On Wednesday of this week, I had the occasion to travel to Rush Truck Center of Houston, part of the Rush Enterprises group, for a press conference and celebration for selling the 1,000th Hino medium-duty truck out of the dealership.

My compatriots here at Fleet Owner, with many more years of experience in the industry than I, know the Rush family – both Marvin and his son Rusty as well as some of the employees associated with their varied businesses – from their dealings in the past. This was my first chance to meet the Rushes.

Boy, was I impressed. I have interviewed Hall of Fame basketball players, football players, governors and presidential candidates (one of my best experiences ever following the 1996 New Hampshire presidential primaries, but I digress). And while speaking only briefly with Marvin Rush, and at greater length with Rusty about their business shows you what kind of knowledge they have, it was the conversations with some of their employees that really showed what kind of people they are.

If you listen to them, there can’t be many better people to work for than the Rushes. And it must be true, because this coming Wednesday, Rush Truck Centers will mark 45 years in business. You don’t get that far in business without having good people skills.

“None of this would be possible without dedicated employees and a strong corporate culture,” Marvin said during his time at the podium. Rusty echoed those same thoughts.

But it was what others told me that made the difference to me. Rusty, for one, despite all his responsibilities as president & CEO of a 50-plus dealership operation, still takes time each month to hold conference calls with managers at each of the dealerships. The calls, said Karen Konecny, corporate marketing director, take three days to complete.

Yet he does it anyway.

National sales coordinator and corporate marketing coordinator Carolina Overstreet (who, by the way, stayed on top of my myriad of flight delays in getting to Houston - thank you Carolina), mentioned that one of the nicest things about the Rushes is when they visit a facility, they take the time to walk around and greet all the employees. They don’t have to do that (I know that from previous stops in my career – thankfully not here at Fleet Owner’s parent Penton Media, I might add - where executives would visit and if you didn’t move out of the way in the hallway, they would walk right over you). But they do.

Do they know all the 2,400-plus employees by name? That would be virtually impossible for anyone, I believe. But, do they remember details about many of their employees, like how many kids they have? Do they remember to ask how that vacation they took turned out? They sure do.

When I first walked into the Houston dealership, the idea of home hit me right away. Instead of walking into a drab room with a counter, like so many places, the first things you see are the chairs and couch. Nice touches. Kind of makes the customer think “this is a place that cares about me.”

I guess that all starts at the top.

The American Trucking Assns.’ (ATA) driver recruitment initiatives recently benefited from a $10,000 donation from Navistar International Corp.

ATA’s recruitment program promotes careers in the trucking industry for returning military personnel.

The donation came from Navistar’s “Drive for Jobs” program, launched last year in conjunction with the first customer delivery of an International LoneStar Harley-Davidson Special Edition tractor and in celebration of Truck Driver Appreciation Week.

Through the program, owner-operator Chris Hawker, who purchased the first Harley truck, drove his new truck from the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee to his regular work route from Westfield, NY, to Jacksonville, FL.

For each mile Hawker drove during the month of November, Navistar made a donation to the ATA’s recruitment campaign. People who spotted Hawker’s special edition truck were encouraged to support the cause by visiting www.internationaltrucks.com.

“We’re proud to support the ATA’s driver recruitment effort,” said Jim Hebe, senior vp, North American sales operations, Navistar. “Through this initiative the ATA is taking a proactive step to address the challenges that will face the trucking industry in the years to come.”

“We appreciate Navistar’s support for ATA’s initiative to promote truck driving as a career option,” said Bill Graves, ATA president and CEO. “The men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces are ideal candidates to become trucking industry professionals — they have all the motivation and tools necessary to move successfully from the military into our industry.”

In 2008, Navistar supported another ATA initiative with a $15,000 donation generated from proceeds of DVD sales of Driver and Deliver, the documentary Navistar developed to celebrate the lives of truck drivers the contributions they make to society.

More than 2,000 children each day are reported missing in this country. More than one million children are reported missing in any one-year time period. Since its inception in 1984, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) has handled more than 2.4 million service-related phone calls. The center receives an average of 262 calls per day. If you don’t think the issue of missing children affects you, you’re wrong. It affects all of us.

Authorities are left to scramble when reports of a missing child surfaces. The creation of the Amber Alert program certainly helps to quickly locate children. Since 1997, the Amber Alert program has been credited with the recovery of 495 children. There are now 120 Amber Alert programs across the country.

But, despite this, we can do more. And Pacific, WA-based Gordon Trucking is doing more.

In 2006, Gordon teamed up with the Washington State Patrol, Washington Trucking Association, Budget Auto Wrecking and IMAGIC to help locate missing children in its home state of Washington.

“The Washington State Patrol approached us in the spring of 2006 about posting photos of missing children on our trailers,” said Chief Operating Officer Steve Gordon. “As a locally owned and operated company, we were happy to help the state and the communities that Gordon Trucking serves.”

The program, dubbed Homeward Bound, stated with just four trailers, but now Gordon has about 70 trailers in its fleet of more than 1,400 vehicles that are adorned with pictures of missing children. Currently, there are 19 children in the program. A picture of the child, both at the time of disappearance and another that is age-progressed to show what the child may look like today, the name of the child and contact information for NCMEC are included.

In its first year, the Washington State Patrol reported a 37% increase in the number of tips called into its clearinghouse for missing children. One of the original four children featured was located six months after first appearing on a Gordon Trucking trailer and returned to her mother.

“The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reports that 1 in 6 children are successfully recovered due to the public viewing a picture,” said Washington State Patrol Missing Persons Unit Manager Luci Stewart. “Because people spend so much of their lives in their vehicles, this was naturally a great way to reach them.”

Washington State has approximately 1,800 missing children cases at any given time.

“Since the program’s beginning, three children that the State Patrol featured on our trailers have been found alive,” said Gordon. “Although the State Patrol cannot directly attribute this success to the posters, Gordon Trucking’s involvement in the program has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my professional career.”

And whether it directly results in more children coming home or not, the program raises awareness of the problem.

“The Homeward Bound Program exemplifies a partnership between government and the private sector that can truly make a difference,” said American Trucking Association President and CEO Bill Graves. “I commend the efforts of Gordon Trucking and the Washington State Patrol, and pray all of these children are found.”

Gordon, which operates in 48 states, also sends Amber Alerts out to its drivers through its Qualcomm onboard satellite communications systems.

If you have any information in regards to the location missing children, please contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).

Related links:

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children: www.missingkids.com

Washington State Patrol’s web site: www.wsp.wa.gov

Gordon Trucking: www.gordontrucking.com

Amber Alert program: www.amberalert.gov

American Trucking Association: www.truckline.com

Washington Trucking Association: www.wtatrucking.com

Budget Auto Wrecking: www.budgetautowrecking.biz

Symbolic of the times, a young Joseph Cory stepped into his first truck and ventured out into the streets of Brooklyn, NY, determined to deliver that first stove. The first-generation Italian-American did what so many young boys did during the Great Depression; he left school after the eighth grade to join his brother in supporting the Cory family.

That family name lives on today in one of the most successful home delivery companies in the country. From Joseph Cory’s humble beginnings in 1934, to the 1,200 employee company now based in Secaucus, NJ, Cory Home Delivery has remained true to its roots.

”As my grandfather would often say, in our business there are only two things of importance,” says Patrick Cory, who along with Kevin Cory, both Joseph’s grandsons, leads the company today. “One is the customer, and the other is the furniture. If you take care of customers, they come back. If you take care of the furniture, it doesn’t. It’s just that simple — and just that difficult.”

The company recently held its 75th Anniversary party at the Meadowlands Plaza Hotel. Cory delivers furniture, appliances and electronics for some of the top retailers in the country. And with a fleet of 500 customized vehicles, Cory delivers more than $2.1 billion a year in consumer products to more than 1.6 million customers.

“As we celebrate this milestone anniversary, transitioning to third-generation family leadership and innovation are keys to continuing success in serving retailers nationwide,” says Joe Cory, Sr., son of Joseph Cory.

Through the years, Cory has remained diligent in keeping the company competitive. To make its fleet more versatile and speed delivery times, the company employs Demountable Concepts warehouse-on-wheels system and has invested heavily in information technology to improve efficiencies and customer service. State-of-the-art routing programs and smart phones on delivery vehicles to track orders and automatically update customers in real time are just a couple of the technological edges the company employs.

The company also instituted “The Cory Way” to measure delivery services daily and runs a Best of the Industry safety program led by former Virginia State Police Officer Scott Roberts. All while following the founding principles set forth by Joseph Cory some 75 years ago: “quality delivery and warehousing, respect for the men and women who provide these services, and always being there for customers.”

“We look forward to continuing to serve the retail industry and hopefully, being here for the next 75 years,” says Patrick Cory.

In 1934, Joseph Cory built a small, little delivey company with nothing but hard work and a dedication to the people he worked with and for. Today, 75 years later, that small company is now a powerhouse that still believes in its founding father’s ideals. So for 75 good years, and many more to come, here’s to Cory.

A lot of truck drivers would love to customize their vehicles. Many add their own personal touches. Few get the chance to go beyond that. But Wayne Mason, an owner-operator for Fikes Truck Line, did.

Mason was the grand prize winner in Fikes Truck Line Upgrade Recruiting Contest. His award: a $20,000 custom truck upgrade from Bryan Martin, the “Don” at Chrome Shop Mafia, the Joplin, MO-based custom truck experts. You can check out some of Chrome Shop Mafia’s other work here.

“My truck turned out even better than I expected,” Mason says. “It looks great and I’m really proud of it.”

Mason was given the chance to customize his truck by virtue of winning the contest, which ran from Feb. 1, 2009 through July 31, 2009. Owner-operators, who make up 100% of the drivers for Fikes, which specializes in open-deck freight, had the chance to refer a new contractor to the company. For each referral, one entry was entered in the referring driver’s name. Mason’s name was ultimately pulled, even if he didn’t believe it when Max Campbell, director of recruiting & contractor services, told him.

“I was sure Max was pulling my leg,” said Mason. “He had to get Gary Salisbury [executive president & COO] on the phone to tell me it was true before I could believe it.”

Among the upgrades Mason’s rig received: two-tone paint job on the cab, hood and sleeper; stainless ½ fenders; custom bumper; new dual 6 in. stacks; CSM mud flaps, weights and more; nut covers, hub covers and license bracket plate; two custom seats; full chrome package: in-dash toggles, knobs, switch trim and more; and a custom steering wheel installed by Martin.