Simsbury’s Truck Drivers Ensure Reliable Transport Services for Manufacturing and Local Customers
Dyno Nobel’s Simsbury Site Manager Kelly Parent shares how the Site’s Material Controls team have continued to serve despite reduced driver numbers, increased key critical controls and without compromising safety.
At Simsbury, the Material Controls department’s primary responsibility is to provide road transport services to all SICT Manufacturing (Simsbury, Connecticut) with the delivery of raw materials and the removal and storage of finished goods, as well as WEMA distribution ((Warren, Massachusetts) with the delivery of finished goods to New England customers.
When the Department was faced with a reduction in their driving staff, the team really stepped up – with a reduced driver pool from six 1st-shift drivers to four 1st-shift drivers.
From past experiences, hiring a driver into this position is a lengthy process due to the job credentials of possessing a CDL Class A driving license with Hazard Material endorsement, not to mention the 6-8 weeks of on-the-job training before the driver is fully trained.
In the Material Control Department, it starts with camaraderie: mutual trust and friendship among people who spend a lot of time together. The drivers meet every morning and quickly discuss what needs to be done that day. Each day ends with their T1 meeting to recap how well they accomplished the day’s goals; roadblocks to accomplishing these goals become targets for the team to problem solve.
Some of the ideas implemented included shuffling some tasks from 1st shift to 2nd, working with customers to re-arrange their delivery schedule, and in
teraction between drivers to help each other by utilizing small pockets of available time. The team mindset encouraged Zero Harm, zero customer complaints, a positive attitude - we’re in this together, let’s rally behind each other, this situation will pass.
As one member on the Material Control Team described it “Everyone has been diligent working with each other. We may not always agree, but we work together to get the job done.”
Good teamwork fosters friendship and loyalty, which motivates and aligns individuals to work smarter, cooperate, and be supportive of one another. Individuals have diverse talents, strengths, weaknesses, communication skills and habits. Recognizing the diversity of the individuals in every team, strengthens the team’s success. When many individuals work together, teamwork helps these individuals understand others, build friendly friendships, share work, and get any job done the right way.
Above: Happy snap taken before the addition of the COVID-19 Health controls were implemented
SIMSBURY PROUD!
Shared by Kelly Parent, Site Manager at Simsbury, CT