AdVANtage Contractor Newsletter

Appreciation Day
Atlanta Operating Center celebrates its first Contractor Appreciation Day

John Pinyerd, Atlanta Sales and Operations Manager
Saturday, October 14 marked the first Contractor Appreciation Day at the Atlanta Operating Center in Buford, Georgia. The office began operation two years ago.

Although it was the first celebration at this location, it was clearly a day for all Dart contractors.

Throughout the day, Dart contractors from many different operations – Atlanta Operating Center, dedicated, Super South Region, and contractors with national contracts and their families came to Buford to celebrate.

Jimmy Upshaw, Dart Advantage Warehousing Operations Supervisor, and his wife Brenda catered the event. The food was excellent and most folks agreed – Jimmy's fried chicken was the best they have ever eaten.

I was "Master of Ceremonies" for the prize give-a-ways. Anyone who answered a Dart trivia question correctly (and some who did not) won prizes. Everyone present received a prize.

Dart's truck-driving simulator was also available at the event. Contractors watched as Dart employees struggled with driving experiences that professional truck drivers deal with every day. This added to the appreciation of what Dart contractors go through on a regular basis.

Melodie Goodwin, a Dart contractor from Stockbridge, Georgia, summed it up best: "I have only contracted with Dart Transit for a month, but I already feel at home. I have never felt so successful until I came to Dart. I tell other drivers that Dart is one of the best owner operator companies to work with. Thank you for putting this event together."

If you missed it this year, watch for announcements on next year's Contractor Appreciation Day events.

Marshall Jameson is proud of his 2 Million Mile
Award from the National Safety Council.

2 million miles and counting
Marshall Jameson knows what it takes to be successful

Kristin Ries, Staff Reporter
In September, The National Safety Council awarded its Two Million Mile Award to Marshall Jameson for driving two million accident-free miles. But it wasn't anything new in his family.

His parents, Grant and Libby Hauge also have their share of Million Mile Awards. Grant, a 27-year Dart contractor, received his Three Million Mile Award from the National Safety Council in February 2004. And Libby, who has co-driven with Grant since 1995, has been counting her miles and is close to a million herself.

Ever since Marshall was eight years old, he looked up to Grant. "I always wanted to be a truck driver," Marshall smiled. "I remember riding in my dad's Kenworth cabover when he used to haul milk. I loved it!"

Libby remembers: "Grant would come by the house and Marshall was always right behind him. I never needed a baby-sitter. He would just go with Grant. He's the reason why Marshall drives."

Marshall grew up, and his dream to be a truck driver just like Grant came true. Marshall contracted with Dart in 1988. While he contracted with Dart because of his dad, he has stayed with Dart for other reasons.

"My dad had contracted with Dart a while so I figured I'd give it a try," Marshall said. "I don't know anything other than Dart, but it is the key to everything. Dart makes it easy for me. You can really rely upon Dart. And I'm independent. If I want to work hard I can, or if I want to go home I can."

Marshall has a dedicated contract, and said he always knows in advance where he is going and when he will be home. "That's what's nice about dedicated," Marshall explained. "I take a load home with me and then take it to Menomonie. Home is a stop along the way."

"Dedicated really works for me," Marshall says. "I get pre-planned and I always know what I'm doing. That's the great thing about Dart. I know I can be home in four to five hours. If there's something important at home, I can be there."

Grant and Libby have a different dedicated contract, and said they very seldom see Marshall out on the road, but they only live seven miles from him. "Marshall keeps his truck in the shop at our house," Libby said. "Every once in a while he'll stop by for dinner or to visit."

Marshall also looks forward to seeing his fiancée, Leah, when he gets home. They have dated since 1994 and have been engaged for five years. Libby said she and Grant waited five years to get married.

That was 28 years ago, and in some ways, Libby thinks that driving together helps their marriage. "It's a different perspective from being a wife at home," she says. "I always know what he's doing."

Grant said he likes it better with Libby driving too: "We basically work for three weeks, and come home for three weeks."

Libby said they split the miles they accrue in half; so half goes towards Grant's running total, and half goes toward hers. They also have an agreement: "Grant handles the mechanical work," Libby explained. "And I handle the books. I stay out of the shop and he stays out of the books."

Grant taught both Libby and Marshall how to drive, but Libby already had some knowledge about trucking because her dad was a truck driver, and Marshall said he figured some things out on his own.

"Sometimes we look at things differently, and he's more patient than I am," Marshall said about Grant. "But he's my dad. We've always been close. It's nice to have somebody to bounce stuff off. If I have a question or if something is wrong, I call him first and he's there to fix it."

You wouldn't know by looking at it, but Marshall's 1999 Kenworth has 1,100,000 miles on it. "I'm not a big truck trader," Marshall says. "I plan to keep it until they can show me a truck and say, ‘You'll get eight miles per gallon (mpg) with this truck.'"

Marshall's goal is to get 7.5 - 8.0 mpg. "I do whatever it takes to get the fuel economy I need," he says. "If I can stay around seven mpg I'm happy. When I get below seven, I do what I can do to improve."

Marshall is avid about improving his fuel economy. "Fuel is my number-one expense, so I figure out every way I can to improve my fuel economy," he said. "I make Dart's fuel adjustment work for me. I don't idle my truck at all, and I drive around 62 to 63 miles per hour."

"There's no such thing as perfection," Marshall says. "I'm only half-way through my career. The longer I stay with Dart, the better it gets."

Juan Garcia

Contractors of the Month

Juan Garcia - Dallas Operating Center

Cathy Aydelott, Staff Writer
Juan Garcia has contracted with Dart since June 2003. He's been in the trucking industry since 1995 and has previously worked for another large trucking company where he received his half million safety award.

He attributes his success to his patience and faith in God. The advice he would give someone considering truck driving as a career is, "take it slow, learn as much as you can and be careful."

Juan calls San Antonio, Texas home. He has never been married, but says he is still looking for the right person. He has five sisters and two brothers. In his spare time he enjoys target practice, hunting and fishing.

Jeff Dahlgren

Jeff Dahlgren - Eagan Operating Center

Kristin Ries, Staff Writer
After being a company truck driver and a bus driver, Jeff Dahlgren decided he wanted more control in his life.

"After high school I was looking at getting an office job," Jeff recalls. "Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be a truck driver. But I wanted to be my own boss."

So Jeff bought his first truck, a Freightliner cabover, and contracted with Dart in 1997. He has a dedicated contract that takes him just 63 miles north of his home in Duluth, Minnesota.

"The best part about my business is being home," Jeff says. "I live out in the country on a dirt road where it's quiet. With dedicated, I get home to see the trees and nature every day."

Jeff said with a dedicated contract he plans home time easily. "In the summer I sometimes run four days a week and take three days off. Then around the holidays I work six to seven days a week."

So what does Jeff think about being Contractor of the Month? "There's a lot of people out there who do the same thing as me," he said.

John Curtis

John Curtis - Dallas Operating Center

Cathy Aydelott, Staff Writer
John Curtis has contracted with Dart for two years and has been in the trucking business for five.

John has always been in the service industry. Prior to driving a truck he worked for Sears. When the company restructured, he decided to take early retirement and needed something new to do. He had a friend in the service who talked about getting back to driving a big rig. After retiring from Sears, John was trying to figure out what else he wanted to do and remembered the numerous conversations they had about trucking. He became a company driver, learned the business and decided he wanted to be his own boss.

John enjoys spending time with his kids, John Curtis III and Samantha. Both are in college so he doesn't see them as often as he would like.

John calls Texarkana, Texas home and is currently working on clearing 2 acres for a future home. When he's not doing that, he enjoys hunting and fishing.

Gil Berrios

Gil Berrios - Eagan Operating Center

Kristin Ries, Staff Writer
A young boy with a big dream, Gil Berrios said he always wanted to be a truck driver.

Gil contracted with Dart in 2002 and operates in Dart's Northern Region. "It's an amazing division," he says. "You get the miles and you can get home on the weekends."

Though his address is in Minnesota, Gil's heart is in Puerto Rico with his three children: Jilliana, Valeria, and Gil Jr. Gil thinks his son will take after him and operate his own truck one day.

Each year, Gil takes the month of December off to visit his family.

But Gil has found a little piece of home with Dart. "Now I can support my family, and I'm doing something I love to do," he said, brimming with pride. "I feel fortunate to be Contractor of the Month. To me, it is a dream come true."

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