QUICK THINKING BY TYLER DRIVER SAVES LIVES
Accident Before Thanksgiving Holiday Has Happy Ending The day before Thanksgiving, Tyler city driver BOBBY NICHOLSON was traveling along I-20 on his way to his final stop. He was just a few miles away from his exit to Kilgore when he felt the impact of a car slamming into his trailer’s bumper. When he looked in his side mirror, he could see only half of an SUV with smoke emerging from the car. He soon realized the car was stuck to his bumper and the driver had no control of the vehicle. “It was such a scary sight,” Bobby says. “I figured out the smoke I was seeing was debris from the car’s air bags. All of them had deployed, and I couldn’t see anyone who was in the car.” Knowing that braking could cause the car to become loose of his bumper, Bobby let off the gas pedal and began coasting to a stop. His quick thinking allowed him to guide his tractor and the damaged car safely to the shoulder of the interstate. Once he came to a stop, Bobby grabbed his emergency kit and immediately called 911 and our Risk Management team. “I went through all of the steps you’re supposed to after an accident,” Bobby says. “ TRACY DISHMAN from Risk Management walked me through everything and calmed me down. I was afraid to get out of the truck because of what I might see, but I knew I had to.” When Bobby climbed down from his cab and reached the end of his trailer, he saw two passengers and the car’s driver standing off the road in the
Tyler city driver BOBBY NICHOLSON recently maneuvered a dangerous situation by using quick thinking and a commitment to safety.
middle of a field. “I’ve never been so happy to see a bunch of people walking around in a cornfield!” Bobby laughed. “I felt nothing but joy when I knew they were OK.” The vehicle’s driver, his wife and his son were shaken up but were able to exit their vehicle without problem. Bobby says they were all thankful to have walked away from the accident without injury and talked until emergency crews arrived to separate the SUV from the truck and tow it away. “Before we parted ways, I gave him a hug, shook his wife’s hand and wished them a happy Thanksgiving,” Bobby says. “We were all so relieved to be going home to be with our families.” A few days later, a gift basket arrived at the Nicholson residence as a thank-you from the family. Bobby said he was surprised by the gesture and grateful for their appreciation. “Bobby displayed outstanding driving and critical thinking skills during a dangerous and unique situation,” Director of Safety and Compliance JOHN WALTON says. “He kept calm and followed his safety training, and his performance likely saved several lives that day. He is a perfect example of our many safe drivers.” Thank you, Bobby, for maneuvering a dangerous situation with such grace – a situation that could have been much worse without your levelheadedness! It’s obvious you share Averitt’s driving concern! T m
We’re proud to be a military-friendly employer, and one new way we’re showing that is through an enhancement to our military leave program. MILITARY LEAVE ENHANCEMENTS
Associates Can Be Compensated For Up To 30 Days
Effective immediately, associates who are members of the military and are called to active duty or training camp can now be compensated for their short-term leave of absence. For leaves of less than 31 days, they are eligible to receive the difference between the military pay and the base pay they would have earned at Averitt, up to a maximum of 30 days each calendar year. “Our active military associates bring important skills and experience, and we’re stronger with veterans on our team,” says ELISE LEESON of our human resources leadership. “This enhancement is one of the many ways we’re giving veterans ‘the right to be at ease’ as they wear the uniform.” For more information about our military leave policy, log on to InsideAveritt.com/Handbook and click on “Attendance.” T m
COMMUNITY CHALLENGE matters
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