Looking Ahead In 2025 The Future Looks Bright As We Head Into The Second Half We’re more than halfway through 2025. Most industry experts have described the freight market as “slow” or “soft” this year. And while we’ve certainly seen lower business levels than what we’re used to, it hasn’t stopped us from continuing to invest in our people, our infrastructure and our technology. “It is because of the confidence we have in our associates and our customers that we continue to make these investments,” says BARRY BLAKELY , president and COO. “We have faced some headwinds in these first six months, many of which are things we cannot control, like the economy and tariffs. This industry is cyclical, and cycles always change. The good news is that our values and our beliefs don’t.” We’re already starting to see several customers show signs of confidence in what the rest of 2025 will look like. And the forecast is positive. “The rebound is coming. It’s not a matter of ‘if,’ but ‘when,’” says KENT WILLIAMS , executive vice president BARRY BLAKELY
Our brand-new Dothan service center features greatly increased dock doors and dock space, a much larger break room and at least twice the office space. It's just one of many infrastructure investments we've made in 2025.
expansion, we are not looking at what we need right now. We are looking at least five years down the road. ‘What will our customers need in future?’” One of those projects is not just a new facility, but also a new market in Florida. Located right off I-75 in north-central Florida, Ocala will allow us to add more capacity in the state and improve service to the fast-growing Ocala metro area as well as Jacksonville and Orlando. It is expected to open before the end of this year. Dothan has already moved into a new facility, with new service centers coming for Tulsa , Montgomery and Oklahoma City . Meanwhile, Shreveport , Baton Rouge and Knoxville have all undergone extensive renovations or expansions. Our associates at our San Antonio and Miami locations will see remodels taking place later this year as well. “We want to provide the best amenities and work environment in the industry, and these facility enhancements help us achieve that goal,” says Barry. “Our associates have earned this. By operating efficiently and productively, by delivering exceptional service to our customers, we can One of the biggest changes we’ve made over the past few years has been swapping out the onboard technology on our tractors from Omnitracs units to tablets. Our Truckload team has completed the switch. Our Dedicated team is currently in the process of moving to tablets. The tablets add layers of flexibility and functionality for our driving associates. Being able to take the tablet out of the cab to get customer signatures and take photos of shipments saves time and helps us be more efficient. MODERN EQUIPMENT We also take pride in having one of the youngest fleets in the industry, with our tractors averaging less than three years old. This, combined with safety technology like adaptive cruise control, collision mitigation, electronic stability control and active brake assist, helps keep our drivers and the driving public safe. EXCITING TIMES AHEAD All of these investments are made with the future in mind, putting our team in the driver's seat for both the short-term and long-term future. “I know we have a good strategy that is designed to set us all up for success,” says Barry. “By providing quality service, projecting a professional image and operating safely, we are very well positioned to handle additional freight and grow our bill count into and out of our footprint.” T m continue to invest in our team.” ADVANCING TECHNOLOGY
of sales and marketing. “We've been committed to our plan and our strategy, focusing on our quality and service. That puts us in prime position to provide innovative and creative solutions that our competitors simply can’t offer.”
KENT WILLIAMS
OUR DRIVING FORCE IS PEOPLE We believe that our associates are truly the best of the best. That’s why we continue to provide opportunities for career growth. So far this year, we’ve promoted 20 associates into leadership, while seeing more than 240 associates transfer into positions to further their career journey. After listening to feedback from you and other associates, we made a change to our Uniformity Program . We introduced OOBE as our new uniform provider this spring. As a leader in the company apparel industry, OOBE shares many of our team’s values, focusing on innovation and outstanding service. And we’re already seeing a positive response from associates about how much easier it is to order uniform items and how quickly they arrive after ordering. Our Profit Sharing Plan continues to stand the test of time. Last year, an amount equal to 6.8% of your pay was deposited into your retirement account. That’s almost a month’s worth of pay that goes toward saving for the future. While many companies stop matching contributions and other similar programs, we believe strongly in this unique benefit for our associates and that the sky is the limit to where Profit Sharing can go. To help our teammates take care of themselves and their families, we continue to provide one of the most comprehensive and affordable benefits packages available. And those benefits go beyond our medical, vision and dental insurance. From discounts on car rentals and wireless service, to scholarship programs, to referral rewards and more, there is plenty of value to being an Averitt associate! INVESTING IN INFRASTRUCTURE “We have had more facility projects completed, underway or planned this year than we ever have,” says Barry. “When we invest in a new facility or an
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