The 2002 Professional Freight Handlers Competition (PFHC)
24,800 pounds of freight.
Nearly half is skids. The other half is comprised of carpet, drums, and other types of freight that may require special handling. And a portion of that freight is cartons that require nothing more than two hands and a cart.
What's inside? Baseballs, bathtubs, motorcycles, engines, clothing, toys, and anything else you can imagine.
Some of the tools of the trade: forklifts, shrinkwrap, dunnage, plywood, and airbags. And, most of all, the knowledge of when to use what and how.
Handling 3,100 pounds of freight an hour, 24,800 pounds in an eight-hour shift, this is the day in the life of a Roadway dockworker.
Sometimes the least visible members of our freight-handling team, the 6,000 Roadway dockworkers are certainly not the least important. Because it's these dedicated employees who move the freight safely, move it efficiently, and load it to ride from pick-up through to delivery.
To do this, they need skill, knowledge, and a dedication to safety.
There's no question that their skills are put to the test every day, but 18 dockworkers recently put their skills to the ultimate test: The Professional Freight Handlers Competition (PFHC).
Roadway created the competition as a way to recognize these safe and skilled employees. Inspired by the American Trucking Association's National Truck Driving Championships, the PFHC was held in Akron on March 25 - 27, 2002. It was a celebration of skill and safety.
Employees from around the company competed in local and regional run-offs to earn their way to the company-wide competition. To be eligible, employees had to be certified to operate forklifts and have an injury- and accident-free safety record for the twelve-month period immediately preceding their district event through to the final corporate competition.
The 18 finalists would compete for the title of Grand Champion.
Monday, March 25 was a cold and snowy day in Akron. After a mild and unseasonably warm winter, northeast Ohio was hit with a late-winter snowstorm. After a series delayed flights, nearly all the competitors were late to arrive at the Sheraton Four-Points Hotel.
The get-acquainted dinner went on as planned. Jim Staley, President and COO, and John Bronneck, Vice President, Operations, were on-hand to welcome the dockworkers and their families.
"You're here to be recognized as being a professional at what you do," said Jim Staley. "Your efforts are appreciated and I want to thank you for all you do for Roadway Express."
John Bronneck passed out the official program of the event-a 24-page brochure containing photographs and biographies of each of the competitors. The competitors introduced themselves to each other, collected autographs, and shared their thoughts about the event.
"We put the freight on the trucks and we take it off. It's all behind the scenes and the typical customer does not see that," said John McDonough, dockworker from Harrisburg. "So it's nice to get a little recognition that not only is it a tough job, but it also takes some knowledge to do it the right way."
"You see a lot of drivers who are proud of what they do and who they drive for and they get to go out and show that off," said Greg Bullock, dockworker from Nashville. "Now this is a way for the freight handlers to do the same thing."
Charles Tull, husband of Toledo dockworker Barbara Tull had a simple reason for attending the event. "I want to see how good she is at what she does!" he said.
Tuesday, March 26, the day of the competition, began with a bus ride through snow-covered streets to downtown Akron and the John S. Knight Convention Center.
The competitors and their families got their first glimpse of the course when they walked through the doors onto the floor of the convention center.
It looked like a sea of orange cones.
Gathering the group together, Chuck Wethington, district safety manager from Akron, explained the six problems that comprised the course. Competitors were allowed to walk through the course and briefly study each problem.
The first test of the day-the written examination-began in a basement conference room. Some competitors finished quickly, but the reaction to the test was mixed.
"It wasn't that difficult," said Ronald Alvarado, dockworker from Phoenix. "But there were some questions that were worded to try to trick you."
"I'm glad it's over," said Rodney Newcomb, driver/dockworker from Portland, Oregon. "But now I'm nervous about the driving course. It looks challenging and tight."
After the competitors were done with the written test, they began a rotation through the three other parts of the competition: the personal interview, pre-trip inspection, and the driving course.
The pre-trip inspection problem was a test of each competitor's ability to find planted defects on a forklift.
Each pre-trip inspection was timed and judged by Tom Parks, fleet maintenance engineer from the Akron Corporate Offices, David Thompson, district safety manager from Chattanooga, and Gailya Young, facility safety manager from Toledo. "We're looking for a quality pre-trip inspection where they check all the basic operations," said David. "They need to show their knowledge of when a forklift is in good condition to be operated."
Entering the room for the personal interview, each competitor was greeted by the sight of two Ohio State Highway Patrol officers. Lt. Colonel Paul McClellan and Sgt. Edward Stevenson were on-hand to judge each competitor's safety knowledge and attitude.
"We're looking for someone who is safety-oriented, who believes in what he or she does, and through the interview process, is able to communicate that to us," said Lt. Colonel McClellan.
Sgt. Stevenson agreed and was impressed by the competitors. "Much of our contact with the general public is in a negative manner-traffic, seat belt, and speed violations-so it's enlightening to meet a group of people who are safety-focused and have positive attitudes," said Sgt. Stevenson. "It's a joy to work with them."
Perhaps the most challenging portion of the competition was the driving course.
The six problems mimic real-life situations found on our docks. The competitors were tested on their maneuverability and freight-handling techniques.
Out of the six problems, the most crowd-pleasing was the basketball drop.
Picture a basketball perched atop a cone. The competitor had to remove the basketball without allowing the blades to touch the cone. Then the competitor had to reposition the forklift to face the basketball hoop and, by adjusting the height and tilt of the blades, make a basket.
One of the spectators watching from the sidelines was Mike Wickham, Chairman and CEO. "These are tremendous displays of the ability to handle forklifts, which is crucial to our product and crucial to the accident-free and injury-free efforts we have on our docks," said Mike. "I'm glad we have the opportunity to put our professional freight handlers in the showplace."
The stands were filled with the competitors' spouses, guests and family.
"I'm nervous today!" said Denise Lollis, wife of John Lollis, dockworker from Greenville, South Carolina. "The course looks a lot more difficult than I thought it would. I don't think John will be nervous, but I am!"
Regina Lewis, wife of Alphonso Lewis, P&D driver from Montgomery, Alabama, was a little nervous, but also found herself thinking differently about her husband's job. "This gives me a greater appreciation for what he does all day," she said. "It's more difficult than I thought and I have a lot of respect for him."
Watching the competition were other members of Roadway's Board of Directors. With the Annual Shareholder's Meeting being held the next day, attendees were invited to stop by and watch the competition.
"The first thing that impressed me is that all of these competitors are already champions twice-at their local facility and also in their district," said Carl Schafer, member, Roadway's Board of Directors. "So they're the best of the best."
Sarah Roush Werner, member, Roadway's Board of Directors and daughter of Roadway founder Galen Roush, was pleased to see an event dedicated to safety. "I'm sure my father would be very pleased with the direction and cooperation that's going on here today," she said.
Representatives from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters-local and national-were also in attendance.
Mickey Mader, business representative for the Ohio Conference of Teamsters, was glad to see an event that showcased Teamsters' skills. "An event like this shows how good our Teamsters are, how dedicated they are, and how proud they are of what they do," he said.
Bret Caldwell, director of communications for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, was taking notes and snapping photographs for his write-up on their Web site. "We're obviously very interested in this competition," he said. "We think it's positive that Roadway's recognizing the efforts of freight handlers and it's something we want to share with all our members."
The competition wrapped up with a team photo in the entry of the convention center. Afterwards, competitors and their guests were taken to the Corporate Headquarters for a reception and tour.
The day culminated with a dinner and awards ceremony. The ceremony kicked-off on a high note, with all 18 competitors marching into the ballroom behind the Roadway flag.
After dinner, the awards ceremony began. John Bronneck had the honor of introducing the winners, but not before thanking each competitor for their efforts on Roadway's docks each and every day. "No competition would be complete without naming a winner," said John. "But don't forget that, in our eyes, you're all champions."
The time had come to hear the results from the competition.
The Best Pre-Trip Award went to Rick Wickman, driver/dockworker from Concord, New Hampshire.
The Best Course Score Award recipient was John Lollis, dockworker from Greenville, South Carolina.
The Team Trophy went to the competitors from the Southern Division: Willard Bourne, dockworker from Winston-Salem; Greg Bullock, dockworker from Nashville, Tennessee; Dale Cook, driver/dockworker from Lakeland, Florida; Alphonso Lewis, P&D driver from Montgomery, Alabama; and John Lollis.
The President's Award recipient was Alphonso Lewis.
The Third Place recipient was Ronald Alvarado, dockworker from Phoenix.
The Second Place recipient was John Lollis.
And, in First Place, receiving the Grand Champion trophy, was Alphonso Lewis.
Walking towards the front of the room, Alphonso's beaming smile showed his surprise and thrill that he had been named Grand Champion.
Standing at the podium, trophy in hand, Alphonso joked, "My terminal manager told me not to come back unless I brought home a trophy!" He went on to thank everyone involved in the competition and shared his thoughts about what Roadway means to him. "Roadway's been my life for the last 12 years," he said. "I tell my wife everyday that I enjoy going to work, I enjoy my job."
After all the excitement wound down and the room began to clear, Alphonso and Regina, his wife, were able to reflect on the event.
"I knew it was going to be a tough competition," said Alphonso. "So my strategy was just to be patient on the course. And, in the end, I knew it was a close race, but I didn't really expect to win. It was a big surprise."
It was a big surprise to Regina, too. "I was in total shock!" she said. "I knew he was close, but I didn't think he was in first place."
For Alphonso, he said this was the best thing to happen to him during his career at Roadway. And the event "just reinforced my pride in the company."
As other competitors stopped by to give their congratulations to Alphonso, they shared their thoughts on the event.
"This was a lot of fun," said Rob Weerts, dockworker from St. Louis. "I got to meet employees from around the country and made a lot of good friends."
"This was a great experience," said Scott Stone, driver/dockworker from Pomona, California. "I believe we all need to get involved with our company, make a commitment, and show our pride in what we do."
The next morning, Wednesday, March 27, all 18 competitors attended the Annual Shareholder's Meeting in the ballroom at the Sheraton. Mike Wickham recognized the competitors for their contributions to the event and the company overall:
"Today I want to introduce you to some special freight-handling professionals. These people work while most of us sleep. They know our customers by their cartons and by what special care their shipments need. They understand data entry and database technology. They're aware of the processes and procedures attached to each of our projects. They're proficient in the art of loading freight to ride safely and securely in a vehicle that will travel thousands of miles on the road, on the rail, or at sea. They're knowledgeable about hazardous material handling and labeling. In short, they make sense, shipment sense, of the 60,000 shipments we handle every day. These employees were invited here for a competition to showcase their talents. They're the best of the best."
