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www.ortrucking.orgIssue 3, Summer 2016
MEMBER PROFILE
people finish their military term.
Reddaway has attended military
specific job fairs and has been looking
for all levels of experience. They have
a long history of hiring veterans, and
so far the company has hired 140. It’s
actually been a great fit for both
parties because military employees
know how to follow instructions, have
manners, are safety-focused, and
share common values with Reddaway.
They’ve also developed programs to
capture high school graduates about
to enlist and guarantee an interview
when they finish service. During the
recent Partnership Army for Youth
Success (PAYS) program, they
recruited eight new candidates.
Another program they’ve had success
with is “Heroes to Highways.”
Reddaway employees actively
participate in community events. The
company helps support efforts of
cancer research, food bank, blood
drive, and disadvantaged veteran, and
other charitable organizations. During
natural disasters, they have provided
relief support services. Reddaway
recognizes the need to give back and
tries to do its part.
So what is the main reason for
Reddaway’s success in the industry?
After all, only five other Oregon
headquartered trucking organizations
have as long a history as Reddaway.
According to the executive team, it’s
loyal customers that have kept the
business moving and growing.
Customers need their service. For over
97 years, the company has maintained
a high market share because of the
strong relationships they’ve built with
their customers, and some even
consider Reddaway an extension of
their own business. And, simply put—
trucking is a necessary component to
a high quality standard of living.
However, customers aren’t the only
reason. Reddaway has a team of
dedicated employees, some of which
have recently celebrated their 30 year
work anniversary. Quite a few
descendants of the original Reddaway
family are still working in various
departments of the organization; the
workplace is multi-generational. The
company has a continuous goal of
retaining current employees, and
that’s not changing anytime soon.
trip. The company feels privileged to
offer customers such a diverse fleet.
Training and practicing safe working
skills and maintaining safe equipment
in the office, the warehouse, and on
the road is one of the reasons the
company will soon be celebrating their
100 year anniversary. Reddaway has
been recognized for having a safe fleet
in Oregon, a movement they refer to
as “Consumed by Safety.” There are
plenty of technological advances that
assist with their safety commitment,
and the organization is progressively
incorporating features into their trucks
such as automated transmissions, anti-
collision, stability control, cruise
control that’s adaptive to varying
terrain, and auto braking. Options for
built-in cameras are also under
analysis. Reddaway plans to comply
with the new ELD mandate within the
year, and has already set up tractors for
easy installation, though they have not
yet selected a specific product line.
Aslaiyi “Osh” Wilkes, a driver for
Reddaway and a winner of the 2016
Oregon Truck Driving Championship
(TDC) will be competing at ATA’s
upcoming National TDC event. In
addition, Reddaway won the Team
Award this year. The company is very
active in state championships. The
organization has sent winning drivers
to the nationals for as long as they can
remember, and this year three
additional state winners will compete
alongside Wilkes. Reddaway is a proud
member of every state motor transport
association where they have
operations.
The driver shortage is real, but that
doesn’t mean it can’t be reduced.
One of Reddaway’s strategies is to
look to the military for recruits. The
company tries to recruit early, before
Reddaway is committed to hiring military personnel.