Cat Scale

Archive for January, 2008

Operation Refresh

Making life better on the road

TA began the largest infrastructure investment in its history last year with the launch of Operation Refresh. While the improvements are to the physical buildings and parking lots, the focus of our effort is on you, our customer. We know you work hard and spend a significant amount of time away from home. We want to make your life on the road more pleasant when you pull into our locations. And, we realize that you have choices when you pull off the Interstate. We are working hard to be …

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Operation Refresh

TA's massive renovation is already turning heads

What would you do with $125 million? For TA, the answer was simple. Last May, the company launched Operation Refresh, a multimillion dollar renovation project at locations nationwide. Now, more than six months later, many locations have already undergone major makeovers. Some have a fresh coat of paint and improved lighting to provide a more welcoming environment. Others have new, expanded parking lots and new diesel pumps to make drivers’ everyday work more convenient. Many have new, …

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ATA Honors UPS Driver

ATA Honors UPS Driver In 2005, William G. Gray, Jr., was named the Maryland State Driver of the Year. Now the Cumberland-based driver for UPS Freight is the American Trucking Associations’ 2007 National Truck Driver of the Year. A 28-year veteran of the road with 2.7 million accident-free miles, Gray is a member of the Allegany County of Maryland Safety Coalition, teaching safe driving techniques to local teens and senior citizens. “The trucking industry is proud to recognize B…

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What Are They Thinking?

Answers to common driver questions about shippers, dispatchers and the law

Sometimes it seems dispatchers reward certain drivers with the best routes and punish others. How are assignments determined? The dispatcher’s goal is to minimize empty miles for drivers, says Dr. Peter Swan, assistant professor of Logistics and Operations Management at Pennsylvania State University. Larger carriers like J.B. Hunt use a computer program that looks six hours ahead and lets dispatchers know when a load needs to be picked up, who is going to be there, and if the dri…

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Bobbing for Bobwhites

Quail hunting in the Texas winter

A buck with a rack larger than anything I’ve seen in years prances across the ranch driveway. It’s late December and deer season is in full swing in the Texas Panhandle. But my cousin Shannon and I aren’t here to chase whitetails. We are after quail. Joe, the rancher who owns this 9,000-acre corner of Texas heaven, has set aside his work for a few hours to join us. It’s been a good year for bobwhites, says Joe. We uncase our shotguns, stuff shells into our pockets, …

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