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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
