Last year was a record-setting one for Averitt Express, as it set a new standard for best damage-free performance in company history. According to Averitt Vice President of Operations Larry Mason, the company’s dock associates played a key role in that success.
“To use a sports analogy, our freight handlers are the offensive line of our team,” Mason said. “They protect us from all things negative and put us in a position to be successful. If you think about it, they set up everything we do and play a huge part in our ability to be damage-free, efficient in our pickup and delivery operations and also manage our linehaul costs.”
Mason says Averitt’s experience – including an impressive number of associates with 20-plus years of service – makes the dock operations a well-oiled machine.
“The ability to load freight on a linehaul trailer in a manner that is safe – but also full – is a talent and skill that does not come easy,” Mason explains. “It takes time to learn those skills, and I think that's the key to our success. We have more than 300 freight handlers on our Over 20 Team, and that experience is vital, not only in the skills they possess, but also in their ability to coach and train our new associates. The same applies to freight handlers who are loading pickup and delivery routes every day. The way they load the freight has a huge impact on our drivers’ ability to be efficient and to avoid any potential freight damages.”
Averitt also implemented a dock mentor program in 2023 that has yielded positive results. The program currently has about 30 mentors across 12 facilities who boast 400 years of combined experience.
“We have seen improvement in dock efficiency, loss prevention and transit service in these dock mentor locations and believe they have been a major factor in the success of our productivity and efficiency,” said Amos Rogan of Averitt's productivity and efficiency leadership. “These associates help coach, train and provide a standard of doing things the right way through safety, dock procedures and load quality.”
With the dock mentor program in place and growing, Mason is excited about the future of Averitt’s dock operations.
“The goal now is to continually improve on what we've already accomplished,” he said. “Through the help of technology and increased training and education, we think we will continue to set records in the years to come.”
About Averitt Express
Serving shippers for over 50 years, Averitt is a leading provider of freight transportation and supply chain management solutions with an international reach of over 100 countries. Averitt's “Power of One” service structure provides shippers access to LTL, Truckload, Dedicated, Distribution & Fulfillment, and Integrated services that cover every link in the supply chain. Averitt’s team has been awarded the highest honors in the industry in the past year, including five Quest for Quality Awards, numerous customer awards, and a No. 1 overall ranking in MASTIO & Company’s shipper survey. Averitt's 8,500+ associates are dedicated to delivering the most reliable services within the industry and promoting a company culture centered around people, communities, sustainability, and giving back. For more information, call 1-800-AVERITT (283-7488) or visit Averitt.com.
