Steve Gundale, Editor
Not even an exploding truck crashing into its operating center could keep Dart Transit from carrying on business as usual. For the employees of Dart Transit, a typical Monday afternoon turned into a scene from a disaster movie.

On August 13, a truck pulling a belly-dump trailer full of gravel ran through a red light at the intersection of Highway 55 and Lone Oak Road in Eagan, Minnesota. Striking an SUV, it proceeded out of control across Dart’s lawn, and into the company’s corporate office building. The impact shattered a brick wall, shaking the entire two story steel and masonry building. The tractor exploded into a ball of flames, sending up a column of dense black smoke that could be seen for miles. While most employees began a frantic evacuation, two dispatchers rushed with fire extinguishers into the impact area where several employees were temporarily trapped by the tractor and debris.

Their quick action gave the trapped employees the seconds they needed to escape before the flames and noxious fumes overtook the area. The person closest to the destruction was Chuck Johanns, who looked out the window from his desk to see the truck hurtling toward him. He had barely enough time to duck under the desk in his office cubical. That action probably saved his life, as the truck came to rest barely a foot from his hiding place, onto the spot he had occupied moments before. Pieces of his desk disappeared into the rubble, while debris rained down on what remained. From his vantage point on the floor, he could see fire under the truck, and he scrambled over the top of filing cabinets, escaping just before a flash explosion ripped through the office.

Amazingly, no one was seriously hurt in the crash. Johanns suffered a bruised rib and was thoroughly shaken. Three others in the area also had minor injuries. The truck driver and the driver of the overturned SUV also escaped with minor injuries. As evacuating employees gathered in the company parking lots, Gary Randall, Dart’s vice president of operations, was already using his cell phone to call Dart’s second operating center in Dallas, Texas. The company’s disaster plan was in effect, and Dart’s Eagan phone lines and computers were switched to the Dallas Operating Center.

“To our customers and contractors, our service was virtually uninterrupted,” said Randall, “as we continued to accept loads from our customers and dispatched loads to our contractors.” After the fire was finally extinguished, Eagan employees launched into the tough task of re-opening the fire-blackened building for business. By 7 P.M. that evening, four hours after the crisis began, Dart’s evening dispatch crew was back in action with phone lines and computers installed in another building a mile down the road. And that night, employees worked to clear several inches of water from floors, opening the building for ventilation, and restoring computer and phone connections.

By 8 o’clock the next morning, dispatch was back in action in the Eagan operating center. “Most customers never knew we were in a crisis,” says Randall. “Our customer service never stopped. Because of our disaster planning, we had duplicate computer equipment and telephone systems in place to handle rapid transfer of calls.”

“We have much to be thankful for,” said Dart President Don Oren. “Our employees came through without serious injury. Despite extensive damage, our building has no serious structural damage. Our disaster planning withstood a trial by fire, and our back-up systems all worked. Over the years, we have worked very hard to build a reputation for reliability, and I think this proves that Dart is a carrier you can count on, even in the middle of a disaster.”

A gravel truck hit this SUV before losing control and plowing into the Dart building. The driver walked away with minor injuries.










 

Steve Gundale, Editor
The re-branding of Fleetline as part of Dart Transit is proceeding in steps during 2001 to make sure that contractors and shippers are not confused by the name change. According to Joyce Jordan, chief operating officer at the Dallas Operating Center, the change is proceeding smoothly without problem. In July, Fleetline offices began answering telephones, “Dart-Fleetline”. By September, that greeting will be simplified to “Dart Transit”. The Fleetline name will officially be dropped January 1, 2002, but the switchover should be completed before then.

New office names
We also began using new names for our facilities to clarify their identity and function.

• Dart Corporate Office -- Executive offices at 800 Lone Oak Rd, Eagan, MN
• Eagan Operating Center (EOC) -- also at 800 Lone Oak Rd in Eagan.
  Offices for accounting, billing, safety, contractor recruiting, settlements, computer services, and contractor dispatching.
  Also houses offices for affiliated companies such as Dart Intermodal and Advantage Transportation brokerage services.
• Dallas Operating Center (DOC) -- 2820 Danieldale Rd in Lancaster, Texas.
  Offices for sales and marketing, safety, settlements, and recruiting. Dispatching location for contractors living in the “Super South” area.
• Sellersburg Operating Center (SOC) -- 1503 Avco Industrial Blvd in Sellersburg, Indiana. Safety, recruiting, and contractor settlements.

Contract name changes
We are currently making the transition from Fleetline contractor Business Operating Agreements (contracts) to Dart Business Operating Agreements. Contractors who operate from the Dallas Operating Center can switch to a new Dart agreement and door placards anytime, so long as it is done before April 1, 2002. The language in the Dart agreement is identical to the Fleetline agreement except for the carrier name.

Just hang up and drive
New York became the first state in the union to ban the use of hand-held cell phones while driving. The ban passed the New York legislature in June. The law still allows use of phones with headsets while driving. The applause you hear is from professional truck drivers, who have complained for years about the hazards created by motorists distracted by cell phone usage. Some critics of the new law point out that the measure is just a partial solution, since headset use still distracts a driver, and partially obstructs hearing in one ear.

Sleep study proposal moving forward
An exemption from current hours of service regulations may be in the works for 20 Dart contractors if the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration approves a request filed by researchers.

According to Gary Volkman, Dart vice president for safety, the exemption request proposes a three-year pilot program to test an alternative to current rules that rigidly regulate rest and work schedules. Anthony McMahon of the Safety Research Center in Bethesda, Maryland and Dr. William C. Dement, director of the Sleep Disorders Clinic and Research Center at Stanford University, submitted the proposal on June 5 to the FMCSA. Their proposal continues a smaller study that was completed last October using nine drivers from Dart Transit and Star Transport. During the proposed three-year study, researchers would initially train 20 drivers from Dart and 20 from Star.

They would be taught to understand their own biological clocks and how to control their own work and sleep patterns to minimize fatigue. They would not need to follow FMCSA hours of service rules during the study.

The study is an important step for the trucking industry because it addresses problems created by outdated hours of service rules, and seeks to test a science-based approach to fatigue management. According to Mr. Volkman, fatigue and inattention are the cause of some accidents.

While Dart Transit and Star Transport are participating as carriers, the proposed study would be managed jointly by the Safety Research Center and the Stanford Sleep Research Center.

It was a cute kid event

Everyone, it seemed, loved Mel Alseth’s shiny blue Freightliner. Hundreds of kids (and their parents) climbed into Mel’s truck at the “Trucks and Travelin’ Machines” event in South St. Paul, Minnesota on June 20.

Mel personally gave each one an “I love Dart Trucks” pin. The program is an Early Learning activity for students from Independent School District 197.

This was Mel’s third year representing Dart -- bringing smiles and dreams of big trucks to everyone.

Bill Culbertson for Eagan Operating Center
Steve Gundale, Editor
After 44 years on the road, (17 of them with Dart) Bill Culbertson has lots of good stories to tell.

One day back in the ‘90s, a private coach passed him on the road, and the c.b. sparked to life. Turns out that the bus belonged to the Judds, Winona and Naomi. They liked the look of his truck, and down the road a piece, Bill drove around a corner, finding them stopped on the side of the road, video taping his rig as he drove by.

They met a few miles down the road at a truck stop for a cup of coffee. He didn’t think too much about it, until one day his grandkids were watching the Judds’ music video “Give a Little Love”. “There goes Grandpa!” they exclaimed, as they saw Bill’s truck rounding the corner.

According to Fleet Manager Deb Hendrickson, “Give a Little Love” could be Bill’s motto, because he spreads good will and smiles wherever he goes. “Bill is one of the most pleasant people I know,” she says. “He treats people with respect, and he is very professional with customers. Bill is way overdue for this honor.”

Culbertson picked truck driving as a career after serving in the Korean War “because I liked to travel.” During his travels, he has pulled some memorable loads. He’s driven his truck to the top of Pikes Peak. He delivered an observation tower to a remote location, 100 miles north of the Arctic Circle in Canada’s Northwest Territory. That trip required driving 3-4 miles per hour on logging roads. And he’s taken a load of Christmas trees from Newfoundland, Canada to Houston. Texas.

Bill says he’s met a lot of good people along the way, and has not had an accident during his 44 years. What better way to describe a successful truck driving career?

Scott Gideon for Dallas Operating Center
Cathy Aydelott, Staff Writer
Scott Gideon has contracted with Fleetline for eight years and has driven professionally since 1972. Scott says if you want to be your own boss and like working for yourself, then truck driving is a great profession.

Scott credits a large portion of his success to “The Team” -- his dispatcher and Fleetline. Scott’s dispatcher is Roger Smith, and Scott has only good things to say about him.

“Roger knows what I want and where I like to run,” says Scott. “I don’t turn down anything, so we have a great working relationship.” Scott and his wife, Eva, call Detroit, Texas home.

When he’s not on the road, he enjoys black powder target shooting, and sharing time with his wife, three kids, and grandson.

Executive VP Dave Oren presents Len Swalheim with his 20 Year Safe Driving Award












Len Swalheim for Eagan Operating Center
Steve Gundale, Editor
Len Swalheim remembers when Dart had only 100 trucks on the road. In 1976 five of those trucks were his. Five years later, he sold them to his drivers, and he reports that his blood pressure dropped 40 points. He has driven solo since then, with more than three million accident-free miles to his credit.

Len’s trucking experience goes much farther back than his 20 years with Dart. His father operated a farm and a trucking company in Wisconsin. That’s where he picked up the handle “Plowboy”, and since then, he refers to his trucks as the “Plowboy Hilton”.

Looking back on 44 years in the trucking industry, Len recognizes his years with Dart as “a real good experience. I’ve had the freedom to choose my loads at a pace that is comfortable to me.” That pace includes getting home most weekends, an advantage that comes with contracting in the Northern Region.

“I’m home for most Sunday church services.” Len makes that one of his priorities. “I’m not a religious guy by nature,” he says, “but the older I get, the more I realize that there is a greater power taking care of me.”

He also is quick to add that Caroline, his wife of 44 years, is also looking after him. “She’s a real good workmate,” taking responsibility for Len’s book keeping, paying the bills, and cleaning his shop.

High on Len’s list of career highlights are his “Contractor of the Month” award, his safety ring -- complete with six diamonds, and the 20 year safety trophy -- a pewter model of a Dart tractor and trailer. He was, in fact, the first contractor presented with the trophy.

“Len is a wonderful asset on our customer service team,” says Fleet Manager Sue Ritter. “He is everything we could ask for in a contractor. He’s always pleasant. He’s reliable. He’s safe. We’re really happy to have him in the Northern Region.”

Deb Martin, Business Analyst
“Fuel & Route” is off and running, with more than two months of real-world experience with Dart contractors. Fuel & Route is saving contractors money two ways.

• * It uses PC Miler’s “practical route”, and that helps contractors complete trips with the lowest number of unpaid miles.
• * It helps contractors buy fuel along the route at the lowest over-all cost.

And that information is available right in the cab on the Qualcomm keyboard. Harold Mayville was one of the test operators during our trial run, and he found that it helped him cut fuel costs and reduce his unpaid miles.

Harold is a fleet driver for Allpoints, and as a former independent contractor, he is in the habit of shopping for fuel prices. That is important to fleets like Allpoints, because it has a big effect on profitability. That is also true for independent contractors who pay for their own fuel.

Fuel & Route information is helpful, even when a driver is familiar with the stops along a route. That’s because fuel prices can change so quickly. Last week’s cheapest locations may not be the cheapest today.

Did Harold always use the advice from Fuel & Route? No. “This is good information, but you still have to use your head,” he says. “That’s because the computer doesn’t know anything about weather, road construction, or route limitations.”

This is just a note to let you know about an unexpected meeting with one of your contractors, Herman Brown.

My aunt and I were on a trip to the beach when we had a blowout on an isolated section of the interstate. Mr Brown saw us by the roadside and stopped to help us. He unloaded our luggage from the truck, retrieved and changed our tire.

Random acts of kindness happen so seldom these days that I just had to let you know how much we truly appreciated him giving his valuable time to help us.
- Judy Cranford
- Morristown, TN

Last March I became stuck in a ditch while delivering in Georgia. I could not get out and was about to call a tow truck, but Dart contractor David Merrill came over and got me out.

Ingeniously, he towed me out using his load straps attached to our bumpers. Unfortunately, they broke just as I got out. David wouldn’t take money, nor would he take anything for replacing his broken load straps. He saved Allpoints a $169 towing fee and made it possible for me to deliver on time.

“Mensch” is a word for people like Mr. Merrill -- he is a “great human being”. God bless him.
- Paul McIlvaine
- Driver for Allpoints

Jim Whisman (Proctorville, Ohio) parked at Jim’s Truck Stop in Buffalo, New York and took his dogs for a walk. When he returned, his 2000 Freightliner Classic was on fire. The truck was a total loss, leaving Whisman stranded many miles from home.

Two fellow Dart contractors offered their friendship and help during those dark hours while he was dealing with the emotions of losing his home on the road. Ramiro Longoria (San Antonio, Texas) gave him a ride to a nearby hotel.

The next day, Todd Moe (Clayton, Wisconsin) provided two rolls of film to photograph the ruined truck. Neither would accept anything for their time or expense. “I just want to express my appreciation to them, because they were there for me when I needed them,” Jim said.

The Gift of Life

Linda Weinholtzer 
Fleet Manager Linda Weinholtzer boards the Red Cross Bloodmobile to donate another pint of blood.

The Bloodmobile stops at Dart’s Eagan Operating Center once a year, but Linda makes a visit to the Red Cross every 8 weeks to donate blood. She has rare type O blood, which makes her a universal donor. So far, Linda has given 9 1/2 gallons of blood -- a gift that has helped save the lives of many people with rare blood types.

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