Knoxville News Sentinel: Pilot Flying J will give $1.25M to trucking campaign

Knoxville-based truck stop chain Pilot Flying J said Thursday it will give $1.25 million to a campaign aimed at publicizing the benefits of the trucking industry.

According to a news release, the money will be paid out over five years to Trucking Moves America Forward, an organization created to build political and grassroots support for the industry.

The release indicated Pilot and TMAF are collaborating on initiatives including health-related programming.

“Pilot Flying J anticipates expanding our popular health initiatives and Road Warrior driver engagement campaign throughout the entire industry, utilizing TMAF’s wide-ranging network of professional drivers, owner-operators, technicians and more,” James A. Haslam II, Pilot’s founder, said in the release. “Our travel centers also reach millions of people annually, and we are excited to share in telling the trucking movement’s story with such a vibrant, all-encompassing program.”

CCJ: Pilot Flying J donating $1.25M to trucking advocacy group

Pilot Flying J and Trucking Moves America Forward June 19 announced a five-year partnership in which the truck stop chain has committed $1.25 million to help grow the advocacy movement in the next half-decade.

The two held a press conference in Washington, D.C., to announce the donation.

ATA unveiled a new image campaign for the industry aimed at attracting drivers, educating the public about the industry’s ubiquitous role in American life and the U.S. economy and changing policy makers’ perceptions of trucking.

“Pilot Flying J anticipates expanding our popular health initiatives and Road Warrior driver engagement campaign throughout the entire industry, utilizing TMAF’s wide-ranging network of professional drivers, owner-operators, technicians and more,” said Jimmy Haslam, founder of Pilot Flying J. “Our travel centers also reach millions of people annually, and we are excited to share in telling the trucking movement’s story with such a vibrant, all-encompassing program.”

Road Warrior is a Pilot Flying J-driven initiative to celebrate and honor professional drivers throughout North America for their determination and dedication.

TMAF – launched at the Mid-America Trucking Show – is an industry-wide image and internal education initiative aimed at informing policy makers, motorists and the public about the benefits of the trucking industry to help build political and grassroots support necessary to strengthen and grow the industry, the group says.

In April, TMAF announced it had raised more than a half-million dollars since its official March launch.

“We are incredibly grateful for this generous donation as Pilot Flying J plays a key role in reaching millions of Americans and this partnership illustrates how committed we are – as an industry – to telling trucking’s positive stories,” said Mike Card, TMAF fundraising chair and president of Combined Transport, Inc.

Overdrive: Pilot Flying J giving $1.25M to Trucking Moves American Forward

Pilot Flying J and Trucking Moves America Forward June 19 announced a five-year partnership in which the truck stop chain has committed $1.25 million to help grow the advocacy movement in the next half-decade.

The two held a press conference in Washington, D.C., to announce the donation.

“Pilot Flying J anticipates expanding our popular health initiatives and Road Warrior driver engagement campaign throughout the entire industry, utilizing TMAF’s wide-ranging network of professional drivers, owner-operators, technicians and more,” said Jimmy Haslam, founder of Pilot Flying J. “Our travel centers also reach millions of people annually, and we are excited to share in telling the trucking movement’s story with such a vibrant, all-encompassing program.”

Road Warrior is a Pilot Flying J-driven initiative to celebrate and honor professional drivers throughout North America for their determination and dedication.

TMAF – launched at the Mid-America Trucking Show – is an industry-wide image and internal education initiative aimed at informing policy makers, motorists and the public about the benefits of the trucking industry to help build political and grassroots support necessary to strengthen and grow the industry, the group says.

In April, TMAF announced it had raised more than a half-million dollars since its official March launch.

“We are incredibly grateful for this generous donation as Pilot Flying J plays a key role in reaching millions of Americans and this partnership illustrates how committed we are – as an industry – to telling trucking’s positive stories,” said Mike Card, TMAF fundraising chair and president of Combined Transport, Inc.

Transport Topics: James Haslam II Donates $1.25 Million to TMAF Campaign

By Jonathan S. Reiskin

WASHINGTON — The trucking industry hauled in 25% of what it needs to fund its five-year image campaign — Trucking Moves America Forward — with a single contribution of $1.25 million from Pilot Flying J travel plazas founder James Haslam II.

Haslam came to a museum here to make the donation June 19 that was received by officials from American Trucking Associations, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association and the Truckload Carriers Association. The funds will be paid out over five years.

Pilot Flying J is the nation’s largest truck stop chain and its influence on the economy of its hometown of Knoxville and surrounding parts of Tennessee is so significant that three Republican members of Congress appeared to offer their sentiments on trucking in general and Haslam and his company, specifically.

 “I wouldn’t be in the Senate today without him. He’s a big reason I chose a life of public service,” said Sen. Bob Corker, who was a college roommate of Haslam’s son Jimmy, the current CEO of Pilot Flying J.

Reps. John Duncan Jr. and Marsha Blackburn also appeared.

ATA President Bill Graves offered his thanks to Corker for being a co-sponsor of Senate legislation that would shore up the federal Highway Trust Fund by increasing taxes on diesel and gasoline.

As for Haslam’s donation, Graves said it would help trucking educate the public on the essential work done by the industry in supplying homes, hospitals, schools, stores and restaurants.

“Our industry serves 80% of America’s communities and handles 70% of its freight,” Graves said.

Heavy Duty Trucking: Pilot Flying J Commits $1.25 Million to Trucking Industry Campaign

Trucking Moves America Forward announced Thursday its most significant donation to-date as truckstop operator Pilot Flying J pledged $1.25 million over the next five years to assist with the trucking industry image campaign.

The partnership kicked off with a press conference at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., and addressed the various initiatives between Pilot Flying J and TMAF, including substantial health-related programming.

“Pilot Flying J anticipates expanding our popular health initiatives and Road Warrior driver engagement campaign throughout the entire industry, utilizing TMAF’s wide-ranging network of professional drivers, owner-operators, technicians and more,” said James A. Haslam II, founder of Pilot Flying J. “Our travel centers also reach millions of people annually, and we are excited to share in telling the trucking movement’s story with such a vibrant, all-encompassing program.”

Road Warrior is a Pilot Flying J-driven initiative to celebrate and honor professional drivers throughout North America for their determination and dedication.

TMAF, launched at the Mid-America Trucking Show, is an industry-wide image and internal education initiative informing policy makers, motorists and the public about the benefits of the trucking industry to help build a groundswell of political and grassroots support necessary to strengthen and grow the industry, according to the group. In April, TMAF said it had raised more than a half-million dollars since its launch.

“We are incredibly grateful for this generous donation as Pilot Flying J plays a key role in reaching millions of Americans and this partnership illustrates how committed we are, as an industry, to telling trucking’s positive stories,” said Mike Card, TMAF fundraising chair and president of Combined Transport. “The trucking industry is essential to the well-being of America’s economy, as we exclusively serve more than 82% of all our country’s communities and employ more than seven million people.”

TMAF said it aims to establish a long-term industry-wide movement to create a positive image for the industry, to ensure that policymakers and the public understand the importance of the trucking industry to the nation’s economy, and to build the political and grassroots support necessary to strengthen and grow the industry in the future.

Politico: Trucking coalition gets major money boost

By Adam Snider

Pilot Flying J, the nation’s largest operator of truck stops, is donating $1.25 million to the Trucking Moves America Forward coalition over the next five years. It’s the largest donation for the new initiative that has brought together drivers, trucking companies, suppliers and many more groups to better the image of the trucking industry.

Pilot founder James A. Haslam II will announce the donation at a press conference today at the Newseum. Haslam told MT yesterday that he wants the public and policy-makers to know what being a trucker is really about.

“These men and women work very hard. They spend 250-300 days a year on the road,” said Haslam, whose company calls drivers “road warriors.” “These people are educated, they’re passionate, they’re proud,” Haslam said. “They give to their communities.” Truck drivers are “real heroes” and a “cross-section of America,” Haslam said – and the goal of his donation today is to spread that message far and wide.

Trucking Moves America Forward, Pilot Flying J Announce Landmark Industry Partnership with $1.25 Million Donation

Tennessee-based Pilot Flying J makes pledge to TMAF over five years

Washington, D.C. – [June 19, 2014] – Trucking Moves America Forward (TMAF) announces its most significant donation to-date as Pilot Flying J – the largest operator of travel centers and travel plazas in North America – commits $1.25 million over the next five years to assist with the growing industry-wide movement.

The partnership kicked off with a press conference at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., and addressed the various initiatives between Pilot Flying J and TMAF, including substantial health-related programming.

“Pilot Flying J anticipates expanding our popular health initiatives and Road Warrior driver engagement campaign throughout the entire industry, utilizing TMAF’s wide-ranging network of professional drivers, owner-operators, technicians and more,” said James A. Haslam II, founder of Pilot Flying J. “Our travel centers also reach millions of people annually, and we are excited to share in telling the trucking movement’s story with such a vibrant, all-encompassing program.”

Road Warrior is a Pilot Flying J-driven initiative to celebrate and honor professional drivers throughout North America for their determination and dedication.

TMAF – launched at the Mid-America Trucking Show – is an industry-wide image and internal education initiative informing policy makers, motorists and the public about the benefits of the trucking industry to help build a groundswell of political and grassroots support necessary to strengthen and grow the industry. In April, TMAF shared that it had raised more than a half-million dollars since its official March launch.

“We are incredibly grateful for this generous donation as Pilot Flying J plays a key role in reaching millions of Americans and this partnership illustrates how committed we are – as an industry –  to telling trucking’s positive stories,” said Mike Card, TMAF fundraising chair and president of Combined Transport, Inc. “The trucking industry is essential to the well-being of America’s economy, as we exclusively serve more than 82% of all our country’s communities and employ more than seven million people.”

For more information on the TMAF/Pilot Flying J Partnership visit www.truckingmovesamerica.com

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About Trucking Moves America Forward

Trucking Moves America Forward aims to establish a long-term industry-wide movement to create a positive image for the industry, to ensure that policymakers and the public understand the importance of the trucking industry to the nation’s economy, and to build the political and grassroots support necessary to strengthen and grow the industry in the future. To learn more, go to www.truckingmovesamerica.com, Facebook (www.facebook.com/TruckingFWD), or follow @TruckingFWD on Twitter.

Founding members of the movement include: ACT1, Allison Transmission, American Trucking Associations (ATA), Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, Bridgestone Commercial Solutions, Bulldog Hiway Express, Castrol Heavy Duty Lubricants, Combined Transport, Inc., Cummins Inc., Daimler Trucks North America, Dana Holding Corporation, Detroit Diesel Corporation, Eaton Corporation – Roadranger, GE Capital, Goodyear, Great West Casualty Company, Hahn Transportation, Inc., Hendrickson, International, J.J. Keller & Associates, Inc., Jet Express, Inc., Kenworth Truck Company, Longistics, Love’s Travel Stops, Mack Trucks, Inc., Meritor, Michelin, Motor Carrier Service, Inc., Old Dominion Freight Lines, Omnitracs Inc., Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), Pegasus, Peterbilt Motors Company, Pilot Flying J, Randall Reilly, Tennant Truck Lines, Tennessee Express, Inc., TransTech, Trucking Associations Executive Council, Truckload Carriers Association (TCA), TRW and Volvo Trucks.

About Pilot Flying J

Pilot Flying J, the largest operator of travel centers and travel plazas in North America, is committed to making life better for professional drivers. Headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, Pilot Flying J has more than 650 retail locations. The Pilot Flying J network provides drivers with access to more than 65,000 parking spaces for trucks, 4,400 showers and 4,500 diesel lanes, with more than 4,100 offering DEF at the pump. Pilot Flying J subsidiary Pilot Logistics Services is one of the fastest growing independent energy logistics companies in North America. Together, Pilot Flying J and Pilot Logistic Services employ more than 24,000 people. Pilot Flying J is currently ranked No. 7 on Forbes’ list of America’s Largest Private Companies. Visit www.pilotflyingj.com for more information.

Fleet Owner: Improving truck driver work life via technology

By Sean Kilcarr

Reducing paperwork hassle plus re-routing faster and more efficiently all while staying in better contact with family are just some of the reasons in-cab technology providers expect demand for their services will grow significantly in the near-term – especially if they can deliver cost savings in the bargain as well to fleets.

“Giving truck drivers the ability to work with the technology that they use and are used to seeing in their everyday life while on the job shows an investment in the individual to help them perform their role, significantly reduces the learning curve associated with adopting new technology as drivers can build on what they already have, and shows an awareness of what technology can do to help move the [trucking] business forward,” Pol Sweeney, chief technology officer for Airclic, told Fleet Owner.

“A driver will also be a lot more receptive to tracking orders, signature captures, reconciliations of returns, etc., on a mobile device than maintaining a paper manifest—a practice that today’s tech-savvy workforce will not have the patience for,” he added.

In an interview, Sweeney pointed out that, currently, only about 17% of the driver population is under 35 and that Airclic believes one possible way to entice younger drivers to join – and stay – in the trucking industry is to arm them with the same handheld experience that they have in their personal lives.

“Younger drivers want to be able to use their mobile device to access the information and data that they need to be armed with as they go about their day; they don’t expect to read information off of and maintain a paper manifest,” Sweeney said. “That’s why the ‘consumerization of technology’ is catching up with trucking.”

Equipping the driver with such technology also helps ensure higher levels of customer service, Sweeney argued, as drivers are responsible for proactively communicating with customers when delivery windows are not going to be met.

“Drivers are also responsible for following workflows specific to the customers’ customer,” he said. “Given the high volume of driver turnover, using technology can ensure that proper instructions are documented and followed, no matter the driver.”

Yet there’s also a potentially significant cost savings opportunity for fleets by moving to a more “paperless” work environment as we well, Sweeney pointed out.

“The elimination of paper and manual processes from the supply chain lend themselves to significant savings opportunities, with companies citing their ROI [return on investment] achievement through improved order accuracy, reduced costs related to paper and paper processing and an improved revenue flow through ‘clean’ invoicing,” he explained.

On average, Airclic said its customers see an average savings of $400 per truck per month or $18.50 per truck per day as a result of eliminating paper and paper processing costs:

  • $9 per day per truck from removing inefficient paper-based process
  • $4.50 per day per truck from overages, shortages and damages (OS&D} reductions
  • $5 per day per truck from lower customer service costs
  • A reduction in days sales outstanding (DSO) from eight to one increases revenue flow

Sweeney pointed to the experience related by the chief information officer (CIO) for a privately owned food distributor in California, who estimated a savings of $45,000 a year simply from abandoning the standard practice of printing multi-part forms.

“He further estimates savings of $117,000 annually from avoiding as many as 30 missed deliveries a week—a 30% improvement with scanning, given that the cost of a missed delivery is about $75, factoring in the need to credit the customer and re-order the product, pick it again and redeliver it,” Sweeney said.

Wall Street Journal: UPS Drivers Who Avoid Accidents for 25 Years Get Arm Patch and Bomber Jacket

By Laura Stevens

Those in the Coveted Circle of Honor Have Dodged Taxis, Traffic and Bears

Chadd Bunker says his friends and relatives tell him he drives like an old man. Roll through a stop sign? He would never do that. Exceed the speed limit? Not on your life. He makes three right turns to avoid a left. He can be annoying.

But Mr. Bunker, who is only 48 years old, is no ordinary driver. He recently became one of the proud, lucky few to reach the delivery driver equivalent of Eagle Scout—the United Parcel Service Inc.’s Circle of Honor.

The award goes to those who manage to drive their big brown trucks without having an “avoidable” accident, for years and years. That isn’t easy since UPS considers nearly every kind of accident avoidable. A scratch on the truck while backing up, or a tree branch hitting the vehicle and breaking a mirror, they both count as accidents that might have been avoided.

Drivers who make it through 25 years are honored with a little ceremony, a patch on their sleeve documenting the number of accident-free years and the ultimate king-of-the-road status symbol: a bomber jacket.

UPS is driven by its safety culture. New drivers at the 107-year-old company are required to attend intensive, weeklong training courses, informally dubbed “Quaker boot camps” that emphasize ethics and safety.

It isn’t the only company to toot its horn for safe drivers. PepsiCo Inc.’s Frito-Lay honors its million-mile safe drivers at an annual awards gala at its headquarters in Plano, Texas. The achievement typically takes 12 years. Con-way Inc., in Ann Arbor, Mich., bestows a class ring on its two-million-milers, who also get an embroidered jacket and business cards. Waste Pro USA Inc., in Longwood, Fla., awards its garbage truck drivers $10,000 for three years of spotless work. Spotless has three components: a positive attitude, good attendance and no accidents. UPS-rival FedEx Corp. gives awards too, recognizing employees after each year of safe driving.

For UPS drivers, the road to glory is very hard. UPS drivers must memorize the company’s more than 600 mandatory “methods.” These include checking the mirrors every five to eight seconds, leaving precisely one full car length in front when stopping and honking the horn just so: two short friendly taps, no blasting.

There are all sorts of potential hazards. In Ketchikan, Alaska, for instance, Tom Fowler, 53, dodges black bears and deer on a regular basis. In the snow and ice, he parks, then pulls a sled of packages a quarter mile up narrow roads on steep, slick hillsides to avoid the possibility of a vehicle accident. He became the first Alaskan driver to make the circle of honor in January.

“When you’re out delivering, it’s not unusual to see bears, black bears. People do hit ’em,” Mr. Fowler said. It’s “a big crash if you hit a bear.”

About 1,500 were inducted into the circle in 2013, and a mere 7% of the 102,000 UPS drivers on the road are members.

Drivers agree the most impressive record belongs to Ronnie McKnight, who has driven safely for 46 years in New York City, dodging aggressive taxi drivers and parking precariously on a daily basis. Mr. McKnight, 71, learned to drive slowly on a tractor at age 11. Now, he says, his secret is “patience. Don’t be in any rush to do anything.”

Lately, UPS actually has been pushing its drivers to speed up, while still adhering to the rules. Thanks to the boom in e-commerce, drivers say they’re delivering more packages than ever on the same routes. Average daily package volume has grown 12% over the past five years, while the number of drivers has stayed roughly the same, according to the company. Some drivers complain privately that the company’s expectations for safety and efficiency can be contradictory. “The job can be done as efficiently as we’ve designed it, and safely, if you follow the methods,” says UPS spokesman Dan McMackin, who used to be a driver.

Tom Camp, 73, is the company record holder for 51 years of safe driving—in Michigan, of all places, a state snow- and icebound several months of the year. He has no plans to retire. “Every day is a challenge out there,” he says. “It takes your full concentration, all the time.”

Still, it’s all too easy to hit a bump in the road—or a chain-link fence. That’s what happened to Rui Sousa, a 49-year-old Providence, R.I., driver as he tried to turn around at the end of a dead-end street in 2003. He scratched his vehicle and wiped out a perfect 15-year, six-month-record. His heart sank.

“It’s hard to swallow when you go that many years and then, boom, there it all goes,” he said.

Luckily, UPS allows for detours. If a driver has an accident after five years of safe driving, the clock is set back by at least a year, but the previously accumulated years still count toward the final tally. Before five years, drivers go back to zero.

Mr. Sousa was set back by 18 months. He now takes extra care when backing up, often getting out of the vehicle to check whether he has enough space.

In October, after another 10 years of safe driving, he finally made it to 25 years. He now parks in a reserved front-row spot at his building. As part of the award ceremony, his brown jersey was retired to the rafters of the building, where it dangles as inspiration for younger drivers with a dozen others. He now has a new shirt with a small, round sleeve patch with the number 25 on it.

Drivers have a choice between a camel-hair blazer and a leather bomber jacket as their prize. Mr. Sousa chose the bomber jacket. “I wear it on special occasions,” he says. People “think it’s very cool.”

Times Record: People In Business: Jason Wing

The Arkansas Trucking Association has named Jason Wing of ABF Freight in Fort Smith as the organization’s top safety professional for 2013. Wing, who has worked at ABF since 2002, is the manager of Safety Compliance and Training for ABF Freight. The statewide trucking trade group annually recognizes one safety professional for his or her qualifications, safety program and safety achievements.

Wing serves or chairs numerous internal groups concerning safety and compliance, and as a liaison to outside agencies and group sharing his knowledge and expertise in compliance and regulatory issues. He is a member of the Arkansas Trucking Association Safety Management Council, where he served as chairman from 2011-13, and recently was elected chairman of the Arkansas Trucking Association 40 Under 40 Council.

He is also a member of the American Trucking Associations Safety Management Council and the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance where he serves on various committees and advisory councils in leadership positions. In 2013, Wing received the American Trucking Associations’ National Safety Professional Award of Excellence.