Destination: Excellence | Summer 2022

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.”