The Usher Transport Quarterly Newsletter

The “Trucker Buddy” in question is Owner / Operator Steve Mehal who works out of the Canton Terminal. Please be sure to read Steve’s very interesting recap (in this edition) of a recent visit he made to a local middle school. I’ll bet there are more “Trucker Buddies” out there amongst you! Have a great summer! Joe Murf

EXECUTIVE ADVISOR - ALAN USHER COORDINATING EDITOR - JOE MURPHY COPY EDITOR – TRICIA WEEKS MAINTENANCE – NICOLE DAWSON BONNIE’S KITCHEN – BONNIE ENGLAND OPERATIONS – ERIC MINK / JESSE GOSMAN SAFETY - MIKE BAKER / DAVID GUESS HUMAN RESOURCES – KELLY MILLER EXTRA MILE AWARD - JOE MURPHY TERMINAL CONTRIBUTORS: CATLETTSBURG - CHARLIE FUGETT PADUCAH – RENEA WATSON NASHVILLE – LYNN CONFORTI CANTON – RON WERY DORAVILLE – COSMIN OLTEAN RAIL DIVISION - JIM LAGLER COMMENTS, SUGGESTIONS, AND *LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, SHOULD BE SENT TO JOE MURPHY @ 800-777-2741 X 158 or E-MAIL JMURPHY@USHERTRANSPORT.COM. *THE UT EXPRESS RESERVES THE RIGHT TO EDIT, OR CONDENSE, ANY LETTER OR MATERIAL SUBMITTED FOR PUBLICATION.

 

 

Since we can not predict the future, we need to plan for it! 

Usher Transport is offering you that opportunity. If you have been here for a year you are eligible for 401K, or if you have been eligible and have not taken the opportunity- here is your chance! 

Usher Transport, Inc. will match 1/2 of your contribution, up to 3%. 

Examples: If you contribute: Usher Transport, Inc. will contribute

4% 2%

6% 3%

10% 3%

Mark Joyner, our 401K rep, will be in the Louisville office June 14th from 8am till appointments are done. Please call HR 502-449-4000 ext 142 to set appointment or sign up on the wall by the mail room. If you are not able to come in please call Mark Joyner are 270-575-5566 if you would like to still speak with him.

Open enrollment is July 1, 2012!

I don’t know if it’s correct or not to say this, but HAPPY BEGINNING OF SUMMER EVERYONE!!! I’m about a month early but sometimes it’s better to get things done, then when the actual time comes, it’s handled. Normally at this time of year we’ve just come out of winter, and a spring season, but this has been a really great winter as far as I’m concerned. I know some of you who live and work in our northern terminals probably think I’ve lost my mind, but the best thing is winter’s over. What I was actually getting at was the fact we need to start planning ahead with things like vehicle maintenance, pre-trip inspections and yes even our day. On a recent trip the Safety department was on it was amazing to see that many people aren’t planning ahead. At least for their future in trucking, or they wouldn’t be letting their equipment get in the shape it was in. I mean come on folks and think about it, if you’re broke down not only are you losing money, you’re also paying out money. I’m not only talking about our owner operators, but our company drivers as well. When the company has to repair damage you’ve failed to get fixed in a timely fashion, it cost you money as well in the form of better benefits, rate hikes, etc. When we’re on the road checking trucks its amazing how many of you tell us you did a pre-trip, then we do a walk around the unit and find a laundry list of violations you, the Driver, should have seen. We’re not looking at our equipment, and it’s costing you in CSA points, it’s costing you in Safety Bonus points and most of all its costing you in your job future with our company and the possibility of going to work elsewhere. In today’s world of trucking, it’s not like it was 10 years ago or even 5 years ago. Everywhere you look you see where states need money, and budgets have been cut. Well guess what, you’re a good way for them to raise money. Instead of just getting a piece of paper in the form of an inspection sheet, you now are getting a piece of paper in the form of a ticket. I don’t know about you, but those tend to hurt the old wallet. It’s terrible to think you’d rather pay a $250.00 ticket for lights being out than simply replace a bulb or get a wire repaired. The really sad part is if you have a trailer problem all you have to do is pull it in the shop and we’ll repair it for you. Why would anyone want to drive around with a piece of equipment that isn’t safe??? It’s kind of like Bill Engvall says, “ Here’s Your Sign”!!!! I’d like to remind everyone that by the time this comes out annual Vehicle Road check will be in full swing. It starts June 5-7 and this year there will be a special focus on brakes and driver fatigue (i.e. logbooks). So words to the wise, if you didn’t already do it, get those brakes adjusted, those lights burning bright, and be ready when you get stopped. Once you’re sitting there with the blue/red lights flashing it’s too late!!!!! For all you folks who haul oil to marine facilities, especially Paducah, Ky. You need to be very careful that you have everything in order when you go there, because those “protectors of the rivers” (The U.S. Coast Guard) are passing out some pretty hefty fines to those who don’t. What do you need you ask?? First a current manual, approved and tagged hoses, spill containment to go under your valves (5 gallon buckets) and pump, and lastly signs to warn people you are unloading a dangerous cargo of motor oil. The manual, hoses and signs we have, the barge lines have the buckets, but you may have to furnish the one under your pump, be prepared and if you have any questions ask your dispatcher or someone from Safety. In case you haven’t guessed by now, there is a lot coming down the pike for us folks in the trucking industry in the next couple of years and its not to help us become more profitable. Why if some of these folks representing us in Washington had their way right now we’d be driving 62 miles per hour and working 10 hours a day total. What we’ve got to do is get our own house in order! There, it seems to us in Safety, to be a very small group who think you can just slide through -- but surprise you have just become a blip on the radar of Safety, and as they used to say, “ stay tuned because we’re coming to visit you”. DON’T FORGET THE SAFETY MEETINGS FOR ALL TERMINALS IN JUNE. BE SAFE AND HAVE A GREAT SUMMER

Mike Baker The Safety Guy

            

A VISIT TO ROSS MIDDLE SCHOOL IN A “TRUCKER BUDDY” PAYS HAMILTON, OHIO 

By: Steve Mehal (Canton) 

 

 

If you mix a beautiful day, a middle school and a semi truck together, you get a class full of very excited 6th graders! 

Excitement was felt all around when I pulled up to the side drive of Ross Middle School in Hamilton, Ohio with my 2011 

International Prostar tractor I affectionately call, “Coppertop” on Monday May 21st. I’ve been keeping in touch with this 

class of 6th graders since the beginning of the school year as a member of the Trucker Buddy International program. 

Trucker Buddy International is a nonprofit organization started back in 1992 and is dedicated to helping educate and 

mentor school children via a pen pal relationship between professional truck drivers and children in grades K‐8. 

Students’ skills in reading, writing, geography, math, social studies and history are enhanced and learning is made fun!  

When I started writing to the kids back in September, I was an over‐the‐road driver and was able to bring the wide open 

country to the classroom via emails and photos. Now I’m a local driver but that doesn’t hamper the kids excitement for 

the world of trucking. Seeing their faces light up when they saw the rig for the first time and explaining the various 

things about the truck put the excitement back in me I haven’t felt for a while. Sometimes we just need to see our work 

through a different set of eyes, the eyes of a child. It really opened mine as I saw the expressions on their faces when I 

opened the hood and they saw a diesel engine for the first time! I remember when my dad took me to a truck show and 

I saw my very first big rig up close‐ I was hooked!  

Throughout the year, the students sent me emails (edited by the teacher, Mrs. Filgis), wrote me personal letters and 

even sent me Valentine’s Day cards they drew, themselves. That was a HUGE pick‐me‐up being on the road for such a 

long time! I, in return, sent them descriptions of the towns and cities I visited for my deliveries, the weather conditions 

and what the people were like. I remember one girl couldn’t get over the fact that while in Quebec, I sent photos of all 

the signs being in French. She told me that she thought that the French‐Canadian people were “real different” to which I 

replied that in some ways they are but we’re all alike on the inside. To my amazement she remembered that and when I 

finally got a chance to meet her, she said, “Mr. Steve, my brother made friends with this kid from India and he says he’s 

really different”. “I told him we’re all alike on the inside”. I stood there spellbound! She got it!!  

I can’t begin to tell you what an impact this program made on me and the way I handle my business. Things that were 

always so black and white, I see from a different perspective now. I feel this is an outstanding program that pays you, 

the driver in so many ways. If you get a chance, look them up on the web at:   truckerbuddy.org     You will be happy you 

did! I certainly am!  Today was a milestone birthday for me. I got the best present of all seeing the awe and wonder in 

those kids eyes! It’s something I will never forget! 

                                               

Somewhere along the timeline of 1978 or so, I recall one of those strange pieces of advice that tends to reemerge from month to month for me. That advice came from my granddad as we sat under the shade of the silver leaf maples overlooking his prized garden there in Marshall County. It was under the old maple tree where many conversations took place and at the time seemed utterly meaningless to me. My biggest concern was focused around how soon we’d be

finished with the garden and how quickly we could get in the truck, drive to Paducah, and go to Western Auto downtown (they had all the cool bikes, toys, etc.). Ultimately, my impatience would get the best of granddad and he’d say, “C’mon son, let’s go downtown Paducah.”

Just what was the advice aforementioned? It was this:

~“David, I’ve worked my entire life here in Calvert City and if there’s one thing I could tell you to do while you’re young and in school, learn your numbers and learn to communicate with people. Don’t just talk, I mean really communicate. You see, even though I’ve worked for Penwalt (Now called Atochem) upwards of 30 years and have made good money, I knew to be a manager I had to know my numbers. These plants get very concerned with their numbers and when you understand them, well, you’ll be a more valued employee.”

It’s funny; here we are some 30+ years later and poignantly enough, what have I ended up focusing an entire career around? – numbers! Strangely enough, my granddad undoubtedly never realized that “knowing my numbers” would have such a substantial impact on my career and the industry I chose. This, the same industry you have chosen.

So what about those numbers? Why is it we seem to always mention them during safety meetings four times a year, post them in the weekly briefings, and incessantly talk about them? Because as granddad said, “They’re important!” With that being said, let us reference where we currently stand.

Did you know that since this same time last year, we have managed to reduce every category of our CSA Basics? Also, parallel to CSA you’ll find another set of scores and metrics FMCSA utilizes to rate motor carriers; these numbers are from the website known as “SaferSys.Org.” For example, a year ago, our equipment out of service violations ranged from 11% to just over 18%. Today, this number is 8%.

The most impressive number of all falls within our hazardous materials scoring. We are a ZERO. Did you get that? A ZERO! Considering hazmat is the world in which we live, a 0% is hard to believe. What makes this so inspiring is that we’ve had nearly 500 “hazmat specific” inspections meaning it was the placard they [the DOT] were targeting. On CSA, same type of

reductions. We’ve seen our maintenance BASIC recurrently decrease, our crash indicator decrease, as well as other categories with marked improvements.

Ok, we’ve seen the weekly wall-of-shame (as many of

you have dubbed it), we’ve seen all those violations, the losses, the trailers getting hit, the fender benders, etc. How is that with all that “stuff” we have these remarkable numbers? Here’s your answer: observance and persistence. Yes, these both come from the safety department. By the way, it’s not a wall-of-shame, not even close.

However, before they ever come from the safety department, they come from you first, the fleet, the support and management staff. By “knowing your numbers” and “communicating well” to the fleet, we’re proud of the fact that we have credibility among the industry when we say a culture of safety does exist within Usher Transport.

Just a couple months back, we were approached by a carrier that asked this basic question: “How is it you guys have the kind of numbers we see and still manage to operate one the size company you do.” Having done a little homework on this carrier and discovering maintenance numbers in the 70+ percentile, logs in the 70+ percentile, we had an easy, doable, and cost-effective solution. That solution was: Get out of the office, go where your fleet operates, touch the trucks, inspect the trucks, and spend time with those that are responsible for

those numbers – your drivers and managers.

We know it’s an annoyance having one of the safety guys ostensibly always looking at the equipment, stopping trucks outside the loading racks, showing up at customers, etc., this is the part where “knowing our numbers” and “communicating well” come into play. I think perhaps my granddad would be proud today if he knew his advice would someday support such an important role in the career paths each of us have chosen.

David W. Guess, MS, CDS Director of Safety

MAINTENANCE It’s that time of year when the Louisville Shop bay doors will be left open – please make sure that ANY type of vehicle in front of the shop is turned OFF. There are NO parking spots in front of the shop/dispatch doors. If your vehicle is there shut it off – that is a no idling zone. It blows dust and debris around the shop and creates a noise issue when the phone is in use and when the shop is being paged. Company drivers please give the Louisville Shop at least a 3 day notice to schedule inspections of unit. IF you show up without being scheduled you can and will be put out of service until they are able to get to the unit. Make sure to give the shop and yourself enough time to get the unit inspected. EVERYONE needs to make sure to check their hoses often. Make sure they have tags and have been pressure checked. Brokers please be advised that any call outs on weekends by our on-call shop personnel will be a minimum charge of 4 hours. All Terminal Mangers/Brokers please note that all PM/HM inspection paper work MUST be sent in to the Louisville within two weeks of being done. Make sure that you send the original copies to the Louisville office. Make sure that the vendor knows to do a PM anytime an HM183 is done to a trailer. We need to get those units serviced by the dates on your Hazmat/PM list. Check these lists frequently. There should be no Hazmat or PM inspections left on the list by the end the month unless they are due the following month. If it is due in this month get it done. Please fax or email all your invoices/work orders for tires ASAP to NDawson@ushertransport.com or 502-736-5467. Please keep your copy of each invoice for at least 2 months. Make sure the purchase order # you have given is written/entered on the invoice as well.

Submitted by…..Nicole Dawson

The following individuals have received Extra Mile Awards since the last edition of the UT Express.

Steve Fountain (Louisville) – For helping out on a Saturday delivery for Solvay. Kevin Larson (MARTTS) – For helping out on a Saturday delivery for Solvay. David Guess (Louisville) – For developing a Marketing Folder for our sales force. Bill Hinkle (Cincinnati) – For helping a stranded fellow driver complete his delivery. Thad Starr (Danville) – For saving a fellow drivers life by administering CPR. Roy Keaser (Columbus) – For helping a fellow driver repair a failed probe. David Crum (Louisville) - For being recognized by LG&E for outstanding service.

Congratulations for doing the right thing!

People do notice!

If you think you know the year and make of this truck, send your answer to

Joe Murphy at jmurphy@ushertransport.com. Last edition’s winner was Matt Carberry. It was a 1951 Corbit 600 TallBoy!

This is Jordan Compton who is currently working on the wash pad for the Louisville Maintenance Department. Jordan, who was hired in April, is engaged to be married, and has a 3 month old son Broxton. He is an active guy who plays both basketball and baseball, plus he watches lots of sports on the tube. He is also attending Elizabethtown Community College with aspirations of becoming a teacher. His brother Corey, who also works in Maintenance, told him about the job. Welcome aboard Jordan!

Say hello to Connie Elaine Sanchez! Connie is a Billing Clerk in Atlanta, who was hired in March of this year. Connie is single and likes long trail walks, laying on the beach, shopping, and spending time with her family. She tells us she actually still has her childhood collection of teddy bears. She also got the opportunity to meet Jim Caviezal and perform with him @ EPCOT in Orlando. Connie says she is surrounded by patient and helpful people at the Doraville Terminal, and says that it offers a calm and fun atmosphere. Welcome to Usher Transport, Connie!

And this is “Nighthawk”, oops I mean Stephen Couden. Stephen works in Louisville Dispatch, and was hired in March of this year. He is single, with no kids. He invites all the ladies to contact him, at their earliest convenience. In his spare time, he enjoys watching and playing sports, as well as listening to and playing music. In fact, he tells us that he has learned to play many musical instruments. Stephen says he chose Usher Transport because it’s a good company with good job security. Welcome to Usher Transport Nighthawk!

Richard Brannon

Retires after 27 years of service at Usher Transport.

Richard Brannon, Terminal Manager - Paducah Kentucky,

retired May 31, 2012 after 27 years of service to Usher Transport.

From 1985-2001- Richard was a dedicated driver for Usher Transport, and drove thousands of miles delivering great service to our customers. In 2001, Richard became the

Terminal Manager and Dispatcher for the Paducah terminal. Even from behind the desk, Richard still provided great service

to our customers. All of us at Usher Transport want to say “Thank You” Richard,

for all your hard work and dedication. You will be truly missed!