We appreciate you, William!
For nearly a quarter of a century, William N. has been a valuable asset to the Hogan team. William has seen it all – even being part of Hogan’s first car hauling team with his son-in-law. Now, William is sticking with solo driving and car haul training. His positive and professional attitude highlights him as an outstanding driver and person.
William advises other drivers with, “Slower is faster.” Essentially, if you take your time and do things safely and correctly, it’ll be better for you in the long run. William’s words of wisdom come from his 26 years of experience in trucking. Originally, William started driving a truck for the same reason a lot of people do: to make money. Throughout the years, though, William developed his trucking career into a lifestyle. William is always up for a challenge, and he credits his success in trucking to his loving and caring wife.
“Hogan has been good to me,” said William. “It’s a large trucking company with a small company feel to it.”
When he’s not in the truck, William enjoys spending time with his wife, hunting, and fishing. Although he is particularly fond of the mountains in the northwest, William hopes to one day visit the opposite corner of the country: Key West, Florida.
Thank you to William for sticking with Hogan throughout your career – and for all of the laughs!
#HDS
Gina and Jerry: The Dynamic Duo!
You know how some people have work spouses? These team drivers are married! Jerry and Gina M. have been part of the Hogan team for nearly 13 years with 100% on-time service. Both Gina and Jerry have been driving for decades, 33 and 40 years respectively. Gina, focused and determined, broke into a male-dominated industry with ease. Despite having experience in the corporate world, Gina insisted that it was time to step away from the desk and hit the road. Maybe that was because her husband made it sound so great. According to Jerry, trucking turned his life around and set him on a path to success. Thanks to trucking, Jerry and Gina were able to pay off their home and put their two sons through college. Jerry started driving a straight truck during the day, and he would practice backing up in a semi in the parking lot at night. When someone at his company unexpectedly quit, Jerry rose to the occasion, and the rest is history.
Driving as a team is not without its challenges. At the beginning of their careers, Gina and Jerry were on opposite schedules. They went from not seeing each other that much to spending every moment together in a small space. That’s quite an adjustment. Gina even confessed that she nearly left Jerry at a truck stop – ON ACCIDENT! Going from a solo driver to a team driver can do that to a person. Now, the pair gets along well, allowing the other to do things their own way and putting their faith in each other to stay safe. With decades of experience under their belts, Gina and Jerry agree that safety is crucial when it comes to trucking, no matter how long you’ve been a driver.
“You can take a curve slowly a lot of times,” said Jerry, “But you can only take it fast once.”
“Distance is your best friend on the road,” said Gina. “Take your time and stop what you’re doing if you don’t feel safe.”
With their children and grandbabies in mind, Gina and Jerry prioritize communication and pay attention to weather and traffic conditions along their routes. While they enjoy the lakes, beaches, and mountains in the U.S., Gina and Jerry hope to visit Italy one day in their retirement. In the meantime, Gina has been insisting that they visit national parks at the behest of Jerry (but he ultimately enjoys it).
Gina and Jerry’s operations team at Hogan recognize that they are two in a million. Hogan is lucky to have this dynamic duo on our fleet!
#HDS
Way to go William!
William Walker embodies Hogan’s standard of excellence for an employee.
From his work ethic and communication to his honesty and willingness, William is the perfect ambassador for our company and contributes to what sets us apart.
When I was still very new to the CarMax account, one of our drivers at the Hammond Hub received word of a family emergency, and he needed to get home immediately. The driver had just arrived to begin unloading and was now frazzled and panicked. I called William to see if he was still there, and luckily he was, although loaded and on his way out, after explaining the situation to William, he told me simply that he would “take care of it”. William then located the driver and the two of them got his cars unloaded, and after that, William stayed behind to check the cars in so that the driver could leave and get home.
William’s sense of duty goes far beyond his responsibilities as a driver; the humanity and selflessness he displayed added calm to a tense and unsafe situation, and I’m proud to have him on my fleet.
#HDS
Thanks for all you do Iam!
Hogan Alachua, FL Driver of the Month
Iam Valerio
Iam began his driving career with Hogan on June 24th, 2019. He came to the Alachua team and adapted quickly. Iam is a great role model for other drivers, he has an amazing attitude daily and helps out in any capacity we need him. His willingness to help, timely deliveries and exceptional customer service sets the standard. Iam received his one year Safety Jacket recently. His shirt says it ALL! HE does something awesome everyday!
#HDS
Thank you Montrell!
Montrell Miller started his career with Hogan 09/16/2019 on the Dollar General Dry account out of Bessemer, Al. While there, he was the hardest runner and safest driver at that location. We were constantly getting compliments on his professionalism and thoroughness and accuracy when it came to his appointment times, from various store managers.
We then opened Dollar General Fresh out of Montgomery in April. Montrell followed us to this new facility. Again, we are not surprised at his continued success. He was so successful on this account, he went through the certification to become a certified trainer, and trainer for onboarding. Montrell has trained several drivers, while taking to the time to show them how to be successful, ways to get the trailer unloaded safely and in a timely manner, with no accidents.
Montrell is such an asset to not only our account, but to Hogan as a whole. Whenever Hogan needs to shift some drivers to other accounts, whether DG dry or Fresh, he is always the first to volunteer and has received praises from the Operations Manager, Paul Cotton, out of Missouri, more than once 😊.
Montrell has made his mark with our drivers and answers any questions they have. Drivers are always calling on Montrell for his opinion on how to get quicker, while staying safe, and how to handle TCU codes or errors that might pop up on the units. Drivers, along with our operations staff in Montgomery, hold him in the highest regard and respect.
Hogan is very lucky to have such a dedicated driver!
#HDS
Thank you Vontrellius!
You’re someone we all look up to.
Vontrellius Oneal has been with Hogan on the Dollar General account out of Jackson, GA since it opened in February of 2018. Vontrellius has proven to be a leader amongst his fellow drivers, and many new drivers would seek him out for advice on how to be successful at this account. In 2019 we made Vontrellius a trainer where he excelled once again. Vontrellius is always willing to spend the extra time with a trainee to ensure that they are not only trained to drive and unload trailer products, but that they learn to do it safely. Vontrellius takes pride in his job, and that is what makes him one of our highly respected and valued employees.
#HDS
Althea Thompson is
Hogan’s Driver of the Year
Kansas City, MO (October 21, 2020) After a record-breaking Fiscal Year, P&G is recognizing a few of our driver partners on the front lines delivering business, daily. Five nominated drivers now hold the title of Procter & Gamble “Driver of the Year.”
One of the five is Hogan Transport’s own Althea Thompson. Thompson began driving over the road with Hogan in 2011 and then made the switch to P&G in March 2012. When asked about her nearly ten-year relationship with Hogan, she said: “I stay with Hogan because when it comes down to family they understand you one hundred percent. When you need time off they give it to you. They take family time seriously.”
Each candidate received the nomination from a colleague who answered a series of selection criteria to make a case for their chosen employee. Thompson was nominated by her former dispatcher because he can trust that she gets the load there on time. “He told me I was involved and said he was going to put me down since I run P&G. I’m always involved with P&G. That’s all I know,” she said.
The qualifications ranged from number of shipments supporting P&G’s business to community service activities. Finalists were selected by leaders within Procter & Gamble North America Transportation Operations and Purchases organizations. Every individual nominated received at least a “Driver of the Year Nominee” certificate from P&G recognizing their hard work and contribution to the business.
Top Finalists were showcased formally during the Virtual Carrier Summit, “Charging Toward the Future Together,” held on October 14, 2020. As part of the Summit, P&G recognized a few, special carriers for excellent performance and partnership.
When asked about her victory, Thompson exclaimed, “I’m on cloud nine because I’ve never won anything before. I’m so excited. I’m enjoying it.”
The nearly tenured driver is known for being an integral part of developing Hogan’s relationship with P&G in the Kansas City area. With eight plus years of safe driving, 99.9% on time, 0 DOT recordable accidents, and 160 shipment YTD on P&G; Thompson was the obvious choice.
According to Thompson, she has consistently remained a faithful supporter of every P&G initiative. “I’ve went green with them. When they went green, I did the gas trucks. When they made a change, I did a change with them. I’ve always complied with changes,” she said.
With the upcoming summit on the horizon, Thompson is eager to attend. She has already received a gift card from Hogan and is looking forward to “the prize at the end of the rainbow.” When asked what’s next for the recent winner she said, “I’m with P&G for the ride. I’m cool. I’m the laid-back type of person. I’m here for the wave.”
#HDS
What can we say Will?
You’re amazing.
“I would like to give a shout out to William Brake.
Ever since he has come onto the account, he has been to numerous places that are very challenging. Between delivering to places that normal drivers don’t go — along with shippers and receivers that are out of the norm — he and many other drivers on the account are put in situations that are very questionable.
Without proper trip planning and calling in for guidance they would very easily be put at a safety risk. William contacted me in advance to verify where this was going and we went over the route and game plan. I wish every driver would be so thorough in their trip planning. If he was to follow GPS and not reach out to us, this could have easily been an accident waiting to happen. This account is not like the rest of the fleet on picking up and delivering to warehouses.”
— Steve Wiedle, HTI Dedicated Account Manager
#HDS
Bravo, Rick!
You killed it!
The American Trucking Association (ATA) hosted the 2019 TMCSuperTech competition in Raleigh, NC in which our very own Rick Davis competed. Rick is part of our St. Louis Technician Team.
The Technology & Maintenance Council’s National Technician Skills Competition TMCSuperTech is an annual event held in conjunction with TMC’s Fall Meeting. TMCSuperTech is North America’s premier skills competition for professional commercial vehicle technicians. TMCSuperTech contestants come from all segments of the trucking industry, and many are state, regional, or corporate champions.
Rick won 1st Place in the 2019 NationLease Tech Challenge and placed 3rd overall in the TMCSuperTech heavy duty track competition. He placed 1st in the Wheel End station, Starting & Charging and Steering & Suspension. Congratulations Rick! We appreciate your dedication and commitment to Hogan and our equipment! Thank you for representing Hogan in this awesome event! #TeamHogan
Congratulations to Rick Davis out of the St. Louis facility for achieving 3rd place during the TMC Technical Challenge!
#HDS
Cheers Chris!
You’re Missouri’s Grand Champion.
Hogan Transport’s Chris Morrison is Missouri’s TDC Grand Champion Branson, MO (June 18, 2019)
Over the weekend of May 31st – June 1st, the Missouri Trucking Association held its 52nd Annual Missouri Truck Driving Championship at the Branson Convention Center.
The two-day event, sponsored by the Association’s Council of Safety Supervisors, allowed on-lookers the opportunity to witness some of the state’s top drivers compete in several categories for the ultimate title of “Grand Champion”. That honor went to Hogan Transport’s Chris Morrison, who won the Sleeper Berth competition to clinch the Grand Champion win. Mr. Morrison’s accomplishment makes it the third year in a row that a Hogan driver has won the title. Another Hogan driver, Bruce Brewen, who was the Grand Champion in 2018 and 2017, won the 4-Axle.
Chris, who has been driving with Hogan for almost four years, said: “I’ve done everything. Worked for several companies and Hogan’s treated me the best.” In the past, Chris worked for companies that emphasized the freight over his safety—at Hogan it’s the other way around. “Safety comes first. They stress that a lot,” Chris commented.
In order to be eligible to compete, drivers must have no reported incidents for the entire year. Safety is one thing both Mr. Morrison and the Hogan team take very seriously. The competition ranks drivers on key measures such as safety and security, first aid and fire safety, pre-trip vehicle inspections, and driving skills. Competitors are given a written test, a hands-on safety inspection exam, and are put through a rigorous driving skills course that tests their ability to judge safe distances, maneuver tight spaces, park, and accurately position their vehicle over scales, before barriers and around curves. Mr. Morrison scored the highest point differential in all three areas for his skills and knowledge.
When asked about how his victory feels, Chris exclaimed, “I feel like a super star. I was nervous because I was hoping for 3rd or 2nd, but then I got first in Sleeper Berth. It’s the hardest one in the competition.”
At the banquet, where a record-breaking 729 people attended on Saturday evening, Chris described sitting in disbelief as his wife elbowed him when he didn’t realize his name was called. Chris won two trophies and the respect of the entire Hogan team. Pictures from the event depicting him with his trophies and family, were displayed on the office’s jumbo TV screen and he was featured on Hogan’s driver app.
Morrison will be joined by eight other class winners as the Missouri Championship Team travels to Pittsburgh, PA to compete against other state teams in the American Trucking Association’s National Truck Driving Championships, which takes place August 14th – August 17th. During the competition, the Missouri Team will compete against 450 other professionals vying for selection as the nation’s top professional truck drivers.
