Recognition Road

Cadenas named Driver of the Year by National Carriers

Juan Cadenas receives driver of the year award

Juan Cadenas of Somerton, Ariz., has been named the Elite Fleet’s Driver of the Year by National Carriers, Inc., (NCI) for his excellent service and dedication to the company.  Cadenas has been an owner operator with NCI since December of 2007. “This is a great honor for me,” says Cadenas. “National Carriers has been very good to me.” Cadenas, who has driven professionally for 14 years, was named Driver of the Month in February 2009. Drivers of the Month are nominated by NCI personnel and are evaluated based on performance, on-time deliveries, DOT inspections, safety record and so on.

All Drivers of the Month for that year are then considered for Driver of the Year by a committee which determines who best fits the Driver of the Year qualities.  A banquet is held honoring all of the Drivers of the Month and the Driver of the Year is announced.

NCI brought Cadenas and his family to the company’s headquarters in Liberal, Kan., for the banquet where they were surprised by the announcement that Cadenas won. “Nobody knew I would win it. They just told us the banquet was to honor the Drivers of the Month,” he says. “My family was very excited.” As Driver of the Year, Cadenas was given an award jacket, a clock, plaque, hat and $5,000.

According to Cadenas, National Carriers has been very responsive to his professional and personal needs.  “They keep my miles steady and have supported me in many ways,” he says. “When I wanted more home time, National Carriers moved me to the Western Region where I’m home every few days. I feel that they really care about me and my family but also they care that my business does well.”

Call 888-707-7729 today for details or visit www.nationalcarriers.com.

Schneider National Repeats as Kimberly-Clark’s Carrier of the Year

Schneider National, Inc., premier provider of transportation, logistics and intermodal services, has been named the 2009 Carrier of the Year by Kimberly-Clark (NYSE: KMB). This marks the second consecutive year that Schneider National was chosen to receive this prestigious award. Kimberly-Clark provides some of the world’s most recognized consumer brands serving more than 150 countries.

“Schneider is our go-to carrier, providing our entire organization with the service and value we require,” said Steve Harmon, vice president of transportation for Kimberly-Clark. “This past year alone, they exceeded our stringent service expectations for all 23 of our most critical strategic customers.”

In addition to delivering exceptional service in 2009, Schneider worked with Kimberly-Clark on several significant initiatives, including a Transportation Symposium held at one of Schneider’s Green Bay facilities. During this daylong event, hands-on learning opportunities allowed Kimberly-Clark associates to develop a deeper understanding of the trucking business. In addition, Schneider managed several large-scale promotions and provided extensive consulting regarding safety and load securement in 2009.

“Schneider National is celebrating our 75^th anniversary this year, and we’ve worked in tandem with Kimberly-Clark for over 50 of those years,” said Steve Matheys, Schneider National’s executive vice president and chief administration officer. “We believe this award was achieved in part because of the mutual trust and respect we’ve developed over our long history together, and we look forward to providing them with the same stellar service for the next 50 years.”

Schneider provides global, multi-modal service (including Dedicated, Regional, Intermodal, Expedited and Van/Truckload services) to Kimberly-Clark.

Decker Truck Line Announces Drivers of the Month

Iowa-based Decker Companies has honored two drivers as their Drivers of the Month for June. Warren Erxleben in the Flatbed Division, and Robert Dodds in the Reefer-Van Division will receive a $135.00 gift certificate to the Decker Company Store. They are now eligible for the Driver of the Year Award—which results in a 1-cent-per-mile pay raise for twelve months.

Warren Erxleben, a Decker vet since ’05, is a busy father of four (Kara, Eric, Andy, and Darrell) and husband to Vicki. He names “Home!” his favorite vacation destination, and that’s where you’ll find him when he’s not driving. He enjoys watching Nascar or “Andy Griffith” reruns on TV, or engaging in his favorite hands-on hobby, working on old tractors.  His dispatcher Jerry Chapman praises Warren as “hard-working, and very easy to get along with.”

Robert Dodds, a reefer-van driver, has been with Decker for seven years, and his safety motto is “Watch ahead!” Looking back, he claims he’d most enjoy sharing a meal with his grandfather from Ireland, whom he never met. A big fan of NFL football, Dodds enjoys boating on his days off. He is a father of two and grandfather to another two, whose favorite dinner is found at the Hu Hot Mongolian Grill. His dispatcher, Mike Kehoe, says, “Robert is always willing to help out!”

Maverick Transportation Golf Outing Raises Thousands for American Heart Association

Maverick Transportation presents check to the American Heart Association.

Maverick Transportation, on behalf of the 3^rd Annual Brad Scott Memorial Golf Tournament (BSGT), recently presented the American Heart Association (AHA) with a check for $4,000 to help fight heart disease and fund prevention programs.

The tournament, which honors its namesake, has been a way to carry on the memory of the company’s former VP of Sales and at the same time raises money for the AHA in hopes of preventing this same type of tragedy. Brad Scott died of a sudden heart attack in 2007, shortly after celebrating his 20 year anniversary with the company. “Despite hard economic times, we were able to raise a considerable amount of money in Brad’s honor thanks to the generous support of sponsors such as John Lewis, Nucor-Yamato Steel, Target Media Partners, Pilot Truck Centers, Gwatney Chevrolet and Truck Centers of Arkansas,” said David Glavin, Director of the BSGT.

“The team at Maverick is to be applauded for turning the death of their co-worker, Brad into an opportunity to save the lives of others,” said Carol Dyer, Executive Director of the AHA. “We are inspired by our friends at Maverick and are proud to partner with them as we work towards our goal of eradicating heart disease and stroke.”

Based in Little Rock, Arkansas and operating over 1,200 units, Maverick has 30 years of experience serving the flatbed, specialized, dry van, and temperature controlled transportation markets throughout North America. To learn more visit their website at www.drivemaverick.com.

Avery Is Latest Million-Mile For CalArk

In this picture, from left to right is Deronda Wofford--Director of Operations, Robert Williamson-Driver Manager, Kendall Avery-Driver, Shane Perryman-Driver Manager.

CalArk is pleased to announce their newest member of the company’s “One Million Safe Miles” club! Mr. Kendall Avery, Truck # 7009, recently achieved this major milestone, which, according to company Safety Director Dennis Hilton, is the equivalent of circling the Earth 40 times. Kendall has been driving for CalArk since April 8, 2003. Married to Wanoka Avery, and father of two children, Kendall resides in Lexa, AR. His current Driver Manager is Shane Perryman.

Kendall, whose interest in professional driving was spurred by stories from a friend, says that he enjoys the opportunity to travel all over the USA in his work.  The team at CalArk wants to thank Kendall for his many years of devoted service and safety. Director of Recruiting Mary Cundiff says, “Mr. Avery is very well-respected at CalArk, he’s friendly and easy to work with. We’re proud of him!”