April 2006 Edition
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Bob Towey

Months after the headlines are gone, trucks still deliver help to victims of Hurricane Katrina

Five months after Hurricane Katrina demolished a big piece of the Gulf Coast, the schools of Pass Christian, Mississippi still operate in temporary classrooms, without safe, clean drinking water for their students. When School District 196 of Eagan, Minnesota heard of their plight, they responded with generosity, raising over $40,000 to replace classroom equipment that had been destroyed by the hurricane, plus 1½-truck loads of bottled drinking water. Then they packaged it in a promotion they called “A Katrina Valentine – from Minnesota to Mississippi.” But how to get it there, 1,200 miles away?

Enter Bob Towey, a 14-year contractor with Dart Transit Company.

When he gets behind the wheel of his red 2006 Volvo, Bob Towey has an uncanny knack for delivering smiles by the truckload. When the Eagan schools approached Dart to haul the relief supplies (Eagan is Dart’s home town), Bob was the first to offer his service. His Valentine-red Volvo was the perfect vehicle to deliver this unusual Valentine’s Day greeting.

Bob and another Dart contractor, Al Beck, delivered the two loads to Pass Christian, but they delivered more than water and school equipment--they also delivered hope to children, parents, and teachers alike.

“It was sad to see how much damage the hurricane had done,” Bob said. “The people of Eagan worked for five months to come up with all the supplies and water, and they were really excited about it. It was a big deal in both communities.”

Bob Towey

Bob contracted with Dart 14 years ago, taking his first load to Crown Cork and Seal, a Dart dedicated account. Bob must have made a good first impression, because after that load, Crown Cork and Seal called back and said, “Tell Bob his load is ready.” And since then, he has continued to make good impressions everywhere he goes.

Towey is a man with a quick smile and a big, generous heart. He is always ready to respond when a need arises. For several years he has transported bicycles for the Multiple Sclerosis Bike-A-Thon. “There are three events each year that need five trailers,” said Bob. “We load up all the bikes and take them to the starting point.” Bob plans to help with the event again this year.

He also hauls furniture for Target and for Bridging, Inc., a non-profit organization in Minnesota. Bridging distributes free furniture and household goods to refugees, immigrants, victims of domestic abuse, and natural disasters. “I take a couple truckloads of furniture per month in the summer from Target to Medtronic, where they assemble the furniture, and then to Bridging where they distribute it to those in need.”

Towey currently operates with a Target dedicated contract. “Bob is very professional,” said his fleet manager, Mary Meek. “He handles many special projects for Dart and Target. People like him because he is easy to get along with and is always accommodating.”

While Bob helps others when he can, he says Dart was there for him, when he needed help. “There are a couple reasons why I’ve stayed with Dart so long,” Bob said. “And one of them is that they really helped me out when my personal life wasn’t easy. When I was short money or needed to take time off for family reasons in the past, Dart gave me an advance, and I did my end of the deal. The people of Dart are there for you when you need them.”

JD Myers

Who’s the next All American SuperStar?

The hottest new show in trucking is the “All-American SuperStar” competition. You can hear the contestants on XM radio an on free CD’s packed in the current issue of Big Rig Own magazine.

Dart is sponsoring country singer JD Myers in “SuperStar’s” new season. Some describe JD’s music as rockabilly, west-coast country, outlaw sound, and rock and roll blues. But whatever you call it, it’s the hard-driving music you love to hear. In “Hard Times”, his latest album, he sings about the tough times he has encountered in his life.

JD grew up in southwest Virginia near the Appalachian Trail, and has many connections to the trucking industry. His father was a truck driver for Pepsi-Cola, and a truck driver taught him hoe to play his first chords on the guitar. Over the years, JD has learned the art of songwriting, developing a style all his own. Influences on his music include Elvis Presley, Waylon Jennings and Buddy Holly.

Pick up your copy of the “All-American SuperStar” CD today. And be sure to vote for JD Myers as the next “All-American Superstar”. A ballot is included inside Big Rig Owner. Drop it off at any TripPak box nationwide, call 1-800-DRIVERS, or visit www.allamericansuperstar.com. The web site features the contestants’ music, photos, bios and links to the artist’s own websites. JD Myers needs your support, and your vote is important!
 

Walter Newcomb

Profile of Success

”Never in my wildest dreams …” says Walt Newcomb

If you measure success by the respect and recognition he gets from others, Walt Newcomb stands mighty tall. Earlier this year he was honored as Dart Transit’s 2005 Contractor of the Year for the company’s Minnesota Operating Center. Last year, Dart sponsored him for the National Safety Council’s 3 Million Mile Safety Award. And if that wasn’t enough, Overdrive Magazine selected Newcomb as the March 2006 Trucker of the Month.

But even more than the honors he’s received, he is proud of his success in building his own independent trucking business. Sixteen years ago that was his dream. He had been a company driver for 14 years when a friend back home in Virginia told him how he could lease his own truck with zero down from Highway Sales, a truck and finance vendor to Dart. So he got on a plane and flew to Dart’s home office, looking to start his own trucking business.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine where I would be today,” Walt says. “I always wanted to run a business, and Dart gave me the opportunity to do it.”

Walt was intent on being successful, and he found that being an owner operator takes endurance. “You’ve got to think business 24/7,” he says. “Being on my own – that part shocked me at first. But it made me more determined than ever. You have to be determined. Don’t give up. I wasn’t going to raise the white flag.”

He said the biggest difficulty as an owner operator was dealing with unexpected breakdowns. “Sometimes you can’t anticipate when something will go wrong,” Walt explains. “The cost of maintenance and repairs can be high, but Dart works with you through problems. With them behind you, you’re stronger as a business person.”

Walter Newcomb

Although breakdowns aren’t always preventable, accidents can be. “The people at Dart are real cheerleaders for safety,” Walt adds. “Safety means a lot here.” Walt credits his millions of miles of safe driving to Dart’s strong safety program, and watching out for the motoring public.

One of Walt’s secrets to success is never to turn down a load. “As long as those wheels are turning, you’re making money,” he says. “If someone asks me to take a load, I take it. It might not be a big moneymaker, but I’ll do it. I move everything they give me. Everybody at Dart knows me, and everyone in management, my dispatchers, and my customers knows they can depend on me. They know I’ll do the job.”

All of Walt’s dedication and hard work pays off, which allows him to take time off when he wants. When he’s at home he likes to work around the house, go to concerts and NASCAR events, but especially he likes to spend time with his girlfriend, Sandy. He values her moral support.

Newcomb says this his Fleet Manager, Deb Hendrickson, does a great job getting him home. “I don’t live to drive a truck,” Walt said. “If I tell Debbie that I want to be at Sandy’s, she gets me there!”

Walt also credits his best friend, contractor Bob McAndrew, with giving him a lot of support on the road. Both of them have a Dart national contract that keeps them running mostly between Minnesota and the New England States. As a result, they’re able to keep each other company out on the road. “Bob is my motivation and inspiration,” said Walt. “When I need advice, I just call up Bob and he says ‘Walt, you can do it. Go for it!’”

Walt started out at Dart not knowing where he was going to end up, but now he is on a 10-year plan to retire. “This is my new dream,” Walt said. “Sixteen years ago I got off that plane. Today, after a lot of hard work I’m comfortable and happy with what I’ve accomplished. I’m so grateful to Dart. They’ve given me the opportunity I needed to be successful!”

Gary Volkman (left) presents the safety award to Charles Bishop

Charles Bishop recognized for three million accident-free miles

Charles Bishop, an owner operator who has contracted with Dart for 24 years, recently received the National Safety Council’s Three-million Mile safety award.

“Three million miles is equivalent to 120 trips around the world,” said Gary Volkman, vice president of safety compliance as he presented the award. “This is a remarkable achievement.”

Bishop hails from Buffalo, New York and operates on one of Dart’s dedicated fleets. “Dart has sponsored 21 contractors for the three million mile award,” says Steve Kaufmann, Charles’ safety advisor. “That’s professionalism when you drive that many accident-free miles.”

“I’ve worked with Charlie for more than half of his accident-free miles,” adds Mary Meek, a senior dedicated operations manager. “He’s a great driver and an all-around nice guy. He is dependable, on time, and very professional with customers. He’s a wonderful representative of Dart.”

“This feels terrific,” Bishop said with a smile. “Dart has a great safety program, and the people here have gotten to be like family to me.”