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Entries for January 2012

31
Mr. Laverne Strange of Ft. Wayne, IN was recently recognized by his employer FirstFleet, Inc, for Two Million Safe Miles driven. Mr. Strange drives for FirstFleet out of our Bluffton, IN facility. Mr. Strange has been with FirstFleet since 1989 and says that keeping a safe distance around him, watching out for the other drivers and expecting the unexpected are keys to his safe driving success. Perry Glancy, Laverne’s Fleet Manager at FirstFleet says that Laverne is always at work, has good relationships with fellow drivers and management an...


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25
Delaware, OH - Open House 1/29/2012 9:00 am - 3:00 pm The Delaware, OH facility of FirstFleet, Inc. has the need to add a few more drivers to better meet the needs of our dedicated partner. Delaware is located about 20 minutes north of Columbus in central Ohio. If you or any professional driver you know lives in or around this area please help us spread the word of this opportunity to join a growing company servicing a dedicated partner. All qualifying candidates who submit an application at our open house event will be presented with...


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Posted in: Employees
21
  With the closing of one year and the beginning of another it is time once again for W-2 documents to be mailed to our employees and for the tax season to begin. On Janurary 14, 2012 W-2 documents were mailed to FirstFleet, Inc. employees using the address that we had on file as of December, 30, 2011. Every year there are questions, comments and concerns about the values represented on the documents. The taxable amounts shown on the W-2 often does not match up with any amount shown on the final paystub for the calendar year. To help explain the for...


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Posted in: Employees
20
Beginning January 30, 2012 all commercial drivers, will be required to provide copies of their current medical certificate (if issued after January 30, 2012) to their respective state drivers licensing agency when renewing their license. Individual states will then have two years to incorporate medical certificate information into their state commercial driver's license system. You will get more information on this requirement from your home state very soon, if you haven't already.  This policy change is an enactment of the federal program to combine C...


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Posted in: Employees
19
Bluffton, IN - Open House 1/22/2012 2:00 - 6:00 pm We are looking to hire drivers for our Bluffton, IN facility (30 mins south of Fort Wayne, IN), and to support that goal we are conducting an open house at the dispatch terminal. Our hope is that this open house will give you an opportunity to get acquainted with what we do, and hopefully bring in some new hires! All qualifying applicants and current employees who bring a qualified applicant to the open house will be presented with a $25 gift card as a token of our appreciation. As a grand prize we will be giving...


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Posted in: Employees
17
  What Freezes? The brake lining freezes to the brake drum.  Why? If you set your brakes when they're wet, and it is cold (enough) outside, they may freeze.  How do you "unfreeze" them? If you do have frozen brakes, you will have to break them loose. Most often it is the trailer brakes that freeze not the tractor. First try backing up - quite often they'll break free on their own.  If the brakes on the tractor are frozen, lock in the power divider and release the brak...


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Posted in: Employees
16
STOPPING DISTANCE – Are you feeling some anxiety about getting that load delivered or getting back home for some rest?  Don’t let that feeling keep you from maintaining a 6-7 second following distance from the vehicle in front of you.  At 30 mph, a commercial vehicle needs 148 feet to stop safely.  Avoid that rear-end accident by not following too close! A printer friendly version of this information can be found here.  
Posted in: Employees
12
FirstFleet, Inc. is opening a new terminal in Elkton, VA. Our excellent service record and relationship with a beverage producer has now led us to a new terminal with 25 dedicated trucks. We are pleased to announce that Jeff Nester will be the Fleet Manager for Elkton, VA. Jeff returns to FirstFleet after having previously worked with us in Morristown, TN. Also, we are pleased to announce that Carol Steele is our new Transportation Supervisor for Elkton, VA. Carol comes to work at FirstFleet, Inc. after having previously worked in Transportation at the Target D...


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Posted in: Employees
11
Attention FirstFleet drivers!  We are increasing our Referral Bonus for new drivers hired at our St. Louis, MO terminal - through Janurary 31, 2012.  We will pay existing FirstFleet drivers $1000 for every qualifying full time driver that is referred and hired at this facility.  The referring driver bonus will be paid after the newly hired full time driver has been employed for 90 days. You know... truck drivers don’t usually have a problem talking, so get out there and talk it up about the new St. Louis Referral Bonus! ...


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Posted in: Employees
11
  Cargo theft is a serious problem for our industry. In this time of new technology, people can interact online with hundreds or even thousands of people with nothing more than a smart phone and internet access. With that being said, we must watch what we say or post while surfing various social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube, and other blogs. You can protect your freight, yourself, and other FirstFleet drivers through proper planning and by following some simple guidelines. ...


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Posted in: Employees
04
  It's winter time again and shop doors everywhere are closed to keep the heat in. With this in mind please be mindful to ensure the bay doors are raised completely anytime you exit or enter a repair bay. Each year we have at least one incident where a vehicle makes contact with a shop door, and this leads to very costly and easily preventable damage. A few easy tips to avoid a costly and dangerous incident: Always alert someone that you are about to enter the building. Make visual and v...


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Posted in: Employees
03
Did you know 3 out of every 5 accidents in the trucking industry are backing related? It's true, seeing what's behind you with a 53 ' trailer is very difficult, but these accidents are almost always judged as preventable - why is this? - because they can be avoided if we practice the following safe methods when backing. When approaching an area where a backing maneuver is required, survey the area you are about to back into. Look for obstructions in your way, such as wheel chocks, loading stands, dock plate handles left sticking out, dumpsters, cars, etc. that may b...


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Posted in: Employees