From The Driver's Seat: Averitt's Black Ops

Welcome to From the Driver's Seat, the Avid podcast for all Avid drivers to keep up with news and information across our network. Make sure to subscribe on your preferred podcasting app to make sure you're notified as soon as every episode drops. And now, hosting from the driver's seat, director of driver services, David Royles. Hey, everybody. It's Dave Royles from the driver's seat podcast, and glad glad to talk to y'all again. We got a great podcast today. And speaking of podcast, if you haven't done it yet, get on the inside, Avery. Go in there and look at all the podcasts. You know? You've got the podcast that we've done for years, that I've been doing for years and years, and now a lot of that's video. But if you go in there, you'll see some stuff from, Amos on there too, with the Winter Circle podcast, some stuff from Alice. A lot of good stuff on there. Take advantage of it. Go back here and look, watch all that stuff. And even some of the old things, there's a lot of stuff on the old stuff. You can you can read you can kinda page down through it and find a topic that Integrated you and take a listen in. Some of the quality may not be as good as it was as what it is today. The quality is a lot higher. But take a look at all that stuff. There's a lot of information in there for y'all out there. We got a great podcast today. Let me introduce our guest. Hey, Steve Anderson. How are you doing? I'm doing great. Thank you for Great. Good to see you. Tell us a little bit about yourself, Steve. I know you've been with us for a while. I have. Thirty two years. Wow. Congratulations. Thank you. It's been a wonderful trip. It really has. I spent my first five years in Nashville, where I started out as a bill entry associate. I moved into customer service, relay dispatch, city dispatch, and outbound leader, and then, transferred to Cookeville out of the corporate office. I was the, OS and D leader and product quality leader before transferring to, Averitt Dedicated as the operations manager. And, for the last eighteen years, I've been the director of operations for region two. Wow. I said you've done a little bit of everything with Averitt then. Right? I have. I got a good flavor of it. Yeah. So if I need a if I need a question answered, I don't know who to come to. Right? I know. Who will I have the answer about that? Not necessarily. Not necessarily. That's exactly what I'm saying. I know you've been around for a long time. And, well, we've got we we work together for a long time. We got a lot a lot of good information. I think you do know a lot of stuff too. So, yeah, that's cool. Well, thank you. Well, hey. I know you got some folks with you. I guess you got Thomas Damron. Right? Hey. I do. Yes, sir. Hey. Thomas, senior operations manager works for you. Right? That's correct. Thomas, how long you've been with Averitt? I've been with Averitt for twenty years. Wow. Twenty years. Yeah. Congratulations. Yes. Yes. It's it's been a good ride, and, I'm working on well, started at, on the dock in Nashville for five years. Took a job in Savannah, Georgia as a frontline leader, and then, needed to come back to the Middle Tennessee area. So, two thousand twelve joined dedicated as a frontline leader and then became a site manager, and now I'm a senior operations manager. So I've been with dedicated for the past twelve years and met a lot of wonderful people during that time. During that time. Well, great. Hey. I appreciate it. And Todd Brooks, how you doing, Todd? Doing fine. Thank you. Good. Todd, you're another senior operations manager, I guess. And you you got you got a long background with Averitt as well. Right? Eighteen years. You're a legacy too. Right? I don't know if I'm a senior manager. Right? I'm a legacy. Yeah. He was a senior operations manager for Steve as well. Yeah. It was Ray. Right? Ray Ray Brooks. Ray Brooks. I think a lot of people probably still remember Ray Brooks. Ray was here for a long time. Yeah. Right, man. Yeah. I think he was here eighteen years, twenty years. Yes. Yeah. Right. Very memorable, man. Yeah. I started out as a a frontline leader for, at intake. At the time, it was called intake. Uh-huh. Then Tennessee Farmers Co op and then, site manager for Vidon and moved in from that role to senior operations manager, twenty fourteen. Wow. Yeah. It's kind of a it's a lot of eighteen years, twenty years, and thirty two thirty two years. That's kinda yes. That's a lot of experience right there at the table. Right? That's a it's a lot of good experience. I think I think that's important. You know, you take a look at that take a look at that. The other thing, if you listen to where everybody started at, you know, I think sometimes people think, hey, Averitt hires in leadership and all that. That's not right. Most of our leaderships, it's homegrown. Right? I That's exactly right. And the twenty six leaders that we have in region two, we have a combined three eighty eight years at Avery's. Wow. That's, averaging fifteen years per leader. And, twenty four of them were promoted from within. Ten started in the dock on the dock, seven as drivers, and seven as operation support. That that really is what Avery talks about. We say, hey. Promote from within. I mean, that that that's a good example of what goes wrong. Absolutely. It's a it's the way to do things. Right? It's part of our culture. And it works. It's what, you know, it's It's huge. Yeah. It really does make a difference. We're constantly looking for that talent that's out there that wants to take that next step, and we're encouraged by our leadership to do that. So Right. And, you know, yeah, there's a lot of good lead young leaders coming up in the in the system and and, and dedicated. You know, of course, I've worked with a lot of dedicated accounts and all y'all's accounts, and and y'all got a lot of good young leadership that coming up. I think that, you know, that the next wave, you know, one of these days, you know, some of these folks may retire. I mean, y'all may retire. I may never retire, but, you know, some folks may retire, so I have to have new people coming in all the time. And that's what Averitt's good at, I think, is developing leadership. Right? So region two. You mentioned region two. What is region two? Geographically, that's Florida and Mississippi with some in Tennessee, Georgia, and South Carolina. Those yeah. We're primarily this, but mostly the southeast, I guess, is where y'all the primary your regions are where your accounts primarily are then. Right? That's correct. When you talk about your accounts, you say region two. How many, how well, how does that break down? Like, how many people or, you know, is it you got a certain number? How many people are in that region for instance? Do you know? Yeah, I do. There are three ninety five drivers in region two, three fifty eight power units, seven forty eight trailers, and one hundred and forty seven reefer trailers. Oh, okay. Well, I guess you're doing exactly what's in there. Right? I came prepared. You came prepared. So you know the answers to those questions right off the bat. But, you know, that is a lot of equipment. You know, if you take that and multiply it times four, you're looking at a pretty good size, business unit. You know, dedicated has grown a lot. How long? You you you started with dedicated when? Two thousand one. Two thousand one. You started, ninety one. Ninety one? No. Two thousand six. I don't know. Two thousand six? Two thousand six. Oh, okay. Tom, Thomas? Two thousand twelve. Two thousand twelve. I get so y'all have seen a lot of growth. Yeah. We have. Over time. Right? And continuing to grow, I guess. You know, I think I think we'll see the regions continue to grow. Well, you know, senior operations manager. Right? Of course, you know, the director position, you've got senior operations manager, and you got all the so you're responsible for a lot of stuff. But the senior operations manager, what's the Todd, start with you. What's senior operations manager role? We support the on-site operations team. We're kind of the go between, help them get things that they need done, work around not only work around the system, but work within the system to help them get their their job accomplished every day. So working what? P and Ls? P and Ls, help them with recruiting, give them advice and direction, show them, just operational experiences that we've that's that we faced as we were site managers. Some of the challenges that we had to overcome and help them kinda grow into that role and and become better leaders themselves. Yeah. Thomas, I know you said you you started on the dock, I guess, and then you moved up and went through. And so, you know, now you're a senior operations manager. So now you do what he said. You know, you reach down and you help. What what do you think you brought what did you learn from your other early experiences that you're able to bring to the table as a senior operations manager to help the site managers get better? Well, the first thing I've realized is that we Averitt's built a team that's been here for a long time. So you can lean on a lot of people. And a lot I've learned a lot of times you don't have to know all the answers. You just need to know who to go to to to help you with that process. So, you know, there's a lot of experience here just at the table. You, Steve, and Todd, Dan, I mean, all the way to the top, and everybody's always willing to to reach out to help you accomplish Averitt's goal, taking care of our associates, taking care of our customers. And that's ultimately that's probably the best advice that I pass along to just ask. Just ask a question. If I don't know, then I'll ask Steve, and Steve will definitely do the same. Find somebody who does. Find somebody. Yeah. Another big part of that role is seeing operations across, Dedicated, not just in our region, but seeing what they do and bringing ideas from other sites over. We're always challenged by our customers to find a new way to do it, find a better way to do it. And that keeps us, ingratiated with our customer and keeps the competition away. As long as you can always improve and do better, you will always be at the top. Why does Averitt dedicated grow like it does? Why why are we growing in dedicated? What what do we do? What are we doing to separate ourselves and make ourselves different? A friend of mine, Travis Webster calls dedicated Averitt's black ops. We go in when a customer is asking for something that is so out of the ordinary that it really doesn't fit any other business unit. Dedicated will go in, try to build a better mousetrap, try to find a way to satisfy that customer's needs. And we've been very successful at it. The there's nothing that's out of the realm of possibility. There are things that might be cost prohibitive, but there's a way to solve whatever their problem is. And when you can take that those blinders off and see all the way across the board what does Averitt have to offer, the true power of one, combine those things together, then that's when we really succeed. And that's when we are a step above everybody else. Todd has an account that's an excellent example of that in Essex Bargain Hunt. That's you know, that is a good account. Talk about Essex a little bit. I think, you know, Pete Pete you know, I think people they hear about it, but I don't know if anybody really understands Essex and what the true power of one Right. At what Essex does to do that. And and that is exactly it. It is the true power of the one. But we have the Essex distribution centers in Nashville, Tennessee, Antioch. And from there, they load out trailers going to within the two fifty mile radius of Antioch. We have light haul drivers that are dedicated drivers that take those loads from point a to point b every day. And once they get to point b, that's when the the LTL side of it takes over. They pick up those trailers and then take them to the stores. So point b is actually a service center. Point b is a service center. So they're they're traveling from the distribution center in a yacht to a shuttle driver. Really. Right? I mean, with the dedicated drivers, kinda like a shuttle driver. Mhmm. They're running and then they run at night? They run at night. So they run at night. They take it, and they drop it off at the service centers, wherever, whatever service center, and then LTL picks it up just like a normal shipment. Right? And then they take it and deliver to the customer. Unload the trailer and bring it to the empty bag. Now we've since added, new dynamic to that. We actually have some store direct deliveries, that the dedicated side does. We just take it straight from the distribution center to the store. That's been a pretty new addition that we've added. But for the most part, it is still a true power of one. And as the both the the LTL and Dedicated working together Yeah. To to make the customer happy. Well, that's kinda neat. You know, I guess that does show the flexibility like you were talking about. Hey. Solve the problem. Figure out how to make it work by the customer. Right? Because that that would have been hard for us to ever try to figure out. Just dedicated doing the whole thing. It'd have been a problem. Right? It it would have been a challenge. Yeah. It'd have been harder, you know, probably more expensive. We're probably doing it the most cost efficient ways for the customer. So we're able to get in there. That's been a great account for us, I think. He has. Essex has been a good account, like a lot of accounts. And, any unique accounts, Thomas? What yeah. Stories like that with any of the accounts that you manage or anything like that, you think? Well, unique, I would say. We we deal with the flatbeds and deal with steel coals. So so we deliver steel coals to Eurozu. I think that's a that's a unique one. Not everybody wants to get up and chain a coal down that if you do it incorrectly, that some could be that yeah. It can be problems. So and, we've worked That's an account we've had for a long time too. Euroso. Right? Yes, sir. Yeah. About thirty five years. We've had that account thirty five year. Really? Wow. You know, obviously, if we're doing something for thirty five years, we're doing it right. Yeah. Because, you know, customers kept us there for a long time. Mhmm. It's a thirty five year account. Right? Yes. For sure. Yeah. That's a good account, I guess. Is it Well, it's a good account, and you got you're putting the right people in position to to work with the customer day in and day out. And that's one of the things about Dedicated is we put the right people in front of the customers. They're gonna see them daily. They're gonna interact with them daily. And a lot of these contract renewals that we do, through all of dedicated, it's because of it's strictly because of the people that are on-site and the, the job they're doing, the service they're performing. So I think all of y'all everybody here is from Tennessee too. Right? Oh, y'all are right around the Nashville area. Mhmm. Pretty much. So you're kinda homegrown, I guess, in a way. Right? Right. With, with Averitt, from close to the home domiciles. What do you like most about Averitt Express, Todd? What do you think what do you think is your standout? The winner's circle. I mean, it exemplifies Averitt. I mean, it's everything you you know, you're just talking about my dad, the the, you know, when the things that he went through when when he was battling cancer and and how Averitt treated him, and then just how you see it with, just all of our associates. I mean, it's it it doesn't happen anywhere else, and you can speak to anybody. I was at a airport this past week talking to another guy who worked in a trucking company in the past, and and all he talked about was he's never heard anything bad about Averitt. And and I was able to build to that and say, you know what? Neither have I. It it really is that that company. That's pretty good. Yeah. That is impressive. And you're right. And, you you know, it's amazing how many people that aren't working for Averitt saying, like you said, you have conversations That knows about Averitt. That knows about Averitt. That's pretty cool. Mhmm. Thomas, what do you think? What do you wait. What's the number one thing with with Averitt Express? Run with Todd on the on the people. It's the people you get to work with daily. A little no not known fact or unknown fact is, my dad drove for Averitt. Oh, really? I didn't know that. He drove out of Decatur, Alabama, to Saginaw, Michigan on some dedicated runs. Oh, that sounds like the old Delphi run. I think it was. I think it was. This is back when I was fifteen. I'm sure I'm sure my age now. Yeah. I remember that back when we started. We used to run that Delphi run up there. Yeah. So I guess he was on that run. He was. Well then I'm sure I dispatched him on himself. Probably did. I'd like to talk a little bit more about that afterwards. So, but, yeah it's the people. My dad encouraged me to come on board, and got in here and didn't expect to stay as long as I was working through college just on the dock and it just felt right. I was told at an early age, when you find a job that you can get up every morning and you enjoy going to, then you've you've found what you need to be doing. So I've been here and I've been I've stuck with it. I enjoy coming to work every day. Learning. I love learning stuff. And the people that I'm around, I mean, there's some highly intelligent people that we work with to help do what we're out to achieve. So, the people I love, the people interacting. And then we're in a role, Todd, Steven, and I are in a role that we get to interact with our drivers, our managers. We get to interact with the service center directors, the sales, the transportation specialists and everybody. So it's it's it's we're really blessed to be in this position. And, we really enjoy that. Oh, that's really that's great. I didn't know that about your dad. Yeah. Yeah. I learned something new, but, yeah, I'm sure I talked to him twenty five years ago. I'm sure he did. Yeah. That's about what it was. Yeah. But, yeah, I definitely remember that run. We used to run it up to Saginaw out of Athens, Alabama a lot down there. Yes, sir. Sure did that. Yeah. Steve, what do you think? I know you've been here longer. You're the you're the you're the senior of the group as far as being at Averitt. So, you know, you probably do see more changes at Averitt than any of us, I guess. I have. What what what what's the constant? The constant is opportunity for advancement. That's what, kept me at Averitt, and that was what drove me to stay with Averitt for this long. It's, you know, the secret, I've heard you ask other people, you know, what's the secret sauce? Advancement, you know, and things like that. First, let someone know that you want to do more. And secondly, no matter what your job is, whatever that responsibility is, do what's expected and then some. Those three little words, Bonnie Plunkett from Memphis taught me those in nineteen ninety two and then some. And then some. That's a good idea. That's a good idea. Feel that. Please do. Pass it along. But, and then pursue challenges. You know, get out of your comfort zone. When an opportunity presents itself, raise your hand. Say, I'll do that. Yeah. Yeah. I think that's really important. You know, I always tell people when they wanna when they wanna advance, never say no to a challenge. Right. Always say, yeah. I can make that happen. Figure it out. And then go forth and make it happen and make it you know, figure it out. Don't never say no to a challenge. Always accept the challenge. Right? Right. And, yeah, and the nice thing about Avery, you're always gonna have people to help you along the way. I think that goes back to what you said, Thomas. Exactly. You know, the people are there, the people are gonna help you. It sets us apart. You know, I've worked a lot other places prior to Averitt, but there's no other place like Averitt, not really. You know, there there's a lot of different things that Averitt Express, but I think you all exemplify that. You know, it's, I think it's a question to see, you know, how we promoted up these ranks and, you know, where you all are, the experience that we have, and, all that goes into being the success of dedicated, which leads to the success of Averitt Express. Right? It does. I think I think that's you know, it's just it's just really important. But y'all do a great job. Well, thank you. Thank you. Anything y'all y'all wanna tell the folks out there and the drivers and the associates and everything? So, Todd, I'll start with you. I appreciate everybody, on-site operations, the the the whole nine yards. You make my job enjoyable and make me want to come to work every day. Thank you, Todd. Thomas, you got what do you want? What do you any final thoughts? Yeah. I'd just like to just share and let everybody know, like, I love what I'm doing. I love interacting with everybody that makes it happen. I appreciate you. Appreciate everything you do on a daily basis. The late night calls you get from the manager, the breakdowns on the side of the road where you can't get to where you're going to and you have to be patient. Just appreciate everything from everybody does at Averitt, and I think Averitt does a great job of exemplifying that is that everybody managers, or everybody matters. I'm sorry. Yeah. So yeah. I appreciate that. Thank you. Thank you. Steve, I know you got some final good thoughts for us. I do. Thomas said, we are the best. We should never be ashamed to, announce that we're the best and show that we're the best. That's what makes us different. We're built of, up from the ground, from folks from within. That always Averitt mantra, really pays off, and our customers recognize that. Thank you for what you do. I really appreciate all that you do. I recognize what you do, and that's what makes you the best. Obviously, with this management team we got with Dedicated, we know we're moving in the right direction. And we're looking forward to a lot of growth with Dedicated. And, you know, with growth, that means we gotta add drivers and we gotta add associates. And all that is people like you, and that's what it takes. So that is so important to our future growth. If you fell out there and you see somebody and you say, hey. That person needs to be wearing red. Let's get them in red. Make sure they're out there. Help us find good people because that's what it takes to help us grow. Thank you so much. Appreciate what you do. See you out on the road.