A little snow this winter won’t stop us from transporting your most precious freight securely. We have the expertise to transport heavy machinery, building products, steel, road materials and many more commodities all times of the year!
As September ends and we get ready for fall to ramp up, we look forward to the busy transportation season that comes with it—let’s recap on the previous month! Shrinking US storage in Oklahoma impacts global oil markets, raising premiums for US crude in Asia and Brent-Middle East oil spreads despite. In Iowa, Governor Reynolds approved a 30-day grain harvest proclamation, allowing overweight loads for agriculture products until October 11. In addition to overall industry advancements, the Biden administration allocates $1.4 billion for railway safety and capacity projects across 35 states.
Still combating pandemic-related production issues, Trailer manufacturers explore automation, and prepare for electric trucks and more autonomous vehicles. Additionally, federal trucking regulators plan a study to investigate the impact of driver detention time on safety and operations. The 35th Annual National Truck Driver Appreciation Week took place the week of September 10–16, celebrating 3.5 million truck drivers through various events emphasizing the importance of recognizing truck drivers.
EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT—Jeffrey Jahnke
PGT Services: Director of Heavy Haul Operations & Flatbed Pricing
The people who form the PGT Services team are crucial for our company and customer success. That is why we are committed to supporting our employees in their career development. Managing complex and demanding oversized freight effectively is a significant undertaking, yet PGT Services ensures that we have the most capable individuals managing this department.
We chatted with Jeffrey Jahnke, our Director of Heavy Haul Operations & Flatbed Pricing, to understand the importance of this key role at PGT Services. During our conversation, we talked about his thoughts on the future and gathered insight into his experience in the transportation industry. Jeff has spent the last few years strategically learning the internal operations of the transportation industry—here is what he has to say!
How long have you worked for PGT Services? What role did you start out in and where are you now:
“I have been with the company for a little over 3 months. I have been in the transportation industry for 6 years and came over as a senior strategic logistics manager.”
What is your current job description:
“My current role is to grow our heavy haul and oversize business while supporting the business unit in pricing, project logistics and overall growth of the company.”
Jeff’s title is Director of Heavy Haul Operations and Flatbed Pricing and one of the most important parts of the job is managing relationships with our heavy haul carriers, ensuring smooth routes, and detailed communication every
day. In addition, Jeff also handles our pricing strategies dealing directly with over-dimensional and heavy haul freight.
What is the most challenging part of your job:
“I absolutely love a challenge! Sometimes there are new customer opportunities where we must be creative to produce unique solutions for each transportation need. Although this is one of the most challenging parts of my job, I love tackling these unique ventures!”
Your favorite part of your job:
“My favorite part is working with everyone within PGT Services on a daily basis along with the challenges brought to me with new customer opportunities where creative solutions are needed.” Jeff has worked in the transportation industry for 6 years, and it has been a wonderful experience. “I am most excited about the growth of our project logistics and heavy haul team over the next few years!”
Jeff is an important member of our internal team at PGT Services. Our employees are committed professionals who consistently provide excellent service to our customers. PGT Services supports ongoing growth and internal development by quickly identifying operational needs and creating new positions to make our business operations more efficient.
When Jeff is not directing our Heavy Haul Operations and pricing department, you can find him producing music and DJ’ing in his free time. Jeff loves the transportation industry and is extremely active on LinkedIn—updating his network with the crazy loads we move each day. Hit him with a follow! Or find him in Houston at Breakbulk this week!
Interested in exploring a career at PGT Services?
Flatbed OR Dry Van Multi-Drop options with PGT Services.
All across North America we have built a network of
dedicated, skilled carriers to tackle any customers multidrop
needs. With a focus on heavy machinery, a few of the
customers we service for multi-drop loads are Kubota, John
Deere, James Hardie, and Promet.
As August ends, we say goodbye to the summer weather and prepare for the arrival of fall, along with the bustling transportation season it brings. To end the summer, Taylor Swift’s Eras tour reportedly gifted $100,000 bonuses to approximately 50 truck drivers, totaling an impressive $5 million. In stark contrast, Hurricane Idalia, a Category 3 storm, struck Florida on August 30, causing widespread destruction along the Gulf Coast.
Experts and industry stakeholders are exploring alternatives to federal regulations favoring battery-electric trucks, with Senator Pete Ricketts supporting the Flex Fuel Fairness Act, which encourages flex fuel vehicle production alongside battery EVs. Pennsylvania is simplifying the CDL skills test, effective August 28, to enhance accessibility. Meanwhile, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg expands two marine highway systems, adding 250 miles to the Ohio River system and 6,500 miles of Alaskan waterways to enhance freight shipments and supply chains.
Container distribution greatly affects the U.S. supply chain. PGT Services’ flatbed solutions alleviates this pressure felt by the lack of dry capacity in the market.
From the start of our partnership to the completion of a shipment, explore our operations process.
As we look back at July, we embrace the summer weather and the busy transportation season that comes with it. In a notable development, the benchmark diesel price reported by the Department of Energy’s/Energy Information Administration experienced a substantial one-week surge of 22.2 cents per gallon, marking as one of the largest. On another front, senators introduced a truck safety bill aiming to enhance truck safety standards and improve highway safety. Additionally, experts believe the combustion engine will continue to play a role as well as addressing fuel-related issues is crucial for sustainability.
There is growing demand to bring veterans into the trucking industry as technicians due to their valuable skills and work ethic gained from the military. IKEA is also set to squire Made4Net, a US based supply chain software and services platform that will enhance logistics operations. Finally, a group of investors plans to address the truck parking issue by converting closed drive-in theaters to provide over 40,000 large parking spots.
EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT—HELLEN DE LEÓN
PGT Services: Track and Trace Team Lead
The people who make up the PGT Services team are
vital to the success of both our company and our
customers. PGT Services is headquartered in
Sewickley, PA, but also has a Barranquilla, Colombia
office responsible for both carrier and customer
relationships. Our Track and Trace team is led by
Hellen De León, who first started as a Track and
Trace agent, but now leads the group. Here at PGT
Services we are dedicated to supporting every
employee by offering the necessary resources for
career advancement.
We spoke with Hellen De León to explore her pivotal position within PGT Services. We discussed her role in depth, how our Track and Trace team is significant to success, and her perspective on working in the transportation industry.
How long have you worked for PGT Services? What role did you start out in and where are you now?
“I have been working with PGT Services for 2 years and 6 months now. I started as a track and trace agent and after a year I was promoted to team lead of the track and trace team.”
In Hellen’s current role she makes sure all the loads have accurate and on-time updates. Additionally, she troubleshoots and informs account managers anytime carriers are not communicating in a timely manner, to resolve issues before they occur. In addition to her personal day-to-day tasks, Hellen trains new hires and
distributes the workload between all members of the team.
Each day, Hellen and her team work diligently to ensure they are gathering the most accurate updates from carriers. Hellen gave us a great snapshot description of exactly what her days look like:
“We all start by checking our emails to make sure we are updated on loads and prepared to not miss anything. Then, we call all the carriers that should be picking up loads that day to ensure everything is good and nothing is running behind. After that, we check in with our carriers that are set to deliver to confirm the drivers are going to be on time. Occasionally, an issue may occur, and if we do discover a problem, our goal is to find out as early as possible so the carrier solutions reps and account managers can find the best solution.” With this proactive approach to problem solving and ensuring success, the team delivers exceptional service each
day!
What is the most challenging part of your job?
Sometimes, we run into a driver who will not provide us with useful updates, which makes our job challenging since a large part is communicating with carriers. When this occurs, we encourage our team to make every effort to gather as much information as possible, while treating each driver with kindness and respect.
What is your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part of my job is my TEAM! I work alongside my coworkers every day, and we have all become great friends. In addition, I love being a part in helping eliminate the language barrier with the Spanish-speaking drivers/dispatchers in the transportation industry!
Hellen De León
Thank you, Hellen, for playing such a crucial role within our organization! Our PGT Services employees are devoted professionals, consistently providing outstanding service to our customers. We prioritize growth and are always looking to expand our team with great talent!
Interested in exploring a career at PGT Services?
As we reflect on the month of June, we can embrace the arrival of warm weather and the summer season. Logistics costs in the United States witnessed a significant increase in 2022 due to higher transportation expenses. This surge in costs presents challenges for businesses and reflects the impact of supply chain disruptions and inflationary pressures. After a major structural issue caused by a tanker crash and explosion, I-95 in Philadelphia has reopened, providing relief to commuters, and restoring a crucial transportation route. President Biden’s infrastructure plan seeks to invest funding to modernize infrastructure, create jobs, and promote sustainable development, although it faces obstacles in gaining support and securement.
Additionally Continental Tires tests and develops technologies to enhance safety and efficiency. The freight industry sees three emerging trends: AI, paperless trade, and supply chain finance. Used Class 8 truck sales declined in May due to factors like chip shortages and supply chain disruptions, while recovery is anticipated. As June draws to an end, this ever-evolving industry keeps moving forward with daily developments and continuous advancements, overcoming challenges every day.
