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hi I'm Butch Maltby and this is life of the mile delivered by freightworks you know about a year ago we started on an adventure and uh was to do podcasts to try to tell the incredible story of American truck drivers and and really the changing nature of trucking and Logistics in the United States you know we're well over 90 episodes now and and we believe we'll hit probably the century mark for episodes during our annual barbecue which is going to happen on September 17th but it seemed appropriate as we're almost a year into doing this Bermuda stepped back and just reflect a little bit on what I'm calling seven things I've learned about Freight Works in this last year you know I mentioned it in a prior episode one of the very first ones that we did I didn't come to freightworks with a background in trucking and Logistics so every day is an adventure for me to learn new things about this incredible company it's improbable Beginnings from being a biodiesel firm and the founder Josh farmer actually bidding online for a truck and winning that bid and out of that has now grown a fleet that is is just growing and and certainly is a a an Enterprise in Western North Carolina that is really getting noticed and for that we're tremendously blessed and and grateful but you know as I was thinking a little bit about the role that freightworks plays in trucking and Logistics it brought to mind again some important statistics for us to remember in December of 2021 the trucking industry report suggested that there are about 996 thousand four higher carriers about 813 000 private carriers and 83 235 other Interstate Motor carriers in the United States now the United States transportation system of which freightworks is a part moves about 50 million tons of freight per day valued at over 53 billion dollars and certainly the news in recent months has reinforced just how incredibly important the supply chain is in our country you know we we say it and it's not being loose or foolish if every truck driver in America decided they wanted to have a bad week in just a matter of days items that you typically look for on your shelf just wouldn't be there anymore and so in anticipation of national truck driver appreciation week which we're going to do some formal thank yous for I just wanted to step back and let you know it's the host of life of the mile delivered by freightworks which we believe is one of the faster growing podcasts delivered actually by a trucking company I wanted to let you know personally seven observations that I've made about this company called freightworks and if you're a driver or a potential staff member and you're kicking the tires on the possibility of moving to another company I I want to give you some reasons perhaps that you may want to consider that let me let me just say item number one one thing that I've learned freightworks isn't perfect but we're getting better you know I look for example at the commitments of our VP of operations Joyce Sakura has made along with the senior leadership to uh online platforms like War count which are designed to do what to get input from drivers and others on what needs to change how things can improve what people may not be happy about and you know a lot of companies may try to push all the dust under the rug but here at freightworks we know that we're not perfect but we're committed to get better and getting better requires every single person in every single Department doing what they can you know we're firm Believers as you know as a company in in the biblical found foundation for everything that we do and while we're not a company that's filled completely with those that would be called people of Faith the leadership and the foundations and the incubation of this company was very much built on biblical principles and so as a result of that we recognize we're not perfect but we're striving every day with every god-given ability that each of us have to make a company that that is better and you will find that in the culture when we're able to find ways to do more better quicker for less and do it with excellence and safety there's a strong commitment on the part of the leadership of freightworks to move in that direction so Point number one would be we're not perfect but we're getting better Point number two the second lesson that I've learned and by the way our freightworks one Studio here is right around the corner from the driver's Lounge so I have the incredible joy and opportunity each and every week to meet with dozens of drivers that are coming through and even little things little things like keeping the refrigerator stocked and the bathroom's cleaned and the washers and dryers ready to go and the the beds that we have here for people that spend the night you know to have them clean and tidy and and ready to go with the fresh sheets all these little attentions to detail reflect the second point that I've learned about freightworks and that is that relationships matter more than financial transactions now make no mistake about the fact that as a company we've got a bottom line we have profits and losses and you need to have net revenue to grow as most people know Trucking and Logistics is a very Capital intensive industry and so you have a lot of equipment a lot of assets that were an asset based carrier and and we need customers that are happy and drivers that are happy as well but the thing that is different about Freight works is we will never sacrifice human safety or personal relationships uh for for a bigger check from a customer a client we just we just won't do it and so you'll hear us say that relationships are much more important than just transactions and you know so many people obviously see that come to Freight Works have come from other companies and we don't pretend that we're you know the best at everything that we do but we're striving to be the best that we can be and we have a lot of people who come in and say you know I'm just not used to being in a company where I'm treated like a name and not just a number and we know that a lot of the marketing language that's out there for trucking companies may sound the same which is why we encourage people fill out an application come to an orientation if you pass that that first hurdle of the app get inside the culture a little bit learn and see that what we're saying is true we are never going to sacrifice you or your family or any relationship at all just for a customer's check that's the second thing that I've learned and and seen firsthand the third thing that I've learned again these are seven observations that Butch your podcast host has as seen in this past year the third is that technology is a tool to enhance safety efficiency and Driver care you know you look at all the different technology applications that freightworks has embraced these have been done to enhance your care as a driver to enhance our efficiency to maximize our safety and help the company run better and so we have a rich history in our decade plus history as a company of embracing new technologies early on we've got stellar analysis that takes place of different technology applications that can help drivers enhance their comfort enhance their safety enhance their efficiency and ultimately that works to the bottom line you know I had the opportunity recently to be in a meeting with an outside banker and with Josh farmer who's the founder and president of the company and and he was talking for example on the analysis that's being done on the new Peterbilt trucks that are enhancing our uh our our Fleet and you know all trucking and logistics companies are dealing with the same set of issues you have an aging Fleet you have to replace it and we're on Pace to do an excellent job in bringing in these new Peterbilt 579 Ultra Lofts and one of the net impacts of that is through our technology we're able to track savings on fuel and that contributes to the bottom line and as as that enhances the profitability of the company everybody of course benefits and so George kid who's part of our business intelligence and I.T along with Josh and others Joyce are always on the lookout on the horizon for new applications of technology that aren't designed to make things more complicated but are ultimately at the end of the day designed to make our driving experiences better for any of the people who come and join our family so technology is important it's not an end-all but I've noticed here in this last year especially it's a tool to enhance our safety efficiency and Driver care the fourth thing that I've learned and again you may ask the question Butch how have you learned these things it's just the hundreds of conversations with staff and drivers and these seem to be generalizations that are generally true the fourth thing that I've learned is we believe in no surprises oh what does that mean we don't believe you should have a surprise in your check your schedule or your designated responsibilities now there are times because of the complexity of how load planners have to work with driver managers and drivers all over the country with all of the variables of weather and breakdown and customers that aren't always making good on their promises there are times that things change however we have a strong commitment as a company that we don't believe that you should have to be dealing with surprises each and every day and so do the best of our ability working across teams and cross-functionally there is a commitment on the part of the company to try to mitigate against surprises is because we know that the work of a driver is stressful enough without surprises that are just making it even more chaotic and difficult so the fourth thing would be what I've observed and I've had drivers reinforce this it's a no surprise culture we don't want surprises in your check your schedules are your responsibilities here's one that I love to talk about and it's because so many companies don't embrace the same value the fifth thing that I've noticed and you can tell by the meows and the barks of of animals in the driver's lounge and outside is that we're a company that believes that pets are part of our family too I mean all you have to do is see the president's dog Theo wandering around the hallways and you'll know that it's not lip service when we say we have a strong commitment to our furry and friendly pets and I'll remember even now one of the first podcasts that we did talked about a husband and wife team that were an over the road couple that had six ferrets and we were able to tell the story about dramatic Health enhancements that they had in their lives about 250 pounds that they lost and six ferrets that travel with them so whether it's Ferris cats dogs whatever it may be we are a pet friendly pet celebrating culture which really distinguishes us from a lot of other Trucking and Logistics firms and we know from research and from the anecdotal evidence that's come from drivers how incredibly special it can be to travel with your friends and so we want you to know if you've considered a company and haven't been able to have a pet we are a pet friendly place and they're celebrated they're not tolerated and you'll know it every time you come here and you hear the bark or the meow or or just or just see a pet curled up at one of the driver's feets we're firm Believers that family comes first and for so many people family includes a pet so that's the fifth thing that I've I've learned the sixth thing that I've learned and this is extremely important our leadership is what I call nose to the grindstone but always looking ahead you know I I will just say this uh as a third party and somebody that knows Josh farmer well uh he's been entrepreneurial since he was little I mean the stories of businesses that he started and Innovation and how he started these businesses and the like are really the stuff of of Legends if you will and God has gifted him in that way which makes it extremely valuable for our company why because we all know that the trucking and Logistics industry in this country deals with Cycles tremendous cyclical change takes place we're currently looking at factors where you have you know decreasing Freight you've got increased fuel cost you got a lot of owner operators that came in with very expensive truck payments some estimates are that as many as half of owner operate leaders may not be able to navigate at least the days ahead we don't know we've got the looming pressures of recession we've got inflation that's affecting all sorts of indices in the United States and so you always want people that are prescient thinkers that can look up around the corner and based on their own experience can say you know what this is what we ought to do and I will also say this because we're unabashed about it we're people of prayer and so we look at the current realities and we check out what's happening in the marketplace we want to be like the tribe of issachar it discussed in second chronicles I believe it's the eighth chapter where it spoke of the the tribe of issachar that understood the times and knew what to do our leadership is very committed leadership I'll never forget an exploratory trip that I took some years ago maybe four plus years ago with Josh out to Fayetteville I believe it was the early days of our exploring the Kimora's relationship and he was very comfortable in meetings with Executives and he was also comfortable in in the shop you know stepping over oil stained pieces of concrete we are not an isolated leadership and this really distinguishes us from a lot of other companies because we have leadership that has been engaged you look at the story of Joyce Sakura she moved right up from the bottom and is trained and turned over her responsibilities to other people along the way and so you want leadership that's not isolated you want leadership that understands what it's like in the trenches Jordan kid would be the same way you know he's moved up from Ground Zero from the very beginning and so when you look at the leadership of freightworks you're looking at people that I refer to as having a nose to the grindstone but always looking ahead now the seventh observation that I I've made and I'm going to linger on this one for a little bit is this we're a diverse team with a spot that's waiting for you you know one of the great joys of doing life of the mile delivered by freightworks are twice a week podcast on YouTube platforms and and audio platforms everywhere podcast platforms everywhere it's the opportunity to get to know the stories of people and it is absolutely amazing the incredible diverse group that we have you know over the road drivers Regional drivers those that are working on designated routes for Dole or comores or many of the other organizations that were deepening our relationships with you know the thing that is so incredible is just how different people are we have men and women folks that are former veterans people that made mid-career changes uh we have folks that have had incredible stories of Health resiliency where they've come back from serious and life-threatening situations and so we're a company that when you look at the driving team you're going to find somebody who resembles you in look in gender in experience and the like and because of that we've got this incredible resource pool of drivers who who help each other and you know I had an episode not long ago where I was talking to a driver and I asked them is is the old school driving chivalry still there and they said yes you know for freightworks drivers we look out for each other we try to help each other and you know as as many drivers have told me before we know that we don't know it all and if we ever lose the opportunity to learn each and every day if we ever think that we've learned it all we're in serious trouble and so we're a driving team that is diverse we have people of Faith people who don't have a faith commitment but all in all we're a place that cares for our drivers in tangible ways and so when you look at the benefits if you go to freightworkstransfort.com there's an easy way for you to go in and take a look at the quick applications that we have there you're going to find a robust menu salad bar of Company benefits competitive pay health insurance you know strong commitment to try to help drivers get better and uh and that's why we've had I've even recently interviewed some drivers that were here we had one in particular that was here and he left and he was here and he left and he came back again and I've heard a number of times from people this is the company that they want to retire from you know and the grass gets kind of Greener you know you have a lot of competition out there in the marketplace for a number of companies turnover can be a hundred percent and so companies are all marketing to a pool of drivers to try to get them to come but here at freightworks we understand that God's given us something very special in the culture and it's expressed in values our word is our bond we don't believe you should have surprises we believe in the power of rewarding strong driving behavior we're committed to keep you safe and we never lose sight of the fact that there is for many people a family looking out the window for a Dad or Mom to come home and we don't ever want to grow to the place where we lose sight of that and even as one of the fastest growing trucking companies here in Western North Carolina a strategic location you know we're on the front edges of what we believe is going to be explosive growth in this region of course uh it's it's a god-birth benefit that we're in North Carolina which Forbes Magazine recently reinforced as one of the top business friendly climates in all of the United States so we believe that all of the factors that relate to strong and healthy industry growth are pulling together in a way where this is a wonderful opportunity for anyone who's got a CDL a good safe driving record and a desire to be part of a growing team now you know we also tell the drivers that we need their input to know how to do what we do better and the reality is company companies don't grow and companies aren't healthy unless you have a healthy Cadre of drivers which is why we're constantly reinforcing give us feedback on any of the things that you may have you know I was I was reflecting also as we look ahead to the next year and we love the opportunity to get together during our annual freightworks barbecue not everybody can come of course because we've got to keep the freight moving but we're looking forward to the opportunity of doing a number of podcasts there and getting news stories of people who are over the road or Regional whatever it might be but we know that in the midst of those stories is an incredible blessing that we don't take for granted we're firmly committed to prayer for our drivers to encouraging our drivers to taking seriously the fact that life changes and the stories are absolutely voluminous just you could fill encyclopedias with the stories of our company commitment to reach out you have somebody that's out on the road and driving they have a situation a serious situation at home somebody in the family may be dying or has a serious health problem we have flown people home we have redirected other drivers to rescue a load and and while we don't look to do that all the time what we do have is a commitment that we're never going to leave you hanging and so in the midst of your considerations if you're a driver uh you know I'd look at our County Rutherford County here in North Carolina and sometimes I'll see a truck from another company parked in our County and I almost want to walk up and knock on the door and say hey do you realize you got a home team this year here in Rutherford County a strategic location in Western North Carolina but wherever you're from you can be part of a growing diverse team of people that are working to make this the best Trucking experience that you've ever had and I've had so many drivers right around the corner here from freightworks one Studio tell me this is the place I'm going to retire from there's no place like this and you don't really get that experience at all of the places that you've gone I talked to one gentleman that have been driving for about 30 years he said and I think he'd been with 14 companies and and he just said it feels like home and we want you to consider this as your potential home and and the way that you can do that of course is just pick up the phone and call or go to our website you know freightworkstransport.com and when you go there you'll find information about the company who's the key team members are our values our principals a timeline of our history and then you'll have the opportunity to jump in there and fill out a quick application and then end up speaking to Reg or Isaac one of our recruiters Ray Who's involved in uh in our retention efforts which are extremely important and of course many of our new drivers actually come from current drivers who are the best endorsements of all you know is it's more important what a driver says about a company like freightworks than it is what the company is saying about itself and we have very strong testimonials from dry drivers of all walks of life so the seven things that your podcast host has learned again this past year were not perfect but we're getting better and we're committed to get better secondly relationships matter more than financial transactions third technology is a tool to enhance safety efficiency and Driver care for we believe in no surprises in your check schedule and responsibilities five and this is extremely important pets are part of our family too six our leadership is nose to the grindstone but always looking ahead so many trucking companies have been caught flat-footed when the economy changes and God has gifted the leadership year through prayer and experience and insight to really be looking ahead to make sure that the company you become a part of is not vulnerable to the economic conditions that may be out there and then seven were a diverse team with a spot waiting for you you know we're also a company that has causes and commitments we're very involved in women in trucking she's a dear friend Ellen Boya truckers against trafficking it's a strong commitment on our part to do our part and encourage the marketplace to put an end to sexual trafficking and of course so many truck stops unfortunately have been a platform in a staging area for that so we have causes we're committed to you know years ago Fortune Magazine had an article that was titled Corporate America searches for a soul and what it was saying is that more and more consumers of goods and services in the United States are not just interested in the goods and services that are sold by a company by freightworks they but they want to know who are you what is your heart what's the heart and soul of your company and you will find us to be people of the book people of Faith people that keep our word and people that want to reflect excellence in everything we do and because you have leadership with that commitment what ends up happening is that trickles down into every little decision and choice that's made you'll find it as an example when you go into the driver's Lounge you may have been in companies where you've got a pigsty I hate to say it for a driver's Lounge that will never happen here the refrigerators are stocked the bathrooms are clean the washers and dryers work you've got you know high back leather chairs I mean and all of this reflects a commitment to you the drivers you know the proof is in the pudding when you kick the tires you know if they're inflated or not so we want to encourage you give gift rate works a chance you know I was reading a scripture recently and because I'm a person of Faith uh scripture is what guys my doings each and every day but it was the beginning of Psalm 133 and it was verse 1. and it says behold how good and pleasant it is for brothers and we can put sisters because we know in Ephesians there is no difference in God's economy between men and women behold how good and pleasant it is for brothers and sisters I'm going to add to dwell together in unity you know when a company is working on all cylinders when everybody knows their assignment when everybody's clear about the tools they're being given to accomplish their task when everybody's committed to accountability when everybody sets its own standard of quality which is the highest it can possibly be you know when we all say together we as a team are going to deliver Excellence moving forward and we mean that it means every single decision the load planner decision the driver manager decision the accounting decisions that are made decisions that are made in the shop about the attention to detail to get every single vehicle exactly where it needs to be to get rolling out on the road again we know if the trucks aren't rolling you're not making money and if you're not making money the company's not making money and so every person at freightworks is coming to understand increasingly more in defined ways what our roles are together and when all of that works together just like it says in scripture how good and pleasant it is for brothers and sisters to dwell together in unity we have a unified purpose which is to deliver Excellence move forward and be a Marketplace leader not to the credit of the company but to the god who's given us the opportunity to have this exciting Enterprise in the challenging days that we're in those are my observations scribbled on the back of a napkin Jordan Kidd and I have uh playful conversations sometimes about the fact that I still use a pen and I still have notebooks that I that I write in and so those were some observations that I made recently we're looking forward to enhancing life of the mile delivered by freightworks in the days ahead we want you to subscribe engage make comments share it with people who may have an interest in the incredible colorful stories of American truck drivers and those who support that industry it's been a great opportunity to open my heart a little bit it's a little bit different episode than we typically have but I wanted you to know a little bit more about my heart as it relates to trying to facilitate the stories that we tell two times every way every week this is life by the mile delivered by freightworks I'm your host Butch malpe today we've been talking about seven observations that I have of freightworks and more than anything we want you to consider the possibility of joining our team you know when you're out there in the midst of all the marketing that's taking place go back to some of the episodes listen to what the drivers say about their experience here and as you do that we're confident that this time next year when the next barbecue rolls around some of you perhaps watching just now for the first time may be part of this incredible team we call Frameworks thanks for watching this episode you know like by the mile delivered by freightworks is one of the newest largest and fastest growing podcasts actually produced bike trucking company now we want you to like and share this episode if you'd like to see more episodes click here and make sure that you subscribe to this channel by clicking here we'll see you there

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