Secret Spy and Open Seats

So many of you know I am not a recruiter for Hurricane Express anymore.  I did accept the roll of super-secret blog writing spy for Hurricane Express.  So, with me becoming a super-secret spy, my recruiting seat needed to be filled. I remember before my last days, the endless interviews for my replacement.  There were a lot, I mean come on, replacing me is not easy. (You all better stop laughing, I know I think highly of myself.)  In the end, they did find my replacement and I even got to work with her a couple days before I had to erase my identity.  So now you know how Hurricane got Misty, lets find out a little more about her.

Here are 5 things you may not know about Misty:

1.       She was an oversize pilot car driver, for oversize loads.

2.       Binge watching TV shows is becoming her favorite pastime.

3.       She loves listening to music, any kind of music.

4.       Before binge watching TV shows, she read all the time.

5.       Apparently, she is an ice chewer, from what I heard she really makes Eddie crazy.

She is married and between her husband and her, they have 5 kids.   They also have 2 dogs, one Boston Terrier and one puppy that is ½ lab ½ pit bull.  Misty is from Da Queen, AR and that is where she attended high school.  She went on to college and got a degree and in Behavioral Science.

This is her first time recruiting but this isn’t her first time in transportation.  She has spent many years working for two different trucking companies as Fleet Manager and Accounts Payable and Receivable.  So when you talk to just remember she does know about the trucking industry and she is here to get you going with Hurricane Express.

P.S.  If you are looking for me, just remember I am lurking in a dark corner some where.

A Day in the Life

It probably never enters most of our minds about how our food, clothes and other goods end up in the store.  Most people don’t think much about truck drivers unless they are out on the Interstates.  So, I really wanted to talk to a couple of drivers and just give some insight to what it’s like out on the road, especially when you don’t go home for 4-6 weeks at a time.

First question I asked was what’s a typical day like?

“Well I usually get up around 0600, do my pretrip, find the closest coffee, then hit the road. I like to fuel half way threw my day and catch a shower. That way if I cannot find parking at a decent truck stop at least I get to do my daily personal hygiene.”

“I am more of a late day driver, I wait till 1 PM if possible to get out on the road again during my long stretches of driving.   Doesn’t always work if I am delivering at 4 AM, but the late afternoon start allows me to drive late into the night when roads thin out.”

“That’s the great thing about being an OTR driver, I set my hours.  I can get up at 5 AM or 5 PM just as long as I get to my appointment.  This isn’t an 8-5 job and I only have so many hours to drive.  So I try to make the most of it.”

Second question I asked was, what do you eat each day?

“Depends a lot on the location I take my 10-hour break weather there is fast food or a sit-down kind of place to eat. However, I do eat out of my truck a lot.”

“Really try to stock truck once a week with snacks, microwave stuff, sandwich meat, soup and some fruit.  Eating at a truck stop daily takes away from my paycheck and adds to my waistline.”

Third question I asked was, What is it like being on the road for days and weeks at a time?

“With my diagnosis of PTSD it actually helps me a lot to be able to keep to myself a lot. Although I do miss being home and my wife and the family, the solitude helps me a lot.” 

“I sometimes have social issues and being able to be in the truck solves some of that social awkwardness, it’s my comfort place.  It allows me to do a job and not feel that type of stress all day.”

“I miss my family and friends but this is how I make a living.  I have mobile hotspot so I can Skype home or face time with the kids.  I use Facebook to stay right in the middle of what is going on at home. In the summer, my kids are able to spend 2 weeks each out on the truck with me.”

Fourth question I asked, What made you decide trucking was what you wanted to do?

“The small town I live in, Camp Verde AZ, does not have very much employment opportunities that would actually make the kind of money I need for my situation. And turns out that I can make just as good money leasing a truck and at the end of the day I'm working towards owning my truck.”

“I had been laid off from a manufacturing place for the 100^th time and said enough.  While on unemployment I went to truck driving school and never looked back.  No matter what I want to do there is always a trucking driving job.”

“This is what my Dad did and we had a pretty good life, so it’s what I did as soon as I could.”

This just gives you a glimpse of what it is like for a truck driver each day.  These are the guys and gals that bring what we need and don’t need to local stores every day. It also sure wouldn’t hurt to say Thank you every once and while too.   

HONORING ALL WHO SERVED

It is Veterans Day, which is a national holiday.  This day celebrates all members of the military, those currently serving, those who have served previously and those who have served in times of peace, as well as war. This differs from Memorial Day, which is a day to commemorate specifically those who died while serving; especially those who died in combat.  We are fortunate to have a day that provides a national platform through which to show our appreciation for our Veterans.   But keep in mind, a simple “thank you” at any time during the year is a great way to show appreciation for all our military members past and present.

Here at Hurricane Express we have several Veterans who are part of the family.  I would like to take a moment to recognize them.  We do so appreciate the service and sacrifice that, not only you as a veteran have endured, but your family members and friends have endured as well.  Many places offer free food, picnics, parades and assemblies as a way of extending the thanks and appreciation that Veterans deserve for all they have done.
We will be offering any drivers who stop by our office tomorrow a free lunch.  If you are in the area, stop in and have lunch with us.

It is asked that we pause for a moment at 11:00 am on Veterans Day to consider those who have served and silently thank them for having provided us with the greatest gift of all, freedom.  For those of us fortunate enough to have a veteran at home or work, hug them tightly and thank them for their daily sacrifice and service to our country.

It is with great pride and honor that I wish all of our veterans a very happy and safe Veterans Day this year. You are heroes every day, and I am forever grateful.

Christopher Convirs                         Greg Barrett                                       Antony Colvin

Curtis Scissons                                    Ron Phillips                                         James Glenn

Damian Hunsaker                              Kevin Douglas                                    Lawerence Carneal

Dennis Barber                                     

A+ Administrative Assistance

We have had some new additions to Hurricane in the past months and I want to make sure you meet all of them.  This week it will be Crystylle, administrative assistance to Sheldon.  Crystylle is the tall, long dark haired lady that quietly walks the halls of Hurricane.  The first month I don’t think anyone really knew she was here because she stayed locked up in an office away from us all.  This might have been some kind of attempt at mind control over us or just making sure she was ready to handle this crazy bunch of people.  Now she has her own office in the middle of building where I like to jump out of corners and scare her every chance I can get.

So here are 5 things about her, probably no one knows.

1.      She is from California.

2.      She has 5 dogs, 2 bearded dragons and 1 cat

3.      She is our network tech guru.  When I have an issue I beeline it to her now. She has fixed my printer many times.  Her head is full of wonderful computer and network wiring things.

4.      She likes to crochet.

5.      Her husband was run over by a tractor when they moved here and lived to tell about it.  He only had a 10% chance to live and now you wouldn’t even know it happened.

Crystylle has been married to David for 15 years and they have 3 kids, her son is 17 and graduated high school, her daughter is in Jr. High and involved in color guard and FCCLA.  Her 9-year-old is in the girl scouts.

She has been a great add to our company.  She super-efficient and on top of everything.  The more I get to know her, the more I like her.  She is a little bossy and mean, when someone is in her way.  I feel like she and I are going to very best friends forever just like in grade school.  Well at least that is how it is going to play out in my head.

Our Own Lone Wolf!

A rumbling is happening at Hurricane Express lately and I am going to tell you all about it.  The rumbling you are hearing is our new HR manager, Jack riding up on his Harley Davidson.  Jack is here to be the leading ear to all the employees and drivers of Hurricane Express.  When you feel like a problem isn’t being resolved in a timely matter, Jack will be your man.  So let’s find out a little bit about this loner of the great highways.

1.       He is a runner! (Stephan may have a running buddy) His longest run to date is 51 miles!  5-1 people!  I just want to repeat this again.  The man puts on sneakers and ran 51 miles.

2.      He is also a cyclist.  He rides a bike so he can do duathlons.  So apparently running 51 miles wasn’t enough so he jumps on a bike to put in another 20 miles on a bike.

3.      Harley Davidson, loves them, rides them.  Has a 2012 and already put 99k miles on it.

4.      He cut all his fingers off with a skill saw.  They reattached 4 and he has part of a pinky.  (Don’t worry when he was telling me I was trying to sneak a peek and then he finally showed me, just part of a pinky is missing.)

5.      OCD!  To the point that he never moves anything at his house and everything is black and white.  The man likes order in his life. 

Jack lives in Spavinaw, OK and he has two grown daughters.  One he adopted from the Philippines and has given him two grandkids.  His other daughter is working on her master’s degree at OU.  He has been working in HR for 16 years, and even spent time in transportation working scheduling and logistics. So he is no stranger to our area.

Jack will spend most of his time here at Hurricane putting on new driver orientation on Monday and Tuesday, working with all the drivers to find out what can help them out on the road and he will be on call some weekends but will not be dispatching.  So just remember if you need help, have an idea or just need to get something off your chest give Jack a call.

Truck Driver Appreciation Week!

Today is about our drivers!  The backbone of any trucking company is the drivers.  Without you nothing would go anywhere, like really, not go anywhere because you drive it there.

I have been in the transportation for a little over a year.  I have learned a lot about what a driver brings to Hurricane Express.  So here are some thoughts of gratitude from an outsider.

1.       I think it is amazing that OTR driver can pack 90% of their life into a very small area, then hit the road for weeks on end without seeing their family.  It takes a special person to give their commitment to a job and know it might be 6 weeks before they see their wife.

2.      You work 24/7.  I mean just, WOW!  If I was a driver I wouldn’t even, make it out of the yard because there is a bed behind my driver’s seat.  You guys commit to driving 11 hours a day, get 10-hour break, then right back at it.  There is no go home and watch TV, make some dinner, curl up in bed.

3.      You put up with every type of driver out on the road, in multiple cities in the same day.  You deserve a medal for that alone.

4.      You are very good at hurry up and waiting process.  Ok, let’s be honest, no you are not.  You guys have the itch to get on the road and move, but most of you are good sports and know that’s name of the game.  It’s part of the job.

5.      You can find a friend anywhere.  Truck stop check-out line for 5 minutes and you have found a lifelong friend.

6.      You have each other’s backs.  I see our Hurricane drivers always supporting each other.  A new driver needs a little help on how things work and by the time he leaves he has 3 phone numbers for any issues.

7.      Your job is hard!  Most people think come on they get to drive all day and see the country.  I drive 180 miles every day and it drags on.  I can’t imagine getting up at 2 AM in any type of weather to do a Pre-Check then drive 650 miles with a 30 min break. Then do it all over again. 

     So to all the drivers out there, THANK YOU!  Just remember the next time you go the grocery store little elves didn’t magically transport those items from where they are made.  So everyone out there take time to tell a Trucker, Thank You!

To all my Hurricane Express Drivers, THANK YOU for everything you do for this company!  I am glad to be on this team with you!

Dennis Lewis...Highway to Heaven

We at Hurricane Express really take pride in ourselves that we try to listen and hear our drivers.  Most of us know about each other’s families whether it be the ups or downs.  So nothing hurts us more than to lose a close member of our Hurricane Express family.

On Thursday, August 25, 2016, we lost a very special driver, Dennis Lewis.  Dennis had been with us for 9 months and really made an impact on our hearts.  Dennis loved the road, it was what he loved doing.  Dennis had made truck 99 his bright lime green home.  What is funny is that bright truck showcased his loud never outspoken personality.

Dennis started his career with Hurricane by contacting me though Facebook.  Now if you know Dennis that might make you laugh.  Dennis just doesn’t fit the Facebooking type, but oh man he loved him some Facebook.  I don’t remember Dennis being a hard to hire guy, his work history was good, just hadn’t found his home.  He came to orientation and he fit the trucker fashion, giant cup of coffee, T-shirt with front pocket and jeans.  I had no idea when we sent him out if he would be a good fit for our company but he would soon prove that there was no mistake on why we hired him.
 
Dennis was rough around the edges but had a heart of gold.  I can’t remember many times that he didn’t walk in this office without a gift for Safety.  He told me it was to keep on Deborah’s good side.  (Dennis wasn’t the greatest logger and was moved to elogs.)  If we didn’t have coffee at the office he would go buy some.  He loved doing for people and never worried about money.  Always told me can’t take it with you might as well enjoy it.

The week before Dennis passed, he was in the office. This time he brought giant Reese’s Peanut Butter footballs for 5 of us in the office.  He also left $25 with the safety department to make sure Deborah got a birthday cake.  We also ordered 6 or 7 t-shirts with pockets in them.  That was always his biggest complaint, why didn’t our T-shirts have pockets in them.

I also know Dennis had some nieces and nephews that he loved to babysit.  He talked about them many times and how much fun they were to play with.  He loved to meet his family at the casino to take them out to eat and I know he had taken them all out to eat about 3 weeks ago.

Dennis was proud to work for Hurricane Express and we are proud to have him as a driver.  I had been talking to the other recruiter and said I would take 15 or 20 more Dennis Lewis’s.  He was a bit of pain sometimes but wouldn’t trade him for the world.  Dennis truly touched my heart and I find peace in knowing that he was doing what he loved when he passed.

Dennis Lewis, I know you have taken your final road trip.  We will miss you!

Rest In Peace, Dennis Lewis