Synergy

Dictionary.com defines synergy as:

noun, plural synergies.

  1.   The interaction of elements that when combined produce a total effect that is greater than the sum of the individual elements, contributions, etc.; synergism.

  2.   Physiology, Medicine/Medical. the cooperative action of two or more muscles, nerves, or the like.

  3.   Biochemistry, Pharmacology. the cooperative action of two or more stimuli or      drugs.

Last week was Truck Driver Appreciation week.  Freymiller does a lot for the drivers during that week: catered lunches, drawings, giveaways... they really put forth a lot of time and effort to help the drivers feel appreciated.

We hear it time and time again that "without the truck drivers the companies would not exist."  Okay, I will buy that, but at the same time.... without the support staff the companies wouldn't exist either.  

          Two years before I was born, Don Freymiller laid the foundational bricks of what we know today as D & M Carriers; DBA Freymiller.

Everyone at Freymiller plays an important part in the success of the company, from those with the last name Freymiller all the way down to the Porter who does cleanup work in and around the shop building.

I just wanted to take a minute to say I appreciate you all.

I'm Going Where?

                At some point during their training, almost every trainee has told me that I am either a walking atlas or a walking truck stop guide.  Comes with the territory, I guess.  I’d be more concerned if I didn’t know where to go - or how to get there - after being out here so long.

          There are 47,856 miles of Interstate Highway in the United States.  I have traveled most of them. Even Hawaii and Alaska have Interstate Highways, which makes no sense to me because by definition the highways cannot be Interstate, but would be Intrastate.

          I was pleasantly surprised last week when I was dispatched on a load that included a stop in Corpus Christi, TX.  I’d never been to Corpus Christi before, in fact, I’ve never been anywhere near it so I had to look it up just to find out where it was.  I looked it up on my phone and then had to zoom it out a few times to find out what Interstate went to it.  It’s at the south end of I-37, in case you were wondering.  I didn’t even know there was an I-37 until last Friday.  I’m a beach junkie so going near the water is always good for me.

          The load itself wasn’t much to get excited about, pay wise.  1,748 miles, 5 drops, 6 days.  My checking account isn’t going to be impressed next Friday, but that’s okay.  To me, it’s not all about the miles.  Yes, miles are important.  I’ve grown rather fond of eating and living indoors, but sometimes, it’s something completely different that makes a load a good one in my mind.  I get excited when I get to go somewhere new, or somewhere I can do something fun… like send live lobsters to my brother or drive over the Hoover Dam.  It keeps it interesting.  

The 63 MPH Challenge

                When I came through orientation last year, the driver scorecard bonus program was explained.  At the end, Kathy gave us two tips to help increase our MPG’s. Set the cruise at 63 MPH and don’t leave the Jake brake on all of the time.  Honestly, I blew her off.

                The problem with this: I wasn’t making Scorecard Bonus.  Kathy’s words poked at me from the back of my mind for months.  I refused to accept that slowing down a measly 2 mph was going to make a difference.  I wracked my brains trying to figure out what else I could be doing wrong that would keep me from meeting my MPG goals.  In January I decided to give it a try.  Slowing down 2 mph wouldn’t actually KILL me, would it?

                I lasted about a week; the ADD kicked in and I was back up to 65.  The crazy thing was I was teaching my trainees to set the cruise at 63, but I wasn’t doing it.

                April 1^st I committed to setting the cruise at 63 for the whole month because not making bonus was driving me bonkers. Even if it killed me.  The results?

    1.       None of my internal organs imploded.

    2.       The sun did not fall out of the sky.

    3.       I was less stressed at the end of my drive shifts because I hadn’t spent all day playing leapfrog with all of the other trucks on the road doing 65.

    4.       I increased my MPG’s by over half a mile to the gallon.

    5.       I scored Gold on the Driver Scorecard.  

Wait, what?!?  Half a mile to the gallon?  That’s right.  I had been averaging 6.8-6.9 and in April my MPG’s were 7.47.  Half a mile to the gallon might not sound like much if you drive a car that gets 30 MPG, but it makes a huge difference when you’re averaging 7.  Let’s look at this.  I pump on average 1,500 gallons a month and on 9/5/16 the national average price for a gallon of diesel was $2.22.

1,500(G) ×$2.22 = $3,300 per month (× 12 months = $39,600)

1,500(G) × 6.85(MPG) = 10,275 miles

1,500(G) × 7.47(MPG) = 11,205 miles

That’s 930 more miles on the same amount of fuel.  Not everyone is going to get on board, but what if half of us did?

930 (miles) × 250 (trucks) = 232,500 more miles on the same amount of fuel.

         If we as a fleet average 125,000 miles per truck, per year that saves the cost of fueling almost two trucks every year.  That’s $79,200 a year in savings.  Boggles the mind, doesn’t it?

Route 66

Several times a month I pass this site.  It’s not something I give a lot of thought, but every time I pass it I start singing Natalie Cole… get your kicks…

          I think I take for granted the rich history of Route 66 because I pass so many of the “Historic Route 66” signs in my daily life.  From just outside of Chicago all the way to Los Angeles I see those signs.  I pass Route 66 museums and at most stops along the way, memorabilia is available for purchase.

          Two of my aunts, along with their families, traveled that road to move out west and start new lives.  I wish I’d had the foresight when they were still alive to ask them about their journeys.

          People travel from all around the world to take the journey, mostly on Interstate highways that have replaced the “Mother Road” but in spots you can still drive on the original road.

          When I stopped to take these pictures, I had a “Whoa!” moment when I thought about where I was standing.  I was standing where countless numbers of people drove to follow their dreams and start a new life.  Times were good, times were bad, dreams were both crushed and realized along the way.  It makes me very aware of what a small part of a much bigger picture I am.

It's Already Only Been A Year?

                Last weekend was my 1-year anniversary since I came back to Freymiller.  When I thought about that in the days beforehand, I had mixed emotions.  From a work standpoint, it feels like “wow, it’s been a year already?”  When I think about the changes in my personal life over the past year then it feels like “holy guacamole, it’s only been a year?”

                The Greatful Dead song comes to mind… “What a long, strange trip it’s been.”

                I had some apprehension about coming back.  While I knew that I had a good reputation as a driver here, I was worried that I would be judged on the fact that I’d left newly married and came back a year later with that marriage ending.  Thankfully that wasn’t the experience.  Everyone was very supportive.  I told several people that “everyone seemed genuinely happy to see me and if anyone wasn’t, they hid it really well.”

                I’ve taken enough trips around the sun to know that life is constantly changing.  I’m no longer where I was 5 years ago, personally or professionally, and while I can’t give you specifics, I know that in 5 years my life will look very different from today.  Isn’t that the whole point? One of my favorite mentors once said “Do you know why the desks in the 5^th grade are so small?  Because you’re not supposed to still be sitting in them when you’re 22!”

                No matter where I’ve been and no matter where I’m going, I can say for certain that I’m very thankful to be sitting here in this truck right now.

Cash For Cans

                In California, a $0.05 deposit is charged on beverage containers; i.e. aluminum cans, glass and plastic bottles.  The idea is obviously to encourage recycling.  When someone takes these items to a recycling center, they get the nickels back. 

                Almost every time I stop in Barstow, CA, one of the local residents is digging through the trash cans on the fuel islands looking for cans and bottles to take in to the recycling center.  I admire the people doing this for two reasons:

    1.       It’s hot in Barstow… All. The. Time.

    2.       Digging through trash sucks.

        I really do admire the people doing this.  In truck stops and on street corners all around the country we see people panhandling, but these people are out earning money.  No, it isn’t glamorous.  I can’t imagine it’s very lucrative.  (I can tell you from when we lived out there, a lawn & leaf sized trash bag full of crushed cans will get you about $28.)  But, they’re DOING SOMETHING, not just looking for handouts.

        This really strikes a chord with me because when I lost my house in 2012, I had choices to make.  I didn’t choose to go squat on someone’s couch, I didn’t go get two cardboard boxes (one to sleep in and one to make a sign with.)  I went to work at a job that also afforded me somewhere to sleep.  I’m a hardcore conservative Libertarian, so this is a big deal to me, but that’s all I’m going to say about politics.

        I was thinking about it on my way back from my last CA run and the fact that I drive all over this country throwing away cans and bottles.  I decided to do something about it; I decided I could reduce my environmental footprint and help people who are showing initiative at the same time.  So… now I’m saving my aluminum cans.  I go through more cans than bottles, but decided I can’t save everything without making it look like a landfill in the truck.  I crush the cans and put them in a plastic shopping bag.  Right now I have one full – tied off and in the sidebox – and I’m working on filling a second.  I’m hoping to get back out there before I get a third filled.

        So who is with me?  I would love to see more drivers doing this.  You’ll never see me chained to a 600-year-old tree that some corporation wants to tear down, but I do believe in doing my part to take care of the little piece of the planet that God has blessed me with; and while you also won’t see me doing things for people that they can and should be doing for themselves, you will regularly see me helping people who are putting forth effort to take care of themselves and/or change their lives.

        So who is with me?

Load Security

                There have been several messages come out over the Qualcomm in the past week about seal integrity and using lock boxes.  Honestly, it blows my mind that we have to be told this. Over and Over.

                Have we forgotten that we are at work?  Have we forgotten that we’re transporting thousands of dollars in products between our customers? I was thinking about this today; about how if I left the grocery store after purchasing a couple of hundred dollars of groceries, got home to find that two of my bags never made it out of the store, I would be going right back to the store to get those two bags.  Wouldn’t we all?  Don’t we expect to receive what we pay for?  We expect cashiers and baggers to properly handle the products we bring to them for purchase, shouldn’t our customers be able to expect the same from us?  It is our job to ensure that our customers are getting what they’re paying for (look at the bills) and then to transport those products securely (seals and lock boxes) and then to make sure the customer has received all of their order (look at the bills after the delivery.)  If there are any discrepancies, we have policies in place and people to contact to deal with problems that do arise from time to time.

                Why are we slacking in that area?  And do we understand the risks when we do?

                When I am training a new driver, I explain load security to each one, as many times as necessary.  Freymiller issues security tools to each driver upon being assigned a truck.  They expect us to use them.  When there is a cargo claim, there is a $1,000 insurance deductible.  A driver can be charged that deductible if he/she fails to use these tools.  I tell my trainees “I can’t force you to use your lockbox when you’re in your own truck, but understand this… the decision to not use it is the decision to risk $1,000 of YOUR MONEY if someone breaks into your trailer.”  This isn’t a joke; this is our job.