This has been a year for the books. A global pandemic, social injustice, a volatile marketplace – it hasn’t been easy for anyone. But we’ve learned a lot, especially about the importance of our drivers in not only our company, but our communities.
In the words of President & CEO Eric Fuller, “2020 has spotlighted our most important asset: drivers. In a year filled with challenges, these men and women have been on the front lines, delivering essential goods throughout the pandemic.”
Thanks to those drivers as well as our office/shop team members and, of course, our customers, we finally made it through this year. We even got a good bit done. A few examples:
Each year we host a Customer Summit in our hometown, Chattanooga, TN, for all our customers. We get to know each other, learn together, and have a little fun. But with COVID-19 all around us, we weren’t able to gather this year. To make up for it, we launched a webinar series, Delivering Ideas.
If you weren’t able to join us, be sure to check out the recordings. We hosted a driver panel, talked through the changing landscape of insurance in the industry, the current capacity crunch, and more. Up next we’ll be talking innovation with some of our leaders in tech. If you’re interested, you can go ahead and register for it here.
This has been an important year in our country in terms of justice, and equality. In hopes of taking a small step towards bridging the gap of injustice we’re seeing, we created a Diversity & Inclusion Council. Their job is to help guide our strategy and human resources teams in making change. Because the way we see it, diversity is our greatest strength, not something that should divide us. And taking even small steps towards equality is something that will make us a stronger company and a stronger partner.
This year we announced a partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Center for Transportation & Logistics. Graduate students in the MIT Supply Chain Management master’s program are using statistical modeling and artificial intelligence to study company data to help us develop a roadmap to improve driver efficiency. They plan on publishing their research in Summer 2021.
With self-driving technology, the future of the trucking industry is here. Up and coming autonomous trucking technology is improving the lives of drivers, increasing safety on the roads, and creating efficiencies for shippers and carriers alike. And this year, we’re getting in on the fun by partnering with global autonomous trucking tech company, TuSimple.
Awards
Thanks to the hard work of our team and partners, we’re proud to announce some of the awards we received in 2020:
- Logistics Management – Quest for Quality Gold Award
- Supply & Demand Chain Executive – Green Supply Chain Award
- Transport Topics
- Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) SmartWay program – Excellence Award
- Women in Trucking Association
- Top 50 Companies for Women to Work for in Transportation
- 2020 Top Women to Watch in Transportation: Julie Van de Kamp, Vice President of Customer Experience
- Veteran Awards:
- Viqtory – Top Military Friendly Company
- DiversityComm – Top Veteran-Friendly Company
- Military Times – Best for Vets Top Employer
- Veterans Magazine – Top Veteran Friendly Companies
Salvation Army Holiday Efforts
Though we’ve always been supportive of the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree holiday initiative, this year we increased our support. Along with a monetary donation in honor of our customers, many of our office, shop, and driver team members participated individually. Together, we were able to make a difference in the lives of nearly 500 families in our hometown, Chattanooga, TN.
Each year we recognize some of our most dedicated, hard-working drivers for the work they’ve put in over the year. Though this year’s celebration had to be virtual, we were still happy to celebrate 10 outstanding drivers who went above and beyond to serve the company and country through a difficult and uncertain year.
“We are extremely proud to once again recognize an incredible lineup of drivers for their outstanding achievements,” said President & CEO Eric Fuller. “It is an honor to have these drivers and trainers on our team and we are grateful for their unwavering dedication to both U.S. Xpress and the customers we serve.”
We have recently introduced a brand-new podcast made to keep our drivers informed and entertained while they’re on the road. Though it’s only been a few months, we’re having a great time and learning a lot. Feel free to catch up on past episodes or tune in every other Thursday.
It hasn’t been easy. It hasn’t been flawless. But we’re happy to say we’ve still been able to learn and grow this year. Thank you to the whole U.S. Xpress team and all of our partners for making it all possible. Here’s to a new year!
