Congratulations to Eric Thomas for Winning Central Region Driver of the Month for December

Congratulations to Eric Thomas for winning Central Region Driver of the Month for December!  Eric works at the Jamestown Container Account in Rochester, NY.  Eric has been with JB Hunt for 3 years and does an excellent job day in and day out of servicing our customer.  Congrats to Eric for winning this award!

Below is the write-up on Eric:

Eric Thomas is a true professional driver. He is polite and is very patient and will always make his manager aware if there is an issue with any part of his shipment. He is well liked by the customers and is always willing to give a helping hand to them. He is always willing to work on Saturdays for either Jamestown Container or a neighboring account like PrimeSource. Eric is very thorough while doing his pre trip inspections and is always safety conscious. He is a quiet man with a great sense of humor and has the most infectious laugh, making him a bright spot at the end of a busy day. We are proud to have him on our team.

"Eric Thomas could be Driver of the Month every month."  -- Chris Person, Transportation General Manager

"When I first started in my current role I went on a quick ride-along with Eric. At first he was very quiet and reserved, but once we got talking I instantly recognized his positive attitude, great work ethic, and overall easy-going personality. We had a delay at our first customer and an issue with getting our trailer into their dock, and Eric handled the delivery calmly, politely, and professionally. He is a great asset to our Jamestown Container team."  -- Jerry Hoban, ROM

Ed Yarber - One Million Safe Mile Driver

Last evening, we had the pleasure of recognizing Ed Yarber on his achievement of reaching One Million Safe Miles.

We had a great time as Ed shared stories from his long career and specifically his 14 years with JB Hunt.

He has touched many accounts over the years hauling for Joann Fabrics in Hudson, Home Depot Van Buren, Intrigal and currently serves as a the Driver Trainer for Central Farm and Garden.

Ed's experience and personality sets him apart and is evident why he reached this milestone.

 For the celebration dinner Ed was joined by: his wife, Sharrie,  Area Risk Manager: Tracy Walker, Area Risk Manager and Ed's former Account Manager,  Rich Schwartz, Regional Operations Manager,  Brian Tabor and current Account Manager,  Andrew Vincent.

The group met at Ed's choice of restaurants at the Twisted Olive in Canton, OH. 

CONGRATULATIONS ED!!!

The Home Depot - Driver Trainer Meetings

Over the past few weeks, The Home Depot locations in Ohio, both Monroe and Van Buren held Driver Trainer meetings.

Participating in the training from Monroe: TGM Jeremy Stout, AM Jason Butler, ROM Scott Tully and 180 Day Experience Manager/OS Amy Leonhardt.

Participating from Van Buren: TGM Sam Djung and 180 Day Experience Manager/OS Dan Mays. 

ARM Tracy Walker lead both classes presenting the material along with JSA Training. 

The purpose of these meetings was to provide a better understanding to the trainers of their role in the on-boarding and the training of our new hires to the account. Amy Leonhardt from Monroe and Dan Mays from Van Buren discussed with their perspective teams what the 180 Day Experience is and the role the Driver Trainer plays in this.

We reviewed extensive classroom material, then followed up with hands on JSA training to better acquaint the trainers on the task performed causing injuries.  The JSA training was enlightening as the trainers were asked to document their own observations of the student driver performing the JSA task.  The results were reviewed as a group as it was brought to light the need for a keen eye in training to ensure proper technique and policy is followed.  

Both meetings including a Round Table conducted by the local management team.

HD Van Buren: OS Dan Mays, Driver Trainers William Thompson, Ralph Smith, Scott Theis, Angela Liszak, ARM Tracy Walker

ARM Tracy Walker lead both classes presenting the material along with JSA Training. Add caption

HD Monroe: Driver Trainers Lamark Fisher, Dave Sykora, Rick Robb, Dennis Terrell, OS Amy Leonhardt, David Kinder, Mike Mcgill, William Ware

Happy Anniversary Scott Tully

Happy Anniversary to Scott Tully as today marks his 13 year anniversary with JB Hunt.  Scott is a proud alum of the The Ohio State University. In his 13 years he has held various roles at accounts from Stuarts Draft, VA to Indianapolis, IN, as well as spending a year in Final Mile. He currently resides in Ohio as the Regional Operations Manager over The Home Depot Accounts as well as Falcon Packaging. Congratulations, Scott!

Getting to Know - Roger Medlin - Professional Driver - Intigral

Roger Medlin (MEDR18) Professional Driver - Intigral

Brian Tabor (Regional Operations Manager) recently rode with Roger Medlin.

 Roger grew up in the Cleveland, OH area.  He currently lives with his elderly mother in Peninsula, OH and does his best to help her with anything possible during her twilight years.

He likes to work on computers and motor vehicles in his spare time.

Roger has been part of the Intigral DCS account for over 5 years.  He runs locally for Intigral but is known for his flexibility.  He’s known to do any number of local runs as well as work on Intigral’s dock whenever needed.  He’s also known for always having an upbeat attitude and his excellent customer service.  

Getting to Know - RJ Wells - Professional Driver - CHEP Indianapolis

JR Wells (WELR1) - Professional Driver CHEP Indianapolis

Jerry White (Account Manager) got to know RJ Wells on December 21 during a ride along

RJ has been driver for just over two years.  RJ was with Schneider before coming to JB Hunt.  He is coming up on his one year anniversary and has been a very important part of the CHEP Indianapolis team.  RJ works the Sunday through Thursday second shift.  RJ has become to be known as the closer and he has been the go to clean up guy during the CHEP plants issues with getting loads ready to run.  RJ has been driver of the month three times this year and was selected as the CHEP Indianapolis Driver of the Year! 

RJ has been with his girlfriend Brittany, for six years now.  RJ is a hometown guy!  He loves all Indianapolis teams and is big fan of The Indiana University, especially basketball!  RJ had an uncle that played in the NBA for the New York Knicks.

Getting to Know - Dan Robinson - Professional Driver - Intigral

Dan Robinson (ROBD49) Professional Driver - Intigral

Recently, Sam Marcotte (Account Manager) from our Intigral account rode with Dan Robinson.

Dan is married with 2 children. His daughter is a student at Baldwin Wallace and his son is a sophomore at Woodridge High school and is on the Football, Wrestling and Baseball teams.

Dan spends his weekends at his son’s sporting events, hunting deer, and spending time at his family’s cabin in Southern Ohio.

At work, Dan has over 15 years of experience with JB Hunt. He is the only Million Mile Driver on the Intigral Account!  Dan is a driver trainer, and a CDM/driver at Intigral. The CDM role is important due to the fact that he handles the customer relations between Vinyl Design and Intigral. Dan has excelled in this tough role and continues to handle more responsibility. 

Getting to Know - Marty Ferguson - Professional Driver - Cargill Liverpool

Al Valachovic (Area Risk Manager) rode with Marty Ferguson last week.

Marty was born and raised in Auburn, NY, he is the only child to Theresa and Marty Ferguson.

 He currently resides in North Syracuse with his wife Francesca, who he has been happily married to for over 7 years.

Ever since Marty was a kid he enjoyed looking at tractor trailers and wanted to drive. Marty enjoys surfing the internet and researching different products. He likes barbecuing and his favorite meal is steak and chicken. He enjoys quiet time, shopping with his wife and going to the casino. Marty owns a RC Nitro remote control car and drives it around the local neighborhood.

He also likes to hear and tell stories about the old trucking days. Marty has become a great addition to our Cargill Liverpool Team.

Getting to Know - John Flores - Professional Driver - Home Depot Monroe

John Flores (FLOJ29)

Tracy Walker (Area Risk Manager) recently rode with John Flores.

John started working for JB Hunt in July 2003.  Over the years he ran regional from Columbus to Chicago, and for DCS Accounts such as Georgia Pacific, Office Depot, Toyota Hebron and now Home Depot.

John is very knowledgeable on Smith System keys and practices them daily as he is close to One Million Safe miles.

He enjoys driving his 2001 Camaro SS when the weather is nice which he has owned since 2003. 

Thank you John for being a staple for JB Hunt and Home Depot Monroe. 

Getting To Know - Tony Crite - Professional Driver - Limited Brands

Tony Crite (CRIT) - Professional Driver - Limited Brands

Mike Jackson recently rode with Tony Crite.

Tony was born and raised in Taylor, Michigan.  He has a live-in girlfriend of three years.  They have a child together.

He loves all Detroit professional sport teams.  Of course, “that team up North ,” is his favorite team.  He also likes the Pistons, the Lions, the Tigers, and the Red Wings.  

His father is also a professional truck driver.  His dad has three months experience as a driver and enjoys being over –the –road.  His mother and father have been married for over 40 years.  Tony says he really likes the Limited Account. He’s driven for other trucking companies, but working for JB Hunt on the Limited Account is the best job he’s had.  Tony is interested in referring his father to JB Hunt and maybe the Limited Account.  

Getting to Know - Mario Montoya - Professional Driver - C&S Yorktown

Recently Jon Morgan (Account Manager)rode with Mario Montoya.

Mario has been on the C&S account for just under a year and half, and comes from a background of management in Columbia.

 He was a production engineer for 30 years at a large furniture manufacturing facility.

He currently resides in the Fishers, IN area with his wife Gina, daughter Anna Marie, and 3 dogs.  

Mario loves his job, and has a can-do attitude towards everything. Our accounts would not be the same w/out him!

Getting to Know - Jerad Jennings - Professional Driver - JMC Restaurant Distribution

Jerad Jennings (JENJ4) Professional Driver JMC Restaurant Distribution

Jason Craig (Account Manager) recently rode with Jerad Jennings.  Jerad has been with JB Hunt since April of 2015, taking part in our Hunt’s Heroes program, He used the GI Bill to earn his CDL.  Jerad spent 8 years in US Army with multiple deployments.  He is proud of his service and is happy to be working for JB Hunt. 

In his off time, Jerad enjoys spending time with his wife and 4 small children.  

Happy Anniversary Schuylar McGuffey

 

Please congratulate Schuylar McGuffey on her 1 year Anniversary with J.B. Hunt. Schuylar attended Purdue University where she graduated with a degree in Animal Sciences in May 2013. She began her career as an Operations Supervisor at the MasterBrand Cabinets account in Ferdinand, IN where she was an instrumental piece to the successful start up we had there earlier this year. This past June, she stepped up and took on the challenge of managing the Southern States account in Vinton, VA where she was promoted to Account Manager in August 2015. Schuylar has done a great job taking care of the customer and managing our fleet. We look forward to continue to see her grow her career with us. Thank you for a job well done Schuylar!

Team Toyota/Louisville Safety Terminal Christmas Lunch

Team Toyota and Louisville Safety had a Christmas Lunch last week complete with festive Christmas sweaters.  Looks like everyone had a great time!

Nick Van Hooser - Operations Supervisor Toyota Owensboro

Toyota Team & Louisville Safety Department

Picture 3 - Back Row L-R: Sherry Sapp (Operations Supervisor), Jonathan Brady, Nick Van Hooser (Operations Supervisor), John Johnson (Account Manager) and Sheldon Williams (Operations Supervisor).  Front Row L-R: Amanda Reyes (Operations Supervisor), Jecorey Newman (General Manager), Zach Mattingly (Logistics Coordinator), Grant Dunivan (Operations Supervisor) and Naomi Eaton (Account Manager)

 Back Row L-R: John Johnson, Nick Van Hooser, Jonathan Brady, Sherry Sapp and Sheldon Williams.  Front Row L-R: Jecorey Newman, Grant Dunivan, Zach Mattingly, Amanda Reyes and Naomi Eaton

Getting to Know - Jerry Knowles - Professional Driver Toyota Hebron

Jerry Knowles (KNOJ13) - Professional Driver Toyota Hebron

Josh Mann (Account Manager) for Toyota Hebron, KY recently rode with Jerry Knowles.

Fun facts about Jerry:

• Grew up surfing on the West Cost of California  
• Married with three children
• Earned an associate degree in Marketing
• Devoted Christian and Zig Ziegler advocate
• Used to manage the pace car crew for the Formula 1 Motor circuit.

Getting to Know - Mark Bussey - Professional Driver - Pet Supplies Plus

Mark Bussey (BUSM26) Professional Driver - Pet Supplies Plus

Brandon Denison (Account Manager) rode with Mark Bussey on December 18th.  Mark hired in to JB Hunt as a spotter driver for the Pet Supplies Plus account on 08/26/13.  Mark brought with him 11 years of driving experience.  Since the spotter job went away, Mark has been very helpful in shuttling and delivering loads to the PSP stores.

Mark has lived in Crothersville, IN all of his life and enjoys the small town feel.  Mark has a brother who lives in the same town as well.  In his free time, Mark spends his time working around the small farm that he lives on and also enjoys engaging in community projects with the local VFW and Boy Scouts.  Mark mentions frequently a restaurant in Louisville, Mike Lennings, which is his absolute favorite.  We plan on visiting the restaurant with him soon as a thank you for all of the hard work and effort that he has put into making Pet Supplies Plus successful.

Happy Anniversary Jon Morgan

Congratulations to Jon Morgan as yesterday marked his 3 year Anniversary with JBH. Jonathan began his career as an Operations Supervisor at C&S in Yorktown, IN. He later transitioned over to the Pet Supplies Plus Account in Seymour, IN. From there he promoted to Account Manager of CHEP Hamilton, OH and later into his current role of Account Manager over C&S Yorktown and Armour-Eckrich. Congrats, Jon!

Getting to Know - Jay Skidmore - Professional Driver - OVACO

Jay Skidmore - SKIJ14 - Professional Driver - OVACO

Kim Huff recently rode with Jay Skidmore, professional driver for OVACO.  

Jay is very close with his family.  He has a son, Noah, that is his pride and joy.   Noah is 14, plays football and is in the honor guard at school.  Jay enjoys hunting and fishing as well with his son.

Getting to Know - Jacob Tomlinson - Professional Driver - CHEP Columbus

Jake Tomlinson - TOMJ23 - Professional Driver CHEP Columbus

John Schaar recently rode with Jake Tomlinson, professional driver for CHEP Columbus.  

Jake started out with JBI Intermodal, with the growth of the CHEP business, Jake was able to join the CHEP team last year. 

Jake is the oldest of seven siblings.  His father is also a professional driver.  Jake has been preventable collision free since his hire in March 2013.  Jake is always proactive in alerting account management of any issues (real or potential) whether it relates to equipment, customer pool management or service.

He is also very flexible in changing his schedule as needed, so we can meet customer demands.  In his spare time( in addition to spending time with his girlfriend and family) Jake enjoys shooting sports, hunting and fishing.

Getting to Know - Mark Crittendon - Professional Driver - Toyota Owensboro

Mark Crittendon (CRIM) Professional Driver - Toyota Owensboro

Mark grew up in Paducah, KY and still lives there to this day with his wife, Trish with whom he just celebrated sixteen years.

They have three children and eight grandchildren, and love spending time together in the outdoors, and everywhere in between. He buys Silver as a long-term investment.

Mr. Crittendon came to us in December 2012, so he just celebrated three years with J.B. Hunt. He has impeccable records in both safety and service, having had no blemishes in his time with us,

Mark is a great leader and mentor.  He has a positive attitude, a smile and a great personality which make up huge part of his infectious personality.

Getting to Know - Fatha Mohamed - Professional Driver - Toyota Owensboro

Fatha Mohammed - MOHF2 - Professional Driver - Toyota Owensboro

Nicholas VanHooser (Operations Supervisor) recently rode with Fatha Mohamed.  

Mohamed has been with J.B. Hunt for four years.  He has been driving professionally for about 18 years and says that he does it because it is a profession where he knows he will always be able to find a job.

Mohamed is originally from Maryland and from there he lived in both Alabama and now Louisville, KY.  Mohamed has two daughters.  He has a brand new granddaughter and is expecting another one in about 3 months.  When Mohamed is not working or spending time with his family, he is a huge Baltimore Ravens fan and enjoys watching them (despite this year’s lackluster season).

Getting to Know - Billy Goff - Professional Driver - Toyota Owensboro

Billy Goff - GOFB2 - Professional Driver Toyota Owensboro

Zach Mattingly (Logistic Coordinator) rode with Billy Goff recently.  Billy came to J.B. Hunt almost six years ago, shortly after the start-up of the Toyota-OWEKY account. He is one of our more seasoned drivers on our fleet, with over 40 years in driving experience and 5 years of frame expertise! 

Before driving, Billy served in the United States Army and is a Vietnam War Veteran.  Billy currently lives in Louisville with his wife, Debbie. In total, Billy has 9 grandsons and several great-grandchildren!

Billy spends a lot of his off time with his wife and mother in-law. However, once a month Billy and two of the other drivers on the account get together for a nice dinner with their wives. This alone shows how much Billy loves his job and team! 

New Hire Announcement - David Jankowski - Niagara Sheets New Operations Supervisor

David Jankowski - OS Niagara Sheets

David comes to us from Schwan Food Company where he spent the last 20 years.  At Schwan. David managed the warehouse crew, inventory control and maintained the fleet.  He was also responsible for holding monthly safety meetings and assisting drivers with whatever they needed.

David attended Erie Community College where he majored in Biomedical Equipment Technology.  In his spare time, David enjoys quality time with his family, camping and hanging out with friends.  He also enjoys football, hockey and Nascar.

Welcome to the DCS Central Region David!

Congrats Kyle George

Please join me in congratulating Kyle George on his promotion from the Logistics Coordinator role to the Account Manager at Family Dollar in Ashley, IN. Kyle is approaching his 2 year anniversary with DCS. He started as a DMIT in Ashley, and has now progressed to the AM role. Kyle has been a vital team member since start-up. He is one of the main reasons the account is performing as well as it is today. I am sure his wife Andrea, daughters Payton and Hattie are proud of their husband and Dad. Thanks for all your hard work Kyle. We are privileged to have you on our team. Congratulations again.

Getting to Know - Larry Perdue - Professional Driver - Marco's Pizza Distribution

Larry Perdue (PERL1) Professional Driver - Marco's Pizza Distribution

Chris Wulf (Operations Supervisor) recently rode with Larry Perdue.  Larry is new to the Marcos account (4 months with JBH) but has previous experience in restaurant delivery. He moved from Tennessee to Michigan and is a fierce Michigan Wolverine fan. Larry served in the United States Marine Corps. from 2007-2011. He was fortunate to have been based in multiple regions around the world. Some of these places include Iraq, Australia, and various areas in the Pacific.

   On our ride along we delivered while the stores were still open, and Larry was very kind and courteous with everyone we came across. 

Happy Anniversary Jamie Kleemook

 

Congratulations to Jamie Kleemook, as today marks his 5 year Anniversary!  Jamie began his career with JB Hunt as an Operations Supervisor at PPG in Pittsburgh, PA. He has promoted up through the account into his current role of as the Transportation General Manager. Thank you for all of your hard work, Jamie! Congrats!

PPG Sleeper Upgrade

Mike Gray gets the keys to his new truck, with Jamie Kleemook

As part of our continued effort to improve the lives of our drivers while out on the road, the PPG Account recently received their first 72 inch bunk Freightliner Sleeper.  Drivers on the PPG Account stay out for a minimum 2 weeks at a time, thus you can say that is their primary residence.  It was important for us to continue to look for ways to help this fleet maintain a comfortable lifestyle while out on the road.  We were successful by partnering with our Truck Division to take some newer open units that they wanted to shed.

The first unit rolled went to Mike Gray.  Mike has been with JB Hunt since 1994.  Like many of the drivers on the fleet, Mike had expressed concerns over the size of his bunk for sometime.  To thank Mike for his hard work and dedication over the year, the management team at PPG wanted Mike to get the first unit.

Nearly 3 months later, at around 7:30pm on December 7 in East Brunswick NJ, Grant Schoenfelder, Mike's Fleet Manager, Chris Birdsell and Jamie Kleemook presented the keys to Mike.  Mike was not only overwhelmed, but also grateful that the team through of him as being the first one to receive the truck.  

Getting to Know - Mike Hulsey - Professional Driver - Toyota Owensboro

Mike Hulsey - HULM2 - Professional Driver Toyota Owensboro

Mike started his career with JB Hunt in 1990 and has been on the Toyota account for nearly 6 years.  

In his 25 years he has worked on numerous accounts and at one point was a trainer.  Mike loves to talk about his different experiences over the years and the changes he has seen in the Trucking industry.  From the days of running hard and “pushing the limits”, to the current days improvements in safety and driver well being, he sees it all as positive improvements. 

  Mike has a Son, Daughter-in-law and 2 Granddaughters that live in North Carolina.  In his off time he enjoys spending time with his girlfriend, Janice and going to flea markets and trying to find a treasure in the rough.

Happy Anniversary Sam Djung

Sunday December 13th will mark Sam's 11 year anniversary with JBH. Sam came to the Central Region after a short stint in the NE Region and since then has meant so much to many customers. Sam has without a doubt made an impact at every stop along the way! Since taking on the TGM role at Home Depot - Van Buren he has formed a stellar team which has seen a tremendous turnaround under his leadership. Thanks for all your hard work and Congrats, Sam!

PPG - 3rd place in PPG's Annual Cubical Decorating Contest

Each year PPG has a cube decorating contest.  This year JBH team received third place!

JB Hunt Team @ PPG

JBH cubicles

PPG employee team cube - Notice the truck with the DCS logo!

Getting to Know - Al Bacon - Professional Driver -The Home Depot - Van Buren

Al Bacon - BACA8 - Professional Driver -The Home Depot

Joe Nagle (Account Manager) recently rode with Professional Driver, Al Bacon.   Al came to The Home Depot account from Van. He ran as part of our pop-up fleet for a year before he joined the team about 3 years ago. Al loves driving for us and likes the customer and the stores that he delivers to.

We had the opportunity to discuss some of the issues in the office that will help us to become a stronger team for the future. Some opportunities remain for communication to the drivers from the managers as well as planning switches throughout the day. The equipment is getting better with a number of our older trailers being traded in and picking up newer trucks.

 The delay at the guard shack is continually improving however in our ride it took us over 9 minutes to get processed through when it should only take 3 ½ minutes. This gave me a great opportunity to bring this to the attention of The Home Depot transportation department.

Al loves working with the office staff and driving for us and hopes to continue his driving career with us up to retirement.

Central Region DOM for November Joe Zieroff

Congratulations to Joe Zieroff for winning the November Driver of the Month for the Central Region.  Joe is a local driver on our Home Depot Fleet in Van Buren, OH.  Joe has been with JB Hunt for 2.5 years and has done an outstanding job at servicing our customer.  Congratulations to Joe! 

Joe's Write-Up:

For the month of November, The Home Depot- Van Buren selects Joe Zieroff for our November Driver of the Month. Joe is a local driver and a driver trainer on the account. He is a dedicated driver that puts his full effort to be safe and on-time each day and every day. Joe is a dedicated employee that wakes up each day to have a big breakfast of eggs, bacon, pancakes and whatever he can whip up. He then heads into The Home Depot Van Buren to make a difference and help make the account a success.

Over the last few months, Joe has been tirelessly training driver after driver. Joe was the first choice to be the Hunt’s Hero Trainer. With his patience and skill, Joe is perfect for the job. During this time, Joe spends six weeks with the same new driver that had no prior driving experience. These new hires are recent veterans of our armed forces and have no prior experience. Joe took this challenge of training a new driver with no experience in stride and he trained two very valuable drivers for JB Hunt. One of the trainees, Aaron Lynch, had this to say. “Joe made me into the driver that I am today. Before Joe, I didn’t know anything and he brought me up to speed. And now if I have any questions, he is a great resource for me.” Joe has trained 22 new drivers since spring surge including the two hunts heroes. He is incredibly thorough when training and displays great patience and skill in all areas. Joe is invaluable to the team in Van Buren.

In his free time, Joe likes doing anything that brings him closer to his family including fishing and four wheeling. Joe is dedicated to his job and his family. He takes great pride in both and is a great asset to the home depot team.  

Happy Anniversary Shawn Wilson

 

Happy Anniversary to Shawn Wilson, today marks his two year Anniversary with JB Hunt!  Shawn is a graduate of Utica College with a Bachelors Degree in Economics. Sean currently serves as an Operations Supervisor at Family Dollar in Rome, NY. Happy Anniversary Shawn!

Happy Anniversary Jack Lussier

Happy Anniversary to Jack Lussier as yesterday marked his one year Anniversary with JB Hunt. Jack is a graduate of Wright State University where he obtained his Bachelors of Science in Business Administration and Management.  Jack is currently an Operations Supervisor at the Home Depot Account in Monroe, OH.  Happy Anniversary Jack!

Happy Anniversary Lena Howard

Happy Anniversary to Lena Howard as yesterday marked her one year Anniversary with JB Hunt! Lena began her career with JBH as an Operations Supervisor at the Home Depot Account in Monroe, OH. In October of 2015 she was promoted into a Logistics Coordinator role at the account. Happy Anniversary Lena!

Wreaths Across America - Rome Carter - CHEP Columbus Professional Driver - U.S. Navy Veteran

Rome Carter - Chep Columbus - U.S. Navy Veteran

Jerome (Rome) Carter served in the United States Navy for 10 years.  Rome comes from a family that has served a combined total of 352 years staring with World War II.  After separation from the USN, Rome became a professional driver.  After hiring on at JB Hunt in 2012 Rome worked briefly on a regional fleet before coming to the CHEP Columbus fleet.  He has over 550,000 safe miles.  Always proactive in order to insure service to his customers, Rome goes above and beyond offering his help to our customers whether it be moving trailers in/out of docks or checking on future orders for them.  Rome always extends the same level of service to our account offering his support whenever he has leftover hours.  Never without a smile. Rome is a great asset to us and our customers.

J.B. Hunt proudly is participating in the annual Wreaths Across America event again this year. On December 12, National Wreaths Across America Day, more than half a million fallen heroes will have wreaths placed on their graves. Getting the wreaths to cemeteries across the nation is no easy feat, though. Therefore, we select  20 of our best military veteran drivers to help honor the fallen by driving a leg of our two routes, traveling in one of our wrapped Hunt’s Heroes trucks.  Rome Carter from the Chep Columbus, OH fleet was selected as one of these drivers! 

Getting to Know - Percy Burney - Professional Driver - CHEP Indy

Scott Dorsey (Operations Supervisor) recently rode with Percy Burney, Professional Driver for CHEP Indy.

Percy Burney (BURP38) 

Percy is the proud father of four children, two sons and two daughters. He has recently wed his girlfriend of two years and enjoys the experience of being a newlywed.  

When he isn’t driving or spending time with his family, Percy works on restoring a house passed down to him from his father.  He expects the house to be finished and occupied by his family shortly after the holidays. 

Percy Burney is a pleasant man; always having a smile on his face and never displays a negative attitude. His demeanor is contagious to those around him.  When the customer experienced a flux in loads, Percy took it upon himself to work extra days in order to accommodate their needs.  His sacrifice and excellence in service has earned him CHEP Indy’s Novembers Driver of The Month honors

Marcos Pizza Distribution Safety Blitz

There was a safety blitz at Marco's Pizza Distribution last night.

People who were present were ARM Rich Schwartz AMM John Dodson AM Andrew Ferguson, and OS Chris Wulf. 

We were having the blitz to address some CSA safety concerns as well as ensuring all drivers have proper PPE. Overall the outcome was great!

We were able to talk about some safety topics including, Peoplenet, Bendix/Meritor, and overall account safety.

We ordered the drivers none other than Marco's Pizza and Account Manager Andrew Ferguson bought his drivers LED flashlights to give them last night.

Pictured above, AMM John Dodson and Driver Trainer Art Lowe

Pictured above from left to right, Art Lowe, OS Chris Wulf, AM Andrew Ferguson, and JP