Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Niagara Sheets/Intermodal Integration

 

The Niagara Sheets DCS Account out of North Tonawanda, NY is pairing up with Buffalo Intermodal to run a first ever DCS/IM freight loop. The idea was brought to the table when trying to come up with solutions to better utilize the driving force, and to reduce customer cost/empty miles.

This opportunity is exciting for all parties involved!  This is something new and fresh that can alter the way we do business with our customers!  This is the first of many opportunities for both DCS and Intermodal in that Western NY market.  We plan on identifying other lanes of compatibility once we have success with the initial loop.

All accounts should be looking for ideas such as this that bring value to our customers!  Great work Niagara Sheets!



Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Welcome Conrad Murphy!



Please welcome Conrad Murphy to our J.B. Hunt Team. He is currently our intern at The Home Depot account in Van Buren, OH.

Conrad is originally from Cincinnati, OH and attends Bowling Green State University majoring in Supply Chain Management. He is also a member of the Supply Chain Management Association at BGSU.   Conrad is a diehard Falcons fanatic and tries to make it to all the BGSU home football games. When he isn’t at school or at a Falcons home game, you can find him on either golfing or kayaking.

Welcome aboard Conrad!


Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Welcome Lane Whited



Please welcome Lane Whited to the DCS Central Region!  Lane joined us in May as a DMIT for the Cleveland, OH market.  Lane is from Shelby, Ohio (about 10 minutes north of Mansfield).  He attended Ashland University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Sports Management and Minors in Business Administration & Marketing.  Most of his work experience is centered around the family business Whited Construction in Shelby, Ohio.
In his spare time, he’s frequently found on the golf course. When he's not golfing, Lane enjoys hiking, traveling, and spending time with his girlfriend and their golden retriever.  Lane is also a huge Indians, Blue Jackets, Cavs and Crew fan.   
 
Welcome Lane!


Monday, May 22, 2017

Promotion Announcement - Schuylar McGuffey



Congratulations to Schuylar McGuffey on her promotion to Account Manager for the upcoming Goodyear – Lockbourne, OH start up!  Schuylar comes to us from Purdue University where she graduated with a degree in Animal Sciences in May 2013.  Schuylar 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. In August of 2015 she was promoted to the position of Account Manager at Southern States - Vinton, VA.  Schuylar has done a great job taking care of the customer and making incredible improvements with that fleet.  As a result, she received the 2016 Sparty Award during our last Regional Kickoff Meeting.

In her free time Schuylar enjoys working with animals.  She has multiple pets including horses that keep her busy in her limited spare time.  Congratulations Schuylar on the well deserved promotion!

Saturday, May 20, 2017

Getting to Know - Marc Carpenter

 
This week, Operations Supervisor Natalie Heeke was able to do a Ride Along with Marc Carpenter.  Marc is a Regional Driver, serving the MasterBrand Cabinets Account.  Marc has been with JB Hunt since July of 2016, and currently resides in Antioch TN.  The MasterBrand Account is one of the more difficult accounts in the region.  Not only do our drivers deliver into some of the toughest markets in the Northeast, they hand unload an entire 53' trailer worth of high end cabinetry.  Marc has been valuable to our success over the past year.  Great work Marc!
 
Below is some additional details from the Ride Along:
 
 Marc lives in a small town outside of Dixon, TN called Antioch. He has 4 children. His daughters are Erica (9), Mia (8), Aurora (1). He has one son named Zachary (2). Marc is also an active member in the National Guard, where he is a Sargent. One weekend a month Marc devotes his time to training with the Guard. Next month Marc will be traveling to Fort Hood, Texas for his first stage of pre-deployment training. He anticipates that he will receive orders next year for stage two training. In his spare time, Marc enjoys playing video games and watching movies. The desire to drive a truck came from Marc’s uncle and cousin. They are both truck drivers. Marc decided to carry on the family tradition. He loves being behind the wheel of his truck and more specifically the different scenery that he gets to see while on the road.
 
Marc is a new driver on the account. During my ride along we discussed many things including paperwork, expectations, safety and much more. We talked in depth about his training schedule with the National Guard. He wanted to make certain that we understand his commitment and requirements with time off. He has been ensured that his time off with military obligations will be honored without question. He also has a few minor concerns with his truck. We are routing him through Louisville to have those concerns taken care of.
 



Thursday, May 18, 2017

MasterBrand "30 for 30 - Road to Recovery"


After months of continues noise and struggle on the safety front, the MasterBrand team is proud to announce its first 30-day collision free streak since September of 2016

 
To celebrate this, the Masterbrand team is excited to announce its new “30 for 30” safety initiative to drive our collision free streak from 30 to our 60-day goal! Made famous by ESPN Sports the team felt “30 for 30” was the perfect fit and spin off to create some fun for our Drivers. Each day for the next 30 days the team will be drawing tickets with Driver prizes. These prizes include, Subway & Walmart gift cards, choice of lunch with the team, truck cleaning kits and much more.
 
Once the team achieves the 60-day goal it will be celebrated with an account cookout & celebration.
 
We are very proud of the hard work that the MasterBrand Drivers have put in on our “Road to Recovery”
 
 


Wednesday, May 17, 2017

Happy Anniversary Logan Williams



Happy 1 Year Anniversary Logan Williams!  Logan graduated from Western Kentucky University with a degree in Finance.  He spent the last year stationed in Cleveland, North Carolina assisting with the Southern States accounts.  During his first year with the company, he wore many hats but is mostly known for his work with Southern States Gettysburg.  In June of this year, he will begin a new chapter of his career as the Account Manager of Flowery Branch, GA.

Happy Anniversary, Logan!


Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Happy Anniversaray Adam Spannbauer!



Happy Anniversary Adam Spannbauer!  He is celebrating 6 years JB Hunt.  Adam is a proud graduate of Ashland University.  He was also recently engaged to be married in April!  Adam began his career with JB Hunt Final Mile Services where he served the Solon RDC for 2 years.  In his current role, Adam is the Account Manager for our CHEP Account in Solon, OH.  He also helps manage our Sanson Company fleet in Cleveland, OH.  Adam is a true team player and has helped with vacation coverage at multiple sites since becoming an Account Manager

Happy Anniversary Adam!

 


Saturday, May 13, 2017

Soft-Lite Windows Safety Blitz



On 5/11/17 Soft-Lite held a spring safety blitz.  Spring is always a great time to complete a safety blitz at the account level to check permits, check equipment, get feedback from our driving team and get out of the office to enjoy the nice weather!  The nice weather part was not necessary true due to rain but the rest of our goals were accomplished. 

Thanks to Area Risk Manager Rich Schwartz, Area Maintenance Manager John Dodson and Region Safety Manager Terry Galyon for helping the Account Management team touch multiple drivers and pieces of equipment thru out the day. 

Pictured

Rich Schwartz talking to new hire Soft-Lite Professional Driver Jeremiah Burson about his permit book while Account Manager Mike Varty talks to a representative from our safety blitz partners Dickinson Fleet Services

 


Friday, May 12, 2017

Happy Anniversary Jeff Holle

 
Happy Anniversary to Jeff Holle as today marks his 23 year anniversary with JB Hunt!  Jeff has held a variety of roles in the company, including Million Mile Driver, Fleet Manager, and currently Area Risk Manager.  This past year, Jeff was awarded the prestigious Central Region Support Person of the Year.  There is nobody more dedicated and hard working than Jeff!  Happy Anniversary!

Welcome Zach Evans!



Please welcome Zach Evans to the Central Region.  Zach will be assuming the role of Operations Logistics Engineer and will be based out of the DCS Central Region office in Dublin, OH.  In his new role, Zach will be supporting the Central Region in various engineering projects.  These projects will be valuable in not only improving processes and overall region metrics, but will also directly benefit our customers as well.
 
Zach graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 2013 with a degree in Chemical Engineering.  He joins us from Cooper Tire where he worked in various roles including development of ultra-high performance tread compounds, mid-tier tire level cost optimization projects, and most recently certifying as an ASQ Six Sigma Black Belt.

At home, Zach is married to his wife Kari and they have a 10 month old daughter named Kylie. Zach’s hobbies include participating in sports leagues such as volleyball, golf, and softball as well as other outdoor activities such as hunting, fishing, and shooting.  He is a diehard Cleveland sports fan and also roots for the Ohio State Buckeyes.
 
Welcome Zach!

 


Thursday, May 11, 2017

Central Region Driver of the Month for April - James Sanders

Congratulations to James Sanders for being selected as the Central Region Driver of the Month for April!  James is a 21 year employee of the company, with a near flawless safety and service record.  James currently works at the CHEP Account in Indianapolis, IN.  James is also a 2 Million Mile Safe Driver who also serves as a trainer on the account.  Feel free to shoot James a message to his truck, 353547.  Congratulations James!!
 
 
Below is the write-up from his management team:
 
CHEP Indianapolis has chosen James Sanders for Driver of the Month.  James has been with JB Hunt almost 21 years now.  James has driven for several accounts over the years and has served as a driver trainer for several of those accounts. 
James worked with a driver that was having issues with critical events.  The driver was very thankful for James as he was able really help to modify his driving style to become a safer driver.  The driver said “it is obvious that James has been driving safely for many years.  James had a lot of great input on making me a safer driver and I am thankful to James for taking the time to ride with me.”  This driver has now gone over two months without an event.  James just recently worked with a driver that had a collision.  The driver was very thankful for the training he received from James during the ride along.  James has an extremely safe record in his time with JB Hunt.  He now is sitting at just over 2.24 million miles.  He has a wealth of experience and is always willing to share his experience with drivers to help to make them much safer drivers. 
James has done a great job of customer service on the CHEP account.  James has worked with difficult customers to help to make them happy.  James recently was talking to the manager at the return site at Wal-Mart in Seymour, IN.  The manager could not get the Wal-Mart spotters to locate a couple of trailers that were shown to be at the Seymour location.  The spotters were also telling this manager that there were no empty trailers.  James stepped up to do a yard check to find the two missing trailers and to provide the locations and status of the trailers on the list.  James also helped out the manager at the Target location where we pick up collection loads.  Target had just changed the way the spotters keep track of the trailers and where they park them.  The management company that takes care of loading the collection loads are not allowed in the yard, so they were unable to complete a yard check per Target’s rules.  He stepped up on a Saturday morning to search for the trailer and to search for a spotter driver to tell them about the trailer that nobody at the location was able to find.  I hear things like this about James as he is constantly going above and beyond for our customers.
James is always willing to help out at other accounts.  James has even taken on accounts where he has had to complete driver unload like Armour Eckridge.  He is willing to run for accounts that require him to stay out overnight.  This is typically not a big deal for most drivers, however, the CHEP account is a day cab local account.  He is willing to do whatever he needs to safely do to make sure the customers at other accounts are taken care of.
 


Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Promotion Announcement - Kyle Herron

Congratulations to Kyle Herron who has been promoted to Account Manager for  the Family Dollar Account in Ashley, IN.  Kyle started his career with JB Hunt DCS at the C&S Account in Windsor Locks, CT as an Operations Supervisor.  Windsor Locks is one of the most difficult accounts in DCS, with a fleet north of 100 drivers delivering perishable grocery into metro NYC.  Wanting to get closer to family in Fort Wayne Indiana, Kyle then relocated to the Home Depot Account in Van Buren, OH.  After a stint at Home Depot, Kyle was called upon to transition to Family Dollar Ashley.  Through his hard work and dedication over the last few months, Kyle has positioned himself to take the next step in his career!
 
Congratulations once again Kyle on a well deserved promotion!
 
 


Tuesday, May 9, 2017

Happy Anniversary Tom Hague

 
Happy Anniversary to Tom Hague as today marks his one year anniversary with JB Hunt!  Tom is our Account Manager at Southern States in Westfield, MA.  Prior to coming to JB Hunt, Tom worked for UPS for nearly 20 years.  Tom has been instrumental in helping us onboard this new business over the past year.  Happy Anniversary Tom!

Getting to Know Jimmie Aaron

 
This past week, Account Manager Garek Dunham took part in a ride along with Jimmie Aaron.  Jimmie is one of our drivers on the Masterbrand Account in Ferdinand, IN.  Jimmie was hired in July 2016 and currently resides in Vincennes, IN.  Jimmie has been married for over 17 years and has 7 children ranging from 21 - 6 years of age.  In his free time, Jimmy enjoys playing online video games and bike riding with the entire clan!  It was a great ride and we are happy to have Jimmy on the team!
 
 




Friday, May 5, 2017

HD Monroe April Injury Free Celebration

 
The Home Depot Monroe Team wasted no time hosting a 2 day cookout for the drivers recognizing not only April as injury free, but also March as well.  The wind was a bit challenging, but didn't stop the music from playing, the corn hole competition heating up and grilling plenty of food for everyone. Our local customer associates came out to participate recognizing a job well  done. Great job to the office staff getting away from the desk to be on the yard for this event giving back to our drivers.



Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Getting to Know David Hensel


This past week, Doug King accompanied David Hensel on a ride along.  David is a local driver on our CHEP Account in Columbus, OH.  Born in Colorado, David currently lives in Swanton OH and has been with the company since August of 2016.  Dave is an avid fisherman. He also enjoys camping. He just recently bought a 1976 Camper to restore. He has put a lot of time into it and he thinks he will have it ready for summer camping. He was also a paramedic/firefighter before he decided to get his CDL a few years ago. This is his first local job and loves the home time.

We appreciate all that David does in supporting the CHEP Account!

Monday, May 1, 2017

Getting to Know Joe Stevens


This past week, our Dedicated Manager in Training Olivia Brewer was fortunate to do a Ride Along with Joe Stevens.  Joe is a regional driver on the Home Depot Account in Monroe, OH. 

Born in southern Mississippi, Joe Stevens moved to the Dayton Ohio area in 2001 and hired on with JB hunt in early 2016.  Although he has been through some tough times recently with surgeries and personal issues, Joe continues to provide excellent service for Home Depot Monroe.  He has been a truck driver for 27 years and has hauled just about everything, to everywhere.  He has worked with tankers, flatbeds, oversized loads and more across 49 states and Canada. When he is not working, he enjoys spending as much quality time as possible with his daughter, Shay.  A fun fact about Joe is that he played high school football with Brett Favre at Hancock North Central High.  Even though our trip was brief, it was good to take a few hours out of the day to really get to know Joe; this was his first ride along with a manager since he’s worked here.


 

Visitors to Southern States Cloverdale VA

  This week, the Southern States Account in Cloverdale VA were fortunate to have leadership from Richmond VA stop by the account.  Holl...