to Newsletter - Eagle Transport Corporation

Wings and Wheels
EAGLE TRANSPORT CORPORATION
Large Enough to Serve—Small Enough to Care
1st & 2nd Quarter Spring 2013
Six Million Miler’s (& Two 2-Million Miler’s!!)
Celebrated for Their Accomplishments This Spring
Each year, from February until June Eagle Transport has the honor of recognizing the most recent recipients of the
“President’s Million Mile” award designation. These 8 individuals actually earned the award in 2012, but as is our
practice, recognized (and celebrated!) early the next year. With this latest group, the President’s Million Mile club has
65 active drivers, which is nearly 10% of our driver fleet...WOW!!!
Three “Million Mile” inductees (Rayvon Truitt, Darryl Nowell, & Tim Houston) , plus both of the “Two Million
Mile” recipients (Andrew Gray & Junior Reel) travelled to Rocky Mount for a large banquet in mid-June, while other
celebrations were done on the road in the recipient’s home town.
We’ll start off with the celebration in Rocky Mount, then follow with the “field” inductions.
Andrew Gray came to
work for Eagle Transport
on May 4, 1992, and the
entirety of his 20 + years
with Eagle has been filled
with safe driving and hard
work. A testament to that
fact Andrew has not been
Two Million Miler
involved in any preventable
Andrew G & Bill G.
accidents while working six days per
week during the course of his tenure here at Eagle.
There have been nine “President’s One Million Mile
Club” members from the North Augusta terminal, but this
year Andrew’s hard work and dedication to Eagle
Transport paid off when he became North Augusta’s first
Two Million Mile Driver.
Andrew was inducted in the PMMC in 2002, he is a
Certified Driver Trainer, the most tenured driver at the
North Augusta terminal, and a leader among the driver
force. Andrew’s advice for success, as stated on numerous occasions is to “Focus on your job, don’t allow distractions in, and get your work done. Whatever you do,
do it well”. That philosophy can even be carried over to
his personal life, as was seen when Andrew received
flowers at work from his lady friend on Valentine’s
Day!!
In the office, we’ve had many drivers and loading
facility personnel compliment Andrew’s routine and
hard work over the years. All have said “forget about
talking to him while he is working…he will quickly tell
Andrew Gray, Rayvon & Devoria Truitt, Darryl Nowell & friend
Anne Marie Stone, Rebecca & Junior Reel, and Joan & Tim Houston
Continued on Page 3
Page 2
Wings and Wheels
From the President’s Desk...
As you read this edition of Wings and Wheels you’ll
note the continuing focus on the President’s Million Mile
Club (PMMC). Congratulations to those drivers who
earned entry into the ‘Club’ and especially to those Two
Million Mile Drivers. Following the lead of the PMMC
members, 700 other drivers contributed to an improving
safety year. We all recognize the need to keep up the pace
and the efforts to get better and safer every day.
All of our terminals are busy, and for that we are thankful. Many terminals are in the midst of their ‘beach’ season, while other terminals are busy with the summer season
of vacationers and travelers. Drivers are working hard and
dispatchers are kept occupied trying to accommodate the
varied needs of customers. Supply and allocation continue to be the primary concern daily.
In the middle of all this activity, we’ve completed
construction and renovation projects at our East Tennessee terminals. Kingsport, Knoxville and Chattanooga
have successfully moved into their new terminals. We’re
proud to hang the ‘Eagle’ sign on these facilities and
proud that our employees have first class working homes.
I hope that your summer is enjoyable and safe, by the
way, thanks for working for Eagle Transport.
Bill George
Just Who is “tony Montana”??
Anthony Gilbert is a driver in Port Everglades by day,
but once he straps on his 6-shooter he transforms into
Tony Montana, gunslinger.
Anthony has been a member
of the Gold Coast Gun Slingers single action shooting society for 6 years. Not only
that, but Anthony has been the
Florida state champion for the
last 2 years in the “Frontier
Cartridge” category.
The Gold Coast Slingers is a
group whose members compete in “Cowboy Action
Shooting”. Exactly what is
Cowboy Action shooting? According to Anthony “it is
the fastest growing shooting sport in America. This
sport involves shooting cowboy guns from the 1800s,
and includes models such as .45 caliber colts, .38 cali-
ber pistols, Winchester lever action
rifles, double barrel shot guns, and
pump action shot guns. Competitions
involve the shooting of stationary targets in a timed sequence. Everyone has
an alias; mine is Tony Montana”.
Anthony says he’s really enjoyed his
involvement in cowboy action shooting. The people in the group are very
friendly and helpful.
He also points out
this sport also allows you to dress
the part of a favorite
cowboy or historic person. Anthony has won best dress military at the Florida state championships for the last 2 years.
Anthony also says “If you are interested in cowboy action shooting, the website is sassnet.com. It’s the closest you
can get to the old west without a time machine!”
Happy Valentine’s Day Andrew!!
Most men dread Valentine's Day due to the enormous
commercialization of the holiday and requirements to
purchase over-priced roses, dinner and candy. Not to
mention having to get in touch with our soft, sentimental sides and pick out love cards to go along with
all the "mushy" stuff. But North Augusta Two Million
Mile Driver Andrew Gray actually looks forward to
this holiday as he is one of the few men that actually
receives roses, chocolates and a card on this
special occasion.
This is the second
time Andrew has received such gifts, delivered to the terminal,
(Cont. Pg. 4)
Page 3
Wings and Wheels
Rocky Mount Celebrates PMMC Inductees (cont. from front page) you he doesn’t have time to talk because he is
concentrating on his work.”
Andrew holds all the records when it
comes to hauling gas out of North Augusta:
 Loads in one year: 938 (2006)
 Miles in one year: 127,116 (2008)
Andrew congratulated by
 Gallons in one year: 8,041,875 (2006)
Mr. Stallings, Chairman
Most importantly, Andrew has performed
of Eagle
Junior Reel was
born in an area
known as Rough
Run, near Petersburg,
WV. Before he was 6
years old his family
had moved twice,
living in Maryland
for a short period of
Two Million Miler
time, and settling in
Junior R & Bill G
Caroline County, Virginia. His father bought a large acreage of timber and by 15 years old
Junior was driving a log truck to the mill for the family
business. You could get your driver’s license at 15 back
then, & there were no specialized truck driving licenses.
When he came of age to do so and the timber began
to run out, Junior went to work for O.B. Gerald as a
truck mover. Soon his father had a job hauling product to
Truck Stops of America (TSA) and Junior would help
him out when needed. When his father retired, Junior
became the main driver for TSA and did that for another
23 years. In 1990 TSA decided to get out of the transport
business and Eagle got the contract. Fortunately, that
meant we got Junior too. He’s been with us ever since.
Turns out Junior’s pattern of finding a good thing
and sticking with it is something that applies to his personal life as well. He and his wife Rebecca have been
married for 47 years. They have been blessed with a son
and a daughter, who have given them a grandson and
two granddaughters. The three of them are “all grown up
now’, says Junior, “so no more little ones, for now.” Rebecca worked in the fuel service industry for 21 years
before health issues forced her to retire.
For their accomplishment, Junior and Rebecca received a good sized bonus check. They have already
done some traveling with the money and look forward to
doing more in the future.
these feats safely. It is estimated Andrew has
hauled nearly160 million gallons of fuel,
over 19,000 loads and, as can be shown from
this recent award, driven well over 2 million
safe miles!
When he is not working, Andrew enjoys
taking vacations to the Caribbean Islands,
and any other exotic places around the world.
RayvonTruitt is originally from Laurel, DE. In
1996 he attended Delaware
Technical Community College’s Truck Driver Training School and upon graduation took a job with
Two Million Miler
Boyd Transport, where he
Rayvon T & Bill G
drove for a year. He then moved
over to Roger Richardson Transport, where he got his first
tanker experience, hauling vegetable oil for 3 years. Finally, in 2001 he came home to Eagle Transport, and is a
Driver Trainer in Salisbury, MD.
Rayvon is a Deacon in his church, the Solid Rock
C.O.G.I.C. He is very much into fitness and nutrition. He
works part-time as a distributor for a nutritional supplement company and volunteers at the local Bayshore Center, which is community program for mentally challenged
teenagers and young adults. Rayvon’s wife of 8 years, Devoria, is a site coordinator for a HEADSTART program.
They share a 6 year old daughter, Raven, and a 19 year old
stepson, Courtney. Courtney is currently attending Warwick Community College studying Criminal Justice.
Eagle is proud to have Rayvon represent both Salisbury and the Company!
Eaglets
(part 1)
Ella Bryant, daughter of
Bree, and Tanner Moss,
son of Tammy & Travis,
both from Corporate,
celebrate their kindergarten graduation. Just
too dang cute!!!
Page 4
Wings and Wheels
Two Drivers From Florida Celebrate Their PMMC Induction
Carmen DiTullio, while listed as a Jacksonville driver, in reality shifts his assigned truck in the Palm Coast area of
Florida south of Jacksonville. While operating a satellite truck always poses difficulties, Carmen, being one of our most
senior Palm Coast drivers, makes the job run easy for our dispatch team in
Jacksonville.
Since joining Eagle in 2000, Carmen has shown himself to be a bit of a
character (in a good way!). We have bestowed on Carmen a couple of nick
names…”Big Ragu” & “Ba Da
Bing”, which leans heavily on his
New Jersey upbringing. Carmen is
hard working, but likes to have fun
with all of us in the office. He alCarmen D, with Bill G, Pete D, John C, & ways has a joke or a funny story
Drew G
when he arrives at the Terminal, and
he loves giving his TM a hard time!!! When Carmen is not at work you can find
Carmen D & Bill G show off
him riding his Harley, showing a great big smile!
the Award…& dessert!!
Donnie Simms, Tampa’s newest President’s Million Mile inductee, is a pretty quiet guy. He comes in, gets his paperwork, and
heads out to deliver our customer’s product in west and central Florida without complaint. You could say he has the perfect temperament
for delivering petroleum products in Florida…slow and easy!
For many years, Donnie ran
over the road; as a matter of fact
Eagle was his first local job when
he came off the road. Donnie
Donnie S. celebrates his achievement with
loves to fish but doesn’t get to go
Ben F, Anthony, Jon B, and Randy D
very often, something he’d like to
remedy as soon as he can.
Originally hailing from Lexington, Kentucky, it goes without saying that Donnie
& his wife Sheila are die-hard Kentucky Wildcat basketball fans. This was a big topic of conversation at the million mile dinner we held for Donnie. As a matter of fact,
Donnie & Sheila S, with Bill
during a recent visit to Tampa he and Mr. George had a rousing dialogue about the
quality victories and championships that Kentucky had posted over the years! There was G, discussing Wildcat Nation!
no quarter given by either party!!
James Shumate (Roanoke) Inducted
Into the PMMC
James Shumate works out of Eagle’s Roanoke terminal,
but actually operates a satellite unit in Beckley, West Virginia.
James is a quiet man that doesn’t like any special treatment or
notoriety, so we’ll honor his wishes. We do want to say that
James is a hard worker, and on occasion has helped us with
some lot maintenance in our Beckley parking area.
Even though James wants it low key, we do want to congratulate his terrific accomplishment. Great job James!!
Happy Valentine’s (cont. from pg. 2)
from his special female companion. He now sports a
"commitment" ring, but insists that there has been no
official date set thus far. When asked what he was
doing to receive such gifts his reply was "Whatever
you do, do it well!" with a laugh.
At first the guys around the terminal thought it was
funny, now we are all taking notes!
Page 5
Wings and Wheels
Rocky Mount Celebrates the Newest Million Milers (cont. from Page 3)
Darryl Nowell was
born and raised in
Williamsburg, VA,
where he still resides.
After high school, he
served 4 years active
duty and another 8
years reserve duty
Darrell N & Bill G
with the US Army.
After completing his active service he trained as a driver
and worked for Schneider National. He got a little disenchanted with trucking and tried plumbing for a little while.
When he came back to transportation it was with Kenan
Transport, but he eventually saw the light and joined the
Richmond, VA Eagle team in 2001. He is currently the
tenured Driver Trainer for Eagle/Richmond.
Soon after leaving active duty Darryl also took up a
new interest; he began to work out regularly, became an
amateur body-builder and eventually a Pro Wrestler. This
was mainly weekend work and didn’t pay incredibly well,
but it put his athleticism to good use and helped keep the
young Darryl out of trouble. As he progressed in the sport
he soon realized that in order to stand out he needed a
gimmick or “hook”; something that made him different
from everyone else. He took on the in-ring persona of
Tim Houston from Eagle’s Charlotte terminal has
been honored as Charlotte’s
most recent Million Mile
inductee. Tim is kind of quiet, and just focuses in on
Tim H & Bill G getting the job done the
way it is supposed to be
done.
Tim has been with Eagle since September 2001 and has
no driving incidents whatsoever while operating Eagle’s
trucks. That is an excellent accomplishment considering
the type of traffic our Charlotte drivers deal with on a daily basis in this rapidly-growing area.
Tim works the PM shift, which is a little unusual for a
driver with this much tenure, but he really enjoys being
out while the rest of us are sound asleep. His daily routine
is to come into work, get his dispatch, take the time to
speak to everyone, and then gets busy with his shift ahead.
He is a professional at all times when it comes to his work,
attributing his success at Eagle to staying focused on the
“Pyro”, the name most commonly used by everyone who
knows him today. He donned a wrestling singlet with
embroidered flames, flame covered boots and created a
device which allowed him to shoot flames from his
hands, known as the Pyro-Blaster. It was very popular
and he became pretty well known, regionally.
Now you can say what you want about pro wrestling,
but it is athletic and can be hazardous. The risk of serious
injury, and the birth of his now 10 year old son Michael
caused Pyro to give up wrestling in 2003. He tells me the
decision to leave was the right thing based on the situation, but he always regretted the way he left,
so he has recently begun a little come back
run, hoping he can go
out on his own terms.
While he is enjoying
getting back into pro
wrestling, he says his
Pyro & Mr. Stallings ready for
favorite times are those
some “Tag-Team” action!
spent with Michael.
Michael really enjoys playing baseball (see the article
later in this issue), and he and his dad love to bowl, fish
and hunt together whenever they can.
job. He is quick to tell you that you can never let your
guard down at any time, and you always need to be aware
of your surroundings at all times. The minute you start
taking things for granted is when something will sneak up
on you.
Tim told us that the support he receives from his wife
Joan and daughter Lindsay goes a long way with his success at work. Working the PM shift can cause problems
when you are on a different shift than the rest of your family, and their support of Tim has always been a plus.
Way to go Tim! Eagle is proud to have you as a member of the PMMC!
Page 6
SMART BIRDS!!
Wings and Wheels
(Recent Proud Eagle Graduates)
Lamar & Lori Wright are celebrating their daughter Casey’s admittance to the nursing school at UNC-CH.
Casey has always been a high achiever according to mom
Lori. “In high school, Casey
went on a mission trip to the
Dominican Republic, has
volunteered at a nursing
home here in Fayetteville,
NC, and graduated 9th in
her class of 300+ students in
2010”.
Casey started at UNC in
the fall of 2010. Last summer she got her CNA and
Lamar Wright, Selma poses at
Kenan Stadium with his
has been working at an asdaughter Casey Rene Collins.
sisted living community,
The Cedars of Chapel Hill.
Since arriving at UNC she has been volunteering at the hospital where she really enjoys the pediatric unit. In May Casey
was accepted to the UNC Nursing Program.
Casey’s proud mom Lori went on to say “we can't think of
a more compassionate and caring person. She will be a
GREAT nurse and an asset to the medical field”. Congratulations and best of luck Casey!
Morgan Bunn Daughtridge,
daughter of Mike & Judy Bunn
(Corporate Payroll) graduated from
Edgecombe Community College on
May 11 with a degree in Respiratory
Therapy. After passing all state exams, Morgan is a Registered Respiratory Therapist. Morgan has recently acquired a job at Wake Med in
Morgan, with her biggest
Raleigh, NC, & she and husband
fan (& husband) Matt
Matt are excited about having another full time income.
Congratulations on all your hard work Morgan!
Angela in her cap
& gown
Big events in the McCoy
household this June! Angela
Strickland, daughter of Eva &
Ronnie McCoy (Field Safety Coordinator) , graduated from
Sampson
Community
College with
her Associate
Degree in
Nursing.
Also in June, Iris Frazier, Eva &
Ronnie foster-child, graduated 2nd
Grade at Anderson Creek Primary
Iris moving on to
School. Congratulations to both
the 3rd Grade!!
Angela & Iris!
Bryant Graham, son of
Drew, Eagle’s Florida Regional Manager, and Devon,
recently graduated from
Spanish Fort High School in
Spanish Fort, Alabama. This
fall he will attend Southern
Mississippi University in
Hattiesburg.
Bryant, with proud
papa Drew!
Tim Royalty, Terminal
Manager in Ashland,
Kentucky and wife
Tamara are proud to announce that their youngest sons have graduated
from Paul G Blazer High
in Ashland, KY. Jacob
will attend Eastern Kentucky University, and Jon
will attend UTI in Orlando, FL.
Tim says “that’s four
out of high school (yea!!)
…and 3 in college!!” I’m
sure he’ll gladly accept
Jacob & Jon ready to any donations that come his
grab that diploma
way!
Page 7
Wings and Wheels
Mark Arzheimer was a mechanic at EagleTampa for 16 years. He was diagnosed with
cancer earlier this year and unfortunately
succumbed to that disease on March 9th. Mark looked rough on the outside but people
that got to know him found a kind, giving man on the inside. His expertise was working
on tankers. It will be next to impossible to replace his knowledge and experience with
tankers as he did most of the tanker work in Tampa including 95% of all the vapor tightness tests.
Tampa proudly showing
The Tampa terminal had a memorial service & cookout in honor of Mark on 3/19/13, “Mark’s Tree”
M a rk’ s T re e
Sam cooking for the crowd
Mark’s Harley
Mark’s Family
along with a monetary gift to his family. Many members of his family
attended as well as representatives from every maintenance vendor that we
use as they all knew Mark well. The terminal also planted a peach tree in
our yard that day, now known as “Mark's Tree”.
Eagle Comes Through for Murphy USA
For the second year in a row Eagle Transport has won the
Murphy USA “Carrier of the
Year” award. This accomplishment is based upon the
number of store outages,
cross drops, shortages, overfills, compliance and maintaining of Murphy desired
tank levels.
Of the thousands of
deliveries made in 2012
there were zero shortages,
zero overfills, four outages
and one cross drop. A remarkable feat to say the
least! Because of this dedication to service and doing it
right on every delivery Eagle grew over 16% last year
with Murphy and with continued attention to detail will
grow in the near future with
this account.
Presently Eagle has sites delivered daily out of 5
Eagle terminals with many others assisting regularly
due to supply redirections, allocation issues, weather
and assisting Murphy's other carriers that can't seem to
keep up with their sites high demands. This type of
recognition goes a long way in Murphy carrier selection for new sites in the future.
Please join me in congratulating the drivers, dispatchers, mechanics, terminal managers and all Eagle
personnel in Greensboro, Knoxville, Nashville, Selma,
Charlotte & Tampa that worked very hard to achieve
this esteemed accomplishment. We plan on bringing
the new Murphy
Carrier of the
Year Trophy
around over the
next few months
to the terminals
that won this
highly regarded
distinction.
Kudos to all! Herb Evans
Page 8
Wings and Wheels
The Sunshine State Update
We have had a lot of good things to talk about in Florida so far this year. Safety and customer service are our
number one priorities, and our terminals have worked very hard to exceed expectations. Our Jacksonville terminal recently celebrated going over 5000 loads without a preventable incident. This is the third time they have achieved this in
the past year. Tampa and Taft also crossed the 5000 mark this year for the first time. We’ve included some pictures
from Taft to show the barbecue throwdown that occurred in
Can you SMELL IT??
mid-April. Tampa had their cookout to celebrate 5000 loads on
the same week that Tampa driver Donnie Simms received his
award for joining the PMMC. Congratulations Donnie! It
should be noted that both terminals also came “oh-so close” to
reaching that goal a second time. This is even more remarkable
Taft team Rob G,
when you consider the
Damon F, & Bob L
Tim G & Julius H
constant supply problems
comparing notes
we are having which can make for some frustrating days. Great job to all the drivers for their efforts… and for doing it right the first time.
Port Everglades, Taft and Jacksonville
have also crossed the 50 and 100 day mark withTaft’s 5000 Load Cook- out an outage which is even more impressive
out...Great Steaks!!
when considering the supply problems we have had all
across the state. Our dispatch teams have done
an excellent job making sure that Eagle’s customers are taken care of. In fact, we have had
calls and emails from several customers passing
Julius Hoisington’s
along their appreciate for a job well done and
little angel Ambryn
thanking our terminals for their professionalOrlando F concentrat- ism, courtesy and promptness. Way to go
Jesus P
everyone!!
ing on paperwork
There are several new employees we would like to
welcome to the Eagle team in Florida. Dispatchers Guy
Auguste (Port Everglades dispatch), Lisa Jackson (Port
Everglades billing) Eric Williams ( Taft dispatch), Sean
John G ready for a
Singleton (Jacksonville shop), Vincent Lococo
Working man
steak!
(Jacksonville
dispatch).
Welcome
to
the
team
everyone.
Jonathan S
We would like to wish a very special GET WELL
SOON to Tampa dispatcher and longtime Eagle employee Loretta Figler. Loretta has been out for several months now
but expects to be back at work soon. Loretta’s spirit and great attitude will surely bring her through this better than ever.
We miss you Loretta, get back soon!!!
Judy Bunn (Corp.
Payroll) is a proud
grandparent. Blake
Weston Joyner was born on April 6. He weighed 6 lbs, 3 oz., 19 ½ inches
long. This is Judy’s first grandbaby, and she’s not very proud of that
“booger-bear” Blake (HAH!!!). Mike & Judy are so enjoying being grandparents . Blake’s parents, Shannon & Jeff, are still getting used to the sleepless nights!
Eaglets
(part 2)
Page 9
Wings and Wheels
Eagle Celebrates “Spirit Day” Again This Year
Once again this spring we asked everyone at Eagle to dress up in their favorite team’s colors and proudly wear them for
all to see. The Corporate office was a big contributor, as well as many of the Florida locations. And it appears the Steelers were pretty well represented, especially in Tampa. I’m sure Jon Billetdeaux was behind this shameless brainwashing!
Jacksonville loves the ‘Dawgs,
‘Noles, & that Canadian team!?
Barbara D would NEVER
turn her back on the “Heels!
Tamps LOVES
the “Stillers”!!
Max F, Hoosier fan
Bill G shows his
Kansas Pride
In Taft, Denise & Hoot hanging
with Tampa, while Jon sports
the world-champ Ravens!
Bree goes Gamecocks,
Tammy shows Blue Devils
Port (Pez, Patrick G, Rick C, James N, Agostinho B,
Robert L, & Megan B riding the Heat bandwagon!
jxww|Çz UxÄÄá
On April 26th, Joshua Talley, Selma Call
Center Dispatcher married his high
school sweet heart of 7 years, Ashley, at
Topsail Beach NC. Ashley and Joshua
decided that after 7 years of dating that neither of them where leaving so they might as
well get married! (His words, not mine!!).
After the wedding the happy couple enjoyed a
“daring” cruise on Carnival cruise lines to the
Bahamas for their honeymoon (we didn’t get
sea sick, and the ship didn’t break down).
They both said it was a trip of a lifetime.
Joshua pointed out “I have been working in
the Call Center for almost 2 years now and just thought I would share this with
all the drivers that we deal with on a daily basis but don’t actually get to see”.
Great Joshua…good luck to you and Ashley!!
Sean Rogerson, son of Cindy Proctor from the
Corporate
office, married Laura
Dalton on
June 17th at
Pine Knoll
Shores, NC.
The happy
couple will
reside in
Sharpsburg,
NC, just down the road from Cindy
& Danny (no pressure Sean!!).
Page 10
Wings and Wheels
We G e t L e t t e r s . . .
We received this letter after our Chesapeake Terminal
went “above and beyond” during super storm “Sandy”:
It seems like word gets around that Tim & his
team won the Eagle Terminal of the Year award:
From: Valladares, Daniel
To: Don Ewalt
Subject: Chesapeake
From: "Peter, Kevin"
To: "Tim Crane
Subject: Congratulations!
Good morning Don,
Tim and ALL at N. Augusta:
I just wanted to pass along the message that your Chesapeake terminal did a great job during the storm this past weekend. They kept me
informed with everything and ran the loads as soon and safely as
they could. No clubs ran out of product and we adjusted gallons and
suppliers when we needed to. Please pass along the message to your
dispatchers that I really appreciate your work over the weekend.
Have a good one!
Sincerely,
Dan Valladares
Petroleum Dispatch Agent, BJ's Wholesale Club
Congratulations on winning Eagle’s 2012 Terminal of the Year
Award – you should be honored for such a recognition.
Although nobody did ask me, I would have given you my vote as
well!
Again, it a true accomplishment and it is great to be associated
with folks that value SAFETY as much as we do here at Hess –
Kudos to ALL and keep it going.
Kind Regards:
From: Brown, Todd
To: Rick L. Crismond
Subject: FPL Riviera Beach Energy Center (RBEC) Fuel Oil Deliveries of 8 June 2013
Mr. Crismond,
I would like to take a moment to recognize one of your employees, Mr. Cedric Wimberly, Eagle
Transport Driver/Trainer. Mr. Wimberly went above and beyond during the day long fuel delivery
efforts to the FPL RBEC on 8 June 2013. Not only did he continually show professionalism and expertise throughout the day, but he ensured that his positive attitude was carried on in the following Eagle
drivers that arrived at the RBEC site last Saturday.
Mr. Wimberly performed and demonstrated these attributes not only in inclement weather, but under
atypical conditions currently at the referenced site. His ability to adapt and overcome these conditions
in a sound, safe, and environmentally conscious manner, make him an outstanding asset to your company. It was truly a pleasure to work with such a professional, and I would be glad to do so again.
Respectfully,
Todd R. Brown, CPM, Environmental Leader, FPL - Power Generation Division
Running the Race
Great job Cedric!!!
5k circuit…WOW! Bree also did
great with an 8 ½ minute pace, and
Tammy came in with a very reSeveral of our Corporate office folks really got into the
fitness swing by running in some races this spring. There was spectable 32 minute race time,
which was her first race ever!
the “Sweetheart Run” close to Valentine’s Day, then the
It should be noted that Harold
“Diva’s Run”, and my favorite, the “Dirty Girls Mud Run”!
& Debra RackAs you can see, Tammy
ley also compet- Bree, Tammy, & Bree’s
Moss and Bree Bryant ran
sis Shanna
ed, but I won’t
all 3 and did a great job.
point out that
The results of the
Debra beat Harold by 12 seconds…I’m
“Sweetheart” race are very
sure cramps were involved!!
telling; Jesse Ethridge finKeep up the great work, you Eagle
ished 23rd overall (out of
“Flashes”!!!
Tammy, Bree’s dad Archie,
275 runners) averaging just
Diva’s ready to Run
Bree, Jesse, Harold & Debra
over 7 minute miles on the
Page 11
Wings and Wheels
North Augusta Celebrates the “2012 Terminal of the Year” Award!
On March 7th, the entire North Augusta Terminal got together to celebrate the “Terminal of the Year” designation the team in North Augusta won for
2012. Tim Crane proudly displayed the 4 awards presented at that cookout:
 Terminal Of The Year
 Safest Terminal Of The Year
 Most Improved In Safety
 Lowest Preventable Crash Frequency
A great time was had by all, and Tim and his team
deserved every accolade that was showered on them. Great
job North Augusta!!
Tim with ALL
the Hardware!!
Bill on the Grill...
Ops Mgr. Jeff B
Bob H & Bill G,
with TWO Million
Miler Andrew G
Tim accepting “ToY” from Lance
Riding With Eagle’s Professional Drivers
Since early 2011 Eagle began an organized program to
ride with our professional drivers during the course of one of
your work days. In 2012 the management team of Eagle rode
on 476 trips, and this year we have made a little over 150
trips! Based on those numbers, many of you drivers have
spent part of your day with someone in the passenger seat.
There are many purpose for Eagle’s ride along program.
First & most importantly it is an opportunity for our management to get out with our drivers and spend some “one-onone” time. This gives drivers a chance to ask questions about
the company, benefits, and our business, and it gives the rider
an opportunity to get to know the
driver better, and to hear what’s
going on in OUR Company. Secondly, it gives us an opportunity
to see what you are doing in your
daily routine at work, and some
of the challenges you face each
and every day. To quote our PresTampa driver ident Bill George “to see what we
Jay M.
are asking you to do through our
customers”.
On a recent ride I was asked
how we chose who we ride with.
To be honest, for the most part
it’s just chance; someone is
Taft driver
spending time at a terminal and
Cesar M.
the timing or particular trip just
works out well for a ride along. Sometimes it’s because the
rider wants to visit a particular customers store, and occasionally it’s because he wants to ride with a certain driver.
In a very short time the Eagle Ride along program has become an important part of our company. All that participate
finish the day with a better understanding and appreciation for
all our professional drivers efforts
day in and day out to make our company what it truly is, THE BEST!
Hope to see you soon, from the
passenger seat!
Lance Collette, VP/Operations
Taft driver
Waldo L.
Page 12
Wings and Wheels
Spartanburg Celebrates Their Accomplishments
Spartanburg was recognized as having the “Lowest Crash Frequency” within the company in 2012, and also successfully
reached 200 days without any accidents or incidents earlier this year. In mid-March, Spartanburg celebrated with an
awards presentation to commemorate these accomplishments. Symuel and his
team took this opportunity to hand out individual achievements for 2012. Great
job Spartanburg!!
Mike R presents Symuel G. with the
“Lowest Crash Freq.” Award
Richard C & Symuel
Danny H & Symuel
Kelvin E & Symuel
Kay G & Symuel
Troy G & Symuel
Craig M & Symuel
Greg S & Symuel
Dennis S & Symuel
An “Eagle-Eye” View of
Our Tennessee Terminals!!
Quite a bit of effort has gone into improving our
terminal locations in the “Volunteer State” this year.
Kingsport now has a large parking area behind the
terminal with plenty of room for expansion. Chattanooga recently moved into a new terminal, and they
Chattanooga
are loving the extra room they have. And speaking of
room, Knoxville has a huge terminal that we purchased & upgraded; the joke now is that they could park most of their
fleet inside the shop!
We’re glad we can provide these nice facilities to our drivers & staff...and Nashville, your day will come soon!!
Knoxville
Kingsport
Page 13
Wings and Wheels
1st Quarter Anniversaries
24 Years
Demetrius Stewart, Selma
19 Years
James Cline Jr, Tampa
Daverobert Oruamabo, Jax.
18 Years
John Christy, Charleston
Tim Bush, Roanoke
Sandy Harris, Corporate
17 Years
Roy Robbins, Port Everglades
Jean Chery, Port Everglades
16 Years
Mike Proffitt, Corporate
Mike Rudisill Jr, Corporate
15 Years
Forrest Williams, Salisbury
Craig Wainwright, Salisbury
Ralph Acevedo, Tampa
14 Years
Bill Watson Jr, Selma
Christie Wilson, Salisbury
James Jones, Tampa
13 Years
Darlene Allred, Charlotte
Alan Drown, Salisbury
Fred Ester, Greensboro
12 Years
Melissa Barnes, Corporate
Ronnie McCoy, Corporate
Bill George, Corporate
Rayvon Truitt, Salisbury
Robert Cherry, Selma
Carl Leach, Charleston
11 Years
Angela Hilliard, Selma
Richard Grove, Tampa
Donald Payne, Selma
Don Bollinger, N Augusta
David Gartner, Jacksonville
10 Years
James Cockey Jr, Salisbury
Peter Davis, Tampa
9 Years
Larry Maple, Port Everglades
Marcus Busch, Chesapeake
Eric Wood, Chesapeake
Eddie Rose, Jacksonville
Billy Taylor, Chesapeake
William Callahan, Salisbury
Anthony Palmer, Chesapeake
Gary Rutland, N Augusta
8 Years
Ricky Maxwell, Selma
Forest Starkey, Ashland
Derwin Davenport, Greensboro
Mack Nicholas, Selma
Jon Billetdeaux, Tampa
Alfred Painter, Roanoke
7 Years
Carlos Fernandez, Port E.
Glenn Ringer, Nashville
Jeremy McGlohon, Chattanooga
6 Years
Darryl Nowell, Richmond
Zbigniew Sawicki, Jacksonville
Robert Cochrane, Charlotte
Michael McCorkle, Charlotte
Alfred Howard, Wilmington
Brandon Peterson, Corporate
Ron Roberts, Tampa
Christopher Lance, Richmond
Jeff Mistic, Charlotte
Dennis Sears II, Nashville
Kennedy Pettaway, Selma
Jacob Youngblood, Chattanooga
Michael Reardon, Salisbury
Brian Milem, Ashland
5 Years
Steve Sams, Roanoke
John Wooldridge, Roanoke
Edward Cotham, Knoxville
Jay Spegele, Ashland
Antwan Paige, Richmond
Craig Moser, Spartanburg
David Burnette, Roanoke
Stephen Palmer, Salisbury
Bryan Vanwart, Chesapeake
Clarence Gibbs, Jacksonville
George Powers, Knoxville
Michael Stevens, Wilmington
Kenneth Washington, Taft
Robert Bryant, Port Everglades
Jeffery Morris, Salisbury
4 Years
Kenneth Thompson, Roanoke
Anthony Gilbert, Port Ever.
Robert Salter, Tampa
Daniel Smith, Chattanooga
James Shepherd, Roanoke
Jason Walstrom, Charleston
Walter Brown, Roanoke
Art Hoelderlin, Port Ev.
3 Years
Gregory Cochrane II, Tampa
Kyle Asbury, Roanoke
Julie Jenkins, Tampa
Timothy Fine, Wilmington
Tim Goolsby, Taft
Leonard Torris, Tampa
Ron Laferriere, Tampa
Cedric Hornbuckle, Greensboro
Trence Graham, Savannah
Kenneth Spath, Port Everglades
Wojciech Liszewski, Tampa
Billy Tompkins, Greensboro
Nicholas Connelley, N Augusta
Dale Long, Greensboro
2 Years
Joe Williams, Jacksonville
Bevon Subiah, Port Everglades
Terry Smith, Chesapeake
Nelson Taveras, Salisbury
Timothy Shelby, Tampa
William Wilson, Taft
Kevin Wood, Richmond
Matt Propper, Salisbury
Waldo Lopez, Taft
Benjamin Dempsey, Salisbury
Michael Hafemeister, Tampa
David Griffith, Salisbury
Cool Thoughts….
With the summer heat bearing down on us, I’d like to take
this opportunity to remind you that winter is only 4 months
away (except in Florida!!). Here are a couple of snow shots
from Kingsport last year to tide you over until the first
beautiful snowfall!!
Cornelius Jones, Selma
Hector Diaz, Port Everglades
Francisco Rodriguez, Tampa
Orlando Figueroa, Taft
Jon Schwarzlose, Tampa
1 Year
Robert Linen, Taft
Elmer Price, Kingsport
Jason Masterson, Tampa
Horace Swint, N Augusta
Jeanmarie Crews, Jacksonville
Gloria Gilchrist, Taft
Patrick Mills, Selma
David Blige, Savannah
Kathleen Hammons, N Augusta
William Wilkerson Jr, Roanoke
Chris Smith, Nashville
John Hardy, Selma
David Carter, Selma
Ryan Minton, N Augusta
Bryan Corbin, N Augusta
Richard Boyd, Taft
Nathan Camper, Roanoke
Billy Perry, Kingsport
Roger Byrd, Chattanooga
Robert Winstead, Greensboro
Alexander Batista, Tampa
Glenn Maine, Taft
James Vanboskerck, Jacksonville
Lishus Gross, Savannah
Larry Blevins, Ashland
Durel Hill, Selma
Michael Miller, Ashland
Eduardo Rosario, Tampa
William Dixon, Selma
Donald Nixon, Selma
Thaddeus Hammond, N Augusta
Shawn Young, Tampa
Rodney Buffaloe, Taft
Monte Washington, Selma
Ron Jenkins, Wilmington
James Little, N Augusta
Janice Meeks, Corporate
Dana Bass, Port Everglades
Page 14
Wings and Wheels
1st Quarter New Hires
Afshin Jahromi, Selma
Scott Mangrum, Charlotte
John Metoyer, Charlotte
Kevin Pate, Charlotte
Aaron Rogers, Selma
Tony Tant, Selma
Michael Boggs, Ashland
Brian Griffith, Selma
Ronald Lickfeld, Wilmington
Thomas Loeb, Charlotte
Michael Nance, Taft
Remigio Rodriguez, Tampa
Gerald Hurlock, Charleston
Gerald Hackney, Wilmington
Joshua Young, Ashland
Arthur Johnson, Chesapeake
Isidro Lora, Tampa
Frederick Brown, Port Everglades
Alberto Negron, Wilmington
Richard Dawson, Charleston
Eldon Hennings, Salisbury
Reginald Jones, Selma
Jose Medina, Taft
Michael Guider, Chattanooga
Alan Feldman, Tampa
Grigoriy Yeremin, Charleston
Andre Jackson, N Augusta
Silvio Segura, Tampa
Patrick Bond, Chesapeake
Jamal Sadqi, Tampa
Roger Engelhardt, Selma
Efrain Karell, Port Everglades
Larry Paige, Wilmington
William Casey, Corporate
Charles Davis, Greensboro
David Duty, Charlotte
Ray Hudson, Charlotte
First Pitch
What does Eagle Transport and the Richmond Flying Squirrels have in common?
PMMC Driver Trainer Darryl “Pyro” Nowell, that’s what!
When Darryl was down in Rocky Mount
on June 12 being inducted into the PMMC, Darryl & Michael
he received a phone call letting him know
that he had won the Fort Lee military
sweepstakes. His prize was 4 tickets to the Richmond Flying
Squirrels game that weekend….included throwing out the first
pitch!
Darryl brought his son Michael and his friends Hunter and
Michael Trimble, N Augusta
Kevin Wayland, Knoxville
Ronnie Wilczynski, Ashland
Paul Cunha, Tampa
Conrad Herring, Selma
Paul Jones, Wilmington
Robert Diefendorf, Tampa
Aaron Tolbert, N Augusta
Jessica Elliott-Marine, Roanoke
Anthony Reyes, Salisbury
Eric Williams, Taft
David Hensley, Kingsport
Ty Hopper, Charlotte
Sean Singleton, Jacksonville
Randy Willard, Spartanburg
Gary Marcum, Selma
David Tissi, Chattanooga
Brian Tully, Tampa
Corey Bailey, Spartanburg
Kelvin Cannon, Charlotte
Herbert Hymer, Salisbury
Guy Casey, Charlotte
Keith Jordan, Ashland
Paul Pace, N Augusta
Thomas Sablan, Jacksonville
Maurice Batts, Tampa
John Watson, Greensboro
Adam Christie, Taft
Eltegas Sanders, Selma
Kenneth Parker, Charleston
Bryant Grigsby, Tampa
Malden Hutchison, Kingsport
Joshua Marshall, Roanoke
Alberto Otero, Taft
Nikolai Sessoms, Salisbury
Otis Tune, Selma
Zach to watch the game, then surprised his
son by giving them the honors to throw
out the first pitch to the Squirrels.
Michael and his friends are sure to remember that weekend, along with Pyro as
well. It is not often
you get inducted
into the PMMC and
then win tickets to a
baseball game that Michael & “Nutzy”
gives you the first
pitch. Wonder how Pyro will do on his
lottery tickets??
2nd Quarter New Hires
Jarvis Taylor, Wilmington
Michael Bazzano, Wilmington
Willis Strong, Selma
Nathan Hall, Knoxville
Leslie Morgan, Kingsport
Kenneth Robinson, Richmond
Joel Rocha, Tampa
Jose Hernandez, Tampa
Michael Gorman, N Augusta
Caleb Jones, Spartanburg
James Lutz, Taft
Michael Riley, Salisbury
Chad Khelfa, Richmond
James Brickner, Tampa
Larry Bailey, Chattanooga
Terry Fullerton, Charlotte
Michael Matney, Wilmington
Danny Stewart, N Augusta
Robert Vandergriff, Chattanooga
Brian Arzheimer, Tampa
Julio Bequer, Port Everglades
Pandre Faulkner, Salisbury
Cynthia Corcoran, Chattanooga
Davian Phillips, Charlotte
Nathaniel Pope, Wilmington
James Gaylor, Savannah
Francis Hart, Savannah
Michael Hoffman, Charlotte
Roderick Mcclendon, Jacksonville
Joe Mattingly, Wilmington
Charles Lefler, Roanoke
Scott Beechler, Roanoke
John Alexander, Chesapeake
Lisa Jackson, Port Everglades
Jeremy Ryan, Salisbury
Claymon Martin, Port Everglades
Michael Holland, Chesapeake
Tim Redick, Jacksonville
Stephen Chambless, Ashland
Anthony Corriher, Roanoke
Telly Dean, Charlotte
Samuel Donkor, Greensboro
Tarshawn Grant, Chesapeake
Juan Santos-Diaz, Taft
Marcos Sandoval, Tampa
Bradley Gore, Wilmington
Kevin Grace, Selma
Thomas Hawkins, Richmond
Vincent Lococo, Jacksonville
Daniel Lowe, Chattanooga
Andrew Ellis, Chattanooga
Randy Proffitt, Kingsport
Dustin East, Roanoke
John Baxter, Richmond
Gutember Auguste, Port Ev.
James Goslee, Salisbury
Douglas Hadden, Chesapeake
Keith Kackison, Knoxville
Charles Pileggi, N Augusta
Gregory Thomas, Tampa
Michael Lewis, Wilmington
Thomas Hammer, Savannah
Clayton Liles, Charlotte
Hrayr Merzoian, Taft
Raymi Pabon, Tampa
Andrew Smith, Tampa
Larry Robinson, Savannah
Kirby Davis, Charleston
Pierre Hart, Richmond
Fred Powers, Ashland
Derrick Speller, Wilmington
Duane Thomas, Selma
Pedro Ortega, Tampa
Randall Brummell, Salisbury
Robert Arwood, Knoxville
Page 15
Wings and Wheels
2nd Quarter Anniversaries
37 Years
Una Waterfield, Corporate
28 Years
Harold Rackley, Corporate
25 Years
Ron Thomas, Corporate
24 Years
Bob Heinisch, Corporate
23 Years
Rich McBride, Corporate
Joe Richman, Chesapeake
Junior Reel, Richmond
21 Years
Andrew Gray, N Augusta
20 Years
Joe Phillips, Corporate
18 Years
Mark Fiedler, Tampa
Robert Baker Jr, Corporate
16 Years
Terence Bell, Selma
Loretta Figler, Tampa
David O. Moore, Selma
Carolyn Riley, Corporate
15 Years
John Pittman IV, Selma
Doug Anderson, Salisbury
Fred Ashley, N Augusta
Paul Loveless, Jacksonville
14 Years
Chris Leiphart, Tampa
Wendy Watson, Corporate
13 Years
Jerome Small, Richmond
John Fitzpatrick, Port Ever.
Daniel Anderson, N Augusta
Tommy Thompson, Salisbury
12 Years
Aaron Turner, Jacksonville
Carle Myers, Salisbury
Phillip Adams, Richmond
Paul Kelley, Spartanburg
11 Years
John Hensley, Taft
Tha Lam, Richmond
Oscar Robinson, Selma
Dan Toney, Jacksonville
10 Years
Mike Orange, Roanoke
Gary Titak, Tampa
James Thompson, Tampa
9 Years
William Reichert, Tampa
Mark Kinsey, Corporate
John Park, Wilmington
8 Years
Mark Ream, Corporate
Michael Self, Roanoke
Alan Lutes, Tampa
Eldridge Boone, Chesapeake
Curtis Schneider, Tampa
Maurice Mayberry, Charlotte
Frederick Jarrell, Salisbury
David Kilby, Charlotte
Donald Snow, Roanoke
7 Years
Donnie Russ, Corporate
Andrew Griffin, N Augusta
Charles Lacek, Roanoke
6 Years
Jarrod Alsobrooks, Chattanooga
Herold Olesco, Port Everglades
Steven Brown, Wilmington
Harold Williams, Savannah
Andras Bacsi, Charlotte
Johnnie Kinder, Salisbury
Rodney Blount, Charlotte
Ian McMillan, Charleston
Ralph Barger Jr, Roanoke
William Hemingway, Taft
Terry Aultman, Wilmington
David Harper, Chattanooga
Lori Raburn, Chattanooga
5 Years
Don Eyler, Tampa
David White, Charleston
Allen Radcliffe, Charleston
James Briggs, Port Everglades
Symuel Good Jr, Spartanburg
Enmanuel Pina, Greensboro
Donald Nunley, Ashland
Otassa Bullock, Corporate
Mark Lindo, Taft
Lance Collette, Corporate
Farron Noles, Jacksonville
John Broyhill, Salisbury
Shelby Whippo, Chesapeake
Albert McCann, Taft
David Weigand, Tampa
4 Years
Dennis Loving, Richmond
Kenel Morancy, Port Everglades
Thomas Bauman, Jacksonville
Ron Rogers, Nashville
Rick Stern, Port Everglades
Brian Cox, Tampa
Cedric Wimberly, Port Everglades
Daniel Cantrell, Wilmington
Silvano Santiago, Tampa
Harles Prater, Charleston
Manny Bush, Richmond
Matthew Sexton, Knoxville
Dennis Barto, Tampa
Derrick Clarke, Port Everglades
3 Years
Parwinder Singh, Greensboro
Anthony Poole, Greensboro
Joe Elkins, Port Everglades
James O'Neal, Selma
Lucious Harrison, Taft
Milton Judge, Charleston
Stevie Smith, Selma
James Williams, Charleston
Kelvin Eison, Spartanburg
Lawrence Walker, Selma
Michael Weber, Taft
Cesar Mercado, Taft
John McGraw, Tampa
Deanna Jeffries, Selma
Jeffrey Butler, N Augusta
Randy Dobson, Tampa
Anthony Duckworth, N Augusta
2 Years
Martin Ledger, Roanoke
Carl Isaacs, Ashland
Dario Shaw, Richmond
Sterling Chappell, Selma
Dennis Thornton, Selma
Samuel Denson, Tampa
Robert Elam, Salisbury
Earl Erickson, Selma
Kenith Hovren, Charleston
Jason Robinson, N Augusta
Carlos Staggers, Charleston
David Williamson, Taft
Leighton Hylton, Roanoke
Bill Burkhart, Taft
Kevin Williams, N Augusta
Doug Maxfield, Roanoke
Wilford Spencer, Chesapeake
Gregory Smith, Spartanburg
David Harris, Charleston
Joshua Talley, Selma
Ken Wiggs, Selma
Mark Bailey, Spartanburg
Gerald Hardy, Greensboro
Robert Griffin, Selma
Trevor Harrell, Corporate
1 Year
Henry Dickerson, N Augusta
Steven Clay, Wilmington
Lane Grantham, Wilmington
Richard Teague, Greensboro
Richard Cobane, Knoxville
Toby Goode, Ashland
Edward Joseph, Ashland
Fernando Levario, Port Ev.
Sylvia Lowery, Richmond
Randy Almond, Charlotte
Terry Latimer, Roanoke
Brad Scott, Kingsport
Alesandro Garibaldi, Chesa.
Michael Iwaskewycz, Wilm.
Jonathan Thorp, Kingsport
John Norman, Richmond
William Kirby, Tampa
Derrick McSwain, Spartanburg
Roger Mitchell, Greensboro
Warren Pippen, Savannah
Forrest Hester, Charlotte
Jasper McCormick, Roanoke
Philip Murray, Salisbury
Richard Reardon, Wilmington
Susan Karriker, Charleston
Carlton Burroughs, Chesapeake
Larry Geller, Tampa
Rafael Robles, Jacksonville
Eric Hearl, Kingsport
Brandon Moore, Chesapeake
Justin Hamilton, Nashville
Kevin Williams, Charleston
Mario Mallard, Tampa
Michael Panzarella, Tampa
EAGLE TRANSPORT CORPORATION
300 S. Wesleyan Blvd., Suite 200
Rocky Mount, NC 27804
Drive FAST!!!
Most people know vaguely that if you drive faster on
the highway, you’ll pay a price at the gas pump. A fast
road trip costs more than a slow one because it burns
more gas. But how much more, exactly? How do you calculate the time-is-money tradeoff between miles per hour
and miles per gallon?
Three engineers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s
Oak Ridge National Laboratory have worked out some
answers. And now, we’ll try to translate their computations into practical English. Here’s one way to make
sense of their findings:
Say you could drive 60 mph on your next trip, but you
prefer instead to drive 70 mph. You’ll pay 16.3 percent
more for gas, Oak Ridge says. At today’s average price,
that’s like spending an extra 55 cents a gallon. How you
like them apples? People will run all over town trying to
find 5 cents a gallon difference in the price, but how fast
you drive makes a bigger difference than 5 or 10 cents a
gallon.
Oak Ridge is where they figure out the fuel economy
ratings for new cars. In this exercise, they tested 74 new
and old cars and trucks at 50, 60, 70 and 80 mph. For every 10 mph increase, they charted the corresponding decline in mpg.
The results varied a bit from one car to another. The
fuel economy drop-off was sharper when cars accelerated
from 70 to 80 mph (15.4 percent) than when they went
from 50 to 60 mph (12.4 percent).
The best speed for top fuel economy varies from one
(if you have $$ to burn…)
car to another, said Brian H. West, one of the Oak Ridge
engineers. Some drivers like to think their cars perform
best in the fast lane, but that’s not likely.
“Certainly nothing we tested here is better at 70 mph
than at 60,” West said. “And the fuel economy at 60 mph
was always lower than the fuel economy at 50.”
It’s basic physics, if you must know. The aerodynamic
drag pushing back on your car increases with the square
of your speed: If you double your speed, the drag increases fourfold. And the power required to overcome drag
increases with the cube of your speed. To double your
speed, you need an eightfold increase in power, West
said.
Speed has its benefits, of course. If you set the cruise
control at 70 mph instead of 60 mph, you’ll cut your travel time by 14.3 percent. On a 100-mile trip, you’ll arrive
14.3 minutes sooner.
Let’s say your car gets 25 mpg when you drive 60
mph. That’s 4 gallons for 100 miles. The “Oak Ridgers”
say that at 70 mph your fuel economy will fall by 14 percent, to 21.5 mpg. Now you’re up to 4.65 gallons. This
means you’re burning 16.3 percent more gallons per mile.
The average price for self-service regular gas in Rocky
Mount in June was $3.38 a gallon. If your fuel cost rises
for that fast trip by 16.3 percent, it’s like paying $3.93 a
gallon. (Want to drive 80 mph instead? Make that $4.65 a
gallon.) Suddenly, speed carries a price. Getting there
14.3 minutes faster costs an extra $2.20.
So lift your foot...and put more cash in your pocket!!