Louisville Terminal Remodel

December 15 1990, the JB Hunt Louisville Terminal opened at 1901 Outer Loop.  Safety Administrative Assistant Kim French remembers because it was 10 days before Christmas. She also remembers there being over 40 cubicles in the office as soon as you walk in. When the terminal first opened at this location there was no shop and the building was half the size it is now. For about two months it was strictly an operations office then it became an operations and safety environment. 

In 1997, the terminal was renovated. The managers worked in the shops breakroom for about 4 months. There were wires hanging from the ceiling and the floors were gone, Safety Coordinator Tom Sapp remembers it looking like a telethon. In 2001, the Louisville Terminal became a Safety Service Center.

Now, after an 8-week long renovation the Louisville Terminal is home for the Safety, Maintenance and Operations departments. As soon as you walk in the front door Monday-Friday, you will find Safety Coordinators Tom Sapp, Ed Butler, Dan Shoonover, Kerry Sans and Kerry Crockett as well as the nicest Safety Administrative Assistant Kim French.

In the back left corner of the building holds the headquarters for the DCS Toyota Account and in the back right corner of the building is an Intermodal office.

After 26 years of changes made, the Louisville Terminal is now complete. Service Center Safety Manager Annette Coy received the honor to cut the ribbon. 

Southern States -Winchester Celebrates 905 Collision Free

The Bulk drivers at the Southern States Winchester, KY location were out for a night on the town last evening. They and their wives were treated to a meal at Malone’s Steak House in Lexington, Ky.

August 25, 2016 marked 905 consecutive days collision free for these drivers. They routinely deliver to some of the roughest areas of Kentucky and West Virginia on a daily basis making farm deliveries in all types of weather. This record demonstrates the level of service and commitment that these drivers provide for our customer as well as JB Hunt.  

Pictured are from left to right; Driver Jerry Moyer and wife Jennifer, 3 Million Mile driver Rick Baker and his wife Edna, and Driver John Halsey with his wife Ashleigh. Also pictured is Account Manager Mike Mcguire’s wife Lisa.

Getting to Know - Bob Harden - Professional Driver - Pet Supplies Plus

Austin Stauffer (Operations Supervisor - Pet Supplies Plus)  recently rode with Bob Harden.  Here is what he learned...

Bob is one of the most experienced drivers we have here at Pet Supplies Plus in Seymour, IN.

Bob has been a part of our account and J.B. Hunt for a little over three years now. He is always willing to help out where it is needed and is happy to lend a hand. It was a pleasure to ride with Bob and learn more about him and his life outside of work.

Bob enjoys time at home and being with his family. He spends his time outside of work riding horses and enjoying the outdoors. His youngest daughter is going into her senior year of high school and has plans to join the Navy.

We are glad Bob is with us at Pet Supplies Plus and we hope to have him for years to come.

Happy Anniversary to Ben Hurt!

Happy Anniversary to Ben Hurt as today marks his 3rd anniversary with JB Hunt.

Ben holds his Masters in Business Administration/Management from Ashford University; he began his career with JB Hunt as a Manager Trainee in Louisville, KY. In January of 2014 he relocated to Morehead, KY as an Operations Supervisor for Family Dollar. Just a month later he took on the role of Account Manager for Family Dollar.  Currently, Ben is the Account Manager at Southern States - Cloverdale.

Happy JBHunt-iversary! 

Happy Anniversary Zach Mattingly!

Today mark’s his 3 year anniversary with JB Hunt.

Zach is a proud graduate of Western Kentucky University where he obtained his Masters in business Administration/Management. He began his career with JBH as a Manager Trainee in Louisville, KY. In January of 2014 he promoted into the Logistics Coordinator role for Team Toyota.  Currently Zach is the Account Manager for Team Toyota and is based out of Louisville, KY.

Congrats on  your Anniversary, Zach!

Start Up Account Spotlight - Kohl's

Please help us welcome Kohls to the DCS Central Region family of customers!  Kohl's Corporation, d.b.a. Kohl's, is an American department store retail chain. The first Kohl's store was a supermarket founded by Maxwell Kohl in Milwaukee in 1946. The company's first department store opened in September 1962. Kohl's is now the second largest department store by retail sales in the United States after Macy's.

Our Kohls Account Management team is made up of three members (Jason Butler, Kevin Klausing and Jeff Sabol).  Both Account Manager Jason Butler and Operations Supervisor Jeff Sabol came to us from the Home Depot Monroe, OH.  Operations Supervisor Kevin Klausing worked for Kohls under their previous dedicated provider (Interstate) and comes with 10+ years of experience working with Kohls. 

Special thanks to everyone on the Maintenance, Operations and Safety side of the business who helped get this challenging startup off the ground including John Dodson, Jason Harrison, Cort Duggins, Brian Tabor, Scott Tully, Anthony Warchol, Samuel Djung, John Goodwin, Brandon Oreglia, Rachael Knick, Ashley Haney, Terry Galyon, Rich Schwartz and Tracy Walker (sorry if we left anyone out)!

Area Risk Manager Rich Schwartz talking yard safety with the team

New Operations Supervisor Kevin Klausing

L Brands Account Manager John Goodwin pitching in on the operations side during startup.  Don’t hurt yourself John working so hard  : )

Account Manager Jason Butler with Home Depot Van Buren Operations Supervisor Brandon Oreglia.  Thumbs up for the Kohl’s startup!

Kohl’s has two offices.  One at the local Kohls building and the other right behind the facility at the HTI.  This is where all Kohls local and regional drivers park their equipment

Regional driver Carl Luedtke has been a huge addition to the team!  He transferred to the Kohls account from our OTR Truck Division.  Carl boasts over 20+ years of experience with JB Hunt as a company driver.

Our Kohls office is looking good after Area Maintenance Managers John Dodson/Cort Duggins put in new floors and Jason Harrison painted the office.  Great work guys!

Welcome Kevin Klausing!

Please help us welcome our newest addition to the Kohls DCS team!

Kevin Klausing comes to use from the incumbent carrier Interstate.  Kevin worked for Interstate as a road driver for 2 years, yard hostler for 11 years and Fleet Manager for nearly 3 years.  All of this time was spent servicing Kohls.

In his free time Kevin enjoys coaching football and remodeling homes.  Any of his other free time is spent golfing with his friends and spending time with his kids.

Welcome to JB Hunt Kevin!

Happy Anniversary Jecorey Newman!

Happy Anniversary to Jecorey Newman as yesterday the 22nd marked his 5 year anniversary with JB Hunt. 

Jecorey is a graduate of University of Louisville, he began his career with JB Hunt as a DMIT in Louisville. After two months he began his journey with Toyota as an Operations Supervisor for the Owensboro, KY fleet. Just a year later he promoted to Account Manager of Toyota Hebron, KY. In December of 2013 he took on the role of Transportation General Manager over Toyota.

Happy Anniversary, Jecorey!

Two People - Same Company and Same Uniform

Brandon Oreglia (Operations Supervisor, Home Depot - Monroe) wrote to tell us of an enounter with a DCS Central Region Professional Driver, Mark Conover.

As many of you know, J.B. Hunt is a huge supporter of those that have served and continue to serve this great country.

My drill weekend began as usual, I put on my uniform and reported at my scheduled time.

Upon arrival I noticed a J.B. Hunt DCS truck sitting in the back parking lot. Curious to investigate and soon found out that it belonged to CONM27, a Mr. Mark Conover, as many of you know him.

For me, I know him as SFC Conover. This is a huge responsibility in the Army. SFC Conover is in charge of as many as 35 Soldiers to make sure they are up to snuff. His responsibilities include: developing daily operation and risk management plans with an emphasis on safety and mission

 completion for constantly changing objectives, ensuring each soldiers safety during training, and responsible for developing training plans for each of his soldiers’ development.

In today’s world, it’s hard to fathom the responsibility of the title citizen-soldier. I had the opportunity to discover firsthand what that meant. I had drill this past weekend and ended up running into a driver that works for J.B. Hunt. Mr. Mark Conover out of the Toyota account in Louisville happens to be a SFC Conover 3^rd Platoon Sergeant for the Ohio Army National Guard.

Two people -  same company and same uniform. It’s such a small world. 

Happy Anniversary Josh Kimble!

Happy Anniversary to Josh Kimble as today marks his 4 year anniversary with JB Hunt!

Josh is a graduate of Mississippi State University; he began his career with JB Hunt supporting multiple accounts within the Indianapolis area. He was the Account Manager of Quaker as well as Service Partners and the MasterBrand shuttle fleet. In May of 2015,  he promoted into his current role of Regional Operations Manager in Indianapolis, IN.

Happy Anniversary, Josh!

Happy Anniversary Sam Marcotte!

Happy Anniversary to Sam Marcotte as today marks his 3 year anniversary with JB Hunt!

Sam is a graduate of Lake Erie College, he began his career as a Manager Trainee in Cleveland, OH.

Late 2014 after spending 8 months as an Operations Supervisor at PPG in Pittsburgh, PA, he moved to Walton Hills, OH to take on the role of Account Manager at Intigral.

 Congratulations Sam!

Happy Anniversary Dana Crosby!

Happy Anniversary to Dana Crosby as today marks his 8 year anniversary with the company!

Dana is the Account Manager on our Ellwood City Forge in Ellwood City, PA.

Happy Anniversary!

Mock DOT at Champion Windows

Recently, Champion Windows held Mock DOT Inspections.

Tractors lined up in our inspection lanes.

Brad, maintenance tech, making repairs to a tire not holding air pressure.

Damon Turner, pointing out a few concerns on his tractor before getting back out on the road.

Drivers attended: Jeff Hodges, Greg Shawl, Damon Turner, Richard Smith, and Steven Mitchell

Brad from Fleet Service was available to jump in on any maintenance needs detected, as well as John Dodson and Dustin Hatfield to work with the drivers on all DOT and JBH requirements. Tyler Hall provided chocolate chip and cinnamon muffins for breakfast.

Drivers were also given a "goody" bag with a bottle of water, flat head screw driver, mini flashlight, WD-40, and an ink pen, along with an invitation to our driver dedicated event in September.

All the drivers in attendance were very happy with the attention to the equipment and definitely left with more confidence knowing the support we have for them. The drivers whose schedule did not allow to attend were quick to communicate that they wanted to be able to attend the next one we schedule.

Big thanks to everyone who helped out!

Happy Anniversary Jonathan Brand!

Happy 6 year Anniversary to Jonathan Brand! 

Jonathan is a proud graduate of Western Kentucky University.

He began his career with JB Hunt as a Manager Trainee. In May of 2011 he took on the role of Account Manager over Southern States Park City, KY. In February 2015, Jonathan promoted to Transportation General Manager over Southern States locations in KY, PA, VA, NC, MA & GA.

Happy Anniversary, Jonathan!

Happy Anniversary Nick Van Hooser!

It is a busy week for Nick Van Hooser as today he celebrates 5 years with JB Hunt.

Nick is a graduate of Western Kentucky University where he majored in Mass Communication. He began his journey with JB Hunt at the Toyota Motor account; first in Owensboro, KY and in his current role as Logistics Coordinator.

 Happy Anniversary and Congratulations again on your new baby girl, Nick!

Getting to Know - Bobby Strange - Professional Driver - Toyota Louisville

Zachary Mattingly (Account Manager - Louisville) recently rode with Bobby Strange was hired onto J.B. Hunt as part of the start-up for the Toyota Louisville account.  He says he can remember all the craziness that went along with the start and how everyone seemed to be constantly busy as can be. 

Bobby lives in Corbin, KY with his wife and three kids (ages 6, 7, and 8). They live in a house that Bobby and his dad built with their bare hands!

In his free time, Bobby enjoys remodeling and building pretty much anything. He is ready for the next challenge of building his new home.

Ultimately, Bobby’s dream is to one day own his own fleet of trucks and hit the open road with his brother and dad. 

Getting to Know - Dewey Gibson - Professional Driver - Armour Eckrich

Will Johnson (Operation Supervisor - Armour Eckrich) recently rode with Dewey Gibson, Professional Driver for Armour Eckrich.

Dewey lives in Marion, IN.  He served 8 years as an Airborne Assault operator with the United States Army. Air Assault involves repelling from Rotary aircraft such as helicopters as well as parachuting from fixed wing aircraft such as C-130 Super Hercules.

He has 4 children; 2- boys,2- girls and 9- Grand Children.

Dewey also has a Brown belt in Jujitsu.

Central Region Mid Year Budget Review - Buffalo, NY

This week we conducted our third and final Mid Year Budget Reviews in Buffalo, NY.  Here, our managers in NY, PA, and NE Ohio presented on how their accounts have performed year to date.  Overall fantastic job by this group, as well as the two prior groups.  All managers have shown an in depth knowledge of the key factors that drive success in our business.  Great work by everyone involved!

Welcome Essengo Goz – Operations Supervisor Toyota OWEKY

Please welcome Essengo Goz!

Essengo comes to JB Hunt after spending the past 3 years as a Supervisor for UPS in Laredo, TX. He graduated from Rogers State University where he earned his undergraduate degree in Biology. After graduating Essengo attended Texas A&M International University where he earned his Master of Business Administration - Management.

He is from Tulsa, OK and he enjoys playing soccer, salsa dancing, and reading novels. The Oklahoma native is also a big supporter of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Welcome E!

Welcome Natalie Heeke - DMIT Masterbrands

Please welcome to the J.B. Hunt family Natalie Heeke !

Natalie was born and raised in Elizabeth, IN and is a graduate of the great University of Indiana

She married her high school sweetheart, Michael who has spent the last 20 years working as a diesel mechanic on tractor trailers in Louisville, KY. They have two beautiful daughters, Alexis – 17 & Sydney - 10 who enjoy playing softball and hunting.

The family enjoys camping, riding 4 wheelers, skeet shooting and long motorcycle rides, and travelling the country with their daughters for softball.

Welcome Natalie!

Second Quarter Training in Rochester, NY

 This morning, our team at the PrimeSource Account in Rochester, NY performed Third Quarter Training.  Here our team of 7 professional drivers completed the formal training required for the third quarter.  The PrimeSource Account has made great strides over the last 6 months in turning their  safety culture.  All drivers are bought in, and the results have followed.  The account is currently on a 153 day preventable collision, 475 preventable dot collision, and 261 day injury free streak.  Fantastic job!

 

 

Third Quarter Training

 

New Customer Trailers Have Arrived

Happy Anniversary Mike Fogle!

Congratulations to Mike Fogle as he celebrates his 1 year JB Huntiversary!!!

Mike is currently the Account Manager at Southern States Park City, where he started as a DMIT.

He is a proud graduate of Western Kentucky University where he majored in Political Science with a focus in Business Administration. 

He is a Louisville, KY native and an avid fan of the "ONLY" college sports program that matters in the great Commonwealth (Louisville Cardinals). You can find him cheering on the Cards from the comfort of his living room or in the stands of the Yum Center or Papa John's Stadium.

 Mike also enjoys working out, traveling, and participating in 5K runs in his spare time. He joins J.B.. Hunt from his previous role as a supply chain analyst at a pharmaceutical distribution facility. 

Congratulations Mike!

Congratulations to Nick and Leigh Van Hooser!

Congratulations to Nick (Toyota – Logistics Coordinator) and Leigh Van Hooser on the birth of their baby girl Henley Steel! She was born Friday August 5^th at 9:08 pm. She was 7lbs 10 oz 20.5 inches long. Leigh and Henley are both home and doing great.

Central Region Driver of the Month July 2016 - Joe Salem

Congratulations to Joe Salem on being chosen as the Central Region Driver of the Month for July.  Joe has been a company driver since September of 2011.  Joe currently serves the Jamestown Container Account in Rochester, NY where he is a local driver.  Joe was chosen out of nearly 1,100 drivers within the Central Region.  Congratulations to Joe on this tremendous accomplishment!

 

Below is the winning writeup:

With Jamestown Container recently purchasing their competitor and going through a major business transition, “smooth” is not a word that is heard often in the shipping office. Where some would complain and question decisions, Joe asks, “How can I help?” or “What can I do?” Joe is a driver who gives 100% day in and day out. He regularly starts his days early so he can provide relief later in the day where needed and also works nearly every Saturday.

 Joe also does a fantastic job at putting a smile on the face of anyone he talks to as he approaches any and every situation with genuine care and concern. Joe has even been known to bring in ‘gifts’ in the form of mints into the office daily to try to make everyone’s just a little better. I have never once heard him complain or ask if there was someone else who could do something he has been tasked with. I often find myself hearing, “When will Joe be back?” or, “Can Joe do it?” His positive attitude does not stop at our customer, but continues to each customer he delivers to on a daily basis.

 Joe is a hard-working, genuine, and professional driver who has been part of the JB Hunt family nearly 5 years and servicing the customer in some way for nearly 21 years. Joe is truly a model driver in his attitude, work ethic, and approach to any challenge that is thrown his way.

Congratulations Cort Duggins!!! Best Blues Band in Louisville

Cort Duggins - Area Maintenance Manager with Laurie Jane and the 45's

On July 31^st, Laurie Jane and the 45’s (Cort Duggins on guitar…) competed in the 2016 Kentuckiana Blues Society Blues Challenge at Stevie Ray’s Blues Bar in Louisville, KY. They had entered this competition in the past, but had never won. This year they competed against 5 other groups and won the whole thing, cementing them as the best blues band in Louisville.

But there’s more…not only are they now officially the best blues band in Louisville, they will also now be representing the city of Louisville in the International Blues Challenge in February of 2017. This competition takes place in Memphis, TN, on Beale Street (for those uninitiated, this is holy ground for the blues).

If you see Cort in your travels, give him a high five and an “atta boy,” this is a major achievement that we in Maintenance are awfully proud of him for. And you can check out Laurie Jane and the 45’s pretty much anywhere online.

Getting to Know - Archie Collins - Family Dollar -Morehead

Ashley Haney (Operarions Supervisor, Family Dollar - Morehead) had the privilege to accompany Archie on a route last week.

Archie has been with J.B. Hunt 2 years now and has proven how dedicated he is to his job many times over. He is a pleasure to work with because of his outgoing and positive attitude. Archie always takes the initiative to be proactive and make sure his daily performance exceeds expectations. He has great work ethic and always puts forth 100%.

            Prior to J.B. Hunt, Archie worked for Werner on the Family Dollar Account. He decided to make the change in carriers due to the increase in pay. When Archie has free time he enjoys spending it with family. He loves being a father and hanging out his daughters. When he’s not at home spending time with family he is going to races with friends/family. 

Toyota Louisville - 100 Days Collision Free

This past weekend our Toyota Louisville account celebrated our 100 Collision free day streak with a driver and family cookout.

In total the account ran over 130 days collision free! On an account in which the drivers average 2,448 miles per week on Laredo, TX runs this is a great accomplishment! When not running Laredo runs, our drivers get loaned out to other accounts to help support the region. Even in doing this each driver remained focused on the task and was able to get the job done week in and week out.

For their great accomplishment we are getting each driver two specialized t-shirts and were able to hold the cookout this past Saturday. The weather was great and fun was had by all!

Attached are the following photos of the event:

The account 100 day collision free cupcake cake!

 The shop even joined in on the fun! We used their grill, so I guess we owed them!

 

A great food spread and plenty of cornhole boards!

Sheldon Williams and Tim Viers compete in an intense cornhole game, while the kids played in the bouncy house behind them!

Welcome Zach Brewington - DMIT Home Depot - Van Buren

Welcome to the J.B. Hunt family Zach Brewington !

Zach is our newest DMIT for the Home Depot location in Van Buren, OH.

Born and raised in Bucyrus, OH, Zach joined the J.B. Hunt family after graduating from Bowling Green State University in 2014.

Zach is currently serving our country honorably in the National Guard as a 2^nd Lieutenant in the Military Police unit.

During his time away from National Guard duties and his new career with J.B. Hunt, Zach enjoys anything that involves the outdoors. More specifically, hunting, fishing and shotgun sports. 

Happy Anniversary Adam Stampfer!

12 years!  Today marks Adam Stampfer's 12th year with JB Hunt!

In his time with JB Hunt, Adam has held various positions within the Central Region and Final Mile throughout Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky, where he currently resides. 

Adam has worked and led as a DMIT, Operations Supervisor, Account Manager, Transportation General Manager and currently as Region Operations Manager.

Thank you for all you do, Adam! Congrats!