Prime Ways | Volume 9 | Issue 2

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2740 N. MAYFAIR AVE. SPRINGFIELD, MO 65803 417-866-0001 PRIMEINC.COM MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER Clayton Brown RECRUITMENT MARKETING MANAGER Mitchell Coiner MEDIA & ONBOARDING MANAGER Jamie Miller

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KATIE POLLOCK ESTES Editorial Director JORDAN BLOMQUIST Editor ELISABETH ANDERSON Art Director JAMIE THOMAS Digital Editor SARAH PATTON Creative Director BRANDON ALMS Senior Photographer & Designer KATY ST. CLAIR Photographer & Designer

CONTRIBUTORS Mary Ellen Chiles, Lauren Flynn, Juliana Goodwin, Sonia Guzman, Peyson Mecke, Megan Price, Susan Atteberry Smith, Kendra Miller

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Springfield, MO Salt Lake City, UT Pittston, PA

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MEGAN JOHNSON VP of Custom Publishing AMMIE SCOTT MOTES VP of Strategy and Senior Account Executive J.J. MASSEY Finance Director GARY WHITAKER Founder JOAN WHITAKER Founder

MAY 2024 | PRIME WAYS | 1

on the cover

Promotions at Prime

2 | PRIME WAYS | MAY 2024

18 FEATURE Moving On Up There have been many leadership changes at Prime recently. In this issue, we’re talking to Drew Martin, Nicky Morrison and Chris Holtmeyer about their new roles.

A Simple Salute

Army Staff Sergeant Will Russell always had a heart for trucking, so when his time in the military was up, he searched for the best trucking company around.

(Re)Tired Ever wonder where Prime truck tires go after they’re too worn down to be on the roads? Most likely, they go through the ecoSHRED process in Springfield, Missouri.

Healthy Habits

While on the road, it can be difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The Fit in 15 initiative is a 12-week-long program designed to kickstart healthy habits.

Something New

Drivers, get excited! Lease inspections are now available through the Prime mobile app, which will allow for more detailed truck inspections.

Bigger and Better

The Pittston terminal is gearing up for another addition—a brand new trailer shop, which will also make room for more parking.

Way Back Home

Matt and Kim Graham—a husband and wife driving duo—stay connected with family back home through geography lessons.

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Photos courtesy Prime Inc., Kim Graham, Kendra Miller, Katy St. Clair

CONTENTS

10

FOUNDER’S NOTE

THE LOW DOWN

LET’S GET

Photos courtesy Prime Inc.

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firmly elie e that rimes greatest asset is our people, and its imperati e that e culti ate gro th opportunities for each of you ithin our organi ation. romoting from ithin and pro iding opportunities for personal, career and financial gro th not only recogni es the hard ork our associates put into their roles, ut also reinforces our elief in your potential and a ilities. y prioriti ing strategic gro th, e not only foster a culture of loyalty ut also ensure that our leadership is deeply rooted in the alues of rime. ur usiness model is designed to align our dri ing and non dri ing associates success to the performance of rime. hen rime gro s and ecomes more profita le, so do our people. This

model culti ates a dri e to perform at a high le el, not only to meet your personal goals, ut for your peers. Turn to page to learn more a out the promotions of a fe long time associates ho ha e recently stepped up to fill leadership roles.

To our entire rime family, thank you for your hard ork and dedication, and look for ard to seeing each of you gro and e cel in your careers at rime nc.

SOCIAL Follow along with Prime events, driver photos and much more with Prime s social media. @PRIMETRUCKING @PRIMEINC @PRIMEINCTRUCKING

Robert Low Prime Inc., CEO & Founder

MAY 2024 | PRIME WAYS | 3

LIFE | H IG H WAY DI A MON D

PRIME HIGHWAY DIAMONDS GALA

BY LAUREN FLYNN 1

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Photos courtesy Prime Inc.

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6 1. Matthew and Neli Robinson arrive at the 2024 Highway Diamonds Gala. 2. Kirsten Rothlander receives the Radiant Award. 3. Dora Young receives the Emerald Award. 4. Doreen Cook accepts the Highway Diamond of the Year Award. 5. Juliana Castro dazzles at the gala. 6. The Prime team celebrates all its amazing female drivers.

Prime celebrated their annual Highway Diamonds Gala event in pril. The gala offers three awards to women who have shown e traordinary effort in the trucking industry and have been leaders at Prime.

The highest out of the three is the Highway Diamond of the Year Award, which recognizes a woman who is a good representative of Prime, has a great safety record and runs her truck e ciently. oreen ook was the winner of the award this year. “It’s a recognition of all the hard work I’ve done at rime,” ook says. “I started at Prime, I’ll finish at rime.”

The Radiant Award winner is recognized for being an inspiration to others. “You can’t be afraid to ask questions—to go up above to solve problems,” award winner Kirsten Rothlander says. “Learn. It’s okay to make mistakes.” The Emerald Award celebrates a woman who has been charitable, and Dora Young is the recipient.

The main goal of the event is for female drivers to know how important they are.

“Even though we have these three awards that we’re giving out, the whole picture of the Highway Diamonds Gala is to celebrate all of our women,” says Highway iamonds oordinator Dee Sova. Through the program, women have gained confidence in their abilities and have recognized the importance of their roles at Prime.

MAY 2024 | PRIME WAYS | 5

LIFE | S P OT L IG H T

Jonathan Grice was promoted to operations manager for Prime’s Salt Lake City terminal in January.

Jonathan Grice, Prime’s new operations manager in Salt Lake City, is embracing a fresh challenge and looks forward to growth.

BY SUSAN ATTEBERRY SMITH

6 | PRIME WAYS | MAY 2024

Photo courtesy tk

HEADING OUT WEST

LIFE | S P OT L IG H T

Photo courtesy Prime Inc.

J

onathan Grice—the new operations manager for Prime’s Salt Lake City, Utah, terminal—says he’s still learning. “What I’m learning is that there’s a lot to learn,” says Grice, who started the job in January.

However, the 35-year-old also says the positions he has held at Prime over the past 16 years have prepared him well. “I’m super-excited and eager about the opportunity,” Grice says. “I’m looking forward to making a change and a di erence.” ntil this year, rice had een a eet manager for years at the pringfield, Missouri, terminal. “I’ve been assisting drivers for years and years, and in this new role I still do that to a point, but it’s more assisting fello eet managers and helping them personally grow and get through challenging experiences,” Grice says. “It’s just leading in a role now where I feel I can be relied upon in tough situations. Overall, I’m just kind of the last leg of support.”

Grice has advanced quickly at Prime.

The Urbana, Missouri, native was a 19-year-old student at Drury University in 2008 when he started working at the fuel desk at the pringfield terminal. There, he wrote purchase orders and found the best fuel prices for drivers.

Next, a job in the live loaded calls department led to a ne position as a eet manager assistant. Before long, Grice was a eet manager himself. “ as in my ery early t enties hen got my eet,” he says. hen asked hat e actly a eet manager does, Grice replies, “What they don’t do is a better question.” Fleet managers not only make sure that freight gets delivered safely and e iciently, he says, ut they also manage drivers to help make their ork profita le for them. “ ou ha e to e on your mental A-game all day, every day,” Grice says.

When he supervised as many as 140 trucks, Grice says having strong connections ith them as in alua le. “ s a eet manager, it was imperative to have personal relationships with drivers just because they’re out on an island by themselves every single day,” he says.

Grice says he was ready for a new challenge when he applied for the position.

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Previously based in Springfield, Missouri, Grice’s new home is Salt Lake City, Utah.

“What intrigued me about it was just the personal growth aspect of it, and I felt I could bring a lot of value to the company as well,” Grice says, adding that his experience as a eet manager should help him in his new role. “I feel like the team out here is going to enefit from the fact that did it for so long and did it pretty well for a while,” he says.

THE BIG PICTURE Now, with a view of the mountains from the Salt Lake City terminal and a bigger picture of the company, too, Grice says he’s more focused on customer service and making sure that the daily objectives of eet managers and dri ers align.

He is also focused on making the Utah terminal more of a draw for drivers passing through. “This terminal is obviously a lot smaller than pringfield is, so my goal would be to grow this thing as large as

Robert (Low) wants it to be,” Grice says. “I guess my goal would be to make this terminal as li ely as pringfield, to ha e a lot more participation.”

Grice says he wants to expand the base of eet managers and dri ers in alt ake City and do more to market the services available at the terminal, from its wash bay to a medical clinic that could open if there were enough demand for services.

While Grice admits he has always been “a very motivated person,” putting in 50hour work weeks even as a 19-year-old, he values family time when he isn’t on the job.

This June, he and his wife, Linda, and their three children—daughters Kendry, 11, and Reese, 9, and son Dexter, 5—will be getting settled in the Salt Lake City area.

“I would say chasing down my kids is my main hobby,” Grice says. “Chasing my kids and trying to hang out with my wife. My main joy is hanging out with them.”

MAY 2024 | PRIME WAYS | 7

“ LIFE | V ET E R A N S P OT L IG H T

A SIMPLE

SALUTE Army veteran Will Russell always had a heart for trucking.

BY MARY ELLEN CHILES

PRIME SERVICE ro ing up, ussell al ays had a heart for trucking. “ anted to do it for a ery long time, e er since as a little kid playing ith trucks,” he says. “ atched all the trucking mo ies, like mokey and the andit.”

| PRIME WAYS | MAY 2024

“I like the challenge of it, because nine out of 10 times, you don’t know what you’re picking up.”

— Will Russell e says he found rime y searching for the est trucking companies online. e anted to do at ed and he anted to dri e ith his ane orso dog, icky o y, at his side. “ e s a ig oy, ut he s really a ig puppy,” ussell says. “ e ants to e held like a a y, ut he s pounds.” ussell has een ith rime for a out three years no . hen it comes to the o , he likes the hea y lifting and the pu le of placement. “ like the challenge of it ecause, nine times out of , you don t kno hat you re picking up,” he says. “ t may say iron, ut you pull up and it s ig construction e uipment. e also deli ered glass panels to the entagon.”

ussell has t o kids and is ased outside of ackson, Mississippi, ut icky o y helps him feel more at home on the road. ussell as recently selected for the ri er d isory oard, and he s e cited to impro e the li es of his colleagues. “There s no point in complaining a out the issue if you don t do anything to try to resol e it or find a common ground ith the po ers that e,” he says. is uddy ale iegler as also selected and encouraged ussell to apply. They umped in. “ ale and are al ays competing to try to etter oursel es,” ussell says. “ e re trying to push that mentality to ard other dri ers and make the eet look good.”

Photo courtesy Will Russell

MILITARY SERVICE rmy ta ergeant ill ussell has had relati es in the military, ut that s not hy he oined. “ as kind of a ram unctious child gro ing up,” ussell says. “ didn t get in trou le, ut as al ays getting into something.” e needed consistency. ussell as raised outside of Tupelo, Mississippi, and oined the rmy in . e ser ed on acti e duty for si years, and inacti e duty for t o more. e as primarily ased in ort amp ell in Kentucky. tarting in he spent months deployed to Ta i, ra . Then he olunteered for a second deployment in , this time at amp i erty at aghdad nternational irport. e orked in long range reconnaissance and personal security detail for the rigade commander. “ ny here he anted to go, ust tried to keep him safe,” ussell says.

The military ga e ussell a chance to roaden his hori ons. “ as ready to get out of Mississippi, and that as my indo of opportunity, ecause didn t gro up ith money,” he says. n he re oined, this time in the reser es. ut time constraints as a dri er meant he needed a ne a enue to ser e. e s itched to inacti e guard and has one year remaining on his contract. e also orked as a firefighter and MT efore oining rime.

“ LIFE | WOR D S F ROM T H E F I E L D

Winter Mene comes from a family of over-the-road drivers, yet she breaks new ground as the first woman in her lineage to pursue the same career path.

THE NEXT GENERATION Driver Winter Mene is a part of Prime’s Highway Diamonds program, which supports female drivers and associates.

Photo courtesy Winter Mene

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ourth-generation driver Winter Mene’s father, grandfather and great-grandfather were all dri ers. hile she s the first woman in her family to hit the road, it’s safe to say that driving is in her blood. “My dad would take me over the road with him in the summer,” says Mene, driver in the refrigerated division. “He thought I just sat in the back and played games all day, but that’s really where my love of traveling started—riding with him.”

Starting with smaller box trucks, Mene would navigate oversized deliveries from downtown New Orleans with her husband, Joe, as her delivery assistant.

The city streets ere di erent compared to the Louisiana backroads Mene grew up driving, so she decided to look into what was more her comfort: open roads and

BY PEYSON MECKE big interstate driving. “I had been looking for close to fi e years on all the di erent companies to find the e perience anted to ha e,” she says. “ finally found rime, and they had everything I was looking for—from the support system to the Highway Diamonds program.”

Mene says the biggest form of communication within the Highway Diamonds program is the Facebook group. “It’s the core connection point, a community,” she says. “You can ask questions, give advice, and some women have even volunteered to pray with and for anybody. Women drivers are growing but still a rarity. It’s a comfort to know you’re not alone out here.” or the first months of dri ing ith rime, Mene dro e ith oe as her passenger, but she later convinced him

to join her as a driver. “I went and got certified ust to train him,” Mene says.

“Now, we are team drivers.” The duo live out of their truck full-time but make it a goal to not only head back home to Louisiana when they can, but visit family all over the country—wherever their route takes them. “We wouldn’t be able to travel all the time financially or time ise to see family, but we are able to with this job,” Mene says.

Being raised in an over-the-road family, Mene would say she is in her comfort one, ut she doesn t let eing the first female driver in her family slow her down.

“I’ve been raised that you can do anything you put your mind to,” she says. “We’re perfectly capable of doing anything the male drivers do—don’t let fear of failure keep you from trying.”

MAY 2024 | PRIME WAYS | 9

LIFE | A DAY I N T H E L I F E

(RE)TIRED Quality tires are a key component to ensuring trucks, drivers and deliveries stay safe and arrive on-time. While their day-to-day looks pretty similar when hitting the pavement, Prime has reinvented the way to recycle these wheels of rubber into a variety of usable materials once they’re ready to be retired.

BY PEYSON MECKE

THE PROCESS “ irst, tires are loaded onto a con eyor elt,” says asta. “They enter a shredder and are reduced to inch pieces.”

Basta notes that these pieces are then transported to a secondary shredder, here the ru er is ground to arious si es and the metal ire is remo ed. Then, the metal is collected y a ire cleaning system and magnet.

“The ru er is then classified y si e through a series of gyratory ta les and

passed o er additional magnets for e en finer metal remo al,” says asta. “ urther refining can e accomplished through a third or e en a fourth stage of grinding, depending on the product re uirements.” nce all the metal has een e tracted, it s shipped out for recycling. “ inally, the classified ru er is con eyed to arious collection points, then shipped to its end destination in large sacks,” says asta. “ f a customer re uires one of our eight paint options, the ru er is then processed for on site painting and agging.”

hile it s an in depth process, asta says a tire can go from start to finish in a out fi e minutes. f a tire isn t uite ready to e retired, it goes through rime s T facility, hich recaps and repairs damaged or orn out tires that go ack onto the road ithin rime s eet. These initiati es are all geared to ard keeping as many tires out of landfills as possi le. “ t rime nc, e re not ust deli ering freight,” says asta. “ e re deli ering a sustaina le future, one tire at a time, ith ecoSHRED.”

ECOSHRED BY THE NUMBERS ECOSHRED PROCESSES...

2,700 TIRES DAILY 19,000 TIRES WEEKLY 83,000 TIRES MONTHLY 1,000,000 TIRES ANNUALLY | PRIME WAYS | MAY 2024

That turns into approximately…

34 million pounds of rubber annually in various sizes of mulch, crumb and powder and 16 million pounds of reclaimed steel.

If that was all turned into rubber mulch, that would be enough to mulch roughly 340 school playgrounds each year (calculated based on 100,000 pounds of mulch per playground on average).

Over the last five years, ecoSHRED has kept more than 130 million pounds of tires out of landfills. That’s enough to fill Arrowhead Stadium, home to Super Bowl Champions Kansas City Chiefs, 75 feet deep—more than one-fourth of the 260-foot-tall stadium—with tire shreds. The stadium could be filled in approximately four more years of ecoSHRED processing.

Illustrated by Kendra Miller

“ ur trucks generate a significant num er of scrap tires,” says Nick Basta, ecoSHRED ales. “ ather than seeing a pro lem, they rime accountants Mike ones and am Messick sa an opportunity to make a positi e and profita le impact.” rime started eco in as a commitment to sustaina ility and to find a ne use for tires that ere pre iously destined for a landfill. ere s a glimpse of the day in the life of a tire going through the eco process at its , s uare foot facility in pringfield, Missouri.

LIFE | C LO S E T O HOM E

Chris Noerper spends his free time volunteering with the Grundy County Management Agency.

RESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES rime associate hris oerper has volunteered with different emergency management agencies in Illinois, pitching in with everything from tra c control to search and rescue. He has spent about a decade of his life helping whenever he is called.

BY JULIANA GOODWIN

Photo courtesy Chris Noerper

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t Prime, Chris Noerper is an in-house security associate, but in his spare time, he volunteers with the Grundy County Emergency Management Agency in Morris, Illinois.

His passions for security and volunteer work go hand-in-hand. Noerper is originally from eerfield, llinois, hich is north of Chicago. He joined Prime in June 2020. At that time, Noerper had a Class B CDL and was looking to earn a Class A, but ended up enjoying his work in security so has stayed in that line.

There are parallels in his volunteer and work life, such as the desire to safeguard others and their property.

Previously, he had spent eight years as a volunteer reserve deputy for the Lake ounty heri s ice in llinois. t that

time, he was friends with a couple of police o icers ho kne he liked to gi e back and suggested he look into this type of volunteer work.

In April 2022, Noerper decided he wanted to devote his time to a cause again. Volunteers are on call 24/7 (barring work). He sometimes gets called out at a.m. for a fire or accident.

They have one training and one meeting each month, plus calls that they must respond to. They may also respond when police need extra manpower or sho up for a structure fire. “ ust had one a couple weeks ago where the City of Morris called out for tra ic control to pull a [vehicle] out of a ditch,” Noerper says. “ ometimes the fire department might need a communication van. They call us to help with that.”

The Grundy County Emergency Management Agency has 20 volunteers, plus three full-time EMA personnel.

Noerper is one of the volunteers who al ays has a fire pager ith him. “ f am at ork and that goes o , can t go ecause ork comes first,” he says. “ ut if they call for a weather spotter, I can do it from work because I just look out the door at work. I usually call in or report on what I see.”

Since the volunteers often respond together, they get to know each other and there is a sense of camaraderie. rom fires to se ere eather or tra ic accidents, Noerper is always ready to respond hene er and here er he s needed. “ like ust gi ing ack to the community and giving my time to help out,” Noerper says.

MAY 2024 | PRIME WAYS | 11

Photo courtesy Prime Inc.

12 | PRIME WAYS | MAY 2024

WELLNESS | F I T N E S S

GET ON THE ROAD TO A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE WITH PRIME’S FIT IN 15 PROGRAM rime’s fitness competition, Fit in , includes meal plans, truck friendly workouts and weekly check ins.

BY SONIA GUZMAN

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aintaining a healthy lifestyle on the road can be challenging for truck drivers, ut rime s dri er health and fitness department is here to provide support.

The Fit in 15 program is central to their e orts, designed to kickstart healthy habits and foster driver participation.

This 12-week program, held annually, o ers truck friendly orkouts, meal tips and regular accountability calls to its participants. Points are awarded for completing daily activities, with top earners receiving prizes ranging from gift cards to high-end gadgets, like a Garmin GPS device.

Colby Hughes, the driver health and fitness manager, sheds light on the program’s evolution. “Fit in 15 started three or four years ago,” he says. “We’ve refined it ased on user feed ack to create the version we have today.”

While currently accessible only through the Prime driver health and fitness e site, plans are under ay to integrate it into the driver’s mobile app, enhancing accessibility. “The program aims to provide drivers with momentum and stability,” Hughes explains. “Our ultimate goal is to see individuals maintain their newfound routines even after the program ends.” Derek Brown is one of many testaments to this success.

Brown has been a driver at Prime for three years, and a noticeable

decline in his health and energy levels prompted him to seek support from the health and fitness department.

“Being diagnosed with pre-diabetes was a wake-up call,” he says. “I don’t want to rely on medication for life.”

He highlights his family as a major motivator. “I promised my kids I’d always be there for them,” Brown says.

“To keep that promise, I knew I had to take control of my health.”

Joining the Fit in 15 program gave Brown the structure and accountability he needed to make lasting changes. “Consistency is key,” he emphasizes, noting his progress with a 10- to 12-pound weight loss and increased muscle tone. Brown credits the program’s daily workouts, which he completes each morning, for his success and encourages others facing similar challenges to participate.

While the current program cycle is underway, interested associates can still access program details and resources, albeit without eligibility for prizes. To enroll or learn more, drivers can isit dri erhealthandfitness.com. otifications for the ne t program cycle will be sent via the Prime mobile app in advance.

Prime’s Fit in 15 program is more than ust a fitness regimen it’s a community-driven initiative empowering drivers to prioritize their health and well-being throughout their journeys.

MAY 2024 | PRIME WAYS | 13

Prime Good Dads supports drivers and families with information, training, and resources designed to help them strengthen their connection and improve their communication.

learn more: www.primegooddads.com

TRUCKS & TECH | HOW W E ROL L

LOOKING FOR LIGHT Michael Hutson’s truck reminds him to find the good in each day.

BY MARY ELLEN CHILES

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p

LOTUS

“The white lotus tile on the hood is another symbol from the show—a secret order of wise elders that keep an eye on things,” Hutson says. t

ELEMENTS

The design includes the elements of water, earth, wind and fire, which represent four different nations in the

Photos courtesy Michael Hutson

Avatar series. p

BUNNIES

“Five little spirit bunnies just kind of come out and circle around, and it’s really cute,” Hutson says. “I found really good images of four out of the five.”

ichael Hutson is a lease operator and TNT trainer based in Republic, Missouri. His truck design was inspired by Nickelodeon’s Avatar television series, and his current design pays homage to Korra, the main character in one iteration of the series. “There’re many valuable lessons that even as an adult, you’ll look at it and they’ll just smack you right in the face,” Hutson says. He included quotes from Korra’s uncle, Iroh, in his design. On the driver’s side, it says, “Sometimes the best way to solve your own problems is to help someone else.” Hutson tries to live that way, especially as a TNT trainer. “I enjoy teaching.” he says. “I enjoy helping them be successful. It means the world to me.”

He added another Uncle Iroh quote to his passenger’s side door so he would read it every time he got into his truck: “If you look for the light, you can often find it. ut if you look for the dark, that is all you’ll ever see.”

“That quote has helped keep me on the right path some days,” Hutson says, particularly following the suicide of his 23-year-old stepdaughter in 2020. “It was nice to have that as a little reminder, not just for the people around me, but for myself every time I got in the truck, because, let’s face it, we’ve dealt with some rough times.”

Hutson credits his partner, Mary, with helping him raise his other children—all teenagers. Mary also enjoys the Avatar series, which the two have watched simultaneously when Hutson has downtime on the road.

Hutson has only driven this new truck since January. His previous truck was black and featured the character Aang from the Avatar: The Last Airbender series. He wanted a new look for his blue truck, but both have been popular on the road. “We get people coming up taking photos and asking about it all the time, and it doesn’t matter if they’re a fan of the show or not,” he says. e credits graphic designers at tripes tu with helping create looks that illustrate optimism and resilience. “It’s about being the best person that you can be and putting as much positivity into the world as you can,” Hutson says. “That attitude is really re ected in the truck design.”

MAY 2024 | PRIME WAYS | 15

TRUCKS & TECH | M A I N T E NA NC E

Ian Byczek, Urian Laferriere and DJ Navoczynski are a few of the Pro Maintenance Class teachers in Pittston.

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER Drivers can improve skills with the new Pittston Pro Maintenance Course.

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rivers stopping by the Pittston terminal can pick up insights in a new way. The Pro Maintenance Class is now available and aimed at empowering drivers to fi asic issues on the road.

“We want [drivers] to have as much knowledge as they can,” Ian Byczek says. He’s a road assist advisor, so he’s used to helping drivers with mechanical issues. He says he noticed an opportunity for ne and e perienced dri ers to learn basic values that will save them time and money. “ or e ample, if can get dri ers to replace a mud ap on a trailer instead of making them ait at a shop for si hours, that’s 5 ½ hours of their downtime saved so that they can be moving,” Byczek says.

16 | PRIME WAYS | MAY 2024

The class is modeled after one that has een pro ided at the pringfield, Missouri, terminal. It’s based on driver feedback and includes the working aspects of the truck, engines, trailers and equipment. That class is a aila le daily in pringfield. The one in ittston is a aila le once a eek at first ut has potential to e pand.

Byczek says drivers do not need to feel embarrassed if they don’t know something. For e ample, he says many people don t reali e that fuel gels up in e tremely lo temperatures, which actually caused a backlog this January. “It’s not just two drivers in Montana,” he says. “It’s literally the whole west side of the country that was frozen. So, if folks weren’t staying on top of those things it as hard find-

ing service providers that could get to them in a timely fashion.”

The course is currently available at 1 p.m. every Thursday. It takes three hours, with 80% of the time devoted to classroom work and 20% to on-the-job training. Drivers can take the course more than once as there’s a lot of information to digest. “When you take the class, you might retain 60% of the information, so we encourage people to take it again,” Byczek says. Walk-ins are always welcome, even if Pittston isn’t their home terminal. ri ers can find related training ideos on Prime’s YouTube channel. They can reach out to their road assist advisors for help. “We’ll get you the answer, and if we don’t have the ans er, e ll figure it out for you,” yc ek says.

Photo courtesy Lisa Lukachko

BY MARY ELLEN CHILES

TRUCKS & TECH | T EC H U PDAT E

The new app feature allows drivers to take and upload photos for inspections.

NEW APP FEATURES

BY BRIANNE MADURA We recently added four new features to Prime obile based off the river dvisory oard and driver suggestions.

1. In y rime the truck owner can now choose to allow a co driver to see the estimated revenue on trips.

In the settings menu, you can toggle on and off to allow.

APP FEATURE IMPROVES DRIVER EXPERIENCE As per the Driver Advisory Board’s recommendation, lease inspections are now accessible through the app.

Photo by Jamie Miller

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BY JULIANA GOODWIN

he Prime app just got better.

In 2018, Prime gave drivers the ability to sign electronic contracts in the app, and they are now integrating online truck inspections with video and photo features. Drew Martin, director of leasing, says this has een in the orks for fi e years and it ill enefit drivers and the company.

When a driver picks a truck, they do an inspection of the truck and turn that in with their lease. It is 10 to 15 pages of manual paperwork that Martin and his team must keep track of. “It is very detailed—what parts of the truck they are looking at, if there is any body damage,” he says.

The new feature in the app will allow drivers to take pictures, and it will also allow Prime to upload videos for drivers. If there is a scratch on a truck, the driver can take photos and upload it through the app, and when the lease is up, there will be no dispute about what the scratch looked like or who

is responsible. This will allow more detailed inspections. “There are hundreds, if not thousands, of components on a truck,” Martin says. “It is more for them to protect themselves but also for us to give them information about features they might not know about or what they are looking for.” For example, a driver may have a three-year lease, and in that time, features can change. Prime will be able to imbed videos to educate drivers on new features.

Many drivers have questions about new features. t ill also enefit ne dri ers ho may not kno what to look for.

The app truck inspections are currently being done and there may be tweaks depending on feedback. “Drivers are really excited,” Martin says. “This is more about driver customer satisfaction than saving money. We will have better communication with drivers and lease operators. We really like that we can change and customize this and add videos. We are making a better experience for the driver.”

2. e have added service failure information to the MyFleet section. You can now view service failures for all trucks in addition to H , og points, home time and critical events.

3. We also added trailer information to y eek fuel transactions.

4. There is a new driver health and fitness section in y rime for uick access to workout, cooking and other videos and health information. e are constantly striving to make y rime the best tool for our rime associates, both over the road and in house. e love to hear suggestions and implement new things based on your feedback and needs. If you have a suggestion, please send us a message in the app to rime obile upport with your ideas.

MAY 2024 | PRIME WAYS | 17

Inside Prime’s Leadership Changes T he beginning of the new year brought some big changes to Prime’s leadership team. First, Founder and CEO Robert Low announced that Darrel Hopkins would be taking the role of president.

Hopkins joined Prime in 1994 and previously held the controller and director of leasing positions.

BY MEGAN PRICE PHOTOGRAPHED BY KATY ST. CLAIR

18 | PRIME WAYS | MAY 2024

Once Hopkins became president of Prime, Drew Martin shifted to the position of director of leasing. Hopkins’ move also allowed Nicky Morrison’s advancement to controller and Chris Holtmeyer’s promotion to director of fleet maintenance.

These promotions demonstrate Prime’s commitment to providing growth opportunities to its current associates. Each of the three recipients expressed enthusiasm for their new positions, shared the journey that got them here and discussed future goals for their departments.

MAY 2024 | PRIME WAYS | 19

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Director of leasing • Years at Prime: 17

Drew Martin

D

rew Martin found a home at Prime in 2007 when he joined the accounting department as a sta accountant. He worked diligently over the years, and in 2012, he seized the chance to step into the role of leasing manager. Fast forward to the present. Martin now proudly holds the title of director of leasing, honoring his longevity and e pertise in the field.

Describing his new role, Martin explains, “I did a lot of the same responsibilities, but now I’m fully responsible for the whole department.” He spends his day performing a variety of tasks ranging from addressing immediate concerns to devising long-term strategies for success. Martin highlights the importance of e iciency in managing assets and collaborating with various departments to streamline operations and enhance the leasing experience for all involved.

For Martin, this promotion symbolizes both opportunity and the culmination of years of putting in the work. “It’s what I’ve been working toward for a while,” he says. “The culture we’ve built at Prime breeds longevity.”

Martin’s desire for continuous improvement is evident as he outlines his goals in his new position.

Rather than concentrate on himself, he wants to make sure that his team is taken care of. “It’s a lot about the associates within the department,” he explains. “It’s taking that knowledge and giving

others the option to grow within their career. It’s not really about me anymore.

I want to help my associates reach their career goals.”

One of the most rewarding aspects of Martin’s job is witnessing his colleagues’ achievements and development.

“I like seeing people grow in their lives and careers,” he shares. From life’s milestones like marriage or buying a house to hitting new highs in their careers, Martin truly cares for and cheers on his team’s triumphs.

In addition, his perspective on management extends beyond individual accomplishments to his team’s collective victory.

At Prime, Martin appreciates the culture of determination and independence. “We’re all challenged and empowered to make decisions,” he says.

“We all feel like owners in our positions.” This sense of ownership fosters a collaborative workplace where every voice is valued, and every decision contributes to Prime’s growth.

Consequently, this dynamic environment encourages innovation and fosters a strong sense of camaraderie among team members.

Martin’s journey from sta accountant to director of leasing is a perfect example of Prime’s focus on promoting from within. As he takes on this new role, Martin is committed to supporting his team, improving processes and contributing to the company’s future.

MAY 2024 | PRIME WAYS | 21

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CONTROLLER • Years at Prime: 22

nicky morrison

N

icky Morrison’s story started with a leap of faith and a passion for numbers.

After graduating from Missouri State University in 1999, she embarked on her post-college career in public accounting as an auditor, where she gained exposure to diverse industries and business practices. “I eventually decided I wanted to settle in my own niche, a place where I could use my experience to become part of a team sharing ideas and contri uting to a profita le business,” she recalls.

Morrison transitioned to Prime after spotting an ad for an accounting position. Despite her limited exposure to the trucking industry, she connected with the company. “Maybe it sounds too good to be true, but I knew from my first inter ie that I belonged with Prime,” she re ects, remem ering the culture that resonated with her personality.

Throughout her 22-year tenure at Prime, Morrison has held various positions, including assistant controller, before being promoted to controller. In her new role, she oversees financial reporting, internal controls, budgeting and handling customer bids and acquisition proposals. “My new position is responsible for many of the same functions as my previous title, just at a grander scale,” Morrison e plains. “ t s definitely a marathon, not a sprint.”

To Morrison, her recent promotion to controller is a testament to her years

of successes and failures.

“The fact that the blend of those things has yielded this result is an honor and is truly exciting,” she shares. Knowing that Prime’s leaders like Robert Low, Darrel Hopkins and Dean Hoedl have recognized and valued her abilities adds an extra layer of validation to her accomplishment.

Eager to embrace her new role with humility and a promise toward continuous improvement, Morrison aims to enhance process e iciency and build an incredible group of future associates and drivers. “I want to remain humble and never turn my head to educating myself each day,” she says.

“Ultimately, I want to be a part of a team that never settles and makes Prime better every day.”

Morrison finds empo erment in her role as a female leader in a predominantly male-dominated industry. “It’s exciting to be able to mentor and encourage women to thrive in this space,” she says.

However, she emphasizes that gender played no role in her accomplishments at Prime, attributing it to a supportive workplace and her own achievements.

What Morrison values most about working at Prime is the people—the camaraderie and sense of family that is in every aspect of the company’s culture. “There is absolutely nothing better than getting to spend such a large portion of my life around people I enjoy and care about,” she says.

MAY 2024 | PRIME WAYS | 23

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DIRECTOR of fleet maintenance • Years at Prime: 17

Chris Holtmeyer

C

hris Holtmeyer started in an entry-level position at Prime as a trailer inspector in the rime la a. fter fi e years in the Plaza, he transitioned to managing the day-to-day operations of the trailer rebuild shop for the next seven years.

He was then promoted to manager of eet maintenance, where he’s been overseeing nationwide shop operations for the past fi e years.

As of January, Chris proudly holds the title of director of eet maintenance, which marks the peak of his professional trek. “I now manage all day-to-day operations in all shops within the Prime network,” he explains. “I'm directly responsible for all technicians, shop assets and running the business component of our maintenance department nationwide.”

With 17 years of experience at Prime, Holtmeyer acknowledges the mentorship and guidance provided by his predecessors. “I’m humbled and honored to e a iliated with such a great organization,” he says. “I intend to maximize this opportunity that I’ve been given.”

In his new position, Holtmeyer’s goals align with ensuring the well-being and appreciation of his team. He stresses the importance of recognizing technicians’ determination through sometimes challenging conditions.

“Technicians are a rare breed of men and women who work incredibly hard,” Holtmeyer says.

“Despite hot and cold environments, they persevere and do so with a smile on their face and a great attitude. What is there to not appreciate?”

One of the best aspects of Holtmeyer’s job is leading the maintenance group to earn big wins as a team. “We reward associates according to their individual contributions to our company’s success,” he explains. The emphasis on recognizing personal e orts promotes an en ironment of collaboration and teamwork.

This type of compensation is certainly unique to Prime, and Holtmeyer loves being a part of it.

Holtmeyer’s favorite aspect of working at Prime is its ability to provide possibilities for all associates.

“Prime gives everyone an equal opportunity to earn unlimited amounts of compensation based on individual performance,” he says. Holtmeyer believes that for those willing to work hard and believe in themselves, there is no obstacle to achieving success at Prime. “Prime is a powerhouse,” he states.

“Not only because of our assets, drivers and facilities, but because of the people that work here.”

Holtmeyer’s path from trailer inspector to director of eet maintenance as filled ith hard ork and dedication. His promotion signifies a huge achievement and a commitment to empowering his team to thrive in their roles. His leadership and vision will continue to drive Prime’s success.

MAY 2024 | PRIME WAYS | 25

TERMINAL TALK

DRIVING EFFICIENCY & EXPANSION Additional land being acquired at the Pittston terminal will lead to more parking and a new trailer shop.

BY SONIA GUZMAN

26 | PRIME WAYS | MAY 2024

TERMINAL TALK

Photo courtesy Prime Inc.

E

xcitement surrounds the Pittston terminal as plans for a new trailer shop unfold. This shop promises a physical expansion and a leap forward in efficiency and capacity. With five and a half additional acres being added, the terminal is gearing up for a significant transformation.

Terminal Manager Rick Yarbrough expresses the collective anticipation.

“We’re still in the beginning stages, but it’s very exciting for everyone involved,” he says.

The need for more space has long been felt at the Pittston terminal, with congestion being a persistent issue. “We are small land-wise and overly congested,” Yarbrough adds. “When this property became available, we knew we wanted to build a new trailer shop.”

The existing trailer shop, erected in 1980, struggles at times to keep pace with demands. “The new shop will be bigger and better,” Yarbrough explains.

“We will be able to service more trucks, which means we can expand our fleet and hire more employees.”

Additionally, completing the new shop will pave the way for demolishing the old shop and creating much-needed parking space. This essential improvement will be appreciated by every associate who frequents the terminal.

The expansion doesn’t just mean extra space. “More parking will make the terminal more efficient and safer for drivers, allowing it to handle a larger volume of trucks,” Yarbrough says.

Since the Pittston terminal arrived in 2007, the terminal has witnessed a threefold increase in both personnel and

fleet size. Yarbrough envisions limitless growth opportunities with this expansion. “With the expansion, the sky is the limit,” he says. “We want to grow as much as we can.”

The benefits for drivers utilizing the Pittston terminal are tangible.

Expectations include readily available parking, enhanced safety measures, reduced wait times and expedited maintenance services at the new trailer shop.

While a timeline for project completion remains unknown, drivers navigating the current congestion can take solace in the promise of imminent relief.

The Pittston terminal’s journey toward efficiency and expansion is underway. As the wheels of progress turn, the terminal prepares to meet the demands of an evolving industry and of every associate it serves head-on.

MAY 2024 | PRIME WAYS | 27

FAMILY TIES

Left: Matt and Kim’s jobs at Prime have allowed them to travel across the country together.

WHAT MARKS THE SPOT? For refrigerated division team drivers Matt and Kim Graham, staying connected with family goes beyond traditional phone calls and ventures into geography lessons.

BY PEYSON MECKE

F

or nearly two years, husbandand-wife duo Matt and Kim Graham have been taking cross-country routes together.

“We always wanted to do team driving,” says Matt, who previously was a mechanic before taking the leap to driving at Prime.

“Kim started first and said she really liked the company—now we’re here.”

Kim, who previously worked at a hospital, enjoyed driving so much that she be-

28 | PRIME WAYS | MAY 2024

came a trainer and even trained Matt as he was onboarded. “We love it,” Kim says.

“Last year we got married, so we were home frequently to plan. Now, we try to stay on the road three to four months at a time. We even got rid of our apartment.”

All that time on the road has taken the Grahams all over the country and even to Canada. “We were able to go to Canada for the first time during a route,” Kim says.

“We had planned to go to a hockey game, but got stuck in a snowstorm!” Battling weather is a factor of the job, but Matt and Kim plan to visit again under better conditions to spend some leisure time—from attending a hockey game to visiting the hockey hall of fame and just exploring.

As their loads take them to various locations throughout North America, Kim says they often video chat with family members to show them the scenery and stay connected during long stints on the road. Their location gets specific, though, during daily calls with Matt’s mom, Cathy, a third-grade teacher in Pittsburgh. “It was her—my mom’s—idea altogether,” Matt says. “She said, ‘You know what would be

pretty cool, is if we call you every day after recess and you tell us where you’re at.’”

Matt and Kim both look forward to the call every day. “Sometimes we get antsy and call them first!” Matt says.

Matt and Kim will talk to the students and tell them where they’re driving through, talk about the location, and the students even have a chance to ask a few questions about truck driving. Then, the students find their location on the map and mark it with a sticker. “The kids absolutely love it,” Kim says. “For a while, I was working all overnights, and the kids were asking if I was awake. They were so excited when I was, and it brought a huge smile to my face. It’s so fun to be a part of!”

This daily phone call serves as an additional touchpoint for Matt and Kim to connect with Cathy and make an impact on how her students learn geography in real time. Matt and Kim are even planning a trip home toward the end of the school year so the students can tour the truck. “It’s been a new fun thing to share,” Matt says.

“We both have a blast talking to the kids every day.”

Photos courtesy Kim Graham

Above: The Grahams stopped to take a photo at the Four Corners Monument in Canyon Country.

MOUNT SHASTA Chad Walworth paused to capture a photo of his truck against the backdrop of Mount Shasta in

Photo by Chad Walworth

California. “This is one of the best views in the country,” Walworth says.

MAY 2024 | PRIME WAYS | 29

Driver Referral Program $100 $500 $500 1/4cpm $1,000 Earn $100 when referred driver hauls first load.

Earn $500 when referred driver stays 30 days.

Earn $500 when referred driver stays 6 months.

Earn ¼ cpm on every mile referred driver runs after 6 months.

Earn $1000 when 3 referred drivers stay 6 months.

Earnings Example: Refer 3 drivers who stay at least 6 months at Prime, and you would earn $4300, not including the additional mileage pay!

Program Rules: The person that is referred must run under Prime’s operating authority (A, B, C, or D Seats) as a company driver or independent contractor.

All active Prime Driver Associates under Prime’s operating authority (A, B, and C Seats) are eligible to receive Prime Inc Driver Referral Program pay.

To earn bonus at 6 months longevity pay and mileage pay, referred driver must be an A Seat.

No driver referral bonus will be earned for referring a rehire (previous Prime Driver).

To earn referral, referred driver must list Prime Driver’s name or driver code on online application or be provided to Recruiter prior to processing application for approval.

For more information, contact Prime’s Recruiting Department at 888-664-4473.

Program is effective as of Nov 19, 2021 until further notice or cancellation. (Prime reserves the right to modify the program at any time.)