We ran across this headline recently, "Is 'Abused Driver Syndrome' Rampant in the Industry?" Naturally, we were curious to know the answer and to learn more about ADS. We're guessing you are curious too, so click here for the rest of the story.  We would love to hear your thoughts.

Now Open: The 2016 Best Fleets to Drive For Contest and Survey
Nominations will be accepted until October 31, 2015

The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) and CarriersEdge encourage professional truck drivers to nominate their companies as Best Fleets to Drive For®. The annual contest and survey evaluates and identifies those employers that provide exceptional workplace environments within the trucking industry. Simply visit www.BestFleetsToDriveFor.com between now and October 31, 2015, to make your nomination for this prestigious title.

By nominating a fleet, a professional truck driver is acknowledging that there are things about the company’s culture that he/she likes, such as outstanding compensation, safety practices, benefits, equipment, training, etc. If the company accepts the nomination and agrees to participate, the survey then digs deeper into its policies and practices. Ultimately, the survey reveals the innovations that have proven successful in attracting and retaining skilled personnel in the trucking industry.

To be eligible, a for-hire fleet must have 10 or more trucks and operate in the U.S. or Canada. TCA membership is not required. Participants will answer questions about their current human resources best practices, both electronically and through phone interviews with senior management and a random sampling of their drivers. The top 20 finishers will be identified as Best Fleets to Drive For and will be announced in January 2016. From this pool, companies will then be divided into both “small” and “large” categories, and two overall winners will be recognized March 6-9, 2016, at the TCA Annual Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada.

TCA Chairman Keith Tuttle—whose company he founded, Motor Carrier Service, LLC, of Northwood, Ohio, is one of only three companies to make it into the Top 20 for five years in a row—said: "Although the process of collecting data for the survey can be a bit grueling the first time, I believe that the nomination process validates the great strides that the nominees continue to make. There is great value for the carriers whose drivers recommend them, whether they ultimately win one of the two overall categories or not. Self-assessment is a priceless way to help you learn, grow, and ultimately improve your operations."

In mid-October, companies that have been nominated (or believe they will be nominated) and are considering participating are invited to learn more about the survey requirements through a free Webinar. More details will be released as they are finalized, but the event will outline the questions that surveyors will ask, data requirements, and methods for collecting better information more easily.

“Everyone agrees that the Best Fleets program, now in its eighth year, is highly valuable because of the innovations it brings to light,” said Jane Jazrawy, chief executive officer of CarriersEdge. “Our survey is unique in that it captures the most successful practices and makes them available to other companies so they can learn from them. Ultimately, that improves the entire trucking industry.”

Women in Trucking Association
September Member of the Month
Debora Babin Katz

Women In Trucking Association (WIT) announces Debora Babin Katz as its September Member of the Month. Debora is Vice President of TrucBrush Corporation which manufactures a mobile brush device to clear accumulated snow off the tops of trucks and trailers.

Debora never dreamed her career would revolve around snow and trucks, and indeed it was a circuitous path. After leaving her public accounting life to raise a family, she sought a career with flexibility. She started her own business working as a freelance writer and business development/marketing consultant. “One of my Babson colleagues was working with a lot of commercial snow and landscape companies at the time and he made some introductions. My consulting business grew and I became entrenched in the snow industry,” she said, eventually becoming the chair of the editorial advisory board for the national publication Snow Business magazine as well.

Similar to trucking, snow management is a predominately male industry in which safety is a key component. “Today, I consider my unusual career path to be a great blessing because it exposed me to so many different experiences and people,” she said.

Debora has immersed herself in the trucking industry and understanding all its challenges, not just snow related ones. “I’ve met dynamic individuals in the trucking industry and made some wonderful friendships along the way,” she said. In 2013, she discovered WIT and this May she was inducted to the board of the WIT Foundation. The focus of the Foundation is to raise both awareness and funds to help promote women’s careers in the trucking industry. “Since I have always worked in primarily male dominated industries, I’ve made it a personal goal to help other women forward their careers in the trucking field,” she said. “Their success is everyone’s success and I can think of no better way to pay back the industry for giving me so much opportunity.”

Read Debora’s full story - http://womenintrucking.org/debora-babin-katz/

TruckDriver.com
Carrier of the Month
Interstate Distributor Co.

Headquartered in Tacoma, Washington, Interstate Distributor Co. is a leading provider of transportation services such as regional and transcontinental coverage, dedicated fleets, expedited teams, specialized and refrigerated equipment and intermodal service, Interstate works with customers to determine the best way to get their products delivered as efficiently as possible through their network of terminal and yard facilities. These terminals and facilities are located in major markets throughout the United States, Western Canada and along the Mexican border and support our regional and transcontinental business.

Interstate was founded in 1933 by Robert “Bob” McLean. Bob began with a partner and one truck that moved produce and lumber products regionally in the Northwest.  As opportunities opened up, Bob was able to grow his fleet of trucks and expand the range of his business into the Western States.  As soon as they were old enough, Bob’s four sons joined him in various roles in the business, eventually taking the company over from their father in the 1980’s.  During the Deregulation years, the company grew quickly and continued its expansion across the lower 48 States.

In May 2011, Interstate was acquired by Saltchuk, a privately owned family investment company based in the Pacific NW. Saltchuk consists of diversified transportation and petroleum companies; the acquisition of Interstate gave Saltchuk their first “Trucking” company.

“Our future is extremely bright. We are well positioned to grow and expand our services, learning from the legacy of the past and with a clear vision of the future. We will continue to create opportunities for our associates and ensure the close family atmosphere that has existed since day one. The best days at Interstate are in front of us.”  President and CEO, Marc Rogers.

Interstate is looking for excellent drivers to join their team immediately. Drivers hired now through September 30th, 2015 are eligible for a sign-on bonus of up to $10,000!

Call for Sign-on Bonus details by location and driver type – not all areas qualify.
800-374-8348