July/August 2019
2018 ESOP STOCK PRICE ANNOUNCED
BIG G’S 10TH ANNUAL ESOP MEETING AT THE NASHVILLE ZOO Wow! I can’t think of another word that properly describes how I feel about our 10th annual ESOP meeting on July 13 at the Nashville Zoo! I’ll say it again … WOW!
Much of the improvement in our value was driven by a strong pricing environment in 2018. In fact, we grew our linehaul revenue 12% despite the growth in the number of units generating revenue increasing only marginally. Needless to say, this trend is likely not sustainable with the uncertainties of the economy in the next 12–18 months. However, revenue growth is vital to our stock price, so it is likely that any growth in revenue over that period going forward will stem from internal growth or acquisition of another company rather than pricing increases. We also announced that we are preparing to finalize plans for a new driver service facility at 840. This new facility will allow us to better take care of our professional drivers and will allow us to provide better facilities for maintenance and operations personnel who work out of that location. There were several other great moments I won’t list, but if you’d like to see a video of the meeting and get a view of the great crowd we had, go to Facebook or YouTube. (Youtu.be/-4OgV_TN27s) One final note: On Saturday, Aug. 17, we will have a family gathering at the Tennessee Smokies baseball game, and we hope to see as many of you there as possible. Watch for details on how to sign up to attend! Thank you for all you do to make the Big G family of companies great! –Randy Vernon, President
Any time we can get a few folks together to talk about all the great things going on at the Big G family of companies is impressive enough, but to have over 400 at one time, well, that is just incredible! The highlight of the meeting was naturally the announcement of our 2018 stock price, which came in at $49.40 per share. That is a $4.64 per share increase. When you take into account the additional shares granted to employee-owner accounts, the average ESOP account value went up significantly! This is pretty impressive considering all that is required to benefit from the ESOP is a little hard work and loyalty!
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impact on your driving, so it is important as a professional driver to undergo regular medical exams and certification. Common health conditions that can lead to disqualification include heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and sleep apnea. These conditions can be improved, or avoided altogether, by living a healthy lifestyle. The bottom line is that staying healthy is important to keep your medical certification and your driving career on track. 3. YOUR SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF OTHERS: Serious crashes have occurred as a result of drivers experiencing health emergencies while driving. Staying healthy, seeing your doctor regularly, and seeking treatment for medical problems can help keep you and others on the road safe. Staying healthy isn’t always easy, but, considering the impact it can have on your life and career, it’s important. Focus on these key steps to live a safe and healthy life. • Eat healthy. Eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains every day. Avoid foods and drinks high in calories, sugar, salt, and fat. Limit alcohol. • Be active. Be active at least 2 1/2–5 hours per week. Include activities that raise your heart rate and strengthen your muscles. This can help you maintain a healthy weight, reduce high blood pressure, and reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes, heart attack, stroke, and cancer. Tips for Getting on the Road to Better Health
THREE REASONS WHY DRIVER HEALTH AND WELLNESS MATTER
You might not realize it, but as a professional driver, you face health challenges many other people don’t. Spending hours behind the wheel each day can make it hard to stay fit. Driving in traffic can be stressful and exhausting. Healthy meal options can be hard to find. Irregular schedules, customer demands, and poor sleeping conditions can make it hard to get enough quality sleep. Over time, these factors can affect your well-being, your career, and your safety. Here are three reasons why your wellness matters. • Being healthy allows you to enjoy your life more. It helps you avoid physical limitations that can keep you from pursuing a hobby or joining in activities with family and friends. • Regular exercise and eating healthy can boost your energy and improve your mood. It can also help you feel better about your appearance and improve your self-esteem. • You might live longer. Research shows that a healthy lifestyle can add years to your life. The opposite is also true. Unhealthy habits like smoking, not exercising, and eating unhealthy foods can shorten your life. • It can save you money. Avoiding chronic health conditions can help you save money on prescription drugs, doctor visits, and medical procedures. 1. YOUR WELL-BEING: Good health can make your life better.
• Quit smoking. People who stop smoking greatly reduce their risk for disease and early death.
• Get adequate sleep. Most healthy adults require 7–9 hours of sleep each night to feel fully rested.
• See your doctor. Ask how you can lower your risk of health problems. Ask about any exams, tests, and medications you need and when you need them.
2. YOUR CAREER: Driving a heavy truck safely requires skill, good judgment, and constant alertness. Your health can have an
Zach loves Big G because he knows they will get him home to New York with no questions asked. “I was here about a year and a half when my wife’s grandfather passed away, and I asked for a load to get to New York to be with her, and they got me a load there without any questions asked. That was the day I decided I was going to stay at Big G until I retire or they shut the doors.”
DRIVER OF THE YEAR!
Zachary Bonomo has been selected as Driver of the Year for Big G Express. Zach joined the Big G family in January 2015 with just six months of OTR experience. He has driven over 500,000 accident-free miles and consistently ranks in the top three of the fleet for mileage. Zachary has a great attitude and is always positive, even if the situation is not ideal. He is a team player and is always willing to help and do anything that is asked of him.
His advice for new drivers is to “take every load they throw at you as long as it does not mess with your home time because, eventually, it all adds up.” Zach lives in Pulaski, Tennessee, with his wife, Katie, and sons, Landen, 7, and Bennet, 3. When he isn’t out on the road, he enjoys spending time with his family!
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May/June ELITE FLEET
PERFECT INSPECTIONS FOR MAY/JUNE
MIKE MCCAULEY MARKUS SHINLEVER JAMES DAVID HICKS JOHN ROARK ROBIN BAKER THOMAS WIECZOREK ALAN AUBIN
GARY ERGLE GARVIN AUSTIN ROBERT BROWN TODD DARNELL
THOMAS JOHNSON DONALD AMAN TERRY CREECH ALF PEDERSEN KYLE CANTOR SEAN HUNT DARRELL ROBINS JAMES LANGLEY RAYMOND VAUGHN JAMES BELLAVIA ANTONIO PEARCE SR MICHAEL SLAVEN JOHN CHAPMAN TIMOTHY TUCKER BRIAN POGUE JAMES WILSON
1,000,000 Accident-Free Miles Maria Smith 500,000 Accident-Free Miles James Hall
RONALD CAROWICK GLEN GRABKOWITZ JEFFREY BAKER CARLIN DAVID HICKS JAMES MILLER DAVID PRUITT HIRAM CRITTENDON JR JAMES KELLEY JIMMY LESPERANCE MELISA LOTT RICHARD SCOTT OLAJUWAN MEREDITH-VANCE
Mark Hall Kevin Higgins
Thomas Dye Ricky Bolick Jay Weinstein
Zachary Bonomo Arthur Bingham
CARL FERGUS II PAUL SCHWARTZ PATRICK FARRAR BERNARD CHEEK FRED SMITH AARON BROOKS KELLY CASH JEREMIAH SIMS
250,000 Accident-Free Miles David Kinsler Donald Aman
James Schoenfeld Steven Thompson Gregory Lott David Culbertson
John Click Don Jones
William Sabo Bryan Taylor Larry Hoeper Phillip Vannoy Carlin Hicks Michael Myers Wesley Barwick
Charles Mixon Leslea Howell David Fisher James Bayless Mark Krieger Dennis Rogers
125,000 Accident-Free Miles Robert Kinnan Philip Whittington
Carl Davis Ryan Herron Carl Bissick James Hicks Cochise Mullins Herbert Green Brian Shelton Denise Becraft James Bagby Randy Moody Joseph Ensor Jerome Woodard Robert Cross
James Scott James Jarriel
John Reynolds Aaron Pettigrew Dennis McDole Albert Brown David Tanganelli David Taylor Breck Orshal Statavious Cheek David Paschal
BIG G’S FOURTH ANNUAL CHARITY RIDE BENEFITING ST. JUDE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL RAISED $14,638! Thank you to everyone who donated and participated! We recognized Tim Chelette for his effort organizing and putting on this great ride! His efforts (with the help of his wife, Teresa) have raised over $30,000 over the past four years. Can’t wait until next year!
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DRIVERS MONTH of the MAY
DONALD AMAN
time.” Donald says he came to Big G because he always heard good, never bad, things, and he’s very happy here. His advice for new drivers is, “Take it slow and think about what you are doing. Don’t get in a rush and don’t get excited.” Donald lives in Cornersville, Tennessee, and when he isn’t out on the road, he enjoys tournament fishing.
Donald has been part of the Big G family since December 2016 and a professional driver since 1995. When asked what makes Big G stand out from other carriers, Donald says, “I am trusted to get the load where it needs to be on time, and dispatch doesn’t micromanage and check on me all the
THOMAS JOHNSON
home time. People think the grass is greener but often find out it is not. Big G sticks to their word, and if they say this is how it is going to be, it usually happens. I get along great with my driver supervisor.” His advice for new drivers is, “Every new job is hard because no one likes change. If you can stick it out for the first 3–6 months, you get used to it and become a well-oiled machine.” Thomas lives in Chandler, Texas, and when he isn’t out on the road, he enjoys spending all his time with his kids, his 14-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter.
Thomas joined the Big G family in June 2017 and has been a professional driver since 2005. When asked what makes Big G stand out from other carriers, Thomas says, “We have good equipment, decent home time, and we are employee-owned. I have worked for some pretty bad companies before – 28 cpm, no benefits, and bad
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about me, and I like that Mr. Vernon is so accessible. It isn’t often that you have access to talk to the president of the company!” His advice for new drivers is, “Keep your nose clean. Do everything that is asked and take care of the equipment and the customers, so you have a leg to stand on if you need to turn down a load.” David lives in Clarksville, Tennessee, and says his goal on Monday morning when he leaves is to get back home to his wife, son, and three grandchildren. When he isn’t out on the road, he enjoys spending time with his family, no matter what they are doing. at Big G are easy to get along with, and I am making more money than I made with my previous company.” Raymond also says he has the best driver manager here at Big G. His advice to new drivers is, “It is easier to keep a job than look for another one. Every company will have their ups and downs, but it is worth it to stick it out and give it time.” Raymond lives in Greeneville, Tennessee, and, when he isn’t out on the road, he enjoys spending time with his family.
David became part of the Big G family in December 2016 and has been a professional driver since 1993. When asked what makes Big G stand out from other carriers, David says, “I like it because they give me input on loads I take and loads that don’t work; it is not forced dispatch. I have a great driver manager who makes me feel like he is concerned Raymond has been part of the Big G family since June 2017 and has only driven for one other company for 21 years. After the company sold to investors, he says it went downhill, and they were going to cut his pay, so he left. He chose to work for Big G because it was closer to his house. When asked what makes Big G stand out from other carriers, he says, “The people RAYMOND BRAGG
PUZZLE TIME! Our fleet idle time is creeping up, and we need your help to get this under control. Just as a reminder, our policy is to always turn off the main engine when you set your brakes. The APU will keep your truck’s HVAC and hotel needs fulfilled. Many have called me about having the APU worked on many August Word Search SHOP TIPPS The new stock price is out, and because of all the great employee- owners we have, we can celebrate this achievement. We are blessed with great people who understand that if you work hard, you will be rewarded. If you were at the company picnic, you may have heard that we want to improve the driver services at the Mount Juliet location. As you have seen in ETN, we are committed to improving driver amenities. We have plans in the near future that I think you will find impressive. If you missed the company event at the zoo in Nashville, you will have another opportunity to join us Aug. 17 at the Smokies game in Kodak, Tennessee. The Smokies are the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs and will be taking on the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, the Double-A squad from the Marlins organization. Don’t miss out! Game time is 7 p.m. We will have 200 new trailers showing up in the fourth quarter, as we have purchased Great Dane and Stoughton trailers for the fleet. We should see these new units start rolling in sometime in September.
times and is still failing. We try very hard to keep these units running at optimum levels, but there will be times when we miss something. When you write up the APU or anything on your tractor for repair, please make sure you give us a complete story. When does it quit, and what are you doing when it does act up? These details are very helpful when trying to diagnose an APU. They are very complicated components, and we need good info to be able to make a good repair. Thanks for all you do, and I look forward to seeing you at the Smokies game Aug. 17! –Tim Tipps
JUICY LUCY SLIDERS
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INGREDIENTS
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• 16 small potato rolls, toasted • Salt and pepper, to taste • Your favorite burger accompaniments
• 2 lbs ground chuck beef, 20% lean • 8 slices melting cheese
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F L E M N P O K C A B R B X N Z B D H L A Z O N A E Q C R M L S N I C N S P L M W Z T E I I L E S K A H P M L E A V E S W S A T J L E U H U J A Y W I V R K F U C S T W T U E F H O U Q J Q T H N B Z A D U F J T D A A S E I E F J U T K G V S R W M R Y L O W D Q M J G X U F X O J V L F O Y W K J K S G D U Y F R Y H E K Q T Y T Q U Y I H G M N I L F M F Y O I A
(like American, Swiss, Muenster, or cheddar)
DIRECTIONS
1. Divide beef into 16 evenly sized balls. 2. Rip cheese into roughly equal pieces, creating 16 equal portions.
3. Using your index finger, create a small indentation in each ball. 4. Fill indention with cheese and pinch meat around to seal. Then gently form balls into 3/4-inch-thick patties. Season patties. 5. Meanwhile, heat a cast-iron skillet to medium-high. 6. Lightly coat skillet with oil and cook patties in batches. Brown one side undisturbed, about 3 minutes. Carefully flip and cook until desired doneness, about 3 minutes for medium. 7. Serve on toasted potato rolls with your favorite accompaniments.
CHILDREN END SCHOOL TEACHERS
BACK COOL LEAVES SUPPLIES
AUGUST CHILLY FALL SUMMER
AUGUST CHILLY
BACK COOL
CHILDREN
END
FALL
LEAVES SUPPLIES
SCHOOL
SUMMER
TEACHERS
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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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OUR MEETING AT THE NASHVILLE ZOO
THREE REASONS WHY DRIVER HEALTH AND WELLNESS MATTER
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SHOP TIPPS JUICY LUCY SLIDERS
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REAL PEOPLE, REAL MONEY
REAL PEOPLE: REAL MONEY
The account average for someone receiving their first statement (as of the end of 2018) is $3,594 for those who entered the plan on July 1, 2018, and $6,617 for those who entered the plan on Jan. 1, 2018. Drivers hired between Jan. 1 and the end of June 2016 (including any IKE employees who were at IKE when Big G acquired them in June 2016) entered the plan on July 1, 2017, and their first statement average (for plan year 2017–18) was $2,587, and the 2018 statement average for this same group of drivers was up to $11,088!
Here are just a few reminders about the basics of our ESOP plan.
Here are a few real examples of driver accounts, so you can see how the ESOP is creating wealth for many employees! Remember, this is NO MONEY OUT OF YOUR POCKET! As of the end of 2018, we have 50 drivers with over $70,000 in their accounts, and 33 of those drivers have over $100,000. We have over 200 active drivers who are vested (meaning they’ve been here for at least three years). We are building wealth for our employee-owners, and the accounts are growing each year. Distributions paid to employees who have retired or separated from Big G through Dec. 31, 2017, are over $3.5 million combined!
Participation : Generally, you must work for one year and enter the following July 1 or Jan. 1. If you were hired prior to July 1, 2017, you will have a statement for 2018. Be sure to check your mail or check online at Swerdlin.com under “Participant.” For your first time logging in, use your Social Security number (no dashes) as the username and the last four digits for the password.
Shares Allocated : You will receive shares based on compensation and years of service.
If you have any questions about the ESOP, please contact Jodi Lamb at jodilamb@biggepxress.com or 931-680-3243!
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