Hirschbach Herald - Hirschbach Motor Lines

Transcription

Hirschbach Herald - Hirschbach Motor Lines
1
January/February 2015
Hirschbach Herald
Hirschbach Phone:
800-554-2969 (Toll free)
402-404-2000 (Direct)
INNOVATIVE AND PACKED FULL OF CURRENT INFORMATION AND UPDATES, THIS
NEW SLETT ER W ILL PROVIDE OUR ASSOCIAT ES W IT H T HE NECESSARY INF ORMAT ION T O
SUCCEED IN TODAY’S TRUCKING INDUSTRY AS A MEMBER OF THE HIRSCHBACH TEAM.
EXCLUSIVE NEWS—ALL ABOUT HIRSCHBACH FROM COAST TO COAST
THIS ADDITION
 MESSAGE FROM CEO,
TOM GROJEAN
P AGE 1
 MESSAGE FROM HR,
TOM LOCH
P AGE 2
 SAFETY FIRST
P AGE 3 & 4
 NO PRVENTABLE
ACCIDENTS IN 2014
P AGE 5 & 6
 SEAL IT OR FEEL IT
P AGE 7
 ANYTHING WITH A
MOTOR IN IT
P AGE 8 & 9
ANYTHING WITH A
MOTOR IN IT
BEST IN CLASS
P AGE 10 & 11
GAME CHANGER
P AGE 12
 THE
COMMUNICATOR
P AGE 13
To all our wonderful Hirschbach Team Members,
I wanted to share with our organization my thoughts and comments from our recent 2015 Kickoff
Management meeting. We started the sessions with one of the most moving experiences I have had in
my 20 years with Hirschbach. All 40 attendees were asked to share a positive comment that they heard
while working here at Hirschbach. There were so many amazing stories that I was in shock. Many of
them moved me to tears! An organization is only as good as its people. We have so many wonderfully
talented and dedicated people throughout this company. I am so proud and privileged to be a small
part of it!
We set some very lofty goals at the meeting and I know that the Executive Management Team and I
cannot achieve them without all of you. Our continued success is being driven by our ability to work
better as a team. In the past, we have had departmental silos (office vs. drivers, etc.) but these are
starting to disappear. A stronger, more cohesive team will lead to better customer service. Better
customer service leads to happier customers and happier customers lead to more business. More
business leads to greater financial rewards. Rewards which we think should be shared with all of our
team, whether you work in an office building, a shop or the cab of one of our platinum colored tractors!
It is our duty as owners and managers to give you the tools, whether it is good equipment or proper
training, for you to do your job well. If we are not, doing this, please do not hesitate to reach out and let
someone know. We are not perfect, but if we strive for perfection, incredible results will happen. In
2015, we will be investing heavily in our people and empowering them to make decisions, to do what’s
right for our customers or the motoring public and other members of our team.
Our business fertilizer, Jack Porter, coined the term “The Hirschbach Rocket”. We lit the fuse on our
rocket a couple years ago and are in the stratosphere, but our goal is outer space! Our outer space is a
billion dollars of revenue, something that I would have never thought possible two years ago. But as we
approach a quarter-billion dollars this year, that billion dollar number is on our radar. I know that we
will get there because of our people and treating our people right. That way we will attract great
customers and great team members which will allow us to grow. Hirschbach is now “Driving to a
Billion”! We know where we need to get this load! I am sure with this incredible amount of talent we
have on the Hirschbach team we are going to deliver it safely and on time!
I’m “All in to Win” and “Driving to a Billion”!! Are you?
 DRIVER ADVISORY
BOARD MEETING
P AGE 14
Message From The CEO
Thanks,
Tom (and I do like EDM)*
* (Electronic dance music)
Interested in contributing to the Hirschbach Herald? Email newsletter@hirschbach.com.
1
2
Hirschbach Herald
January/February 2015
Message from HR
This past January, we recognized Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It is often called MLK National Day of
Service. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a man of service. His dream was about freedom. MLK recognized that
his dream could only be accomplished with the support of many others.
Our day to day individual and business challenges are not in the league of MLK’s journey, but they can
be challenging for us as individuals and for the HML team in trying to accomplish its strategic goals and
objectives. We are almost always dependent upon the support of our team members to accomplish our
defined goals. We all have to ensure we meet our service commitments on time, for the success “of us” as
individuals, for the teams we are on and for the organization - to achieve its deliverables. Rarely is anything
truly solo.
There are several simple guidelines that help ensure team success. Simple does not mean easy
however. For teams to be successful, they have to agree on the goals and deliverables, milestones, and
measures of success. They must be honest and forthright with one another, treat one another with respect,
and know what each team member’s role is. And, they must specifically take responsibility “to deliver,”
recognizing how these deliverables lead to the overall success for the team and the organization.
One of the greatest risks to undermining team success is the individual team member’s prejudices,
stubbornness and/or ego. With great teams, it has to be “All In to Win” . . . all for one and one for all – or
success will likely be unachieved or minimized. An old African proverb probably captures this spirit best; if
you want to go fast, go alone – if you want to go far, go together. At HML, we are All In To Win together!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Tom Loch
Off The Scale...
An average American will spend an average of 6 months during his lifetime waiting at red
lights.
Interested in contributing to the Hirschbach Herald? Email newsletter@hirschbach.com.
2
3
Hirschbach Herald
By: Terry Leahy
“Selfish About Safety”
Every year, we celebrate our drivers who drive professionally and safely from their origin to destination, day after
day. This celebration occurs in August, when we recognize
drivers who demonstrate that they are the best of the best,
or rising stars within the organization, or achieve safe
driving milestones. We have a driver with 6 million safe
driving miles in his career. Leon Lamphere has compiled a
remarkable record of safe driving miles. That is the equivalent of driving around the world 240 times…..with no accidents.
How does that happen?
How does someone accomplish such an
amazing feat?
Leon Lamphere
There are several elements to this equation. First, the
river needs the skills: Experience, maturity, and training. That is the foundation for each safe mile driven. In our
driver base, we have over 10,000 years of driving
experience, with different levels of maturity (age) and
training. Of course, each driver has his own path to where
they are with their skills, and in order to continue to
succeed in their safe driving career, must be open to
learning with every day in the business, with every next
mile traveled. Built upon that foundation is how well a
driver makes decisions. I heard that a driver must make
about 1,600 decisions each day, many unconsciously, many
others consciously and of full awareness of what they are
doing. Experience, maturity and training serve as the
foundation, but what also affects judgment are fatigue,
distractions, and attitude. Driving while fatigued degrades
your ability to make good decisions, as your mind is not
capable of reacting to situations as quickly as otherwise,
Off The Scale...
January/February 2015
and may not recognize a dangerous situation until it is
too late. Distractions can take many forms: A cell
phone; texting; reaching for something in your truck
while driving; obsessing on an angry encounter with a
customer, your driver manager, your spouse, your DOT
officer; your pooch running wild in your cab while you
are driving. Attitude is critical as well: Do you feel like
you own the road or recognize the shared responsibility
of navigating safely on the highway? Do you respect
the environment (construction zones, school zones,
snow, rain, ice, and wind) enough to modify your
driving behavior? Do you only think about getting to
your destination on time, or do you factor in that you
need to get their without incident, accident, injury and
fatality? Do you value the respect and responsibility
that we place upon you?
With one of the orientation classes, I raised the
prospect that wouldn’t that be awesome for the entire
class of 13 to drive their first year without an
accident. Everybody agreed, and then I suggested,
what if every class during the year was able to drive a
full year without an accident? Imagine expanding that
concept to having no accidents in a year, for all of our
drivers. Hard to imagine, but think of all the lives saved,
injuries avoided, damage avoided, drivers still driving
for HML (not terminated or resigned), and money
saved. Accidents cost the company over $8 million
annually, out of pocket. Imagine if that money didn’t
need to be used to repair equipment, replace property,
repair lives and families.
It starts with you, me, each one of us. We are all either
part of the problem, or part of the solution.
It is okay to be selfish. Come on, be selfish like I am; be
selfish about safety.
New Mexico State's first graduating class in 1893 had only one student—and he was shot
and killed before graduation.
Interested in contributing to the Hirschbach Herald? Email newsletter@hirschbach.com.
3
4
Hirschbach Herald
January/February 2015
Safety is a Value.
In our business partnership, we need to differentiate between what are priorities, and what
are values. Values supersede priorities and help us to properly prioritize. Delivering
shipments on time is a very high priority, even running the available hours you have is a
priority in order to maximize your miles and, therefore, your net pay each week. Safety is a
value, never to be compromised, never to be sacrificed at the risk of injury to self or others,
or damage to cargo, equipment, or property. Our values include doing the right thing. Other values include timely
and proactive communication, or helping others in need of assistance.
We are sometimes faced with difficult decisions when driving the truck down the road, sometimes with difficult road
conditions, weather, construction, detours. In those circumstances, we must exercise our best professional skills and
judgment when proceeding towards our destination. You are the “Captain of your Ship”, and as captain, you are
responsible for your vehicle and cargo and safe transportation. You alone make the ultimate decisions on how and
when you drive. You are in charge of your operation and your business.
Each situation is different, and when accidents happen, there are usually several contributing factors that elevate the
risk level. In the first week of 2015, we had several accidents where the trucks left the roadway due to ice, snow and
wind, resulting in injury, loss of equipment, loss of customer product, and in some cases loss of employment.
We must all have a certain level of respect for the road conditions, the weather, our level of alertness (or fatigue),
and our attention to driving (or distraction). If I am driving and doing so safely, I can know that I am accountable for
my actions with the equipment that I am driving.
The bottom line is this: Never take unnecessary risks and always communicate proactively with operations if
something unforeseen happens (i.e. weather is going to impact the delivery appointment). Our customers never want
us to be unsafe and if conditions exist which don’t allow a shipment to be delivered on-time it’s the responsibility of
the Captain to inform operations so our customer receives proactive communication. It’s hard to be perfect in
anything, but proactive communication is one in which we and our customers expect perfection.
Preventable accidents don’t happen by accident; they occur because someone has let their guard down and allowed
them to occur. Plan, listen to your body, don’t allow distractions into your ”ship”, and proactively communicate the
unforeseen! Never lose sight of the fact that lives are truly at stake whenever you’re driving down the road and you
alone must be vigilant to insure you and everyone you encounter makes it safely back home to their families.
Off The Scale…
Super Bowl XLIV will be held February 6th at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Interested in contributing to the Hirschbach Herald? Email newsletter@hirschbach.com.
4
5
Hirschbach Herald
January/February 2015
Congratulations to the following drivers for
NO PREVENTABLE ACCIDENTS during 2014
Over one year of service with Hirschbach:
AKIL KHALFANI
ALAN L PHELPS
ALBERT ILLINGWORTH
ALEJANDRO I HERRERA
ALEKSANDR TSIKHOTSKIY
ALEXEI P CRICUN
ALEXEI PARPALOV
ANATOLIE MIHAILICENCO
ANATOLIY TKACH
ANATOLIY V PATSERA
ANDREAS KAFKAS
ANDREI SOFRONOVICI
ANTHONY MCGEE
ANTHONY SIKES
ANTON E SOFRONOVICI
ARTHUR THOMPSON
ARTURO DELGADILLO
BARRY ALEXANDER
BEN RAWLINITIS
BENJAMIN BREWER
BILL CARDIN
BILL J WAGNER
BOBBY ELLISON
BRUCE LIGHT
BRUCE PARSONS
BRUCE RODGERS
CAREL SHORT
CECILIO YZNAGA
CHAD PHELPS
CHARLES KIMBRELL
CHARLES MCKNIGHT
CHRIS ROBINSON
CHRISTOPHER SELLERS
CLARENCE E HARDISON
CLEVA JOE ERWIN
CURTIS SIMPSON
DANA PAPINEAU
DANIEL JEANPIERRE
DARKO BUKNOVIK
DARRELL JINDRA
DARRYL NEAL
DAVID B GRANGER
DAVID CAMARATA
DAVID CHASEZ
DAVID CLARK
DAVID HALL
DAVID JENKINS_JR
DAVID MAHALLY
DMITRIY GIRICH
DONNIE STANCIL
DOUGLAS A JONES
DOUGLAS MESZAROS
DOUGLAS PINARD
DOUGLAS_J STEEVES
DWAYNE CAPP
EDWARD GRIFFIN
EDWARD H CAMERON
EDWARD WOODS
ELIZABETH BOOTH
EVA COLE
EVELIN HERNANDEZ
EVERETT HALFHILL
FERNANDO MCCREA
FREDDIE ROBERTS
GARLAND ROST
GARY HUBKA
GEORGE PETT
GERALD BARNABA
GERALD RAY
GERALD REAMS
GREGORY BRADFIELD
GUSTAVO GONZALEZPANTOJA
HARRY HAYNES
HARVEY INGRAM
HUGO TEIXEIRA
IGOR KAPUZA
IGOR MASLYANSKIY
ION MIHALICENCO
ION VIRLIZANU
IVAN CERTAN
JACK WILLIAMS
JAMES ALSTON
JAMES BEDELL
JAMES ENGLAND
JAMES GILE
JAMES SMITH
JAY MICHAEL PAYNE
JEFF WRIGHT
JEFFERY GABBERT
JEFFREY FREEMAN
JOEL COLE
JOHN ANDERSON
JOHN BEACH_SR
JOHN DORNEY
JOHN DUNN
JOHN HUNNICUTT
JOHNNY R JONES
JON KENNGOTT
JON MUSSON
JONATHAN MUNSON
JOSE J ANDALON
JOSE SANCHEZ
JOSEPH LAUER
JOSEPH LEMAIRE
JUSTIN MILLER
KEITH A ALLISON
KENNETH J NORNHOLM
LARRY B SIMMONS
LEONARD BAIREFOOT
LEONID PARPALOV
LESLIE CHASEZ
LEVI GRIGGS
LINDA FALL
MAKSIM N PISHCHENKOV
MARCUS HALL
MARIAN OKO
MARK A POWELL
MARK C HAMMER
MARK GORDON
MAXIM PARPALOV
MELISSA STEWART
MENSAH AGBEMENU
MICHAEL LAWSON
MICHAEL N RUSZKIEWICZ
MICHAEL OWENS
MICHELLE LICHTI
MIHAIL I. MAISTRENKO
MYLES CHISLETT
NEIL CUNNINGHAM
NICOLAI PARPALOV
NIKOLAY DIKAN
NIKOLAY KRAVCHENKO
NIKOLAY PISHCHENKOV
PETER SINIGUR
RALPH GORE_III
RALPH KIRBY
RANDALL FLAUGHER
RANDALL WELLS
RANDY MCKENZIE
RANDY WERNER
RAYMOND SCOTT
REGINALD BYRD
RICHARD FELD
RICHARD HAUSMAN
RICHARD UNWIN
Continued on page 4
Interested in contributing to the Hirschbach Herald? Email newsletter@hirschbach.com.
5
6
Hirschbach Herald
January/February 2015
Congratulations to the following drivers for
NO PREVENTABLE ACCIDENTS during 2014
RICKY DEWITT
ROBERT FANN
ROBERT HAYWOOD
RONNIE D GREEN
ROY COOPER
ROY MADDOX
RUSS L KELLEY
RUSSELL DRAUGHN
SALVADOR LOPEZ
SAMUEL O HUTTO
SCOTT WILLIAMS
SCOTTE HILL
SERENO BERNOBICH
SERGEY KUZMICHEV
SERGEY LISITSIN
SERGEY_A KAFANOV
SERGIO MORENO
SIDNEY NOTTAGE
STANLEY LASHTUR
STEVEN BAKER
STEVEN JOHNSON
SULTANBEK KASIMOV
TERRY LEE WELLS
TIM MURPHY
TIMOTHY C DUECK
TIMOTHY E NEUMANN
TONYA CLAYPOOL
TRACY CARVER
TROY FANNIN
TYRELL RICHARDSON
VADIM P KOLOSOV
VASILIY KUKHARCHUK
VIKTOR A KUZNETSOV
VINCENT JENNINGS
VITALIY LASHTUR
VLADIMIR ZINCHENKO
WARREN COLLINS
WAYNE PETERSON
WENDY J PETT
WILLIAM GRAY
YAWO VODJOGBE
YURI ROMANENKO
YURY KUDELIN
ZUHDIJA AHMETASEVIC
ZUHDIJA SISIC
Under one year of service
ALAN ANTOINE
ALAN TOLER
ALVON PHILLIPS
ANDRE WARD
ARABIA TAYLOR
ARDANNEOUS INGRAM
CARL QUINTYNE
CARROLL MARTIN_JR
CHANCELOR MAYLE
CHARLES FEELEY
CHARLES ROCKHOLT
CHRISTINE KAISER
CHRISTINE RAHL
CHRISTOPHER ADKINS
CHRISTOPHER FINLEY
CRAIG HOLT
CRYSTAL O'BRIEN
CYNTHIA FOSTER
DANEIL MAUZEROLLE
DARYL TURNER
DAVID K RHOADES_II
DAVID SAMEC
DELANO HUNT
DENISE BECRAFT
DOMINIQUE LATTA
DONALD TUMIOLI
DOUGLAS STEWART
DWAYNE GARDNER
EDWARDO QUINONEZ
EDWIN WILLIAMS
ERNEST OBRIEN
FORMAN NAPIER
GARY JONES
GEORGE HOZA
HARRY L LEWIS
HOWARD BROOKS
HOWARD SEAL
IAN BOUDREAU
JAMES BANNISTER
JAMES DEVILLE
JAMES INGALA
JAMES M MILLER
JAMES ROGERS
JAMES SPARKS_II
JAMES_T JONES
JAN DUNCAN
JEFFREY BROWN
JEORGE WARD
JERRY TALLEY
JOE WILLIAMS_JR
JOHN NEWSOME
JOHNATHAN KING
JOSE MOREL
JOSEPH HUMFLEET
KEITH BELZ
KENNETH PERKINS
KEVIN BELLEFOUNTAINE
LABRANDON WILLIAMS
LARRY LEWIS
MICHAEL KNISLEY
MICHAEL WIRTH
MIKHAIL GUKOV
MILO MILLER
MYKHAILO VDOV
NEIL PADGETT
NEIL POOLE
NELSON SANTANA
ONREE NOBLE
PATRICK WEST
PETER HUGHES
RANDY SCHABLIN
RICHARD RATHBURN
ROBERT DOBROVOLNY
ROBERT STCLAIR
ROY BYRD
SCOTT LOMBARD
SYLVESTER LEE PETTWAY
TEDDY STITH
TERESA GRAHAM
TERRY EFNOR
TERRY LEE
THEODORE ALEXANDER
THOMAS LAINE_JR
THOMAS MICHAUD_III
THOMAS ROWSEY
TOMA RAINES
WAYNE MACK
WILLIAM EVERTTS
YEVGENIY P KOLOSOV
Interested in contributing to the Hirschbach Herald? Email newsletter@hirschbach.com.
6
7
Hirschbach Herald
THE “SEAL IT” FACTOR
 All loads MUST be sealed
 Both incoming and outgoing seals need to be signed
for and as intact at receivers
 The outgoing seals must be signed for at the stop
previous. To show the next stop the seal was intact
before leaving the current receiver and not slapped
on somewhere down the road
 Seals are available at all Hirschbach terminals. Seals
are also reimbursable, so if you need to purchase
them on the road be sure to turn the receipts in to
your driver manager
THE “FEEL IT” FACTOR
 Failure to maintain a continuous seal record could
January/February 2015
PROTECT YOURSELF BY:
 Please get your seals signed for at EVERY stop on
trips, no matter how few or many stops.
 Have your seals signed for as intact BEFORE the
seal is broken.
 If a receiver refuses to sign the seal as intact, do
NOT allow the seal to be broken and call OS&D.
Still have questions?
Ask OS&D how to protect your $500.00 cargo
deductible.
Call us at: 402-404-2121 or visit us in the operations
building in East Dubuque, IL
result in suppliers charging Hirschbach for any
discrepancies with the loads
 If charged by a supplier and seal record was not
maintained, your $500.00 Cargo Deductible will be
triggered and deductions from pay made
 With your cargo deductible you can be charged up to
$500.00 for any problems with cargo that may occur
where the driver is at fault or damage was driver
preventable
Off The Scale…
LET US HELP
YOU PROTECT
YOUR
DEDUCTIBLE
Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809.
Interested in contributing to the Hirschbach Herald? Email newsletter@hirschbach.com.
7
8
Hirschbach Herald
January/February 2015
ANYTHING WITH A MOTOR IN IT
BY: Mandy Hayes
National Truckin’ Magazine
Jeff Freeman…...Professional Driver
There are so many different ways for a person to land in the
trucking industry. Not to mention the variety of occupations in
the business that stays in demand. One thing is for sure , it’s a
choice to be made. Driving a big rig or any type of vehicle of this
nature, isn’t an easy task. To maintain a professional career with
your hands locked in on a steering wheel that is attached to a
beast of its own design, is more that just driving a truck. Some
are introduced into the field by marriage, some inherit the
genes or as many say, “It’s in their blood….” and then you will
find those limited few that are born for this style of living. With
the word style, I’m referring to the total package. Their life in
general. Because the working skills required to be a professional
truck driver impacts all aspects of the drivers life. For example,
their time at home with their spouse, children, etc. And I’m not
just saying time shared with them but also time to participate in
their lives. The kid’s school functions, sports or what about the
simple things like, dinner together. Birthdays. Holidays. You
have to sacrifice memories that will be made without you.
Believe it or not, there are some folks that can’t or are not
willing to adjust to the whole scheme of things. It requires a
pact or understanding, for everyone in their circle. Most
importantly, the driver. There is a suit of exclusive drivers that I
would like to zero in on and you’ll see why in a few minutes.
When talking with so many experienced drivers, one question
that always tends to come up is, “Why did you choose
trucking?” There is an uncommon response that I seldom get
but when I do, you can bet their story is going to be compelling.
When a person says, “I've wanted to drive a truck all of my life!
It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do,” It’s like an alarm goes off. When
you hear this, my friends, just know that more then likely that
person has done some traveling in their time. And my guess: as
a professional truck driver. This is a person that has become
what they have dreamed of since they can remember! From
back in their childhood, when it was just an imagination. The
more I hear that as an answer, the more I notice that the character of a person to pursue this specific journey have so many
positive qualities about themselves. Number one, knowledge. If
anybody ever thought that a person could be as dumb as a box
of rocks and still be able to drive an 18-wheeler, you’re
sadly mistaken. The motor, the gears, the gages. All of it
requires derailed thought and precision in order to function.
Then to be able to maneuver an object weighing up to
50,000 or even 80,000 pounds, given if you’re in a
semi-truck pulling a full trailer. Dedication is a huge factor.
It’s so easy to get frustrated and want to walk away from a
job but imagine that irritation heightened times ten. If a
truck driver has one of them days on job., they’re probably
out on route, far away from home and it’s not that easy for
him or her to clock out and skedaddle home. Which leads
me to, patience. It’s a ‘must-have’ as a truck driver. For all
of the details involved in their duties as a driver, they NEED
patience. Even on a regular day, all of the drivers that I’ve
encountered are just like you and I. Good average people,
with a job and a family to support. It’s the dreams of people
in that influential group that I mentioned earlier that sets
them apart from the rest. Their vision of themselves from
day one, being whatever they wanted to be and they
chose...to be a professional truck driver.
This featured nominee could easily be a member of that
elite society of prominent truck drivers, with 35 years of
experience and all accident free. His name is Jeff Freeman
from Charleston, South Carolina. He was born on August
6th in 1960. Originally named Jeffrey Richard; he’s always
been known as Jeff. His father, Laurence J. Freeman was
currently a U.S. Navy Machinist Class 1 Mate while Betty L.
Freeman, Jeff’s mother tended to him and his three
brothers. He was the youngest of the bunch; starting with
Skeeter, Bruce, Alan and then himself. A year after he was
born, Laurence moved his family to Norfolk, Virginia where
Jeff remained until 2011. While Jeff was sill in elementary
school, his father retired from the Navy at 47 and took on
his second job full time, working as an inspector for the
state of Virginia. Laurence was a hard worker, good father
and a devoted husband. Later he retired again in 2001. After
his retirement, he stayed by Betty’s bed side as her health
began to worsen. It started with a major heart attack
Continued on page 7
Interested in contributing to the Hirschbach Herald? Email newsletter@hirschbach.com.
8
9
Hirschbach Herald
back in 1994 and she passed 7 years later. Jeff was 40 at that
time. “I learned so much from both of them. My mom taught
me manners, how to dress properly...all of the normal
’mom-stuff.’ And my dad was a mechanical genius!”
It was at the age of 14, when someone extremely special was
placed into Jeff’s life. The Freeman’s had moved and were just
settling into a new house. That’s when he started to notice a
big rig that was down the road from his place, parked in a
driveway. One day Jeff decided to ride his bike over to meet the
owner of this massive truck, Roland White. He goes on to say,
“He was shocked by how much I knew about trucks and we
became instant friends. He was like my second father and a
best friend to me; he became my mentor.” It’s all that Jeff did,
was study trucks on his own. Anything with a motor in it had his
full attention, day and night. His family always knew that he
would be a driver. He describes his next few years as great. “I
had a blast back then!” At that age, he had plenty to keep him
happy. His friends, for which 3 of them he remains close with
to this day. Also he had Roland in the picture, whom he
watched like a hawk. He grew his blond hair out long and
enjoyed skate boarding or riding his bike, but nothing beat his
time spent down the road at Roland’s. He learned everything
he could from Roland and how he would treat his truck. Jeff
was taught how to detail, grease and change the oil in a truck.
Just to name a few of the beginning tips. He was an extremely
fast learner at his age. When Roland was on the road, Jeff and a
friend would walk around the warehouses in the industrial
parks to see the different trucks and talk to the drivers about
where all they have traveled. It was fun getting the scoop on
what it’s like being in their shoes. He couldn’t wait for it to be
his turn in the seat, with the stories to share. Just being around
the trucks up close drilled that ambition inside of Jeff even
more.
Jeff’s parents became close friends with Roland and learned to
trust him as much as their son did. You can still hear the
excitement in Jeff’s voice as he tells me how worked up he was
when his parents let him go in his first road trip with Roland.
The day Laurence and Betty came over to Roland’s house and
saw his truck for the first time, Jeff’s instincts took over. He
began pointing to different parts on the truck, explaining what
each piece does. He remembers hearing Roland tell his folks,
“Your son is very intelligent.” But they already know!
Off The Scale…
January/February 2015
“...trucks….it’s all he thinks about,” was his mothers reply. Jeff
continued going on the road with his role model quite a few
times. Gaining more insight with each trip. He shares another
found memory. Back when Roland purchased a new truck. A
white standard Road Commander II, that Jeff was more proud
of than its owner. The two of them took their new ride to
Arkansas to unload some rice. Jeff recalls being about 15 on
this trip. When they returned to Norfolk, he sat in the truck
with the window down while Roland spoke with 3 other guys
on the dock. He could hear the men talking and all of a sudden
he heard Roland yell out to him, “Hey , put it to the dock!” Jeff
said that he asked him if he was sure, sort of in shock but shill
eager to prove himself. And Roland shouted back, “I know you
can do it.” With those simple words, he hopped over to the
driver’s seat and did what he was told. He put it straight
against the dock and he could tell that the 3 men were
impressed. And even more, Roland. He heard him say, “That’s
my boy!” Amongst the chatter, he heard them ask Roland how
old he was and the more the men talked, the more
confirmation sat in with Jeff, that this was his calling.
Throughout high school was a
different story. Jeff explains how
he hit a rough patch and
completely lost interest in school.
After battling with his grades, he
sat down with his father and they
had a long discussion about Jeff’s
future. Laurence know that his son
was going to eventually take to the road, doing what he loves
but until then he really wanted to see him graduate. With that
being said, Jeff went to his high school counselor for help.
They worked together and laid out options for what needed
to be done to get him caught up and he ended up graduating
with a B average. At 17 he worked at a car dealership with his
father but didn’t like it one bit. He saw an ad for a trucking
company that was looking to hire. He immediately went to his
dad about the job and Laurence knew right then that there
was no stopping him. Jeff then went to his boss and explained
that he found a job in the field that he would like to work in
and like his dad, his boss understood. The gentleman at the
trucking company will forever be in Jeff’s graces.
Continued on page 8
On February 10, 1962, Astronaut John Glen Jr. became the first American to orbit the earth.
Interested in contributing to the Hirschbach Herald? Email newsletter@hirschbach.com.
9
10
Hirschbach Herald
“I’ll never forget his name. He is the one that opened the door
to my career.” His name was Mike Sherr and he started Jeff off
driving forklifts and helping in the warehouse. There was a
driver that worked with him that everybody called Mope. He
would watch Mope come in and out of the warehouse and
having to sit idle, doing nothing impatiently as the warehouse
men would load or unload his truck. One day Jeff approached
Mike with Mope as his wing man, asking if he could start staging
trucks or maybe stage parking them. Anything that could help
the drivers more. Mike looked over at Mope and asked for his
opinion on Jeff’s idea and Mope was all for it. Mike then faced
Jeff and told him, “If you scratch, dent or damage anything you
tell me.” And he started that very night. At 18 Mike gave the go
ahead for Jeff to begin driving locally after watching him and
sensing that he was ready for the job. He gives another
flashback; how he would visit with his friends at school and toll
into the parking lot in his big rig and how the kids would be so
envious. Not only was he driving this gigantic creation, but he
was good at it!
A few years later, there was a change of ownership at the
trucking company and Jeff parted ways. He joined his father’s
side at a ship yard working third shift. It didn’t take long for the
hours of work to take a toll on Jeff and he decided that
something had to give. He landed a job driving for a major
vending company before turning 21. He became the first driver
to get a diesel operator tractor trailer vending route through
Portsmouth, Virginia. Later, he moved on to another company,
accepting their job offer moving storage. Sadly within the
following year the business owners passed away and Jeff was
on the lookout for another fit. By now he was old enough to
drive across state lines. It was also about this time, Jeff met his
first wife. They began a family together with their two sons; TJ
and Jeff Junior, TJ being the oldest was born on May 31st, 1993
and Junior following soon after on January 11th, 1995. Their
relationship ended five years later. Today, TJ calls Virginia Beach
home as he works as an apprentice at a body shop. Jeff speaks
very highly of his boys, stating that they both follow in his and
their grandfather’s footsteps as master mechanics. Junior lives in
Knotts Island, North Carolina where he just recently graduated
high school and is currently a student in college. A few years
passed and on one afternoon while Jeff was at a church parking
lot attending a small function with some motorcycle riders, he
met a lady by the name of Jan. Little did he know that she was
January/February 2015
Soon to be his wife. It wasn’t
until their fourth time seeing
each other that that thinks
clicked for them and the rest
became history. He goes on to
tell me about that day, “We went
for a bike ride and the weather didn’t call for rain but it came in
a down pour!” They ended up at a park, moved some picnic
tables around and were able to pull his bike out of the rain too.
“I can remember we sat on the bench and she was smiling the
whole time…. And I was so nervous.” That was on August 6th
and they later wed on November the 18th that same year in
2011. At the time Jan was a member of a motorcycle ministry
that was at the church gathering when she first laid eyes on
Jeff. She is a retired U.S. Coast Guard Health Service Technical/
Aviation Medivac Specialist, E6 and also a retired EMS Medic of
35 years. Jan first started as a volunteer at the age of 16 as an
EMS. In speaking with Jan, I love how pure and genuine she is .
I already came to terms about how smart Jeff was, but now I
see how he was able to fall in love with Jan so quick. She has an
amazing spirit and the two of them together reminded me why
I love my job. Jeff embraces his relationships with her three
children; Paul, Joey and Leah. Jan’s middle son, Joey has
blessed Jan and Jeff with their two grandbabies, Dustin and
Mali.
Jeff had been driving for his prior company for several years
before he was recently reconnected with an old friend that was
working for Hirschbach Motor Lines. After catching up, his pal
went on with good praises about his employer and
recommended Jeff to come join him at this trucking company.
Just to give it a shot. Jeff admits that he’s not big on change but
put some serious thought in to it. Then one morning he said
that he woke up and told his wife it was time for a change and
headed straight to Hirschbach Motor Lines. “They may be a bit
smaller of a company then I’ve worked for but at Hirschbach
they have a much more powerful attitude. It’s like you walk into
a different world there. They're very driver friendly and they
were eager to have me.” Of course with Jeff’s long term
experience and his record of mileage pushing over 4 million
miles, there’s no doubt that he would be a shoe-in. He already
had his class A Chauffer license and his CDL for over three
decades. His CDL that he earned in 1978 was grandfathered in
back during the early 90’s, due to his prior years of experience
Continued on page 9
Off The Scale…
Mark Twain didn't graduate from elementary school.
Interested in contributing to the Hirschbach Herald? Email newsletter@hirschbach.com.
10
11
Hirschbach Herald
through the company that he was with. Since Jeff has pursued
his dream job and not only landed it, but has spent a life time
perfecting it, he now can relax some and enjoy his family. He
also mentions that Jan splits her
time between working at a local
Tractor Supply Company and as the
owner/operator of ‘Rustic With Love
Barn.’ which is located on their 3 1/2
acre farm where together they
board and own horses. Jan explains, “I have always had a love
for animals and especially rescues.” They currently have ten
on-site and eight of the horses belong to them. On a typical
day, if the weather is nice, the couple will hop on the bike and
go for a ride. I hear Jeff give a light hearted laugh as he says,
“It’s something that Jan loves to do! So sometimes we just go,
with no certain plan of direction. We just ride.” Nothing
wrong with that! Jan speaks with love as she goes on about
how proud she is of her husband and his accomplishments. “I
look forward to him following his dreams and the ride we will
share together.” And maybe soon when Jeff is ready to retire,
Jan say that she’ll be ready to explore the rest of their lives
together. I know one thing, this place is blessed with two
wonderful people that have dedicated their time, lives and
hearts into their jobs faithfully. Recognition of a job well
done, would be an understatement.
Thank you Jeff and Jan for all you do for Hirschbach
Motor Lines too!
Send in a macro 95 service request
a minimum of 48 hours to have a
PM or other repairs scheduled at
our maintenance locations. We
will work with your Driver
Manager to schedule so you won’t
have unnecessary downtime.
January/February 2015
Best In Class
By: Diana Holman
Due to the drastic drop in temperatures lately we are having some problems with the
heat in the tractors. A few things that can
help with these issues follows:

A piece of cardboard across the radiator will help keep
heat in the engine and heater.

The bunk heater can’t heat all the coolant in the system
from cold, you will need to run the bunk heat with the
curtains closed prior to stopping for the night to aid in
warming the bunk.

If you don’t run a full day the battery pack for the APU
will not be able to heat the bunk, continue to run electrical things and survive all night. These units are not
going to give unlimited power, you have to manage it
wisely.
When running 60+ mph in negative degree weather the
coolant will not heat up as quickly as you would like so you
have to be patient when you start out. You will have to give
the engine some time to get to the correct temperature and
then maintain it. It will take a little more attention to detail
and some changes in the way you do things but the system
will do what it was designed to do if you use it properly. The
rear system is designed to maintain the heat that is generated in the system while driving, not to heat the 12+ gallons
of coolant that the truck carries. If you have questions
about how this works, please call our maintenance team,
one of them will be happy to answer them.
Also, remember to use Powerservice in your fuel at each fill
up. This additive is intended to minimize fuel gelling. If you
are by one of our maintenance locations feel free to pick up
a couple bottles of it. However, you are able to get it over
the road as well.
Please remember when adding coolant or oil to send in a
macro 97. Whether it is a very minimal amount or gallons
this helps in being proactive in repairs.
2015 is a bright new year to ACT!!!



Accountability
Communication
Teamwork
Let’s all work together to become “Best in Class”!
Off The Scale…
Babe Ruth wore a cabbage leaf under his cap to keep him cool. He changed it every 2 innings.
Interested in contributing to the Hirschbach Herald? Email newsletter@hirschbach.com.
11
12
Hirschbach Herald
January/February 2015
Game Changer
Answers:
Off The Scale...
Interested in contributing to the Hirschbach Herald? Email newsletter@hirschbach.com.
12
13
Hirschbach Herald
January/February 2015
The Communicator
Robert Palmer and his backup ladies.
Submitted by: Tina Cart
8th– Daylight savings time begins
17th– St. Patrick’s day
17th & 18th - Driver advisory board meeting
March 6th, 2015 will be the safety
meeting . Come join us in the East
Dubuque's administration building at
11:30 a.m. Lunch will be served before
the meeting.
We hope to see you there!
DROP & SHOP
All men’s button down long sleeve, buy two
get $10.00 off.
All Ladies 3/4 sleeve shirts, buy two get
$10.00 off.
Can make it in, email store@hirschbach.com
Interested in contributing to the Hirschbach Herald? Email newsletter@hirschbach.com.
13
14
Hirschbach Herald
January/February 2015
DRIVER ADVISORY BOARD
The first Driver Advisory Board meeting will take place March 17th -18th in Dubuque, Iowa at the Best
Western Hotel. Our inaugural board members for the 2014- 2015 start-up year have been extended an
invite to attend. Special thanks go out to each of these drivers for helping make Hirschbach Motor Lines
the trucking company of choice for America’s finest drivers;
1. Tonya Claypool
2. Steven Johnson
3. Bob Ellison
4. Leonard Barefoot
5. Bill Cardin
6. Bruce Light
7. Vince Panell
8. Jeff Freeman
9. Mike Garnes
10. Greg Schweizer
11. Tim Murphy
12. Michael Lawson
13. Michelle Lichti
An agenda is currently being developed, but the meetings will focus on Driver Communications, new HML
App, Trick Your Truck program, Truck Specs, Direct T.V., Driver Incentive Program, Driver Safety, Plans to
Improve Terminal Amenities, etc. Please feel free to contact any of the above Advisory Board members for
passing along any additional concerns you would like to see covered at these meetings. Thank You!
HIRSCHBACH TERMINALS
DENTON
Hirschbach Phone:
SPRINGFIELD
ORIENTATION/MAINTENANCE
800-554-2969 (Toll Free)
ORIENTATION/MAINTENANCE
4501 N Elm Street
402-404-2000 (Direct)
255 Cadwell Drive
Springfield, Massachusetts 01104
Denton, Texas 76207
MENDOTA HEIGHTS
EAST DUBUQUE—CORPORATE
SIOUX CITY
ADMINISTRATION
ORIENTATION/MAINTENANCE
RECRUITING/OPERATIONS OFFICE
750 Main Street, Suite 211
18355 US Highway 20
306 Virginia St.
Mendota Heights, MN 55118
East Dubuque, IL 61025
Sioux City, IA 51101
Interested in contributing to the Hirschbach Herald? Email newsletter@hirschbach.com.
14