June 2019 C2 Employee Spotlight

June 2019 Employee Spotlight

This month the employee spotlight is on Wenona Mertens. She has been with us for 2 years this October and makes a great addition to the C2 family.

Wenona is married to Daniel “Boogie” Mertens who is an RN at Cullman Regional. Between them they have 6 kids (Destiny, Tori, Hannah, Eli, Trinity, and Maddi) and 4 grandchildren (Lillianna, Layla, Jack, and Lance).

We consider Wenona our fitness guru around the office as she enjoys hiking with her family, fishing, kayaking, running, yoga, and of course spoiling her precious grand kids. She and Daniel recently competed in a "Stoney Lonesome Mud Run" to raise money for the local mud track park. She is a pleasure to work with and we look forward to what the future holds for her here at C2 Freight.

A Healthier You - Move Past Stress

Every day we roll with the punches. Kids screaming in the middle of the night, husband who can’t remember to take the trash out, carrier’s who tell you what you want to hear only to do the opposite, are all just a few examples of the daily ruffling of our feathers.

I wish I had a solution to all of these problems (sorry Kyle, but babies gonna cry) but we can all benefit from learning to deal with stresses as they come. So today’s tips are about healthy ways to move past stress:

• Take a Deep Breath: Feeling overwhelmed? Simply inhale for five seconds, hold, and exhale for five seconds. Do this for 90 seconds and you will walk away with a clearer and calmer mind.
• Cool Down: When you feel angry you physically feel your body heating up which will cause you to react and likely over react. Try using the “Cooling Breath” technique.  Breathe in through your mouth as if your sipping through a straw then breath out normal through your nose. This process gives you time to think about your response while lowering the heat you feel building. 
• Talk it Out: Sometimes just talking through the stresses of your day with a friend or a spouse can help you process and unload the day. Most of the time explaining the situation out loud will help you see ways to deal with it better next time.
• Unplug: It’s very important that you take time away from stress. Set a time to “turn off” work mode, caretaker mode, or whatever mode is the source of your stress and enjoy something for you. Go for a walk, watch a movie, have a quite (cell phone free) meal.  You will be a better parent, spouse, and employee when you switch back on, so it’s a win for everyone.
  

Remember, deal with it calmly, learn from it, then move on. Don’t dwell on it!

Written by: Wenona Mertens

May 2019 Employee Spotlight at C2 Freight

May 2019 C2 Employee Spotlight

This month we celebrate Shelonda! She has been with C2 Freight for over 12 years! She and husband Dusty live in Addison with their two children, Tucker and Willow. 

Tucker is in the third grade at Addison Elementary. 

Willow is two years old and full of energy. 

Shelonda has been in multiple seats at C2 Freight, and found her niche as a carrier coordinator. She does an amazing job with our truck drivers. She is a joy to be around and keeps us entertained with her stories. 

Thank you for all you do for C2 Freight, Shelonda. We couldn't do it without you!

Check out Shelonda's Employee Spotlight video at https://youtu.be/xR3AAmkyQbw
Be sure to subscribe to the C2 Freight YoutTube Channel to see our videos when they post.

April 2019 C2 Employee Spotlight

This month we celebrate one of our shipper coordinators, Shane Tuggle. Shane joined us in May of 2018. He is married to Allison. They live in Addison, Alabama and have 2 sons named Ty and David who both attend Addison High School. 

Ty is 16 years old and plays baseball. David is 14 years old and plays basketball. Shane and Allison spend most of their free-time at athletic events cheering on their Addison Bulldogs. 

We are so proud to have Shane with us...we give him our April shout out! 

March 2019 C2 Employee Spotlight

This month we celebrate Bess Waldrep. She recently joined our C2 family as the accounts payable contact last year.

Bess was born and raised in Eufaula, Alabama. She attended

University of North Alabama where she received a bachelor’s degree in management and marketing. 

She is married to Chris Waldrep and lives in Addison. 

Chris and Bess have two beautiful children.
Luke is 16 years old, and Abby is 13.
They attend Addison High School and are active in football, baseball, fishing, and volleyball teams.

In her spare time, Bess loves working in her yard, decorating, and watching her kids participate in sports. She loves being a part of her new C2 family, and we love her being here!

Trucker Safety Checklist

I'm a big fan of check lists and being prepared. Call me crazy, but I like for life to be as smooth and efficient as possible. Sometimes things happen that we can't predict or control, but if it can be predicted or controlled, then I try to be on it!

Here's a few easy trucker safety tips to mark off your list next time you're heading out to drive! (These tips can be modified and applied to ALL drivers to ensure safety for everyone on the road.) 

Stay Fit, Not Fatigued

Keeping your body and mind in good working condition is the first, and possibly most important, step for maintaining trucking safety. Being under the influence of alcohol or drugs can impair your judgement and driving skills. Eating healthy snacks and drinking plenty of water throughout the day and getting adequate sleep each night can help you to stay feeling in tip-top shape!

Have a Truck Check-up

Start at the front and give your truck a good look over all the way around. Checking the windows, lights, wipers, brakes, tires, and any extra equipment you may have on board is an easy way to ensure your vehicle is in good working order. Having your truck inspected by a trusted professional routinely can also help provide another layer of protection.

Check the Cargo

Is everything secured and properly distributed? Sometimes this is up to whoever loads the truck and sometimes it’s up to you. Sometimes cargo may need to be redistributed and secured again, which is especially true when there’s a stop-off and there’s unloading done before more cargo is delivered. Checking the trailer for holes, rust, and leaks is also important when it comes to protecting yourself and your cargo.

Documents and Devices

Making sure you have all the proper documentation in your truck can save you lots of time and trouble later. There’s no frustration like not having the correct documents and paperwork you need. Do you have to drive back and get it, stop somewhere and find a fax machine for someone to send it to you, digging through your laptop and finding somewhere to print it out.  Some documentation is legally required depending on your load, state, etc. Have a designated spot in your truck for all your needed documents and remember to check it before you leave for everything you might need.

Look Ahead

If only we could see into the future for what was in store… oh, wait, I think there’s an app for that. Okay, maybe you can’t see everything in the future, but when it comes to weather and road conditions there are apps like AccuWeather and Weather Underground for weather and WAZE and Google maps for road conditions to help you out. It’s better to beat the weather and traffic than be stuck in it when you can. Of course, things can still happen that are not reported or happen all of a sudden, but knowing what you can certainly help!