Destination:
Excellence SUMMER 2022
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Table of Contents
3 4 6 8 9 10
Driver Awards and Recognition
Wheel Master Announced
Driver of the Quarter Announced
Trainer(s) of the Month April and May
2021 ESOP Share Price
TMC Partners with Sammy Smith
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Thank you, drivers!
Milestone Awards ONE MILLION SAFE MILES Richard Gibbs Steven Mullins Greg Stehouwer John Reeves Dan Randall
TWO MILLION SAFE MILES Art McDonald Chester Randolph
Trainer Hard Hats Andre Thomas Derek Stinson Jason Migues Art Palmer Michael Roush Steven Greenly
Franklin Groggs Danny Annett Jr Tyler Cortis Jeremiah Heath Juston Whitehouse
Safe Driving Awards FIVE YEARS
Daniel Schultz
TEN YEARS
Andrew Carnes Matt Nadeau Ervin Scott Thomas Jordan
William Beasley Curtis Pernak John Strickland Jr Russell Haskell Philip Summerville
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TMC’s Newest Wheel Master
TMC is thrilled to announce Curtis Rasnake as the 2021 Wheel Master award winner! Curtis Rasnake has been driving a TMC truck for 16 years and in that time, he has been awarded two Trainer of the Month awards, a Trainer of the Year award in 2015, Driver of the Quarter in 2014, and to top it all off, Rasnake now has TMC’s highest honor of 2021 Wheel Master. “I had goosebumps when I got the call,” said Rasnake. Rasnake has been eligible for Wheel Master since 2014 when he was recognized as Driver of the Quarter. “Ya know, it never bothered me that I wasn’t a Wheel Master, each year I saw who was being honored and I never disagreed with the decision. It goes to show how many deserving drivers there are at TMC.” Rasnake has had a huge impact on TMC with how successful of a trainer he has become during his tenure. He has trained over 100 drivers and his ability to connect with all types
of people has proven effective when getting new drivers ready to take on their own Black and Chrome truck. “Driving a truck can be very frustrating,” he said. “These new guys need to know to never take their frustrations outside of the truck and I let them know whenever they want to rant, they can pick up the phone and call me, I’ll listen to their frustrations.”
the trucking industry, but Rasnake is a perfect example of how to center your job around your family. “When you let your family participate in your career it becomes a lifestyle.” He said. Rasnake’s wife, Audra, has been his backbone over the last 16 years of his flatbed career. Audra welcomes trainees into her home and prepares home-cooked meals for Curtis and his trainees. It is not uncommon for Audra When Rasnake was asked about why to meet Curtis’s former trainees at he has stayed at TMC so long he simply rest stops and provide meals for them replied, ‘support’. whenever they may pass by their house in western Virginia. Audra often talks “I have always had great support to other drivers’ wives on the phone to while I’ve been here. When I was a give them advice and encouragement new driver, I had experienced drivers when their husbands enter the looking out for me. I can depend on industry. The bond Curtis and Audra everyone in the office and TMC is like share is very impressive. family to me. I have many coworkers that are now my friends.” Rasnake In Rasnake’s childhood, he and his spoke very highly of his fleet manager, family faced financial problems. Curtis Kevin Mattox, and credited him as a used those struggles to motivate him big reason for this award. and continue to give his two sons and granddaughter more than what he had Family time can often be difficult in growing up. PAGE 4
2021 | CURTIS RASNAKE
“Everything I do, I do for my family,” says Rasnake. He has positioned himself and his family up for financial success for years to come. Rasnake has been with TMC since the company became employee-owned through Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) in 2013. “ESOP is huge! My wife won’t let me leave TMC with how well ESOP has been performing,” Rasnake jokes. On paper, it may appear that Rasnake has accomplished everything there is to accomplish at TMC. In the future, he looks forward to training more drivers and setting others up to have the success he has had at TMC. “If I hadn’t enjoyed what I have done the last 16 years I wouldn’t be doing it.” Rasnake said.
TMC Wheel Masters are selected based on criteria such as attitude, safety record, customer service, availability for loads, and on-time delivery.
Curtis exemplifies what TMC stands for. Join me in congratulating Curtis Rasnake on being named 2021 Wheel Master! PAGE 5
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Driver of the Quarter FIRST QUARTER OF 2022 | CHARLES DUNCAN TMC is proud to recognize Charles Duncan as Driver of The Quarter for the first quarter of 2022. Charles Duncan has driven for TMC for the last 18 years, making him one of TMC’s longest-tenured drivers. “I enjoy hauling freight,” Duncan said. “I like how TMC operates and the high standard they hold their employees to.” A lot has changed in the trucking industry since Duncan began driving for TMC in the early 2000s. “You don’t think about everything that’s changed when you’re out there driving, but I do remember when e-logs (electronic logs) weren’t around and that was a different time for sure,” Duncan said. As a trainer, Duncan can lean on his experience to help new guys find their way at TMC. “I love training. You learn the easiest ways to do things over the years and I have the opportunity to show these guys what I’ve learned.” When Duncan was asked what it means to now be eligible to receive TMC’s highest honor, Wheel Master, Duncan said, “I wasn’t intentionally trying for this award, I was just doing my job.” When Duncan isn’t doing his job he enjoys kayaking, grilling out, and spending time with his children and grandchildren. The recipient of this award is voted on by the Steering Committee based on the following criteria: nominations from employees, safe driving record, years of service, and excellence in customer service. The Driver of the Quarter is then eligible to be a Wheel Master. The Wheel Master award is the highest honor given to drivers at TMC and was created to recognize the best of the best among a fleet of impressive drivers.
Congratulations to Charles Duncan on being named Driver of the Quarter!
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Trainer of Trainer of the Month the Month MARCH 2022 Quincy Mora
APRIL 2022 Peter Arzoumanian
Congratulations to Quincy Mora who was awarded Trainer of the Month for March 2022.
Peter Arzoumanian has been awarded Trainer of the Month for April 2022. Peter has been training for two and a half years and is always willing to help out.
Quincy has been training for over a year and is currently training his fifteenth student. Quincy has done a great job over the past year with several of his trainees making it to their own truck. Quincy says he is focused on training them right and getting them prepared to do a good job for TMC. His success is a testament to his focus and dedication to training. Keep up the great work, Quincy!
He has demonstrated the right attitude and work ethic to train new drivers. Over the last twelve months, Peter has trained twelve students. The drivers he trains are safe, which is a testament to the great job he does. “The most rewarding part of training new drivers is watching them succeed,” Arzoumanian said. “I make sure to let them know they can still call me whenever they have questions. Driving a truck isn’t for everyone, so I enjoy when I get to see my trainees find success at TMC.”
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And the 2021 ESOP Share Price is...
In a year when TMC is celebrating its 50th anniversary, more exciting news was announced to drivers and staff this week. During the company’s 9th year under the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), TMC saw its most significant growth yet. TMC became employee-owned in October 2013. CEO and Founder, Harrold Annett, had a desire to establish a succession plan that maintained the culture of TMC while rewarding employees for their dedication. All eligible employees are part owners at no cost to them through ESOP. Over the last 9 years, TMC has shown growth each year. While the smallest growth TMC has shown was 11% in 2018, TMC has had multiple years where the growth per share staggered, including 2017 with a growth of 30% and 2014 with a growth of 44%. While the death of CEO, Harrold Annett, in 2021 lead to shares being redistributed among employees, it is not uncommon for TMC to see drastic growth year in and year out. In 2021, it was revealed that TMC had a 60% growth per share ($6,516 per share), which is the largest increase yet. This was extremely exciting for TMC employees to see. From where the share price started in 2013, the company has seen over 500% in growth. TMC often refers to this as “free money.” The ESOP balances many employees have been able to accumulate over the last 9 years reach in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Watch our live ESOP reveal on our Youtube channel. Just scan the code to the left or visit www.youtube.com/c/ tmctransportationofficialchannel
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TMC Partners with Sammy Smith
TMC Transportation has a longstanding presence in the racing world, thanks to Founder Harrold Annett’s passion for motorsports. The black and gold TMC colors first donned a racecar in the late ’70s on Mike Brook’s No. 12. In 2005, Mr. Annett’s son, Michael, took to the track with TMC’s support, finding his footing in the ARCA Racing Series. To support Michael’s racing endeavors, Mr. Annett turned to Kurt Smith and his team at Rising Star Management Group (RSMG) to help manage the TMC Racing program. Mr. Annett first met Kurt when Kurt was a teenager, working for him in a local bike shop before he became a TMC employee. Alongside supporting Michael’s career, Mr. Annett and TMC took an interest in Kurt’s son – Sammy Smith – who found himself starting to race go-karts at the age of 8. Sammy started racing at local tracks throughout Iowa, rising through the ranks of go-karts and legends cars before moving to Late Model racing in 2019. Now at age 17, Smith has found success at all levels of competition that he has reached, taking TMC to Victory Lane on numerous occasions. In 2021, Smith earned the title of ARCA Menards Series East Champion, with three wins and seven top-5s in eight races. With Michael Annett retiring after 14 years at the top levels of NASCAR, TMC Transportation is excited to continue their support of Sammy Smith as he climbs the ranks in the motorsport world. In 2022, Sammy will compete full-time in the ARCA Menards Series as well as in select Super Late Model races. Fans can watch for the #18 TMC Transportation Toyota driven by Sammy throughout the 2022 ARCA Menards race season.
Q&A
When did you first start racing? “I started racing when I was 8 years old and remember Harrold taking me to the go-kart track teaching me a lot and having a lot of fun.” Did you follow Michael Annett’s career closely? Do you have any memories with Michael? “Yes, I did! I used to go to a bunch of his races and really have a lot of good memories, one that I remember well is when he won at Daytona in 2019. I was there and got to share his win in victory lane with him!” Do you have any specific goals for this season or your career in racing? “I set a goal to win 12 ARCA races, but I am obviously going to try my hardest every single race and try to win no matter what.” What does it mean to you to carry the TMC colors on your racecar? “It means a lot. I’m super proud to represent TMC on the car with its sprint car history and how successful it was. Also, growing up with Harrold and having him teach me a lot, help me get started, and sponsor my first go-kart adds to that.” PAGE 11
Sammy Smith visited TMC’s Ankeny and Des Moines facilities to chat with employees, take photos, and show off his race car and hauler.
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Many TMC employees headed out to Iowa Speedway on June 11th to cook out and watch the ARCA Menards Series Calypso Lemonade 150 race. Rain delays pushed the race until late into the night, but Sammy Smith’s loyal fans waited it out to enjoy the race. PAGE 13
John Deere Carrier of the Year
TMC Transportation has earned recognition as a Partner-level supplier for 2021 in the John Deere Achieving Excellence Program. The Partner-level status is Deere & Company’s highest supplier rating. The Des Moines-based company was selected for the honor in recognition of its dedication to providing products and service of outstanding quality as well as its commitment to continuous improvement. TMC Transportation is a supplier of flatbed and specialized transportation services to John Deere’s operations in Ankeny, Iowa; Davenport, Iowa; Dubuque, Iowa; Valley City, North Dakota and their Waterloo, Iowa factories. Along with hauling outbound finished goods machines from these factories, TMC Transportation also hauls inbound raw materials for production at several Deere facilities in North America. Suppliers who participate in the Achieving Excellence program are evaluated annually in several key performance categories, including quality, cost management, delivery, technical support and wavelength, which is a measure of responsiveness. John Deere Supply Management created the program in 1991 to provide a supplier evaluation and feedback process that promotes continuous improvement. TMC Transportation has now earned the Partner-level supplier rating for 9 consecutive years.
A Look into Dedicated
“My dedicated route has been a lifesaver on my home time,” George Calore, TMC Driver who has been on a dedicated route for over 12 years, said. “I get home Wednesday and every weekend. Fleet managers do a great job getting drivers home when they want to.” The route in which Calore drives each week is very consistent and over the last decade, Calore has become very familiar with the customers he delivers to. Many of the typical issues drivers face each day are not issues when dealing with dedicated accounts. “My loads are never overweight, I don’t have to worry about complicated directions, the side kit I drive is easy to load and unload, and I am never too far from my home.”
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Second Annual 5k Virtual Run
Our TMC employees, friends, and family took part in our TMC Tough 2nd Annual 5K on June 18th! From the smiles in these photos, we can see that they were having fun while keeping fit.
KUDOS FROM ONE OF OUR CUSTOMERS: Emailed to Steven Bradley, Regional VP Business Development and Jeffery Clott, Customer Service Rep “I would like to take this opportunity to give a BIG THANK YOU to both you and your drivers. It’s a pleasure to deal with your drivers each time they come in for a load. They are polite and professional. We never have a problem with them tarping, always know it will be done right. This is important for us and we appreciate their attention to that detail, to the point they do not have to wait for paperwork, we just hand it over so they don’t have to come back to the office. Additionally, I want to thank both of you for the excellent service we receive when we send loads over to you. You both make my life a little easier when you take a load, I never worry about it being dropped. And those times when we need to reschedule the notice is always given with enough time to alert the customer. I believe in saying thank you, especially for a job well done, and this one is long overdue. Once again, thanks for everything and have a great rest of the day!!!!” - Cheryl Xander
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BLACK and CHROME
SALUTES
“JD Bailey was an awesome help with me strapping down plywood in the wind. As I threw the straps he caught them on the other side. And did the same for me. Love how he took time from his day of waiting to help out other drivers. Thank you for making our day easier!” - Bryan Rindal to JD Bailey “Mega windy day at the Gateway terminal in New Haven, CT, and Zach was awesome enough to give a hand with tarps. Appreciate your help, sir!” - Steven Greenly to Zachary Picard “Many thanks to David for selflessly taking his time to help me tarp an awkward load I was having trouble with. He taught me a technique that will come in handy in the future.” - Brian Savage to David Bentley
“Mark is a really cool driver! Definitely the TMC type of guy. Very out going, nice, great conversation. What was very cool about this driver is that he took the time to give me a hand in the rain! Not many drivers seem to go the extra mile like that nowadays! Thanks again my friend! - Richard Murphy Jr. to Mark Foss
SALUTES FROM THE OUTSIDE
Richard was having issues with truck codes, needed fuel filter, etc. and the service truck wrecked on the way to him…Will stopped and gave Richard his fuel filter and helped him change it out. This allowed the truck to run a regen and clear the codes and allowed Richard to get rolling again…Richard is extremely grateful for Will’s help. - Richard Michael to Will Whitmer
“Very helpful. Him and his trainee helped me get my load secured so I could get home faster.” - Eric Weeks to Shawn Olsen
“As Christopher was getting unloaded this morning, he helped three other drivers remove and fold their tarps. Very kind and respectful with a lot of hustle in his step.” - Joshua Dover to Christopher Middleton-Hayes
“Helped me fix a mudflap and run straps through coils.” - Trevor Quigley to Matthew Compton and Matthew Muzika
“He helped me unload and gave me some really good advice on how to be more proficient in unloading.” - Stefan Carroll to Nad Holland “Didn’t catch his name but wanna say thanks for the help while in Fort Dodge, Iowa” - Carl Vassell to Andrew Gainey “Helped me untarp and unstrap.” - Walter Thompson Jr to Ryan Cameron
“Trainee driver... he (Matthew) got out help two other drivers chain and strap down and help me as well. I think he will be a great asset to the company.” - Hunter McCloud to Matthew Muzika
“Just wanna say thank you for helping me, showing me some really good tools to use on my phone, and showing me more in depth things about the job.” - Travis Sears to Thomas Rhoades “Helped with securement.” - Matthew Compton to Paul Babineaux III “Helped with my load and gave me some edge protectors. Great kid. - Michael Miller to Brandon Holland “Helped with truck problems and zip ties.” - Devin McKinney to Erik Schmidt
Safety took a call this morning from a gentleman who said he was a 19 year veteran flatbed driver. He wanted to call in and compliment Stedmond Smith. The caller and Stedmond were loading at the same location. He said that he offered to help Stedmond and was surprised that he was so willing to accept guidance. He said it was obvious that Stedmond had been trained well but was also very open to learning a few additional things from another road veteran. Per the caller, it was refreshing to see the younger generation out here doing it right. PAGE 16
“At a Georgia Pacific in Fletcher, OK, late on a Friday and without being asked, Juan walked over, winch bar in hand, and helped me secure the entire load. He was a big help at the end of a long day, and I really appreciated it. I’ll pay it forward to other drivers.” - Michael Misner to Juan Botello “Driver took the time to show me how to secure and tarp a large eye to the sky coil a lot cleaner and easier than what I was trying to do. Very much appreciated!” - Patrick Fowler to Navidad Garza “It was my first time at National Gypsum in Medicine Lodge KS on 4/27 around 4pm. He came right up to me and started helping me find my paperwork and find my trailer. He then helped me swap all my dunnage, loaned me a tool, and even offered me a strap winder that he no longer used. I just want to thank him for taking the time out of his day to help me. He went above and beyond. Thank you, Drew.” - Bryan Wolfe to Andrew Snyder “Driver took the time to show me how to secure and tarp a large eye to the sky coil a lot cleaner and easier than what I was trying to do. Very much appreciated!” - Patrick Fowler to Navidad Garza “This man helped me bungee and tarp my whole load in 90° weather when he didn’t have to. Thank you, sir!” - Kelly Carter to Charles Back “Jimmy went above and beyond to help me out of a jam. Good dude.” - Nicholas Amurgis to Jimmy Johnson “I was Joe’s first trainee. Joe went out of his way to ensure I would be able to perform everything I needed properly. Such an amazing and warm hearted trainer. Thanks, Joe!” - Travis Plumly to Joe Gray “Helped me fold a tarp in some adverse conditions Very nice guy!” Matthew Prazak to Jordan Williams
“Met him at Central States in Illinois. He was going out of his way to help another driver secure their paper load, and after that driver left, I backed in next to him. I was planning on returning the favor by helping him out, but he ended up helping me a ton, too, instead. He even went as far as teaching me as he was helping since it was my first paper load.” - Ricky Bowling Jr. to David Paul “As I was securing my load Mr.Gonzales took time from his load to come help me and gave me tips on how to properly secure my loads in a faster manner while being safe. After he finished his load, he came back over to help me with my tarp. I’ve only been in my truck for two months but seeing him come and help me in more ways than one made me realize how lucky I am to be at a company with drivers like Chris. Thank you for the help today.” - Dallyn Bookout to Chris Gonzales In the 1 year I’ve been at TMC, I never had to do coils. Jamie took the time and help me out and explain to me how to properly secure my load of coils. I thank him so much for the time he took to help me out.” - Rafael Ramirez to Jamie Beckstead “Travis and I were challenged after having our destination changed several times. But he keep a smile on his face and helped me every step of the way.” - Victor Grant to Travis Laastad “Always goes above and beyond to help a driver secure a load and get on the road safely but quickly. I’ve lost count how many times Dave has helped me.” - Andrew Meddaugh to Dave Bentley “Gave me a ride back to my truck after a break down.” - Jesse Wyse to Dylan White PAGE 17
“Helped me secure load and gave tips on getting straps threw rub rail. Awesome dude!” - Jesse Wyse to Kevin Cutting “This driver had seen me having some trouble backing into a tight spot and decided to spot me on my blind spot.” - Michael Chalk to Patrick Vila “I ran into bill at a shipper. We were both waiting for our load. Bill talked with me and gave me a few pointers about being on the road. He let me help him with his load and gave me some advice with securement. Very kind and knowledgeable. I appreciate the advice he gave and his willingness to help a fellow trucker.” - Marcus Serrano to Bill Beasley “Chris helped me untarp my load. He also helped me fold and roll my tarps to make them tighter and fit everything in my headache rack. Appreciate it, Chris.” - Austin Smith to Chris Purvis “Took a good bit of his time to help me as a new driver. A good young man” - Nicholas Amurgis to Ricky Ramirez “He’s a life saver! I was out of water on a blazing hot day and he gave me a bunch of bottles from his own supply!” - Brian Savage to Adrian Marquis Sr. “Helped me on how to secure my load on a dedicated account. Also fed me while we both waited for our loads to be ready. Nice fellow to talk to. He gave me some pointers on securing that I didn’t know.” - Carl Vassell to Michael Coleman “Just wanted to thank you for lending a hand in Rotan, TX. 114 degrees out and helped me replace two mudflaps and put away my securement.” - Clarence McCall to Darren Cannon “Driver helped me back in at midnight when I couldn’t see” - Jesse Moon to Harrison Allen
KEEP IN TOUCH! Visit us at www.tmctrans.com or give us a call - 1.800.247.2460 @TMCTrans @TMCTransLogistics TMC Transportation @TMC_TRANS @TMC_Logistics
6115 SW Leland Ave Des Moines, IA 50321
@TMCTRANS
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