Inside The Triangle

In this episode of Inside the Triangle, Melissa Harrison from WorkHound joins host Darin Ladlie over the phone to talk about the exciting things we’ve been able to accomplish so far thanks to Driver comments and suggestions!

Melissa works closely with Darin, Jarod, Jason, and Tammy each week to deliver our Drivers’ anonymous WorkHound comments. Melissa talks about why anonymous feedback from employees is an important tool to improve company culture and create a great place to work! Decker Drivers have done a fantastic job leaving feedback and we truly appreciate every single comment – the good, the bad, and the ugly. Your feedback is vital to the success of Decker Truck Line!

Melissa and Darin also talk about how we are now using WorkHound for office and shop staff. We cannot wait to hear your thoughts and ideas!

Listen closely to hear Darin’s fun trivia question! The first person to answer correctly wins a Pilot Flying J gift card!

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!  If you have any topic suggestions or questions you want answered or discussed on an upcoming podcast, e-mail them to [email protected].  Or, you can create a voice memo on your smart phone and e-mail it to [email protected]

Matt Lynch joins host Darin Ladlie in this episode of Inside the Triangle. Matt has been with Decker for 15 years and has grown tremendously in his career, starting as a body shop tech to now being the Director of Maintenance Operations, overseeing each of Decker’s body shops.

In this episode, Matt and Darin talk about all the new equipment Decker Truck Line is getting this year, and the challenges Matt has had to face in acquiring new equipment during Covid. Although Covid has had a major effect on manufacturers and production this year, Matt is excited to share that Decker is getting over 300 new trucks and over 100 new trailers this year!

Matt and Darin also give a brief overview of each of our body shops, and provide some details about our brand new shop in Des Moines, IA!

Matt also takes time to give a special “thank you” message to our mechanics.

Listen closely to hear Darin’s fun trivia question! The first person to answer correctly wins a Pilot Flying J gift card!

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!  If you have any topic suggestions or questions you want answered or discussed on an upcoming podcast, e-mail them to [email protected].  Or, you can create a voice memo on your smart phone and e-mail it to [email protected]

Decker Driver Spotlight!

Professional Driver Chad Hazelton, with special guest Alan Henderson, join host Darin Ladlie in this episode of Inside the Triangle.

Chad talks about his strategy to getting a perfect 1,000 Scorecard and says it’s takes a bit of determination but it’s really not that difficult. Chad also talks about how he got into the trucking industry and why he picked Decker Truck Line. Darin and Chad go on to chat about Chad’s hobbies, which include working on things in his shop and watching all things sci-fi!

Listen closely to hear Kati’s fun trivia question! The first person to answer correctly wins a Pilot Flying J gift card from Darin!

Stick around as Darin names our March Drivers of the Month and talks about our Drivers’ amazing Scorecard accomplishments this month!

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!  If you have any topic suggestions or questions you want answered or discussed on an upcoming podcast, e-mail them to [email protected].  Or, you can create a voice memo on your smart phone and e-mail it to [email protected]

Jeremy Foster, Director of Operations – Southern Flatbed Division, joins host Darin Ladlie over the phone in this episode of Inside the Triangle! Jeremy talks about how he ended up in the trucking industry and shares his priorities pertaining to his role at Decker: being a leader to the Bessemer Operations Team, supporting their Drivers, while staying profitable and efficient. Jeremy has seen a lot of growth in his 5 years at DTL, and says it’s because of the Driver-first mentality here at Decker.

Then, Darin and Jeremy congratulate the 2020 Grand Champion Driver of the Year, Anthony Vasquez, who was the Southern Flatbed Driver of the Year for 3 years in a row. Jeremy says Anthony is an example of how Professional Drivers can succeed as long as they do the hard things right and put safety first.

Stick around as Darin asks a fun trivia question. The first person to answer correctly wins a Pilot Flying J gift card from Darin!

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!  If you have any topic suggestions or questions you want answered or discussed on an upcoming podcast, e-mail them to [email protected].  Or, you can create a voice memo on your smart phone and e-mail it to [email protected]

Fleet Manager, Cynthia Seagren, joins host Darin Ladlie to talk about what being a Fleet Manager at Decker Truck Line is all about!  Cynthia and Darin discuss what a day in the life of a Fleet Manager looks like, from the moment she walks in the door to the moment she leaves. There is a lot of creativity that  goes on behind the scenes that our Drivers may not be aware of. Cynthia also talks about being a military wife and raising her two boys while her husband, Nate, is overseas serving our country. Cynthia is able to hold it all together while juggling her home life and work life!

Stick around as Darin asks a fun trivia question. The first person to answer correctly wins a Pilot Flying J gift card from Darin!

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!  If you have any topic suggestions or questions you want answered or discussed on an upcoming podcast, e-mail them to [email protected].  Or, you can create a voice memo on your smart phone and e-mail it to [email protected]

Katy McFarland, Driver Onboarding Coordinator, joins host Darin Ladlie in this week’s podcast. This episode is jam packed with lots of great info and news! Darin announces Anthony Vasquez as our Grand Champion Driver of the Year! Congratulations to Anthony and to all of our 2020 Division Drivers of the Year: Tom Melton, Todd Ouverson, Chad Hazelton, Tim Olden, and Cyndi & Todd Hopes. Darin also names our Million Mile Drivers for 2020: Martin Blanker, Arthur Clubb, Chad Hazelton, Garry Howard, Shawn Landfear, Adan Lugo-Baez, Tim Olden, David Starrett, Ronald Burken, Ed Woodley, and Allen Chapman. Way to go, congratulations and thank you all for your hard work and dedication to safety!

Next, Katy talks about her new role she has stepped into at Decker: Driver Onboarding Coordinator. Her goal for this new position is to streamline Driver Orientation and help make Orientation a great process for our Drivers. From the moment a Driver walks through the door until the moment they step into their truck, Katy’s goal is to make every step of the way a seamless process for our Drivers!

Katy also talks about her experience as Sherriff’s Reserve for Boone County. She has some crazy experiences while working in law enforcement that she chats about!

Then, Katy and Kati go head-to-head in Trucker lingo trivia!

Stick around as Darin asks a fun trivia question. The first person to answer correctly wins a Pilot gift card from Darin!

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!  If you have any topic suggestions or questions you want answered or discussed on an upcoming podcast, e-mail them to [email protected].  Or, you can create a voice memo on your smart phone and e-mail it to [email protected]

Decker Driver Spotlight!

Professional Drivers, Cyndi & Todd Hopes, join host Darin Ladlie in this special episode of Inside the Triangle. Cyndi & Todd are our 2020 Team Drivers of the Year and are now in the running for Grand Champion Driver of the Year for 2020! The Hopes were also our winners of the Take Pride in Your Ride drawing for receiving a Level 4 during their appearance inspection and talk about why they like to keep their truck in mint condition.

In this episode, The Hopes talk about their experience coming from being solo drivers to now being a Team Driver at Decker. They both have long driving careers and chat with Darin about what it was like to be a driver back in the good ol’ days. The Hopes have great advice to help other drivers achieve a high scorecard, and Cyndi also gives excellent advice to women who want to enter the driving industry.

Stick around as Darin asks a fun trivia question. The first person to answer correctly wins a Pilot gift card from Darin!

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!  If you have any topic suggestions or questions you want answered or discussed on an upcoming podcast, e-mail them to [email protected].  Or, you can create a voice memo on your smart phone and e-mail it to [email protected]

Decker Driver Spotlight!

Professional Driver, Thomas Remington, joins host Darin Ladlie to talk about – you guessed it – all  the different ways he has learned to cook in his truck! Thomas was recently featured in our local Fort Dodge Messenger newspaper and Overdrive Magazine because of his love for cooking, and he is now a freelance food writer for Overdrive! Thomas and Darin chat about ways Drivers can cook great meals while on the road and all of the different supplies Thomas keeps on hand. Stick around as Darin asks a fun trivia question. The first person to answer correctly wins a special prize from Darin!

Lastly, Darin names our February Drivers of the Month and talks about the February Scorecard Bonus payout.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!  If you have any topic suggestions or questions you want answered or discussed on an upcoming podcast, e-mail them to [email protected].  Or, you can create a voice memo on your smart phone and e-mail it to [email protected]

Lysa Bockoven, Compliance & Work Comp Specialist, and Jen McCuddin, Cargo & Compliance Specialist, join host Darin Ladlie to talk about what their roles are in the Safety Department and what they do on a daily basis to take care of all of our Decker Drivers.  Lysa discusses CSA points and what a Driver should do if they get a violation while Jen discusses how Drivers can protect themselves against cargo claims by using load locks, keeping updated seal records, etc.  Lysa and Jen then wrap it up with their “words of wisdom” to all Drivers - - the Safety Department is there to help you, so don’t be afraid to give them a call!

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!  If you have any topic suggestions or questions you want answered or discussed on an upcoming podcast, e-mail them to [email protected].  Or, you can create a voice memo on your smart phone and e-mail it to [email protected]

DECKER RETENTION COMMUNICATIONS ACTION TEAM

Director of Recruiting, Abbie Reed, joins host Darin Ladlie to update us about what’s going on in the Recruiting Department! Abbie talks about the Driver Referral Program and all new incentives for the program this year. Abbie also challenges our Professional Drivers to refer 5 Drivers by the end of 2021 for a chance to win the extra bonus at the end of the year! Darin and Abbie then discuss the new minimum and guarantee pay and explain how this could help a Driver if something out of their control happens over the road.

Darin gives us an update on Workhound and gives a special “thank you” to those who have submitted comments in the survey. We love hearing your thoughts and we are working hard to implement your ideas and look forward to hearing more and more suggestions!

Stick around to hear Darin announce the Division Drivers of the Year!

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

If you have topic suggestions or questions you want answered on the podcast, you can email them to [email protected]. Or you can create a voice memo on your smartphone and email it to [email protected]