FALL 2021
Everybody who was hired prior to July 2019 received a statement this year. Have you seen your balance? Wow! How nice is it that you have a free retirement growing right this moment, and one day, you will be able to retire and enjoy the things you have worked so hard for. I understand that sometimes, it’s easier to see what’s in front of you right now vs. looking at the big picture of how retirement will affect you one day. To help put it in perspective, I want to share a few examples of employees who have retired — along with their ESOP balance at the time of retirement:
A MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO GREG THOMPSON
Here we are again, moving into a new season. When fall arrives, that means two things for sure: All of us UT football fans have our hopes up yet again for a good season, and it also means our stock price has recently been announced. The stock price announcement is always an exciting and rewarding time for our Big G Express Family of Companies. In early August, the announcement was made that our 2020 stock price is $64.49 . Hopefully you have watched the video of the announcement, and you are as excited as I am to see the 8% increase from our 2019 stock price of $59.81. As you already know, 2020 was an extremely tough year for so many people. Thousands of businesses were forced to close their doors, and millions of people lost their jobs due to the pandemic. The 8% increase of our stock price in a year like 2020 should affirm that you are exactly where you need to be — here at Big G Express!
Title:
Date of Service:
ESOP Re4rement Balance:
Professional Driver Professional Driver Diesel Mechanic
04/2003 — 12/2018 02/2011 — 06/2020 10/2003 — 09/2019
$137,175.24 $112,870.93 $144,630.82
By you choosing to be a part of the Big G Express family, you are choosing the best option for your future. A lot of companies can only offer you something to get you through the workweek, but we truly consider your time here with Big G a longtime investment. While we always have your future in mind, and we are also continuously making improvements and upgrades to set you up for success in your normal workday. We always want to make sure you have the latest technology and the best equipment. This year, we were the first company in middle Tennessee, and one of the few in the nation, to have the New Generation KW T680 on the road. Most recently, in August, we rolled out a brand-new pay package for our professional drivers. Our employee owners deserve nothing less than the best, and we will always do what we can to give you just that. Like I have said many times before, if you continue to choose us, we will continue to invest in you.
I appreciate each and every one of you, and thank you for everything you do!
–Greg Thompson Chief Executive Officer & President
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THE SAFETY MESSAGE
Happy fall season, everyone! Can you believe that 2021 is winding to an end? This has definitely been an interesting year, but we are all getting through it. We just wrapped up National Driver Appreciation Week, and I want to thank each and every commercial vehicle operator, as well as their families, for what you do to keep the country moving forward.
Along with the beautiful leaves and brisk morning temperatures, fall also brings some other things:
At 65 mph, you are covering 95 feet per second, and knowing that it takes a CMV around a football field to stop, every second counts. Don’t allow yourself to become complacent or distracted while driving. Your life or someone else’s life depends on it! Again, thank you all for what you do and for being part of the Big G family. Stay safe, conduct good pre- and post-trip inspections, and always use three points of contact any time you are entering or exiting a piece of equipment. IKE drivers, be especially aware of your surroundings when you are securing a load. Know where any trip hazards may be and keep the area around your feet free from anything that could make you lose your balance or fall. We want you all to arrive safely. Be safe, everyone!
• School Zones! Pay attention to the warning lights in school zones. Never speed through a school zone.
• School Buses! Pay attention to school buses loading and unloading children. Look for the flashing red lights and the STOP signal on the side of the bus. Generally speaking, unless the road is separated by a median or some type of barrier, you must stop for a bus when the sign is out and lights are flashing. • Weather! Even though it is officially fall, there are times when you can see extreme weather. Fog, rain, and even snow can be common during this time of year. If you don’t feel safe driving in inclement weather, then don’t drive. Communicate with operations so they know what is going on with you. Also, decrease your speed and increase your following distance when in inclement weather.
Until next time, –Tim Clark VP of Safety
Please continue focusing on your driving habits. It’s easy to get complacent or distracted, but you have to remain focused at all times.
DEF tank. This practice is the best preventative measure you can take to keep the aftertreatment system working properly.
SHOP TIPPS
Computer chips are another major issue in the trucking industry. We have been fortunate that we are still receiving new equipment, but it has not been on time. Kenworth, like all truck makers, has thousands of units built that are waiting on electronic equipment. Dash clusters, window switches, Chassis ECU’s, and brake controller equipment have been in short supply because of the chip shortage. What caused the chip shortage? A plant in Japan, which provided 70% of the automotive chip market, caught fire last year and was completely destroyed. It has proven to be very difficult to replace that type of supply. (Fact: The average well-equipped car manufactured in the U.S. has as many as 1,200 computer chips.) I want to finish with a big thank-you to all the drivers, technicians, and office staff that keep this company running. We rightfully celebrate the drivers who put in the miles that drive the revenue, but it takes a village to make it all work, and I really think we have the best village around! Thanks, everyone! –Tim Tipps VP of Maintenance
Drivers, what a crazy time we are experiencing in 2021. From COVID-19 to chemical shortages and part shortages, we are experiencing transportation interruptions like we have not seen in my lifetime. I want you all to know that we are working hard to secure the supplies we need. Laura and Paula, along with Eugene and Michael, work tirelessly to find the parts needed to keep our trucks running. Given the problem it has been, I want everyone to know it is not from lack of effort on our part. The biggest problem we have is the DEF quality sensors failures. Depending on the source you reference, it is reported that there are back-orders of more than 30,000 sensors. I also want to share that it is all OEM brands and not just the KW. I attended the ATA/TMC meeting in Cleveland, and it is the No. 1 problem for all fleets. After speaking to many of the fleets that attended, I am confident we have fared much better with part deliveries than most fleets, but there is much room for improvement. I was asked recently by one of our drivers who had a DEF sensor failure what he could have done to prevent the failure. I really don’t know if it would have prevented the failure, but keeping your DEF tank full would be a good practice. Every time you buy fuel, top off the
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ELITE FLEET
PERFECT INSPECTIONS FOR JUNE/JULY/AUGUST
RICHARD RAMOS JAMES BLANKENSHIP AARON PETTIGREW ERNEST EICK JR STEVEN ECKERT SETH NICHOLAS HAROLD SMART LAMONT HILL JASON HUCKLEBERRY MICHAEL LITTRELL RICHARD E ANDERSON JUAN M SEIDE YUSUEL PEREZ SHAWN SHEELY JASON HOWARD WILLIAM JONES (SHOP) JOHNSON RUCKER GARLAND MULLINS SR
TIMOTHY CHELETTE RODNEY S SIMMONS CHARLES THOMAS KARL MUNDT RICKY REED JAMES BEHELER JASON HOWARD ROBERT NEWKIRK DAVID G WHITE MICHAEL LOBSIGER JACOB AXTON PHILIP WHITTINGTON CLINE DOTSON BOBBY BOURNE KENNETH CARRICO EDDIE MOSLEY DAVID CALDWELL JR SHAWN DAVIS
RICHARD RAMOS LESLEA HOWELL DAVID CULBERTSON ROY MCCAW BRIAN RINGLE JASON BECK DONNA BROOKS JAMISON C WARFIELD
JUNE/JULY/AUGUST
1,000,000 Accident-Free Miles Richard Scott Charles Thomas Kyle Cantor 500,000 Accident-Free Miles Michael Thomas Charlie Hall Gregory O’Brien Timothy Golden David Culbertson James Bayless 250,000 Accident-Free Miles Kelly Cash Gregory Stockton Mark Krieger Sharla Owens
EARL HENRICK JR BRIAN C LINDSEY MICHAEL CRUZEN GREG HOWARD
SCOTT RODENBAUGH JOHNATHON JOHNSON EDWARD BLAHA
DAMON JOHNSON MICHAEL PHELAN
Dennis Jensen Randell Lewis Jeremy Souza Timothy Tucker
Eric Harrison Brian Ringle William Gale
THANK YOU to every driver who received a PERFECT INSPECTION. THANK YOU to our Elite Fleet drivers — you represent over 11 million safe miles. We appreciate your dedication to SAFETY and to protecting our employee-owned company! –Greg Thompson, CEO & President –Kristi McFarland, Executive Vice President
125,000 Accident-Free Miles Michael Morey Donald Smith Christopher Bush Victor Green Scott Rodenbaugh David Everhart Barry Guy Jordan Edwards David Caldwell Jeffery Lafoon Joseph Benson Vincent Willmarth Earnest Russell Michael Littrell Scott Taif
A CLEAN CAB CAN MEAN A FREE PASS! Inspectors assume that if the cab and dashboard are clean and well cared for, then most of the time, the rest of the truck will be well cared for, too. CLEANLINESS COUNTS.
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DRIVERS MONTH of the
JUNE
STEVEN HARTKE Steve joined Big G in June 2011. He started his trucking career in 1987 with Mitchel Transport, which was a flatbed company. His favorite roads to travel are scenic two-lanes — they are a little harder to navigate with 18 wheels but worth it. He lives in Knoxville, TERRY HOWE Terry started with Big G in November 2018. His first driving job was with Challenger Motor Freight in Ohio — he drove for them for three years out of the Nashville terminal. Just before joining Big G, he worked for Nationwide Express. His favorite road to travel is the route from Smyrna, Tennessee, to Laredo,
He lives in Archdale, North Carolina, and when out of the truck, he likes to rest and do work around the house. His advice for new drivers: Don’t get overconfident, don’t ever think you know it all, and try to learn something new every day. and the Dakotas. He lives in Maryville, Tennessee, with his wife and two fur babies. On the weekends, he likes to relax with his wife and watch YouTube videos. His advice for new drivers: There is money to be made in trucking as long as you are willing to put the time in; also don’t turn down any loads. Tennessee, with his wife of 13 years. On the weekends, he enjoys riding his motorcycle and doing honey-do’s around the house. His advice for new drivers: You learn something new every day. Be sure to be open-minded so you can take it in. Texas. He currently lives in Holladay, Tennessee, and, during his time off, he likes to work around the house and visit with family. His advice for new drivers: Make sure that nothing is behind you when you back up, pay close attention to the mirrors, and be aware of the surrounding area.
JULY
CHRIS VANOVER Chris started with Big G in October 2016. Before joining the Big G team, he hauled coal. One of his most memorable moments was being pulled up a mountain by a dozer when he was in the coal fields.
ADAM STAUFFER Adam joined Big G in October 2020. He got his start in trucking with TMC flatbed and worked there for about seven years hauling over-size equipment. Before joining Big G, he worked for a company pulling a bulk tank. One of his favorite areas to drive in is out West —Montana
AUGUST
KENNETH HOOLEY Ken started driving for Big G back in October 2011. His first driving job was with SSS Flatbed. He has also pulled a bulk tank and dry-box trailers. One of his most memorable moments was the day he got hired on with Big G. He lives in Tippecanoe, Indiana, with his wife of 42 years and four donkeys. When
not driving, they really enjoy spending time relaxing around a campfire. His advice for new drivers: Communication with your driver manager is key. It takes a while to build confidence in each other, but this will be a key to driving success.
JOE DASHER Joe joined Big G in February 2020. He started trucking in 1986, driving a wrecker. His first over-the-road job was with a flatbed company out of Indiana. One of the best parts of driving is being able to see all the sights,
especially out West with little traffic. He lives in Starke, Florida, with his wife and enjoys firing up one of his many barbecue smokers on the weekends.
His advice for new drivers: Listen, learn, and pay attention.
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WELCOME TO CHRIS’ CORNER
NATIONAL TRUCK DRIVER APPRECIATION WEEK 2021 This is also the time of year where we start seeing an increase in cargo theft. During Driver Appreciation Week, I saw quite a few of you roll through the shop bay at 840 with loaded trailers that had no locks on them. Whenever you roll out of the gates with an unlocked or unsecure trailer, you are making us and our customers easy targets for criminals. Please don’t cut corners when it comes to safety or security. Let’s end the year on a good note and make safety and security a priority. We have gotten a lot of positive feedback over the past couple months about the monthly mileage bonus. Everyone I have spoken to was very happy to see it go back into effect. I am glad to see so many of you take advantage of it. I don’t know about you, but the Amazon van is in my driveway weekly from October to late December — delivering packages my wife has ordered. Every cent counts this time of year, so don’t leave any money on the table. We are always available for you if you would like to sit down and go over your miles with you. Sometimes very small adjustments could make a big difference in your weekly earnings. Well, we made it to fall, and before you know it, most of us will be gathered up with family expressing gratitude for the year we have had so far. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all once again for the sacrifice you make each day out on the road away from home. We say it a lot because it’s true, ”We can’t do this without you!” I would also like to congratulate Matt Barbee on his recent promotion to director of operations. Matt, like myself, started out working on the night crew, and he has put in a lot of hard work to get where he is now. I know from speaking to Matt that he is ready for this new challenge, and he looks forward to helping you all out in any way he can. Congratulations again, Matt! Food, fun, and fellowship made our 2021 Driver Appreciation Week a special one. Thank you to all of our drivers and their families who sacrifice so much! We appreciate YOU!
Lastly, thank you all for the great turnouts at the summer cookouts. Getting to spend one-on-one time with you, and listening to what we are doing right or wrong, is a very valuable tool we use to make this the place drivers want to be.
Thanks for your time — and be safe! –Chris Kelly VP of Operations
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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
190 Hawkins Dr. Shelbyville, TN 37160 931-684-9140 www.biggexpress.com
INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1 2 3 4 5 A MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO, GREG THOMPSON THE SAFETY MESSAGE SHOP TIPPS PERFECT INSPECTIONS ELITE FLEET DRIVERS OF THE MONTH CHRIS’ CORNER DRIVER APPRECIATION WEEK
DRIVER REFERRAL PROGRAM
IT’S A GREAT TIME TO START
If you need help with your recruiting efforts or personalized business cards, call recruiting today at 931-680-1664 , and we will help in any way! Thank you for what you do each and every day — and May the Force be with YOU. –Terry Conquest And your Big G Express and IKE Transportation Recruiting Teams.
We hope all of you had a good summer with warmer weather, family outings, kids and grandkids’ ball games, and more. Cooler weather is just around the corner, but our Driver Referral Program and our recruiting efforts are hotter than ever. Who wouldn’t want an extra $500 every 30 days until our $2,500 bonus is paid out. And not to mention the first $500 is paid the very week they go out. This is a great time to get in on the extra cash that can benefit you and your family. Holidays are around the corner, and so, the cash can be as well. A few pointers in your efforts are: 48 cpm starting pay, monthly mileage bonus pay of 1–4 extra cpm paid every month, safety bonus, fuel and performance bonus, not to mention employee owned with free retirement, which you are fully vested in after only three years (401(k) pay with 10% company match), BCBS insurance, dental, vision, life, and much more. We have some of the best equipment and the best operations/planning team in the industry to take care of any need that you and your family might have. I want to thank all of you who are currently taking advantage of this program, and I hope to see the list grow through the rest of the year.
UPCOMING EVENTS
November 2021 Thanksgiving Day Nov. 25 December 2021 Wreaths Across America Toys for Tots Toy Drive
Christmas Day Dec. 25 January 2022 Biggest Loser Contest New Year’s Day Jan. 1
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