COMMUNITY CHALLENGE matters INFORMING OUR ASSOCIATES ABOUT ALL THINGS AVERITT • VOL 4 • 2023
BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE: INVESTMENTS PUT US IN POSITION FOR GROWTH P2 NEW HORIZONS: LONGTIME DOCK ASSOCIATE MOVES TO DRIVER'S SEAT P5 ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY: OUR GREEN EFFORTS MAKE US A LEADER P6
Associates TIM WILLIAMS (left) and EARL HATCHER (right) help our Mercedes team deliver creative and innovative solutions. Our Mercedes team is one of about 65 we have in our Dedicated services, through which we become the private fleet for businesses of all types. See how this group is helping us secure our future on P3 DELIVERING UNIQUE SOLUTIONS
PREPARED FOR WHATEVER COMES OUR WAY Our future is at the forefront of everything we do. It’s part of the
Associates and Our Future – because every decision is made with the future in mind. You’ve likely seen
industry. Those have included layoffs in some industries, carrier acquisitions and general uncertainty. Because of that, I’m more thankful than ever that we are a privately held company. That P2
TEAM NOTES From Gary Sasser
plenty of news lately about challenges in the economy and in the transportation
Winner’s Circle – Our Customers, Our
INVESTING IN OUR FUTURE
Facilities Enhancements Put Us In Position For Growth
ROOM TO GROW We’re excited to announce that our Nashville Distribution & Fulfillment team will soon be moving into a new facility. This warehouse is located in nearby Lebanon, and it will increase our available square footage from 90,000 to 280,000. Our goal is to move into this facility during the summer. MAKING PROGRESS IN MOBILE One of our biggest enhancements is in Mobile, where we’re in the process of building a new facility that will have about 50% more dock doors, a warehouse featuring about 120,000 square feet, more parking and the State-of-the-art facilities help us provide the best amenities for our associates, and they also put us in position to stay prepared for the future. Because of our commitment to both, we’re currently in the process of numerous facilities enhancements throughout our network.
ability to provide transload services. Construction is making good progress, and we anticipate completing the project late this year. SPRING CLEANING IN DALLAS We recently completed upgrading our truck wash at our Dallas service center. This gives us the opportunity to build on our sharp professional image, one that includes our associates, our facilities and our equipment. Investments like these are possible because of your commitment to delivering excellence each day. Thanks for all you do, and we will continue to lay the groundwork for our future through state-of-the-art facilities and amenities for our associates! T m Our new Nashville Distribution & Fulfillment facility will increase our available square footage from 90,000 to 280,000, and our goal is to move into this facility during the summer.
UPCOMING COOKOUT SCHEDULE
Make plans to attend a cookout near you! View more appreciation cookouts on the Events Calendar at InsideAveritt.com .
MAY
J UN E
J U LY
July 18 Tri-Cities July 19 Knoxville
7-10:30a
June 27 Greensboro 11a-5p June 28 Charlotte 2-8p June 29 Greenville 7-11a
May 16 Louisville 11a-5p May 17 Cincinnati 2-8p May 18 Cincinnati 7-10:30a
2-8p July 20 Chattanooga 2-8p
FROM GARY SASSER PG. 1 – allows us to make decisions based on what’s best for our team, our customers and our future. And we’re confident that we have the best plan in place so we can be prepared for whatever comes our way. Some of the ways we can move forward with confidence are to deliver outstanding service with
creativity and innovation. We can continue to find ways to work smarter, not harder. We can refer People Like You so our culture is passed on to the next generation. And we can continue to invest in the best facilities and amenities that give our associates the best quality of life and meet our customers’ needs.
Thank you for making Averitt a team that is built for the long haul. Your commitment to excellence has made us a leader for more than 50 years, and it is putting us in position to share a bright future together. T m
COMMUNITY CHALLENGE matters
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DEDICATED TO GROWTH
Commitment To Service, Unique Solutions Help Us Secure Our Future For more than 50 years, we’ve built our reputation on delivering outstanding service and unique solutions for customers. One way we do that is with our Dedicated service, through which we become the private fleet for businesses of all types. We currently operate at about 65 sites, and Dedicated continues to grow. So much, in fact, that we recently added a fourth region to our operations. That’s a sign of great things to come, and DAN SINGER of our Dedicated “The ideal accounts we’re looking for are daycab jobs where our drivers can be home every day, whether you’re driving first shift or second shift,” Dan explains. “We want to stay in our core footprint and provide consistent miles with no-touch freight. That’s the perfect type of operation. And our footprint is large enough that we can also have sleeper roles that are still in our footprint.” BUILDING OUR RELATIONSHIP Our Costco account in College Park, GA, has seen exponential growth the last couple of years. The relationship began with our existing Costco account in West Palm Beach, FL. Because of the excellence we’ve delivered there over the past 20 years, Costco looked to us for its College Park business. And in less than a year and a half, the account has grown to more than 100 drivers. “They love the service we provide,” Dan says, “and we’re in conversations right now to further expand our partnership, taking over a larger portion of the region and getting into North Carolina and Tennessee.” DAN SINGER leadership says his team is focused on making sure we add driver-friendly freight so we can grow even more for the future.
Our Bargain Hunt team uses a Power of One solution that blends our Dedicated and LTL capabilities.
CREATIVE SOLUTION There may be no better example of our commitment to creativity and innovation than our Bargain Hunt account. Before Bargain Hunt began its relationship with Averitt, its previous carrier handled all its operations out of a distribution center in Antioch, TN. But we were able to create a more efficient Power of One solution that blends our Dedicated and LTL fleets. “We have drivers domiciled at about seven different service centers,” Dan says. “Our drivers start their day at a service center, they run to Antioch, drop an empty trailer, pick up a loaded trailer, bring it back to the service center, and they get out of the tractor and an LTL driver makes the store deliveries. We are slip-seating the tractors, so that makes it more cost- effective. The integration of different services is something that completely differentiates us in the marketplace.” A WINNING STRATEGY Dan says there are several things his team is focused on to help us secure our future: • Diversifying our partnerships – “We’ve got about half automotive and manufacturing. The other half is consumer products. We’re trying to continue to diversify and get into new segments that we’re not currently in.” • Strengthening relationships with current customers – “Length of relationships is very important for us because you’re building stability.” • Creating Power of One opportunities – “In addition to solutions that include Dedicated and LTL, we’re also seeking opportunities that include our Distribution & Fulfillment services. That integration is very important. Because if we can get a customer where we’re providing two or three services, they’re more likely to build that relationship for the long haul.” Thank you to our Dedicated team for your commitment to excellence. Because of the way you deliver outstanding service, we’re in prime position to share an even brighter future together! T m
DEDICATED GROWTH = CAREER GROWTH Growth within our Dedicated team has given us the opportunity to
Operations for that new region! Clint joins fellow Dedicated regional directors STEVE ANDERSON, JOHN CREAMER JOHN CREAMER and GRANT ROBERTS, and Clint’s newest role is the latest example of his career growth. Clint started with our Corporate team in 2000 as a college intern with our Systems Design group. He came on board full time a year later, spearheading technology projects like the adoption of Qualcomm units in our fleet and working closely
with our operations and maintenance teams to achieve success. He then transitioned to our Dedicated Central Services group in Nashville, where he has been focusing more on the business and operational sides of that service unit. Most recently, he served as a senior operations manager with Dedicated. Congratulations to Clint, and we look forward to continued and steady growth within our Dedicated group! T m
enhance and strengthen our operations structure, and that’s why we’re adding another region to our Dedicated service unit.
CLINT EDEN
We’re proud to say that CLINT EDEN has been promoted to the role of Director of Dedicated
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RED THINKIN’ REWARDS SHOPPING SPREE
Mercedes Driver Treats Family With Gifts By Redeeming RTR Points ALAN SWIFT has taken advantage of our Red Thinkin’ Rewards program many times. The Mercedes driver redeemed his points for a pair of tablets in the past, and he recently returned to the item catalog to get more gifts for the family. “I bought an iPad from the catalog a few years ago for my granddaughter, and I got a pair of Apple AirPods for my grandson just a few months ago,” Alan says. “They use them every day and love them!” Along with gifting his grandchildren with their electronics, he gifted the entire family with his big-ticket purchase – a Blackstone grill.
“I put the grill on the porch, and it is a big hit,” Alan says. “It’s the 28-inch Blackstone Griddle Station with four burners, and we are looking forward to using it a lot this summer!” Alan has been a member of our team since 2005 and has seen the Red Thinkin’ Rewards program grow significantly since he first began earning points. “It’s great to see just how diverse the catalog is,” Alan says. “There’ve been so many new things added in the last few years. There’s something in it for everyone, and I am glad Averitt gives us the opportunity to participate in this program. It’s great to earn rewards by just doing your job well!” All associates are eligible to earn Red Thinkin’ Rewards points. To learn more about our rewards program and to view items available through points redemption, log on to InsideAveritt.com/Rewards. T m
SHOWING THE POWER OF ONE MORE
Associates Referring People Like You, Earning
Referral Rewards
People Like You are very important for our future success, because you know others who would be a great fit for our culture. These associates earned referral rewards after their referrals were hired to the Averitt team!
Dallas shuttle driver AMOS FULLER
Corporate associate DANA BARNES
Chattanooga team shuttle driver ROBERT AYTES
Tampa transportation specialist ALAN ECKELMAN
Atlanta East city driver JORGE PINEDA (right) with operations manager DARRELL RICHARDSON (left)
Decatur CDL qualified dock associate CALVIN HOLMAN (left) and transportation specialist CLINT DICKEY (right)
Jackson TN city driver DAMON THOMPSON
Tupelo city driver KEVIN WOOD
Alan Failla Frontline Leader SOUTH CAROLINA STATE PORT AUTHORITY Jonathan Flatt Truckload Fleet Leader CORPORATE Brian Herndon Frontline Leader CHARLOTTE James Jackson Frontline Leader TRI-CITIES Joshua Kasprzyk Transportation Specialist HOUSTON
Nathan Mason
Frontline Leader HOUSTON
RETIREES Thank you for your service to our team! Garry Cagle, Decatur Spencer Godfrey, Chattanooga Dencil Kelley, Charlotte Bonnie Shannon, Corporate Rodney Stapleton, Cardinal Glass
NEW LEADERS
John McPhail Frontline Leader MEMPHIS DISTRIBUTION & FULFILLMENT Larry Newman Frontline Leader SHREVEPORT Jeffery Taylor Service Center Director HICKORY
Matthew Brockett
OTL Fleet Leader CORPORATE
David Diehlmann Frontline Leader LOUISVILLE DISTRIBUTION & FULFILLMENT William Elliott Truckload Fleet Leader CORPORATE
COMMUNITY CHALLENGE matters
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Longtime Dock Associate Earns CDL, Moves Into Driving Role MOVING TO THE DRIVER’S SEAT For more than 30 years, ROBERT SLATON ROBERT SLATON worked as a dock associate for our Louisville team. But some encouragement from leadership to try moving trailers piqued his interest. He enjoyed it so much that he decided to take advantage of our Dock-To-Driver Training Program, and he has since moved to Houston and become a city driver. “My wife and I wanted to be near our grandkids,” Robert explains. “My wife had retired, so it was a good time to broaden my opportunities and transfer within Averitt.” GAINING CONFIDENCE Robert says the initial moves around the Louisville yard gave him the confidence that he could excel in the driver’s seat. “When I saw that I was able to do the moves in the yard, I know that drivers make a considerable amount more, so I thought, ‘This is a good time to put in the work, get my CDL and become a driver,’” Robert recalls. He says our Dock-To-Driver Training Program was a good experience. “It definitely prepared me,” he says. “My very first day that I did my training with a driver-trainer, I was already able to maneuver a truck. It was just translating the yard work to the road. I wasn’t super-nervous. I felt like it was a smooth transition.” EXTRA EXPERIENCE When Robert moved to Houston, he initially moved into a shuttle role,
hoping to eventually transfer to city. His shuttle experience was exactly what the doctor ordered. “It turned out to be perfect, because I needed that extra confidence and time on the road,” Robert explains. “My first nine months, I was shuttle. Then I felt comfortable driving. Houston is not an easy city to drive in, and when I moved down here, I really didn’t know anything about it. But doing the shuttle routes, at least I knew the interstates coming in and out of Houston.” MAKING A CAREER Robert says there are several things that have led to him choosing Averitt for the long haul – now 35 years and counting. “It’s the culture and the pay ,” he says. “I like the fact that the people are nice. We’re serious, but we also have fun together.” WANT TO TAKE YOUR NEXT STEP? Are you interested in our Dock-To-Driver Training Program? Visit InsideAveritt.com/DockToDriver to see video testimonials from associates, and talk to your leadership to learn more about the program. You can also take advantage of our Job Hotline at 800-991-1971 or InsideAveritt.com/Jobs. The Job Hotline is updated on Mondays and Thursdays, so check it often to stay up to date on all our available positions, from local driving to leadership and other opportunities. T m Houston city driver ROBERT SLATON (left), pictured with Region 6 Vice President CALVIN RACKLEY (right), was a dock associate with our Louisville team for more than 30 years.
STAYING FOCUSED ON SAFETY 10 Drivers Win 250,000 Red Thinkin’ Points!
DRAWING WINNERS
OVER 20 TEAM We’re proud to add members to our Over 20 Team! The following associates joined our team in April 2003: Ken Hahn Charlotte Seth Roberts Jacksonville Ronnie Thompson Charlotte Melvin Warren Memphis Robert Young Tulsa Our first quarter safety focus was our Adverse Driving Conditions course, and associates throughout our network took advantage of the opportunity to freshen up their knowledge. In fact, thousands of drivers completed the course! As a special incentive, all driving associates who completed the course
during the first quarter were entered in a drawing for 10 winners of 250,000 Red Thinkin’ Rewards points! We want to thank everyone who took the course, as well as congratulate the winners of our drawing!
• Darlene Chaney, Atlanta West • Kenneth Crain, Dallas • Phillip Duke, Tupelo • Elvis Florian, Cracker Barrel • Justin Liles, Raleigh
• Juanita McCleaves, ZF Carolina • Darren Moore, Mercedes • Charles Owens, Cincinnati • DLori Walker, Bessemer • Michael Wambles, Montgomery
Scottie Love Mike Scott
Tifton
SAFETY AWARDS FEBRUARY
Lexington
For a list of April milestone service awards, including the newest members of our Over 20 Team, visit InsideAveritt.com .
For a complete list of Safety Award winners, including five- and 10-year recipients, visit InsideAveritt.com. 30 YEARS Paul Box Memphis Jammey Bryant Bowling Green David Davis Columbia SC
25 YEARS Tony Robinson Jerry Vaughn Michael Webster Jeffrey Youmans 20 YEARS Jon Miles
Cookeville Louisville Columbia SC
Macon
Tifton
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Father And Two Sons Refer And Find Opportunities To Grow With Averitt TULSA FAMILY TIES JOEL SHAFFER joined our Tulsa team at the end of 2019 after spending the early part of his driving career somewhere else. He had been laid off by the other company and was working construction when he first met Service Center Director Justin Burkett. He wanted to get back behind the wheel, and Justin was happy to add the experienced driver to his roster. After Joel came aboard, he referred two people like him – his sons, WESLEY and SHANE. “Wesley had just moved back to town and was working in the lawn care industry,” Joel says. “I told Justin that Wesley was looking for a job, so he told him to come in for an interview.” Soon after, Wesley began in January 2020 as a part-time dock associate, but he told Justin during his interview he aspired to be a driver like his dad. “One of the questions Justin asked me during my interview was if I wanted to become a driver,” Wesley says. “I told him I did, we shook hands, and I began driving later that August.” Wesley says he loves working for Averitt and likes the welcoming
JOEL SHAFFER (right) and his sons, WESLEY (left) and SHANE (center), are proud members of our Tulsa team.
environment we have cultivated. He says that was one of the many reasons he and his father referred his younger brother, Shane, to our team. Shane had spent the previous four years working in pest control after serving in the Marines. He was looking for a career change, so he decided to apply with us late last year. “Wesley and Dad had told me about Averitt, so I interviewed in November,” Shane said. “Onboarding was easy, training prepared me for work on the dock, and I am looking to begin the Dock-To-Driver program soon so that I can become a driver, too.” The Shaffers’ story is an outstanding example of why referring People Like You is so important to our future. Referring friends and family helps keep our culture strong and ensures we continue to deliver excellent customer service. To learn more about how you can earn referral rewards, visit InsideAveritt.com/PeopleLikeYou . T m
ON THE PATH TO A CLEANER FUTURE
environmental-friendly practices – recycling. The installation of tablets in our cabs has contributed to a reduction of nearly 10 million pieces of paper yearly and has led to us recycling 51,000 pounds of paper in 2022! We also save millions of gallons of water each year by reusing the runoff from our truck washes for future washes, and our partners at Michelin help us reduce our use of rubber. The tire company caps old drive tires so that we can run them on our trailers, and once tires become unusable, their rubber is recycled and reused by Michelin. You can help us in our sustainability efforts by utilizing our Uniform Exchange program. If you exchange five old uniform shirts, you’ll receive one at zero cost! The old shirts are then removed of their logos and donated to those in need. Since 2016, we have recycled more than 16,000 garments! Learn more by visiting InsideAveritt.com/UniformExchange. We are committed to protecting the health of our precious planet and creating a cleaner earth for future generations. To learn more about how we are being environmentally responsible, visit Averitt.com/Green. T m
Our Commitment To Environmental Responsibility Grows Greener By The Year
SM
Nearly 20 years ago, we joined the SmartWay project – a program created by the Environmental Protection Agency to reduce transportation-related emissions and improve supply chain efficiency. As proud charter members of the effort, we have become a leader in environmental responsibility for reducing our carbon footprint and finding new ways to lessen our impact on our planet. By using the industry’s most modern equipment and technologies, we have reduced our carbon dioxide emissions by 38% and our nitrogen oxide emissions by 96%, and saved 6.2 million gallons of diesel fuel over the last two decades! “We’re always looking for new and innovative ways to reduce the use of fossil fuels and cut our CO2 emissions,” says Director of Maintenance DOUG LLOYD. “We pride ourselves on being an industry leader in sustainability. We know the choices we make today will affect our world for generations to come.” The installation of skirts on our over-the-road
trailers has helped make our fleet more aerodynamic – cutting down on both emissions and fuel consumption. This, along with new, more fuel-efficient tractors, has helped us save an additional 798,977 gallons of diesel! Inside our facilities, electric forklifts have helped to eliminate nearly 1 million pounds of CO2 per year. And as we construct new distribution and fulfillment centers and retrofit existing buildings with LED lighting, the low-impact bulbs are helping us save more than 7 million kilowatts of energy used annually. Much of our success in becoming a green leader has come from one of the most fundamental
COMMUNITY CHALLENGE matters
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SERVICE AWARDS
These are just some of the associates who are celebrating 25 or more years with our team! To view all new Over 20 Team members and five-year milestones, visit InsideAveritt.com.
Cookeville associate JAMES (BUDDY) HALLUMS (35 years)
Nashville associate RONALD HITT (left, 35 years) with Service Center Director Joe Paul Tackett (right)
Knoxville associate SCOTT GANN (right, 25 years) with frontline leader Logan Ingram (left)
Birmingham associate WILLIAM HALE (left, 25 years) with Service Center Director Matthew Smith (right)
For more Over 20 Team photos, log on to InsideAveritt.com and check out our photo galleries!
Tulsa associate KELLY HOGAN (25 years)
Dallas associate JEFF MORELAND (25 years)
Charlotte associate ROBBIE MOTE (left, 25 years) with frontline leader Brian Herndon (right)
When we go above and beyond to provide excellent service, it shows that our Heroes Wear Red! These associates went the extra mile to represent Averitt with pride – and our customers said it showed! COMING THROUGH ON OUR COMMITMENT TO SERVICE
CHAD WILSON – Mobile “Chad went above and beyond to get my shipment delivered. It was an oversized crate. He provided pictures, communicated quickly and worked with me to find a solution to get it off the truck. I’ve never had this great of service in my 10 years of LTL experience.” Kerry, Priority1 – Little Rock, AR AUSTIN RICE – Cincinnati “Austin recognized my BOL/shipment was PRO’d after it had already received a PRO number. He stopped it on the dock and corrected the issue, making sure my freight arrived on time!” Melissa, Trancy Logistics America – Erlanger, KY
FELCIA JACKSON – Atlanta East “Felcia is very professional and efficient, and she has a great attitude that is contagious to our staff. Other drivers just do not compare to Averitt drivers!” Axilt, American Honda – Alpharetta, GA
TASHA CANTRELL – Corporate “Tasha has met and exceeded our expectations of Averitt Express! She has gone above and beyond for our company many times. We cannot express in enough ways how grateful we are to have her assigned to our team!” Mark, C and C Enterprise – Sparta, TN
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Know when to slow. KNow when to stop. You’re in control. Take ownership of your speed.
InsideAveritt.com/SpeedControl Watch our video by June 30 to be entered in a drawing for Red Thinkin’ Rewards points! Ten drivers will each WIN 250,000 POINTS!
COMMUNITY CHALLENGE matters
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