Over Dimensional Excellence: TMC Specialized Division Advisory Board

on Thursday, January 31, 2019 in Company News

Earlier this month, a group of drivers met to kick off a series of bi-weekly meetings for the TMC Specialized Division. Meetings were spearheaded Stephen Smith, a TMC driver for 13 years and Specialized driver of 10 years, and Gene Richardson, a 25 year industry veteran entailing 6 years with TMC and 5 years on Specialized. These meetings are to be conducted by an advisory board consisting of drivers who are veterans of the division. The aim is to acclimate newer Specialized drivers as they gain traction in their new roles, especially as the division begins to expand in size due to an uptick in freight.

The goals of these meetings include enhancing policy and safety education, increasing communication efforts, and emphasizing the high standards required for this elite division.

“We are excited to provide education to new drivers on this division and bring them up to the award winning standards that our customers expect,” say Gene and Stephen. “We also look forward to aiding veteran drivers in continuing the journey to Destination: Excellence.”

January 12th's inaugural meeting was held at the Des Moines headquarters. In attendance were several of the division’s drivers; Chad Reece and Mark Jones from the Specialized Dedicated Operations department; and Kirk Monnier representing the Asset Management department. Chad and Mark, both experienced dispatchers and former drivers themselves, were able to answer questions and provide valuable feedback to the group. Kirk shared a wealth of knowledge about TMC’s fuel and wash programs, as well as insights into cost savings. All three also took suggestions for improvement in the programs, always paying close attention to the needs of our valuable flatbed truck drivers.

“The objective of TMC’s Specialized Advisory Board is essentially to unify the fleet by helping the drivers to tap into each others’ knowledge, promote pride and a feeling of being a part of something great,” explains Chad. “We want to open up the line of communication between all drivers and serve as an outlet for the newer ones to ask questions and learn what is expected to do the job to the standards of TMC. We hope the pride, knowledge and excellence will spread to all of our drivers and help us to grow the division and be a force to be reckoned with in the Specialized transportation sector or our great industry.”

The following session, held on Jan. 25th, focused heavily on recruitment. Dedicated Recruiter, John Walsh, and Social Media Marketing Manager, Stacey Sickmiller, joined in to discuss how to create impactful advertising for TMC’s Recruiting Department, as well as information about methods existing drivers can utilize to recruit new faces to this elite division. Drivers seeking to get on board with TMC’s Specialized Division should have two years of verifiable flatbed driving experience. Read more about TMC's Specialized Division here. 

“In order for us to better understand how to attract the type of experienced quality drivers we are looking for to grow the division, John and I took the chance to chat with drivers already doing the job day in and day out,” says Stacey. “The group had some great feedback for us and we have already made changes to our ads based on what they had to say. This will help us to align our advertising and recruiting strategies with company goals and driver input.”


For the group’s next meeting, drivers will be attending the Advanced TQM (Total Quality Management) class. They will have the opportunity to participate in TMC’s signature continuous quality improvement process to enhance and fine-tune the most efficient and safe practices while out on the road.

We are proud of these drivers for taking an initiative to ensure the best of the best remains just that as the fleet grows and new drivers are beginning their Specialized career, and for protecting TMC’s reputation as the nation’s premier open deck carrier.

Read more about TMC’s Elite Specialized Division!

Ready to join the fleet? Apply today!