R&R Dispatch Volume 4, Issue 5 May 2017

The Anniversary of the Joplin Tornado ~ A Time for Reflection...

WE WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER

On May 22, 2011, a tornado swept through Joplin, Missouri, killing 161 people,

injuring 1150 others and caused almost $3 billion in damage. It was an EF5,

multiple vortex tornado that was nearly 1 mile wide at its peak with winds in

excess of 200 miles per hour. The tornado was on the ground for 22 miles and

lasted approximately 38 minutes from start to finish. It was the deadliest tor-

nado in the United States since 1947.

It was a monster storm that shattered our town but didn’t break our spirit as a

community and brought us closer as neighbors and to the rest of the United

States. Within days, numerous agencies from all over the country arrived to

assist in search and rescue and recovery efforts.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid. Do

not be discouraged for the Lord your God will be with you where ever you go.

Joshua 1:9

Our community is still rebuilding and will be eternally grateful for the assis-

tance that was provided from friends and from strangers.

On the sixth anniversary of the tornado, we at R&R still pray for hope, faith

and restoration for all the families that were touched by the devastation and

most especially those who lost loved ones that day.

Birthdays /

Anniversaries

2

Driver of the Month 3

Graduates 4

Driver Photos 6

Choose Safety! 8

Contest Time 12

Insurance Update 13

Inside this issue:

~ Marlesa Love ~ Freddy Pierce ~ Lori Adler ~ James Beam ~ Tracy

Carlton ~ Isaac Coates ~ Gannon Ewing ~ Jacqueline Fales ~ David

Grooms ~ John Hunter ~ Derek McGranahan ~ Gary Moore ~ Eric

Queen ~ Mike Renburg ~ Jamie Riggs ~ Barton Ryan ~ Jamie Ryan ~

Don Smith ~ Ronald Smith ~ Edward Turner ~

~ Kristine Molmen 6 yrs ~ Otto Molmen 6 yrs ~ Robyn Roberts 6 yrs ~

Timothy Roberts 6 yrs ~ Randy Ulman 1 yr ~ Cendy Hutchinson 11 yrs ~

Chris McDonald 7 yrs ~ Laurie McDonald 7 yrs ~ Richard Reeder 11 yrs

~ Donald Allen 4 yrs ~ Jordan Allen 3 yrs ~ Richard Armstrong 20 yrs ~

Leroy Barnhill 17 yrs ~ Trevor Brown 11 yrs ~ Janice Dubois 20 yrs ~

Jacqueline Fales 7 yrs ~ Fred Fell 1 yr ~ Benjamin Henderson 3 yrs ~

David Hendrix 9 yrs ~ Jo Hendrix 9 yrs ~ Stephen Howerton 1 yr ~ Rob-

erta Matheny 4 yrs ~ Ronald Smith 17 yrs ~ Samuel Summerville 12 yrs ~

We would like to welcome Abigail

Marie, granddaughter of John and

Jeanine Hunter. Abigail was born

May 29th.

DRIVERs OF THE MONTH

R&R Trucking, NEI, and AATCO will begin Driver Of The Month awards. We are fortu-

nate to have such quality drivers and picking out a few for this award is never easy.

This award will be presented each month to an Owner-Operator Team, a Company

Team, and a Solo-Driver. The award will be based on the following…

Safety- CSA Compliance and no preventable collisions

Production- Availability and revenue generation

Professionalism- Positive attitude toward internal and external customers.

Each driver will receive a Driver of the Month Certificate and a $250 bonus.

Driver of the Month certificates will be displayed in the Duenweg Driver's Lounge.

April 2017 Drivers of the Month

Owner-Operator Team ~ Mary Anthony & Michael Reynolds

Company Team ~ Linda Richards & James Cayton

Solo Driver ~ Earl Cole

We are pleased to announce our graduates for 2017!

Ella McDaniel, daughter of

Ronda McDaniel, graduated

pre-school from Wyandotte

Turtle Tots.

Hannah Nelson, daughter of Phil &

Karen Nelson, graduated from Webb

City High School.

Lyndsey Dickson, daughter of

Karla Dickson, graduated from

University of Arkansas with a

Bachelor of Engineering, Cum

Laude with honors.

Lakota Kay Cooper, daughter of Steve

& Vonda Cooper, graduated from East

Newton High School. She is headed

to Missouri State, West Plains on a

volleyball scholarship.

Melvin Bowman III, son of Melvin

Bowman II, graduated from Joplin

High School with honors. Melvin is

also an Eagle Scout and 3rd degree

Master Mason.

A Shining Example

Award

Each month we will be presenting an employee or contractor that has been a “Shining Example” of what it

means to be a member of the R&R family. Each nominee will be measured against the following criteria:

Above and beyond the call of duty

Little or no compensation

The act (or action) is unselfish in nature and done without seeking accolades.

Each winner will receive an R&R 55 LED Flashlight Set

This month’s Shining Example winner is:

Team Crane!!

This month’s Shining Example is a little different...it’s not a person or a couple...it’s a group...a group

known as Team Crane. Over the years, the hearty bunch of men and women in and around Odon, Indiana

have affectionately been known as Team Crane, mostly because that’s exactly what they are. A TEAM. Not

one among them is above doing “whatever it takes” to serve the needs of our drivers and our company.

Hard working, diligent, kind hearted and sincere are some of the words that come to mind when thinking

about Leroy and his crew. There are countless examples of selfless effort and acts of genuine compassion

embedded with the stories that come out of Crane. One of the best involves the morning that several

Team Crane members showed up in Joplin immediately following the Joplin tornado. Without being asked

and without compensation, these folks went to work helping people they didn’t know and would never see

again...all while sleeping on the floor in the driver’s lounge and eating what and when they could.

This is only one of many examples of the “extra effort” that we’ve all come to expect from these Shining

Examples of the R&R Family, Team Crane.

Courtesy of Azariah Fawson

Courtesy of Kris Church

Courtesy of Melody Anderson

Courtesy of Kirk Dultmeier

Courtesy of Jeanette Lonergan

Courtesy of Phil Nelson

Courtesy of Glenna Smith

Top Audits

David Wescott

Jeff Wolter

Kathy Wolter

Mark White

Debbie Wright

Top Violations

Speed ~ Stay at or below the

posted speed limit at all times

Excessive Sleeper ~ If you are

off, make sure you log off and not

in the sleeper for days

Falsifications~ You must go On

Duty for each load, unload, drop

and hook.

April’s Safety Scores

R&R’s HazMat score is down 3 points but it’s

still too high.

NEI’s Vehicle OOS is at 16.7%. The National

Average is 20.7%. TOO HIGH. There are not

many trucks registered to the NEI fleet. It

takes very few violations to move the VM

number...or any numbers… for this fleet.

Double check your paperwork. Is your paper-

work within reach of a seat-belted driver? Be

sure your freight is secure. Be sure placards

are correct and firmly attached to the trailer.

Do your vehicle inspections many times a day

and get defects corrected asap.

Thanks and be safe ~ David Vargyas

Off Duty Driving—POV Bobtail

Before you use Off Duty Driving—POV Bobtail, please make sure you have gone

On Duty to show dropping your trailer.

Equipment at Wilmington, NC

If you are leaving or picking up equipment

from the drom boxes at the ball park in

Wilmington, NC, please remember to shut

and lock with when you are done.

Port Hadlock

The Old Alcohol Plant Hotel and Restaurant,

310 Hadlock Bay Road, Port Hadlock, WA

has reopened following renovations. Beds

and meals are available. They also have a

designated overnight truck parking area next

to the water and docks. Phone number is

888.733.6802

TIRE PRESSURE!

Blow outs seem to be on the rise. Please make sure you check the air pressure in all your tires at each pre and post trip inspection.

Just thumping the tires will not verify the pressure. Get your tire gauge out and make sure they are properly inflated. Don’t forget

about the Love’s Tire Pass Lane! They will check your tires while you fuel.

Taking the time to check your pressure will take less time than dealing with a blow out.

Remember to Choose Safety!

Safety Awareness News

CHOOSE SAFETY!

Many of you may be wondering what exactly what the Safety Awareness Group is. This is a group of company drivers,

owner operators, various office department staff, and officers that come together once a month to discuss various top-

ics. Trailer maintenance, Loose Lug Indicators, Trans Team info and tarps were just a few topics of discussion at this

month’s meeting. The topics discussed come from emails, phone conversations, or personal contact with drivers that

have concerns, questions or new ideas. The Safety Awareness Group then talks about each topic and tries to come up

with solutions for the concerns and questions. The new ideas are discussed to see if they can be implemented in any-

way. In short the Safety Awareness Group is your “get it heard”, “get it going”, go to group.

The group is open to anyone that wants to participate. The drivers and office staff that are offsite participate via phone

conference. We have several drivers that submit ideas even when they are not available for the meeting. So far we

have seen positive progress with this group in just a few short months. With that being said we want to hear from you.

We want to be able to make more of an impact on our driver’s needs. If you see issues that need resolved, problems

that need attention, or even feedback on current items we are working on, let your voice be heard.

Call Ext 2146 or email ronda.mcdaniel@randrtruck.com.

Loose Lug Indicators

We now have 10 trailers have Loose Lug Indicators installed on them. The indica-

tors are bright lime green and are installed in a clockwise manner. If a lug becomes

loose the indicator will fall and point downward to indicate the lug is loose. We

have had positive feedback so far from the drivers that have pulled these trailers.

Monitoring will continue to determine if we will install them on more trailers.

If you have pulled a trailer with the indicators on them, please call Ronda at Ext.

2146 or email ronda.mcdaniel@randrtruck.com with your feedback.

CHECK YOUR ANNUALS AND REGISTRATIONS!

Please make sure EVERY TIME you pick up a trailer that

you pull out the annual inspection and trailer registration

and look at them. If an annual is expired or expires in the

next 60 days please contact the shop about getting it re-

newed, especially if you are pulling the trailer empty. Make

sure the annual is the correct one for that trailer. When

looking at the registration make sure the plate number on

the registration matches the plate on the trailer. Make sure

it is the correct registration for that trailer.

TRAILERS ISSUES HAVE YOU FRUSTRATED?

We are trying to alleviate the headache of hooking to a trailer only to find it has issues. But it takes your help.

Make sure you report defects and damage as you see it. Do not drop trailers with damage or defects. If for

some reason you cannot get it fixed communicate the issues and why you are unable to follow through with

repairs.

Remember:

1. COMMUNICATE -If you find a trailer that has a defect make sure you send in Macro 11 (Breakdown/

Trouble). Macro 11 goes to the shop, dispatcher and safety to make everyone aware there is an issue.

Send in Macro 32 (DVIR) for the defect.

2. 2. TAKE ACTION – Contact the shop about getting the defect fixed.

3. 3. FOLLOW UP – was the repair completed? Don’t forget to send in Macro 33 (Completion of Repairs).

CHOOSE SAFETY Highlight:

This month’s Safety Awareness Group Highlight recognizes John Ries and Ed Turner, locals in

Washington State.

John and Ed maintain all the equipment that comes into the Northwest and drops at Olympia or Port Hadlock. They are both qualified to do Yearly Inspections and make sure trailers don't leave this area without an up to date inspection. They check for tires, repairs, lights, messes left in vans and fix or have fixed whatever is broken.

They tarp loads for drivers, answer questions, give advice on the area and help in any way

they can. All of this in addition to running their own local loads. They do all this gladly with rarely a thank you. They both spent many

years over the road and know the difficulties drivers face and do their best to help.

They, along with the other folks that work be-hind the scenes, deserve a big Thank You!

-Submitted by Carmen Bethea

CHOOSE SAFETY Low Light:

~ Submitted by David Vargyas

CVSA 30th Annual Roadcheck, June 6-8, 2017

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) will conduct the 30th annual

Roadcheck. This is a 72-hour period when approximately 10,000 Commercial Vehi-

cle Inspector’s will be on the job from coast-to-coast. Roadcheck is the largest targeted roadside enforce-

ment program in the world. Approximately 17 trucks or buses are inspected each hour. Be prepared!

This year there will be a special emphasis on Cargo Securement. Along with a focus on securement, inspec-

tors will be checking all of the other things they normally check for Level One Inspections (this means every-

thing!). Be Prepared!

Inspect you vehicle at the beginning of your driving shift, the end of your driving shift, and every time you get

out of your truck. If you find a defect, contact the R&R Maintenance Dept. and get the defect repaired. Be

prepared!

Remember, we pay very well for no-violation roadside inspections. Thanks and Be Safe ~ David Ext 2130

Time to File Your 2290??

R&R Trucking and ExpressTruckTax have teamed up and R&R now has a portal through

ExpressTruckTax. You can file your 2290 electronically and your stamped Schedule 1 will

automatically be sent your inbox AND the Safety Department.

Check it out!

It’s Contest Time!! Can you find the error??

Below is an incorrect haz-waste manifest. There is only one error on this one but can you find it?

If you think you have it, email your answer to sarah.hogan@randrtruck.com .

All correct responses will be put into a drawing for a $20 store credit at the R&R Store!

Responses will be accepted until COB June 22nd.

Anthem Health Care and Emergency Room Visits

If you are covered by the company Anthem Health Care policy, you should have received information in the mail

regarding a change to Emergency Room visits.

Anthem’s Certificate of Coverage currently states that services provided in the ER for conditions that do not require

emergency care will not be covered. This is not a change to your coverage, however effective June 1, 2017,

Anthem will adhere to this policy to help minimize the effects of rising health care costs.

This means: if you choose to receive non-emergency care in the ER when a more appropriate setting is available,

your claim may be denied and you will be responsible for the charges.

There are exceptions to this rule:

ER services for children under the age of 14 will always be covered regardless of the reason for the visit.

If there isn’t an urgent care within 15 miles of the patient, ER payments will be covered by Anthem.

If a patient was directed to the ER by another physician, it will be covered.

If you are not having a medical emergency like those listed above, the ER still might be your first choice but

there are other options that cost less and are quicker than the ER. If you have a primary care doctor, that

should be your first call. When you can’t see your doctor or the office is closed, there are still other options

such as walk-in doctor’s offices that don’t require you to be an existing patient or have an appointment. They

can handle routine care and common illnesses. Another option is Urgent Care Centers with doctors who

treat conditions that should be looked at right away but aren’t as severe as emergencies. They can often do

X-rays, lab tests and stitches. Anthem also provides LiveHealth Online. This online tool lets you video chat

with a board-certified doctor who can answer questions and diagnose many common problems, including

sore throats, infections and the flu. You can use your computer’s webcam, a smartphone or a tablet without

an appointment or waiting. Enroll at livehealthonline.com or on the LiveHealth Online iOS or Android app.

Anthem provides other services at anthem.com:

Find A Doctor can help you find a place in-network to get care right away.

24/7 NurseLine can put you directly in touch with a live, registered nurse who’s prepared to offer reliable

health care advice and guidance on choosing the right level of care. You can reach a nurse, day or night

by calling the toll-free number on your membership card.

Where to Get Care is a feature on the homepage of anthem.com with an easy to read chart for which

care options will work best for you based on medical needs, time availability and cost. Specific medical

conditions that are treated at each location are listed, making it clear when and if emergency care is needed.

Each facility is broken down by cost and time commitment as well.

Quick Care Options is an ongoing education program designed to help you understand the full range of op-

tions you have through your health care plan, reducing unnecessary ER visits.

Easy Crock Pot Chicken and Black Bean Taco Salad

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 Tbsp reduced sodium taco seasoning

1/2 tsp cumin

1 cup canned black beans, rinsed

1 cup chunky salsa

6 cups chopped romaine or red leaf lettuce

1/4 cup reduced fat Mexican cheese blend

Place chicken in the slow cooker and season with taco seasoning and

cumin. Pour the beans over the chicken and top with salsa. Cover

and cook on low for 4 hours or until the chicken is tender and easily

shreds with 2 forks. Shred the chicken and combine with the beans

and sauce, keep warn until ready to eat.

Place 1.5 cups lettuce on each plate, top with 3/4 cup chicken mixture

and 1 Tbsp cheese.

~ borrowed from skinnytaste.com

We have revamped our referral bonus program!

We currently have empty company trucks awaiting qualified drivers.

Referral Bonus Plan:

Company Cleared Team $2000

Company NGX Team $500

O/O Cleared Team $1000

Company Tank Solo $250

You must be named on their application as the referral. Referral bonus will not

be paid on rehires. Referral bonus will be paid following 90 days of employ-

ment.

YOU are our best recruiters. You are the drivers on the front line, doing a great

job every day.

Get paid to get out there and tell others your story!

The Wolters, AATCO truck 7350, passed along a message from Becky Wilbur at Chemring in

Florida. Becky wanted us to know that she appreciates “Miss Ruth”, Ruth Goad, as she is thor-

ough in providing driver information before the drivers arrive, making the loading process go

smoothly.

Thank you Ruth for your excellent work!