Page 37 - ATR 5 2020 digital

the last job they’ll have,” he said. “After complexity of deliveries as it relates to that could be flowing from China, you
some time with the company and devel- perishable grocery and all the sensitivi- were going to be really interested in what
oping their skills, they bring to the solu- ties that come with being on time with was going on,” he said.
tion a stability, number one again in e-commerce,” he said. “They’ve had to “Understanding the implications,
the area of safety, because they’re really adapt and change as our service mission even though it was a very fluid and
good at it.” has changed. But their commitment to evolving situation, dominated a lot of
Walmart has received the American the business and their dedication hasn’t our discussion around what measures
Trucking Associations’ Safest Fleet Award wavered at all.” we need to take.”
(in the large fleet category) for 16 of the “When you think about the last “That wasn’t unique to us,” he said.
past 22 years. six months and what we’ve had to go “I think anybody that was in the busi-
“If you can attract and retain that through collectively as a society, so ness was under those same pressures.”
kind of talent, you’re going to have a many people have been on the front “I think the first we started under-
level of stability in your supply chain line, our drivers, our people working in standing the implications would have
solution that you can leverage,” he said. distribution centers pulling and filling been in late January, when we began to
“You get this level of consistency and orders, certainly our associates who are understand how flow of goods from off-
high performance in the areas of safety, working in our stores servicing custom- shore markets might be interrupted or
service and cost management.” ers,” he said. “There’s a lot of dedica- compromised, that was the first thing,”
tion that should be recognized and he recalled. “We had to start mobilizing
FRONT LINE COURAGE AND celebrated.” pretty quick to understand what that
ADAPTABILITY Being at the center of American would look like and how that might
One of the most impressive things commerce, Walmart leaders like change our business going into the year.
Hammonds has witnessed working with Hammonds began seeing the potential That’s where the conversation started.”
Walmart drivers is their adaptability. business implications of COVID-19 long “As there began to be positive cases
“When you think about how before the general public. here in the US, we wanted to under-
we used to make simple straight-up “Retail and manufacturing probably stand early on what we needed to do to
deliveries to stores, and now with the saw early on that, if you’ve got inventory help protect our customers, associates
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ARKANSAS TRUCKING REPORT | Issue 5 2020 37