Happy Holidays DCS Central Region!

Central Region Team Members,

Thank you for all of  your hard work in contributing to a fantastic 2018!  It was a record year in terms of growth and new business and everyone played a role.  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  Be safe and we look forward to seeing everyone in Columbus in January at the 2019 Kickoff!

Home Depot Pittsburgh Pro PA Startup

 

Last week, we kicked off a new partnership with Home Depot delivering product direct from Home Depot Stores to customers.  With this partnership, we will employ 9 dedicated drivers and 2 managers to support this business.  Drivers will consist of both Class A and Class B, using not only daycabs and flatbeds but also Straight Truck Flatbeds as well.  These 9 drivers are stationed at different stores across Western PA, with our management team working out of our Final Mile Facility in Coraopolis, PA.  Through this transition, we were fortunate to retain 6 of the 9 incumbent drivers as well as their manager, Charles Grier.  We are happy to have these guys on the team!

 

Overall it has been a smooth startup and an excellent job by the team!

Getting to Know - Kerry Williams

This week, Account Manager Rachael Knick did one of her quarterly RATLA's with Kerry Williams.  Kerry is a regional driver assigned to the Kimball International Account in Jasper, IN.  Kerry is a new hire, and this is his first week on the account.  Being that Kerry is new, he was a good candidate for the RATLA program.  Overall it was a great day!

 

 

Account Write-Up:



Account Manager Rachael Knick went on a ride along with one of Kimball newest team members, Kerry Williams. Kerry has been a truck driver for over 30 years now and is very excited to start his career with JB Hunt. He left his local coal hauling position ready to go over the road and lose some weight with a driver off-load position! Kerry has been happily married for 25 years, with two sons & many grandchildren – Kerry is a true family man.

In his free time, Kerry enjoys being a couch potato – watching tv & movies.

Getting to Know - Warrior Lamar

This past week, Ben Killman spent some time out on the road with Kimball International Driver Warrior Lamar.  Warrior has been with the company since October, and is a regional driver delivering Kimball International products across the country.  Warrior lives in Shoals IN and has been a great addition to the team.  It was a great day for both learning about each other on a personal and professional level.  

 

Below are some additional notes on Warrior:

Warrior Lamar, a native of Indiana, has been driving for J.B Hunt since October of this year.  Warrior enjoys long runs to California, lifting weights and warm weather.  One day, Warrior hopes to move from Indiana to the deserts of the Great American Southwest – to enjoy the rural desert life, growing cacti and other dry climate plants.  In the meantime, Warrior enjoys driving on Interstate 40 and sees a long future with J.B Hunt. 

Happy Anniversary Ashley Haney!

Happy Anniversary to Ashley Haney!  December 14^th marks her 3rd Anniversary with J.B. Hunt. 2018 has been a big year for Ashley highlighted by her promotion to Account Manager at the Family Dollar Morehead, KY site.  She has done a fantastic job this year helping lead the Family Dollar Morehead team to produce some of its best safety and financial results in the site’s 10 year history.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Congrats on your anniversary Ashley and thanks for a great year!

Getting to Know - Chris Tucker

This past week, Account Manager Leigha Rutan was able to complete a ride along with Chris Tucker.  Chris is a driver on the Weaver Popcorn Account in Whitetown, IN.  Weaver is the world's leading manufacturer of microwave popcorn, and Chris is one of the driver's that plays a part in moving this product for our customer.  It was a great day, please keep the pictures and write-ups coming!

 

 

Below is the write-up:

Chris has been married to his wife, Amanda for 6 years now.  They have 2 daughters: Bridget, who turns 9 years old next week, and Vivian, who is 6 years old.  Chris began his professional driving career 13 years ago.  He came to JB Hunt in 2013, starting on the Pet Supplies Plus account in Seymour before transferring to the Kohls account and finally coming to Weaver earlier this year. 

In his spare time, Chris enjoys coaching middle school girls’ basketball.  But he mostly enjoys spending time hanging out with his family.  He prides himself on being a family man first and foremost.

Chris is very happy working for JB Hunt and the Weaver Popcorn account.  He stated he doesn’t have any suggestions or concerns that he feels warrant any attention.  Chris is satisfied with his daily schedule and truly enjoys going above and beyond to help the account in any way he possibly can.  He is a great asset for both JB Hunt and the Weaver Popcorn account.



Wreaths Across America

 

This morning we held a ceremony in Columbus OH as part of Wreaths Across America!  Two DCS Central Region Drivers, Orville Gregory and Joe Zieroff, will take the next leg from Columbus to St Louis.  Both Orville and Joe are military veterans who have proudly served.  The load will end in at Fayetteville National Cemetery this Saturday December 15^th where volunteers will lay these wreaths on the graves of military veterans.  Thanks to all that have served as well as The Ohio State Police for the escort out of town!



 

 

Winter Weather Blitz - Toyota

 

Winter Weather is always a major talking point at Toyota. The Winter Weather Blitz last week made Toyota increase their focus on Winter Weather more than ever. The team put more emphasis on roundtables, conference calls, and team inspections to increase the level of awareness and communication with the fleet. At each roundtable the stats on safety and maintenance from previous Winters were shared. As well as, discussions on previous Winter related safety events and learning points to help prevent future occurrences of those events. Along with management; Chris Block, Cort Duggins, and members of the Louisville Shop were able to attend the roundtables. By the end of the week the team was able touch base with over 120 drivers, just over 90% of the entire Toyota fleet! With plans to speak with the remaining 10% this week as well as keep pushing the Winter talking points throughout the remainder of Winter.

 

Roundtables: 9 (65 Drivers Attended)

Fleetwide Conference Calls: 2

Team Inspections: 81 Inspections

 



Getting to Know Lloyd Roberts!

This past week, Account Manager Hannah Church conducted a RATLA with Lloyd Roberts.  As an initiative of the Central Region, all managers are required to be out on the trucks at a minimum of every quarter.  Great work Hannah!

 

Lloyd Roberts was an incumbent driver who came over from UPS when JB Hunt started the Southern States Cloverdale account. Lloyd is very knowledgeable with the southern states stores and locations and likes to stick to a routine. He has no problem getting out and looking as often as possible to ensure a safe delivery. When he is not driving he enjoys his family time, especially going to visit his older uncle and help him when he can as he is getting older, now widowed, and can’t do everything himself. Lloyd said he also helps his mom in the same ways but doesn’t have to go check on her as often because she isn’t afraid to call if needed. Lloyd is a great team member for our Cloverdale crew and does his best to be safe and give good customer service, we are glad to have him as one of our drivers

Lloyd’s main concern is that some stores expect him to fully unload their product and as we currently stand we are only a driver assist account, not expected to unload everything. I shared with him how we are currently working with a few stores in particular on this and explaining to them what the expectations are on both ends but if he comes across a store that refuses to unload anything at all to give us a call as we can work with their DSM to get it resolved if the store isn’t already on our radar. Apart from this, Lloyd really didn’t have much else and is happy overall with the accounts.

Onboarding at The Home Depot DC - Van Buren, OH

 

As a region, we onboard over 700 new drivers a year.  Anytime you start a new career, there are many unknowns and the entire process can be chaotic.  With a significant shortage of professional drivers in the market, it is critical that we retain all of our employees.  The first 90 days are always the most difficult in regards to retention.  As a region, we need to make sure we are over-communicating with new employees in order to set them up for success.

 

Kudos to Marcus Benson, OS at HD Van Buren.  Marcus has taken this onboarding to the next level.  Marcus is responsible for new hires and the 180 day experience.  To help make his new drivers feel part of the team and the JB Hunt culture, Marcus put together welcome bags that he distributes to all new drivers.  In addition, Marcus goes out of his way to make sure introduces all new drivers to the entire office staff.  It's the little things like this that make new hires feel welcome and part of the team!

 

Fantastic job Marcus!

Central Farm & Garden Christmas Party!



On Saturday December 1, Central Farm and Garden hosted their 2018 Christmas Party at Triway Lanes in Wooster, OH.  The invitee list included CFG's entire team as well as our JB Hunt drivers and management team.  A fun night was had by all as they enjoyed bowling, food, and drinks courtesy of CFG.  Thanks again to the CFG team for inviting us to this year's event!

 

Event host and CFG President/Owner Corey Sheeley (pictured in front) hanging with the JB Hunt team (left to right) Brett Hershey, Ed Yarber, Mick Winstead, Shane Douglas and David Gibbons

 

 

CFG Professional Driver David Gibbons looks on as fellow Professional Driver Ed Yarber prepares to unleash another strike!

 

Adopt-A-Class in Brooklyn IN

 

Peco Pallet Indianapolis driver, Tony Lawson, was chosen to represent JB Hunt during this year’s Adopt-A-Class initiative.  Every year drivers are encouraged to submit a recommendation as to why JB Hunt should sponsor a classroom of their choice.  Tony submitted his essay and in in early November, the Peco Pallet team (Tony, Manager Scott Dorsey, and DMIT Thomas Cosby) traveled to the Brooklyn Stem Academy (where Tony’s Grandson Attends) in Brooklyn, IN and presented the classroom with supplies to promote learning and growth.

It was a fantastic day in supporting a local school in need and promoting JB Hunt at the same time!

 

 

Promotion Announcement - Eric Jones



Congratulations Eric Jones on his promotion to Account Manager for Chep Indianapolis, IN!  In Eric’s new role he will oversee (13) Professional Drivers, (1) Operations Supervisor and a roughly $3.8 million book of business based on annual revenue. 

 

Eric started his career with J.B. Hunt in January of 2016 as a DMIT at the Pet Supplies Plus account.  Eric quickly promoted to Operations Supervisor and has helped take the PSP team to the next level during his tenure as they were awarded DCS Central Region Driver Dedicated Account of the Year during his tenure.  Collegiately, Eric graduated from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business with a double major in Business Management and Supply Chain Management.

 

In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family on the boat and a few Jet skies at Lake Monroe. Eric also considers cooking his passion and enjoys BBQ & smoking different kinds of meats on his Big Green Egg.  Once again, congrats on our well-earned promotion Eric!

 

Central Region Driver of the Month for October - James Good

Congratulations to James Good for being selected as Driver of the Month for the Central Region for October!  James is one of our professional drivers, currently serving the CHEP Account in Indianapolis.  James has been with the company just over 3 years, and in that time has accumulated an impressive safety and service record.  James was selected out of 1300 drivers within the Central Region.  Congratulations James!

 

Below is the write-up from the CHEP Team:

Jim Good is a role model driver with the CHEP Indy account. He is willing to help with any type work necessary to ensure that CHEP provides exceptional customer service. He has developed a great relationship with many of our customers to the point that many ask for him by name. Jim also is willing to do any thing to help the company. He completed all of the training necessary to run for Firestone startup because they had a driver call off last minute. Jim also helps train other drivers on backing techniques and use of the OBC. Jim also thirsts for additional training. He said that when he feels that he has nothing else to learn about driving, its time for him to quit.  Great job Jim!





Toyota Warehouse Celebrates 1 Year Injury and Incident Free!

 

 

Recently, the Toyota Warehouse celebrated 1 Year Incident and Injury Free. The Toyota Warehouse team is comprised of 2 managers and 5 material handlers, all responsible for the successful operation of the 226,000 sq. ft. facility. The team handles over 2,000 frames per week while receiving over 100 inbound flatbed loads and shipping over 100 outbound flatbed loads per week. There have been obstacles, however; the team has handled all of them by establishing sound procedures and processes. The team has done a great job and they have seen the facility go from completely empty to a full operation in no time!

 

Thank you; Steve, Bo, Mike, Marlon, Cedric, Richard, and Damon for all your hard work!

 

Collecting His Hardware

As part of our continued effort to show appreciation to our professional drivers, all Region Driver of the Month winners will receive an award from Things Remembered.  Last month's winner Thomas Downward received his recently and shows it off at Toyota Louisville!  Congrats Thomas!

Happy Halloween from Team Kimball!

Team Kimball celebrated Halloween today! The team handed out candy and cookies to the Kimball staff & drivers to wish them a Happy Halloween!

 

Safety Sumo, Markese reminded us safety takes no holiday while wearing his DCS Safety vest.

 

Kevin – Lola Bunny, Markese –Sumo Wrestler, Chicken – Kenny, Dragon Trainer – Rachael, Jenae – Jail Bird, Bugs Bunny – Scott & our favorite Kimball Log Planner, Barb as the game Operation!

 

We wish everyone a safe & fun Halloween!

 

Happy Anniversary John Schaar!

Congrats to John Schaar on his 25^th anniversary with JB Hunt!  John is a proud graduate of The Ohio State University with a bachelor’s degree in Transportation/Logistics. In his time at J.B. Hunt, John has held many positions with the company including his current position as Account Manager over Chep - Columbus and Lima, OH.

 

Thank you for all of your hard work John and congratulations on this impressive milestone anniversary!



Central Region Manager of the Quarter - Jay Pilot

Congratulations to Jay Pilot for being selected Manager of the Quarter for the Central Region for Q3!  Jay is an Operations Supervisor at the Southern States Account in Cloverdale, VA.  Jay is a valuable member of the team, bringing a wealth of knowledge from his years in the industry.  Jay's hard work and dedication has benefitted not only JB Hunt but our customer as well.  Congratulations Jay!

 

 



The Brand Region nominates Jay Pilot as manager of the quarter.  Jay started with JB Hunt as a professional driver during startup in May of 2016 and transitioned into the office in the Spring of 2017.  Before JB Hunt, Jay worked at UPS Freight.  He has worked with Southern States Cloverdale in some capacity going all the way back to 2006.  The amount of knowledge he has accumulated and retained is extremely valuable to the account.

Two of Jay’s most valuable attributes are his work ethic and ability to relate to others.  He is the first one in the office and last one to leave.  Drivers turn to him for guidance, especially on their next dispatch as he can route a driver from one store to next using nothing but his memory.  He is also extremely professional with his superiors and his customer.  If either were to ask anything of him, he gets it done immediately.

Every Fall, Jay takes the lead role in managing the trade show for Southern States in Charlotte, NC.  He plans the logistics, selects the drivers, and solves any problems that happen along the way.  This past trade show, Hurricane Florence came barreling through the Charlotte area on the weekend all the trailer moves were to take place.  The forecast was calling for high winds, torrential rain, poor visibility, and likely flooding.  Jay worked closely with Southern States & the convention center to move those trailers before the worst part of the storm hit.

Thank you, Jay, for all the fantastic work and professionalism!

Happy Anniversary Shawn Morgan!

Congratulations to Shawn Morgan on his 1 year anniversary with JB Hunt!  Shawn began his JB Hunt career as a Dedicated Manager in Training in Columbus, OH and is currently an Operations Supervisor for our Goodyear Lockbourne, OH account.  Shawn is a proud grad of The Ohio State University with a BA in Psychology.  In his free time, Shawn’s interests are playing video games and sports with friends.

Thanks for all your hard work Shawn!

Happy Anniversary Kyle Fugger!

Congratulations to Kyle Fugger on his 1 year anniversary with JB Hunt!  Kyle began his JB Hunt career as an Operations Supervisor and is currently the Account Manager for our Goodyear Lockbourne, OH account.  Collegiately, Kyle attended Bowling Green State University where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Supply Chain Management .  In his free time, Kyle enjoys spending time with friends, listening to music and cheering on his favorite football team the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Thanks for all your hard work Kyle!

Central Region Driver of the Month for September - Thomas Downward

Congratulations to Thomas Downward for being selected Driver of the Month for the Central Region for September.  Thomas was hired back on July 11 and currently serves on the Toyota Owensboro Account.  While Thomas has only been here 4 months, he came to JB Hunt with years of experience.  In his short tenure, Thomas has been a valuable contributor to the account and has been safe and professional at all times.  Congratulations to Thomas on this well deserved award!

 

 

Below is the write-up from the Toyota Team:

 



Thomas may be new to JB Hunt Team Toyota; however, he is not new to the transportation industry. For a driver being new to JB Hunt he does an exceptional job in safety, performance and professionalism. Thomas average MPG is well over 8 every single week. I asked curiously how he was able to meet that goal and he said he accelerates as if there is an egg between his shoe and the accelerator. Thomas drew out a picture and always shoots to get 10 miles in every gallon. He cares so much about saving money on fuel even though he isn’t paying for the fuel. Thomas is selfless. He has had the top MPG every week in a fleet that has over 80 drivers, Thomas is consistent. Thomas said he typically sets his ACC at 57-58 (58 Has better MPG) and lets all of traffic just pass him up. He said eventually they will be so far ahead you won’t see the same vehicles.

Thomas has not had ONE SINGLE headway event/ distance alert. Thomas is so careful in his trip planning with his hours of service points, getting as much information from the customer as possible and doing his own geographical research, there is no way he would ever put himself in a situation to where he would ever fall too closely.

Thomas has not ever misdelivered a frame he double checks all of his paperwork just as thoroughly as he does his truck, trailer and forklift during his inspections.

Thomas deserves to be the driver of the month because he does not cut corners, he always takes his time and absolutely gets the big picture.

Promotion Announcement - Ben Filbrun

Please help us congratulate Ben Filbrun on his promotion to Account Manager for our Champion Windows site in Cincinnati, OH.  Ben previously held the position of Area Risk Manager for our Final Mile Services (FMS) Division.  Ben has spent his entire 8+ year career with FMS where he has served as Account Manager at multiple sites. 

Collegiately, Ben attended Wright State University where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management.  In his free time, Ben enjoys sports (he’s always pulling for his Bengals, Reds, and Buckeyes) and attending concerts. He additionally enjoys hiking and traveling as much as he’s able to.  Ben has been especially busy lately as he prepares to marry his future wife (Michelle) in just a few short weeks!

Once again congratulations on your promotion Ben!

Promotion Announcement - Ashley Haney

Please help us congratulate Ashley Haney on her promotion to Account Manager for our Family Dollar Morehead site.  Ashley previously was an Operations Supervisor for the same site and has been a key member to the site’s resurgence during 2018.  The Family Dollar Morehead site has put up some of its best safety and financial results this year in their entire 10 year history!  

Ashley came to use from nearby Morehead State University where she acquired a Bachelor’s degree.  In her free time, Ashley enjoys spending time with family (especially her pitbull Jay), traveling, going to concerts and cheering on the Cincinnati Cyclones.

Once again congratulations on your promotion Ashley!

Promotion Announcement - Kyle Fugger

Please help us congratulate Kyle Fugger on his promotion to Account Manager for our Goodyear Lockbourne site.  Kyle previously was an Operations Supervisor for the same site and has been with the team shortly after its July 2018 startup.  Kyle has done a great job at the site which most recently landed him as our 2^nd Quarter DCS Central Region Manager of the Quarter.   

Collegiately, Kyle attended Bowling Green State University where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Supply Chain Management .  In his free time, Kyle enjoys spending time with friends, listening to music and cheering on his favorite football team the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Once again congratulations on your promotion Kyle!

Promotion Announcement - Brittany Kelly

Please help us congratulate Brittany Kelly on her promotion to Operations Supervisor for our Family Dollar Morehead site.  Brittany previously was a Dedicated Manager in Training who worked mostly from the same Family Dollar site during her training.  Brittany has a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from West Virginia University and is currently working on an online Master’s degree in Supply Chain Management from the University of Wisconsin.

In her free time she likes to spend time with family as well as watch her son play football and wrestle.  Additionally, she enjoys theme parks and traveling.

Once again congratulations on your promotion Brittany!

Driver Appreciation at Toyota in Louisville!

No Toyota Driver Appreciation event would be complete without a dunk tank.  As the week continued, Toyota participated in a little fun in the sun.  The everyone got the opportunity to relieve some stress while playing some games of corn hole.  Even better, our drivers were able to select managers and try dunking them in the manager dunk tank.  In the end, no manager left the tank dry.  It seemed as if we have some former major league baseball pitchers on the fleet.  After all the fun, there was a cook out to provide lunch for everyone.  The week turned out to be a huge success.  Thank you to our drivers for everything they do!

Church goes down like VA Tech