OTA Dispatch Issue 1 2020

19 www.ortrucking.org Issue 1 | 2020 After a long and successful trucking career, Floyd retired in 2016. Troy purchased F.V. Martin, which now has 86 employees and operates 60 trucks, as well as Floyd’s interest in American Freight Inc. Troy quickly took up the mantle of his predecessor, both in diversifying and getting the next generation involved. F.V. Martin still hauls wood products, with 31 log trucks, but that’s not all. Ryan Hutchens, Troy’s son who now works for the business, tells us that they basically haul whatever can go on a flatbed. Per Ryan, “We haul potting soil, pumice, steel, and more. The strangest was maybe cow hides, and most recently, hemp.” THE VALUE OF INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT F.V. Martin has been an OTA member since 1992, when they sought advice from safety expert John Sallak and OTA as Troy and Floyd began to make safety improvements to resolve past issues. Troy became very active in the organization, serving on OTA’s board from the 1990s until he passed the torch to his son Ryan this year. Other F.V. Martin employees also rely on OTA as a key resource, including the flatbed division’s traffic manager, Stewart Davis, who has OTA manage their annual over-dimensional permits and guide them through the permitting process. They are also frequent attendees at OTA events—like the Spring Safety Conference—training classes, such as Drug & Alcohol Reasonable Suspicion for Supervisors, and other safety-focused opportunities. For the past few years, both Troy and Ryan have attended OTA’s Call on Washington in DC. They also participate in OTA’s “Trucking Day at the Capitol” in Salem. F.V. Martin’s industry involvement extends beyond OTA, as members of the National Federation of Independent Business Association (NFIB) and Cascade Employers. Troy sent trucks to Salem for Timber Unity’s “Stop Cap and Trade” event in 2019 and plans to do it again in 2020 as the fight continues. The company has brought trucks to local grade school “show and tell” events, has participated in parades, and is considering volunteer opportunities for high school job fairs. “We try to accommodate employees and be involved in the community,” says Ryan. They’re also on the council for the Rogue Transportation and Logistics Partnership to help set standards for trucking driving schools and to find grant opportunities to make sure the schools are properly equipped and able to upgrade trucks as needed. Stewart Davis, part of F.V. Martin’s management team, works with local schools like Rogue Community College and Aisling Truck Academy where he presents to students or brings a truck by to help educate and inspire them to learn more about the industry, as well as cultivate potential future employees. One goal is to create a pipeline and hire people in the Rogue Valley. Work-life balance is one of the messages that Stew conveys as part of his local outreach, “Maintenance is more affordable if the drivers are local. All of our drivers are home every weekend, and over half our fleet is home every night.” The company’s longest trip is to Massachusetts, and that only occurs when a driver volunteers. As Floyd did with him, Troy is investing in his management team to ensure a healthy future for F.V. Martin—while still remaining involved, of course. His management team of Stewart Davis- Flatbed, Joe Fisher-Maintenance, Shelley Guinn-Log Truck, and Doug Sabin-Safety run their prospective divisions and Troy oversees the entire operation. F.V. Martin has also become quite a family affair for the Hutchens family. Ryan is taking over many general business activities like insurance and workers’ compensation, benefits, and more. Early on, Ryan worked for F.V. Martin changing oil, washing trucks and performing maintenance in the shop, before gaining experience at American Freight Inc. for a few years. Now, he works for both. Sheri Hutchens, Troy’s wife, has worked for F.V. Martin for many years. All four of Troy’s daughters have worked for him, but only Tiffani Provencio is still involved at American Freight Inc. Ryan’s wife Heather runs payroll for F.V. Martin Trucking Co. And, what became of Floyd? Ryan laughs, “He’s in his 90’s now… but he’ll still come into the office with shorts on, making sure to apologize for the lack of office attire, to check on things!” FINDING GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES As with other trucking companies, the goal is to seek out new opportunities and grow; however, regulations and challenges like the driver shortage constantly put up road blocks. California’s emissions regulations means weeding out older trucks, which is costly. While committed to going green