March 2007 Edition
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| Roger Meyer (left) & Larry Luers |
Larry Luers awarded for driving 3 million safe miles
Kristin Ries, Staff Writer
The National Safety Council awarded its Three Million Mile Safety Award to Larry Luers for driving more than three million accident-free miles.
Larry has driven professionally for 33 years. He owns and operates a 2000 International with a Dart National contract.
Roger Meyer, Dart Senior Fleet Manager, presented Larry with the award at Dart's Minnesota Corporate Office.
Larry is a very particular owner operator," Roger says. "He really takes his business to heart and is very dedicated to the service he delivers. He works hard to make sure loads are delivered on time and safely. If he believes it can't safely be done, he'll leave it alone."
"I like Dart," Larry says. "They have a good program. Driving three million accident-free miles is something most people don't do. I'm blessed."
Contractors of the Month
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| Peggy Glaspy |
Peggie Glaspy - Dallas Operating Center
Cathy Aydelott, Staff Writer
Since she was a little girl, Peggie Glaspy wanted to be a truck driver. The closest anyone in her family came to driving a truck was her mom who drove a city bus in Chicago.
Peggie has been in the trucking industry since 1995. She has driven school buses, dump trucks and log trucks.
She contracted with Dart in 2004, and is three months away from paying off her truck through Highway Sales, Inc.
When I asked Peggie about Ron Salmon, her fleet manager, she said, "He's really quiet. I asked him how long he'd been with Dart and when he said thirteen years I couldn't believe it."
Peggie calls Alabama home. When asked what she was most proud of, she smiled and said, "my kids." Peggie has three kids, Antonio (20 years old), Marquita (15), and Christopher (14). She enjoys spending time with her family when she's not on the road and is always working on something around the house.
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| Larry Hamilton |
Larry Hamilton - Eagan Operating Center
Kristin Ries, Staff Writer
"I get to see places most people only dream about seeing," says Larry Hamilton.
Larry has been in the trucking industry for 20 years and has contracted with Dart for over six years. Before contracting with Dart, Larry asked around and said, "Even contractors who left Dart and came back didn't say anything bad. A lot of Dart contractors are contracted here a long time."
Larry owns and operates a 2003 Freightliner with a Dart National contract. He said he gets great miles and still gets home to Maryland every other weekend.
"I enjoy what I do," Larry says. "There's always something different. I think about guys working in a factory – they never know if the sun is shining. I couldn't see myself working in any other profession. I think I'm very successful. It's an honor to be Contractor of the Month. It caught me by surprise."
Dart announces its 2006 Fleet Managers of the Year
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| DJ Kramer |
Kristin Ries, Staff Writer
Dart Transit Company's Fleet Managers of the Year for 2006 are DJ Kramer at the Dallas Operating Center, and Michelle Baker and Chad Schak at the Eagan Operating Center.
DJ Kramer has worked at Dart for seven years. During her first year at Dart she was a Fleet Manager for the Houston City fleet. Now, she is a Fleet Manager for Dart's National fleet, which is a position she said she truly loves.
"Camaraderie," DJ says. "I've been in the transportation industry over 25 years and Dart is the best that I have seen. It makes it really easy to come to work when you like what you do. You can always find help if you ask, and a place to vent when you need to. You can truly make a difference if you try."
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| Michelle Baker & Dave Oren |
Michelle Baker has been in the transportation industry for 20 years. She has worked in dispatch about 15 years, and worked with customers before that. She has been a Fleet Manager at Dart since 2003.
"I like the people that I work with in the office," Michelle says, "and I enjoy working with my contractors. I have a great group of contractors to work with every day, and that's one of the biggest reasons why I come in to work every day."
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| Chad Schak & Dave Oren |
Chad Schak has worked at Dart since January 2000. He started as a Fleet Manager for Dart's National fleet, and moved to the New Contractor Fleet Manager position. Now, Chad is Operations Supervisor for the Northern Region.
"I really enjoy working for Dart," Chad says. "I enjoy the people I work with and it is a friendly environment here. I also enjoy building business relationships with my contractors."
Fleet Managers of the Year are selected for average mileage per contractor per week, low contractor turnover rate, and active count of contractors.
Are you a Dart contractor? Do you have a business tip or advice on how to improve fuel economy? Share it with your fellow Dart contractors. E-mail your tip or advice to Kristin at
