Congratulations to Team Toyota

Yesterday, our Toyota Team was in Southern California to collect Toyota's Carrier Kaizen Challenge Award. This was the third year out of the last four that this group has won this award. They presented at Toyota's Carrier Conference last night in Torrance.  This is a remarkable accomplishment for the group.

Above, Operations Anthony Warchol, Logistics Coordinator Zach Mattingly, and Transportation General Manager Jecorey Newman pose with the award.  Great job team!

Messing Style

 

Home Depot Monroe OS Jeremy Messing was recently spotted tearing up the links in Ohio with his John Daly style Golf Pants.  While we won't be adopting these as a uniform option anywhere within the region, we felt it was necessary to give him props for attempting to pull of this look.  Good work Jeremy!



Command Central in Monroe

 

A month ago, we made the decision to roll both Home Depot sites under the same OM.  The idea behind this move was the potential synergies that could be had by combining these two.  The biggest opportunity is around the load planning function.  In the past, each site worked independently with its own Logistics Coordinator covering freight in the most optimal way possible for each respective DC.  Recently, there has been a greater push to have each LC look at all freight from each DC to see where potential synergies can be had.  Not only is there consistent volume moving from DC to DC, but there is a ton of opportunity for each site to pick up the others inbound volume.  This not only improves our miles per truck and help our drivers stay busy, but it is a huge cost savings to our customer.  This type of CVD is what separates us from our competition.  It also allows cross training across both sites. 

 

Above, Van Buren Logistics Coordinator Joe Nagle was down in Monroe to working with the Monroe Team to cover for a vacation as well as learn the way the Monroe Team plans.  Behind Joe, Josh Mann consults with OM Curt Conlon on how service is progressing for the day.

DOT Inspection Training in Terra Haute, IN

 

 

Last week, our DCS Managers in the Tully Region had the opportunity to spend time at the Indiana Weigh Station in Terra Haute, IN.  During this visit, we were able to sit down with Indiana State Troopers who conduct road side inspections.  During this visit, our managers were able to see first hand what these officers look for when they decide which vehicles to pull over and inspect vs those they decide to let pass. The main things these officers look for are things like flat tires, inoperable lights, and low CSA scores.  From there, we spent time in the observation tower with the officers.  Here we were showed how the scale works, as well as how they check the trucks for legal weights, correct DOT numbers, and any unpaid fines.  Then we had the opportunity to go into the inspection bay and join the inspectors in the pit and see what they are checking as they did inspections. Everyone who attended this event left with an education and experience that could not have been achieved anywhere else.

 

A special thanks to the Indiana State Police for allowing us to witness these events!



Our Commitment to The National Guard and Reserves

J.B. Hunt Transport, Inc. Recommits to Their Established Policy of Hiring National Guard and Reserve Employees

LOWELL, Ark.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 24, 2014-- 

Today, Craig Harper, EVP of Operations, J.B. Hunt Transport, Inc. signed a new Statement of Support with the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR). A similar pledge was signed in 2008. The ceremony to commemorate the event occurred at J.B. Hunt's headquarters in Lowell, Arkansas at 10:00 a.m. Central. Along with Craig Harper, many proud J.B. Hunt employees were in attendance, including Greer Woodruff, Senior VP Safety, and David Martin, Senior HR Recruiter.

The Statement of Support reasserts J.B. Hunt's commitment to the following core beliefs:

   -- We fully recognize, honor and enforce the Uniformed Services Employment 
      and Re-Employment Rights Act (USERRA). 
 
   -- Our managers and supervisors will have the tools they need to effectively 
      manage those employees who serve in the Guard and Reserve. 
 
   -- We appreciate the values, leadership and unique skills service members 
      bring to the workforce and will encourage opportunities to hire Guardsmen, 
      Reservists and Veterans. 
 
   -- We will continually recognize and support our country's service members 
      and their families in peace, in crisis and in war. 

"J.B. Hunt has always held those who serve or have served our country in the highest esteem," commented Craig Harper. "It's their dedication that allows Americans to live free. We are proud of our record of hiring and supporting the nation's veterans, National Guard and Reservists. This ceremony simply reaffirms our commitment to this worthy and strong principle."

"Supportive employers like J.B. Hunt Transport Services are critical to maintaining the readiness and strength of the nation's Guard and Reserve units and allow Guardsmen and Reservists the opportunity to serve our country more effectively and with greater peace of mind," said Tom Bullock. "By signing this Statement of Support, J.B. Hunt Transport Services sends a clear message it stands committed to its military employees and recognizes the integrity, global perspective and proven leadership they bring to the workplace."

You Know You Have An Employee Bought in When??

They put a JBH license plate on the front of their car.

Ever wonder about the culture at Yorktown?

Rob Starkey in Finding Financial Stability as a JB Hunt Truck Driver

Great work by our very own Rob Starkey, STAR45, from Soft-Lite Windows in Streetsboro, OH.  Rob recently participated in a video for JB Hunt that details drivers who have had successful careers with JB Hunt.  Darren, Rob and Rick are three drivers who found financial stability at J.B. Hunt. During their combined 59 years with the company, they've made prosperous careers and received additional income through fuel and safety, Million Mile and Driver of the Year bonuses. Make sure that we are advising any potential new drivers to 877-806-2345.  Remember that our drivers get a referral bonus.  This is a great way for them to earn additional income!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3tlc57a8_U&list=UUcEc4OnSS8niOqhqtmrqfoQ

Bambi Doesn't Stand a Chance

Over the past two years, our Tyson Account in Robards, KY has had 6 Deer Strikes for a cost of over $10,000.  The biggest concern on these deer strikes was the exposure of our Bendix Wingman and the cost to replace one of these should it be directly impacted.  Account Manager Todd Zoretic and Area Maintenance Manager Cort Duggins worked together to come up with a Deer Guard that will greatly reduce our exposure.  Not only should we see a return on investment in a years time, but also less down time on our equipment and thus less service disruptions to our customer. 

It is this type of out of the box thinking that we need from our people.  Great job Todd and Cort! 

Arkansas Truck Driving Championship

 

 

Last week, the Central Region had 3 participants in the Arkansas Truck Driving Championship.  Jason Brown, from Family Dollar in Rome NY, completed in the Twins or Doubles Class.  Mike Hulsey and James Sanders, from Toyota Owensboro, competed in the Flatbed Class.  This Championship is made up of 3 different sections.  The first section is the Written Exam.  Here drivers are tested on their overall knowledge of the industry for a possible 100 points.  The next section is Pre-Trip Inspection.  Once again they have the opportunity to score 100 possible points.  The third section is the actual Driving Skills Test.  While none of our drivers placed, all three finished in the upper half of their respective divisions.  Thank you to all three drivers that participated as well as Anthony Warchol and Sherry Sapp who assisted all week in Lowell!

 

 

New Hire Training in Columbus

This week, we had two new employees take part in New Hire Orientation Training in Columbus. Brian Kline will be the new DMIT at Home Depot Van Buren, OH and Matthew Arnold will be the new DMIT for Home Depot Monroe, OH. This past Wednesday, they took the Maintenance 101 class with John Dodson and Cort Duggins for some hands on maintenance training. Pictured below, John Dodson is showing them how to check tire air pressure and tread depth for when they complete TEAM inspections at their accounts. Cort gives them an in depth look at how the trailer tandems and airbag system works on our trailers.

Welcome to the team Brian and Matt!

Congratulations to the Leclair Family!

Congratulations to Tim Leclair and Family on the birth of his daughter, Piper Ann.  Piper came in weighing 9lbs, 8 oz, and 20.5 inches long.  Above, older brother Liam gets in his first bear hug on his little sister!  Mom and baby are doing well.  Congrats again!

Congratulations Kevin Thomas on his Retirement!

 

As you know we celebrated Kevin Thomas' retirement after 22 years with JBH where he traversed 1.4 million miles. Kevin started out with JBH as a Truckload driver working out of the Springfield, OH terminal where he worked for about two years until DCS started to take off. He told us the struggle that he had in trying to get onto the Georgia Pacific account until he was finally able to get a job there where he could get home nightly with his young family. After a couple of years on Georgia Pacific he moved on to become the Asset Recovery driver for CHEP before helping to start up the CHEP - Hamilton fleet as we know it today. The thing that blew us all away about Kevin that we didn't realize about him was that he was would consistently backfill management openings throughout the northern KY and Cincinnati, OH areas.

Kevin plans to enjoy his retirement with his wife (Donna), their three children, and five grandchildren. Since Donna watches the grandchildren during the week, Kevin's ability to nap and hit the golf course are hampered until they start up school.

On-Boarding Done Right at Armour Eckrich!

The on-boarding of our new drivers is critical to our success.  This process starts prior to
them ever getting to a JB Hunt Orientation.  When we see potential new hires names come up on our orientation lists in Spider we should be reaching out immediately.  We should always call our new employees prior to them going into orientation.  This first touch base call will allow you to introduce yourself and ease some of the concerns that they may have.  It will also allow you to give them a realistic view of what the account actually entails.  If you have the ability and the driver lives local to the account, I recommend having them stop by to meet you in person and see the account.  Once they are in orientation, you need to make sure you are touching base regularly.  For those of you who haven't seen a JB Hunt Orientation, drivers can sometimes get overwhelmed with all the other drivers from other divisions, etc.  It is our job to ease them through this week as best we can.  Our formal Tuesday touch base calls also go a long way.  We need to make sure we take these serious and come prepared to share with the drivers what the remainder of their week looks like as well as their training the following week once they get to the account.  Please put yourself in our new drivers shoes.  I would think most of us would want regular communication and to know that we are wanted and needed by our new company.

Recently, our Armour Eckrich startup team took this process to the next level.  Account Manager Connie Fruchey, along with ARM Jeff Holle, and OM Scott Tully took all new drivers out to dinner at Wings, etc.  This not only welcomed our new employees to the company, but also served as a great team building exercise for the account.  While this is not possible at all accounts, I encourage you to put as much effort as you can into the on-boarding of our new employees.  This will go a long ways toward the retention of our drivers.

The people in the photos (L to R) - John Simmons, Dennis Fields, Steven Dudley, Patrick Statom, Connie Fruchey, Dewey Gibson, and Jeff Holle.

Congratulations to George Vera on his Promotion to Account Manager!

Please help me congratulate George Vera who has been promoted to Account Manager for Aurora Parts in Lebanon, IN. George was a recent transfer from the ICS division to the Central Region as a DMIT where he has spent the majority of his time training at Aurora Parts. In his short time he has brought a wealth of knowledge from his prior stop with JBH to an operation that utilizes so much 3rd Party Backhaul. We look forward to seeing George succeed and continue to build upon the extremely unique Aurora Parts/JBH relationship.

George will continue to reside just outside of Indianapolis with his young family. He has already has his eyes on the skies as he prepares for this fall's waterfowl season in Indiana.

Central Region June DOM

Congratulations to Jason Roaden for winning the June Driver of the Month Award for the Central Region.  Below is the writeup from OM Brian Tabor:

 

Jason is deserving this award because you simply could not ask for a better driver. He is willing to do anything and everything that is asked of him. In my 3 years working with Jason, he never once told me "no"

It is not only the fact that Jason is willing to do anything... but he performs flawlessly. Jason has helped so many different accounts over the last couple years that I can't speak for all of them. I can say that he has never had a service failure while working for the Home Depot account. Based on how highly other accounts have talked about him, I would be pretty confident in saying that Jason has never had a service failure since coming to DCS. Just in line with his service performance, he has an incredible safety record. Jason has 0 preventable collisions and injuries over the last 3 years

Move to missing logs and DVIR's and Jason has none. Look at his fuel performance and he has the 2nd highest MPG on the fleet at 7.42. When Jason is working for Home Depot, his fuel compliance is 100%. His 12 week average total idle time is 7.7%. Move on to his utilization... If you take out the week he was helping another account, he was averaging 3522 miles each week.

Jason is also the "go to" driver thru out the DCS Central Region for special projects. In June, he was tasked with helping Marco's Pizza with a new store opening in NC. Jason did a great job helping the grand opening and it's festivies. Jason helped setup the event and did whatever was asked of him. Below is an e-mail sent to Andrew Deblock (Region VP) from Marco's GM (Tony Romano).

"Andrew,

I apologize for the lateness in saying Thank You for supplying a driver to participate in the Marco’s 500^th store opening. Your willingness to be part of this special event truly represents Partnership with the Marco’s Brand. I understand from the driver that the opening went very well and he was able to assist with the event.

The actions of your team represent many of our Cultural Beliefs including:

Embody Trust “I earn trust through my actions” and

Unity Wins “I align my actions to support the Marco’s Pizza Team”

Thanks to you and the entire JB Hunt Team!

Tony Romano

General Manager
Marco’s Pizza Distribution, LLC"
 

 

Ops Team at Marco's Setting the Standards!

 

 

In JB Hunt DCS, we sell our service.  Our customers demand this on a daily basis.  This evening, when our Corsicana Bedding Account in Aurora, IL needed assistance, our team at Marco's jumped in.  This account is managed out of our Midwest Region.  Corsicana needed a place to store 96 pieces of bedding short term while they made two other deliveries.  With the assistance of Andrew Ferguson and Chris Wulf, as well as our customer Marco's Pizza, we were allowed to store this product in our customers warehouse while these other deliveries were made.  We not only kept our very important customer happy, but also our driver who will now be able to get home on time to enjoy July 4th with his family! 

 

This commitment to not only our customers, but our fellow JB Hunt Teammates is greatly appreciated.  Thank you Andrew and Chris!

Tully Region takes it to the Deadly Days of Summer

 

"Team Tully has taken a different approach to get the word out about the Deadly Days of Summer.

Today our C&S account is taking it to their customer by using the drivers as the messenger. When our driver arrives at the customer they will take a bag with candy and a note to the customer. The note states "J. B. Hunt drivers don't "snicker" about safety. And yes the candy is a Snickers bar. It also shows that this account has driven over one million miles collision free, and gone two years injury free. The driver ask the customer to sign the card and every signed card will go into a drawing for a prize.

Pet Supplies Plus has gone patriotic in getting out the safety message. This account is handing out Red, White, and Blue Gatorade, and cupcakes as they review the Deadly Days of Summer coaching pages.

Both accounts are taking the steps so the message of safety is not just a handout but something that you have stop and think about. Great work by both accounts" - Jeff Holle ARM Central Region

 

Congrats Team Toyota on Winning the 2013 - 2014 Toyota Kaizen Challenge

 

Congratulations to Team Toyota for winning the 2013 - 2014 Kaizen Challenge Award.  This is the 3rd year in a row and 4 out of the last 5 years we have won the award.

Kaizen means "Continuous Improvement" and is a large component of the Toyota Production System ( TPS ). The TPS incorporates all aspects of the Toyota culture, Respect for Humanity, Stability, Lean Production and of course Kaizen.

Kaizen is the process of making incremental improvements and achieving the lean goal of eliminating waste that adds cost without adding value. It always addresses one of the 3 D's, Damage, Density and Dwell.

Our project addressed the movement of Service Frames from the Mexican border to the Toyota Dealerships. Historically Toyota had used LTL carriers to move these frames one at a time. This resulted in slower transit time, hand unload (safety issue) and excess damage to the frames.

By utilizing our fleet of specialized equipment we have been able to reduce the Time in Transit by 56%, reduce cost of delivery by $1,500 per frame as well as delivering the product to the dealerships damage free and a huge bonus for them Hands Free.

While the entire Team Toyota account was involved in the Challenge. our Logistic Coordinator Zach Mattingly took the reigns and did an excellent job with putting the project presentation together.

And of course a special shout out to the Toyota Drivers who continually prove time and time again that they are among the Best in the Business!

The award will be presented at Toyota's "Logistics Partners Meeting" on July 29th in Long Beach, CA.