Eagle Eye News - Southeastern Freight Lines

Eagle Eye News
THE BEST AND BIGGEST IN THE SUNBELT
THIRD QUARTER 2016
A Publication for Associates and Friends of Southeastern Freight Lines
TOBIN CASSELS
PRESIDENT
Good Old
CAPTAIN FUDGE
Back in the mid-1600s there lived a man by the name of Captain Fudge. He was captain of a
merchant ship called The Black Eagle. What a great name … Captain Fudge. He was probably a
good friend of Captain Crunch. (Just kidding!)
C
aptain Fudge is an actual historic
figure. As the story goes, Fudge
would travel out to sea and come
back with incredible stories of
valor, none of which were true. But
he didn’t let that stop him. He became notorious for his lies, tall tales
and exaggerations about improbable
adventures on the high sea. The end
result was that people couldn’t trust
him. In fact, he became a bit of a joke.
Before long, another member of his
crew started telling his own tales and
the rest of the crew would point at him
and say, “You’re fudging.”
Ever since, Fudge’s name became associated with lying. By the mid-1800s,
if a group of kids were playing marbles and one of them tried to cheat,
the others would tell him, “Hey no
fudging!” But even today we continue
to fudge. People fudge on their taxes.
People fudge the truth. Candidates get
elected based on their promises but
before long they start fudging.
Isn’t it a shame that real integrity is
so hard to find in a person or in an
organization today? We can’t have
integrity while fudging!
Billy Graham defines integrity this
way: “We speak of integrity as a moral
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value. It means a person is the same
on the inside as he claims to be on the
outside. There is no discrepancy between what he says and what he does;
between his walk and his talk. Integrity has to do with soundness, completeness, unity and consistency. It means
everything about a person is moving
in the same direction … integrity permeates the fabric of a person, rather
than just decorating the surface.”
I can’t think of a better compliment
than for one to be known as a person
of integrity. And I can’t think of a
better compliment for a company than
to be known as one who operates with
integrity.
This past March we conducted our
annual employee opinion survey (SDI)
and I want to share the results of one
of the 44 statements from our survey.
As a reminder, each person is asked to
rank on a scale of 1 to 10, if they agree
with the statement.
SEFL operates with integrity (doing
the right thing) – 8.6 Score
On June 22nd of this year, we had
our consultant share with my IQ
workgroup our company-wide SDI
results for 2016 in an Executive Overview. He took a couple of hours going
over all of our trends and giving us
his view of our results as compared to
previous years and to other companies
he works with. I wish that each of you
could have heard the positive comments he made about this specific SDI
statement concerning integrity. Each
year he has been blown away at how
high this statement has been rated.
He told us that most companies really
struggle with the perception of integrity and said, “This is one of the highest
scores we have seen from any company in the country. You are a qualitative
step ahead of other companies.”
I want to thank each of you for what
you do each day to help build this
reputation as a company who operates
with integrity. If you think about it,
a “corporation” can’t have integrity
… only individuals can possess and
practice integrity. So, if a business is
thought to operate with integrity then
it means the individual associates are
focused on operating with integrity. It
takes all of us and the old expression
that a chain is only as strong as its
weakest link is true.
In closing, let me share four benefits
of trying to live a life of integrity:
“We speak of integrity as a moral value.
It means a person is the same on the inside
as he claims to be on the outside. There is no
discrepancy between what he says and what he
does; between his walk and his talk. Integrity has
to do with soundness, completeness, unity and
consistency. It means everything about a person
is moving in the same direction … integrity
permeates the fabric of a person, rather than just
decorating the surface.”
~ Billy Graham
ONE
Integrity sets you apart.
Integrity sets you apart from the rest. Like cream rises
to the top, a person of integrity is set apart from all the
deceit, dishonesty and deception around them. I think
the most significant statement in the Bible about Job is
found in the very first verse of the book that bears his
name.
Job 1:1 (NLT) There was a man named Job who lived in
the land of Uz. He is blameless, a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil.
It was integrity that made Satan take note of him, and it
was integrity that made God take note of him. It set him
apart.
TWO
Integrity creates trust.
Trust is the basis of any healthy relationship. If we want
people to trust us, if we want them to take us seriously,
if we want them to believe what we say, we need to be a
people of integrity.
THREE
Integrity promotes
peace of mind.
When we practice integrity, we don’t have to keep track
of what lies we told to whom, nor worry about when our
dark secrets are going to be revealed. We don’t have to
wonder when everything will come collapsing around us.
If we are a people of integrity, we can sleep easy because
we know we have nothing to hide.
Proverbs 10:9 (NLT) People with integrity have firm
footing, but those who follow a crooked path will slip and
fall.
FOUR
Integrity pleases God.
Remember, the greatest commandment we have is to
love God with everything we’ve got. And if we love him,
we are going to want to please him.
1 Chronicles 29:17 (NLT) I know, my God, that you examine our hearts and rejoice when you find integrity there.
Proverbs 11:20 (NLT) The Lord hates people with twisted hearts, but he delights in those who have integrity.
Thank you again for doing your part in helping us to become a company that strives to always operate with integrity.
This is certainly our goal and one we must never let up on. We are One Team and it takes all of us working together. I
am proud to serve with each of you!
THIRD QUARTER 2016 u 3
TOMMY KEETON
NATIONAL ACCOUNT MANAGER
Southeastern Freight Lines
Recognized by Eaton as a
Premier Supplier Award Winner
Of over 74,000 suppliers globally, Southeastern was one of six suppliers
to achieve this award. Three were from Asia, and three were from the U.S.
Eaton is a power management company with
2015 sales of $20.9 billion. Eaton has approximately 97,000 employees and sells products to
customers in more than 175 countries.
Southeastern was recently invited to attend the
2016 Eaton Corporation Supplier Conference at
the national headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio.
This meeting consists of 200 of Eaton’s global
suppliers in person as well as several thousand
participants streaming on-line. The conference
covers a wide range of topics leading up to the
main event which is the presentation of Supplier
Excellence Awards.
Nominees for the Supplier Excellence Award
are reviewed by the enterprise globally and
approved by senior leadership to ensure that
the premier suppliers provide best overall value
to Eaton. Only Eaton’s best suppliers receive
this award. Each of the Premier Supplier award
winners creates value for Eaton in various ways,
not only from stellar delivery and quality performance, but through innovative approaches.
One innovative approach that factored significantly into Southeastern earning this prestigious
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award was a cross-functional process improvement team led by Ron Pagoota, Director of Revenue Accounting. The team included representatives from Southeastern Freight Lines, Eaton and
Cass Information Systems. The team discovered
the secret to improve invoice accuracy and their
hard work has really paid off. The team reduced
the Cass invoice reject rate by 93% and reduced
past term balances by 96%.
This recognition is a testament to Southeastern
Freight Lines’ commitment to deliver “Best in
Class” service. Congratulations Team for a job
well done!
Six companies received Eaton’s Supplier Excellence Award for 2015. Shown here (left to right)
are: Jeffrey Owens, CEO, Advanced Technologies
Services; Melanie Maas-Brunner, Senior VP Performance Materials Europe, BASF; Ok Jun Kim,
Senior Executive Director, Cheil Electric Wiring
Devices; Lu Jun, President, Nantong Jianghai Capacitor Co.; Rogerio Branco; Brett Paddock, President & CEO, Titanium Industries; and Tommy
Keeton, National Account Manager, Southeastern
Freight Lines.
20 TABLE
OF CONTENTS
14-15 > Leadership Summit
2016 was our inaugural year for The Southeastern
Leadership Summit. The goal of the Summit is to
provide additional up-to-date training for our service
center managers, assistant managers and regional
leadership on an ongoing basis.
2 President’s Letter
4 Southeastern Freight Lines
Recognized by Eaton as a Premier Supplier Award Winner
6 Southeastern Serves:
The Start of Something
7 Southeastern Serves:
Miami Team Serves Star of the Sea Outreach Mission
8 IQ Principle #3
13 Southeastern Freight Lines Receives
Quest for Quality Award for 33 Years
in a Row
18 Fleet Services — Neil Kukowsky
20 We are On the Move in Odessa
22 Training and Equipping For Success
24 Dave Ramsey’s Smart Dollar
25 Blue Care on Demand
26Retirees
28 Southeastern Freight Lines Is Happy to Announce a New Benefit for All Employees
Our Special Thanks to
10-11 > ASSOCIATE
APPRECIATION WEEK
16-17 > MIKE JENNINGS
LOSES 123 LBS.
12 > RICHMOND AND HUNTSVILLE LINEHAUL DRIVERS
19 > WE ARE ONE TEAM
for photos on cover and pages 5, 9,22 and 23.
Southeastern Freight Lines
420 Davega Road
Lexington, SC 29073
(803) 794-7300
(800) 637-7335
www.sefl.com
© Copyright 2016.
All rights reserved.
THIRD QUARTER 2016 u 5
CHRIS HARLEY
IT SECURITY SPECIALIST
The Start of Something
I
“To get to, you have to go through,” a wise woman once shared with me. That is exactly what some
of the most innocent of God’s children are learning at Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital.
always wanted to get involved and do something like
visit a children’s hospital and possibly make some sort
of difference, but it would always end up in the “Maybe
later when I have more time” pile. I am thankful that
in 2015 God reminded me that “Maybe later” eventually
runs out. I am also extremely thankful that the Southeastern Serves team allowed us the chance to get something going. Something has now started that we don’t
want to end.
At the Palmetto Health Children’s hospital
they have
Frequency
a “Toy Box” program. Children who are receiving
treatment or tests such as blood work or chemo earn
points for each procedure. The more bad things they
go through the more points they earn. These points can
be used to purchase items such as toys, games, or gift
cards from the toy box. It’s not a cure, but at least it offers
some type of reward. Due to the compromised immune
systems all toys have to be new. In June, the remaining toys are taken to Camp Kemo for prizes. It was the
perfect time for us to go in and restock the hospital toy
box. Who doesn’t love to shop for toys? However, we
just didn’t want to simply drop off a bunch of toys. We
wanted to create an extra special delivery.
One day while dressing up like a stormtrooper and
battling my son it dawned on me, “Why not take this
show to the hospital?” What’s better than a stormtrooper? Easy, a stormtrooper who delivers presents. All I
needed was a helper and a decent Kylo Ren, so I recruited Robbie Mclain and Deidre Oliver. With plenty of Star
Wars figures for the kids, we set the date for our special
L-R: Robbie Mclain, Chris Harley
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delivery on June 21st.
We were told there may be 5 to 10 kids that day.
We changed into our costumes and our first stop was
the waiting room. The experience was priceless. We
worked our way around the waiting room, the play
areas, and to the back where kids were receiving
treatment. Yes, some of the sights are hard to see. Two
things stood out to us about our visit. First, the kids
were really enjoying it, even if it was just a distraction.
Second, the parents were really comforted by the fact
that there are people in this world who truly care. We
started something and plan to continue.
“To get to, you have to go through.” That is a fact
that no one can escape. We are not heroes or wonderful people like Carson Gross or Susan Shumpert,
or any of the others who work with these kids every
day. We simply did something that all of us should
make time to do, which is help our brothers and
sisters.
Was it rewarding? You better believe it. Was it a coincidence that we brought 17 toys to give away that day
and there happened to be 17 children there? You can
figure that one out. We cannot wait to go back. Who
knows? Maybe next time we will wear a bunny suit
and hop around eating carrots, if that is what those
kids want.
If this is something you may want to get involved
in, please feel free to contact me. Special thanks to all
those who helped make this visit happen and especially to Millie Williams for one of my favorite quotes.
L-R: Robbie Mclain, Chris Harley and Deidre Oliver
LUIS ARIAS
P&D OPERATIONS MANAGER
O
Miami Team Serves
Star of the Sea Outreach Mission
ur team in Miami recently came together to
serve our community. We often think of Key
West as paradise complete with beautiful beaches, lovely sunsets and great fishing, but rarely do
we stop to think about the families there who are less
fortunate.
We reached out to Tom Callahan, Executive Director, with Star of the Sea Outreach Mission in Key West
to see if there is anything we could do to
help this
Frequency
great organization. Star of Hope provides food for 34
locations from Key Largo to Key West. Embracing our
core value of Belief, Alignment and Teamwork, the
Miami family came together and through donations
collected 1,698 pounds of food to serve those in need.
Star of the Sea Outreach Mission opens their doors
every day to provide compassionate assistance with
dignity and respect. A special thanks to everyone who
participated and especially to Tom Callahan and his
crew for the opportunity to serve.
THIRD QUARTER 2016 u 7
JIM BOYD
MANAGER OF FLEET TECHNICAL SERVICES
IQ PRINCIPLE #3:
Manage by Prevention
Avoiding Engine Aftertreatment Problems
There is no gentle way to say it – engine exhaust aftertreatment systems
have created havoc in the trucking industry and unfortunately, our company
has not been an exception to this rule. The delays and costs these systems
have created are a bitter pill, at best.
There is light at the end of the tunnel, however; and by
following IQ Principle # 3: Manage By Prevention, we are
making progress in reducing downtime and costs.
Drivers have become more aware of the problems and
have begun to work harder to let Fleet Services know when
problems appear to be imminent – and they have worked
hard to complete parked regenerations (commonly referred
to as a “regen”) in order to help clean these systems out.
Both pieces of this equation – good details when a DVIR is
submitted and completing a regen when requested by the
engine ECM – really make a huge difference in a situation
where we can be proactive with our troubleshooting and
maintenance.
With the guidance of our mad scientist, Bill Brown, we
are also now able to utilize our telematics systems to monitor units for engine related codes, too many regen requests
from the engine ECM and other related information to help
“know” when a unit needs to come in for analysis, troubleshooting and repairs. This knowledge, which is immediate, has allowed us to address numerous units and avert
breakdowns saving a tremendous amount of unnecessary
expense.
Our dispatch associates, both at the local and central
dispatch level have assisted us in managing units that
either have problems (helping us coach the driver) and also
helping us route units into dealerships or into Southeastern
shops for repairs.
Here in Fleet Services, we continue to work toward a
more proactive approach to repairs. Our training processes have been taken to a new level. Technicians are now
attending 5-day classes with Cummins Engine Corporation
as we strive to make these associates experts in understanding, troubleshooting and repairing aftertreatment systems.
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The training takes the technicians all the way down to the
molecular level to prevent excessive downtime and costs.
These trained technicians then return back to their normal duties – but are also tasked with helping to elevate the
capabilities of their counterparts in the shop. Additionally,
these associates are asked to serve as “triage technicians”
– helping to make sure we take full advantage of the knowledge they have gained. As we gain and share knowledge,
we are better equipped as a department to understand, treat
and avert the repetitive failures that have been present since
these systems were introduced.
Taking a more holistic approach and working diligently
toward prevention, the data has begun to show that the
collective efforts of our drivers (both P&D and linehaul),
our telematics support team, the dispatch associates and
our Fleet Services team are beginning to turn the tide on
aftertreatment systems.
As we accept the “new normal” of these systems and work
together as One Team, together we will prevent time and effort needed to perform repeated repairs on the same vehicle
to resolve aftertreatment problems. In a nutshell, we need
to recognize when a unit needs a parked regen – and have
it completed in a timely manner and allow it to go all the
way through the process. It is also remarkably important
that drivers document the amount of oil and coolant that is
added to an engine on a day to day basis. When a regen is
required too frequently (this generally means that oil, fuel
or coolant are poisoning the aftertreatment system) or if engine codes related to aftertreatment come up, Fleet Services
will then need to attack the unit, isolate the exact cause, fix
the issue – and then install newly cleaned or replacement
filters in the aftertreatment system. Having good feedback
from the driver – along with the fluids that are lost or con-
“We continue to work toward a more proactive approach to repairs.”
sumed, really paints a much clearer picture about
what is wrong with the unit.
As we continue to update our fleet with newer
engines, the percentage of tractors equipped with
aftertreatment continues to grow. We are at roughly
70% now and this figure will climb steadily for the
coming years until we are at 100%. Therefore we
will be required to be even more proactive in making sure we rapidly and correctly address aftertreatment-related problems.
Here in Fleet Services, we are thankful for the
help and support of our drivers and operational
support staff. We know that by “working together”
we can create processes that will enable us to overcome these challenges.
We all know we will face challenges. Our application of IQ Principle # 3: Manage By Prevention
will allow us to overcome those presented by these
emerging engine technologies. Join in with us as
we use all of the IQ Principles to help make us be
the very best company we can be!
THIRD QUARTER 2016 u 9
Appreciation Week
e
t
a
i
c
o
s
As
Associate Appreciation Week
FORT LAUDERDALE
KINSTON
ALBANY
CHARLOTTE
LAREDO
WEST ATLANTA
1­ 0 u SOUTHEASTERN FREIGHT LINES
Celebrations 2016
COLUMBUS
DALTON
NORFOLK
ATLANTA BREAKBULK
HICKORY
MACON
CORPUS CHRISTI
THIRD QUARTER 2016 u 11
CHRIS REYNOLDS
DIRECTOR OF SAFETY AND SECURITY
RICHMOND AND HUNTSVILLE LINEHAUL DRIVERS
ACHIEVE WORLD CLASS SAFETY RESULTS
This summer marks a tremendous milestone accomplishment for linehaul drivers in Richmond,
Virginia, and Huntsville, Alabama. The linehaul drivers in both cities have driven for 23 years without
a preventable linehaul accident. Yes, that 23 years and counting!
O
ur Richmond Service Center opened in August
of 1993 and the linehaul team has NEVER had
a preventable linehaul accident. These drivers
have logged over 24 million miles of accident-free
driving.
Our Huntsville Service Center opened in February of
1991 and the last recorded preventable linehaul accident
was in July of 1993. These drivers have logged over 16
million miles of accident-free driving.
These results embody the true definition of
Individualized Quality. Safe driving is no accident. It
is a demonstrated commitment by each of these drivers
to focus each and every day on the fundamentals of
their job and execute them to perfection. Please join me
in congratulating these drivers in such an outstanding
accomplishment!
Richmond Linehaul Drivers. Front L-R: Chris Long, Harmon Phillips, Renes MasseyBack L-R: Lewis Harvie, Mark Emerson, Andrew Coleman, Kenny Witt, Walt Conner
Richmond Linehaul Drivers
L-R: Elvin Spurlock and Kenny Herring
Huntsville Linehaul Drivers:
Front (left to right) Blake Coleman, Lonnie Toney, David Boyett, David Rogers
Back (left to right) Barry Owen, Mike Clarke
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Southeastern Freight Lines
Receives Quest for Quality Award
33 Years in a Row
Congratulations Team! We have again been awarded the Logistics Management’s
Quest for Quality Award in the South/South Central Regional LTL category.
Southeastern earned this prestigious award by delivering consistent service
excellence! This is the 33rd year in a row we have received this honor.
“We are delighted to receive this award again this
year,” said Mike Heaton, senior vice president at Southeastern.” Being recognized for 33 consecutive years is a
true testament to Southeastern’s commitment to providing superior customer satisfaction.”
Logistics Management’s Quest for Quality is the most
extensive market research study conducted in the transportation and logistics industry. Each year, this survey
evaluates and measures transportation service providers, determines relevant criteria when customers select
a provider, and examines performance measurements
to meet customer expectations. Attributes evaluated
include performance, value, information technology,
customer service, and equipment and operations.
The driving force behind Southeastern’s success is
our team’s commitment to adding value throughout
all aspects of serving our customers, and providing
“Quality Without Question.” Southeastern’s emphasis
on reliable service has resulted in more than 400 quality awards from some of the most respected companies in the United States. These awards reflect Southeastern’s trustworthiness and dedication to customer
satisfaction. Congratulations on this outstanding
accomplishment!
THIRD QUARTER 2016 u 13
MELISSA ATKINS
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS DEVELOPMENT
JANUARY 2016 LEADERSHIP SUMMIT
JUNE 2016 LEADERSHIP SUMMIT
JULY 2016 LEADERSHIP SUMMIT
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THE SOUTHEASTERN LEADERSHIP SUMMIT
2016 was our inaugural year for The Southeastern Leadership Summit. The goal of the Summit is to provide additional up-to-date training for our service center managers, assistant managers and regional
leadership on an ongoing basis. The Leadership Summit consists of
classroom training and workshops led by various leaders covering
a wide range of leadership skills and development. The Leadership
Summit focuses on our Mission: Live our Culture, Provide Quality
and Create Financial Strength.
We hosted three summits this year and they were all very successful. Each participant will have the opportunity to participate in the
Summit approximately every two to three years.
During each Summit the participants voted for one peer to earn
the Leadership Summit Award. The award is based on the following
criteria: participation, personal humility, inspires others, leads by
example. The leaders who earned the 2016 Summit Awards are:
• Corey Merrill, Memphis Service Center Manager
• Chris Santos, Jacksonville Regional HR Manager
• Brian Maddox, Savannah Service Center Manager
A gigantic THANK YOU to all of the participants and presenters for
making this an excellent inaugural year!
THIRD QUARTER 2016 u 15
KAREN ADDY, BLUECROSS BLUESHIELD
WRITER AND COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST
MIKE JENNINGS
Southeastern’s Sleep Apnea Program Spurred
Driver Mike Jennings’s 123 Pound Weight Loss
Five years ago, just putting his shoes on and getting in and out of his truck left 308-pound
linehaul driver Mike Jennings short of breath. At 5’10”, the Roanoke, Virginia resident had to take
blood pressure medication and frequently felt tired.
W
hen Southeastern Freight Lines sponsored a safety
program to detect and treat sleep apnea among drivers
in 2011, Mike was diagnosed with the condition. He
not only credits the program with helping him sleep more
soundly, he says it helped him lose 123 pounds and save
about $1,500 a year.
Sleep apnea is a condition that causes a person to stop
breathing up to 30 times or more an hour from blocked
airways. The problem is often seen in people who are
overweight. Treating the condition and losing extra weight
can help a driver sleep more soundly and reduce the chance
of falling asleep at the wheel. Drivers diagnosed with sleep
apnea are often prescribed a CPAP (continuous positive
airway pressure) machine. The machine is connected to a
face mask, and drivers wear the mask when they sleep. The
machine pushes air into the airways to keep them open.
Mike knew he needed the CPAP, but he found the machine a bit noisy and the mask irritating. “At the time I
thought, this stinks,” he said. “I thought, I’m only 40 years
old and I have at least 25 plus years yet to drive. I didn’t
want to have to wear this thing another 25 years!” Yet,
looking back, he’s actually grateful he was diagnosed with
the condition.
“If it wasn’t for the sleep apnea program, I wouldn’t have
lost the weight and my health wouldn’t be what it is today,”
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said Mike, now a lean 185 pounds. “It was the big game
changer.” The program spurred him to take a series of
moderate steps to change his lifestyle. Over a five-year period, the improvements led to his impressive weight loss.
When he first started driving at age 21, Mike’s weight
hovered around 205 pounds. “I guess I was kind of chunky
as a kid, but I was pretty active,” he said. “I really didn’t start
gaining weight in a big way until I got married at 29.”
In the intervening years, Mike developed a serious soft
drink habit. Moving freight hundreds of miles a day from
one city to another kept him on the road five nights a week,
and while working, he ate out every single meal. He often
ate big meals from all-you-can-eat buffets for breakfast,
supper or both.
Mike came to work for Southeastern Freight Lines in
2010. When the sleep apnea program inspired him to take
action to improve his health, his first change was to reduce
portion size. The second was to stop eating out, especially
fast food.
“Now I rarely eat out,” Mike said. “I pack my meals and
take them with me in the truck every night. That alone has
saved me about $1,500 or so a year.”
In addition to taking meals and snacks in the truck with
him, Mike gradually wove other new habits into his daily
routine. At the time, SEFL’s BlueCross BlueShield of South
Carolina weight loss health coaching wasn’t available as it is
now, but he made many changes on his own. He:
• Eliminated soft drinks in favor of about a gallon of water
a day
• Starting eating within 30 minutes of waking to boost
his metabolism
• Began eating oatmeal for breakfast daily (the real thing,
not instant)
• Replaced potato chips with grapes and cherries for snacks
• Cut back on red meat, pasta and bread
• Started trying to eat a salad most days
• Made blackened chicken, tilapia, grilled squash, green
beans, and corn on the cob (microwaved in the husk for
about 3 minutes) his standard fare
• Begin eating lots of fresh veggies that he and his wife, Cindy grew in their garden.
• Cut down on sugar and salt
• Began taking vitamins daily.
Mike’s strong will, which propelled him to quit smoking 14
years ago, helped him stay the course when he’d hit a plateau
in his weight loss. Although he never started a formal exercise
program, as his energy increased, he naturally became more
active. Increasingly, he enjoyed driving his tractor, cutting hay
and taking care of the cows on his hobby farm.
“Early on, a buddy in Memphis and I bet $100 on who could
lose 50 pounds first,” Mike said. “I won, and I was surprised
when he insisted on paying up.”
Mike said the hardest thing has been sticking to his plan
over time, especially when he would seem to stop losing. “I had
plateaus at 250, 230 and 215 pounds.” Mike said. “When I’d hit
one, I’d change something up. That seemed to start the weight
loss again.”
Before
Over time, Mike went from a 44 pants size down to a size
34. His shirt size went from 2X to medium. He said the weight
loss has definitely changed his life in many ways. At a recent
physical, his doctor asked if he was taking cholesterol lowering
medicine because his test results were so excellent. The doctor
also took him off blood pressure medicine completely. When
Mike reached 215 pounds last April, he was retested for sleep
apnea and learned the problem had disappeared.
People who haven’t seen him in years marvel at the change
in Mike’s appearance, and he has inspired some to lose weight
themselves. His sister-in-law used his approach and tips to lose
100 pounds. Another friend lost 150 pounds following Mike’s
example. Other drivers often seek Mike’s advice.
“But I want to let other drivers know it wasn’t easy to lose
the weight and keep it off,” Mike said. “It’s worth it, though. I’m
happy about my clothing size now and my health. I’m more
confident about myself, not just my appearance but everything.”
Best of all, Mike says, he sleeps soundly and safely every night
— without a machine.
We want to hear how you live Southeastern Strong! Share
your pictures and stories by emailing us at SEFLStrong@
sefl.com. You could be featured in an upcoming issue of the
Eagle Eye News or on our SEFL Strong website.
Do you want to lose weight or quit smoking? SEFL and
your BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina health plan are
here to help. Your personal health coach can help you create
a plan of action and offer moral support. Call 855-838-5897
or register for Rally to connect with your health coach. Go
to www.South­CarolinaBlues.com and sign in to My Health
Toolkit®. Select the Wellness tab, then Select Rally from the
drop-down menu.
After
THIRD QUARTER 2016 u 17
ALFREDO AGUIRRE
SOUTH HOUSTON FLEET SERVICES MANAGER
Neal
Kukowsky
Fleet Services
Associate of
the Quarter
Neal has been part of the Southeastern family for four years as a fleet service associate.
He was here on the ground floor and helped open the shop in South Houston.
Neal’s natural leadership skills and vast knowledge are
two qualities that Neal brought to our team. Neal is a
perfect example of a responsible technician who demonstrates unquestionable work ethics. Neal’s ability to Live
our Culture is reflected in his unique interaction with
others. Embracing our value of serving, Neal is willing to
serve anyone who needs help. Because Neal has demonstrated effective leadership skills, he now has the responsibility for training new technicians and passing on the
knowledge he has acquired over the years. As someone who likes to grow on a professional level,
Neal enjoys participating in SEFL training and is always
willing to share his knowledge with others. Neal has
acquired his ACE certification. He has also participated
in training for Volvo, Cummins, and MaxxForce engines.
Neal has become our resident expert in repairing the
Navistar MaxxForce engine in the South Houston shop.
Due to his vast knowledge with this engine, he helps and
trains his fellow associates.
Neal continuously looks for ways to improve and does
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not hesitate to count on the knowledge and expertise of
other shop associates to ensure standards are met and
the job is done right. Neal has gained the respect of his
co-workers and leadership for his self-motivation to
make his work environment run smoothly. We know we
can depend on his great ability to resolve any problems
that may arise.
Neal currently lives at League City, Texas, with his family. He has been happily married to Jessica for 14 years.
They have two teen-age children. Jacob is 17 years old
and Autumn is 13 years old. Neal enjoys spending time
with his kids and you can often find them bicycle-riding
and long-boarding together. During his leisure time,
he enjoys working on hot rod projects. Neal’s greatest
satisfaction is riding his motorcycle in a sunny day on the
open roads of Houston.
It is a pleasure to recognize Neal as the Fleet Service
Associate of the Second Quarter 2016. Please join us in
congratulating Neal on his recognition as the technician
of the quarter.
CHRIS EMRICH
REGIONAL FLEET SERVICE MANAGER
L-R: Lee Long (COL), Luis Arias (MIA), Jose Gutierrez (MIA), John Severini (FTL), Jon Bruemmer (WPB), Eddie Carmichael (WPB),
Raul Garcia (FTL), Nick Crawford (WPB), Algie Grubbs (CLT), Daniel Arias (WPB), Chris Emrich (TPA), Dempsey Smith (WPB),
James Camp (FTL), Enquire Alvarez (WPB), Juan Martinez (WPB), Mike Hembling (MIA), Anthony Alvarez (WPB),
Jose Palet (WPB), Kerry Stritt (COL), Albert Toldo (WPB) and Allen Newman (WPB)
R
We are One Team
ecently, the Operations Team from West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and
Miami showed their belief in We are One Team by serving a very nice steak
dinner to the West Palm Beach Fleet Services Team. The South Florida
Team has been working very well together: Living Our Culture, Providing
Quality and Creating Financial Strength.
Everyone had a great time getting to know each other on a more personal level
rather than just our normal everyday working relationships. Of course, once the
steaks were served it became very quiet in the shop.
The Culture of Southeastern is certainly alive and well in South Florida.
THIRD QUARTER 2016 u 19
BRIAN SCHULZ
REGIONAL VP OPERATIONS
We Are
on the Move
in Odessa
The Odessa team is proud of the new service center.
We are eager to grow and provide the world class service
our customers have come to expect.
I
n June 2003, Scott Chamberlin (now Service Center Manager in Monroe, Louisiana) and a team of eight associates
opened the Odessa, Texas, service center. Our first customers came to know Southeastern’s five P&D drivers,
one linehaul driver (Brad Atwood, who is still running
each night out of Odessa), one clerical associate, and one
account manager (Joe Delao, who is now serving our
customers in Austin, Texas). There were no supervisors
and no freight handlers, just a small team, ready to serve
the customers in the Permian Basin. Scott Chamberlin remembers well that first day of business, “We were
scared we would have a goose egg for pickups that first
day!” Fortunately, Joe had a few connections and the
team secured three or four outbound shipments on day
one.
On September 12, 2016, with help from the support
center, our team of 19 associates moved into a beautiful
new service center. Our new service center is strategically located on I-20, in between the two largest cities in the
Permian Basin. Centrally located in the middle of Odessa
and Midland, the new service center, provides a competitive
advantage based on the size and location. The new service
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center is more convenient for our customers and has easy
access from the highway for our drivers.
The new Odessa service center has 52 dock doors and a
large bunk house to handle the business surges that follow
the boom in the oil business. The Permian Basin stores
some of the largest oil reserves in the United States so the
oil business is the driving force for this economy. Our new
service center is one more example of the Southeastern
advantage that our customers experience “No choke points,
not anywhere, not any time!”
The state-of-the-art bunk rooms are designed with the
drivers comfort in mind. Accommodations include Wi-Fi
access, adjustable temperature controls, custom blinds and
built-in white noise, which make for sound sleep – day or
night. The exercise room has a variety of equipment so our
drivers can keep fit even when they are away from home.
The lounge provides the perfect spot to socialize, enjoy a
meal, or watch a movie.
Southeastern has come a long way. Once unrecognized in
West Texas, today we are a premier service provider across
the entire Sunbelt! Customers in Odessa have entrusted
over 26,000 shipments to our team so far this year. The
TOP PHOTO:
Back L-R: Raul Gomez, Armando Magana, Josh Clemmons,
Jesus Acosta, Charles Jones, Daniel Priebe, Daniel Pacheco,
Brad Atwood, Chris Hawkins
Front L-R: Rey Ramirez, Lico Hernandez, Jeff Perez
MIDDLE PHOTO:
New State-of –the-Art Drivers Lounge In Odessa
BOTTOM PHOTO:
Previous Service Center
THIRD QUARTER 2016 u 21
MATTHEW COX
REGIONAL HR MANAGER
Training and Equipping
FOR SUCCESS
28 Leaders Graduate from the
West Atlanta Human Relations Seminar
Equipping our leaders for success through Human Relations training is one of
many ways we advance our culture at Southeastern Freight Lines. When our
leadership group focuses on improving their interaction with others then we are
better able to live our culture and accomplish our mission.
A major component in this leadership development is
our 3-day Human Relations Seminar, which is conducted several times throughout the year.
The second seminar of 2016 took place in West
Atlanta during the week of August 15th. Tobin Cassels
kicked off this event by teaching 28 leaders about the
Nine Principles of Human Relations. This presentation
set the foundation for the rest of the seminar where the
participants received instruction on other topics including I.Q. structure, proper redirection, and safety. Our
leaders had a great time learning and interacting with
each other and the presenters.
Each morning the participants completed tests which
covered the previous day’s material. These test scores
were used for both individual and group competition.
Congratulations to Chris Jungferman (TPA) for winning the Value Each Other Completely award for best
overall individual score. Chris achieved a perfect score
of 100% and narrowly beat out Ben King (TUP) and
Craig Harris (MGM) for the honor.
The winning team with the best overall scores was
also recognized and consisted of Daniel Fisher (ATB),
James Carman (WAT), Craig Harris (MGM), Devin
Hill (SAV) and Justin Munn (CHS). While these folks
received special recognition, it should be noted that all
of the participants successfully passed the seminar.
Congratulations are in order for the participants who
achieved the top five scores for the seminar:
Thanks to all of our graduates, presenters, and people behind the scenes who help make this a
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Matt Cox (MGM) presents VEOC Award
to Chris Jungferman (TPA) who achieved
a perfect score
Winning Team with Best Overall Scores
(L-R): Daniel Fisher (ATB),
James Carman (WAT), Craig Harris
(MGM), William Hill (SAV),
Justin Munn (CHS), Matt Cox (MGM)
THIRD QUARTER 2016 u 23
Coming Soon
Dave Ramsey’s SmartDollar
Tell your money where to go and stop wondering where it went. SmartDollar, Dave Ramsey’s all-new financial wellness
program, will teach you how to take control of your money once and for all.
We believe in this program so much that we are providing it FREE for you and your family!
What Is SmartDollar?
SmartDollar is a step-by-step approach to handling money with the number-one authority in personal finance, Dave
Ramsey. More than 4.5 million people have started on Dave’s plan and taken control of their money, and you can too! We keep
your information 100% confidential! SmartDollar will equip you to get out of debt, on a budget, and on your way to a strong
financial foundation.
The average family pays off $3,300 of debt and saves $5,000 in the first six months!
“This program is powerful yet simple to understand. The Baby Steps make understanding how to win with money easy!
Dave’s lessons are fun, informative, and incredibly engaging. It really doesn’t feel like I’m taking a financial course. It’s more
like learning finances from a good friend...or a financially savvy stand-up comedian! The online tools are fantastic as well, and I
love being able to ‘ASK DAVE’ any question and do my budget online. Love it all!” –Recent Participant
Starting October 26 at 12:00 a.m., you can sign up for SmartDollar here: http://www.smartdollar.com/enroll/trp_105006.
If you sign up between October 26 and midnight (Eastern) November 9 and start using the program, you will quickly
earn SmartDollar Points. If you earn five points by November 9, you will be entered to win $500. Earn ten points and
you will be entered to win either $500 or $1,000! You can see your SmartDollar Points add up in the green circle in the
top right corner of your dashboard.
We believe in you and want you to start strong…Southeastern Strong! We are on this road together.
­24 u SOUTHEASTERN FREIGHT LINES
Blue CareOnDemand℠
Video Visits
Why wait for the care you need now? Blue CareOnDemand is a faster, easier way to
see doctors. You can consult U.S. board-certified physicians 24/7/365 through the
convenience of video visits.
How to use it
When to use it
Blue CareOnDemand is a great solution when:
•
•
•
•
You need to see a doctor, but can’t fit it into your schedule
Your doctor’s office is closed
You, or your child, feel too sick to leave the house
You’re traveling
Grab your BlueCross membership card and register for
Blue CareOnDemand, then create a patient profile. There
are two easy ways to access Blue CareOnDemand:
• Visit www.BlueCareOnDemandSC.com
• Download the Blue CareOnDemand mobile app for
your Apple or Android device.
Doctors can treat many of the most common health
conditions through video visits, including:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Cold and flu symptoms
Allergies
Bronchitis and other respiratory infections
Urinary tract infections
Skin irritations
Sinus problems
Migraines
And more!
Costs for video visits
For each video visit you pay:
• A $20 copay under the Copay plan
• A $59 charge under the CDHP and CDHP Max.
They can even write prescriptions, when needed, according
to your state’s regulations.
Learn more
This service is not available in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas
or Alaska. And prescriptions via virtual visits are not
allowed in Indiana.
Watch a short video to show you how Blue
CareOnDemand works. Visit www.southcarolinablues.
com. If you have questions, please call the number on the
back of your BlueCross membership ID card.
SouthCarolinaBlues.com
BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
18963-6-2016
THIRD QUARTER 2016 u 25
GLENN PRITCHARD, GRV
Glenn
Pritchard recently retired from
Southeastern
after working
44 years at
the Greenville
Service Center.
Glenn’s career
began in 1972 as a part-time freight
handler and he was promoted to fulltime in 1974. Since that time, Glenn
worked on the dock and as a hostler
on the inbound shift. Glenn is looking forward to his retirement where
he can spend time with his wife of 42
years, Sandra Gail. He is also looking forward to spending time on the
lake with his grandson, Chad. Glenn
will be missed at the Greenville Service Center and we wish him the best
of luck in his retirement.
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DON FARMER, WAT
On June 10th,
Don Farmer
retired after 35
years of dedicated service to
the customers
and associates
of Southeastern
Freight Lines.
In 1981, Don began his career with
Southeastern Freight Lines in Atlanta as a P&D driver. For the next
12 years Don would excel as a P&D
driver helping grow our market share
here in the Atlanta. In 1993, Don
decided it was time for a change, and
transferred to Dothan, Alabama, as
a linehaul driver. This is where he
would serve majority of his career.
In 2013, after 20 years as a linehaul
driver in Dothan, Don decided to
transfer to West Atlanta. This is
where he finished his career. Don
is known for his incredible safety
record with 35 years of safe work and
31 years of safe driving for a combined total of 66 safe years.
We will dearly miss Don for the
way he always has a story to tell and
way to makes everyone laugh.
Don has already found a great
retirement spot in the hills of eastern
Tennessee, where he will enjoy
spending time with his family and
friends. We thank you Don for your
many years of safe and dedicated service to Southeastern Freight Lines’
and our customers.
DAVID CRIST, SAV
David Crist has served Southeastern for 33 years and has been a
great steward of our Game Plan for
Success. DC is looking forward to
spending time with his family and
traveling. David will be missed by
not only the entire Savannah team
Living our Culture is essential to achieving our Mission at
Southeastern Freight Lines. We know that a company’s
culture doesn’t just happen overnight. Cultures are built one
day at a time over a long period of time and are built by each
person who is a part of our organization. We owe a huge
debt of gratitude to these gentlemen who recently retired
with 25 or more years of service.
but many other
linehaul drivers
that he has built
relationships with
over the years
from different
service centers.
Enjoy your retirement DC!
RICHARD “DICKIE” THOMPSON,
GRV
Richard “Dickie” Thompson retired in June after
29 years of service
in Greenville.
Dickie began his
career as a P&D
driver in 1987. In
1996, he moved
to linehaul where he has worked for
the last 20 years. In 2014, Dickie was
honored as the Region 3 Linehaul
Driver of the Year. Dickie is looking
forward to spending time with his
wife Della and with their grandchildren. We wish him all the best in his
retirement and we greatly appreciated
his many years of excellent service.
LARRY DAVIDSON, ATL
We are delighted to recognize
Larry Davidson
as he retires after
26 years of faithful
service to our
company. Larry
began his career
with Southeastern working part-time on the Atlanta
Dock in 1988 and then transferred to
the shop as a full-time technician in
April of 1990 working on the Atlanta
check lane. He was promoted into
the trailer shop in August of 1999.
His responsibilities were to complete
preventive maintenance services on
trailers located on the Atlanta yard.
Larry was a dedicated employee and
took his job very seriously. Working
in the rain, sleet, snow, heat, wind and
cold – no complaints were heard from
Larry. He was determined to help us
reach our goals – which were simple… if there were units on our yard
that were due for PM – Larry located
and completed them. Larry drove
our beloved 1966 model GMC (aka
Maude) on the yard his entire career
as a trailer service tech. We regret
to note that both Larry and Maude
retired in the same month.
Congratulations Larry! We wish you
well and pray that God will bless you
and your family during this time in
your life.
THIRD QUARTER 2016 u 27
PO Box 1691
Columbia, SC 29202
Address Service Requested
PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE
PAID
COLUMBIA SC
PERMIT 470
Comments on material for
possible inclusion in future
issues should be directed
to the Quality Department.
Southeastern Freight Lines Is Happy to
Announce a New Benefit for All Employees
How would you like to purchase one of our used
company vehicles online at a very reasonable price?
If you’re in the market for a used vehicle, you can now
include our used fleet vehicles in your mix of options.
Element Fleet Management, our fleet management
provider, has developed a special website where you
can shop for the best of our company vehicles that
have been turned in for sale. The vehicles are priced
substantially below what you would pay for a similar
vehicle at a dealer lot. The site includes pictures of the
vehicles for sale, information on vehicle equipment,
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and a condition report on the vehicle.
All the details you need to access the website are
located on the Southeastern intranet under the
Department/Fleet Services/Company Cars/Trucks for
Sale menu.
When you find a vehicle you want to purchase, you
can use the financing available through the website,
or you can arrange your own. The site also includes
information about service contracts you can buy for the
vehicle.
Happy shopping!
­30 u SOUTHEASTERN FREIGHT LINES
PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE
PAID
COLUMBIA SC
PERMIT 470
PO Box 1691
Columbia, SC 29202
Address Service Requested
Comments on material for
possible inclusion in future
issues should be directed
to the Quality Department.
“Uncle Sam” Harth
In honor of Memorial Day, John “Uncle Sam” Harth paid a visit
to our Support Center. John greeted every associate as they
entered the front door with a subtle reminder of the sacrifices
made for the freedom we enjoy. John made personal sacrifices
by serving our country in both the Korean and Vietnam wars.
He is a Silver Star recipient for his combat duty in Vietnam. John
retired in 2012 after 40 years of service with Southeastern.
Today, his granddaughter, Amy Rowe, pictured here with John
carries on his legacy. Amy serves as Invoicing Supervisor in our
Revenue Accounting department. Thank you John and all who
have served our great country!
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