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Dillon Transport
Responses to Employee Comments:
TEAM DRIVERS:
(August 2010)
An inquiry was made asking if anyone has given thought to team drivers
(husband and wife)? The answer is yes, we do
consider team drivers if we have the right move and the right team. If
you would like to offer a team idea, please mention it to your terminal
leader. Thanks for the inquiry.
DRIVER COMPENSATION:
(August 2010)
We received an email from a driver complaining about being cheated out
of pay and benefits being poor for drivers. If any driver finds a
discrepancy in their pay, please contact our payroll department at
630-230-5719 for resolution. As far as benefits, we feel our dental and
medical benefits are fair and vision is more than fair with it being
free. Nobody offers a more
generous 401k plan in the truck transport business than Dillon
Transport. Because we value all of our employees, we strive to provide
the most comprehensive benefits package available.
DRIVER SAFETY BONUS - PART 4:
(July 2010)
It was suggested that Dillon is being intentionally over critical about
driver safety which is having a direct, negative impact on driver
safety
bonuses. Furthermore, it was stated that
corporate isn't in tune with what it takes to be a truck
driver. We appreciate the comments, but need more specific information
to be able to take action. Dillon Transport strives to be THE safest
tanker company in the country. In order to encourage our drivers to
drive professionally and return safely, we offer bonuses and make every
effort to administer the bonus program fairly to all drivers.
LOADING AT "HUNT" REFINERIES (Part 3):
(July 2010)
To follow up on the Hunt loading issue, Roger Hamilton has investigated
this concern and has been working with Ron
James from Hunt Refining. Both agree that a counterweight is needed on
that loading arm in order to make it easier for drivers to position the
spout in the truck. Hunt Refining, Inc. began installation of a
counterweight on the AC loading rack on Monday, July 26, 2010 and
installation
should be completed by end of week. Looking toward the future, the AC
rack is scheduled to be completely overhauled beginning sometime in
2011.
LOADING AT "HUNT" REFINERIES (Part 2):
(July 2010)
A 2nd request was made to speak to Hunt regarding the loading arm and
what could be done to make it more safe for drivers to pull in a
trailer for loading. There is concern for physical injury. Dillon
management will be at the plant this week to review this issue. The
safety of our drivers and your well being is our top priority and we
take this issue very seriously. We thank you for your concern, drive
safely.
LOADING AT "HUNT" REFINERIES:
(July 2010)
According to a recent suggestion received, it is a challenge and
potential
safety hazard loading at "Hunt" Refineries. It is difficult for a
driver to get close enough to the loading pipe without damaging his
catwalk & sleeper, and the Hunt employee that is to assist new
drivers at their plant with loading has not been helpful. We thank the
driver for your input on this matter because we have not had issues
until
your comment came to us. Your safetey, as always, is of the utmost
important to Dillon Transport. We are looking into this situation and
interviewing drivers to take action to correct any issues.
COMPENSATION POLICY:
(June 2010)
It was asked why pay is a percentage not hourly? Dillon Transport's
compensation policy has been commission based since we started 30 years
ago. There is no plan on changing this policy at this time.
MCCOOK CONCERNS:
(May 2010)
A
driver from McCook has indicated that there are threats being made by
another
driver at
the McCook terminal as well as guidelines are not being followed
regarding wearing required uniform. Dillon Transport does not tolerate
threats or intimidation. Our organization strives
to provide safe equipment and a safe work environment for all
employees. If you are ever threated with physical
violence by another Dillon employee PLEASE contact our HR department
immediately to report the incident at 630-230-5716. Regarding uniform
requirements, we are resolving existing issues with uniforms at our
McCook
terminal. All drivers should wear uniforms every day, when on duty,
unless the problems have been reported to the terminal manager.
PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT AT MCCOOK (PART 2):
(May 2010)
It has
been suggested that there is preferential treatment being shown by
dispatching at our McCook terminal - giving higher pay loads
to specific locations (such as asphalt to plants up North in McHenry)
to specific drivers no matter their seniority. The corporate office has
reviewed pay sheets, specifically those to McHenry, and have found no
signs of favoritism in the dispatch records. Corporate will continue to
monitor the dispatch logs to ensure fairness.
DRIVER DISPATCHING:
(April 2010)
The
question was asked as to how drivers are dispatched for loads because
it seems like there are instances when newer drivers have been given
"good" loads instead of senior drivers? The answer is that drivers are
dispatched
according to hours available and the work that needs to be completed at
that time. We do not rate runs as good or bad and our intent is for
drivers to make money on every run.
TRUCK SPEED:
(February 2010)
A driver
questioned the speed at which our trucks are driven, stating that it
seems that some are able to go faster than others and with our
technology all should be set to go at the same speed. In response, all
trucks are supposed to be govern at 68MPH. This setting though, will
not slow the vehicle down (especially when loaded) if it is allowed to
gain speed beyond 68 MPH due to downhill grades. It is the DRIVER'S
responsibility to operate his/her vehicle at or below the legal speed
limit.
SAFETY BONUSES - PART 3:
(February 2010)
A
concern was expressed about the distribution of the yearly safety
incentive in regards to who determines which drivers fulfilled or did
not fulfill the requirements and are deserving of the incentive. In
response,
the safety bonus program is outlined very clearly in the program
handout. Disqualification criteria are published and applied equitably
throughout the company. A driver is disqualified as a result of an
accident or incident, violation of company policy, DOT regulation or
state/local law. Awards are based on 4 calendar quarters, and while one
quarter's disqualification will not disqualify you from future
quarterly awards, you must qualify all 4 quarters fo the year in order
to receive the year-end bonus. The year-end safety bonus was not
designed to be an entitlement nor was it designed to be easy to
achieve. Only the safest and most conscientious drivers should qualify.
That being said, the safety department/Terminal management can only
disqualify drivers for reasons that we know about.
rquirements to receive the yearly safety incentive is not being
followed by those who distribute the bonus.
SAFETY BONUSES - PART 2:
(February 2010)
There was a concern expressed regarding the safety bonus money and who
is eligible to receive it - that it should be for the drivers and
should not
be shared, in part or full, with other parts of the organization
including safety. To carlify this matter, the safety bonus money is
designed for drivers only and has NEVER been awarded to anyone excepts
drivers.
SAFETY BONUSES:
(February 2010)
There has been a request to re-assess the "safety bonuses" to be a
two-tiered approach. Half the bonus would be for D.O.T. compliance
(safety) and the other half would be for adhering to company policy.
For example, if a driver gets a ticket or a D.O.T. reportable offence
he loses the $200 for that quarter pertaining to safety. If the driver
fails to get his dispatch or some other company policy he then loses
the $200 designated for that. By splitting the bonus, the wish is that
a driver always has the opportunity to get a bonus. We feel we have
improved the system award arrangement for this year and we are too far
into the year to author a change now. We are alwasy seeking ways to
make Dillon Transport a safer company. Your ideas will be reviewed and
when we draft next year's program we will implement ideas that will
encourage our drivers to keep safety in the front of their mind.
PREFERENCIAL TREATMENT AT MCCOOK:
(February 2010)
A concern was expressed regarding dispatching giving preferencial
treatment to a particular driver out of the McCook facility as well as
there just being morale issues at McCook. We do care about our
employees and wish to address all concerns.
PLEASE ATTEND THE DRIVERS
MEETING IN MCCOOK AT 2:00PM FRIDAY (FEBRUARY 5, 2010)...THESE ISSUES
WILL BE DISCUSSED.
PAYROLL DISTRIBUTION:
(January 2010)
Concerns have been expressed as far as the timeliness of paycheck
distribution and perks being taken away, creating less take home pay.
In response,
there have been no significant changes in payroll at the corporate
office. If anyone is unclear about the payroll procedures please
contact Sue at 630-281-7093 ext 7851.
DILLON TRANSPORT EMPLOYEE:
(January 2010)
It was
suggested that there is a particular employee that should be fired
because Dillon Transport is a reputable company that should not have
employees who are horrible people. We would like to act on this
suggestion, as we do on all suggestions, but it was provided via an
anonymous email and we need some additional details to take action. You
can send details to the suggestion box or click here
to send an e-mail to Phil Crofts in confidence.
VACATION PAY:
(December 2009)
The
following request was asked regarding vacation pay: Vacation pay should
be based on 1/52nd of a year's pay. The more a driver hauls, the more
he
makes, hence a higher paycheck for vacation shall be. The comment went
on to suggest that this is a great
motivator and morale booster that should take effect
immediately. In fact, Dillon Transport's vacation pay formula
is basically what has been
suggested: It is the previous year W2 wages divided by 52 weeks; or
however many weeks the driver was employed in that year. Thanks for the
suggestion.
DRIVER DISPATCHING:
(November 2009)
With
the minimum being cut, the question was asked as to how our
organization will ensure drivers are dispatched evenly and fairly in
these trying economic times. Dillon Transport is and will continue to
monitor this exact situation at the corporate office. We will make
every effort to ensure a fair distribution of the work and thus
earnings.
SALES FORCE IN THE SOUTHEAST:
(September 2009)
The
question was raised as to having a sales
person in the Atlanta, area to cover Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and
Tennessee to help grow business in those areas. We currently have a
southeast salesman based in Florida. He is responsible for the business
growth in the states mentioned. If anyone has leads on potential
customers we are very interested in growing our business. Please click here
to e-mail us with contact information and we will follow up
aggressively. If you have a suggestion for a sales
person you believe could represent Dillon Transport please let us know
that too.
MCCOOK TERMINAL PAYROLL CONCERNS:
(September 2009)
It was
questioned how payroll is handled specifically at the McCook terminal
when the admin person is not present. The
terminal leader in each location is responsible for handling payroll
issues, regardless of whether or not there is an admin person that it
is turned into. McCook's terminal leader should be made aware of all
payroll issues and will handle promptly.
TAKING TRUCKS HOME:
(September 2009)
Taking
a truck home is an opporutnity our drivers and Dillon Transport can
both benefit from, it's a "Win-Win" situation. The policy is if a
driver takes his truck home, there is no minimum pay benefit. The
reason for the policy is that, if the business conditions change, and
Dillon Transport has to pay out of route miles for the truck, the
situation is no longer a "Win-Win". Drivers are welcome to return their
trucks to the terminal and commute like our other employees and
drivers. Then they would enjoy the same benefits as the other drivers.
POLICY ON HIRING NEW DRIVERS:
(June 2009)
It was
questioned why we are hiring new drivers when current drivers are not
working to capacity. We are constantly looking to hire new drivers as
we continue to grow. There are multiple factors that determine our need
for drivers which may or may not be visible at the terminal level. We
do appreciate our senior drivers and look forward to their continued
service with Dillon Transport. Favoritism or discrimination is in no
way
tolerated at Dillon Transport. If you have a specific concern please
forward to Human Resources and an investigation will be conducted to
address your concerns.
COMPUTER USE AND MANAGEMENT COMPENSATION & RESPONSIBILITIES:
(June 2009)
There
was an inquiry from a driver regarding appropriate use of computers as
well as what the responsibilities of management are and how they are
compensated for their positions. The personal use of computers at
Dillon Transport is monitored and covered under the Employee Handbook.
If there is a violation of the computer policy, it will be addressed
with appropriate action.
In an effort to remain a competitive employer, Dillon Transport
reevaluates our pay scales on a yearly basis taking into account
industry averages and other factors. It is our goal to attract and
retain the best people by offering a competitive package which pay only
happens to be one facet of the total benefits.
Terminal Leaders are not necessarily tasked with generating new
business, that function falls to Business Development/Sales. The
current
economy has impacted our customer base of roofing and road construction
in a negative way, but we continue to develop new opportunities to keep
all the drivers working at an acceptable level.
OUT OF SERVICE (OOS) PROCEDURES:
(June 2009)
It was
brought to our attention that it can sometimes be hard to identify
trailers that are out of service. With drivers working 24 hours and the
office and shop not working these same hours it is not ideal to rely on
verbal communication in regards to OOS equipment. The suggestion was
made to provide drivers with tags that could be attached to each piece
of equipment so that anyone, at any time, can
cleary
identify
the OOS equipment. Our current out of service (OOS)
procedure is as follows: Once the shop tells dispatch that any
equipment is OOS, the information should be transferred onto a dispatch
sheet that should be refreshed daily. The mechanics are also equipped
with lock out/tag out locks and cards that should be placed on all OOS
equipment. These tags and locks are designed to prohibit another driver
from hooking up to or starting the piece of equipment. As far as giving
tags to the drivers, this is a great suggestion. Dillon Transport will
work on putting a procedure in place so that drivers can tag a piece of
equipment OOS for safety reasons. Dillon Transport values our drivers
and in no way would want to put someone in harm's way. Thank you for
your suggestion. We take suggestions seriously and look to improve
every part of our business.
EZ PASS AND AUTO TRACTOR RESPONSE:
(May 2009)
Getting
an EZ Pass - EZ Pass is assigned to tractors that use the
Midwest to the Upper Eastern toll roads. There are only a few states
that utilize EZ Pass: IL, IN, MI, PA, WV, VA, NH, NJ, MA and NY. Ohio
will be coming online with the EZ Pass in the fourth quarter. If you
are
currently paying for tolls in these states, please contact your
terminal
leader.
Why Auto instead of Manual tractors?
Because Dillon Transport is
striving to be as environmentally responsible as possible, the company
has decided to go with the Peterbilt 384 and 386. These tractors are
approved through Smart Way and ensure better MPG with their
aerodynamics. This helps reduce our carbon footprint on the
environment.
Dillon Transport has gone to automatics in the day cabs because they
are more vocational. These tractors go into the cities where shifting
becomes harder. We want the drivers to pay more attention to the road
and traffic than shifting gears. Automatics are proven to lessen
fatigue of the driver, allowing him/her to stay more alert and relaxed
behind the wheel and making him/her more productive throughout the day.
Automatics may cost more up front, but have proven over time to cost
less in the maintenance department, which means less time in the shop
and more time on the road.
DRIVER TRAINING RESPONSE:
(May 2009)
There
were serveral points brought up regarding driver training. Following
are the comments and our responses to them provided by Mark Brinkman
our Director of Saftey.
1. McCook Trainers are not on the same page.
Only
one trainer at McCook has ever received formal training on how our
training process is to be implemented. This has been a known
deficiency. We will be conducting a Lead Driver meeting on June 06,
2009 to go over our training process and documentation in depth. This
should add some consistency as well as expediency to the process, and
should help in getting everyone paid as soon as possible after training
is complete.
2. The whole purpose of the last day of training is
for the
trainee to prove he knows what to do. You are 100%
correct
however, we have provisions in the training program where, if a trainee
is not performing up to standards on the last day, he will be assigned
additional days without penalty. You have the option of turning the
last training day into a regular training day, and postponing the road
test/evaluation. This must be coordinated through the Training
Coordinator
AND Terminal Leader.
3. When training, I end up pulling less loads due
to teaching the trainee the ropes. You obviously
take the training mission very seriously. This is an unintended
consequence of any effective training process. When not training, the
trainer "knows the ropes", and is able to perform
his job efficiently without compromising safety. When assigned a
trainee however, the trainer must frequently pause and explain a
process to the trainee to aid the trainee in understanding. As the
trainee gains knowledge and he naturally becomes more efficient, the
"ball and chain" effect should diminish as the training process
proceeds. The $75/day training pay is designed to compensate for this
as well as reward the trainer for his extra effort.
My suggestion to all trainers is to be resourceful
and creative. By industry standards, OUR TRAINING PROGRAM IS SHORT! All
time spent with the trainee should be
utilized to its fullest advantage. Drill the trainee on the
procedures for the next facility over and over in the cab
PRIOR
to arriving at that facility. Narrate him through the procedures while
at the facility, and then summarize after leaving the facility. One
of the most satisfying aspects of training someone is watching that
person develop and succeed due to your instruction and influence.
4. I might see the training pay in 1-2 weeks, but
if I wasn't training that person my pay would be higher. Coming out of
the winter season, I need to maximize my pay. Just
as it is very important that the training be performed properly, it is
equally as important for DOT compliance purposes that it be documented
properly. That is the reason for the delay. Once the training process
is consummated by a verification of proper documentation, I am
committed to ensuring the trainer is promptly paid. Excepting very
inexperienced trainees who require more training time, a trainer should
not have to wait longer than 5-10 days for his training pay. I am aware
that driver wages ebb and flow with the seasonal demands of the
industry, and apologize for any temporary lapse in pay you may have
experienced due to training during the transition out of the winter
season. We will expect the late spring and summer months to be busier
than ever in Chicago this year.
McCOOK TERMINAL ISSUE RESPONSE:
(April 2009)
Based on
a driver's meeting held in McCook two weeks ago, there was much
feedback provided from different sources about the equipment situation.
The two biggest cocerns that have been expressed are that drivers have
to share trucks because there are currently more drivers than trucks
and secondly, when they share trucks cleanliness and functionality of
equipment is not kept at a high standard.
We would like to say thank you for the comments and rest assured that
we are aware of the issues and are working with maintenance and
terminal leadership to get these concerns addressed.
DILLON HATS AND T-SHIRT REQUEST RESPONSE:
(April 2009)
It was
requested to provide Dillon hats that are low profile and black in
color so as
not to show the dirt of the asphalt. We can get a different style
and color hat and we will consider this for the future. However, we
currently have a 6 months supply of our camouflage hats we must use
first. We do like the idea of Dillon on the back of the hats, but might
be able to incorporate Tank Yanker above the strap in the back as
requested.
In regards to t-shirts, since we all wear uniforms now, the existing
Tanker Yanker t-shirts are not as compelling as they once were so we
will not be ordering any additional supply of these shirts.
PRODUCT DIVERSIFICATION RESPONSE:
(April 2009)
It was
suggested that we need to diversify our products for year round hauling
at good rates. We are
well aware of seasonality in our business. We are also aware that we
are a specialized carrier. We are continually searching for other dry
or liquid bulk customers. Diversity of product is one of our goals. We
will pursue any opportunities that we feel are appropriate. We are
looking into bulk oil, colinal chemicals, vopak, general chemical and
dry
bulk as suggested. Thanks for the valid suggestion.
DRIVER HIRING ISSUE RESPONSE:
(April 2009)
It was
suggested we are hiring when we have drivers who are idle and not
working. If
historical trends continue, our business will increase dramatically in
May and continue through the rest of the Summer and into Fall. In
anticipation we need to hire and train drivers prior to the increased
demand. If we do not do that, we will not be able to service our
customers as they expect. When customers are not services correctly;
bad things happen to all involved.
INSURANCE ISSUE RESPONSE:
(April 2009)
Dillon
Transport currently pays approximately 73% of the cost of medical
insurance for the employee. If the employee elects any dependent
coverage, the cost for that dependent coverage is paid for by the
employee 100%. Dillon Transport goes to bid each year to obtain the
best rates that insurance companies will offer us. Being operational in
multi-states and not being a "large" company by insurance standards,
our choices are limited. We have to be able to offer insurance plans
with in-network providers in each area we are located. Our rates are
also determined by the percentage of employees electing the insurance,
as well as claim history. Each terminal does not have a separate
policy. Dillon Transport continually strives to bring the best coverage
at the lowest cost to our employees at Dillon Transport.
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