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“[milleNNials] thiNk differeNtlY. theY waNt are now in their 20s and early 30s.
Hammonds says he sees two major
to Be promoted ofteN. so You haVe to teach differences that he works on with the
career patieNce. But You also haVe to keep younger executives he mentors.
them eNgaged. theY Need to uNderstaNd that “They think differently,” he said.
career pathiNg doesN’t alwaYs happeN oN “They want to be promoted often. So you
have to teach career patience. But you
their timeliNe, But that theY also Need to also have to keep them engaged. They
make a commitmeNt to staY with a compaNY.” need to understand that career pathing
doesn’t always happen on their timeline,
—Jeff hammoNds, but that they also need to make a com-
walmart’s Vice presideNt of priVate fleet mitment to stay with a company.”
A Millennial whose career star has
risen quickly by anyone’s standards, Still
agrees with that description of her peers.
“What the board wanted was specif- Heringer’s younger brother – educated “Baby Boomers say to wait and
ically to bring in young people from all as a lawyer – has joined the business. work hard and you’ll get there,” she said.
over in hopes they would form relation- He, too, has had to get to know the “Looking at Millennials, we want things
ships and bonds that would strengthen trucking industry from the ground up, quicker. We’ve had technology and a lot
our state association as a whole,” Heringer said. of things at our disposal all our lives.”
Heringer said. “We’ve had great speak- “I’ve enjoyed watching him learn,” Wing, who at 38 is on the tail end
ers and lots of bonding experiences. I’ve Heringer said. of Generation X, says he sees that same
always gotten a lot out of it.” Because it’s a family business, there difference between his generation and
Heringer’s own executive grooming aren’t as many opportunities for other the younger one.
process was akin to being thrown into young executives to climb the ranks, “They’re more an 8-to-5 genera-
the deep end of the swimming pool. He Heringer said. His company doesn’t tion, and everything is always at their
studied small business management at invest in any formal executive grooming fingertips,” he said. “It’s an instant-grat-
the University of Arkansas, but he also programs, but Heringer has been heav- ification, instant-feedback world. I think
played football, and his career-related ily involved in the 40 Under 40 Council that’s something everybody is getting
thoughts revolved around going pro rath- and hopes his brother will take his place more used to. We’ve had a lot of discus-
er than going into the corporate world. when he ages out of the group next year. sions about hiring Millennial employees
His family started in the oil business into the industry.”
in 1926, and always had their own trucks generationaL diFFerences Another difference Hammonds
and hauled their own fuel. In 1994 the Asked which speakers have stuck deals with is that Millennials sometimes
company formed a common carrier as with him over the years, Heringer men- don’t think about the broader team.
Star Transportation. Heringer joined his tions one that isn’t even from inside the But, he said, they usually buy into the
father in 1998, when that part of the trucking industry: Fitz Hill, the former idea pretty quickly once it’s put on their
family business was still in its infancy. football coach and current president radar.
Busy with the oil and convenience store of Arkansas Baptist College. Hill spoke Millennial employees are the future
parts of the business, Heringer’s father about general life skills that benefit lead- of the trucking industry, though, and hir-
handed him the trucking division and ers in any industry: how to influence ing and grooming the best ones is crucial
told him to make it work. people, how to be a good person and for companies – especially those with a
“It was me and two other people in a good businessman, the importance of view toward growth, Hammonds said.
double-wide trailer, and we did the whole responsibility. “We’re obviously a very large com-
shooting match,” he said. “I kind of got “It was just his story,” Heringer said. pany,” Hammonds said of Walmart.
thrown into a trial by fire – it was ‘Here “I remember that one quite well.” “If you look at the challenges of grow-
son, make it work. If you need my help, That kind of direct, personal con- ing a company to this size, one of the
holler.’ He showed me a lot of the finan- tact with older executives is invaluable most demanding aspects is how you’re
cial end, but as far as the nuts and bolts for promising young professionals in going to support it with talented people.
of getting this truck here and that truck the industry. It’s especially impor- Whether you’re operating another 300
there, I learned most of it by doing the tant for helping bridge the sometimes stores or adding 500 trucks and drivers,
wrong thing first.” stark generational differences between you have to develop talented people that
Since then the company has grown Baby Boomers, Generation X and the can manage the day-to-day of the com-
from six trucks to 88 trucks, and Millennial generation, whose members pany and prepare for growth.” ATR

36 arkansas trucking rePort | issue 1 2015