Destination: Excellence | Summer 2016 Edition

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> feature story

Alcoa Names TMC Transportation Tier 1 Core Carrier, Flatbed Carrier of the Year

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April 2016, Alcoa, a global leader in lightweight metals technology, engineering and manufacturing, announced the winners of their 10th Annual Core Carrier Awards. At the ceremony, TMC Transportation was recognized as a Flatbed Tier 1 Core Carrier, and was also presented with the 2015 Flatbed Carrier of the Year Award. This is the ninth time TMC has earned this distinction. TMC’s Executive VP of National Accounts, Mike Kelly, was in attendance. “We have been fortunate to develop a strong, long term relationship with Alcoa,” he says. “Our mutual successes are due in large part to our customer service representatives, fleet managers and drivers who take pride in their jobs and strive to be the best.” The annual awards measure Alcoa’s core carriers against seven key metrics including overall volume; shipment acceptance percentage; scope and sustainability; and data accuracy. To be eligible, carriers must be under Alcoa contract and meet volume minimums for at least ten months of the year.

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(Left to right) Ann Johnson, Manager, Motor Carrier Sourcing; Brad Carraway, Director, North America Transportation & Logistics; Mike Kelly; Gus Webster, Motor Carrier Sourcing Analyst.

“On this, the 10th celebration of our Core Carrier Awards, we are pleased to recognize and reward the North American carriers who provide services for over 60 percent of our truck and ocean container business,” said Ed Hamorsky, Alcoa’s Director of Global Transportation and Logistics. “To our carriers in North America, I am grateful you have embraced this program and maintained a passion to expand and improve upon this idea, bringing tremendous value to all of us.” ‹


Honors TMC For Excellence in Service

TMC

has been recognized by home improvement retailer Lowe’s Companies Inc., with the Platinum Carrier Award for consistently providing Lowe’s with a high level of delivered service in 2015. This is the first time TMC has reached Lowe’s’ Platinum level distinction. For the past six years, TMC has consistently been recognized as a Gold level carrier, making this year’s award especially honorable. In addition, TMC was also named Lowe’s Flatbed Carrier of the Year for 2015, marking another first for the company. The awards were presented at Lowe’s annual carrier meeting on March 6-7 in Hickory, NC. Mike Kelly, Executive Vice President of National Accounts. was in attendance and accepted them on TMC’s behalf. “TMC was able to reach a new high with Lowe’s for the year 2015. Previously we had been awarded their Gold level of performance on a yearly

Mike Kelly (center), with Eric Fish (right), and Lowe’s Vice President of Transportation, Rick Gabrielson (left).

basis, but this year our group, led by Eric Fish and Curt Blunk, elevated our game,” says Kelly. “As a result, we reached Platinum level, which rewards upwards of 99.7% performance. They are a Fortune® 50 company and it is an honor to work for them.” TMC and Lowe’s have maintained a great partnership for many years, but enhanced communication efforts

in the recent months have shown increased success for both parties. “We’ve continued to build on-site relationships, and that translates into heightened efficiency,” explains Eric Fish, Vice President of Dedicated Operations for TMC. “This also enhances Lowe’s’ trust in TMC that we will follow through with our commitment for each delivery.” ‹

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CivilianJobs.com Recognizes TMC Transportation as a 2016 Most Valuable Employer (MVE) for Military® Winner CivilianJobs.com, where America’s military connects with civilian careers, announced the winners for the Most Valuable Employers (MVE) for Military® today. Marking the eighth year of its publication in 2016, the MVE recognition serves to help military-experienced job seekers and veterans identify the top employers to target for civilian careers. This is the fourth consecutive year TMC has been honored. “The culture at TMC has always provided a smooth transition for veterans,” says Glen McCravy, Executive Vice President of Risk Management

and Human Resources at TMC. “The pride, structure and training at TMC allow veterans to adjust extremely well into our company environment. We have hired veterans to fulfill many opportunities in our company, such as drivers, mechanics and management positions. Our success has been so positive that over 38% of our employees are military veterans” “I congratulate the employers recognized as MVEs today and further thank all of them for their commitment to our country’s veterans and military personnel,” said Tim Best, CEO, Bradley-Morris, Inc., parent company of CivilianJobs. com. “This year’s list of Most Valuable Employers for Military winners is a testament to the variety of companies

and industries that make it an annual goal to hire transitioning military and veterans. These companies truly embrace and value the level of talent that is ingrained in each military-experienced job seeker.” The 2016 Most Valuable Employers (MVE) for Military was open to all U.S.based companies. The winners were selected based on surveys in which employers outlined their recruiting, training and retention plans that best serve military service members and veterans. In addition to being recognized in the May issue of Military Transition News, CivilianJobs.com’s worldwide military base newspaper, winning employers will also be displayed on the CivilianJobs.com website. ‹

RACE CORNER

As

we approach mid-season, Michael Annett took some time to support his charity of choice, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. On August 7th at Watkins Glen International in New York, Annett’s No. 46 Chevrolet SS was adorned with a special St. Jude paint scheme. Fans also had the opportunity to have their names appear on the upper deck lid of the car with a donation of at least $46 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

The following Monday, August 8th, Annett served as the honorary chairperson for the St. Jude Tournament of Hope golf tournament that took place in West Des Moines, Iowa. This year the event raised a record setting $201,372 for St. Jude, bringing the grand total of the tournament’s 4-year history to over $600,000 raised. One particularly hot item, the special edition, autographed MPI Innovations steering wheel used in the race went to the highest bidder of $43,000! ‹

Get the latest racing updates on Michael Annett at MichaelAnnett.com, Facebook.com/MichaelAnnettRacing or Twitter.com/MichaelAnnett

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TMC CDL Training Program Turns 1!

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une 8th, 2016 marks a special date in TMC history – it’s the official one-year anniversary of the TMC CDL training program. This program, available to select candidates that want to drive for TMC but do not already have a Class A CDL, provides the training to help them obtain the CDL in exchange for one year of employment driving for TMC. Already in the first year, the program is off to a great start with some exciting changes. We have just completed construction on a brand-new classroom for the students, giving them more space to learn and a great view of the training course. We also now have three full-time instructors dedicated to the program: Mike Harris and Anthony Holtz who are both classroom and yard instructors, and John Helmkamp, pre-trip and yard instructor. Soon, to allow candidates more flexibility with start dates, we will be starting new classes every week, rather than every two weeks. ‹

How did the program get started? TMC has been committed to training recent graduates of truck driving schools since 1993 and has maintained strong relationships with the schools. However, there were certain states within our hiring areas that we had particularly high needs for drivers that the local schools were unable to meet in the current industry driver shortage. We decided to offer our own CDL training program for the purpose of finding more drivers in these high needs areas in addition to hiring candidates from the CDL schools we have relationships with. For more details on specific states we’re looking for candidates, please visit our New to Trucking page. We still continue to hire recent graduates of CDL schools, as well as truck drivers that already have experience. All experience levels are welcome to join Team TMC, as long as they meet the qualifications.

How does the program work? Candidates are invited to the TMC Training Center in Des Moines, IA where they attend a three-week program designed to help them learn the skills and knowledge necessary to obtain the Class A CDL. They receive instructions on pre-trip inspections, backing, and get plenty of behind-thewheel drive time with our driving instructors. In addition to the training to obtain the license, they also go through TMC employee orientation and hands-on load securement training. After they complete the program and get their Class A CDL, they go out on the road with an experienced TMC driver trainer for five weeks to learn the lifestyle and how to make great money! The classroom is located at TMC's state-of-the-art training facility in Des Moines, Iowa.

What’s the first step if I’m interested? If you or someone you know wants to drive for TMC and needs assistance finding CDL training, you can apply for TMC here, or give us a call at 800-247-2862 ext 3 for more information! Anthony Holtz (left), Mike Harris (center) and John Helmkamp (right) head up TMC’s CDL training program.

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Dan Ward

Russell Kilgore

TMC driver, Dan Ward, was rolling through Arizona on a scorching hot 109-degree day when he came across a family with several young children in a disabled vehicle on the side of the road. He knew he could not allow them to sit in the heat by themselves. He pulled over to offer his assistance, and even let them sit in his air-conditioned truck for several hours before a tow truck could arrive. Our Safety Department took a phone call this morning from Marsha, who had been stranded in the heat with the girls as well. "They had broken down roadside and had been trying to get assistance from several tow vendors but couldn't get anyone to come out. Even the Arizona DPS couldn't or wouldn't assist them. Dan not only stopped, but allowed the girls to get into the truck to stay cool while he tried to assist with the vehicle.� Marsha credits Dan with saving their lives, and she was very adamant and emotional about it. She wants us to know the quality of the drivers that we have working for us, and promises that every time she sees a TMC truck, she's going to 'love up on them.' We want to extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to Mr. Ward. You truly demonstrate what TMC and Destination: Excellence is all about!

TMC’s Social Media Marketing Manager, Stacey Sickmiller, spoke to Russell on his encounter: "He was driving through Mississippi at about 2:30 a.m. when he saw "White, yellow, white, yellow" coming towards him on a two-lane road. He realized it was a car flipping and rolled into his lane. Russell parked his truck and blocked the road and then ran over to the car to find a young woman in the driver's seat. Russell asked, "Ma'am, are you ok? Do you have anyone else in the car with you?" She answered that she was alone. She was pinned in, so he told her he would get his winch bar to get the door open. She asked him to just break the windshield and to get her out, so he broke it, peeled it back, and pulled her out. There was shattered glass everywhere and since the woman was wearing a t-shirt, shorts and barefooted, he told her to step on his feet as she exited the vehicle. She was shaken up and thanked him. He told her to "take a deep breath" and assured her that he was happy to have helped. She was not seriously injured - just some scrapes. Russell's main concern was that there might be fuel leaking that would ignite with her trapped in the car. Emergency personnel assured him that he did the right thing."

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Rex Howard

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ex Howard has been with TMC for nearly two decades and has racked up over 2 million safe driving miles. He is the epitome of a TMC driver; safe, reliable and dedicated to the job.

Hailing from the small town of Wadena, Iowa, Rex joined the black and chrome fleet straight out of truck driving school, and truly has a passion for flatbed and being over the road. “I’m restless by nature,” he says. “I always need to be on the go, and TMC allows me to do that while making a good living to support my family.” Family is very important to Rex, and he enjoys sharing his love for the trucking industry with them. He has three kids who practically grew up

his years of experience over the road he has a wealth of knowledge that I draw from every week and I am very appreciative of that.”

in his truck. And though Rex prefers to fly solo, he’s decided to take up training for one very special trainee in particular; his son. This coming May, his oldest, who is now 26 will be coming to TMC to follow in his dad’s footsteps. “Rex does everything I ask of all of my drivers,” says Kevin Mattox, Rex’s Fleet Manager. “He always gives me an early Monday delivery, he’s safe, dependable, respectful and a great communicator. He’s always looking out for TMC at our customers. With

We are very proud to have Rex as a part of our family. He is a great representative of TMC and truly exemplifies excellence. Criteria for Driver of the Quarter recognition includes years of service with the company, safe driving record, excellent customer service, professionalism and overall quality performance. Once a driver is recognized as a Driver of the Quarter they are eligible to receive the prestigious Wheel Master Award. ‹

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Specialized (adj) requiring or involving detailed and specific knowledge or training.

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pecialized is the word used to describe one of the most esteemed group of drivers here at TMC. You may have seen them out on the road. They’re pretty hard to miss, and that’s not just because of the perfectly polished black and chrome Peterbilt tractor. The wow-factor is typically what is sitting on the trailer. The driver fleet in TMC's Specialized Division includes the most highly skilled and experienced drivers in the industry. Specialized drivers generally haul equipment and machinery, sometimes of massive proportions, to and from dealers that sell to major farming and construction corporations. It is not an easy task, but for a professional truck driver, it is often a career pinnacle where the benefits outweigh the sacrifices. The Specialized Division is typically attractive to TMC drivers because of the variety of equipment they have

the opportunity to haul, as well as being able to reduce the time spent at the steel and lumber mills and hauling the routine linehaul freight. And, instead of pulling only 48’ flatbed trailers, they are able to pull 53’ step-deck trailers and Removable Goose Neck (RGN) trailers. These trailer types enable TMC to accommodate various types of construction and agricultural machinery and other commodities that have additional loading and off-loading requirements. Due to the fact that most of the freight being hauled is over dimensional, these drivers have a big responsibility to get these distinctive loads delivered safely while obeying all of the federal, state and local over dimensional rules pertaining to hours they can run, rush hour, curfew limitations, weather and wind limitations, daylight and darkness limitations, holidays, etc. At TMC, our Specialized Division drivers are top

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notch. They are vastly experienced and have the knowledge and discipline to understand and obey many more rules than just a legal load for a 48’ flatbed. Of course, with glory comes sacrifice, and our Specialized drivers do have to make sacrifices, especially when it comes to home time. Linehaul drivers spend most weekends at home, and though most Specialized drivers are able to get home every other weekend, some drivers can be out on the road for more than three weeks at a time. “These guys haul loads that are tall, wide, long and heavy and sometimes all of the above in the same load,” says Chad Reece, Dedicated Fleet Manager at TMC. “They have our utmost respect for what they do and the sacrifices they make to be the professional drivers that they are. They are shining representations of TMC and the trucking industry.” ‹


TMC Participates in ESGR Signing Ceremony and Convoy

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he United States Military had a big presence at the 2016 Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS), and TMC was honored to have the opportunity to be involved in an empathetic cause. FASTPORT, Inc., and the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) coordinated a record breaking signing ceremony on April 1 at MATS where 78 employers gathered to publicly show their support of hiring veterans, National Guard members, Reserve soldiers, transitioning service members and military spouses.

Hastings represented TMC in the convoy

To kick off this event, a group of trucking company FASTPORT sponsors conducted a small convoy to transport a number of military and civilian dignitaries to the signing ceremony. TMC driver and military veteran, Logan Hastings, had the honor of transporting the head of the U.S. Army’s Soldier for Life program, Col. Adam Rocke, as

well as Mike Sanders from the local ESGR office. Col. Rocke has been heavily involved with FASTPORT initiatives and has become very familiar with the significant employment opportunities that are available in the trucking industry. At the signing ceremony, the current Acting Secretary of the Army, Patrick Murphy, joined the group and discussed his personal experiences with the trucking industry and committed to supporting the effort to make veterans more aware of the employment opportunities it has to offer.

From left to right: Brigadier General Stephan Hogan, 52nd Adjutant General of KY; Bill McLennan, CEO of FASTPORT; Brigadier General (ret) Norman Arflack, Commissioner, KY Department of Veteran Affairs; Major General (ret) Alan Youngman, KY State Chairman of ESGR

The day before the convoy event, Secretary Murphy held a private presentation with a few select Army veterans working in the trucking industry. Hastings and Duane Boswell, TMC’s Vice President of Recruiting, were invited to represent TMC Transportation at the event. The Secretary listened to each of the invitees’ stories of their transition challenges from the Army to the trucking industry and solicited feedback on how to make this process easier and more efficient.

Hastings (center) escorted head of the U.S. Army’s Soldier for Life program, Col. Adam Rocke (left), and ESGR representative Mike Sanders to the ceremony.

“TMC’s participation in veteran events like this demonstrates our continued commitment to support our veterans with great career opportunities,” says Boswell. “We value the skills and attributes that veterans bring to TMC.” ‹

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n i e Prid e d i R Your Guest Blog by TMC Driver Joe Searfino Jr. “Where can you drive top of the line equipment with all the bells and whistles and work for a company that truly values your success and supports your goals? You guessed it, right here at TMC. From the moment you step foot into your orientation class, you are in good hands with a class act company. When I went to truck driving school in the late nineties, I had no idea who I wanted to drive for until I saw a TMC brochure. On the front was an impressive black truck, which back then

was a Kenworth T600. I was hooked from that day. Everyone in class said I was crazy and that flatbedding was nothing but hard work. And they were right, I am crazy, and the hard work is the best part about it! After nearly a decade with TMC, I decided to make a career change and go back to school. I never realized how much I would miss being over the road, so in 2016 I was fortunate enough to have been re-hired by TMC. I knew from my past with TMC

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that aside from safety, maintaining your equipment is of utmost importance. I take great pride in my ride, a brand new Peterbilt 579. Being raised in a strict environment and with my United States Marine Corp background, I have lots of pride and experience in keeping things in tiptop shape. I spend a lot of time on the road, but even in my down time on the weekends you can find me sitting on my black milk crate polishing my wheels, tanks and steps. If I’m in Des Moines at our terminal for a layover, my favorite place to be is in the wash bay using the high-speed buffers on my truck to keep up the high shine. And out on the road if I'm at a truck stop doing my 34 hour reset, you won’t find me lounging around. If weather permits, I’ll be out there cleaning my truck. Drivers from other companies often come over and comment on how dedicated I am to keeping my truck clean. I tell them that it is not a company policy to do what I do, it's just my personal preference. I have very high standards and having a professional image is important to me. But really, I owe a lot

of my work ethic to my former trainer, Jeff Floyd, who is now a VP in TMC’s Business Development department. He was one of the best trainers here and taught me how to run things the TMC way. I like to look at my truck as my house, because I do live there most of the time, and I have many of the same policies. Never wear shoes on the carpet, keep the floors and windows clean, belongings should be neatly organized, etc. On occaision I even spend my own money to get my engine washed. Everyday drivers are sitting somewhere waiting at a shipper or consignee. Why not use this time for a quick clean up? Taking pride in your ride is so rewarding. I get thumbs up from passing cars, at lights I get people yelling how nice my truck looks. It's like the feeling you get when you get a fresh haircut at the barbershop. I love my job and I love the company that I work for. I'm a firm believer in if you take care of it, it will take care of you. So, everyone out on the road, be safe and keep it clean!” ‹

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safety •

AWARDS Congratulations to the following drivers who surpassed safe driving milestones during the second quarter of 2016. Thank you for your dedication to excellence!

10 Years Safe Driving

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Martin A. Anderson Adalberto Ayala David H. Burr Lisa P. Butts Jerry L Clark II William J. Clouse Neri D. Davis Charles R. Dessez Troy A. Halbeisen Christopher J. Hamilton Tony T. Harris David L. Hartrum Jeffrey S. Hatcher Gary W. Hendrickson Michael Van Horsman William E. Howard III Benjamin C. Johnson Steven C. Johnson Nicholas D. Leray Richard L. Michael Scott J. Noeller Angel F. Rivera Robert D. Roll Gregory G. Schultz Earl C. Sellers Lanny L. Smith Douglas Spyckaboer Matthew S. Townsend Juston H. Whitehouse Michael S. Wolf Edward J. Wydareny Jr.

Mark W. Brunner Lonnie N. Crim David R. Dillard Robert J. Durrett Charles H. Gayle John M. Graham Christopher T. Greene Kent Hall Donald S. Hollandsworth Paul R. Kahre David W. Kruse Anthony B. Leech Terry Ogburn Kinsey R. Richards William E. Short

15 Years Safe Driving • • • • • •

Roy C. Britt Randall H. Knight Leopoldo O. Ortega Ronald L. Scott Ronald S. Tackett Jr. James L. Underwood

20 Years Safe Driving • • • •

Richard W. Mekosch Paul E. Myers David C. Wheeler John R. Wheeler

25 Years Safe Driving • Jackie L. Harrison

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• • • • • • • •

Douglas L. Hefner Kevin F. McNamara Richard A. Butler Samuel J. Cusmano Timothy R. Welling Rodney A. Winkfield Stacey E. Fox Scott A. Quayle

million miles

5 Years Safe Driving

Congratulations to the following drivers who recently reached ONE MILLION safe driving miles!


An Employee-Owned Company

Trucking’s Top Rookie

Transporting the Wall That Heals

TMC’s Mario Cardenas has been named as a top ten finalist for the 2016 Trucking’s Top Rookie contest! Mario has been a professional truck driver with TMC for just over a year and has proven himself worthy of being named Trucking’s Top Rookie through discipline, attention to detail and motivation toward excellence. Mario and the rest of the top ten finalists will be honored at the Great American Trucking Show on August 26th in Dallas where they will announce the winner. Good luck Mario!

In November of 2015, TMC had the incredible opportunity to haul the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, The Wall That Heals, into the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. This September we will take charge of the honorable task once again, this time hauling it into our own backyard of Des Moines, Iowa!

National Truck Driver Appreciation Week Kicks off on September 11!

Opening Spring 2017!

At TMC, our drivers are the backbone of the company, and while we always appreciate the hard work that they put in day in and day out, National Truck Driver Appreciation Week is really a time to celebrate! Taking place September 11-17, TMC will spend the week honoring our drivers with gifts, giveaways, activities and plenty of free food! Be sure to check out the Fall 2016 edition of Destination: Excellence for a full recap of the festivities!

Construction on our brand new, state of the art terminal in Brownsburg, IN is in full swing! It will sit on just over 34 acres of land and will replace TMC’s current terminal location within the Indianapolis city limits. Features include a large office complete with driver lounges, as well as a 56,000 sq./ft. maintenance shop. Construction is due to be completed in the Spring of 2017. Stay tuned for more updates!

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Heard from

“My family and I were recently traveling from Bentonville, Arkansas to Houston, Texas over the Memorial Day weekend to see some family. Our journey was progressing well, and we decided to stop at a gas station in Eufala, OK for a break. Unfortunately, soon after pulling back out of the gas station our Tahoe warned that we had lost tire pressure, so we quickly pulled off at another little gas station at the next exit in Canadian, OK where there was a little EZMart. My husband, myself and our 4-year-old daughter were trying to figure out how to change the tire on our vehicle when a trucker pulled in beside us and rolled down his window. His name was “Dave” and he kindly asked if we needed any help. He parked his rig and quickly came over to assist, allowing me to attend to our 4-year-old while Dave and my husband focused on getting the tire changed. My daughter enjoyed seeing the Shrek figure staring out of his truck window while we played in dirt area where we were parked. He was a nice quiet man, well spoken, a military veteran who just enjoyed helping people… and he really helped us out. We came to find out that he was parked for the night and headed home for a family reunion BBQ, but yet he took the time to help us first.

“I was sent a message by the shipping scheduler at a customer regarding a delay, and he wanted to express just how patient and polite the driver was during this entire event. He said this driver represented TMC very well and the scheduler personally thanked him on site for his professionalism and understanding while he was delayed.”-Dominique Strode, TMC Regional VP, Business Development

"A driver from another company called in and wanted to share driver Jeremy Bare's good deed. According to the driver, Jeremy helped six or seven drivers secure their loads while he was waiting for a vendor to come out to repair his tire. Given the flooding conditions in West Virginia at that time, the caller and others were grateful for Jeremy's assistance so they could get moving out of that region!" -Jannelle Kennedy, TMC Safety Assistant

I write this to let you know that you have a high quality individual in your organization that we are very grateful to have met. If you have the ability to recognize him somehow, be it among his peers, or in a company email, I would appreciate it as he wouldn’t take anything from us as a thank you. He just asked that we “pay the kindness forward” someday.”- Jamie H., Motorist

“Safety took a call from a lady who wanted to recognize Benjamin Costello for assisting her and her husband on the evening of 6/22. They had pulled into a truck stop and their load of lumber had shifted. Ben was the only person on the lot who came over to offer his assistance. He stayed pretty late into the evening helping re-stack and re-secure the entire load. He had mentioned to them that he was a fairly new driver, and they were very impressed with his knowledge and willingness to help.”-Jannelle Kennedy, TMC Safety Assistant

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"Seth Bowker is a great example of what a team player should be. He took a pay cut by switching loads with me right before the 4th of July weekend so I could get home for the holiday. I sincerely appreciate it! He has an outstanding attitude and gave me great pointers on how to help me with tarping. Five stars to Seth and I cannot thank him enough!"-Michael Stoke, TMC Driver

“Safety took a call from the Wisconsin department of Public Safety - Freeway Service: Peter Duhamel was the only driver who moved over while they were attending to a disabled vehicle on I-90 eastbound just south of Madison. The gentleman who called had actually been hit by a motorist last year so, he is particularly thankful for those who do follow the law and move over for emergency vehicles." - Jannelle Kennedy, TMC Safety Assistant


“When I met my trainer Oleg Mervyak, I went to his home because he lived only 60 miles from me. I arrived promptly at 0600 as we had discussed. Upon arrival he invited me into his home and offered me a cup of coffee. After a few minutess his wife and children came out. He introduced me cordially. We began to load his family vehicle with my belongings and his. When we were outside he turned to me, looked me straight in the eyes and said, "This is why I work so hard. I have a family to support. I will be trusting you with my life when you get behind the wheel of my truck. Please take that into consideration before we depart.” What an eye opener. Oleg is a true professional. He was very adamant about procedure and process. I admire his dedication to the job. He continues to check up on me weekly and sometimes more often if he knows I'm struggling. TMC is very fortunate to have a driver trainer with the professionalism and realism that Oleg has.”-Daniel Furlow, TMC Driver

m the Road “We just received a call from a gentleman at Spahn and Rose Lumber in Newton, IA. He said he doesn’t typically make these kinds of calls, but was very impressed with Eli and the job that he did delivering this morning. According to the caller, Eli was one of the nicest drivers he had ever met. The yard there is very difficult to back into, but Eli took his time and was able to back in without incident. He made quite the impression on this customer!”-Jannelle Kennedy, TMC Safety Assistant "I was picking up a load of shingles and when I stopped to start securing, another TMC driver, Curtis Rasnake, came over out of his own free will and started helping me finish securing my load with his trainee. He then proceeded to give me advice and told me I could call him anytime I had any questions. He's a fine example of what a great TMC employee should be and inspires me to be the same way."-William Harding, TMC Driver

When the announcement was made that Rex Howard was named Driver of the First Quarter for 2016, Jack Berry, a Maintenance Technician here in Des Moines sent these comments to Todd Bunting, our VP of Safety, thus supporting what a fantastic asset and all around person Mr. Howard really is. Jack said, I noticed on Driveline last week that driver Rex Howard got the award of Driver of the First Quarter. I want him to know that I appreciate him for having the ethic, attitude and professionalism that he does. I have done a lot of work for him and he always has the respect to let me do my job to get him going down the road. I wish all of our drivers were like him! Again, he has a great professional attitude and I respect him for the job he does. Maybe somehow congratulate Rex again. This award isn't enough, but honestly I don't think any award is enough! Rex is a top notch truck driver and that is how TMC has the reputation that it has!"

“In just my short 7 years of driving I've noticed a few things about your company. The trucks are always spotless, the drivers are always courteous, and I don't think I've ever heard one of them complain about the company. Plus, I'm quite convinced that you guys can seriously tarp anything and make it look good. Thanks for doing what you guys do, and if I ever decide to get out of the tanker business, I'll be checking you guys out.”-Stephen M., Facebook User

“I got a phone call from a nice lady named Jenny who observed our driver, David Perfect, today heading west on Interstate 26 between Spartanburg and Asheville. While at the intersection of I26 where it crosses I85, which she said is a sticky one where she sees accidents all the time, this driver was clearly paying close attention to the road and was driving in a safe and courteous fashion. She followed him for another 15 miles or so until she had to get off and was very impressed with how he was operating his truck.”-Justyn Hardy, TMC Public Relations Manager

"Out of a group of 40 or 50 drivers of different companies, your driver, Johnny Rose, was the only one to lend a helping hand to a fellow truck driver in a difficult situation. I don't know much about TMC, but whatever you guys are doing, please keep up the good work. Every TMC driver I have come across is as professional as can be, and the equipment is always top notch. Thanks for showing these ladies and gentlemen the right way."-Suhkan M., Facebook User

"I just wanted to let you guys know that I have enjoyed having driver Scott Whitaker. We have been through a lot this morning trying to get him where he needs to be. He never lost his cool and was always smiling. We need more drivers like this who dress nice and have a great attitude. It is my pleasure to work hard to find out where he needs to be. Thank you for allowing him to come!" - Patricia R., Shipping Clerk, ARAUCO

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