Extravaganza Week at FD Rome

We had some BIG Days last week at Family Dollar in Rome, NY doing some BIG things.  We held an Extravaganza Week which included several observations and site visits from Erie, PA, to Rochester, NY to Chicopee, MA.  With the help from DMIT Ethan Ray, we were able to help with a few unloads to show our appreciation in the field while providing coaching as needed.  Along with that, Tuesday and Thursday were devoted to the yard and equipment.  Many hours were spent checking equipment and having good discussions with the fleet from maintenance to safety. Many thanks to Tim LeClair, Jerry Hoban, Ryan Amuso and the FD Rome team for leading the charge in this area.  To top it off, ARM Tracy Walker made 12 quarts of home-made Ice Cream to thank the drivers for their hard work in very tough environments.  From not only tough delivery areas, but battling the heat through the summer months with a difficult unload, these drivers deserved a break.       

Happy Anniversary Eric Blume!

Happy 3rd Anniversary to Eric Blume!  Eric started as a DMIT at Home Depot Van Buren.  He is currently serving as the Account Manager for Goodyear in Lockbourne, OH.  Eric came to us from The Ohio State University where he graduated with a dual major in Logistics and Marketing.

In his spare time, Eric spends time at his family's cottage in Michigan and boating. As you would expect being a Buckeye alum he also enjoys watching Ohio State football!.

Thank you for your hard work!

 

CHEP Hamilton Safety Milestone Cookout

On 8/22/18, CHEP Hamilton hosted a cook-out rewarding our driving team for surpassing 500 days collision free and 600 days injury free. We grilled out hamburgers and hot dogs as well as provided sides and drinks to our team. In addition, our professional drivers were given “CHEP Champion” polos to commemorate this impressive milestone.  Our Chep Hamilton team has done a stellar job from a safety operation prospective and truly deserved this recognition. 

 

Thanks Chep Hamilton driving team for all you do!

 

Toyota Training Day

 

This week Toyota has a total of 18 drivers going through AST. This is by far Toyota’s largest class to date. The account has expanded from 80 total drivers between the 2 fleets to a total of 135 drivers between the Owensboro (85) and Louisville (50) fleets. Training is very thorough and can span from 1 to 2 weeks depending on the fleet. Throughout that time drivers are trained on account procedures and policies but specifically they are certified on flatbed load securement, moffett forklift operation, as well as tarping procedures.  The drivers have done a great job with learning and retaining all the training thus far but there is still work to be done. Lunches can be interesting, it takes a lot of food to keep everyone energized throughout training and not bite of food goes to waste!

Travis Harris 1 Million Mile Celebration

 

On Thursday August 9^th we celebrated Travis reaching his One Million Safe Mile Award at Fogo de Chao in Indianapolis, IN.  Travis and his wife Mary were treated to Brazilian Steakhouse experience for the first time.  For those of you that have never been it is a must.  Travis has been driving locally in Indianapolis since July of 2007.  It has taken him just over 11 years to reach this milestone.  He started his career with J.B. Hunt on the Quaker fleet and now the PECO pallet fleet.  He has helped on numerous startups, and filled in on multiple accounts when the Region needs him.  This is why he was our 2018 Central Region Driver of the Year.  He is the epidemy of a company driver.  We are proud to have him on our team.  Congratulations Travis and thank you for your hard work and dedication! 

 

 

Central Region Driver of the Month for July - Mark Harbin

Congratulations to Mark Harbin for being selected Driver of the Month for the Central Region for July!  Mark is assigned to the Pet Supplies Plus Account in Seymour, IN where he delivers pet products to PSP company and franchise stores throughout the Midwest.  Mark has been with JB Hunt for 7.5 years and resides in Detroit, MI.  Mark was chosen from over 1100 drivers within the region and will receive $500 for this award.  Great job Mark!!

 

 

Below is the write-up from the PSP Team:

 

At Pet Supplies Plus, we are lucky to have some of the best drivers that JB Hunt has to offer. This month we are choosing Mark Harbin as PSP DOM. Mark has been with JB Hunt since February 2011. It is no secret that Mark is a pure Professional driver in every manner. From his safety record, character, and work ethic he has raised the bar so high that few could match. Mark brightens the room every time he comes in with his positive attitude and willingness to help anyone that is in need is heart warming. These are just a few examples of who Mark is, but this one instance in particular is why Mark is selected again for DOM. We had a store that was having construction completed on their lot and was supposed to be done earlier in the week, however the paving was going to flow into the stores delivery time. We were set to bring product back to PSP, however with the stores desperate need for delivery Mark reached out and jumped on the opportunity to help. He had to set up differently at the store which was done flawlessly and then had to unload 8 pallets of product by hand. Below is was just a small thank you from the store. The impact Mark had was tremendous with not only our customer, but also in cost savings, the image Mark brought to JB Hunt, and  raising the bar once again towards greatness. Mark brought his game and drove like a champion!

From Store #92

JB Hunt has an outstanding driver working for them. He was proactive walking the parking lot seeing what path would be best for him and for those around him. He also assisted in directions for the Phillips driver and making the process for them smooth as well. He was there to help and understood the situation the store was in and never once seemed frustrated or upset. He genuinely was there to help us today. We always have such a great experience with Mark and just wanted someone else know what an asset he is to have.– Ashley Store #92 Medina, OH

 

 

 



Backing Training at Family Dollar in Ashley IN

 

The majority of the collisions we see as a region and as a company revolve around backing or hitting a stationary object.  Our drivers at Family Dollar perform one of the hardest jobs in the region.  In addition to having to hand unload the entire 53 foot trailer, just getting into these Family Dollar Stores is a job in and of itself.  Many times our drivers are forced to back across multiple lanes of traffic, or down back alleys, or over curbs just to get into a safe spot to unload.

 

In an effort to reduce these backing issues, as well as increase our drivers experience and skill set, the FD Ashley Team as well as ARM Jeff Holle setup a backing course this week.  Working with each driver for only 30 minutes equates to months worth of backing that they would be doing out making deliveries.  There is no better training to give our drivers.  They get to improve their knowledge and skills, and we as a company benefit from lower collision costs.

 



 

The account management of Kyle Herron, Philip Olney, and Tom Nelson set up cones in a close quarter backing course. They made this backing course tight to challenge their drivers not just on backing skills, but also the thought process that is taken before starting the backing maneuver. The course only gave the driver 113 feet from the back of the dock area to the farthest part of the area to work with. The dock only was 11 feet wide this left very little room for error. What was impressive was every driver was able to make this backing maneuver! The key learning to this exercise was simply when getting ready to back into an area to unload regardless being a dock or behind a retail building planning the backing maneuver before backing leads to success.  

Great work from our Family Dollar Ashely team.

Driver Safety Commitment Card Signing - Pet Supplies Plus

 

This past week, our team from Pet Supplies Plus came up with a way to put some renewed energy around safety.  Operations Supervisor Jeremy Kratzer provided the idea, Operations Supervisor Eric Jones brought the idea to life.  With the addition of new drivers and the recent influx of safety events, the team has added safety calls on Thursday and Friday evenings.  In addition, the team also wanted something as a visual that would grab the driver's attention as they came into the office.  Thus the team blew up the Driver Safety Commitment Card and will have all drivers sign this poster sometime next week.  This driver signing party will also be accompanied by a party where the team will be serving Coney Dogs!  Great work team!