To Our Valued Customers

To Our Valued Customers,

We certainly are in unprecedented times.  All businesses are scrambling to determine the best next steps forward and creating contingency plans, as the fluid nature of the COVID-19 pandemic progresses.

All of us at Central Oregon Truck Co. Inc. appreciate all that you are doing to keep our drivers safe, healthy and productive during these difficult times.

 One of the most important tasks we need to execute, is our ability to communicate, well and in advance.  We have appreciated your communications and only felt it was reasonable to provide you with information regarding how we are doing and reacting.

While we certainly are not panicking here at Central Oregon Truck Co., we are actively monitoring the situation, creating new policies and developing contingencies.  Please find below the steps we have enacted in preparation for both the current situation and possible future scenarios.

  • We have increased communications with our internal staffing and driving teams regarding personal hygiene, especially frequent hand washing, and social distancing practices.
  • We have advised our teams to self-sanitize eating areas while on the road.
  • We have created a 1-800 hotline for any drivers to reach out for any needs or concerns.
  • We require all drivers to wash their hands prior to entering our facility.
  • Our facility here is being deeply sanitized on weekends
  • We continue to have our in house housecleaning staff clean and sanitize daily, with all door knobs and frequently used or touched surfaces every two hours.
  • Upon entry to the yard, our drivers are asked to exit the truck and wash immediately, as we have staff sanitize the door, steering wheel and gear shift surfaces.  (this increases the protection of our maintenance staff)
  • We have successfully tested our ability to work completely from home, even if during a lockdown.  Phones may be a little clunky but everything else works extremely well.  We are addressing our phone concerns and will have a resolution soon.
  • We have drafted a policy for driving team members to self-quarantine should the need arise
  • We have developed a draft policy regarding the recovery of truck or load from a sick or quarantined driving team member.
  • We have asked all employees to be aware of their personal health and if they feel sick stay home or notify us if on the road and avoid all contact with others. (Self-Screening Policy)

We feel our best line of defense is prevention, our policies are structured such to avoid infection.  Our desire to remain healthy and able to serve our customers, while keeping our staff safe and employed is our number one goal at the moment.

Thank you all for your support, our goal here is to maintain operations as much as allowed and as much is available.  Let’s keep the economy moving, do our part through focused, common sense decisions, and know that we cannot except financial ruin during this crisis for our employees and there families if at all avoidable.

One final item to keep in mind.  Our drivers are out on the road, they do not have a home to hole up in, while we understand the temptation to close to all outsiders out, please just ask that they follow your local protocols and to not deny them the use of basic human needs.  This includes the use of a restroom and a place to wash up.

Thank you,

Rick Williams

CEO

Central Oregon Truck Co. Inc.

To Our Valued Vendor Partners

To Our Valued Vendor Partners,

We certainly are in unprecedented times.  All businesses are scrambling to determine the next best steps forward and creating contingency plans, as the fluid nature of the COVID-19 pandemic progresses.

All of us at Central Oregon Truck Company, Inc. appreciate all that you are doing to keep our drivers safe, healthy and productive during these difficult times.

One of the most important tasks we need to execute, is our ability to communicate, well and in advance.  We have appreciated your communications and only felt it was reasonable to provide you with information regarding how we are doing and reacting.

While we certainly are not panicking here at Central Oregon Truck Company, Inc., we are actively monitoring the situation, creating new policies and developing contingencies.  Please find below, the steps we have enacted in preparation for both the current situation and possible future scenarios.

  • We have increased communications with our internal staffing and driving teams regarding personal hygiene, especially frequent hand washing, and social distancing practices.
  • We have advised our teams to self-sanitize eating areas while on the road.
  • We have created a 1-800 hotline for any driver to reach out for any needs or concerns they may have.
  • We require all drivers to wash their hands prior to entering our facility.
  • We continue to have our in house housecleaning staff clean and sanitize daily, with all door knobs and frequently used or touched surfaces being done every two hours.
  • Our facility here is being deeply sanitized on weekends
  • Upon entry to the yard, our drivers are asked to exit the truck and wash their hands immediately, as we have staff sanitize the truck door, steering wheel and gear shift surfaces (this increases the protection of our maintenance staff).
  • We have successfully tested our ability to work completely from home, even if during a lockdown.  Phones may be a little clunky, but everything else works extremely well.  We are addressing our phone concerns and will have a resolution soon.
  • We have developed a policy for driving team members to self-quarantine, should the need arise.
  • We have developed a policy regarding the recovery of truck or load from a sick or quarantined driving team member.
  • We have asked all employees to be aware of their personal health and if they feel, to sick stay home or notify us if on the road and avoid all contact with others. (Self-Screening Policy)

We feel our best line of defense is prevention and our policies are structured as such to avoid infection.  Our desire to remain healthy and able to serve our customers, while keeping our staff safe and employed, is our number one goal at the moment.

Thank you all for your support, our goal here is to maintain operations as much as allowed and as much is available.  Let’s keep the economy moving by doing our part through focused, common sense decisions and know that we cannot accept financial ruin during this crisis for our employees and their families, if at all avoidable.

One final item to keep in mind.  Our drivers are out on the road; they do not have a home to hole up in.  While we understand the temptation to close all outsiders out, please just ask that they follow your local protocols and not deny them the use of basic human needs.  This includes the use of a restroom and a place to wash up.

Thank you,

Rick Williams

CEO

Central Oregon Truck Company, Inc.

Winners Announced for 2019 TCA Fleet Safety Awards

Winners Announced for 2019 TCA Fleet Safety Awards

Eighteen Companies with Outstanding Safety Records Now Eligible for Two Grand Prizes

Alexandria, Virginia:

The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) has recognized 18 companies as division winners in its 44th Annual Fleet Safety Awards competition. Sponsored by Great West Casualty Company, the awards identify trucking companies who have demonstrated an unparalleled commitment to safety. The top three winning companies in each of six mileage-based divisions had the lowest accident frequency ratios per million miles, annually.

“For yet another year, TCA is honored to present the Fleet Safety Awards to our members who continually prioritize safety in their operations,” said TCA President John Lyboldt. “These awards showcase the best of our industry and set these carriers apart as truly maintaining the gold standard when it comes to protecting their drivers, their loads, their equipment, and the greater motoring public.”

The 18 division winners are now invited to compete for one of two grand prizes – one for carriers with a total annual mileage less than 25 million miles, and the other for carriers with mileage greater than 25 million miles. Grand prize winners will be announced at TCA’s 2020 Annual Convention, March 1-3 at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee, FL. All winners will also receive recognition at TCA’s 2020 Safety & Security Division Meeting, June 7-9 in Louisville, KY.

Division IV Winner

2nd Place

Central Oregon Truck Company

Redmond, OR

Brad Aimone

Central Oregon Truck Company is a team that strives to be the number one provider of flatbed transportation services in the U.S.  We believe that America is a land with limitless opportunities, and the only limit to your opportunity for success at COTC is personal effort.  Our success depends on the operational relationships between all departments and the task oriented focus of all individuals on the team.  Safety is a personal and cultural value for us and we never cut corners.   There is a simple reason why we have been recognized as a Best Fleet to Drive For, and that is the people on our team working every day to make us better than we were the day before.

Rick Williams, CEO

COTC has an exceptional team of flatbed drivers. They execute the production so well, and perform for our shippers so well, that they all make me so proud to know they choose to be a part of this team! We have been diligently listening to our employees to implement new innovations for the driving team. While we cannot do everything or be everything to everybody, we sure try to implement new innovations to make everyone’s life easier. The COTC driving team are employees here and their opinions are highly valued! We want you to be part of the process of constant improvement for us as a team!

Truck and Trailer Pre-Trip Tug Test

Prevent an accident today by performing a Truck and Trailer Pre-Trip / Post- Trip Inspection. This article will focus specifically on the Pre-Trip Tug Test to verify your fifth wheel is secure and brakes are operating.

It only takes three simple steps:

  1. Back up a six feet – verify all trailer wheels are turning.
  2. Pull forward six feet – pull the trailer brake to verify the trailer brake is working correctly and the fifth wheel is coupled to the trailer.
  3. Pull ahead another six feet – stop the truck with the footbrake to verify the footbrake is working correctly.

If you find the brakes or fifth-wheel have issues call-in and we will route you to a shop for service. Concerns must be communicated before beginning the trip and indicated on the log book pre-trip inspection report.

As a professional, flatbed driver on the COTC team safety is paramount. You are responsible for the vehicle, operator safety and to prevent accidents due to mechanical failure. The tug test is only a part of the Truck and Trailer Pre-Trip / Post – Trip Inspection. Always be thorough with the inspection lives depend on it.