and meet me if you are
ever in the St. George office.
7
MEET THE ANDRUS AWESOME ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT
Sisy Reed has been with Andrus
since 1995. She has seven children and four grandchildren. She
enjoys spending her free time
doing stuff with her family.
Cheryl James has been with Andrus since 1996. She has seven
children and enjoys yard sales on
Saturday mornings, and with this
hot weather…swimming.
Cyndi Kirkland has been with Andrus since 1998. Between Cyndi
and her husband John, they have
fourteen children and twenty-two
grandchildren. Cyndi enjoys gardening, fishing and crocheting.
Mandy Semeatu has been with
Andrus since 2006. She enjoys
playing basketball, volleyball and
tennis. She loves gardening, and
misses her old house where she
was able to do that.
Renn Buck has been with Andrus
since 2009. He has four children,
two boys and two girls. His family
loves to go hiking and geocaching.
Michelle Nielsen has been with
Andrus since 2009. She has three
children and three grandchildren.
She enjoys spending time with
her family, long cruises and sewing.
Janice Stout has been with Andrus since 2012. She has two sons
and two grandchildren. She enjoys bowling and playing chess.
Candace Haupt has been with
Andrus since 2012. She has three
children. She enjoys being with
her family and friends camping,
boating or shooting.
Marinette Massey has been with
Andrus since 2014. She has two
children. Nicole and Steven. She
enjoys going hiking and spending
time with her family.
Heather Davis has been with Andrus since 2014. She has one son,
and she enjoys spending time with
him and teaching him new things.
He is her world! She also enjoys
spending her free time reading,
drawing, or being outdoors. (when
it’s not 100+ degrees outside)
Janalyn Wood is the new addition to the accounting team. She
joined Andrus in May of this year.
She has one son and enjoys going
up in the mountains, but the thing
she enjoys doing the most is
watching her son Tyler play football.
Our employees are what truly make Andrus a family oriented,
fun and great company to work for.
8
GEOFFREY ICKE, SCOTT SMITH, JEFF WAYMAN, DAN TURNER, BOB MADISON,
PAUL DAHL, TODD ZITTING, CORWIN BRACKEN
9
10

BETWEEN THE LINES - Andrus Transportation

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