Expediter Services is excited to announce that their NEW contractor’s lounge, THE HUB, is now open! The Hub has been in the works since early this year, and is a part of ES’s recent office expansion. According to Jason Williams, President, Expediter Services, the new addition is more than just a place to visit. “We’re really excited about The Hub! ES has realized the need for a place where contractors can visit and relax, but it’s much more than that. The Hub is a place where people can get together to share thoughts and ideas. It’s a part of ES’s continuing effort to support this community. We want The Hub to be your lounge, where you Never Stand (or Sit) Alone.” Clean. Spacious. Well-Appointed. Safe.
The Hub brings together a number of amenities to help make contractors feel at home. The common area is clean, spacious and well-lit, with a large flat-screen TV, comfortable lounge chairs where you can put your feet up, and a kitchen area featuring free coffee. In addition, The Hub also provides a free shower and a washer & dryer. And if the mood strikes, you can sit outside on our patio. Access to The Hub is monitored and controlled, so you don’t have to worry about unwanted “guests” hassling you the moment you step out of your cab. Simply Enjoy.
The Hub is your place to meet, share resources, support one another and enjoy a clean, quiet respite from the road. If you have questions, please contact our team at 877-349-9303. to learn more. We look forward to seeing you at The Hub!
It’s Here! As promised, ES has delivered on bringing the new ITG Rewards card to ES affiliated Independent Contractors! The Rewards Card represents a great opportunity to help contractors cover healthcare costs, making it affordable, attainable & sustainable.From an insurance standpoint, independent contractors have not had coverage as a “group”, because they are self employed, as opposed to drivers who may work for an employer.
This situation has made it difficult for contractors to purchase insurance that’s affordable and ACA (Affordable Care Act) compliant. ES’s community benefits from ITG’s ability to pull together a large and diverse risk pool in order to make health insurance offerings affordable, attainable and sustainable.The new healthcare offering provides minimum essential coverage, as currently required by the Affordable Care Act. The ACA states that an individual must be compliant in order to AVOID paying the PENALTY, based upon their current tax year.
This new plan meets these requirements, so you pay no penalty for healthcare coverage. A real plus!
How it Works
ITG’s insurance coverage and member benefits are available exclusively to contractors in the expediting segment who are affiliated with Expediter Services. Members who select insurance through this program will receive a Rewards Card that can be used at approved vendors (Chili’s, TGI Friday’s, Dunkin Donuts, McDonalds, Subway and thousands more) in order to get real discounts. These are actual dollars that contractors already are spending with participating businesses. $250 will be applied to each participating member’s card monthly. The Rewards Card is a perfect trade off that’s real and tangible, allowing the card holder, to apply the money saved at participating businesses toward insurance benefits you must have.
Affordable Cost for Membership
To be a member of the Independent Truckers Group there’s a monthly fee of only $10. This small amount is a “ticket of entry” that allows members to be eligible for a number of benefits, regardless if any other actions are taken within the group. It also gives members access to other insurance products. In addition to providing ACA minimum coverage, the program provides insurance plans for dental, vision, disability and life insurance. These services are a “one-stop-shop”, where agents can help walk members through a number of different offerings, in order to choose the coverage that’s right for you, saving both time and money. ES will provide affiliated contractors with settlement deductions that will be automatically paid to ITG. This makes the process easy, avoiding potential lapses in coverage.
“We encourage anyone who is an independent contractor affiliated with Expediter Services to take advantage of this opportunity to get affordable healthcare. If you’re not affiliated with ES, we encourage you to contact our team in order to benefit from this great healthcare offering, as well as the many other support programs offered by ES,” said Jason Williams, President, Expediter Services. Visit the ITG Rewards website for more information.
Over the past sixteen years, Larry Rater and his wife Sherril have owned a successful expediting business. They started off as drivers, then bought their own truck a short time later. Today, they are fleet owners, signed on with Panther, having just added a fifth truck to their fleet. And at the tender age of seventy-five, Larry is showing no signs of slowing down.
“When I look back on how we started in the business, it’s been quite a journey. Sherril and I ran a dairy farm, which we sold to our son. I had planned on just helping him, when a friend asked if I’d like to drive a truck for his company. We tried it and were hooked. After driving for other people for a while, we had the opportunity to buy a new truck from the owner that we drove for, who was getting out of the business. We’ve been owners ever since. We’ve had as many as eight trucks in our fleet at one time,” said Larry.
The Rater’s latest truck, although purchased from an individual, still has an ES connection. “We purchased our latest truck from someone we know who was looking to downsize. But, we still utilized Expediter Equipment Finance for the financing. They are great at helping you get a truck even if you don’t purchase it from them. I signed the paperwork for the truck November 11th, on my seventy fifth birthday. I guess you could say it was a birthday gift to myself! The other four trucks in our fleet, all Cascadias, were sourced from Expediter Truck Sales, and we used EEF to finance all of them too. They just make everything so easy.”
While most people are slowing down at seventy five, Larry is still seeking opportunities and looking toward the future — with help from Expediter Services. “We met some people from Expediter Services six years ago at an owners gathering. I was impressed with what they had to offer. ES has tremendous leverage and negotiating power due to the size of their fleet for discounts on things like fuel and insurance. Add to that the support and programs they offer, and you have a real team to help your business grow. The kind of support ES offers is important, even when you have a great carrier like Panther behind you. It represents a tremendous benefit for fleet owners like us.” And speaking of benefits, the Raters are well-positioned to profit from the recently announced restructuring of the Panther/ArcBest brands; the first in the company’s ninety year history. As of January 1, 2017, the new company structure will be a combination of ABF Logistics, ABF Moving and Panther consolidating as a single asset-light logistics operation. “I’m looking forward to the new year,” said Rater. “With our newest truck and ES behind us, the road into 2017 is looking good! We’re also expecting good things from Panther. As a carrier, they’ve been good for our business over the years.”
Over the past several weeks, Expediter Services has introduced it’s annual survey in order to obtain valuable feedback about how the company is servicing and performing on a number of levels. The survey is an easy-to-take online questionnaire that drivers and owner operators affiliated with ES are encouraged to take. Take the survey here.
Cindy Sutton, ES’s Survey Coordinator
Spotlight News talked to ES’s very own Cindy Sutton, Survey Coordinator, to get her input about the importance of the survey to participants and to the future of ES. We also reached out to several of the survey participants and iPad winners to get their take.
SLN: Why is it so important for ES to give this annual survey?
We perform the survey to collect data from the most important portion of our business model, which is independent contractors made up of drivers, owner operators and fleet owners. By collecting this data, we can then know how to better serve them and improve operations on our end as we go forward.
SLN: How is the survey going so far?
The survey has been going great! We appreciate everyone’s participation. Also, everyone who takes the survey is eligible to win weekly prizes, from a new iPad to Swag Bags.
Our goal is to reach 60% of our survey base — which we’ve already achieved. The response has been truly outstanding. Originally, we had planned to run the survey for 12 weeks. But with the response we’ve had, we’ll be ending the survey early on December 2nd. This is due to the participation of our community, showing that they are engaged and involved.
SLN: Is there still time to take the survey?
Absolutely! If you haven’t already taken the survey, you still have time to login, give us your feedback and win prizes! Just go to this link: Take the survey here.
As promised, SLN caught up with several of the weekly survey participants and iPad winners to get their feedback about the annual survey, and about the service they get from Expediter Services. Shirley Voyles Contract Driver TVAL/White Glove Carrier: FedEx “I took the survey and it wasn’t any problem at all. I understand the purpose of it, and that’s to make sure Expediter Services knows how we feel about what we do, and how they can better service us. Years ago, when we first came on with ES, our contacts were Alicia, Amanda and April. Over the years, their staff has grown, but their level of service and quality has grown with them. Also, I have to say, it’s exciting to win an iPad! “ Lauretta Morton Contract Driver Carrier: Panther “I found the survey easy to take, and I’m glad to give input because I know it helps everyone. We’ve been with ES for about six months as contract drivers. They’ve always served us good by advising us about the loads we need to keep moving. I’m not quite sure what I’m going to use the iPad for yet, but it will probably be to listen to music. What a great surprise!” Dan Worrell Fleet Owner Carrier: FedEx “I felt that the survey was quite comprehensive and I certainly got the impression that ES was going quite a bit deeper than just a general surgery. I can see how the information the company is seeking would be beneficial in moving theirs and our business along. ES has outperformed in answering every question I’ve had as a fleet owner, helping us resolve a number of issues. We got our iPad and have already programmed it in and we’re using it for our business.” Joseph Dees Contract Driver Carrier: FedEx “I’m the first to admit that I’m not the best when it comes to working on the computer, but I took the survey on my phone and was able to answer all the questions. It was thorough and I’m sure it will give Expediter Services a good look into what drivers are experiencing as we do our jobs. ES has always been responsive to us and I’m sure they will take the information and use it to improve what they do even more. Oh yes, I’ll be picking up my iPad soon!”
Expediter Services is always looking for opportunities to improve how we can service YOU and YOUR business. If you have questions about what we do, or if you’d like to access the opportunities offered by ES as an independent contractor, please contact our team at 877-349-9303.
In our last issue of Spotlight News, we introduced an exclusive Healthcare Offering from Expediter Services designed specifically for Independent contractors. This new plan is a great way to take advantage of the savings and stability offered by our association with Independent Truckers Group (ITG).
Jason Williams, President, Expediter Services, says the new healthcare plan represents a great opportunity for contractors to get real healthcare at competitive prices. “Our tie-in with ITG is a win-win for independent contractors. The coverage is real, and offered exclusively to Expediter Services contractors in our market. We hope every contractor takes advantage of this opportunity to cut costs and mitigate risk following a volatile presidential election.” Affordable, Attainable & Sustainable Health Insurance
From an insurance standpoint, independent contractors have not had coverage as a “group”, because they are self employed, as opposed to drivers who may work for an employer. This situation has made it difficult for contractors to purchase insurance that’s affordable and ACA (Affordable Care Act) compliant. ES’s community benefits from ITG’s ability to pull together a large and diverse risk pool in order to make health insurance offerings affordable, attainable and sustainable.
The new healthcare offering provides minimum essential coverage, as required by the Affordable Care Act. The ACA states that an individual must be compliant in order to AVOID paying the PENALTY, based upon their current tax year. This new plan meets these requirements, so you pay no penalty for healthcare coverage. A real plus!
How it Works
ITG’s insurance coverage and member benefits are available exclusively to contractors in the expediting segment who are affiliated with Expediter Services. Members will receive a Rewards Card that can be used at approved vendors (Chili’s, TGI Friday’s, Dunkin Donuts, McDonalds, Subway and thousands more) in order to get real discounts. These are actual dollars that contractors already are spending. $250 will be applied to each member’s card monthly that rolls up. The Rewards Card is a perfect trade off that’s real and tangible, allowing the card holder, to apply money toward benefits you must have, such as insurance coverage.
Affordable Cost for Membership
To be a member of the Independent Truckers Group there’s a monthly fee of only $10. This small amount is a “ticket of entry” that allows members to be eligible for a number of benefits, regardless if any other actions are taken within the group. It also gives members access to other insurance products. In addition to providing ACA minimum coverage, the program provides insurance plans for dental, vision, disability and life insurance. These services are a “one-stop-shop”, where agents can help walk members through a number of different offerings, in order to choose the coverage that’s right for you, saving both time and money. ES will provide affiliated contractors with settlement deductions that will be automatically paid to ITG. This makes the process easy, avoiding potential lapses in coverage.
Shifting Healthcare
Even in light of a change in the White House, you still need health insurance. One thing is for sure, change is always on the horizon but you have to make decisions based on the current requirements. And rest assured, ES is already preparing for any future changes in requirements and regulations, so you can have coverage that’s affordable and available.
The Hub has been in the works since early this year, and is a part of ES’s recent office expansion. According to Jason Williams, President, Expediter Services, the new addition is more than just a place to visit. “We’re really excited about The Hub! ES has realized the need for a place where contractors can visit and relax, but it’s much more than that. The Hub is a place where people can get together to share thoughts and ideas. It’s a part of ES’s continuing effort to support this community. We want The Hub to be your lounge, where you Never Stand (or Sit) Alone.”
