Leadership, Trucking & Politics – Pt. 1*

Joe Garson is representing our company at the second

annual Illinois Trucking Leadership Program (ITLP)

this year. Organized by the Illinois Trucking Associa-

tion (ITA), the ITLP is designed to help participants de-

velop leadership skills and deepen their knowledge in the

politics of the trucking industry. This year’s class is made

up of 11 participants ranging from Safety professionals to

company owners.

On April 5, Joe trekked to the state’s capitol building in

Springfield, IL and attended the first of the program’s

three sessions. At first, he was nervous as he didn’t know

what to expect or what was to be expected of him. His

nerves quickly changed into excitement once the class

started meeting with several legislative, regulatory and

industry leaders. Among them were Governor Bruce

Rauner, Barbara Flynn Currie (IL - House Majority

Leader), Jim Durkin (IL – House Republican Leader),

Master Sergeant Todd Armstrong IL State Police (Head

of DOT officers) and Matt Hart (ITA Executive Director/

Lobbyist).

- continued on Page 3

Spotlight on Fayetteville

The Trekker Customer Service office

is based in Fayetteville, AR. These

talented people have been part of our

tribe for five months now, so let’s get

to know them.

- continued on Page 2

Vol. 1 Issue 2 April 30, 2016

Cortney “Papa Bear” Parrott

I’m the Director of

Customer Service

and I’ve been in

the Transporta-

tion industry for 9

years. My favorite

trek ever was my

honeymoon in

Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. Seven

days of beach, tropical weather,

swimming pools, tasty adult beverag-

es, and gourmet food delivered any-

where/anytime you want…Paradise.

From the Road

Submit pictures, comments & ideas to: Marketing@trekkerlog.com

8118 Bunkum Road, Caseyville, IL 62232 | 800-447-8084 | GoTrekker.com

“Friday Kickball” -Victoria Flora Ben Walden & his best friend

“No, I was not

driving”

-Angel Missy

Spotlight on Fayetteville

2

Colby ”Cheese” Gibson

It’s Colby, like the cheese. I am

a Customer Service Manager

and worked in trucking for

about 5 years. I’ve been back-

packing in the Swiss alps and

my favorite part was visiting the

Sistine Chapel.

Erika Armour

I have 16 years of experience

in the transportation industry

and I’m a Customer Service

Manager. No nicknames, but

my last name is spelt with a

“U”. I really enjoyed my visit to

Italy. My favorite part was

learning about the history in

Rome, Venice and Florence.

Dominic “Dom” Swanfeld

I am a Customer Service

Manager with 2 years of ex-

perience in this industry. My

friends call me Dom. Visiting

the Soviet Union is probably

one of my most memorable

treks. It was still a com-

munist country then and

their way of life was so much different than

America.

Suzanne Taylor

I joined the team two weeks

ago as a Customer Service

Manager, but I’ve been in

Transportation for four years. I

had a lot of fun visiting New

City! I liked the energy of the

city and the fast pace culture.

Chris ”Spread” Glascoe

Spread is my name and

logistics is my game. The

nickname is short for

spreadsheets. I’m the VP

of Logistics and I have

over 8 years of experience

in Transportation. One

time, I went backpacking

through Yosemite; had to use a bear whistle to

survive and hitchhiked in three different cars

to get home.

Richard “Richard” Ford

People call me Richard. My

“happy place” is off the

coast of Florida where I go

fishing pretty regularly. I

am a Customer Service

Manager and have worked

in Transportation for seven

years.

Vol. 1 Issue 2

8118 Bunkum Road, Caseyville, IL 62232 | 800-447-8084 | GoTrekker.com

Our Customer Service team is passionate about making people happy. They go above and beyond to

provide a good experience for our customers and carriers. Yet, this office is not all work and no play.

There is usually music playing in the background and healthy snacks, because it is important for Trek-

kers to have fun and be happy too. Thank you for all you do and welcome to the family!

Leadership, Trucking & Politics - Pt. 1*

- cont’d from front page -

Throughout this two-day event, the guest speakers touched on a variety of subjects including advice on

leadership development, the state budget and industry regulations.

This experience has made Joe realize that many political leaders have limited knowledge about the

trucking industry. So it is up to professionals like us to share our challenges and triumphs. Therefore,

he is getting to know local government leaders of Madison and St. Clair counties on a personal level.

Additionally, he plans to volunteer at the upcoming Illinois Truck Driving Championship and to become

more involved in industry related events.

Joe accepted the role of Safety Administrator in July 2015 and has a background Maintenance. His cur-

rent responsibilities include administration of non-DOT accidents, incidents and cargo claims. He seeks

to actively advocate for our drivers’ needs and says, “Drivers will be the biggest help to get the ball roll-

ing. They’re the eyes and ears that can tell [us] what changes the trucking industry needs to see”.

In next month’s issue, we will hear from Ryan Knapp who will be attending the ITA Safety Mainte-

nance Conference on May 4 and 5. For the Trekker family of companies, Safety is not just a priority,

it is a way of life.

*This is part of an article series that will cover Joe’s experiences as he goes through the Illinois Trucking Leadership Program. 3

8118 Bunkum Road, Caseyville, IL 62232 | 800-447-8084 | GoTrekker.com

Vol. 1 Issue 2

Anniversaries

(Years of Service)

Birthdays

(May)

4

Sean Burrow 1

James Caldwell 1

Richard (Seph) Neulist 3

Dennis Carlson 4

Shelton Cloteaux 4

Brian Schuler 5

John Bolton 6

Joseph Comer 6

Zach O'brien 6

Mcarthur Jones 7

Patricia O'reilly 7

Henry White 8

Catherine Bowers 9

Clayton Cameron 22

Josh Kaburick 16

Lester Lewis 6

Kevin Martin 5

Mack Hearne 3

Douglas Miller 2

Carl Tull 2

Willard Kauffman 2

Parnelli Rudolph 2

New Customers

Seldom Grossman 10

Cory Lawson 10

Rudolph Munoz 11

Denisha Black 12

Carrie Staples 13

Frank Beaty 14

Thomas Lewandowski 14

Steven Burton 15

Kevin Crozier 15

Jordan Dixon 15

James Oldham 16

Tony Akins 17

William Petersen 18

Joseph Turner 19

Adrian Orozco 22

David Aguilar 23

Zackery Lanier 23

Beth Southerd 23

Joseph "Joe" Garson 27

Terry Patrick 27

David Brewer 28

Lee Camden 28

Gary Miller 28

Jonathan Mason 29

Kelly Simpkins 29

Chelsea Ballard 31

Thomas (Denny) Fenn 2

David T. Smith 2

Jeffrey Carlon 1

Craig Foulon 1

Paul Gelinas 1

Lonnie Crawford 1

Shawn Long 1

Neil Hess 1

Seldom Grossman 1

Peter Geraghty 1

Jonathan Mason 1

Jeff Jones 1

Thomas Howe 1

Bernadette Culver 1

Bill Mann 1

George Mayes 1

Willie Norris 1

Charlotte Stipp 1

Andre Summerville 1

8118 Bunkum Road, Caseyville, IL 62232 | 800-447-8084 | GoTrekker.com

Vol. 1 Issue 2