TMC Featured in Business Excellence Magazine
Press Release posted on 12/03/2008
TMC Transportation's trucks are emblazoned with the slogan "Destination: Excellence." Keith Regan reports on how the company is using technology and training to stay on that trajectory
Driving for excellence
The 50-acre headquarters of TMC Transportation in Des Moines, Iowa, demonstrates the company's belief in the importance of training and technology as it seeks to establish itself as the leader in customer service in the open-freight hauling business. There, newly hired drivers-those fresh from driving schools and those with years of experience-are put through an extensive company- specific training program, utilizing state-of-the-art simulators to improve defensive driving, backing skills, and shifting skills for better fuel efficiency. The company has various loads on training trailers to ensure proper load securement training.
Joe Brannen, director of national accounts and vice president of the Midwest operations, says the fact that TMC's fleet is largely company owned and driven by employees helps it stand out among other flatbed hauling companies.
"You get a very consistent product from us, and we pride ourselves on going above and beyond to meet customer expectations," he says, noting that TMC has conducted industry benchmarking against top carriers in the van niche, which has
much more consistent payloads. By contrast, TMC is as likely to be hauling unique products such as iron and steel, machinery, building products such as plastic and steel pipe, and rolled and coiled wire. TMC also operates a specialized division
that offers 53-foot-long step-deck and removable gooseneck (RGN) trailers in addition to its regional and long-haul divisions, handling large agricultural machinery.
TMC employees are trained from their first encounters with the company to make excellence their goal, Brannen says. It was one of the first flatbed companies to put a driver finishing program in place, and even its most experienced drivers get continuous training through its Road Scholar program, which includes elements of
total quality management in its safety and efficiency curriculum.
The company invests heavily to give its drivers the tools to make it possible, with modern Peterbilt and Kenworth tractors and air- ride, spread-axle aluminum and
steel trailers loaded with the latest technology, including the VORAD capturing data in the process that can detection and collision avoidance system, Iteris lane-control system, and satellite-based GPS tracking tools that can pinpoint a driver's location, status, and even the best option for refueling based on the volume discounts the fleet receives.
Saving on fuel is a daily quest for all trucking companies these days. With diesel fuel pushing $5 per gallon and many contracts written before the recent surge in prices
lacking escalation clauses to enable pass-along, those savings are essential. "Fuel is huge right now," Brannen says. "We're always looking for technology to help us there. The reality is, from the perspective of the health of our business, it's the single most important thing we’re doing right now."
"It's amazing what you can save financially just by shaving a couple of miles off every trip by following the TMC "is a very forward-thinking company," says Steve Linder, the company’s executive vice president of information systems, who notes that the company has been using GPS to track its fleet since the early 1990s. With improved technology today and a Web interface, customers can see their freight in shipment, enabling them to plan for arrivals, which can be critical since some of the items TMC hauls may require a crane to be on site for offloading. "We're not afraid
of change and not afraid to implement new technology."
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