1st Quarter Communication to our Drivers

 

We will be sending the below note in the form of a hotline and an OBC message tomorrow. Our drivers are key to our current and future success. Lets make sure they know how much we appreciate the work they do.

 

 

After reflecting on our results for the 1st quarter of 2014, we want to extend a heartfelt “Thank You" for your part in the progress we are making in rebuilding our Truckload brand. Over the past several months a lot of hard work and sacrifice has been exhibited by all of our people as we work towards this common goal. We know it has not been easy. The weather in January and February played a significant role in our ability to provide service to our customers and utilization for you. Your commitment to safety never wavered. You performed like true professional drivers in the face of this adversity. 
 

 

Our recent change to our fleet is substantial. We have invested over $36 million dollars in the past 3 months in new tractors and trailers. Our drivers and customers deserve the most dependable equipment in the industry. Additionally, we are proud to announce that Shelley Simpson will formally assume the additional role of President of our Truckload division. This title change reflects her responsibilities to our customers and employees for the strategic growth of our entire J.B. Hunt
enterprise.

 

We are excited about the future of our Truckload division. You are a vital part of a company that is on the move.

Text Me

Here is the before....click the video to see the after:

 

 

April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.  Two of the most dangerous distractions are cell phone use and texting.  I wanted to share a few key facts to help everyone understand why J.B. Hunt Transport has zero tolerance for cell phone use or texting by our drivers while operating a Commercial Motor Vehicle.  According to the latest data provided by distraction.gov (the official U.S. Government website for distracted driving):

·         Engaging in visual-manual subtasks (such as reaching for a phone, dialing, or texting) associated with the use of hand-held devices increased the risk of getting into a crash by three times.

·         Five seconds is the average time your eyes are off the road while texting.  When traveling 55mph, that’s enough time to cover the length of a football field blindfolded.

·         Headset cell phone use is not substantially safer than hand-held use.

·         At any given daylight moment in America, approximately 660,000 drivers are using cell phones or manipulating other electronic devices while driving, a number that has held steady since 2010.

To me, these are amazing statistics.  While we cannot control the habits of the motoring public, we definitely can do our part to ensure our drivers are never distracted by talking on their cell phones or texting while driving.  And by doing our part, we can help save lives.

No Trucking Today

This video might move you.  Enjoy!

Honesty is the best Policy

We received a note from our customer in PA concerning one of our drivers, Carlos Rodriguez:

Here is the detail behind what Carlos did:

Byron Munden, Carlos Rodriguez and Cody Styer at our Tannersville, PA office.

 
Carlos lives out on the island close to the Sam's club in Medford. He had delivered a load to the club in Medford a few days ago. He went back the following morning to pick up the empty trailer to use for his Wal-Mart load. He had already identified an empty trailer he was going to use from the previous evening. He hooked to the empty the following morning and headed to the next vendor.

When he arrived to the vendor, he discovered the trailer had been loaded with product. The Sam's club in Medford had reloaded the empty with units of swing sets. Apparently, Sam's club had made a mistake when they loaded the trailer with those swing sets. Carlos took the trailer back to Medford with all swing sets intact. The club realized their mistake and was appreciative that Carlos had returned the product..

Wake Up Call

We spend a great deal of our time talking about safety.  We invest our time in safety because it is the right thing to do.  The video above from California reinforces how important safety is when we are traversing the nations highways.

Our company experienced a horrific bus crash that occurred in Louisiana in 2010.  None of us that worked for the company at the time will ever forget the names of Karen Stoute and Colby Richard.

Our people put "Safety First" so we can avoid scenes like you see in this video and picture.  We must be vigilant.  One moment of inattention could put one of our drivers in a similar situation.  Remember, Safety is the foundation of our Pillar Strategy in Truckload.  It is the best investment we can make in our employees.

Express B-Service Success

Here is an example of the great work being done in Big D by Bodie Travis and his maintenance team.  This is the 5th DCS or Truckload unit that the Dallas team has performed an Express B-Service on this week.  This is another example of our CAPEX investment paying off with modern equipment in our fleets that lets our drivers earn miles and our divisions increase revenue potential.  Check this out:


 

1.8 Hours Total Dwell.. 2.92 Man Hours.. 2 Techs on the lube bay.. One torquing and one inspecting and greasing.

 

Here is what Bodie and his managers found after an inspection of the express B:

 

Tires - 108-112 (Unit was hot, just in off road,, also super singles)

Unit was greased properly

Unit was overfull on coolant

W/S Wash was full

B Decal changed

Batteries cleaned

Lugs torqued

Unit was NOT Washed; Driver was waiting. Spoke to him and he will turn in for wash after his shift.

Oil level good

Trans and diffs were checked and good

New Unit, no issues.. Overall service A-.. Not too shabby for a 1.8 hour turn

 

New Advertising for Truckload

 

 

 

 

Here is a great set of posters that we are going to use at terminals, in our breakrooms, and for internal marketing of our Truckload jobs and brand.  Do you like the concept?