FALL 2018
THE BIG G EXPRESS EMPLOYEE STOCK OWNERSHIP PLAN 10-YEAR EMPLOYEE RETIRES WITH OVER $80,000 IN FREE RETIREMENT Since 2009, Big G Express has been 100 percent employee-owned, which has since benefited our employees substantially. Our employees earn shares in the company based on their years of experience and compensation, with no money out of their pockets. Big G is still privately held, with an independent valuation each year to determine our stock value, which started out at $5.88 per share and has now increased up to $44.79 at the end of 2017. Many of our employees are reaping the benefits of this increase in stock value, such as our former employee Darrell West. Darrell worked for Big G Express for 10 years, from 2007 until his retirement in December of last year at the age of 66. Our distribution policy pays the ESOP in a lump sum if the participant is 65 or older. We pay the ESOP balance based on the stock price of the year the participant separates from Big G and make those payments annually by the end of the calendar year following the year they leave. In Darrell’s case, he retired on Dec. 31, 2017, and will receive a distribution form this fall with the option to either roll over the lump sum to another qualified retirement plan, such as a 401(k) or IRA., and defer the taxes, or take the check. He will then receive his benefit or roll over by the end of 2018.
The choice to retire at the end of last year benefited Darrell more significantly than if he had chosen to do so a few years prior. If he had retired from Big G prior to age 65, he would have had access to one-fifth of his balance over five years. If he had worked one day into the current year, retiring on Jan. 1, 2018, Darrell would have delayed his distribution until the end of 2019, and he would have been paid the 2018 stock price. The timing of retirement and the distribution is something to think about when planning for your retirement. You’ll see Darrell in the picture along with another one of our drivers, Carlyn “Ronnie” Moore. Ronnie retired at the beginning of 2015 and had over $60,000 in his retirement after working for Big G for over 10 years. He is enjoying the convertible Corvette he purchased after his retirement a few years ago. Darrell, however, received over $80,000 in his retirement! By working until the end of 2017, Darrell received three more allocations of shares (2015, 2016, and 2017) than Ronnie. Recently, we spoke with Darrell about his retirement. “I had enough in the ESOP program to buy an RV,” he explains, standing outside his newly bought Greyhound. “The wife said she wanted to do some traveling, so we bought the RV when I retired last December.” Since his retirement, Darrell has been very grateful for the program. “The ESOP Program — I didn’t pay anything into it. It’s a good incentive program, and now I’m reaping the benefits from it. It went up from $75,000 to $83,000 in there this year, so it’s paid a majority of this RV off. We’re going to do some things we need to do before we can’t do them anymore.”
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(855) 698-7130
A MESSAGE FROM THE SALES TEAM
PERFECT INSPECTIONS FOR JUNE, JULY & AUGUST James Bayless Jason Beck
James Parker Timothy Renfroe (2) Ronnie Rice Dennis Rogers Joshua Sager James Santana Paul Schultz Paul Schwartz (3) Michael Sheroan Michael Slaven Harold Stafford Doyle Story Andrew Thomas Larry Uland William Vogt Jamal Wallace Jay Weinstein Jeremy Scott Brian Shelton
Sammy Dean Kenneth Depenbrok Daniel Dutkiewicz David Fisher Michael Fontenot Steven Freeman (2) Edward Gammon (2) Joshua Gardner Jackie Glaser Charlie Hall William Harris Eric Harrison Frederick Hill (2) William House Michael Lobsiger David Loesch Gregory Lott Samuel McDow (2) Charles Mixon Raymond O’Brien
Tommy Borden Bobby Bourne Roger Bradley (2) Raymond Bragg Aaron Brooks Bryan Cain Kyle Cantor (2) Timothy Chelette Brian Childers Carlada Christian Brian Clay Bradley Coomer Charles Cravens (2) Danny Croft Robert Cross Hallam Culbreth William Cunningham Daniel Dawes
Greetings from the Sales Team! We are moving into a great time of year — football, holidays, cooler weather, and surge time for our customers. I wanted to let you guys know how much the sales team appreciates what you do every day! As you know, the market is very busy right now, and our customers are putting demands on us like we have never seen. We have new customers coming on, and we have existing customers we are growing with. None of this would be possible without the hard work you guys put in every single day! As we sit with our customers, the No. 1 thing they ask is that we communicate. This time of year, when their docks and yards are very congested, it is very important to communicate. If you have an issue on the road that puts your load in jeopardy for on-time delivery, please communicate as quickly as you can with your driver manager. That way we can give the customer a heads up before you arrive for delivery. Thank you for what you do, and keep those leads coming! Big G has made an investment in your safety by installing SmartDrive Cameras in our fleet. We have installed about 150 so far and have already seen an improvement in those trucks. The SmartDrive program is an easy-to-use safety program that helps improve driving skills and protects against fraudulent claims. It’s used by hundreds of fleets and thousands of drivers every day. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a rookie, you can see immediate improvements and get recognition for your good driving skills. • It can help you when something happens and it’s not your fault by providing documentation and context for the event. • You can use it to document traffic, service delays, locked gates or blocked entries, and passenger safety or security threats. • It identifies defensive driving and other good driving skills. SmartDrive is intended to promote positive, closed-loop communication that recognizes good driving skills and identifies risky maneuvers that are opportunities for improvement. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Is the camera always recording? The SmartRecorder is recording, but only saves a 20-second event when triggered. In addition, videos can be triggered up to one hour
S mart D rive FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
after the engine is turned off to capture events, such as damage to the vehicle while it is parked. If something happens and it is not my fault or it’s a situation I want my supervisor to see, how can I record the event? Simply press the manual button on the keypad/fob. It will record a 20-second event: 10 seconds before and 10 seconds after. Is the video secure? Yes, SmartDrive uses a proprietary video format that can only be viewed on our event player. Only designated managers within your organization have access to the videos. Is SmartDrive only used for disciplinary or punitive purposes? No, SmartDrive is intended to promote positive, closed-loop communication that recognizes good driving skills and identifies risky maneuvers that are opportunities for improvement. Who looks at the videos? SmartDrive’s expert review team analyzes videos according to a standardized set of observations. They do not have access to the driver or company details, making the process both fair and anonymous. Videos are provided to your fleet and prioritized for coaching based on your organization’s guidelines.
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FOR A DRIVER YOU REFER AND WE HIRE , YOU WILL RECEIVE:
$500 AT 30 DAYS OF SERVICE $500 AT 60 DAYS OF SERVICE $500 AT 90 DAYS OF SERVICE $500 AT 120 DAYS OF SERVICE THAT’S $2,000 TO YOU!
BUT THAT’S NOT ALL!
ADD ON .01 CPM FOR EVERY MILE YOUR REFERRAL RUNS FOR 6 MONTHS , TO BE PAID MONTHLY ALSO, YOUR DRIVER REFERRAL WILL RECEIVE A $500 BONUS AFTER 120 DAYS OF SERVICE CALL RECRUITING FOR FREE DRIVER REFERRAL CARDS: (931) 680-3210
Name:_____________________________________________________________________
BIG G EXPRESS EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP MONTH 2018 Complete the following ESOP related crossword puzzle and return by October 26 th . Everyone that completes the puzzle will be entered in a drawing for gift cards! You can scan your completed puzzle in or drop it off at any terminal. Have Fun and Good Luck!!!
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Across 2 The _________ is legally obligated to protect the interests of the ESOP participants. 7 ___________ and Associates are the 3rd party administrator for our ESOP plan. 8 You become a participant after you have completed ____ year(s) and enter the following January 1st or July 1st. 10 Who is Big G's President? 11 Our shares are not ________ traded. 12 Your shares are based on ______________ and years of service. 13 You automatically start receiving stock once you are __________.
Down 1 It takes ____________ to make OUR company a success. 3 Once a year, employees receive an ESOP ____________ showing the number of shares and balance. 4 How many years do you have to be at Big G to be vested? 5 Our employee website link is _____________. 6 Each year eligible participants receive an __________ of shares. 9 Don't forget to designate your ________________.
DRIVERS MONTH of the JULY
LINDELL PLEASANT Lindell Pleasant joined the Big G family in March of this year. He has been a professional driver since August of
Your driver supervisor knows everyone’s name. They are honest and try everything they can to get me home when I ask.” Lindell’s advice for new drivers is, “As long as you communicate with your dispatcher or anyone at Big G, everything rolls smoothly.” Lindell lives in Indian Mound, Tenessee, and when he isn’t out on the road, he enjoys spending time with his wife, fishing, and riding his motorcycle. His advice for new drivers is, “Listen to the old-timers, and you will learn more. You can learn something new every day.” Bryan lives in Parsons, Tenessee, and when he isn’t out on the road, he enjoys cooking on his smoker and barbecuing.
ELITE FLEET June, July & August 1,000,000 Accident-Free Miles James Goad Timothy Edwards James Vaughan 500,000 Accident-Free Miles James Langley Darren Holloway James Kelley Robin Baker Dennis Spires Robin Baker 250,000 Accident-Free Miles Marc Croteau David Thompson
2015, just after he retired from the military with 22 1/2 years of service in the Army.
When asked what makes Big G stand out from other carriers, Lindell says, “Big G doesn’t treat you like a number, but rather as a human being.
BRYAN TAYLOR Bryan Taylor has been part of the Big G family since July of 2016 and has been a professional driver for over 39 years.
When asked what makes Big G stand out from other carriers, Bryan says, “The family time and the fact that I can get home on the weekends.”
Kenneth Depenbrok Bradley Coomer Robert McGuire Timothy Golden Alfred Avery Edward Linkous Timothy Baer Thomas Johnson Charles Holland Edward Owen Andrew Strickland Brian Pogue David Spear Raymond Bragg Gregory Dixon
AUGUST
Bryan Cain Alan Aubin
Randolph Louk Anthony Wiley Joseph Hatcher Gerald Greenough
MISTY MARR
home. If there are any problems or safety issues, they fix it and they understand!”
Misty Marr joined the Big G family in January of 2016 and has been a professional driver for seven years.
Misty’s advice for new drivers is, “Don’t try to take on too much too fast. Give Big G a chance and don’t just walk away. It is worth the wait!” Misty lives in Lebanon, Tenessee, and when she isn’t out on the road, she enjoys spending time with her fiancé.
125,000 Accident-Free Miles Stanley Aldridge Michael Seagle
Robert Payne Joshua Jordan Robert Laster
When asked what makes Big G stand out from other carriers, Misty says, “I love the company, and when I need to get home, they get me
Almeda Bariteau Bobby Buffington Gregory Jobe Lawrence Cook
ROBERT “SCOTT” PAYNE
Scott’s advice for new drivers is, “I wouldn’t choose anywhere else. Big G is a wonderful company, and I love everyone I talk to, and they talk to me like family.”
Scott Payne has been part of the Big G family since August of 2017 and a professional driver since 2002.
Scott lives in Kingsport, Tenessee, and when he isn’t out on the road, he enjoys spending time with his family and especially his two wonderful little girls!
When asked what makes Big G stand out from other carriers, Scott says, “The thing that stands out most is that Big G is family oriented. It is a wonderful company, and I love it!”
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(855) 698-7130
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
190 Hawkins Dr. Shelbyville, TN 37160 (855) 698-7130 www.biggexpress.com
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
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THE BIG G EXPRESS ESOP
A MESSAGE FROM THE SALES TEAM SMARTDRIVE FAQS
DRIVERS OF THE MONTH ELITE FLEET
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
With one quarter of 2018 left in front of us, I will tell you that we have had a very good year. I will also tell you it could have been great. The difference between very good and great lies in the details. A great 2018 is still within our reach, but we have got to make sure we are focused on the details and the communication that it takes to get the most production out of our assets every day! If we improve our attention to detail and our communication at all levels, it will be amazing what the fourth quarter can bring. Thanks for all you do and please let me know if I can help you with anything. –Randy Vernon
It was so great to get a chance to see so many of our fellow owners and their families at the MTSU football game a couple of weeks ago. Since my time at 840 has been a little limited lately, it was a great opportunity to catch up with a lot of folks. other people from Truckload Carriers Association in our efforts to voice some of our business concerns to members of Congress. Hours of service reform will, of course, be high on our agenda, along with CDL age requirements and funding for highways and bridges. We’ll keep you posted on what we learn, but I believe the tide is turning our way when it comes to support on HOS. My plans the next couple of weeks include a trip to Washington, D.C., to join some
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