Let’s Celebrate! August & September

Birthdays8/3 Chubby Virgin8/8 Matt Sanders8/9 Theo Jones8/22 Alvus Ramsay8/24 Dewey McLaney8/24 Donald Moore9/10 Eddie Evans9/11 William Albritton9/20 Mike Wood9/22 Greg Miller9/29 Charles Peterson

August & SeptemberAnniversaries

8/4 Walter Davis - 3 yrs.8/24 Morey Wilson - 3 yrs.

9/10 Mike Bertsch - 1 yr.9/16 Greg Miller - 4 yrs.9/26 Jerry Dawsey - 8 yrs.

New Hires7/22 Sam Howard7/22 Eric Trammell7/29 Roger Bryant8/5 Khynoah McKenzie8/12 Donald Moore8/19 James Williams8/26 Bill Morrison9/3 Marquel Norsworthy9/3 Chubby Virgin9/9 Theo Jones9/9 Montel Lynn9/9 Terrail White9/23 Jason Shores9/23 Aaron Wilson

Aug-Sept 2019

Volume 2 • Issue 5

One of my favorite weeks of the year is Driver Appreciation Week. Over the years, I’ve learned that being grateful turns what we have into enough. I certainly have a lot to be grateful for. I look out my window and see those new shiny red trucks and I am grateful. I look at the list of drivers- those that have been with us for years and those that have recently joined the Summerford Family and I am grateful. I look at my beautiful wife and my three beautiful daughters and I am grateful. I look at my healthy and happy grandchildren & great grandchildren and I am grateful.

With Freedom comes Responsibility

Newsletter

Alligator: Tread from the shredded tire of an 18-wheeler that can be found on the roadBit on the seat of the britches: Got tagged by the police for a speeding ticketBear Den: The term for police headquartersBear in the Air: When the highway speed is checked by an airplane or helicopterBoy Scouts: Another term for the state policeBunny Hopper: A vehicle that changes lanes constantlyClean Shot: When road ahead is free of any obstructions, construction, or policeDropped it off the shoulder: When a vehicle ran off the side of a highwayFender bender: a common term for a traffic accidentFlag waver: A highway repair crew Kojak with a Kodak: Police using a radar gun at the side of the roadNightcrawlers: Many police covering an areaPaperhanger: Police giving out ticketsParking Lot: A traffic jam at a stand stillPeel your eyeballs: When you are on the lookout (usually for police)Plain white wrapper: Term for an unmarked police carRolling roadblock: A construction vehicle moving at a very slow speedRubberneckers: Drivers that are looking off the road, typically at an accident sceneWear your bumper out: When a vehicle is following too close

I know I’ve said it before, but it is always worth repeating. Take time to look around at all of your blessings and be grateful. Never get so busy that you take these things for granted. When you’re out on the road, tell your family you love them. And when you get back home, show them! Keep up the great job and know that I am grateful for each of you!

Trucker SlangTrucker Slang

SAFETY MATTERS

Keith OnoratoDirector of Safety

334-596-7810

Speed Warnings I have been getting many more PeopleNet speed notifications than usual recently. In an effort to reduce speed alerts, I assigned the Pro-Tread lesson “Speed Management” in July 2019. The speed alerts have not decreased. Please understand that your PeopleNet unit sends a notification or alert every time your vehicle speed exceeds 75 mph. Although I understand that our trucks are governed at 66 mph, several of you have allowed the speed to get excessive when traveling down steep hills. Please do NOT allow this to continue!

Continued excessive speed alerts MAY result in the company being forced to add that criteria as a condition of safety bonus qualification. Please make every effort to avoid getting speed alerts by keeping your speed BELOW 75 mph at all times! Please do not hesitate to give me a call or text if you have any questions regarding speed alerts or any other safety related matter.

meri mock marketing & more

Hello All! I hope this finds you all doing well and loving life! Driver Appreciation Week was September 8-14 and although we could never do enough to show just how much we appreciate our drivers, it’s fun to try! From the picture, you can see all the prizes we were able to give away. My office looked like Christmas all week! What I refuse to show is my desk- which looked like Wal-Mart after their infamous Black Friday sale! Quite a mess... but I wouldn’t have it any other way! Summerford sponsored the t-shirts and most of the prizes but we must give a “shout out” to our vendors who made donations. SunSouth, Utility Trailer Sales and Freightliner really stepped up to show their support and appreciation of our drivers as well. Coolers and backpacks and a chain saw, Oh My!

Special Thanks to Bama for modeling this year’s T-shirt!

Another way to show drivers our appreciation is coming soon in the form of our Driver Website. I know I’ve been talking about this for awhile but we’re getting really close and I believe it will be ready to roll out in October. Each driver will have their own log-in where they

can see and cash in reward points, take surveys, make suggestions, access past newsletters, the handbook, etc. Reward points can be earned in many ways- a few examples are clean DOT inspections, anniversaries, taking surveys and sending photos of your truck.

I’ll be in touch soon with more details as we launch the site. Reward points can be cashed in for Summerford Swag & gift cards.

And lastly, MARK YOUR CALENDARS! The plans are already under way for the 2019 Summerford Christmas Party! The date is set for December 7th. More details such as theme and location will be coming soon but just know that it will be similar to last year- family friendly with great food, lots of fun and time for fellowship. As always, thanks for you all you do and if you need anything, just let me know. Be safe & keep rollin’! Meri