Wisconsin-Based Trucking Company Clear Employer of Choice

On Tuesday, the Greater Green Bay Chamber held their annual business recognition luncheon. Of the 5 different awards, they awarded Paper Transport the Growth Award. This award recognizes a business that is locally owned and operated, in business at least three years, and under current ownership has demonstrated significant or continuous growth in sales, service and number of employees.

In the 15 years that I have been with PTI, we have grown from 120 truck to 720 trucks. It is always the hard work of our co-workers that makes this happen.”

– Jeff Shefchik, Paper Transport, Inc. President

Paper Transport, Inc. has humble roots in the Green Bay Chamber’s Incubator program, when co-founders Roger Grimsely and Lennie Shefchik commenced hauling paper for Fort Howard Paper Company in February 1990. Today, the PTI team has grown to over 900 professional drivers and support professionals throughout the Midwest and South. PTI’s purpose is to build a great place to work where outstanding people deliver. It is clear through the company’s people-oriented culture and over 18% annual growth for the last 8 years, Paper Transport, Inc. continues to achieve this mission as an employer and carrier of choice.

Event Photos Courtesy of Greater Green Bay Chamber of Commerce.

100% of All Paper Transport, Inc. Drivers Receive a Raise in 2017

DE PERE, WI – De Pere-based employer and for-hire truckload carrier Paper Transport, Inc. (PTI) announced a 5% pay increase for all of its mileage-based Class A Professional Truck Drivers on Monday. This announcement is followed closely by the company’s recent pay increase for all hourly drivers this summer, ensuring 100% of all PTI truck drivers in the fleet received a raise before the 2017 holiday season.

Trucking companies pay between $0.28 and $0.48 cents per mile on average, according to the U.S. Bureau of Statistics. While a few companies do pay up to $0.45 cents per mile, PTI’s top earners in select divisions will earn over $0.50 per mile and in the mid-$0.50 cents per mile with accessorial and bonus pay.

This pay scale offers new Midwest over-the-road and regional drivers an annual earnings of $61,100 annually and $65,000-$70,000 annually for tenured drivers.

“Our goal is to continue to push driver pay to better compensate professional drivers for the work they do every day and stay ahead of the market in compensation,” stated Ben Schill, Vice President of Paper Transport, Inc. “Our purpose is to build a great place to work; remaining a top tier carrier in total compensation helps further our commitment to this purpose.”

Founded 27 year ago in Green Bay, WI, Paper Transport, Inc. is headquartered in De Pere, WI and currently operates 730 power-units and 2,400 trailers with a focus on regional truckload, dedicated truckload, and intermodal services. Of its 900 employees, Paper Transport, Inc. employs over 220 truck drivers and 120 office professionals in Northeast Wisconsin and has grown 18-22% each year for the last 7 years. They can be reached at 800-317-3650, info@papertransport.com, or www.papertransport.com.

DEPERE, WI – Paper Transport, Inc. has been accepted as a member of the Blockchain in Transportation Alliance. Blockchain guarantees accuracy and integrity of globally shared databases that are maintained by its users. Paper Transport, Inc. choose BiTA because of the alliance’s commitment to building a standard communication framework for the next generation of logistics providers.

Transportation has been communicating on a standard that was drafted in the 1970’s. Technological innovations, consumer expectations, and government regulation have created new pressures to which the industry must learn to adapt. Current communication channels are built with specialized programmers or costly third party intermediaries. Workflows have been created outside of the standard pathways to facilitate customer specific payment processes. Yard checks, RFPs, bids, lane definition, and location information are all maintained in database silos. Successful logistics requires timely, accurate information accessible to every party involved. Automation and seamless communication standards are essential for the industry to remain relevant. Blockchain will provide significant efficiencies for all members of the supply chain.

BiTA provides an opportunity for the industry to collaborate and evolve the way the industry communicates. The low margin nature of the industry demands communication flows to be de-centralized and non-monetized. The onus of data ownership will be placed on each member contributing to the Blockchain. Each carrier will benefit and contribute to the Blockchain as it will be the only way to conduct business.

“Paper Transport, Inc. welcomes these challenges and is excited to join BiTA in their effort to democratize the data that drives our industry,” said Peter Covach, Director of IT at Paper Transport, Inc. “Our business is fueled with metrics, contracts, portals, and endless sources of inconsistent data all of which can benefit from Blockchain technology.”

Celebrating over 27 years as a truckload carrier, Paper Transport, Inc. is headquartered in De Pere, WI and currently employs over 700 professional drivers with a focus on regional truckload service, dedicated operations, and intermodal service. They operate terminals in Green Bay, WI; Jacksonville, FL; Cedar Springs, GA; Albany, GA; Atlanta, GA; Savannah, GA; Sturtevant, WI; Muskogee, OK; Dayton, OH; and Pontoon Beach, IL. They can be reached at 800-317-3650, info@papertransport.com, or www.papertransport.com

Truck Drivers Wear Many Hats

Truck driving is more than getting behind the wheel of a tractor and steering a box around the country. It takes precision, skill, patience, and much more. These highly skilled men and women wear a number of hats throughout the day and deserve a lot of respect. Share this with your favorite drivers and be sure to say thank you!

Paper Transport, Inc. to Have Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

With Special Guest Congressman Mike Gallagher

With special guest speaker Congressman Mike Gallagher and in partnership with the Greater Green Chamber of Commerce, Paper Transport, Inc. (PTI) will celebrate its grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony 1250 Mid Valley Drive in De Pere on Friday, April 7, 2017.

Founded 27 years ago in Green Bay, WI, PTI quickly outgrew its former location off Hansen Road in Ashwaubenon with its explosive growth of 20% each year for the last 7 years. The relocation to the completely remodeled headquarters location on Mid Valley Drive in De Pere has been a good move for PTI.

Since the company’s move 4 months ago on November 11, 2016, PTI has added 21 positions to its new headquarters and anticipates adding another 15-20 new office employees within the next year. Conducive to access from Interstate 41 for both its corporate team members and its drivers, the new state-of-the-art facility is twice the size of its home for the past 10 years and now includes a fitness center, standing desks, open-concept meeting spaces, a walk-up coffee bar, a micro-market, kitchen, and more. PTI models its space after its people and safety centered culture and will no doubt be an attraction for logistics, transportation, information technology, marketing, and more talented professionals in the Green Bay area.

“Our new home will allow us to increase our office staff by 60%. We chose a location where we have ample opportunity to physically add on to the building and add more capacity,” stated Ben Schill, PTI Vice President. “This new location will give greater accessibility and visibility to PTI – a great Green Bay employer, the Hometown Favorite.”

The fastest growing truckload carrier in the Midwest and Southeast as well as CarriersEdge and Truckload Carriers Association’s 2017 Best Fleet to Watch, 11-times Georgia Pacific Carrier of the Year, the recipient of the 2013 Chamber of Commerce Excellence in Business Award, the first CNG truckload carrier outside of California, and the largest company to grow out of the Chamber of Commerce’s Advanced Business & Manufacturing’s incubator program, PTI currently employs 156 office professionals in Green Bay and over 690 professional drivers throughout the Midwest and Southeast. With a focus on safety and people, its continued growth in Northeast Wisconsin will continue to impact the transportation industry in a positive direction.

Event Details

Date: Friday, April 7th
Time: 1:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Where: 1250 Mid Valley Drive, De Pere, WI 54115

Activities

1:30 PM Hors d’oeuvres and refreshments
2:15 PM Presentation with special guest Rep. Mike Gallagher

Don’t miss your chance to be a part of a major milestone in Paper Transport, Inc.’s history as well as a chance to meet Rep. Mike Gallagher.

Paper Transport, Inc. is a truckload carrier, headquartered in De Pere, WI and currently operates over 683 power-units and employs over 690 drivers with a focus on regional truckload service, dedicated operations, and intermodal service. They operate terminals in Green Bay, WI; Jacksonville, FL; Cedar Springs, GA; Atlanta, GA; Albany, GA; Sturtevant, WI; Muskogee, OK; Dayton, OH; and Pontoon Beach, IL. They can be reached at 800-317-3650 or www.papertransport.com

Paper Transport, Inc. Open for Business in De Pere, WI

DE PERE, WI – November 11, 2016

The fastest growing truckload carrier in the Midwest and Southeast is moving its headquarters to De Pere, WI this Friday.

Founded 26 years ago in Green Bay, WI, Paper Transport, Inc. (PTI) has been growing 20% each year for the last 6 years and simply ran out of room at its Executive Drive location off Hansen road in Ashwaubenon. Relocating to the completely remodeled location on Mid Valley Drive in De Pere is a good move for PTI.

PTI anticipates adding 15-20 new office employees within the next year. Conducive to access from Interstate 41 for both its corporate team members and its drivers, the new state-of-the-art facility is twice the size of its home for the past 10 years and will be an attraction for talent in the Green Bay area.

“Our new home will allow us to increase our office staff by 60%. We chose a location where we have ample opportunity to physically add on to the building and add more capacity,” stated Ben Schill, PTI Vice President. “This new location will give greater accessibility and visibility to PTI – a great Green Bay employer, the Hometown Favorite.”

11-times Georgia Pacific Carrier of the Year, the recipient of the 2013 Chamber of Commerce Excellence in Business Award, the first CNG truckload carrier outside of California, and the largest company to grow out of the Chamber of Commerce’s Advanced Business & Manufacturing’s incubator program, PTI currently employs 135 office professionals in Green Bay and over 650 professional drivers throughout the Midwest and Southeast. With a focus on safety and people, its continued growth in Northeast Wisconsin will continue to impact the transportation industry in a positive direction.

Paper Transport, Inc. is a truckload carrier, headquartered in Green Bay, WI and currently operates over 650 power-units and employs over 650 drivers with a focus on regional truckload service, dedicated operations, and intermodal service. They operate terminals in Green Bay, WI; Jacksonville, FL; Cedar Springs, GA; Albany, GA; Sturtevant, WI; Muskogee, OK; Dayton, OH; and Pontoon Beach, IL. They can be reached at 800-317-3650, info@papertransport.com, or www.papertransport.com

PTI Launches REDmodal Service

Green Bay WI – Paper Transport, Inc. has launched REDmodal, an asset-based domestic door-to-door intermodal service. REDmodal distinguishes itself from other IMCs with its use of Paper Transport, Inc.’s company-owned trucks and company employed drivers in large intermodal markets to service the drayage on their domestic intermodal shipments.

Intermodal shipments across the entire US will be handled with the service. However, Paper Transport, Inc. is rolling out the REDmodal service with company drivers in Chicago, IL; St. Louis, MO; Dallas, TX; Central OH; Atlanta, GA; Central FL; and Jacksonville, FL. The Paper Transport, Inc. company trucks will supply GPS location services and connectivity to shippers.

The company trucks will handle the rail-owned containers that operate on CSX, Norfolk Southern, the Union Pacific and FEC. Joe Shefchik, Vice President of Business Development notes, “We believe we are the only intermodal provider using company drivers and company owned trucks to move door-to-door shipments in the shared container pools of the railroad. Our customers are benefiting from both service and cost improvements.”

Paper Transport, Inc. notes REDmodal stands for Reliable, Efficient, Dray. They will look for new markets to deploy the REDmodal service as demand develops.

For more information on REDmodal, please click here.

Paper Transport, Inc. (PTI), was awarded Dedicated Carrier of the Year and Driver of the Year at the 2016 Georgia-Pacific Corporation’s Carriers Conference on Wednesday, June 22nd at the Radisson Conference Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

With over 100 carriers considered for the award by Georgia-Pacific Corporation, one of the nation’s largest shippers, the 2016 Carrier of the Year Award is PTI’s 11th in the company’s 25 years as a dedicated carrier.

“Since the beginning of PTI, winning the conference has been our Super Bowl,” said Jeff Shefchik, President of Paper Transport, Inc. “Last night, we won our 11th Carrier of the Year Award in company history. From our professional drivers to our IT team to our accounting team – it is truly an award for our entire company.”

This is the 2nd Georgia Pacific Corporation Driver of the Year awarded to PTI and it was awarded to Jacksonville, Florida-based professional driver Darrell McFarland.

“It’s been a big year for me,” McFarland stated. Earlier this year, McFarland was awarded the 2015 PTI Driver of the Year for his exceptional service and safety record.

“What sets Darrell apart, besides his excellent driving skills, is his ability to plan his trips effectively to arrive ahead of schedule safely,” stated Wes Kornowske, Operations Director. “It has been invaluable having people like Darrell on our team as a service and safety focused driver along with a mentor to those entering the industry. We look forward to Darrell’s positive influence on new drivers as we grow.”

McFarland, humbled by the award, shared this insight for his fellow drivers: “You’ve got to give it time for PTI to know you and for you to know PTI. The circle just goes around. It’s a great place to work – it really is. Give the company a chance.”

“I started driving in ’72 after serving in Vietnam with the Army,” McFarland continued. “At 65, I don’t know if I’ll retire or try for my million. I’ve got 600,000 miles with PTI and it’ll take about 4 years. We’ll find out.”

Paper Transport, Inc. is a truckload carrier, headquartered in Green Bay, WI and currently operates over 600 power-units and employs over 600 drivers with a focus on regional truckload service, dedicated operations, and intermodal service. They operate terminals in Green Bay, WI; Jacksonville, FL; Cedar Springs, GA; Albany, GA; Franksville, WI; Muskogee, OK; Dayton, OH; and Pontoon Beach, IL. They can be reached at 800-317-3650, info@papertransport.com, or www.papertransport.com

Sandy Loew: One of the Best

Meet Sandy Loew from Florida. She is an avid reader and huge NASCAR fan. Sandy came to PTI from a company whose owner was good friends with PTI co-founder Lennie Shefchik. When Sandy informed her previous employer that she wanted better home time, so she could spend time with family and her grandchildren, and the ability to work closer to home in Florida, her employer was torn. Knowing she was a key member of his fleet, but deserved what she wanted, he recommended Sandy to PTI and told Lennie, “I’m sending you one of my best drivers. Take care of her.” Lennie personally hired her and we’ve been immensely proud to have her on our team.

Approaching nearly 9 years with PTI, Sandy takes great pride in her equipment and likely keeps the cleanest truck in the fleet. It is that same attention to detail that she has maintained a great safety record and top performance results. While she may not be your stereotypical professional driver in appearance and attitude, Sandy is not the kind of person who sits in a rocking chair – she has a great passion for the road and a contagious positive attitude that makes her a pleasure to work with.

In the words of North Jacksonville Driver Manager Brenda Peterson:

“She may be short, but she’s dependable and loyal. Sandy Loew is easily one of our best drivers.”

Watch Sandy’s story featured 2 years ago on our What Drives You? series:

Improving Fleet Safety By Decreasing Distracted Driving

By: Peter Covach, IT Systems Analyst

Let’s face it: distraction is a daily norm in this age of instant information. Notifications, beeps, and vibrations are constantly bombarding us while the task at hand – driving – requires our undivided attention. Distracted driving has become an epidemic that puts the driver, passengers, and those nearby all at risk.

When we were designing our next in-cab tablet solution that streamlined planning and communications, Jeff Shefchik, President of Paper Transport, Inc., recognized that this new solution may be even more distracting than what was currently in the trucks. We wanted to be able to push more information to the drivers in a safe and responsible way, but completely locking the screen while in motion was not the answer. Drivers need to access key pieces of information to execute their job. Countdown of remaining hours, turn-by-turn navigation, and occasional prompts to pull over and call dispatch are essential to run an efficient operation. These requirements quickly narrowed down the list of available options.

During our testing, we stumbled across Cellcontrol. Available to everyone with a smartphone or tablet, Cellcontrol is as simple as installing an app. No additional hardware is necessary as motion is detected via GPS. Configuration on a large scale is controllable through a fleet-wide interface to define what apps are acceptable to run while in motion. Apps that are not allowed are instantly hidden while in motion and then returned after the vehicle comes to a stop (see Figure 1.1 below). While in motion, our drivers are presented with a simplified home screen of allowed apps for safer app switching. For smartphone users, there are even features to control phone and texting usage.

Currently, there are minimal regulation requirements around in-cab devices and allowed in-motion functionality. Even though there was extra cost associated with this solution, it was the responsible choice for Paper Transport and the greater motoring public. Cellcontrol and apps like it ensure our safety values are a daily reminder to prevent distracted driving.

PTI Team Members: Talk with your team leader or driver manager for a Cellcontrol discount!

For more information on Cellcontrol, please visit https://www.cellcontrol.com/

Figure 1.1