Thomas Marlow of Fleetline
by Aly Anderson, Staff Writer

Thomas Marlow has contracted with Fleetline for one and a half years. With almost 28 years in the trucking industry, I asked Thomas what he liked most about driving a truck. “The independence.You can come and go when you want.”

Originally from Georgia, Thomas now resides in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. He spends his free time with his wife Stephanie. I asked Thomas what he likes most about contracting with Fleetline. “My dispatcher, Roger Smith. He works well with me. He never beats around the bush. He is honest and straightforward.”

Thomas is a Trucker Buddy for a special education class in Key Largo, Florida. He was also named Highway Angel for assisting in a car accident in a rainstorm and helping an injured man at a rest stop. We are very proud of Thomas and wish him luck in the many years to come.

Jim Donahue of Dart Transit
by Steve Gundale, Editor

Jim Donahue remembers driving in every state and most major cities in the lower 48 states during his 20 year trucking career. His first driving experience was hauling household goods, with his trips taking him everywhere from Manhattan to the ranches of South Dakota.

He learned about the Highway Sales program while chatting with a Dart contractor. He leased a used cabover and contracted it to Dart. Donahue drove the truck for 7 1/2 years until he traded it for a new International 9400. “New trucks are more profitable,” he explains. Better fuel economy, and lower maintenance and repair costs make his monthly payment for him.

“I don’t consider myself a truck driver,” he says. “I’m an independent contractor. I make my own decisions. In this business you make money by watching costs. Getting 7.5 mpg is more important than getting to a truck stop a little sooner.” Dispatcher Cary McDonald says Jim is a great guy who works hard. “When Jim’s on a load, I don’t worry about customer service.”

William McLeland of Fleetline
by Cathy Aydelott, Staff Writer

William McLeland has been with Fleetline for three years as an owner operator. With twenty-four years in the trucking industry, William said “Fleetline is one of the easiest companies to work with.

Cooperating with Calvin Short, his Fleet Manager, helps make this possible. He knows what I need and keeps me moving.” “It’s not always an easy job”, says William about the trucking industry. “You are away from your family and miss a lot of things, but I love it. I couldn’t do it without the support of my wife Carol and my two children.”

William lives in Morris, Oklahoma. He spends his free time with family. He has two children -- Julie and Brian, and a grandchild on the way.

Kevin McAfee of Dart Transit
by Steve Gundale, Editor

Kevin McAfee has driven big trucks professionally for twenty-five years, calling Dart his home for six. “I learned how to drive from Uncle Johnnie and my father,” he says, remembering that he was barely able to reach the pedals when he first took the wheel. After high school McAfee headed off to technical college to become a machinist. He preferred trucks, however, and started driving professionally as soon as he was old enough.

“Mostly flat beds,” he recalls. About six years ago he decided to try “door slammin”, and ended up at Dart. “Mileage pay works a whole lot better than percentage pay,” he says. The mechanical skills that Kevin learned from his father opened the door to an interesting hobby. McAfee collects and rebuilds old motorcycles. He has nine parked in his garage, including a 1978 Harley that he rebuilt with a custom frame.

“Kevin is a very professional operator with a good sense of humor,” says dispatcher Adam Rosenzweig. “And he helps us out on a lot of loads. He’s a valued person.”

Time to prepare for winter's worst

Just when we get relief from heat and road construction, Mother Nature returns to show us who is really in charge. It's time to get reacquainted with winter driving techniques. Your tractor should be number one on your list. A tractor that is not prepared for the cold is unreliable, prone to hefty repair bills, and becomes a safety hazard. Every professional independent contractor would be wise to use this check list before the real cold stuff hits.

• Fuel you purchase in the south will not be adequate for an average northland winter day. Always carry a supply of fuel conditioner in your truck.
• Clean and check batteries.
• Check alternator output.
• Drain and check air tanks and air dryer.
• Check cooling system for leaks.
• Check antifreeze and nalcool concentration.
• Test block heater.
• Check belt tension and condition.
• Replace soft or damaged hoses.
• Tires -- check inflation and tread depth.
• Test heated mirrors.
• Break out the winter jackets and clothing. Parts of the northland have already had snow.

Some sensible winter driving techniques.

1. SLOW DOWN!
2. Increase your following distance. (4-Seconds is for dry, ideal conditions only.)
3. Be careful when applying the brake or power.
4. Remember that passing other vehicles in snow can cause white out conditions lasting up to 15-20 seconds.
5. Be wary of strong side winds.
6. Dump the clutch at the first sign of lost traction. Keep the tractor in front of the trailer and stay off the brake!
7. When conditions are bad, it's time to get off the road and call dispatch.

Weather is only one of the many hazards we can't control. If we prepare for the unexpected, we can reduce the risk winter weather presents.

 "I've been out here for 30 years, and I've never had a trucking company president do this before," remarked an amazed veteran of the road, as he accepted a cold soda from Don Oren, President of Dart and Fleetline. Mr. Oren and several Dart staff members spent the better part of August 25 reaching out to drivers at the TA Truck Stop in Hudson, Wisconsin.

Meanwhile in Texas, Joyce Jordan and members of her Fleetline staff visited truckstops in Terrell, Rockwall, and Mesquite, Texas, passing out caps, pens, key rings, and candy bars. Appreciation was expressed at the home offices, too. At Fleetline, daily raffles gave away Pro Stop coupon books worth $300, four-night stays at the Hampton Inn, and two 25" television sets. Morning donuts and noon lunches were served in Lancaster.

At Eagan, there were prize drawings and free food every day. Several Fleetline representatives, including contractor Louis Wilson, attended the Lancaster city council meeting, where Mayor Martha Wallace presented them with a proclamation designating August 21-28 as Truck Driver Appreciation week in Lancaster Texas.

"Professional drivers deliver the freight with a smile, on time, and with remarkable safety," Mr. Oren said. "They deserve the appreciation of our entire nation."

Photo cut line: Charbroiled burgers were on the lunch time menu for contractors during Contractor Appreciation Week at Eagan. Dispatchers and other staff members pitched in with their cooking skills.

The roar of the track -- cars screaming around the turns, speeds approaching 200 mph through the straightaways. These are the sounds of professional racing at one of the fastest NASCAR tracks in the nation: Talladega, Alabama. Contractors and recruiters from Fleetline and Dart looked out over the scene from the vantage of a luxury suite overlooking the first turn.

Contractors Cary Bolyard (Grafton, West Virginia), Art Reid (Breckenridge, Texas), and Harvey and Karen Zander (St. Louis Park, Minnesota) represented winners of Fleetline/Dart's 1999 "Race for Referrals" recruiting contest. The promotion rewarded contractors who referred new drivers and contractors to Dart and Fleetline during June, July, and August. All contractors who successfully referred new operators received a two cent per mile bonus for all the miles their referred drivers produced at Dart and Fleetline during their first 180 days under contract.

Also attending the race were Jill and Craig Whitaker and Bo and Kristi Price. Jill is a recruiter at the Sellersburg office, and Bo is a recruiter at the Dallas office. "We were treated like royalty," commented Karen Zander. Hospitality was provided by Pollard Publishing Group, owners of the luxury box suite and publishers of Trucking 99, Women in Trucking, and Race Masters Magazine. Pollard lavishly provided food, beverage, VIP passes for four days, parking, closed circuit television, telephone service, pit tours, and a steak fry at Keith Pollard's home in Oxford, Alabama.

Five months after the Truckload Carriers Association selected Jimmy Davidson as its Independent Contractor of the Year, the Texas Motor Transportation Association (TMTA) named Davidson as its 1999 Driver of the Year. The award was presented August 5 at the TMTA's annual conference in San Antonio, Texas. He received a check for $1,000 and a Driver of the Year plaque. The award is presented to a professional truck driver from Texas who exemplifies the best qualities of the trucking industry.

Davidson is an independent trucker who contracts with Fleetline Inc. of Dallas, Texas. "We at Fleetline are very proud of Jimmy. He richly deserves this recognition for his exceptional accomplishments," said Joyce Jordan, Chief Operating Officer for Fleetline. "Jimmy represents the best of the truck driving profession."

The TMTA Driver of the Year contest is sponsored by the law office of Roberts, Cunningham and Stripling to promote the recognition of professionalism in the trucking industry. As the Texas Driver of the Year, Davidson becomes the Texas nominee for the American Trucking Association National Driver of the Year award, which will be announced later this year.

Nominations are based on an act of heroism, highway courtesy, or contribution to highway safety, and a long record of safe and courteous driving. Davidson has driven more than four million miles without a preventable accident during his thirty-five year career. His winning Texas entry included an essay on the meaning of being a professional driver, what he likes best about contracting with Fleetline, and how he would improve his profession.

Stitch after tiny hand stitch. Thousands of varied pieces of fabric. All combined with seemingly endless patience. Pam and Bill Myyers expect to work on this quilt another half year before it is complete.

Professional truck drivers work long hours, but time between loads still hangs heavily on their hands. That's not a problem for Pam and Bill Myyers, who use that time to produce works of art. The two travel together -- Bill as a driver-employee of Allpoints, Inc., and Pam as a passenger. They share much more than companionship during their long hours on the road. Both have fallen in love with an absorbing hobby: quilting.

While Bill drives, Pam is busy with needle flashing in the light, pulling its tail of thread through intricate patterns of colorful fabric. This is no mere blanket, a utilitarian body warmer. No, this is an emerging masterpiece. "With a sewing machine, I can sew a simple design in a day," she explains. "A complex design takes three days on a machine."

Hand-made quilts are completely different. "Now this quilt," she says, holding up a complex unfinished design, "has taken three years so far." Pam estimates that it will take another half year or so to finish it, at the rate of 20 hours per week. She expects to invest a total of 3,600 hours in the quilt before it is done. Completed, it will have several thousand individually cut and hand sewn pieces.

While Bill cruises down the highway, Pam stitches quietly and precisely, ten per inch. Without a smooth ride, the sharp needle becomes a dangerous instrument. Their Freightliner conventional does an admirable job on most roads, but there are places too rough, even for their air-ride suspension. "What do you call a quilter riding through Pennsylvania and Illinois?" she quips. "A blood donor!" Then she laughs.

When the truck stops, Bill picks up a needle and joins into the work with Pam. "Quilters always have a good time," he grins. "They're always in stitches." His big, work hardened hands make needlework look like an improbable task, as the tiny needle disappears between his fingers. But Bill enjoys it, and produces beautiful work.

Their enormous investment of time makes these hand-sewn quilts nearly priceless. They are, in fact, works of art eagerly purchased by collectors and exhibited in fancy stores and museums. Many hang on walls as works of fine art. Pam calls her current project "Clarence's Quilt", for the friend who will eventually own it.

The Myyers seek out fabric stores and quilting shops all around the country. "Fabric goes out of date in three or four months," Pam explains. "When the design and color are gone, they disappear forever. That means it becomes very difficult to find more of a pattern if you run out." Pam carries her sewing machine in the truck wherever the two go. They also stock 150 yards of fabric in the truck in an amazing array of colors and patterns, ready for any quilting project that pops up.

The Myyers are enthusiastic Trucker Buddies, with classes in Derby, Kansas and Carol Stream, Illinois. Last year the Myyers made "signature" quilts for their two Trucker Buddy teachers in Kansas. These quilts were sewn on the machine, requiring two days of labor for each quilt. The students provided the "signatures" on cloth blocks sewn into the quilts.

A hand made quilt is done in several steps. First, the colored fabric is cut to the size and shape required by the design. Then the pieces are sewn together. This is "piecing", a process that is quickly done on a sewing machine, but is laboriously slow when done by hand. Final assembly is the actual "quilting", when the completed top is attached with tufts of yarn to the batting and backing fabric. The finest quilts are assembled with very close, evenly spaced hand stitches, like Pam's work in "Clarence's Quilt". The end result is a work of art that tantalize the eye with a rich pattern of color and detail.