SUMMER 2021
When choosing where to invest and how we can make improvements, trust me when I say we are listening. You asked for the mileage bonus back and we answered. As of June 1, the driver monthly mileage bonus is back. This bonus is in addition to your base CPM and puts extra money in your pocket based on your hard work. A driver running 11,400-plus miles will bring home an additional $400–$500. The structure for the bonus is simple:
A MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO GREG THOMPSON
MILEAGE BONUS STRUCTURE
8,400 — Extra .01 cpm for all miles traveled
In my previous article, I spoke a lot about change. The thing about change is, most of the time, it is out of our control. Something I tell my children quite often is that it’s not about what happens to you, it’s about how you react. You, the employee owners, never cease to amaze me in how you react and adapt to change, and YOU are what sets Big G Express apart. Today I want to go in a different direction and talk about something that is in our control, and that is choices. We all make choices day in and day out that impact us as well as those around us. The choices we make put us in control of our day-to-day lives and our future. One important choice we all make is where we work and where we will eventually retire. I know you all have plenty of options when it comes to choosing a company, so let me start off by saying THANK YOU for choosing Big G Express. As an employee-owned company, we make choices on where to invest, and Big G chooses to invest right back into you, our employee owners!
9,400 — Extra .02 cpm for all miles traveled
10,400 — Extra .03 cpm for all miles traveled
11,400 — Extra .04 cpm for all miles traveled
The new Transflo system and the mileage bonus are just a couple ways we are choosing YOU in 2021!
As I talk about investments and the great things happening this year, that brings me to welcoming our new Chief Financial Officer, Roger Ross. Roger joined the company in April. With his vast knowledge and 22-plus years in the transportation industry, he will play a key role in the continuous growth and success of Big G Express. In closing, I hope you continue to choose Big G. I want you all to hang around and take advantage of your ESOP retirement one day. I can give you my word — if you continue to choose us, we
will continue to invest in you. Not all companies can say that and truly mean it, but we do.
GREAT THINGS ARE HAPPENING IN 2021!
One big investment we are making this year is the new Transflo system. Our transition from the Qualcomm system to the new Transflo system is a serious step-up in technology and is one way of making drivers’ lives better on the road. It also helps the office and maintenance team be more efficient in supporting the drivers and their needs. With the improvements and upgrades Transflo will bring to our team, we will all become better at serving our customers.
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
Well, summer is upon us once again! In some ways, January seems like it was just a few weeks ago, and in other ways, it seems like it was years ago. We are all seeing more traffic on the road as well as more road construction. With summer well underway, I want to remind you to manage your speed and following distance. This time of year, there are more people traveling on the roads and going on vacation. Do not allow yourself to get frustrated while driving. Many times that will lead to you being an aggressive driver. Do not risk your safety or someone else’s safety for a couple of miles per hour or just to get ahead by one or two car lengths. A safe and consistent approach will get the job done right every time. Folks, I am seeing articles and comments in the media relating to marijuana and CBD products. I want you all to make sure you understand the potential risk. Marijuana is classified as a Schedule I controlled substance by the DEA and, as described in 49 CFR 392.4, “No driver shall be on duty and possess, be under the influence of, or use, any of the following drugs or other substances: 1) Any 21 CFR 1308.011 Schedule I substance.” Then 392.4 goes on to describe the other drugs that are prohibited. The FMCSA regulations trump all other state and local laws. No form of marijuana is allowed while you are performing a safety sensitive function. In a similar manner, the CBD products you can buy over the counter, no matter how they are labeled, may have some form of THC and could possibly show up on a
DOT drug test. This is your livelihood and your career, so don’t put it in jeopardy by making a poor decision.
As you have probably heard, and some may have a truck already equipped with one, we have changed our telematics and ELD provider to Transflo. They utilize a portable tablet, and you can use the tablet or the Transflo app on your phone. We tested it extensively and think you all will be pleased with it. Once you are accustomed to it, we feel it will be easier to use and offer you more options than the former device.
Folks, you are appreciated more than you realize. Please continue to operate safely and adopt safety as a culture, not just something you do to stay out of trouble.
Until next time, –Tim Clark VP of Safety
SHOP TIPPS
We will be making another change this summer as we introduce the Transflo mobile telematics device to the Big G fleet. As many of you may know, the Omnitracs MCP200 units will become ineffective with the 3G sunset coming next year. Now that all phones and mobile devices are LTE or 4G capable, we are looking to improve the driver experience by offering a more robust tablet-based product. Most of you already use the Transflo application to do your scanning; now you will be able to unleash the power of the Transflo driver services application. We think you will enjoy the experience and the power available through the new telematics solution. I also want to let you know we are now open in Deason 24 hours from Sunday through Thursday a.m. to service your needs. Keep this in mind when you are coming through as we want to be the one to service your vehicles. Keep up the great work, and as always, thanks for what you do! –Tim Tipps VP of Maintenance
Drivers,
New trucks are coming! Kenworth Trucks will release the new body style in June this year. Big G Express will receive the first trucks to arrive in middle Tennessee, and we are looking forward to getting the new body style in our fleet. The new model will
still be called a T680, but the refreshed model will have different lines, a smaller grill, and a sleek new aerodynamics package. The dash will be updated with some new features, and the interior has been redesigned to add more comfort. Big G Express has a great working relationship with Kenworth, and we look forward to seeing this new body style with orange stripes!
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ELITE FLEET
PERFECT INSPECTIONS FOR FEB/MARCH/APRIL/MAY
FEB / MAR / APRIL / MAY
JASON GERARDO RONALD W. CAROWICK JOHN CARL MAXWELL MICHAEL KEITH DAWSON JR. PERRY W. HOLLIS STEVEN STRICKLAND TREVOR JOHN CRAWFORD GEORGE FREDRICK ZELINSKI STEPHEN ROBERT LOOKHOFF ALVARO PEREZ KYLE CANTOR DARRELL ROBINS DANNY LEE DEPRIEST TERRY RAY HOWE TERRANCE U. PITTS CORNELIUS JERELL DEVINE DONALD JASON COOK ERNEST VIVIEN SINGLEY BUFORD WAYNE DOOLEY MAMADOU DIOP
SCOTT JOSEPH TAIF KEVIN TUCKER STEPHEN DION RICHARDSON MICHAEL LOBSIGER EDDIE NORMAN BROWN EDWARD LEE OWEN LADARIUS TUGGERSON WILLIAM DAVID STUFFLE
JEREMY MARSHALL DYE JAMES MARCUS PARKER BENJAMIN BROWN GEORGE B. JENKINS GARLAND MULLINS SR. ALF JACOB PEDERSEN ROBERT WILSON STARK ADAM STAUFFER JIMMY W. LESPERANCE TIM DAVID TUCKER EDWARD LINKOUS JOHN ANTHONY CARDONE RODNEY S SIMMONS STEVEN THOMPSON MICHAEL CRUZEN JEFF D. LAFOON MICHAEL ARCHAMBEAULT CHARLES E. MITCHELL DANAIDES FRETT SR. BILLY DON HAYWOOD JOHN HERBERT CLICK
2,000,000 Accident-Free Miles Marvin Dunavent 1,000,000 Accident-Free Miles Michael Whobrey Bobby Bourne Perry Pope 500,000 Accident-Free Miles Casey Patrick John Click James Schoenfeld Donald Aman Antonio Pearce Joseph Hatcher John Marshall Raymond Day 250,000 Accident-Free Miles Johnny Jones
CHARLIE D HALL SR. RODNEY J. CHALFONT MARK RODEN SAMMY JOE DEAN
JAMES STEPHEN VAUGHAN MICHAEL BRENON CURRY TERRY RAY HOWE WILLIE G. FOSTER JR. CRAIG MICHAEL JACKSON JOHNNY DAVE JONES KENNETH MICHAEL CARRICO SUZANNE M. WEETER AUDRICK PONDER JOSEPH EUGENE SHIRLEY AMADOU DIOP
Brian Pogue Gather Evans Samuel McDow James Moore George Zelinski Mamadou Diop
Marvin Philemon Lindell Pleasant Joel Gibbs Robert Jones James Culbertson Anton J. Lednicky
ALAN LEE HUSMANN RICHARD ANTONICH STEVEN GRIM
ARGEST DORSEY ELVIS A. HODGES
JAMES CARL BLANKENSHIP JOSHUA THOMAS JORDAN
CASEY R. PATRICK EVA MICHELLE SEE
THANK YOU to every driver who received a PERFECT INSPECTION. THANK YOU to our Elite Fleet drivers — you represent over 15 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 Ryan Matheson Craig Brown Wade Thornburg Joe Dasher Scott Aliff Seth Nicholas Michael Dawson James Brown Curtis Black Nathaniel Bradley Larry Robertson Kentra Guyton Taylor Minton Rodney Chalfont Roy McCaw Jeremy Poteat David Williams Richard Gary Ralph Fuller William Hamlett David Donnell Robert Daniul Darrell Robins Damon Johnson 3 WWW.BIGGEXPRESS.COM
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.
DRIVERS MONTH of the
MARCH
KYLE CANTOR Kyle started with Big G in March of 2011. He started his trucking career in 1981 with the U.S. Army. Before joining the Big G team, he was delivering new trucks to dealerships. One of the most memorable moments of his trucking career was witnessing an accident in St. Louis, and he was able to use his truck to block traffic to assist the motorist and first responders. JAMES THOMPSON James joined the Big G team in November of 2015. Prior to working here, he hauled windows and doors for a private company. He saw a Big G truck and decided to give recruiting a call, and the rest is history. His first driving job was with Werner delivering to the Dollar General stores.
His advice for new drivers: Ya gotta stay in the seat to make money, pay attention, and use common sense. Just run the loads, whether short or long miles. He lives in Kodak, Tennessee, and when not trucking, he enjoys working on his Camaro and chilling in the hot tub.
His advice for new drivers: Be patient; things may not go your way, but they will always work out. He lives in Bassett, Virginia, and has been married 28 years, has two kids, and on his time off, he loves going to church. He also enjoys singing and playing pool.
APRIL
STEVEN THOMPSON Steven began driving for Big G in July of 2016. Prior to working here, he was driving for Star Transportation. Overall, he has been driving CMV for over 32 years. He said he enjoys working at Big G and wishes he had found the company years ago. His advice for new drivers: Don’t let traffic bother you, keep calm, and go with the flow. If you are troubled JOHNNY JONES Johnny started with Big G in January of 2019. He started his trucking career with Parsons Trucking out of North Carolina. Before joining Big G, he worked for Rogers Trucking hauling produce out of California. One of his favorite trucking experiences was delivering loads to Vegas. BRIAN RINGLE Brian started with Big G in June of 2017. Before that, he drove for Hogan Transport for several years, but he started with Pam back in 2014. His advice for new drivers: Follow your basic safety training and practice, putting your best effort forward. TOBY PLEAKE Toby joined the Big G team in December of 2020. He started his trucking career in 2010 as an owner op with a straight truck and a hot shot. Before that, he worked in the concrete business.
He lives in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and when he gets home, he enjoys spending time with family and really looks forward to the eight grandkids.
His advice to new drivers: He really likes it here and advises everyone to just stay put. He lives in Franklin, Tennessee, and when not in the cab of a truck, he is the skipper of his own skipper boat; he likes to fish, ski, or just ride around and relax.
MAY
about something, be sure to reach out and talk to someone, be it another driver or your driver manager; most times just talking will help. He lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, and on the weekends, he enjoys spending time in the mountains
His advice for new drivers: Slow down, take your time, and enjoy it before it turns into just a job. Try to enjoy what you do. He lives in Abingdon, Virginia, and when not in a truck, he likes to do carpentry work and just odd jobs around the house and relax.
Recognizing the Graduating Class of 2021 Class of 2021 Congratulations on your graduation and best wishes for your next adventure! Big G Express Family of Companies
Dinneshia Moten Coastal Carolina Child of Philippa Rowe Jonathan Darling University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Kaylee Smartt Coffee County Central High School Grandchild of Gary Rawn Kym Ja’Nae Moten Jacksonville High School Grandchild of Philipa Rowe Maddy Throneberry Shelbyville Central High School Child of Thomas Throneberry
Alex Allison Cascade High School Child of Laura Allison Amber Ingleburger Coffee County Central High School Child of James Madewell Cheyenne Fluharty University of North Carolina Wilmington
Child of Lisa Garrett Jordan Tester David Crockett High School Child of Anthony Tester Justin Hart
Child of Brian Abbott Colby Corvin George Wythe High School Grandchild of Robert McGuire
Tericka Driver McGavock High School Grandchild of Philippa Rowe Thomas Smith George Wythe High School Child of Edward Dobbs
Cascade High School Child of Rachel Hart
The 6th Annual Big G Motorcycle Ride benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital had amazing success this year! This year’s event raised over $32,250!! This year’s donations reached an all-time high, exceeding last year’s amount by $7,000. Since 2015, there has been over $88,000 raised to go towards the fight against childhood cancer at St. Jude. For the first time, Big G partnered with the Tennessee Trucking Association to coordinate the event this year. Tim Chelette, who founded the Big G Ride 6 years ago, plays such a huge role in the success of the event and this year was no different. He has already started working on the ride for 2022.
THANK YOU to all of this year’s riders and supporters! We are truly humbled, and we could not have raised the money we did without the help of you ALL!
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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 RECOGNIZING OUR 2021 GRADUATES SUCCESSFUL ST. JUDE RIDE
NEWS FROM THE RECRUITING DEPARTMENT
DRIVER APPRECIATION WEEK, SEPT. 12 –18, 2021
Thank you for what you do every day. –Terry Conquest And your Big G Express and IKE Transportation Recruiting Teams. .
I know it is a little early, but I want to mention Driver Appreciation Week. Last year, we were not able to celebrate like we have the last 25 years. We are hoping that this year, we will be able to do so. Please watch for more information as the time grows near. We have missed being able to come together as a group, and we look forward to seeing everyone more in person. REFERRAL PROGRAM Year to date, Big G Express has paid out over $20,000 to drivers who are participating in our Driver Referral Program. We love paying our drivers these rewards because our BEST advertisers are YOU. I have always said that I can tell you all about our company from a recruiting aspect, but if you want to know about us, just ask our drivers out on the road. That is where you get the best information. They know us best, and we are proud that our drivers support and represent our family of companies the way you do. Watch for more Driver Referral Programs to come, and as always, if you need help referring a driver or need personalized business cards or literature about our companies, do not hesitate to call Recruiting at 931-680-1664.
August 2021 Benefits Open Enrollment Sept. 12–18, 2021 Driver Appreciation Week October 2021 Employee Ownership Month Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk, Nissan Stadium UPCOMING EVENTS
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