Promotion Announcement - Sue Mateo

Congratulations to Sue Mateo on her promotion to Account Manager for Macy’s North Jackson, OH!  Sue came over to us as part of our private fleet conversion of Toys R Us transitioning in Youngstown, OH back in 2012.  Prior to coming over to JB Hunt, Sue worked for TRU for over 12 years.  When TRU closed in 2014 Sue transitioned to Operations Supervisor at Soft-Lite Windows.  While there she was part of the team that was chosen Mid-Sized Account of the Year for the DCS Central Region!

In her free time Sue enjoys spending time with her husband and children.  Whether it’s watching her husband coach high school football or it’s watching her kids play sports or in a band concert she stays busy.  Sue simply states “her family is her hobby”.  Congrats again Sue on this well deserved promotion!

Industry Update

Trucking fleets battered by falling prices for hauling freight are steering more of their big rigs into steady work for retailers and manufacturers.

So-called dedicated fleets, where shippers hire trucks to drive only for them, have swelled over the past year, even as large trucking companies cut the overall number of vehicles they operate, particularly in the “spot market,” where loads are arranged at the last minute.

The shift is a sign that some carriers are bracing for months more of weak demand from shippers.

While rates show some signs of recovering from a year-long slump, analysts don’t expect significant improvements until later in 2017.

Dedicated trucking offers predictability for both carriers and shippers. Companies that hire dedicated fleets can lock in pricing and guarantee trucks will be waiting at their warehouses. For trucking firms, steady dedicated revenue helps offset slumping profits in other parts of their business, though they risk missing out when rates rise if trucks are tied up in long-term contracts.

Celadon Group Inc. has hired salespeople focused on dedicated trucking, as well as a senior vice president of pricing and business development with years of experience in the segment. Over the next two years the company plans to increase the dedicated portion of its business from 37% to 50%.

Earlier this month the company reported a $1.5 million loss in its fiscal second quarter, which includes a liability from an adverse court ruling, one of many carriers to see profits drop as too many trucks competed for loads, driving down the rates that fleets charge shippers.

Dedicated was a bright spot last year, with “predictable” margins, said Nathan Roberts, Celadon’s divisional president of business development.

“The nice thing about dedicated pricing is it is more consistent,” he said. “We didn’t take big hits.”
J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc., Swift Transportation Co. and Werner Enterprises Inc. were among other large fleets to add trucks to their dedicated divisions last year. Werner and Swift both cut trucks running in other parts of their business.

“Dedicated is the stable middle,” balancing out more volatile units such as one-way trucking and logistics, said Derek Leathers, chief executive of Werner, which now has about half of its vehicles in the segment.

Hub Group Inc., which mainly arranges cargo transportation over long distances by rail and truck, has also signaled an interest in dedicated trucking—potentially through acquisitions—citing client demand and the segment’s strong performance among competitors.

Dedicated trucking tends to be more complex than regular long-haul routes. Drivers often make multiple stops, unloading groceries or stocking backroom shelves as they move cargo between distribution centers and stores. Some wear store-branded uniforms, though trucking companies handle labor, equipment and other operating costs.

Some shippers, including Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Kroger Co., use dedicated fleets to supplement their own trucks during seasonal surges or when expanding into new territory.

Others choose to outsource their entire trucking operations, finding managing large fleets of vehicles too difficult or expensive. Ryder System Inc. recently helped a national hardware distributor and retailer switch from owning its own trucks to a dedicated fleet.

“Trucks are getting more expensive, regulations are more burdensome and finding drivers is a pain in the neck,” said Brad Delco, an analyst with Stephens Inc.

Trucking capacity could also shrink this year, analysts predict, because of a safety mandate set to take effect in December that requires truckers to electronically record their hours behind the wheel.

Drivers and carriers who exceeded limits on driving hours by altering paper logs will no longer be able to do so.

As that deadline closes in, shippers are moving freight over to dedicated trucks to ensure their cargo get where it needs to go, analysts say.

Write to Jennifer Smith at jennifer.smith@wsj.com



https://www.wsj.com/articles/trucking-companies-increase-dedicated-fleets-for-use-by-clients-1487876086?mod=yahoo_hs

Promotion Announcement - Eladio Yenderrozos

We are pleased to announce the promotion of Eladio Yenderrozos from Operations Supervisor at FMS to Account Manager for Intigral!  

Eladio began his career at JB Hunt as a DMIT with our Final Mile division in April 2015 in Washington state. Wanting to be closer to his wife’s family, Eladio jumped on an opportunity and transferred to the DCS Central Region as a DMIT in the Cleveland, OH area.  From there Eladio was promoted to Operations Supervisor at The Sanson Company and then returned to FMS late 2016 to take on an Operations Supervisor position. 

Eladio proudly served our country in the United States Army as an Infantryman. While in service he filled many positions such as: Rifleman, Bradley Fighting Vehicle Driver, Team Leader, Squad Leader, Operations Sergeant, and Platoon Sergeant.  He deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom for a total of 36 months during his 14 years of service.  In his spare time Eladio enjoys spending time with his wife Lymari and his two daughters (Isabella and Penelope).  Eladio also enjoys watching football and cheering on his Seattle Seahawks.

 

Please help us congratulate Eladio in this well deserved promotion!

Happy Anniversary Sherry Sapp

 

Congratulations to Sherry Sapp on reaching her 28th Year Anniversary with JB Hunt!  Sherry has served in multiple positions with the company over the years, spending time at corporate as well as the field.  Currently, Sherry is the Account Manager for Southern States in Louisville, KY.  Happy Anniversary Sherry!

Promotion Announcement - Terri Knight

Please help us congratulate Terri Knight on her promotion to Operations Supervisor at Ellwood City Forge! 

Terry comes to us from ICS where she was a Carrier Sales Coordinator who worked directly with the Ellwood City Forge account.  During her 6+ years with ICS she was responsible for covering all OTR freight at ECF. Terri has always been known for doing an incredible job dealing with carriers, dispatchers and drivers.  

In her free time Terry enjoys spending time with her son Eric and cheering on their favorite NHL hockey team the Pittsburgh Penguins.  Congratulations Terri on the well deserved promotion!

 

Promotion Announcement - PPG Global

We would like to take a minute to recognize Brian Welsh.  Brian has been the freight planner for JB Hunt for the past year and has done a fantastic job serving PPG.   Brian planned the Global fleet with over 100 drivers daily and hit the very first JB Hunt/PPG milestone of 200,000 miles in one week.  Brian was recently given orders by the United States Army to be deployed to Afghanistan.  Brian will be overseas for 1 year serving his country.  We appreciate Brian and the service he is giving.  Thank you Brian!   

 

 

 

With the deployment of Brian Welsh, Cody Kasel has been promoted to Logistics Coordinator for the PPG Global Account in Pittsburgh, PA.  Cody has been with JB Hunt for just under 2 years and has done a great job in a variety of roles on the PPG Account.  We have complete confidence that the account will not miss a beat with Cody at this critical position.  Congratulations Cody!

 

 

Central Region Reunion

 This week, while assisting with Leaders 201, Region Operations Manager Scott Tully was fortunate to catch up with some former Central Region employees.  All began their careers cutting their teeth in operations, and through hard work and dedication have moved on to assume bigger roles at our corporate headquarters.  Congratulations to all on their success! 

 

 

From left:

George Vera: Key Customer Manager - Sales & Marketing

Tyler Hall: Operations Financial Analyst - DCS

Scott Tully: Region Operations Manager

Zach Oakes: Account Manager HD Monroe

Jon Gauda: Operations Financial Analyst - DCS



Central Region Driver of the Month for January - Rob Wolff

Congratulations to Rob Wolff for being selected as the Central Region Driver of the Month for January!  Rob currently serves as a regional driver on the Southern States Account in Gettysburg, PA.  Rob was selected from over a thousand drivers in the Central Region!  Congratulations Rob!

 

 

Below is the write-up from the Southern States Team:

Rob Wolff has been instrumental to our success in Gettysburg. He always arrives at his first stop as soon as they open, has received numerous glowing customer reviews, and he has the cleanest safety record of the Gettysburg fleet. He has had no collisions or critical events, no late deliveries, and has accumulated 979,275 safe miles throughout his tenure with J.B. Hunt.

• 979,275 Safe Miles
• No Collisions
• No Critical Events
• 100% On-Time Delivery

Beyond his daily performance, Rob always volunteers to help the team in any way he can. He keeps in contact with the rest of the team to provide alternate routes and provide directions, keeps our storage cage clean and organized, and is the first to volunteer to cover any extra loads available— including on the weekends.

Rob always does what he is asked without question and performs above and beyond what is expected of him. He is an excellent member of the team and adds value to his deliveries every day.