Spelunking: BAT has a "Chuck" problem

Chuck and Charlie

We had a problem about a month ago when Charles Elmore joined the BAT Logistics team. He usually is called "Chuck," but we already had Chuck Kizer on our government team. (As you know from the past couple of posts, this is a familiar problem...)

So, to verbally tell the two apart, we continue to call Kizer "Chuck" and call Elmore "Charlie." Or "Charles." Okay, "Chuckles" is another nickname for the new guy. (Something will stick soon, he hopes!)

Charlie was born and raised in Omaha and has a love for art. He also has an uncanny, um, "knowledge" of Celine Dion songs.

Chuck, on the other hand, has been with BAT for about six months and is a huge Ohio State fan. Don't let his time at BAT fool you- he enjoys sharing his skills to help others succeed.

Spelunking: Is that Katie or Katy?

Katy (in black) and Katie (in white)

That's right. We also have a Katie and a Katy at BAT. Katie Forney handles our accounting and Katy Wilson is on our National Account team. So, how do you make sure you get the right one?

We call Katie Forney the "Katie in accounting" and call Katy Wilson "new Katy." New Katy has that title because she's only been here for two months, while Katie has been with BAT for five years. (It's likely Katy still will be called new Katy five years from now, unless, of course, we hire an even newer Katie/y.)

Both have fun personalities. Katie is known for her hairstyle and loves underwater basket weaving. Katy has a great sense of humor and loves kittens, babies, puppies and rainbows.

Spelunking: Which Steve is which?

Stephen Sinclair (in white) and
Steve Barnes (in orange)

At BAT, there is one name more popular than all the others. Our team includes three guys named Steve- Steve Barnes, Steve Coenen and Steve Sinclair.

Steve Barnes is our team leader for customer service. Both Steve Coenen and Steve Sinclair are logistics representatives for our West Coast dispatch. To verbally tell them apart, we call Steve Barnes just "Steve," Steve Coenen "Coenen," and Steve Sinclair "Stephen."

Steve Barnes is well-known for his love of Syracuse basketball. Coenen is the shortest at 4'6" and he plays the xylophone. Stephen is the Jersey boy.

Hopefully, next time you're looking for Steve, Coenen or Stephen, you get the right one!

Spelunking: BAT Gets A Driver's View

Account Executive Phillip Kimsey gets
a driver's view of life on the road.

BAT employees learned more about the life of a truck driver today when one stopped by the office.

Driver Barry Frantz is a long-time friend of Owner Shawn Rorie, and was passing through with a load Thursday morning. Team members were given the opportunity to go inside the truck and see what drivers have to work with.

They learned about a variety of things, from the size of the bed to how to adjust a fifth wheel. Many felt this experience would help them interact with drivers better.

"It's so great to see up close what our drivers are doing first hand every day," said Account Executive Joe Kier. "It gives me a better perspective of what they are out there doing and a better appreciation for their job on the road,"

Echo: Dangerous Driving Decisions Lead to More Fatalities

Some scary news was released by the American Automobile Association yesterday. According to a study based on years of surveys, drivers are growing less concerned about dangerous driving decisions.

They are less concerned about decisions such as drowsy driving, drunk driving and texting while driving. More people also think it is acceptable to run a red light. For details, read the AAA release.

What does that mean for everyone on the road? The first increase in traffic fatalities in seven years, according to the National Highway Safety Administration.

Please, no matter what vehicle you are driving, don't make these dangerous decisions and help keep our roads safer.

Our Condolences

We were saddened to hear the news this morning that a UPS cargo plane crashed in Birmingham, Ala., killing both the pilot and co-pilot. We at BAT Logistics offer our condolences to the families of the pilot and co-pilot and will keep them in our thoughts and prayers.

The NTSB is working to recover the black box to determine what caused the crash. A witness claimed he saw flames coming from the plane before it crashed.

For more information on the crash, visit the Alabama Media Group's website blog.

Echo: U.S. Rail Traffic Sees Increase

According to the American Association of Railroads, the past week saw an increase over the same week last year in all U.S. rail traffic.

Carloads were up 2.5 percent, while intermodal was up 2.4 percent. Total U.S. rail traffic was up 2.5 percent.

For more information on the increases, read the AAR's press release.