July 2007 Edition
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Contractor Appreciation Day
The Dallas summer heat didn't stop Dart contractors from celebrating
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Elvis shows Dart contractors Chad Riney (L) and
Dale Bates (R) some moves on the dance floor. |
Chaun Burch, Contractor Services Manager
This year the annual Contractor Appreciation Day in Dallas can best be described as hot, hot and cool, cool – hot weather and hot spicy food, cool location and cool prizes.
The Mardi Gras themed event was held on June 9 and was a huge success. We had over 300 attendees, including contractors and their families, and employees and their families.
Even though the temperature outside was soaring into the mid-90's and the humidity was at 70 percent, it was a hot, hot time indoors as well.
 |
Dart contractor August
Power is all decked out
in Mardi Gras beads and
ready to enjoy
some
Cajun food. |
The Cajun food, catered by Razzoo's, was a hit with just about everyone. "George" the magician really wowed the crowd, and then, ELVIS WAS IN THE BUILDING!!!
That's right, Elvis graced us with his presence, dancing and singing. He even had a couple of the contractors up dancing with him. Elvis stayed after the show and had his picture taken with anyone who wanted one.
The give-aways this year included an air ride seat, two sets of steer tires, a lap top computer, a 37-inch flat panel TV, iPod's and $1,000 gift certificates, just to name a few! There were prizes for everyone.
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| Elvis sings to Carolyn Knight. |
Our Shine ‘N Polish winners for the Pro Division were 1st place – Dale Bates, 2nd place – Julian Perez, 3rd place – Chad Riney. For our Stock Division the winners were 1st place – Charles Stephens, 2nd place – Cecil Perkins, and 3rd place – Robert Lane.
We also had our first Golf Tournament with several contractors and employees participating. The contractors were: JP Hill, Don Bennett, Rex Melvin, Rick Ross, Joseph Pierce, Richard Frodge, Domingo Martinez, Steven Schaffer, Robert Hawkins, and Mark Rinnman. The employees were Bob Williamson, Calvin Gilbert, Jim Nichol, and David Seppala. Everyone had a great time and we look forward to doing this again next year. Don't miss out! Watch for announcements on next year's event!
Mark your calendar!
Contractor Appreciation Days
| Eagan |
..........July 28 |
| Sellersburg |
..........September 10-14 |
| Buford |
..........October 13 |
Don't miss out on the fun!
Contractors of the Month
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| Ronald Swenson |
Ronald Swenson- Dallas Operating Center
Kristin Ries, Staff Writer
Ron Swenson has been in the trucking industry for more than 30 years, but never thought he'd own a truck. "It feels pretty good," he says. "It's an improvement over driving for someone else."
Ron became an owner-operator when he contracted with Dart two years ago. Before that, he drove three years for his niece who was contracted with Dart. "Dart always treated me really well when I was driving for my niece, so I just decided to stick with them," he explains. "I like the way they pay, and the way they treat contractors."
Ron leases a 1998 Freightliner Classic and operates with a Dart "National" contract. "I like the National contract," he says. "The money's really good. And I get lots of miles. I hate sitting still. With National, they keep me going. I get to see more of the country. There's not much I haven't seen."
Being Contractor of the Month, Ron says, "I thought I'd really achieved something. I was thrilled. I thought I'd done a great deed. It really is a great honor."
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| James Johnston |
James Johnston - Eagan Operating Center
Kristin Ries, Staff Writer
James Johnston says becoming a truck driver was "the best thing I ever did. I never thought I would drive a truck," he says.
James used to work at a truck stop, until someone told him, "If you're going to fuel ‘em, you might as well drive ‘em." So James took the man's advice, went to driving school and began his 18-year driving career.
It wasn't long before another driver referred James to Dart. "Dart's a good company," James says. He has contracted with Dart for 14 years now and says, "They've always treated me well. And they stand behind you."
He owns a 2000 Freightliner he bought through Highway Sales, Inc., a truck and finance vendor to Dart contractors. "The people at Highway Sales have always helped me out," he says.
James operates with a Dart "National" contract. "I don't like the same routine," he says. "I like to travel and see new places and meet new people. Dart always has plenty of freight."
"Living another day . . . that's my dream"
Cathy Rehm battled cancer. Now she's fighting for a cure . . .
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| Bob and Cathy Rehm |
Kristin Ries, Staff Writer
"Cancer has affected my life since childhood," said Cathy Rehm, wife of Dart contractor Bob Rehm.
When she was just eight years old, Cathy lost a cousin to leukemia, then two of her aunts died of breast cancer, her mother died of breast and lung cancer and her father died of intestinal and stomach cancer.
It seemed inevitable; Cathy was diagnosed with breast cancer in August 1996.
"When they told me I had cancer, I freaked," Cathy said. "Because I was still thinking the old treatments of cancer . . . and you die. It took me a few days to calm down and think about what the doctors were telling me."
Three days after diagnosis, Cathy went back to the doctor for a biopsy, and after another three days had surgery. "They did what they called ‘clearing the margins,'" Cathy explained. "And they removed lymph nodes from under my arm."
After surgery, Cathy went through 33 treatments of radiation therapy once a day, six treatments of chemotherapy for 12 weeks and physical therapy for her arm. "My oncologist felt the odds were better with radiation and chemotherapy," Cathy said. "I hated my doctor at first. But he was trying to save my life."
Bob added, "Oncologists tend to be very straightforward. They don't pull any punches. But if you get through it, then you appreciate it."
Both Cathy and her father fought cancer at the same time, but only she lived. "I think the good Lord took my dad and saved me," Cathy said through tears.
Cancer has taken its toll on Bob's family, too. His grandfather died of intestinal cancer when Bob was two years old, his father died of intestinal cancer when Bob was 16 years old, and his aunt and grandmother both survived breast cancer.
"Bob has been a great support through all of this," Cathy said. "You're going to have bad days, so it's important to have a support system. Both of us have experienced living with someone who's had cancer and saw firsthand how it can shatter dreams and change peoples' lives forever."
Three years ago, Cathy's younger sister, Connie, found out she had breast cancer. "I was her rock," Cathy said. "She would call me at two, three, four o'clock in the morning, and I would stay up and talk to her. I was there for her." Connie went through all of the same treatments as Cathy did, and she too survived.
"We are both living statistics," Cathy said. "That shows money raised for breast cancer research does something. If it was not for the advanced medications, technology and studies out there, we may not be here today to tell our story. We need to continue to look for a cure so other men, women, and families don't have to experience the loss of loved ones."
So, in February, Cathy and her sister registered for the Twin Cities Breast Cancer 3-Day, a 60-mile walk where participants raise money to fund research to find a cure for breast cancer. Cathy and her sister committed to focus meetings, training and raising $2,200 each.
"Some people can't participate in things like this," Cathy said. "I'm walking because I can, and because I'd like to give something back for the help I've received.
"Sometimes I get overwhelmed and have to ask myself why I got involved. But I know the answer is the memory of those who lost their lives, thankful that I am a survivor and hoping to find a cure. We have to remain positive, strong and courageous and never give up."
Cathy and Bob worked hard to raise money for the walk. They made pink breast cancer awareness key chains to give to supporters, are posting donors names on the wall at a local bar, and are holding a rummage and bake sale near their home to raise money.
"The key chains are inexpensive, but it's something you can get for your money," Cathy said. "People can look at them and are aware of it (breast cancer), and get to the doctor early. As a society, we need to start taking care of ourselves. We need to help ourselves, and help each other."
Cathy said she is grateful for all of the support she has received. "I've talked to a lot of Dart contractors," she said. "And it's amazing how many know someone who has had cancer. They have all been very supportive."
Bob has contracted with Dart since 1996 and said when Cathy was sick, he was glad to receive support from Dart. "I switched off driving with my friend," Bob said. "I would drive three days, and then he would drive three days. Dart did everything they could to help get me where I needed to be."
This year, Cathy went to her last oncology appointment, marking ten years since her diagnosis. "My doctor told me, ‘I hope I've seen you for the last time,'" Cathy said. "Cancer changes your life forever. I don't get stressed about things I used to. And suddenly, things that used to be important to me aren't important anymore. My family, my friends – those are the important things. Having a mansion and a nice car are not my dreams anymore. Living another day . . . that's my dream."
If you would like to support Cathy in her fight against breast cancer, you can bring your donation to Johanna Carlson, Fleet Services Supervisor, at Dart's Eagan Operating Center.
68 years ago, Leonard Haug's father hauled for Dart...
Today, Leonard does
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Clarence Haug began his truck-driving
career by contracting his truck to
Dart before World War II. |
Kristin Ries, Staff Writer
"I never knew my dad drove a truck," Leonard explained. "I wasn't born when he started driving. I was born in 1947 and he contracted his truck with Dart in 1939."
At that time Leonard's family lived in South Minneapolis. "Dad left our farm in Star Prairie, Wisconsin, to contract with Dart," he said. "Around 1942, he left to serve in World War II."
After the war, his family moved back to the farm. "I was just starting to walk," Leonard said. "All I remember from then was that dad went to work and dad came home."
Leonard's mother stayed home with his brother, two sisters and him while his dad worked. "When we came home from school, we would sit together and do our homework and have a piece of pie or cake," he said.
Leonard was just 16 years old when his father died in 1963 from a cerebral hemorrhage. "My dad was fishing in Canada when it happened," Leonard recalled. "He dropped me off at my aunt's house before he and Mom left. And the last thing he said to me was, ‘If you aren't good, I'll kick your butt.' But he never did. He was always a gentleman."
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Leonard Haug is a yard jockey for Dart.
He plans on retiring with the same
company his father first contracted with. |
Leonard said his dad loved hunting and fishing. "He would go up to what they called Happy Hunting Ground near Moose Junction in Northern Wisconsin and hunt with his brother," Leonard said. "Now, I go back there with my cousin."
Leonard said if he remembers one thing about his dad, it's that people liked him. And he admired that quality about him. "People were always asking him for things and he would help them out," Leonard said. "He was a very family-oriented guy. All of his brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law and friends and family revolved around him. Especially on the holidays – everybody was at our house."
Another thing Leonard remembers about his dad is a story he told about the war. "The cook at their station was killed," Leonard said. "They asked the men, ‘Does anyone know how to cook?' My dad said he did. And he saw a few of the prisoners at their station eating some apples, so he asked them to bring him to the place where they got them.
"They picked some apples and my dad made apple pie. Then the officers came in and took the pie. So dad made another pie and told the officers when they came back for the other pie, ‘This pie is for the men.' So each soldier was given a piece of pie with his mess kit. They each took the piece of pie, pushed it to the side while they ate their food, and then nibbled on the pie, taking little bites. I'll always remember my dad telling me how the grown men had tears in their eyes having a piece of apple pie."
Leonard took after his father and served in the Air Force during the Vietnam War from 1965 to 1968. "In 1969, I started driving a truck for the Post Office," he said. "My ex-wife's uncle was the tire guy at the Post Office and being a young 21-year-old right out of the service, I fit right in."
While he was working for the Post Office, Leonard was also a volunteer fireman in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. In 1999 he retired from the Fire Department, and in 2002 he retired from the Post Office.
Now, Leonard is a yard jockey for Dart at Weyerhauser's location in White Bear Lake. "I move the trailers around the yard, and get them ready for Dart contractors to come in and take them out," he said. "I'll stay working with Dart until I retire. It's nice to have people you can work well with."
Leonard plans to retire for the third time when he is 65 years old. "I'm happy," he said. "I enjoy my work. And I'm going to continue doing what I'm doing.
"My dad had an eighth-grade education and when he died he had 10 people working for him," Leonard said. "If I can be half the guy my father was, I think I've done good."
Where in the world is the Dart Safety Advantage Driving Simulator?
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The simulator visits Indiana's State Capitol during
the Truckload Carrier Association's Safety
and Security Meeting in May. |
Elaine Briles, Director of Safety/Fleet Services
From the northern tip of the Sacramento Valley to the checkered flags of the Brickyard – Dart Transit Company's Safety Advantage Driving Simulator has been busy!
Since January, the simulator and its driver and facilitator, Randy Peterson, have:
- Trained tanker drivers in Henderson, Texas
- Worked with a trucking company to help train their fleet in Austin, Texas
- Attended the Sierra Cascade Logging conference in Redding, California
- Helped Dart customers understand the challenges of driving over the road at Home Depot in Atlanta, Georgia
- Recruited at the Mid America Truck Show in Louisville, Kentucky
- Participated in the Minnesota Transportation Expo in Bloomington, Minnesota
- Put the governor of South Carolina through a driving exercise at Trucking Day at the Capitol in Columbia, South Carolina
- Appeared at the Minnesota Trucking Association in St. Paul, Minnesota
- Demonstrated safe driving to the attendees of the Truckload Carrier Association Safety and Security Division at the state capitol in Indianapolis, Indiana
- Attended a Traffic Safety Summit in Irving, Texas
Where is it going next?
The simulator will be at Dart's Contractor Appreciation Days in Dallas, Eagan and Sellersburg! In June it was scheduled to be in Charlotte, North Carolina at the North Carolina Traffic League and in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina for a visit to Dart's customer, Lowe's.
You can also count on seeing it at the Walcott Truckers Jamboree in Walcott, Iowa in July; the Waupun Truck-N-Show in Waupun, Wisconsin in August; and the Great American Truck Show in Dallas in August. It will also be in Cheyenne, Wyoming and Stevens Point, Wisconsin in August and September.
Dart is committed to safety and to educating the driving population about the challenges that truck drivers face on the road. The opportunity we have to reach out and teach with the simulator has helped us continue to meet our commitment!
Trucks and Traveling Machines
Kids get behind the wheel, parents learn about the "No-Zones"
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Dart contractor Al Beck helps
kids in and out of the truck. |
Kristin Ries, Staff Writer
Every summer, Henry Sibley High School in West Saint Paul, Minnesota, hosts an event called Trucks and Traveling Machines, sponsored by the Early Learning Advisory Council. Open to the community, parents bring their kids to see inside fire trucks and emergency vehicles, helicopters, buses, RV's, dump trucks, tractors, and big rigs (like the one Dart brings each year).
"This event is for the kids," says Dart contractor Al Beck. For the past four years, Al has brought a truck with trailer to the High School, and helps the kids climb up into the rig to let them explore the inside of the truck.
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Most kids reach for the horn when
they get behind the wheel. |
At the event, Dart also informs parents of the areas around trucks where the driver cannot see your vehicle. These areas, called "No-Zones," were named by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to educate motorists about how to safely share the road with trucks and buses.
Six years ago, Dart purchased No-Zone decals for a trailer. Dart uses the No-Zone trailer to educate others at high schools, truck shows, rest areas and on the road.
"It is important that everyone on the road is aware of these No-Zones" says Greg Hall, Dart Safety Advisor. "Knowledge of these danger areas can help prevent crashes between trucks and cars and make the road a safer place for all drivers."
"Delivering Results that Matter"
Georgia-Pacific awards Mike French for collaboration and innovation
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Mike French, Dart Vice President of National Accounts, received the "Delivering Results that Matter" award at the 2007 Georgia-Pacific Carrier Conference on June 5.
"With this year and last year's Carrier Conference themes of Collaboration and Innovation, this person best bridges both of these themes," said Paul Snider, Georgia-Pacific's Vice President of Transportation. "This person is truly a pioneer in the efforts of collaboration and has been so innovative with his approaches. He has the imagination to see what is possible and the courage to carry it out. He has the keen ability to see things through the eyes of the customer and therefore knows what can work. Delivering results that really matter is Mike French, Dart Transit Company."
Georgia-Pacific is one of the customers that make up Dart's "Collaborative Dedicated." Dart Dedicated provides advantages to customers by working with them to provide high service levels, dedicated capacity, and committed contractors. Dart Dedicated also has advantages for Dart contractors – consistent miles and home time.
Over the years, Dart Dedicated has received numerous awards. Thanks to all Dart contractors and employees for their commitment and dedication to providing excellent service every day.
Small company – Major opportunity
Target All Star
Mike French, Vice President of National Accounts
Relationships play a key role in developing business and succeeding with our shippers. Luke Knadle has taken that concept to the next level.
Luke was recently named an All Star Award winner at the Target Stores 2007 Carrier Conference. Target stated that Luke's commitment and focus on service solutions were truly invaluable to Target's success in 2006. Luke's focus on developing relationships and understanding of the Target network truly is an asset to Dart Transit. Thank you for your efforts Luke.
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
