Thursday, April 30, 2015

Jeana Hysell as May Member of the Month

My Comments: WIT is an amazing organization! Thank you!


Women In Trucking Association selects Jeana Hysell as May Member of the Month

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Plover, WI : Women In Trucking Association (WIT) announces Jeana Hysell as its Member of the Month for May. Hysell is a Regional Safety Manager for CEMEX – Newline Transportation.
Hysell currently resides in Phoenix, AZ and her region consists of all transport drivers west of the Mississippi River. Some of her responsibilities surround the regulations of FMCSA/DOT, OSHA/NIOSHA, and MSHA. She is also responsible for accident and injury investigations, face-to-face safety meetings, safety alerts and near misses, and Drug and Alcohol programs, just to name a few. 

Prior to her current position, Hysell was the President/CEO at Safety Compliance Professionals LLC, a consulting firm specializing under the guidelines of FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) regulations for many motor carriers. She also served as their Director of Safety with direct responsibility of any accident or accident procedures plus mitigating in reducing a motor carrier’s score under the CSA (Compliance, Safety, and Accountability) program. She has spent many hours in depositions as a representative for motor carriers and served as an expert witness surrounding driver/motor carrier responsibilities for either the plaintiff or defendant in many legal cases.

Hysell has been in the transportation industry since 1979, starting out as a company driver then graduating to an owner-operator. She developed her own fleet of five trucks leasing them on with a major carrier. After successfully driving over two million safe miles, she then left her “office behind a windshield” to the “mortars of a classroom,” graduating in 2003 with Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and in 2004 with a Master’s Degree in Occupational Safety/Transportation Safety from CSMU (currently called UCM). In her continuing education, she has obtained many certifications surrounding Fleet Safety Manager including her Certified Director Safety (CDS), Accident Investigation and Fleet Management, and more.

Hysell is heavily involved in the industry, not as only a safety manager, but she also belongs to many transportation organizations. She previously served on the Board of Directors of the Ohio Trucking Association until her relocation to Arizona. Ohio is the state where she won the Safety Professional of the Year in 2007. Also, while in Ohio and employed at Walmart, she took her private fleet to the Safest Fleet in Ohio along with a Driver of the Quarter two years running. Recently under the direction of Hysell, she took an Arizona trucking company to the Safest Fleet in the State of Arizona which also produced a Driver of the Quarter and Driver of the Year.

Hysell donates her time and professional knowledge to econoLABS, Women in Trucking (serves as Vice Chair of the WIT Foundation, sits on the advisory board for DOT/FMCSA questions, and wrote a monthly safety article for many years), Arizona Trucking Association, California Trucking Association, National Safety Council, and numerous other transportation entities.

Today, Hysell still maintains a current CDL with all the endorsements stating, “You just never know, I might need it again.”



Ellen Voie CAE,  President/CEO
P O Box 400  Plover,  WI 54467-0400
888-464-9482     920-312-1350 Direct  
Sign up for our weekly newsletter here.




Mission:  Women In Trucking was established to encourage the employment of women in the trucking industry, promote their accomplishments and minimize obstacles faced by women working in the trucking industry.

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

To Be or NOT to Be an O/O

My Comments: Please add your comments.

To be or NOT to be, is the question for those who think or know they want to become an independent operator.

Back in the day (many moons ago) I was co-driver with my significant other (Bob) as co-owner/driver for hauling commercial kitchen supplies and appliances and office furniture. We ran mostly E Coast, NE and SW regions of the US. When I met Bob he had rig almost paid off but it was time for a new one which meant we would not enjoy freedom from truck payments for very long. He had already replaced the engine and the transmission had it's issues so rather than sink more money into an old KW, buying new made sense. This is a major decision and should not be made without great contemplation and thought. Business owners that become successful are born, not made. If you're not born to be one you shouldn't be one. OOIDA posted to their site some important facts to consider before making that giant leap from a company driver to an independent operator or as some companies call it these days, power provider.

Source: OOIDA: http://www.ooida.com/OOIDA%20Foundation/RecentResearch/OOfacts.asp

Owner-Operator and Professional Employee Driver Facts

Owner-Operators are those individuals that own and operate their own trucking business.  They may lease on to a carrier or they may operate under their own authority.  If they operate under their own authority they will have a Department of Transportation (DOT) and Motor Carrier (MC) number identifying them as a registered carrier.  There are approximately 350,000 owner-operators registered in the United States, most lease on to larger carriers and operate under that carriers DOT number.
Professional Employee Drivers (PEDs) do not own or operate their own truck and trailer, nor do they have a DOT or MC number.  Instead, PEDs work directly for a carrier as an employee.

The Owner-Operator:

  • Are mostly Truck load carriers (TL)
  • Regarding trucking experience
    • Been the trucking business for 26 years
    • Average age of becoming an owner-operator is 37 years old
    • Have been an owner-operator for over 18 years
    • Average age is 55 years old
  • Very stable in their habitat as most have lived in the same area for 11+ years
  • Are educated with at least 86% completing high school and approximately 45% going on to receive some level of a college education
  • Trucking Business information includes:
    • Receives a net income of approximately $50,000+ per year
    • Receive pay by percentage of the line haul pay if leased to a carrier
    • 95% run solo
    • Average over 101,000 miles driving per year
    • Majority are away from home a 100+ nights a year with 41% spending over at least 200 nights away from home.
  • 69% own either a desktop computer, a laptop computer, or both
  • Most own 1.2 trucks and 1.2 trailers
  • Regarding the truck:
    • 66% have their trucks paid off
    • Peterbilt and Freightliner are the trucks most likely owned
    • Caterpillar engines are the most popular
    • 69% have 450 horsepower engines or greater
    • 13 speed transmissions are the most common followed by 18 speed
  • Dry Van and Flatbed trailers are the most common trailer owned
  • Biggest maintenance problems were tire and engine troubles
  • Average maintenance per year is $14,000
  • 36% have served in the military
  • 90% are registered voters
  • 86% plan to vote in the upcoming 2014 election
  • Are mostly republicans followed by independents

The Professional Employee Driver:

  • Concerning demographics:
    • Male (95%), which is consistent with the most current census of drivers in the United States
    • 55 years of age
    • 5 foot 10 inches tall
    • Weighs on average 222 lbs. unfortunately, this will place the average drivers in the obese category devised by the Department of Health in terms of the Body Mass Index.
    • Caucasian (91%)
  • 89% are high-school graduates, which exceeds the national average for high school graduates for that age group.
  • The PED is stable in that he or she is more likely to own his or her own home (80%) in a rural or small town (54%) for over 10+ years.
  • Most independent drivers plan on retiring at 67 years of age with the largest majority of them expecting social security to pay for their retirement.
  • The majority of the PEDs have some form of medical benefits either through the carrier (48%) or they are covered by their spouse's medical insurance (15%).  While this is better than the owner-operators, it still indicates that 16% have no medical benefits while the national average is around 14-15%.
    • 22% are smokers which represents a 33% reduction from 2007
    • 40% exercise regularly
  • 35% have served in the military
  • 75% own a firearm
  • Been an OOIDA member for approximately 7 years.
  • Regarding Trucking experience:
    • The PED is not a novice driver as he or she has been in the trucking industry for 26 years
    • Been with the present carrier for the last 7 years. 
  • 41% have attended a truck driving school, and most lasted for 3-6 weeks with 65 hours of behind-the-wheel training.
  • They get paid by the mile (64%) and average $.36-.40 per mile
  • With a yearly gross income of $38,000-40,000.
  • They drove an average of 110,000 miles in 2013.
  • 54% were away from home 200+ nights a year.
  • Regarding the truck:
    • The truck will probably be a 2007 Freightliner with a 10 speed transmission and a 400-500+ Cummins engine averaging 5-6.9 miles per gallon.
    • Only 37% will have an ELD
    • A third will have GPS tracking devices on board. 
    • 70% drive for a carrier that has a speed limiter device on the truck with an average speed setting of 66 mph. 
  • 20% indicated that their carrier has encouraged the driver to log loading/unloading times as off-duty not driving.  A similar percentage indicated that they have driven for a carrier that has audited and changed their logs.
  •  Most independent drivers are pulling a dry van trailer (38%) or a reefer (21%).
  • 88% of the independent drivers are registered voters
  • 81% voted in the last National election. 
  • They remain politically active and 53% have contacted elected officials to share their position
  • 50% belong to a political party that reflects a conservative outlook.
  • That party is Republican
If you fit this lifestyle and have these stats burned in your mind and know going in what's up, then start by lease purchase or outright buying your first truck. We wish you success!

Blog Author: Marge Bailey
DriverFinder Network

Quality & Productivity Consultant

My Comments: Thanks Bob!

The Blogger has Spoken...

Quality & Productivity Consultant--Freelance Writer
But all of this attention to air pressure and size can be undone if tires are not balanced. An off-­balance tire is not only subject to premature damage and uneven wear, it also can affect fuel economy, said Bob Rutherford, an independent consultant and blogger on tire ­related issues.
Preventive tire maintenance handled in-house with everyday equipment is vital for private fleets looking to maximize tread wear and longevity, even for those that outsource some or all of their work, fleet and industry experts said.

Saturday, April 25, 2015

Ryder Systems, Inc. supports WIT

My Comments: Thanks Ellen for the updates!

Ryder Systems, Inc. supports Women In Trucking Association as new Gold Level Partner

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PLOVER, WI: Ryder System, Inc. has recently become the newest Gold Level Partner of the Women In  (WIT) Association, Inc.  Ryder System, Inc. is a FORTUNE 500® commercial fleet and supply chain management solutions company headquartered in Miami.

Patrick Pendergast, Senior Director of Talent Acquisition has been appointed to the WIT board of directors for a two-year term. Mr. Pendergast joined Ryder in 2010, and has held various positions of increasing responsibility, including Manager of Central Support Recruiting and Director of Fleet Management Recruiting Services. He has more than 20 years of staffing and recruiting experience with a diverse background in Human Resources and Talent Acquisition. He is responsible for designing and executing staffing strategies that facilitate over 5,000 hires annually.

“Partnering with Women in Trucking aligned well with our core values to be a diverse and inclusive employer as we work to deliver compelling value to our customers,” said Patrick Pendergast, Senior Director of Recruiting Services, Ryder. “We see a significant opportunity to make the trucking and transportation space a great and rewarding career for women.”

Pendergast holds a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Policy from Gettysburg College and is completing a Masters of Business Administration from Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management.

“Gold level partners, such as Ryder, have shown their commitment to moving the mission of Women In Trucking Association forward by supporting the organization at a higher level,” said WIT President/CEO Ellen Voie.  “We have had a collaborative partnership with Ryder in the past through our combined efforts to change the working conditions for female drivers and enhancing safety through ergonomic truck cab designs that address the unique challenges women face when operating today’s commercial heavy duty vehicles.”

Future goals for Women In Trucking Association include a WIT Index, to monitor the level of women employed in the trucking industry as drivers, managers and board members.  Other initiatives include the creation of a Girl Scout Transportation Patch, an Image Team and the promotion of ride-alongs with legislative and administrative officials who regulate the transportation industry.

Ryder is a commercial fleet management and supply chain solutions company, with operations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe, and Asia.  The Company, founded in 1933, operates behind the scenes, managing critical transportation and logistics functions for more than 50,000 customers, many of which make the products that consumers use every day.  Ryder employs more than 30,000 people, manages a fleet of more than 216,000 commercial vehicles, and operates over 35 million square feet of warehouse space. 

Women In Trucking Association, Inc. is a nonprofit association established to encourage the employment of women in the trucking industry, promote their accomplishments and minimize obstacles faced by women working in the trucking industry. Membership is not limited to women, as 16 percent of its members are men who support the mission. Women In Trucking is supported by its members and the generosity of Gold Level Partners: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, Daimler Trucks NA, GE Capital Transportation Finance, Great Dane Trailers, J.B. Hunt Transport, Ryder Systems, Inc., U.S. Xpress, and Walmart. Follow WIT on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn. For more information, visit http://www.womenintrucking.org or call 888-464-9482.


Ellen Voie CAE,  President/CEO
P O Box 400  Plover,  WI 54467-0400
888-464-9482     920-312-1350 Direct  
Sign up for our weekly newsletter here.

Friday, April 17, 2015

Marge is Back in the Saddle!

My Comments:

DriverFinder Network is happy to announce that it's leader/founder is back in her Admin desk working full time. Marge states: "Beginning in Oct of 2014 I thought I was down for the count! I've gone through the valley of the shadow of death of a rare condition which they call Eosinophilic Cystitis (EC). Though it may never be cured, I am in control of it finally and back to work in full swing".

For those of you curious as to what EC is all about go to this page: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15857336

If you think you may have this condition, your doctor may never have heard of it because it's so rare, that information will be valuable to you.

"It took over 2 years to diagnosis for me. I am now under the care of the University of Michigan research hospital. EC mimics cancer and continuous bladder infections (UTI)".

Anyone who has any questions or comments about EC please post it here on the blog.

Happy Spring!
DFN Team Leader

WIT Member of the Month-April

My Comments: Thanks Ellen for the info!

NCI Driver of the Year Named as WIT Member of the Month


Plover, WI (April 7, 2015): Women in Trucking Association (WIT) has announced Goldie Seymour, Lease Operator for National Carriers, Inc. (NCI) as their Member of the Month for April. Her selection for Member of the Month comes as she was recently recognized as NCI 2014 Driver of the Year. 

Seymour’s new title is one that she is extremely proud of. In the company’s 47-year history, this is the first time a woman has earned the title.

President of National Carriers, Jim Franck said Seymour exemplifies the “Elite” Fleet. “She always has a positive, can-do attitude. She goes out of her way to be professional in everything she does,” he said. The first woman to earn the Driver of the Year honor at NCI, Franck added, “she is, I am sure, the first of many to come. Thank you for all you do, Goldie. It’s my privilege to work alongside you.”

Seymour’s career as a professional truck driver began when she was only 16 years old. As a ranch family in Wyoming, her family needed her to obtain her commercial license to haul cattle. This turned into a 45 year career in the trucking industry. Even when she explored other paths, she always came back to trucking. “When I wasn’t driving a truck, I was selling parts for one,” she joked.

She recognizes there are more women in the industry now, but knows there could be more. “I’d like to see more woman out here, just for the simple fact that they can do it!” said Seymour. “They have to go into it with an open mind. It’s not a cake walk. It takes a lot of hard work, but I couldn’t image not doing it,” she added.

“It’s been a fantastic journey and I am looking forward to many more years at National Carriers,” Seymour said. “I have to say thank you to Jim Franck, Al Love, and Ed Kentner, all the customer service representatives, load planners and mechanics. There are so many people involved in this journey and I want all to know I appreciate you each and every one. Thanks again.”

To see Seymour’s full story visit: http://womenintrucking.org/april-2015-•-goldie-seymour/

Photo provided by National Carriers, Inc.  Hi-res available upon request to Char@womenintrucking.org


Ellen Voie CAE,  President/CEO


P O Box 400  Plover,  WI 54467-0400
888-464-9482     920-312-1350 Direct  
Sign up for our weekly newsletter here.