Service One Transport Robert Walker
MUSCLE SHOALS – National emergency… This is a term that’s being kicked about a lot right now… In recent history “national emergency” has to do with threats from outside our borders. However today, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is spreading like wildfire through America (and well over a hundred other countries), the term is taking on a whole new and ominous meaning.
This historical event can bring out the worst and the best in our neighbors and fellow Americans. A local company, Service One Transport, is an example of what a great family of people can do to help combat, and hopefully mitigate this emerging health catastrophe. Holding the highest ratings by Federal Express, UPS, and many other companies, as well as the U.S. Government, this company is fully in the fight throughout the 48 contiguous States on our Nation.
Service One’s Robert Walker, “We’ve been preparing for moments like this all of our professional career. We’ve been rated by the European Union and certified for imports. We’ve been rated “Very Good”, higher than most carriers in preparation for disasters and things of this nature. When the “chips are down”, we’ve been their go-to guy for a long time. Just in the last 2 weeks we have delivered over 5 million pounds of goods deemed essential to National Security with calls coming in every hour. We have been in contact with Shipping and Receiving clerks and Corporate Directors and Presidents of Companies who require their products to be delivered safely and on-time.”
Service One has 3 terminals from which their operations are conducted. The terminal in Muscle Shoals has over 150 staff and drivers, with trucks moving in and out of the facility at an amazing speed. When on site, the operation resembles a highly trained ballet company, except the dancers are the big rigs and the men and women who are the drivers. They travel from supply centers to areas where the medical goods, equipment and foodstuffs are needed. And it is not without risk. That’s why Service One is exercising extreme health protection measures.
Mike Price
Mike Price, Director of Transportation, is keeping the equipment clean, health-safe and ready to go. And he is the training coordinator, ensuring that every driver is completely up-to-speed with the legal obligations of operating his vehicle and safely delivering his loads.
Mike Price
Also, during this particular time, Price is maintaining situational awareness of where truck and driver have been, who the drivers come in contact with, and defining the safest procedures to get the job done while maintaining minimizing risk to both the driver and the customer.The trucks and trailers are sanitised with commercial high-temperature sanitizing equipment and hand cleaning between every run.
Drew Hillis, Robert Wilson, Mike Price
Vice-President, Robert Wilson is continually monitoring the evolving landscape of rules and regulations as the situation on the ground changes. He does this in order to keep the delivery of goods in compliance with health and safety requirements. He also ensures that the drivers have the appropriate qualifications for transporting the particular type of load they’re carrying. Things like TSA and Homeland Security and the various state regulatory certifications that are required. It is a very involved process and must be exact. For example, some trucks must enter ports and airports and government restricted areas, and the drivers must be certified to meet sometimes very strict requirements.
Head of Operations, Drew Hillis coordinates all the equipment and support gear for each mission. the “Point Man” of the operation, he coordinates the delivery of all the cargo. Hillis is responsible for moving trucks from Point A to Point B and having them in position to get them to the drop-locations to support the effort. En-route trucks are tracked by satellite and Hillis monitors their progress by computer and also constantly communicates with the drivers along the routes.
Robert Walker emphasized that the drivers and staff undergo extensive and continuous training. It never stops. Rules and regulations change regularly throughout the country, and because Service One delivers to every one of the lower 48 states, continuous learning is a must. There is a library on site that the Company maintains to provide all the necessary documentation to conduct a safe and compliant logistics operation. Employees are trained constantly so they may operate at this highest level of security and safety for which they are recognized throughout the industry. Of late, due to the emerging COVID-19 pandemic, drivers are constantly reminded to use good, clean safety habits. They use masks if they have to when inside “hot zones” and keep their social distance particularly inside those areas. The trucks don’t enter areas where bio-hazards are dangerous. Walker said they will unload in safe areas, and the customer will take the cargo into the areas by their own means.
“We will continue to provide service to our customers throughout this national crisis. We will provide the service in a safe, timely and secure manner that our customers can rely on,” said Robert Walker.
