You are always on the road, working around the clock to make sure America keeps running. You spend thousands of thankless hours serving your company and your country.
Overdrive understands and appreciates your professionalism and hard work. This supplement is dedicated to you – the American trucker.
You never let us down, thanks to your tireless determination and work ethic. Overdrive, our sponsors and America thank you. Enjoy Trucker Appreciation Week and keep trucking!
Bekins Says Thank You
We at Bekins Van Lines want to thank all of you for your hard work, dedication and professionalism that you project all year. We realize that you are the heart and soul of Bekins, and we want to salute you. This past year, you have been faced with some of the toughest times since the 1980s, and you keep on keeping on and never give up. “We are proud to recognize our owner-operators as well as others in the industry who continue to strive toward excellence,” says Steve Yacko, director of fleet development for Bekins Van Lines.
We appreciate our drivers and feel that every week should be driver appreciation week. As a token of our appreciation we provide state-of-the-art training facilities in Bolingbrook, Ill. It is not only a place to train, but also a home away from home. There is ample parking for 250 units; an onsite, three-bay repair shop; and Michael’s Uniforms, a full-service vendor that offers a complete inventory of uniforms. In addition, we are strategically located across from Chicago Kenworth. Bekins has negotiated discounted rates for parts and labor to give drivers who need repairs that extra bonus. Also available to our drivers is a very large vending room with male and female showers for drivers to freshen up after a long, hard day’s work.
This facility is part of Bekins’ commitment to give all of our drivers the best we have to offer, because our drivers truly give their best all year round. If you are not a part of Bekins’ 100 years of excellence, now is the time. You are the survivors, and so are we, and we want you to join our team of leadership and commitment. Let us show you how much we appreciate your dedication to our industry.
Thank you for enduring the hardships of the road and keeping America rolling!
Many Hats, Many Opportunities
Landstar Business Capacity Owners, our hats are off to you. Without you, thousands of businesses would not receive the safe, reliable, customized transportation services on which they rely.
At Landstar, we understand that you wear many hats: small business owner, safety officer, and truck operator. That’s why we’re constantly improving our processes and technology to bring you more opportunities to make the best decisions for you and your business.
Right now we’re testing Landstar’s new BCO mobile Web connection, a service that brings you wireless access to Landstar’s website through special Web phones and other handheld devices. It’s a first-of-its-kind pilot program to be tested for the transportation and logistics industry in North America. We plan to offer this service later this year.
We’ve also introduced Landstarmail.com – a free Internet e-mail service exclusively for Landstar agents, fleet owners and BCOs who want to promote their connection with the Landstar name.
And of course there’s Landstar’s website, www.land-star.com, where you have Internet access to all the available freight in the Landstar system 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This year we redesigned the site to offer more services in a user-friendly environment. We’ve also launched LCAPP.com to bring you easy access to great savings. The Landstar Contractor Advantage Purchasing Program (LCAPP) saves you money on everything from fuel and tires to business tools, such as computer hardware and software and long-distance phone service.
We’ve also added e-commerce opportunities through eFr8.com.
No matter which hat you’re wearing, remember that Landstar is always exploring new opportunities to help you run your business. We’re proud to be your business partner, and we look forward to many more years together on the road to success.
Million-Milers
May was an exciting month for a select group of U.S. Xpress drivers. At the sixth-annual Million-Miler banquet, 30 members of the U.S. Xpress driving team were inducted into the Million-Miler club, an exclusive group of U.S. Xpress drivers who have surpassed the million-mile mark while maintaining excellent safety records.
“Inducting these drivers was a proud moment for us,” says Sherry Bass, vice president of Driver Services for U.S. Xpress. “With the new inductees, our Million-Miler club boasts an incredible number of 120 members.”
Another source of pride for U.S. Xpress is their group of driver-trainers, which are now referred to as the driver-finishers. Bass says that not just the name is changing, but the program itself has taken on a completely new look. “We have revamped the entire program, putting a lot more emphasis on the training that the student receives, as well as the trainer’s qualifications. This represents another group of our most elite drivers.”
The program as a whole is evolving to be consistent with the published standards for driver- finishers from the Professional Truck Driving Institute, the certifying body for driver-training programs. PTDI recently set these new standards by which trucking companies can now have their programs certified. U.S. Xpress hopes to have its program certified within the next 12 months.
“Our driver finishers are great; they have the difficult and sometimes daunting task of bringing new people into the industry. Their attitudes and behaviors are being cloned to the new entry-level drivers. Their task is really providing for the future of the industry.”
U.S. Xpress appreciates its fleet of quality drivers. If you’re a part of the U.S. Xpress family, you are part of what has made U.S. Xpress successful through your safe, on-time delivery. Thanks for the great job you do!
If you are interested in more information about the many great driving opportunities available with U.S. Xpress for teams, solos, independent contractors or students, call them today at (800) 879-7737 www.usxpress.com.
Werner Appreciates You – The American Trucker
Once again, Werner Enterprises had another outstanding year. Werner continues to prove year after year that it is a company that believes its success is determined by the success of its drivers. This commitment to driver achievement creates a professional environment that provides support, while allowing drivers to set and attain their personal career goals.
Werner Enterprises strives to improve the level of satisfaction as it relates to each driver’s needs in relation to his or her job. For example, Werner Enterprises recently introduced another technological first for its drivers with the “Driver Satisfaction Index.” This program continually reviews each driver on a load-by-load basis to determine what, if anything, is causing them to be less than satisfied with their daily job. The index is established by the driver and issues are addressed with each driver.
Werner’s proactive approach to ensure driver success is what keeps its numerous driver trainers on the road with students each day. This devotion to driver training and support has made a tremendous difference in the satisfaction, dedication and success of its drivers. Presently, Werner employs 7,500 company drivers and 1,300 owner-operators. Of these drivers, 353 are 1-million-mile drivers, nine are 2-million-milers and two are 3-million-milers. In the past year, Werner had more than 600 new members enter its 50K club. (These are drivers who earned more than $50,000 last year.) And the impressive number of accident- free drivers, 3,040, shows Werner’s emphasis and No.1 concern – SAFETY.
Werner’s unique management philosophy recruits drivers who want to experience a perfect balance of independence and professional mentoring, allowing them the freedom to create and control their own careers.
During this driver appreciation week, Werner Enterprises would like to thank its drivers and all professional drivers who travel America’s highways every day.
