Happy Holidays

I would like to take a minute to wish all of our employees a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  Thank you for all of your hard work and efforts in serving our customers safely this past year.   Without the dedication of our front line managers, support staff, and drivers none of what we do would be possible!

Congratulations Dan Robinson for winning Central Region DOM for December!

Congratulations to Dan Robinson for winning Central Region Driver of the Month for December.  Dan is a lead driver on the Intigral Account in Walton Hills, OH.   Dan was hired by JB Hunt back in October of 1998. Dan has served in many roles for JB Hunt, including our Joann's Account in Hudson, OH.  December had the strongest group of candidates we have had all year, but in the end there were several things about Dan that stood out from the rest.  In reviewing safety history for all drivers, Dan's was by far the cleanest.  In the prior 4 years, there was only 1 non preventable incident on his record.  His safety record over 16 years has been impeccable.  In addition, Dan's ability to serve Intigral in the dock management position is critical.  From a DCS Standpoint, we sell being able to provide this value to our customers.  Congrats Dan!


Below is the writeup from Account Manager Rich Schwartz

Dan just his is 16 year anniversary with the company and to say the least his accomplishments are many. He transferred over to the Intigral Glass account in September 2011 from the JoAnn DCS account and has made a lasting impression. The customer thinks very highly of him and is impressed with his work ethic as a driver and team player. Recently in July of 2014 account management approached Dan about a Customer Dock Management driving position as we were in need after a no call no show driver quitting.

A dock management position consists of loading and unloading his own truck, shipping and billing his customer, and sequencing all the windows on the dock. Dan is trusted to run his own dock and drive his truck, with the heavy responsibilities on driving adding the dock management piece to average drivers could be disastrous, but Dan stepped up and took the reins and since we haven’t heard a peep from the customer. It is not rocket science to know that Dan’s importance to this fleet is exponential. Dan has accomplished many things in his illustrious career; he is constantly there to assist and has helped many accounts.

FLEXIBILITY- Dan’s flexibility speaks volumes. Whatever you need him to do he does it with pride. He has covered various loads for Intigral in all 3 plants not to mention helping various accounts in the Central Region. He is available whenever management needs him.

SAFETY- DAN IS THE DEFINITION OF A DRIVER TRAINER and is one of them at the account. Dan is a cut above the rest! He recently received his million mile award in early 2014. He is ranked 41 in all of DCS and is in the 99th percentile in the entire company, and is tied for the number 1 driver in the central region based on his safety scores. He has had 0 HBE’s in 16 years, 0 collisions in 16 years, 0 Workers Comp in 16 years and here is a summation of his 384 15 YEARS ON ¾ OF A PAGE!!!!:

LOGS- Dan sends in accurate and clean logs and on time.

FUEL- Dan protects our most expensive cost fuel, he continuously shuts his truck off when it is not necessary to run it.

PEOPLE- Dan has made many friends here at Intigral and is well thought of at the Walton Hills Plant. Dan promotes what JB Hunt is, a strong and safe company.

DEPENDABILITY- Dan reports on time and is always here when you need him.

Dan is one of the top drivers here at Intigral and in the entire company. It was a no brainer naming him Intigral’s 2014 Driver of the Year. Congratulations Dan you deserve this.

Congratulations Andy Rose!

 

 

Congratulations and best of luck to Andy Rose on his move to Texas to assume the Account Manager role of Cargill in Giddings.  Andy was hired into the Central Region back in October 2010.  During that time, Andy has served in a variety of roles including Account Manager for Aurora Parts as well as COE in Smock, PA.  Most recently Andy handled the startup of Soft-Lite Windows in Streetsboro, OH.  This move will put Andy closer to family in TX.  We thank Andy for all of his hard work over the years and wish him the best of luck in the future!

Ugly Sweater Day at Team Toyota

 

Team Toyota finished handing out Christmas Cards to the drivers today. The team did it in style, wearing their Christmas Sweaters.  Great work team!

 

 

Right Where He Left Off

 

 

Welcome back Ryan Nowicki!  Ryan is a driver on the Soft Lite Windows Fleet in Streetsboro, OH.  Ryan has been out for six months following a wrist injury while servicing a customer in St Louis, MO.  We recently got a glowing voicemail from a SoftLite customer praising Ryan for his service!  Ryan is an instrumental part of the team and we are thrilled to have him back!

Congratulations Jon Morgan on your 2 Year Anniversary

 



 

Congratulations to Jon Morgan on his 2 Year Anniversary with JB Hunt!  Jon has served a number of accounts in the Indianapolis area, including C&S, Pet Supplies Plus, CHEP, and Armour Eckrich.  Thank you for your service Jon!

Happy Anniversary Jamie Kleemook!

Congratulations to Jamie Kleemook for hitting his 4 year anniversary with the company today!  Jamie is our Transportation General Manager at PPG in Pittsburgh, PA.  Jamie started his career with JB Hunt as an Operations Supervisor back in December 2010 when the account was transitioning from Delaware, OH to downtown Pittsburgh.  Through his hardwork and effort Jamie has promoted up through the account to his current role.  Under Jamie's leadership we have seen our partnership with PPG grow.  Over the past year we have added business in all of the fleets we operate with PPG including Global, Architectural, and Drop Deck Glass.  Great job Jamie!

Congratulations to Mark Waldvogel on reaching the 20 year milestone!

 

Congratulations to Mark Waldvogel on reaching 20 years with JB Hunt!  Mark is from Erie, MI and is currently a regional driver for The Home Depot in Van Buren, OH.  Mark began his career with JB Hunt back in 1992 and has served in various roles throughout his career.  We are very fortunate to have a driver of Mark's skill set within the region.  Thank you for your service Mark!

Congratulations Chris James

 

 

Please help me congratulate Chris James on his promotion from Professional Driver to DMIT (Dedicated Manager In Training). Chris has 22 years experience as a Professional Driver. 2.5 of those years he worked for JB Hunt at the Toys R Us - Youngstown, OH account. While at TRU Chris excelled as a driver trainer and helped out the management team whenever needed. Chris is also a Central Region Smith System Certified Trainer.

Chris grew up in Florida where he attended High School in the Orlando, FL area and as well as Seminole State College. Chris is a devoted husband who has been married for 16 years. Chris has 3 children (all daughters) ages 13, 11 and 8. In his free time Chris enjoys camping, fishing and hiking.

Congratulations Chris on a well deserved promotion!



Sam Djung 10 Year Anniversary!

 

 

Tomorrow marks Sam Djung's 10 year anniversary with JB Hunt.  Sam is a graduate of The Ohio State University.  Sam started his career out in the NE at the Staples Account in Dayville, CT.  Sam has moved multiple times for the company, and served admirably in all of the positions he has held.  Currently Sam is our Transportation General Manager at The Home Depot in Van Buren, OH.  Feel free to reach to Sam to congratulate him on his service!

Wreaths Across America Louisville, KY

 

On Thursday morning, our team in Louisville was able to attend the Wreaths Across America ceremony that was held at the Louisville Service Center. Active members of the Army, Air Force, National Guard and the KY State Police were attendance for the ceremony. Closing the ceremony a convoy led the JB Hunt truck off the yard to the interstate for the next stop in Nashville, TN. This was great event to honor our veterans.

Our mission, Remember, Honor, Teach, is carried out in part by coordinating wreath laying ceremonies a specified Saturday in December at Arlington, as well as veterans’ cemeteries and other locations in all 50 states and beyond. We also organize a week of events including international veteran’s tributes, ceremonies at State Houses and a week-long “Veteran’s Parade” between Maine and Virginia where we stop along the way to spread our message about the importance of remembering our fallen heroes, honoring those who serve, and teaching our children about the sacrifices made by veterans and their families to preserve our freedoms.

This week of events is made possible by thousands of volunteers who organize local ceremonies, raise funds to sponsor wreaths, and participate in the events. We receive no government funding. The cost of our programs is paid by individual wreaths sponsors, corporate donorsand volunteer truckers.
We also coordinate veteran services and recognition through a variety of programs, and provide schools with teaching aides for projects throughout the year.

http://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/



Pet Supplies Plus

PSP Culture Board and DOM Recognition

Our Drivers Have a Laugh with this Award

Sheldon Williams and Scott Tully

Pet Supplies Plus has been a DCS Customer since November 2011.  This account originally started in Ann Arbor, MI where we replaced their private fleet.  Seven months after we started in Ann Arbor, we ended up moving the entire operation to Seymour, IN.  Today, we employ over 30 drivers who assist PSP in delivering pet supplies to both franchisees as well as corporate owned stores throughout the midwest.  Our team in Seymour is lead by Account Manager Brandon Denison and Operations Supervisors Sheldon Williams and Jess Claudill.  Our team has done an outstanding job of servicing this customer.  Great job to our team in Seymour!

Fifth Wheel Maintenance Tips

Tips on the Care and Maintenance of your Fifth Wheel
Let's cut to the chase...what's a tractor without a fifth wheel? A chassis that can't do its work! Luckily, fifth wheels are almost maintenance-free, but there are a few critical points to keeping them in good shape. The Kenworth Customer Service Center offers a wealth of advice. Along with this, we're sharing great information from the staff at Fontaine, Holland Hitch, and Jost.

First and foremost, think safety when you are inspecting your fifth wheel. There are several things that a driver can do:

1. Keep the fifth wheel lubricated.
2. Make sure that it is still connecting properly to the trailer.
3. Verify that a sliding fifth wheel is locking properly.

All of these can--and should--be done without touching the fifth wheel yourself.

The folks at Holland Hitch add the following recommendation before you start your inspection: have the entire fifth wheel system thoroughly steam-cleaned. Clean the top plate, brackets, slide plate, mounting angles, and fasteners. Next, so that you can take a good look at the fifth wheel, use a trouble light or flashlight for your visual inspection. Plan to take ten or fifteen minutes for this project.

Guide to Fifth Wheel Care & Maintenance

Test Those Jaws

This is the safest way to examine your fifth wheel's jaws and make sure they aren't worn out...it's a two-person test, so ask someone to help you out for a moment.

• Latch the fifth wheel onto the trailer as usual.
• Set the trailer brakes.
• Have your assistant stand where he or she can see the fifth wheel.
• Move the chassis back and forth slightly.
• Have your assistant watch to see if the plate moves relative to the trailer.

If the plate does move, the jaws are probably worn. Head into the nearest Truck Enterprises dealership to have it checked by our professionals. If the jaws are indeed worn, your fifth wheel may be one that can be rebuilt rather than replaced, so you'll want to ask about that option.

Do You Need to Adjust Your Fifth Wheel?

It is possible to have fifth wheels adjusted, but it's not typically necessary. In talking with a representative of Jost, we learned that this is not something that usually needs to be done with their products, and in fact, frequent adjustments can cause premature wearing of the locking mechanism. Jost states that they have many fifth wheels in service with over 400,000 miles on them that have not needed adjustment. Fontaine told us that if it's needed, their fifth wheels are easy to adjust--they can even be adjusted while the trailer is coupled to the fifth wheel if the situation calls for it. Holland Hitch provides manuals, as do the others, for those occasions when a fifth wheel needs adjusting. If you suspect this is the case, it should be checked out by trained staff.

Dented Top Plates--What to Do?

Sometimes fifth wheels take a hit when a driver is coupling the trailer and the chassis. Unfortunately, this can affect the jaws themselves or your ability to lock them. When there's damage like this, it's wise to have it checked out. We recommend caution in this situation if someone offers to rebuild the fifth wheel--it may not be the right thing to do. The fifth wheel is a part that is on the DOT's checklist with good reason.

Watch for Loose Pins

Some fifth wheel designs feature two pins on top of the plate. These are the pivot pins that jaws hinge on. If they are loose in the plate, it's time to replace the fifth wheel. You can perform a visual inspection for this by looking for cracks in the grease that you have applied to the part. If the pins are tight, you don't typically see those cracks. If you do see them, take your chassis in to the shop.

Look for Cracks

While cracks in the grease can be a sign of loose pins, it is also possible to have actual cracks in the fifth wheel components, welds, and mounting angles that are hidden by that same grease. This is why steam cleaning is a help. Articulate the top plate forward and rearward, and look underneath the top plate. Check out the fixed front lock in the top plate, too. While you're looking for cracks, make sure that there aren't any missing parts. Also, if you suspect a part has been modified, take it in to your Kenworth dealership for a professional inspection. Fifth wheels are a critical safety component and shouldn't have any modifications.

Caught That Handle on Something?

The Kenworth Customer Center takes calls on this situation fairly frequently, so if you've done it, you're not alone! In this case, you need to have a trained service person look it over--this is another case where you don't want to start investigating without thinking and place your hand in harm's way.

Air Slides and Air Release Locks Should be Checked

If your fifth wheel is equipped with either of these, check the condition of the air lines, energize the system, and check for leaks.

New Fifth Wheel Tough to Slide?

It gets easier to slide as the fifth wheel is used. If you are having trouble with it, however, you may want to ask your dealer to buff and polish it to eliminate any metal surfaces that may be a bit rough. Greasing the fifth wheel may help also. Over time, simple use will smooth the rough spots as well.

Don't Wear Out Your Top Plate

Lay a 48-inch straight edge across the top surface of the fifth wheel. The top plate should be flat within .06 inch. Also, check for wear in the "dish," or recessed area, in the middle of the top plate. The dish isn't designed to carry a load or make contact with the trailer upper coupler. If you see that it is getting worn, the trailer needs repair and will cause fifth wheel problems if it hasn't already.

To Grease or Not to Grease

Keeping the fifth wheel well-lubed in the jaws is key to making it easy to release. This is true in most cases, but not all. There are some designs and materials that shouldn't be lubed. Let's go over those...

• Have a plate with a Teflon disk? Don't lube it--essentially, the material is the lubricant.
• Does your fifth wheel have slider jaws? Don't grease these, it just causes them to hold dirt. The only wear point on these is the air cylinder, and you don't want to cause any problems there.
• Finally, use a grease gun! There's no need to put a hand into a fifth wheel.

How Often Should You Lube Your Fifth Wheel?

Thoughts on this vary, but generally speaking, if you hook and unhook trailers frequently, you'll want to keep it lubed. It seems like you have more of a chance of getting dirt into that fifth wheel in this situation than you do if you are mainly doing long haul work.

Who Should Maintain or Replace Your Fifth Wheel?

The representatives of the fifth wheel companies felt that it is basic enough that fleet shops could do it themselves, and so the question probably comes down to a matter of time. At Kenworth PremierCare, we'd like to remind you that we can do this work for you if it frees up time for you to handle the other service work you have stacking up! We also welcome independent owner/operators--we've got the experience and skills to keep your operation running smoothly. Your Kenworth PremierCare Parts & Service dealer carries fifth wheels and fifth wheel parts in the Fontaine, Holland Hitch, and Jost lines and regularly does professional inspections, adjustments, repairs and replacement of fifth wheels.
Remember, if you run into problems with your fifth wheel while you're on the road, call the Truck Enterprises location neareast you and we can help you arrange for service or repairs.

New Home for CHEP Indy

 

 

It's busy and exciting times at CHEP Indy!   First, we have recruited Elvis Sehic, right, to take the reigns as the site first Operations Supervisor. Elvis is pictured with Account Manager Jerry White. Elvis comes to us from FD Ashley and will be a great addition to the CHEP Team.

In addition, we are moving!   This site is moving 20 miles down the road to CHEP's new Hanna Avenue based facility.   Jerry White, Elvis Sehic and Indianapolis based Operations Intern Zach Oakes all pitched in to move everything to the new location. As you can see from the picture of Elvis and Jerry, we are happy to move into a new office and leave our old office behind which was affectionately known as the "Chep Dungeon".



Congratuations Sammy Fambrough!

Congratulations to Sammy Fambrough for winning the November Driver of the Month for the Central Region.  Sammy is a driver on the Falcon Packaging Account in Flowery Branch, GA.  Sammy has been with JB Hunt for just over 10 years and has been on the Falcon Packaging Account since it started back in January 2012.  Our Falcon drivers deliver egg cartons for our customer to Chicken Farms throughout the SE. Congrats Sammy!

Below is the writeup from Manager Jeremy Starry

Sammy deserves this award due is commitment to safety, the customer, and J.B. Hunt. Not only does Sammy have 10 years with the company, he also just joined the Million Mile List this month. It says a lot about a person when another Account Manager forwarded the Million Mile List email to an entire different region so everyone could congratulate him. This shows not only has Sammy done a terrific job for Falcon Packaging but he also has earned the trust and respect of his prior managers. Sammy stands out from his peers not only in the safety realm but also in knowing Falcon Packaging as a customer. When most drivers call to inform you about an issue, Sammy will call and already have a solution in mind to solve the problem. He is one of the few drivers where I could give him all of his work for the week and walk away knowing everything will be delivered safely and on time. In addition, Sammy made it known that he will leave out on Sundays in order to cover last minute Falcon Packaging loads. Sammy is a great example of what every DCS account looks for in a driver.

0 Preventable Collisions/Incidents in the past year

0 Out of Service Violations in the past year

0 Complaints in the past year

0 Log letters in the past year

0 DOT Violations in the past year

 

 

To show how valuable Sammy is to the Falcon Team in GA, the customer got Sammy a cake for his achievement.  It is very reassuring to know we have customers that value our drivers as much as we do!

Thanksgiving Dinner at Home Depot

 

 

To thank our drivers at The Home Depot Accounts in Monroe and Van Buren, OH, our team catered in lunch.  Our teams that support our retail clients are consistently subjected to working the holidays.  We appreciate all of their hardwork!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to Team Central Region.  This includes all of our professional drivers, managers and support group members.  Thank you for all that you do to serve our customers every day!  Have a Safe and Happy Holiday!

Welcome Chet Gilbert!

Please welcome the newest member of the Central Region, Chet Gilbert who is the new Operations Supervisor for the Family Dollar account in Ashley,IN. Chet is a proud graduate of Manchester College in North Manchester,IN where he studied history. Currently, Chet is working on completing his Masters of Science in Leadership with a focus in Environmental and Sustainable Management. Chet currently resides in Ashley,IN with wife Tess, and two children Jack and Jordyn. In his spare time, Chet enjoys hunting, fishing, camping, and really all things outdoors. Please join me in welcoming Chet to the Central Region!

Thanksgiving Turkeys at C & S

As many people know, C&S does a lot of the little things that turn out to be big things in regards to Driver Dedicated. Above is a picture of Tyler Hall (Account Manager) passing out Thanksgiving turkeys that he purchased for the drivers. While many of the guys are out stocking up the stores with Thanksgiving trimmings, Tyler and Christopher Block (Operations Supervisor) have their birds provided by JB Hunt.

Great touch by the staff at C&S on helping to make sure their drivers realize just how appreciated they are to us!

CVD at Cargill in Batavia, NY

 

The email below came over today from our customer Cargill Animal Nutrition out in Batavia, NY.  This site has battled the winter storms all week and have operated flawlessly through it all.  Great job to Russ and his team!



As many of you have seen or heard, the WNY area has received some of the heaviest, fastest, & extreme snow fall in US history. When it’s all said & done, by the end of the today there will be towns in between Lake Erie & our Batavia Plant that have received over 80 inches of snow within 5 days. There were times this week where the snowfall reached 4 inches of snow per hour which is a rate, that even a place like buffalo that isn’t a stranger to extreme snowfall, isn’t capable of handling effectively.

I heard a news reporter comment that “Western NY can at times be a tough place to live, but the people that live here are even tougher!” I can’t think of a better comment that describes how our Cargill team responded this week. All in all, with one of the worst snow falls the area has ever seen, our people returned home safely & our customers were serviced. This week was nothing short of a complete & total team effort, while customers were struggling to keep their operation moving with some having to result to dumping milk, our teams found a way to get things done!

A huge shoutout to the following groups & I know that I’m missing a bunch

The Batavia Plant employees not only had the stress of figuring out how to service our customers, they had the stress of just getting out of their driveways. With several road closures in the area there were several folks that physically couldn’t safely make it to the plant. For the folks that could make it in, there were some long days & hectic scheduling but they found a way. Most folks will continue to work well into Saturday & Sunday to get caught up so a lot of well-deserved thanks are needed for that team.

Our JB Hunt drivers deserve a huge thank you. Still not sure how we got things delivered when it seemed like 7 out of the 8 roads in and out of Batavia were shut down, but for the customers that were out of feed & needed feed the most, they were there.

                                                                                                                                                     

The Liverpool & Jamestown Plant, both were there to create some breathing room many of the days this week when things got tight. I’ve got to think, in situations like this, our competition has to envy our footprint & our ability to service our customers, no one else could really do what we did this week that efficiently, really awesome to see.

The help of RMS, Formulation & Customer Ops were vital in all that went on the last five days. RMS somehow kept most bins full, formulation moved formulas around at a moment’s notice & our customer ops teams were constantly on the phone with customers tracking inventories & helping prioritize those with immediate needs. Huge shoutout to all of the folks behind the scenes that made it happen.

Finally, thanks to all of the folks across NY/NE area that reached out. I know many of you have been reaching out to check in or offer help.

We’re not out of the woods yet, we have some rain coming our way this weekend as well as some warmer weather which will produce some flooding challenges in some areas paired with short Holiday week. However, with all that’s gone one the past few days, it should be a walk in the park for this team!

We’ll continue to keep everyone up to date if there are any major events, but in the meantime , enjoy your weekend, keep those that were heavily effected with this storm in your thoughts & Happy Thanksgiving in advance.  

Clayton Wood
_­­| Cargill Feed & Nutrition | Business Development Manager

Supporting the Indianapolis Food Bank!

 

This week, our customer at Quaker came to our Account Manager Josh Kimble about the possibility of helping to deliver food to a local food bank.  Josh was able to utilize one of the Service Partners account trailers and drivers from both Quaker and Service Partners to help deliver the food to the New Life Worship Community Food Bank in Indianapolis. Great job to Josh Kimble, Rob Miller (MILR5), and Mark Bullock (BULM1) to help feed the hungry during the holiday season!

New Hire Class in Columbus

 

Here's our group photo upon completion of the New Hire Orientation Class. Pictured below left to right front row is Terry Galyon, Michelle Simpson, Eric Holman, and Michael Cohen. In the back row left to right is Adam Stampfer, Tracy Walker, Raymond Colio, and Joseph Elliott.

Above, AMMs John Dodson and Cort Duggins

explain what items we should be looking for when inspecting trailers during Maintenance 101

 

 

This week in Columbus, OH we had four managers take part in New Hire Orientation. Eric Holman, Raymond Colio, Michael Cohen, and Joseph Elliott were our participants in this training. These managers received classroom and interactive training on several topics including Workday, Safety Culture 101, Maintenance 101, Freight Manager, Customer Service, Driver Dedicated Culture, PACE, PeopleNet, RAIR, and Smith System. We hope these folks enjoyed the training and will bring great value back to the accounts they go back to work at. We would like to give special thanks to Megan Perez, Tracy Walker, John Dodson, Cort Duggins, and Terry Galyon for leading their respective sessions this week.



Cargill Swanton, VT

Driver Norm Loiselle sweeps out his bin during his unload

From Left, AM Ed Thompson and OS Jake Maas.

The Town of Swanton is one of the most attractive communities in Vermont. It is located in the northwestern corner of the state bordering Lake Champlain on its west and Quebec Province in Canada on its north. The earliest inhabitants of this region dating back about 10,000 years were the Abenaki whose tribal headquarters and museum are located in Swanton. The town was chartered on August 17, 1763 by New Hampshire Governor Benning Wentworth when this territory was claimed as part of that state. Today, approximately 6,500 people make Swanton their home. It is a pleasant place in which to live and work and an exciting place to visit.

 



We have been partners with Cargill in Swanton, VT since September of 2008.  In Swanton, we employ 14 Drivers and 2 Managers.  Our Drivers are responsible for delivering over 2,000 tons of bulk animal feed every week throughout VT, NY, NH, and ME.  Our drivers operate in some of the toughest conditions in the country.  In addition to the winter weather they battle 5 months out of the year, they deliver into some of the most difficult terrain there is.  Our team in Swanton has made tremendous strides over the past year and we continue to look forward to a positive future with this client!