Leading the Averitt Way - Alan Stanley and Dan Singer

Hey, everyone. Welcome back to the latest episode of Leading the Averitt Way. I'm your host, Alice Crabtree. Thank you for investing your time in learning to lead within the Averette culture. Today's video is another great one. Let's get started. Hello, everyone. We are here today, to have the opportunity to speak with, a very esteemed guest, Allen Stanley. He is about to be retiring at the very young age of, just sixty, I'll say. And and I I think I'll come back and touch on that a little bit later on how that was possible. But, Alan has had a really impressive career with Averitt. Over thirty five years, the first fifteen were spent in maintenance and the last twenty and dedicated. So Alan's actually had two Averitt Life. So there's there's a lot, that we can talk about today. So, get things kicked off. What originally brought you to Averitt? Well, I was, actually looking for a part time job. Okay. And I came down and, interviewed with Charlie Lyons in Nashville. Charlie Lyons. Haven't heard that name in in in a in a decade or two? He said that he didn't have any part time jobs, but he had a, job in the shop. And not being a mechanic, I let him know and he said, no problem. We'll train you everything you need to know. We just need good people. And Steve Maxim was, here at that time? That was before Steve. Before Steve. That was back in the days of Jim Bates. Okay. That that predates me. That's that's quite a way ways ago. But, so I started working in the Nashville shop. I worked at night. I was still going to college at the time. So, worked at we came in and we started our shift about eight o'clock at night and worked till six thirty in the morning. Then I went home and showered and went to class. And that was, it wasn't the current, Nashville service center. No. It was over the old service center over on Polk Avenue, more in the middle of town in there. Okay. In the old industrial area. And, so did that four days a week, four nights a week. And then on Sundays, I'd come in early in the morning and and get what we call truckload then, which is truckload again, but back then it was truckload too. Get those trucks out and ready to go for their weekly runs every Sunday. So sometimes I'd get off at noon, sometimes it'd be five o'clock. Wow. Just whatever needed to be done. Must have been tough while you're going to school. Oh, it was. I don't know how I ever did it but full class load and a full workload. Thirty five years. That that's a that's a that's a wonderful career. I think all of us would be proud as we're walking out the door to be able to say I spent thirty five years with one organization. What what are what are some things about Averitt that is that has made you wanna stay so long? Well, the the number one thing has been the people. The people at Averitt make the company. There are a lot of I have had opportunities through the years to do other things with transportation companies. Yeah. But I don't think there are people who could top ours. And as as we see today, we've been around the corporate office visiting with friends and folks that I've worked with over the years, and I have fond memories of them. And that's the kind of the bittersweet part of retiring. Averitt's also very secure. In my days of maintenance, I saw that we didn't borrow money to buy trucks. We paid cash for it. And that meant a lot to me. We've always been pretty much debt free. Oh, yeah. Financially secure. Very financially secure. Security to me is very important, and I don't like change too much. So Yep. We're all averse to change. If you have a secure company that's run well and have good people and when the president of a company this size knows your name and and willing to come down and talk to you, that means a lot to me. So and Gary's always done that. That's wonderful. And and I know it means a lot to all our folks. I mean and as you know, you've got a lot of folks on your team currently that Gary speaks to. He has he has his welcome calls to them and I'm I'm sure you you hear about that. Oh, yes. Yes. They, come in the next day and say, guess who called me? Yeah. And I said, yeah. He calls everybody. And so that's part of being the Averitt. Tell us a little bit about, and and and I I know know about it because I was on the receiving end of your changing career, but a little bit about your transition over to Dedicated. Well, maintenance was restructuring in two thousand and four, and that's about the time I think George Sasser left the company. And so corporate maintenance, which I was a part of, was restructured and moving to Cookeville. Mhmm. And I didn't really wanna move to Cookeville. I love living in middle Tennessee, Nashville, Smyrna. And, an opportunity came up in the dedicated group. Jim Barnett was running it at the time. Yep. That's another name from the past. And he called and asked me if I thought I could drive to Smyrna to work at the Nissan plant. I said, well, I think I can because I live in Smyrna so Works well. Jim and I met and he I guess he liked me and, he offered me the job as a it was a dispatch position in our transportation group there. At that time, we ran the parts, to the local suppliers for Nissan. Yep. Okay. And so and then about a year or so into that, you called me Mhmm. And said, we got a new over at the plant. We would like you to be our operations manager. And that was the switch in operation, and we started out with, about ten or eleven on each shift, day shift and a night shift. Yep. A couple of dispatchers and two leaders. Yep. That's how it got started. Tell us a little bit about the, I guess, the importance of, your thoughts on how Averitt approaches, mentorship and and associate development. Well, Averitt, and I'm an example of that, likes to promote from within. I started as a mechanic working on the shop floor and had opportunities to improve myself and go into leadership and in other areas of the maintenance group. And then, we do the same thing in in our dedicated group. My current base shift frontline leader who is gonna be my replacement as operations manager Yep. Started as a switcher with us in two thousand and five when we started at Nissan. Love that. And, she's worked well, worked, drove for a while then she dispatched for a while and been frontline leader now for probably, seven or eight years. Yep. And, she has grown with the company, and, Krista is gonna make a a great operations manager for our account. Yep. Absolutely. I agree wholeheartedly, and, it's just another one of many examples of finding the right person for the right position. And, yep, I have well, we're not gonna miss a beat operationally because you've trained her up so well, but you will be sorely missed. Well, thank you for that. And the people around me is what helped me be successful too. We've we've had good folks, and she's part of that very much part of that. So we will be successful there. Well, and that kinda probably is a good roll into the next question I wanted to ask you. What are, I guess, some of your favorite things about our culture here at Averitt? Just that the leadership all the way up to the president knows the people, gets to know the people, comes out and meets them, that means a lot. We're on a first name basis with the owner of the company. Yep. And to me, that means a lot. We also try to treat our people fairly, and and and we understand that they have lives and things happen and we work with them when there are issues and it's not all black and white. Right. There's a lot of gray sometimes and we we try to work and understand. Somebody does a good job and then they have a problem at home, we we work with them. Yep. Family is important. We treat treat them like part of our family and, you know, we spend a lot of time with our our associate fellow associates. Probably more time than you spend with some of your family members. In many cases. Yep. Yep. I would agree with that. That's that's a good part of Averitt. Averitt's benefit packages and pay packages are very competitive. Yep. So that's important for people. I've I've raised my family Yep. Because of labor and been and done well. Yep. Part of like you said, retiring early, it's it's because of a good benefit package and I was able to do the things that I wanted to do. We've lived comfortably, and, we've put away for the future. And now now here we're gonna reap the reward. Yep. Yeah. Well, and that's that brings me back to another, I guess, question I wanted to pose to you. So you're just sixty years old retiring. And you and I have been talking about this for years, but you had a plan to retire at sixty for how long? Almost as long as I've been at Averitt. Okay. The profit sharing, early days was just an account. They were putting money in as a profit and there were some good deposits. Mhmm. And then, I guess I'd been at Averitt probably around two years. Around nineteen ninety, we started a four zero one k. And at that time, it was separate from the profit sharing. So you had your profit sharing in one account and your four zero one k. But the leadership at the time, Richard King and George Sasser, they were they harped on it really hard for us young guys that put away your money. Put away your money. And one day you'll be able to retire early. So I decided that sixty was gonna be a good year to retire. I was about twenty five years old. Yep. Twenty six years old, and I started putting away my pay, part of my pay every week and left it alone, forgot about it. I've never changed anything on my four zero one k from the original distributions and how it well, I didn't try to play the market and guess and Yeah. Make changes as the market went up and down. And, every time I got an increase, I put a little more in my four zero one k till I got to ten percent. And so for over, twenty something years, I've been putting ten percent of my pay in. Very nice. And I think you we were talking earlier today about, the impact of profit sharing, especially in the past couple years that, has that has that been able to make a difference on you being able to realize your goal of retiring at sixty? Oh, most certainly. When I tell friends that, I got a eight percent match, almost nine percent match, they're they're unbelievable. They they said, my company doesn't do near that much. Right. Oh, yeah. Well, I mean, what's we were talking about some other folks, you know, and family members. I mean, I think most places, it's in the three or four percent range. Right. Well, my wife, she works for the city, and their match is three percent. That's the most they'll match. Yep. So to say that we're getting eight, nine percent matches is unheard of in the in in this in this country. What advice would you give looking back to a young Allen Stanley thirty five years ago? Would it be anything different than what you've done? I don't know because I've I've enjoyed my career. I've done a lot of very interesting things. Mhmm. Been able to travel some with the company, for the company. I've met a lot of interesting people around the country. When I was in the maintenance group, we were a customer for the Volvos and the Peterbilts and the Macs of the world. Yep. And so we were treated treated good because we were a good customer. It's changed. And it's changed so much. I know our maintenance group now has done a great job in putting the best equipment on the road. Yes. Absolutely. And that that means a lot to our drivers to have good, safe equipment, latest and greatest. Even in our switcher trucks, we have new switcher trucks. Oh my gosh. Yes. Air conditioning now and And the the, the the color scheme for safety. Oh, yes. All all sorts of great advancements. The truck is much more comfortable to work in and and that's their office. So it's important that it is comfortable and safe. For those that may be interested in leadership, what advice would you give to them and somebody who's just brand new, just arrived at the company? Well, pay attention, learn the operation. Mhmm. And then, let your feelings be known to your leadership that you're interested in growing and and and going into leadership with the company. Avrit is very good about looking within first to fill all positions. Promote from within. And that that means a lot that, you get a first opportunity before someone from outside. Mhmm. But the biggest thing is, do your best and, you'll always have an opportunity at Averitt if you're performing well. Very good. I think that's great advice. So, looking ahead on a personal note, what what are your plans after April first? Well, I'm very active in my church. I'm a member of the Knights of Columbus, and so I really enjoy volunteering and helping people do different things. Pay it forward. Yep. And so I'll a lot of time doing that. I have an eighth grader who is a boy scout and I'm a scout leader and I do I'll be spending time with them from the campouts to the meetings and the, merit badge schools and all that. And then, of course, my wife has a long, long list of things for me to do. As as there should be. That's that's perfect. I'm looking forward to that list myself. Maybe even, get into some golf again. I haven't played in years, but I'd I like to swing the club occasionally. So get back out there on the fairway and see what I can do. Outstanding. Okay. Great. One one final question. You and I have spoken, earlier today and and and and prior to this, you've agreed to be a part of our ambassador team. Why is that, appealing to you? Well, stay in touch with the people, stay in touch with Averitt. I'm excited about that opportunity to be able to continue to enjoy, continue to help contribute with Averitt Cares for Kids. I think that's awesome thing that we have done and talked to all my new associates and try to get them to to join Averitt Cares for Kids. And it's such a small contribution on our part. Mhmm. But it all the power of one dollar times the number of associates really adds up. And so that's a great opportunity to be able to continue to be part of that team and and know that I'm helping to make a difference there at St. Jude. Absolutely. I could not agree more. And and you can continue bringing us referrals because you know exactly what it takes to be a successful labored associate. Exactly. So Exactly. Very good. And we just started talking about this. So, I think you and I need to, I guess, flush it out a little bit, but, mentor program, I think we, we might get you signed up for that before you, get out of here today. Yeah. I'm just learning about that. So we'll see what that has to do. And, I've already told those that I'm leaving behind there at the account that I'm just a phone call away. So there's an opportunity for me to continue to help them. And and that that is priceless. Thirty five years of experience walks out the door. That is not easily replaced. So we would certainly appreciate your your willingness to come back and help in our times of need. I'm more than willing. Like I said, Averitt has been very, very good to me and I owe it a debt that I'll never be able to repay. So I'm there for you. Well, it's, the feeling is mutual. You've you've done a lot for your for for our company and, I can't thank you enough for your dedication and years of service. Alright. Thank you, Dan. Thank you, Allen. Thank you all.