TransWood Moving Forward - Fall 2016 TransWood Carriers Inc.

MOVING FORWARD

FALL 2016

The Power of Living the Glamorous Life

Wind Page 8

Page 6 RFPs and Longevity

Page 12

Page 2

I n a trucking world of "black and having our equipment in top-notch So the sales function goes, and to the

white;" where a load is either on time or working order. The person inputting best go the customers.

late, where an accident is either data from a TDS into our system sells

preventable or non-preventable, where to the customer that our billing is We hope you enjoy the insights of

your check is either there, or its not... correct. The best salesperson we have various members of our organization

we present the Moving Forward issue is the driver - the only member of our within this issue. They each strive to

on "sales;" where black and white blend team that sees the customer; every put their best foot forward every day in

into a beautiful shade of gray. time! TV, radio, Hollywood and social their sales functions. Please give them

media put the sales function of business a thank you when you see them, and

Sales covers the relationship side of our in a bad light. Yet they "sell us" on please accept our "thank you" for

business, and not only with the their show or movie, their "app" or blog selling yourself and TW in what you

customer, but with the other parties that - on how much we should read it, or do, every day.

make our service possible. Everyday, buy it, or subscribe to it. It's all a little

every one of us sells while we do our gray, it's all a little hard to put your - Stan Meier

job for TransWood. Mechanics finger on - its all absolutely crucial to V/P Sales & Marketing

contribute to a seamless delivery by any business' success.

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FALL 2016 Page 3

Editorial Board INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Wayne Lange Inside This Issue …………....…………….……………….. 3
Customer Service...………………………………………… 4
Editor-in-chief Operations and Sales ……………………………………… 5
The Power of Wind …….…………...….…………………. 6 - 7
M. Iftikhar Husain

Art Director

Laurie Wolfson

Copywriter

Contributors Living the Glamorous Life ……………….....………......... 8 - 9
A Well Oiled Machine …………..………..………..……... 10
Kerry Burke Getting to Know: Butch Cormier ….………..…..…...…… 11
Butch Cormier RFPs and Longevity ……………………….…..…..……….. 12
Richard Frieze Sales & Service …………………………..…..…………….. 13
Michael Garza
Jan Honsinger

Stan Meier
Mike Sexton
Chuck Snyder
Dennis Wilwerding

Customer Service in the Trucking Industry Stinks! …....... 14 - 15

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Customer Service

The Trucking Industry has been characterized as the within 2 hours, but it will take you six hours to accomplish.
backbone of the American Economy. Until the day comes Thank the customer for allowing you the opportunity, but you
when we can say, “Beam me up, Scotty”, there will always need the 6 hours to accomplish the task. The decision now
be a need for trucks. becomes theirs to make and not yours to break.

In business, you are either buying or selling. Economists refer Another equally important factor to remember is we have

to this as “Supply and Demand”. Our role is to sell our external and internal customers. One of our most valued

services. Regardless of the commodity we are hauling, our internal customers is the drivers. Remind the driver each time

success will begin with the understanding that we are in the they get behind the wheel, their number one goal is to get

People business. We deal with customers every day that are home safely. Not only are their families counting on them to

like you and I. I’m sure you have heard, “Do to others as you return safe, but we have hundreds of employees’ families that

would have them do to you”. Customers expect us to do what also rely on them to be safe.

we say we will do. That is to safely load, haul and unload the

product in the same condition we picked it up. We do it at the Remember, WE make the difference between us and our

agreed upon time. I was once told to never tell the customer competitors.

“No”. If the customer asked for the impossible, explain to - Michael Garza
them that might take a little longer to accomplish. Offer an

alternative solution, if the customer wants a load delivered Terminal Manager 775

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FALL 2016 Page 5

Operations and Sales

I have several accounts that I take care away. In fact it usually gets worse.  Poor phone manners. When on

of myself. Below I will identify things Picking up the phone and addressing a the phone, it is not what you say,

that work for me and things we should current problem with the customer is it is how you say it.

avoid. Let’s start with approaches that essential. This starts with the  Poor services on a continued

work for me. dispatchers, managers and me. basis. The main thing we have to

Customers like to know what is going offer is good service. Good

First thing I want to look at is what on before an event happens. If a load is service will over ride pricing in

drives a customer. I have looked at going to be late tell them as soon as several situations.

several studies and below is what I possible, don’t wait for them to call  Continued billing errors.

came up with. you. Customers do not have time for

this.

 Delivery of product on time When I do a sales call, the first thing I

 Customer Service attempt to do is to make the customer
 The ability to put yourself in your feel relaxed. Then I get to point of the For a successful sales team at a
visit. Asking questions of what we can terminal, it requires everyone is
customers shoes
 Knowledge of the product you do better, etc. I attempt to be brief since involved to make it successful. It all
most of the time the customers are very starts with dispatchers, clerks, terminal
are delivering busy. Relationships change once you managers, district managers, etc. It is a

 Pricing. team effort and the more successful the

put a face with a name. team is the more happier customers will

Great communications and be.

relationships with customers is where it Things that have not worked:

starts. If a load is late the worst thing  Not addressing customer - Dennis Wilwerding
you can do is ignore the problem. In problems in a timely fashion District Manager
most cases the problem will not go

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Page 6

The Power of Wind

As the energy world becomes more regulated by Government pad sites); and Portland cement and fly ash for production of

entities, local Communities, Consumer Activists and ready mixed concrete on site for the each of the pads.

Environmentalists, policies have begun to emerge dictating The bad: Coal fired plants are often shuttered or taken off-

where, how, and when that energy can be generated/captured, line and one of the by-products we haul (fly ash) becomes

utilized, and how it’s paid for. unavailable at that source. This has forced a lot of ready mix

concrete producers to re-evaluate where they have to source

All of us consume electricity in our daily lives. But did you their fly ash from and whether or not it will remain a

know that there is actually a pecking order in how it is competitive ingredient in their mixes. Fact: Most concrete

applied to “the grid” and which sources are consumed first? mixtures substitute 25% of their cementitious content with fly

This is because there has been and continues to be a hard ash. The balance being Portland cement.

push toward using “clean, Green Energy”. Not all of the

nation is blessed with Hydroelectric dams, and with droughts On the plus side, TransWood is able to employ more drivers

in the West, concerns over fish migrations, etc., many of simply due to additional haul lengths as ready mix concrete

these dams are being de-commissioned. Emission regulations producers often are forced to accept fly ash by truck from

have stifled the coal fired steam plants and their ability to several hundred miles away. In 2016 alone, the average haul

operate efficiently. Several States have mandated that for fly ash due to source changes has gone from under 100

suppliers of electricity utilize a higher concentration of wind miles to now over 250 miles one way. Some of our moves

energy and solar power where feasible. This is followed by

Nuclear energy and Gas fired power generating plants, with

Coal fired plants now bringing up the rear.

The good: There are a lot more Wind Farms being
constructed, which means more opportunities for hauling dry
bulk materials to those sites (lime, fly ash, Cement Kiln Dust,
and Portland cement for stabilization of the access roads and

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FALL 2016 Page 7

exceed 400 miles from origin to destination! “face of the organization” each time they make their

delivery to the site. Because of the positive interaction

Wind Farms: The “new” paving projects? these employees have had with the batch plant personnel

Without a local budget or commitment from State officials on site, coupled with the close communication our

to support our highway infrastructure, several paving dispatchers have had with the shippers, consignees, and

projects of recent years have been either cancelled or drivers, TransWood has secured several back to back

postponed. Even with Federal funds, the local jurisdictions Wind Farm projects.

often have to come up with a matching 10% of the cost. If

that hurdle cannot be made, the project does not get TransWood personnel are committed to ensuring that we

completed “due to lack of funding”. No Federal match if meet or exceed our customer’s expectations. One of my

no local funds. customers once said to me, “The relationship of trust has

The Wind Farm projects have helped replace those “lost a very high value. Don’t violate the trust.” Definitely

tonnage” volumes. Each wind turbine requires 4 words to live by. TransWood earns and builds trust with

truckloads of cement (112 tons). A small project might its customers every time we achieve on time deliveries,

have 50 Turbines installed, while some of the projects without a spill, contamination, or other incident type. By

we’ve serviced have well over 150 Turbines constructed. delivering on what we promise, our customers have a

Essentially, each Wind Farm construction project amounts desire to continue using TransWood for future deliveries.

to a fairly large “paving project”. This is what has differentiated us from some of our

competitors and allowed TransWood the ability to capture

This year has been one filled with servicing the and service challenging projects that result in higher

construction of several Wind Farm projects throughout the revenues per load, better pay for drivers, and the ability to

mid-west. TransWood has worked closely with both grow our business in the market place.

shippers and consignees to ensure that we can provide the

best service possible on these projects. Communication as - Kerry Burke

always, is key to success. Our drivers are literally the Regional Sales Manager

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Page 8

Living the Glamorous Life

Quite often, I’ll get questions from people asking about my Atlanta is a perfect example.

job and then when they find out I travel for work, they will

comment on how exciting it must be to travel for work. Let me start the story when I’m already on the plane. I’m

They seem to think that traveling for work is glamorous and sitting in the window seat on a small jet, two rows of seats

fun. Don’t get me wrong I know that I am so blessed to have on each side of the aisle. The flight attendant announced

my job and I do enjoy the places I get to go and the people I that today’s flight is completely full, so I know that someone

get to meet. But the “travel” portion that is far from is going to be sitting next to me and most of the plane has

glamorous, maybe in the golden age of air travel there could already boarded. I keep looking up the aisle to see who my

have been some glamour, but not these days. Every flight is seat mate is going to be, when I see a HUGE GIANT of a

packed to the gills. The passengers are competing for their man ducking his head as he walks down the center aisle.

portion of the itsy bitsy overhead compartment space and Without a doubt, I knew he was my missing seat mate. This

there is the subtle battle over the “no man’s land”, which is guy had to be seven feet tall if he was an inch. His hands

what I call the arm rest between the seats. My last trip to were the size of a small country. There is not an airplane

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FALL 2016 Page 9

built that would fit his frame (OK simply not enough room for my laptop airplane made my trip miserable and

maybe a C130, but only in the cargo to be out. Fortunately I had my trusty uncomfortable, but keeping it in

hold). When he sat down I said, with a blow up pillow in my back pack. So I perspective EVERY flight for him

smile, “dude this plane is just not big snake my arm down and get it out of must be miserable. There’s always

enough for you”, I wasn’t trying to be my backpack and wedge it between my something to be thankful for,

rude just stating the obvious. He neck and the side of the plane to keep sometimes we have to just look at the

mumbled something about it being a my head from snapping off. Then situation from a little different

short flight and I’m thinking 2 ½ hours proceed to pretend to go to sleep and perspective! We take the good with

is too long of a flight for this poor guy. make myself as small as possible. We the bad, we make the best of the

landed about 7:30 PM, in order to frustrating situations, we rejoice in the

His knees were crammed up into the deplane we have to wait patiently for great times and we pull together to be

seat in front of him and his shoulders people to drag their luggage out of the better than the rest. The objective is

were taller than the back of the seat. overheads and get out of the aisle. to stay safe and come home from every

The width of his shoulders would not Then I’m off on a hike to baggage trip.

allow his arms to come down on his claim to get my bag (thankful it didn’t

side of the armrest; so he simply can’t get lost), take the tram over to the So, when you see me at a terminal, let

help but spill over into my space. As I rental car center to rent my car me know what you’re thankful for. I’d

sit there literally leaning to the right as (thankful that they did have a car) and like to hear your story!

far as I can (picture me with my right then I drive for 3 hours to my hotel

shoulder crammed up against the wall (thankful for a place to rest my head). - Jan Honsinger

of the plane), I realize there is no work Director of Sales Chemical Group

getting done on this flight. There was Sitting next to the giant man on the

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A Well Oiled Machine

In any business organization, sales is the multitude of experience in multiple Everyone needs to expand their mind as

department that generates revenue. No hauling techniques. some say thinking outside the box as to

matter how good your product is if you when things are mentioned about

don’t have an attentive sales staff then The trucking business is a revolving hauling a product that your terminal is

you are just spinning your wheels. And door as far as how things are hauled and not currently hauling and immediately

sales is something that each person also products that are hauled so again saying no we cannot haul. Just take a

within a company is a part of from the communication is a priority in order to moment and take the customers and

drivers, mechanics, terminal managers, not get left behind. Within TransWood product information and then pass it on

dispatchers, and so on. every employee has multiple ways to and then a company decision can be

pass on information because if made. You never know when the next

Everyone has to be functioning as one something is new to your area there is a gold mine could fall into your lap with

well oiled unit and communication is good chance that someone has just one innocent phone call inquiry on

very important due to TransWood being experience with that new product/ hauling some oddball product.

a large nationwide company with company and will be able to guide you

multiple tools (people) that have a as to how to handle the hauls. - Butch Cormier

Sales Manager Louisiana/Gulf Coast

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Getting to Know: Butch Cormier

Q. How long have you been destination or vacation?
with TransWood? A. Australia
A. 6 years Q. How did you get your start in
Q. What do you do at the trucking industry?
TransWood? A. By meeting Gordon Denton and
A. Regional Sales learning about the trucking
Q. Why did you choose to industry.
work at TransWood? Q. Where were you born?
A. Great family run A. Lafayette, LA
company that doesn’t treat Q. Who has been an inspiration in
employees like they are just your life?
numbers. A. My Parents
Q. What is something most Q. What is your favorite quote or
people do not know about saying?
you? A. Never give up don’t ever give
A. I am a big University of up
Louisiana Ragin Cajun fan Q. What do you like to do in your
Q. What is your favorite spare time?
movie? A. Spend time with my family
Caddyshack Q. If you could meet one famous
Q. Do you have any person, living or dead, who would
interesting hobbies? it be and why?
A. Golf A. Yogi Berra. I am a Yankee fan
Q. What do you like most and from the stories I have heard
about working at about how Yogi it would be fun to
TransWood? hear what he has to say and learn
A. The People more about Yankee history.
Q. What is your dream
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RFPs and Longevity

As we experience a barrage of Requests For Proposals from about. We can tell where they have production facilities, but

our shippers, we do the usual cringe and wonder what a large amount of business moves from tollers and transfer

happened to the past years of what we felt were competitive sites. It is so important to review these carefully, thinking

rates and good service. down the road, and see what will be a good fit for

TransWood in the long term.

Seemingly, we are asked to take part in many shipper’s

online bids, or outright rate reductions, which are the result Our shippers, the large ones with degrees from Penn State

of a slowdown in raw material orders. Is it my imagination, and University of Tennessee, who tell us the RFP isn’t all

or does this seem to happen on a seven year cycle? about rates, and the smaller shippers, with an individual

who has been in the position since high school will tell us

As with any story, there is the good and bad. We did our the same thing, you weren’t selected because you were too

best to provide our shippers with on time deliveries, good far down on the list.

communication and what we felt match the competition rate

wise. So many times we learn this wasn’t sufficient, and We need to control costs, this lasts for a year or two, then

when one major producer sends out the RFP, the little
ducklings all seem to be not far behind. This is our business, we struggle to raise our pricing to where we can be
profitable again. The cycle starts again.
and when we take a closer look, it’s not all bad.

We have increased our array of shippers greatly in the past - Richard Frieze
few years, thus we are afforded the opportunity to look into Sales Eastern Chemical Group
business we never had the opportunity to see or even know

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Sales & Service

Many times in the past I've been able to visit and professionalism must be part of our daily focus, along

participate in Safety Meetings at different terminal with operations. We need to drive service, improve

locations. During these meetings I always like to bring up communications, and understand the importance of safety

the importance of customer service and how it pertains to and how it all pertains to sales. It's all part of it, it's all

sales. What I've said in the past is "take service out of the part of being the best that we can be....and it does matter.

equation"…. meaning do everything right and do not give

our customer reason to doubt or replace us as a carrier. Let's get back to the basics and focus on safety and

What I should have said was, "make service part of the training, excelling in these facets of operations will make

equation, be the best, make them not want to replace us selling TransWood as a partner and better solution.

as a carrier." Remember we are only as good as those we work with

let’s all work together to make each other better.

How we communicate with our current customer base - Chuck Snyder
and handle their customers, in the most professional

manner will always be a huge part of our success. We District Manager
need to believe that everything starts from the

ground up, with everyone being

involved....drivers, mechanics, dispatchers,

managers, sales, etc. When it comes to service

and creating additional opportunities, we're all

sales people.

Recently, we have had some service failures for
one of our customers that drew high profile
attention within their corporate office, as well as
internally within TransWood. Therefore, we were
requested to create a Customer Service
Improvement Plan. This plan had to be
developed, completed, approved, and then
demonstrated in front of their corporate
personnel. Trust me when I tell you that it’s
absolutely no fun when you have to address a
customer and review, step by step, what we plan
to do, how we're going to do it, and then making
sure that we follow through and complete our
plan.

What seems to be happening is that we are
getting complacent. We believe that we can rely
on past performances, so we get lax, and we lose
our edge. We cannot continue down this path, as

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Customer Service in the Trucking
Industry Stinks!

Customer service in the transportation industry stinks – — 90% who are dissatisfied with the service they
that’s what my mentor Tom Peters, author of the receive will not come back.
blockbuster book, In Search of Excellence said many years
ago. It must still be true because every time I write about — To make matters worse, each of those unhappy
poor customer service in the transport industry, I get more customers will tell his or her story to at least
“amens” than a Billy Graham sermon. That’s why I want to nine other people.
touch on customer service again, from a different
perspective. — Of the customers who register a complaint, between
54% and 70% will do business again with the
It’s unbelievable to me how business transport owners organization if their complaint is resolved. That
remain ignorant of the devastating effects of lousy service. figure goes up to 95% if the customer feels that the
And they wonder why business is suffering and the checks complaint was resolved quickly.
are not rolling in?
— 68% of customers who quit doing business with an
The Research Institute of America conducted a study for a organization do so because of company indifference.
Canadian consulting company, which found: It takes 12 positive incidents to make up for one
negative incident in the eyes of customers.

— Only 4% of unhappy transportation customers When I started out in sales, a salty old veteran told me,

bother to complain. For every complaint we hear, 24 “never make promises in business. They’ll ruin you every
others are not communicated to the company — but time.”
to other potential customers.

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That might be good advice, but only And as customers become more

up to a point. But in a contract you knowledgeable, customer service Mike says…
have to make commitments, which are becomes more difficult. A while back

the same as promises. You vouch for there was a series of articles in Customer service is the driving force

planned delivery dates, not random Fortune magazine focusing on for all service related businesses.

drop-off times. These are not tossed- customer satisfaction and why Chemical transportation companies

off verbal guarantees but well- Canadians are so hard to please. are service companies. We

researched commitments. manufacture no product or products.

A researcher at J. D. Powers & The service we provide our customers

Nothing is more important than is our product. The service we provide
Associates, a company that studies our customers is what differentiates
customer service. No customer customer satisfaction in the transport TransWood from our competitors.

service, and pretty soon, no industry, computers, airlines and long- Our employees’ willingness and

customers. distance service, stated: “What makes desire to go the extra mile to provide

customer satisfaction so difficult to top-notch defect free service is what
achieve is that you constantly raise the sets TransWood apart from the
The key is to latch onto your bar and extend the finish line. You
customers and hold them fast. Don’t competition.
never stop. As your customers get
just meet their needs. Anticipate them. better treatment, they demand better
Don’t wait for them to tell you there’s treatment.”
a problem. Go out and ask them if

there’s a problem. They are your most

important focus group. Every word of When I speak on customer service I

personal feedback they give you is usually tell a story that I read many

worth a million faceless years ago in the Toronto Star. A man

questionnaires. walked into bank in Mississauga,

Ontario., to cash a $100 check. The

bank teller refused to validate his
parking ticket, saying he had to make In closing, chemical transportation is
a deposit. The customer asked to see a not an illustrious business. Only
manager, who also refused to stamp strong willed, well trained employees
the parking ticket. At that point the provided with sufficient resources will
customer proceeded to withdraw $1 perform their job responsibilities to a
million from his account and walked point of providing defect free service
across the street to a competitor and 100% of the time. Are you that
opened a new account. The next day, person? Are you willing to go the
he went back to the same bank teller extra mile 100% of the time? If so,
With business operating at digital great you are on the right team. If not,
speed, the margin for negligence is and withdrew another $1 million.
we’ll be looking for another customer

disappearing. Broken promises, to replace the disgruntled one you

missed deadlines, inadequate That’s an expensive lesson to learn. create.

customer service and support – give in So is losing any customer. Mackay’s - Mike Sexton

to any of these and you’re finished. Moral: Disappoint customers and

they’ll disappear. Regional Operations Manager

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SOLUTIONS FOR MANY INDUSTRIES