January 2008 Edition
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2 years, 75 events and 4,700 people
Dart looks forward to another successful year with the simulator
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Sandy Alcala-Villagran, Fleet Services Administrative Assistant, Dallas
Over the past two years the Dart Transit Company Safety Advantage Simulator has seen a lot of country. Since Dart purchased the simulator, it has traveled all over the United States – from the West Coast to the Northeast, clear across the South and back to West Texas. It stopped in California, Georgia, Kentucky, Minnesota, North and South Carolina, Utah, Oklahoma, Wyoming and Wisconsin.
The simulator attended community events, customer-organized events, truck shows and charitable events. Do you ever wonder how many events in which the simulator has participated? In 2006 the simulator made 39 appearances and in 2007 it attended 36 events. Our goal in 2008 is to increase the number of appearances by 10%.
The simulator was also a success at recruiting events both years. It appeared at 33 recruiting events.
Every person who comes through the simulator's door is a potential customer and a lot of the simulator's business stems from referrals. The main purpose for the simulator, though, is to get the safety awareness message across to the motoring public.
In 2006 1,087 individuals went through the simulator and in 2007 3,613 individuals took the simulator driving challenge.
If you see the simulator rolling through your area, remember "Have Simulator Will Travel."
About the simulator . . .
Dart acquired the truck-driving simulator in late 2005. It is used to improve highway safety through driver training and educate the public about the challenges that truck drivers face on the road.
The simulator makes appearances at major truck shows, truck stops, and other events across the nation. The unit is housed and managed from Dart's Dallas, Texas Operating Center.
For more information on scheduling or seeing the truck-driving simulator, go to Dart's web site at (www.dart.net) and click on the simulator link.
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Contractor of the Month
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| Marian Loviscek |
Marian Loviscek - Dallas Operating Center
Kristin Ries, Staff Writer
Marian Loviscek entered the trucking industry when he retired from the U.S. military in 1991. During his 21-year career in the military, he was a Food Service Manager.
"I planned on staying in the food service industry after the military, but the money wasn't there," he said. "I chose trucking because I don't like to sit still and I like to travel."
Marian was a company driver for six months before he bought his own truck. "My intention was to be an owner operator when I first started in the trucking industry," Marian explained. "I just needed the experience first as a company driver."
He contracted with Dart 11 years ago and stayed because – "Dart has consistent freight, when I want to go home I can go home, and the people are helpful. They work with you."
Marian operates with a Dart National contract so he gets plenty of miles. He also sees a lot of country. "I never go to the same place twice," he said. "I'm always in different places so I never get bored."
Marian and his wife Pong have been married 34 years and have two sons, Michael and Daniel. Marian chooses to go home every three weeks to work around the house and garden.
"You definitely have to have certain qualities to be in trucking," he said. "The daily stress on the road is not for everybody." That's why he likes that Dart recognizes its Contractors of the Month. "It's good that Dart does something for Dart contractors. It makes you feel appreciated in this industry."
Fleet managers and contractors –
Working together for success
Brandon Fox, Regional Sales Manager
Did you know that by being proactive and alerting your fleet manager of any delay on a load may save Dart from a service failure with the customer?
Often times, if the customer is notified prior to being late for a pick-up or delivery, that customer may not charge Dart with a service failure. It is essential that you keep your fleet manager updated with your best-estimated time of arrival (ETA), whether you are stuck in traffic, your truck is broken down, or you are running low on hours of service. The customer service team at Dart provides the customer with the ETA. If the ETA time is later than the appointment time, then it is in our best interest to contact the customer prior to being late.
The next critical piece of communication is the contractor's available ready time. This is the time the owner operator tells the fleet manager that they will be ready for their next load. The communication of this time is critical because Dart books loads with the customer based on how many trucks we have in an area at any given time. For example, if the owner operator tells the fleet manager that they will be available for a load Monday morning at 0700, the customer service team does their best to book a load at that time. If Dart books the load and the owner operator decides they are not ready until Tuesday morning, it could likely cause Dart to miss the load resulting in a service failure.
While Dart certainly understands that problems arise, we ask that you keep us informed of any updates or changes to your ready time as soon as possible. By doing this, it will better ensure Dart has a load ready to go when the time comes.
With excess trucks available in the market, it takes very few service failures to lose an account. Once an account is lost it may not be easily replaced. Working together to keep the lines of communication open will ensure success for the owner operators, Dart, and the customer!
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Allpoints and Major combine
New name, no change of function
On January 1, two of Dart Transit Company's capacity providers will combine their operations. Major Transport of Indiana, Inc. will combine with Allpoints, Inc., resulting in a single company with a combined capacity of 350 tractors and company drivers.
The capacity will operate under contract with Dart Transit Company, and will also change its name to Dartco, Inc. The transition and new name will simplify the organization and give the company more name recognition.
"We expect day-to-day changes to be minimal," said Gary Volkman, General Manager of Allpoints. "Under Dartco, we will continue to offer equipment and drivers to Dart Transit Company in the same way we do today."
Major's operation between the West Coast and the Midwest will continue as Dartco's Western Division. Allpoints will continue as Dartco's Central Division.
"We will continue operating out of Sellersburg, Indiana; Denver, Colorado; Buford, Georgia; and Eagan, Minnesota," said Tim Watts, Operations Manager of Major Transport. He will be Operations Manager for Dartco's Western Division. Joe Kilgore will be Operations Manager for Dartco's Central Division. "And we do not plan to add trucks to Dartco's fleet in 2008," added Volkman.
"For 74 years, Dart has been a company where owner operators succeed," said David Oren, President of Dart Transit Company. "That won't change. Dartco will remain independent of Dart Transit Company, offering employee drivers a Western and Central operating option."
