Page 26 - ATR 3 2013

“if you look at the list of top 50 carriers iN 1978,
a couple others haVe merged aNd are uNder differeNt Names,
but abf is the oNly oNe uNder the same flag.”

when in a few months after assum- “We’re still facing some of the that management never lost sight of
ing the role in Cincinnati, Slagle was same economic issues, although the the advantages ABF has with a union
promoted to regional vice president of economy has improved somewhat,” labor force that most trucking compa-
sales and was relocated once again to Slagle said. “The overall health of the nies do not enjoy. “One thing that gets
Dayton. LTL sector of the trucking industry is overlooked by some is that the labor
Then in 1995, he received a call still not where it needs to be. When I agreement does provide a framework
from Dave Stubblefield, president of became president, I almost immediately of how we conduct our dealings with
ABF at the time. began working on our labor agreement, our employees,” he said. “While some
“He asked me if I was interested in which expired March 31, 2013. provisions of it inhibit us, overall it
taking a job as treasurer of ABF, which Slagle and his team successfully serves to illustrate the rules of the road
was a huge departure from anything just reached an agreement with the for everyone. As time goes on, many
I’d known,” said Slagle. But it was an Teamsters that its’ ABF employees, who of our employees realize that all of our
opportunity that he couldn’t refuse. He ratified the agreement by a 52 to 48 interests are best served by doing what
moved to Fort Smith, where Arkansas percentage. Slagle is quick to say that we need to do to serve customers in the
Best Corporation, the holding company he believes ABF management and the most efficient manner.”
for ABF, is headquartered. Teamsters were able to agree because “in He also doesn’t hesitate to brag on
He remained ABF’s treasurer for a word, communication,” he said. his drivers and dock workers and to
ten years, the last five years of which “We shared as much information explain how in his opinion, they are the
also assuming the role as vice president as clearly as we could with our union best in the business. “One clear example
of administration. “I picked up the labor employees and with Teamster is in claim prevention,” he explained.
additional responsibility for things like leadership,” he continued. “Facts are “ABF’s 2012 claim ratio, which is our
human resources and cargo claims, a stubborn and powerful things.” claims expense as a percent of revenue,
number of different disciplines, a lot of Slagle traveled around the country was only 0.46 percent, and we have low-
the back office activities.” to explain the company’s perspective ered our claim ration for an amazing 16
In 2006, he was named senior vice with its Teamster employees. “I con- years in a row.”
president of sales and marketing, a posi- ducted nearly 100 town hall style meet- “A significant reason for our suc-
tion he held until ABF’s president, Wes ings with employees.” cess is that our employees are tenured,
Kemp, who was retiring, tapped Slagle They launched a campaign to experienced, and they take ownership,”
as his successor. He officially assumed make its employees fully aware of the he continued. “Our average dock worker
the role in January of this year. Kemp situation the company had and the has been with us 11 years and our turn-
had been president for only three years, way management thought ABF and its over rate minus normal retirement hov-
and Slagle observes they were some of employees could mutually benefit if an ers around 2 percent.”
the toughest three years any ABF presi- agreement was reached. “We produced About 7,500 of ABF’s 10,000
dent has experienced. videos, postcards, posters, a web site, employees are members of the
“The timing couldn’t have been and facilitated Q&A through numerous Teamsters, with the remainder being
worse for him [Kemp] to take over a channels. Numerous people in Ft. Smith administration, sales, and management
company than in the fall of 2008,” worked on this and our managers in the personnel. The company’s revenue last
Slagle said. “The freight recession began field were engaged directly with employ- year was about $1.7 billion. Its assets
a couple of years later, but in the fall ees. In the end, the negotiating teams include 1,300 OTR tractors, nearly
of 2008 everything in the economy fell and our employees realized that changes 2,400 city tractors, 17,500 OTR trailers,
apart, the banking crisis, the mortgage were needed to return ABF to a more 2,400 city trailers, 59 straight trucks,
meltdown, the recession, and there competitive position in the market place 172 yard tractors, and nearly 1,400
was a rate war in the LTL industry. and enable us to thrive and prosper,” he forklifts.
Wes faced enormous challenges and he said. “Being an LTL carrier, we have
kept a steady hand on the tiller all that While labor negotiations can be roughly 270 locations around the coun-
time.” divisive, even contentious, Slagle said try and huge numbers of forklifts and

26 arkansas Trucking reporT | issue 3 2013