Admiral Merchants: Driving for Excellence

Everyone associated with Admiral Merchants knows we consider our independent contractors and our independent agents as our business partners. That point is made in our Strategic Profile, one of Admirals most important documents. That message is conveyed continuously in our conversations, in our publications and throughout our web site. We all recognize that, but for the efforts of our business partners, the success Admiral Merchants has enjoyed over the past years would not have been possible.

We spend a lot of time recruiting new contractors and agents. Because of the great service we give our business partners, our turnover rate, especially for contractors, is among the lowest in the industry. Recently, we have seen a significant uptick in the number of contractors joining

Admiral Merchants. It seems to me that one of the busiest departments in the company recently has been Contractor Services. Mike, Kim, Wes and Bonnie are on a tear right now. That department has sent out a flurry of e-mails lately, welcoming new contractors to the Admiral Merchants family.

Our primary marketing effort apart from our great customer service to our contractors and agents is our annual awards ceremony. This year, that celebration was held in Nashville, Tennessee, where we recognized 114 contractors as members of the Terry Bramer Circle of Excellence and 24 agents as Tom Seitz Million Dollar Agents. Every one of our contractors and drivers, every one of our agents, is a very valuable partner for Admiral Merchants. However, those we recognized in Nashville produced the most revenue in compliance with all applicable rules. They are valuable partners indeed.

We accomplish a number of things at this awards celebration. First, we provide a brief, but welcome, respite for many of our hardworking contractors from the rigors of life on the road. We take the weekend to thank them for their hard work. However, we also provide facts which prove once again that the Admiral team is very valuable to each of them.

This year our theme was: Admiral Merchants: Driving Excellence. I made the point at our general session that excellence is what sets Admiral Merchants apart from our competitors. I did that by showing to our guests that each year their business improves. In 2014, the average revenue for members of the Terry Bramer Circle of Excellence was over $220,000. The average revenue for the 24 Tom Seitz Million Dollar Agents in 2014 was almost $2,150,000. Those are very significant contributions to the total Admiral Merchants revenue. However, I pointed out to those very valuable partners that the hard work, dedication and professionalism of each member of the Admiral Merchants team helped achieve those results. Every day, every member of the team works hard to deliver excellent service to our business partners.

The numbers speak to our success. In 2014, Admiral Merchants moved over 50,000 truckloads of freight. In order to send out bills for those shipments, we processed over 450,000 documents. We had to re-bill 1,500 shipments because of mistakes in the billing; only 300 of them were due to an error on the part of someone with Admiral Merchants. Those are pretty amazing statistics! Those results would not have been achieved but for the Drive for Excellence by every member of the Admiral team. Our Drive for Excellence is also revealed in our claims and safety data. There were only 42 cargo claims made on those 50,000 separate shipments. There were 36 accidents, only 11 of which were preventable. Our CSA

Ships Log

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SPRING ISSUE MAY2015

In This IssueAdmiral Merchants: Driving for Excellence 1, 2

Driver Testimonial 2

Customer Service 3

In Memoriam 3

Online Settlements News Update 4

Louisville Truck Show 5

G.R.E.A.T. 6

Updates From The Legalization Department 6

Credit Status When Dispatching Online 7

Permit Request Access System (PRAS) 8

Perfect Score 8

Impressions From Nashville 9

Wedding At The Awards Meeting 9

Ira Payne Service Award 10

2014 Bill Bolish Employee Of The Year 10

Agent-Contractor Council 11

Admiral Recognizes Drivers For One Million Accident Free Miles 11

Terry Bramer 2014 Circle Of Excellence 12

2015 Criteria 13

2014 Tom Seitz Million Dollar Agents 14

Snapshots From The Awards Meeting 15-20

Quarterly Maintenance Reports and Receipts - Why Should I Submit Them? 21

Office Visits 21

Pennys Lane 22

Snapshots From The Office & Awards Video 23-24

Fun In Nashville, Petro Economics, and Other Such Voodoo 25

Safe Driving Awards 26

Top Revenue Producing Agents YTD 27

Top Drivers By Equipment Type YTD 27

Here at Admiral we are always looking for better ways to serve our business partners, and part of that is seeking out advice wherever we can. With that in mind, Admiral has started interviewing drivers to find out what works for them and why they are leased on with us. By taking these tips out of the truck stops and exchanging the information on a larger platform, we will all benefit from the collective knowledge of the entire Admiral team.

The first driver in this interview series is Willie Davies, who originally started with

Admiral in 2002, and has rejoined Admiral most recently in March of 2010, pulling a 53 Step Deck Conestoga specializing in machinery, automobiles, and aircraft.

What sets Admiral apart from other carriers?Admiral lets you promote your own business. I have been in trucking for 43 years, and the freedom at Admiral is like nothing else in the industry. You can run when you want to, no one hassles you on how to run your business, and anybody that comes and puts in the effort can make a good living. Im at a point where I want to get home on Saturdays and Sundays to be home with my family, and I can do that here.

You get paid extra for getting your own loads, we have some really good agents, and the fuel discounts are unbelievable. Like nothing Ive seen. If there were a better place for me, I would go there, but I havent found anything else like Admiral. The opportunity is like no other if you take the basic tools and run with it. There are no other opportunities like it.

What brought you to Admiral?I was with Admiral years ago and I left. I had referred a friend who was looking for something years ago who was blown away and is [was] still there. I was working in the automotive industry, and when that slowed down a few years later I came back. Looking back I wish I had come back sooner.

Are there any particular impressions of Admiral that stand out to you?When I go to the awards banquet or the barbecue, Brian (Admirals President and CEO) takes the time to say that he appreciates what I do.

He talks to you, looks you in the eye, and he really listens to what you have to say. You feel like youre wanted here. And you dont get that feeling just anywhere.

How have you been so successful with Admiral?You have to leave the door open to work with everybody. Dont just focus on one or two agents, youve gotta be open to everybody. Some guys will get in with one agent, and that keeps them busy, but those agents are full. If youre not in that positon, work with everybody. I have about eight really good agents that I work with regularly, but I am open to work with anyone out there.

Also, have the load board ready on your phone. You have chains, you have binders, and you need to have the load board on a smart phone. That is one of your tools.

When youre looking for freight, dont just look for whats near you. Im in Cincinnati, and when Im at home, Im looking for anything within 500 miles. If I see some good freight coming back from South Carolina, for example, then I see whats going to get me there to pick it up. That way, right when a trip to South Carolina pops up, youre ready to return with good freight. Its all about total miles. Dont just jump on freight because its paying $2.80 a mile going somewhere, but you are left stranded or have to take garbage back. Set up a return trip or a triangle that gets you $2.00 on every load. I dont know if thats the right way to do it, but its been working for me.

What is your experience of the perception of Admiral out on the road?More and more people are talking about Admiral and its getting more positive over the last couple of years. The drivers need to remember that one experience with a broker will set the reputation for all of Admiral. If I do something stupid, we all look bad to that broker. If you get with a bad broker, finish the job and dont work with them again. Just leave it at that. All of the drivers represent all of us, and the reputation is growing.

If you would like to take part in this testimonial series, please contact Mike Griffin at 612-843-8153 or mgriffin@ammf.com.

Admiral Merchants: Driving for Excellence (cont from page 1)

Driver Testimonial

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accident rating is 16% we perform better than 84% of the truck lines in our peer group, a peer group comprised of this countrys major large motor carriers. Those statistics show the commitment to excellence by our contractors, but also by the Safety and Claims departments which are driving those results. The efforts by Holly Caskey, our Safety Director, and her team, and Mark Dooley, our Claims Manager, and his team, help achieve those results.

No single person, department or group of people is responsible for our results. It truly is a team effort everyone plays a vital role. As Walt Site summed up so well years ago, We are all in this together. Certainly, we all play a role in our Drive for Excellence. However, we all have to remind ourselves that the drive is not over. We have to recommit ourselves every day to excellence. Only if we do, will our success continue.

I want to thank every Admiral contractor, especially the members of the Terry Bramer Circle of Excellence, every Admiral Merchants agent, especially the Tom Seitz Million Dollar Agents, and every member of the Admiral Merchants team. 2014 was a very good year because of your Drive for Excellence. Thanks for all you do.

Brian P. Short President and CEO

Willie Davies Unit 5426

Customer Service

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David and Dawn Disselhorst our Agent 2419 in Granite City, IL were recently recognized for their excellent service by Barnhart Crane. Lynn Wehrmann of Barnhart Crane said David is one of the best agents they have ever had or are currently working with; he always goes the extra mile to make sure our needs are met.

Do David and Dawn go above and beyond to make sure Barnhart Crane is a satisfied customer? Yes they do. Were they able to do it alone? No. David and Dawn choose the support of our Contractors and the Admiral Merchants staff to partner with them in providing level of customer service that is required by Barnhart Crane.

Is Barnhart Crane the only Customer that feels this way about other Agents, Contractors and Admiral as a whole? No. Are there other customers and agents that could be served better to create satisfaction to the level that Barnhart Crane has recognized with David and Dawn? Absolutely!!!

My point is we all must continue to strive for excellent customer service every day. If we, do we will have more extremely satisfied agents with extremely satisfied customers like Barnhart Crane.

As I researched (googled) Customer Service for this article I got pages and pages of information. A few of the quotes that stood out were:

Ask your customers what they need from you and your business, and then deliver it

No matter what, always be polite, courteous and friendly to your customers

Listen to your customers, they want to be understood.

Their problem is your problem to help solve. Dont make your problems their problem.

The list goes on and on. I recommend you take a minute and research (google) it yourself.

Always remember who your customers are, and focus on giving excellent customer service to everyone we work with every day. Its not that difficult and if done correctly its a win-win.

Ill end with my favorite statement found when researching (googling) Customer Service.

Dont strive to create great customers, strive to create raving fans of you, your company and the services you provide.

We at Admiral believe that our Agents and Contractors are our customers. Thanks for choosing Admiral.

Brent LaytonVice President Business Development

In Memoriam

We have recently lost members of the Admiral family. While some may have been known by many and others by few, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on those we have lost.

Ed Fox (Agent 2999) of Mentor, OH, has worked as an Admiral Agent since July, 2004. He passed away suddenly from a heart attack on December 4, 2014. Ed will be missed by all who knew and loved him. Eds wife, Tracy, will continue operating their Agency, representing Admiral.

Ron Golightly (Contractor 5809) of Fenelon Falls, Ontario has worked as an Admiral Contractor since March 2012. He passed away suddenly from a heart attack on December 20, 2014. Ron will be missed by all who knew and loved him.

Teddy Kennedy (Driver-Unit 5592) of Laneburg, AR has worked as an Admiral Driver since January, 2011. He passed away on January 20, 2015. Teddy will be missed by all who knew and loved him.

Former Admiral Agent and multi-truck Contractor, Roger Schnabel of Aberdeen, SD had worked with Admiral from July, 2000 to April, 2013. He passed away on January 22, 2015. Roger will be missed by all who knew and loved him, including his Son-in-Law and Admiral Agent, Bob Weigel.

4Online Settlements News UpdateWe are happy to announce that effective January 15th 2015 we have upgraded the On-Line Settlement page. Admiral has made changes to the looks and the functionality of your on-line settlement page. It is much more user friendly and you can access your settlement information more quickly. No longer do you have to click on + and wait (and wait some more) to see detail of the settlement OR view your statement. As soon as you login, you are presented with your Most Recent settlement and the statement at the top of the page. If you want to see the detail of the settlement, click on the Transaction number. If you want to just see your statement, click on View Statement. You also have 3 additional options listed on the left part of the page: This

Month, This Year and All Records. Click on the option that you would like to look at and follow the same process to look at the detail or view the statement. If there is no statement, you will see that at the top of the page. If you logged in before and didnt like it, try it again. If you have not tried it, what are you waiting for? To access your settlements online, visit our webpage under Your Settlements for more information.

If you are currently set up to get your settlement statements emailed, you are now getting these more quickly than in the past. This is because our system is set up to automatically send these whereas in the past they had to be manually pushed through the email system. If you do not currently get your settlement statements emailed but get them mailed monthly instead, you should consider going paperless and getting them emailed. How many times have you called up to ask, How much is my settlement? or What are my deductions? Getting them emailed is not only a great way of knowing your settlement has been completed, but also gives you the details of your most recent settlement, saving you a phone call. Please consider going paperless today by contacting the Settlement Department.

T-CARD FUEL PURCHASING

Remember to use the card that is assigned to your unit when purchasing fuel. If you switch units or cards, you need to make sure the card being used for fuel has the correct unit number assigned. You are not required to turn in copies of your fuel receipts when purchasing fuel using your card, but if you pay cash, you are required to turn in these receipts with your trip report. Cards are not intended for personal use. You can access your card transactions & balances online 24/7. To access, visit our webpage under Your T-Card for more information.

TARP CHARGE POLICY

As a reminder, in November 2013 our Tarp Charge Policy was updated to ensure all drivers are being paid for 100% of all reasonable and required tarp charges. To accomplish this it is necessary to bill all tarp charges as a separate line item and not imbed them in the freight bill. As it states we will pay 75% to the driver for all imbedded tarps billed and 100% of all tarps billed as a separate line item. Agents please make sure to use the TARP CHARGE accessorial when entering loads in the website as this will prompt the regular tarp line item (non-imbedded).

DELIVERY RECEIPTS

Please be sure to include delivery receipts for loads which have a customer original bill of lading and loads requiring multiple stop offs. To better account for proper delivery locations and support the accuracy of billing for each load we require the delivery receipt to accompany your loads. The only time you do not need the delivery receipts is if you are using the Admirals bill of lading (long form).

If you have any questions, please let us know and thanks for all that you do.

Kelsey RossowAccounting Manager

5Louisville Truck Show

Thank you to all of our Agents, Contractors and Drivers who visited us at our booth in the Louisville Truck Show this year. All of the Admiral Office staff present said they thoroughly enjoyed spending time with you. On Friday, our CEO and President, Brian Short, spent the day visiting with everyone and had a chance to spend some quality time catching up. Brian thought the booth looked great and he felt a real sense of pride that the Admiral flag and banner were flying high.

Mike GriffinDirector of Contractor Services

6G.R.E.A.T.

It may be self-serving. It may be presumptuous. It may even be egotistical to say what a G.R.E.A.T. place Admiral is to work. Regardless, I am going to say it anyway. Admiral is great, and I hope you agree.

I have been with Admiral since February, 2014. Even though thats fourteen months ago, its ONLY fourteen months ago. Some might say thats long enough to know just enough to be dangerous (in a good way, I hope!). I would probably agree, but I would also say its long enough to have been able to learn about Admiral and be familiar with its inner-workings and the workings of my department. I have learned that its not SO long as to stop looking at things objectively and with fresh eyes.

As long as Ive been in this business, I had not experienced a company quite like this one. This company really does what it says it will do period! Admiral respects those with whom it comes in contact and those with whom it conducts business. At Admiral, people are given the respect they deserve, which has all but faded away in our business. Now, Im not just talking about the office staff receiving respect, but our Contractor, Driver and Agent partners too.

What is respect anyway? Respect means to hold in high regard someone or something that is good, valuable or important. Do you feel respected? Do you feel valuable and important to Admiral? I certainly do. I hope you do too.

I think respect is and always should be part of a GREAT companys culture, part of the inter-woven fabric which makes

a company what it is and what it represents. A company that respects people and receives respect in return. Unfortunately, all too often, respect is not given or shared within companies. Respect is where all relationships should begin. Without it, you have nothing, as respect assumes trust. Trust is a cornerstone of all successful relationships. Without respect and trust, you have nothing. Trust brings about and goes hand in hand with success. In order to have success you must have trust. We are in the people business and therefore the relationship business and trust is something people should seek and work toward and expect in return.

Now why do you think Admiral is a place of respect and trust? Ill tell you what I think. First of all, respect and trust should always start at the top of any organization and Admiral is no exception. Mr. Short and his family have nurtured over the years a culture of respect and trust. For example; Agents and Contractors trust that they will be told the truth and that they will be paid what they should be paid. Employees trust that they will be told the truth and that every two weeks their paychecks will be there. We all trust that Brian Short says what he means; what he does, he does for good reason; where he leads us, there is good reason and we should follow. We feel it, we live it, we are it.

Respect & Trust-The two easiest things for someone to lose, the two hardest things to get back.

Mike GriffinDirector Contractor Services

Updates From The Legalization Department

Get Respect Each And every Time

2015 Licensing Completed I wanted to thank each of you for your patience and understanding during the 2015 license renewal process. The State of Minnesota implemented a new online system, which we were one of the first carriers to utilize and for the most part everything went off without a hitch. While we did do the renewals a bit earlier this year to compensate for any anomalies in their new systems, everything went very smoothly. Thank you again!

2016 License Plate Escrow DeductionsEven though it seems like we just finished with renewals for 2015, its time to start planning for the 2016

license renewals. On May 1st, $50.00 per week will be deducted from your settlement to be held in escrow until $1800 is reached for the 2016 license renewal.

If you should have any questions, please feel free to contact me at ext. 8138.

Thanks and safe driving!

Karen HedtkeLegalization Specialist

Credit Status when Dispatching Online

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Processing credit is extremely important and a high priority at Admiral. We are here to work with you to insure we are providing services for those customers that meet our credit criteria. Please check credit and do not commit to any load until you have verified a customers credit line and receive authorization to move a load from a Credit Department team member.

With Admirals dispatching on line requirements I would like to reiterate what you are seeing when you enter a customer number to dispatch your load and what, if anything, should take place.

The Status of Open Credit the system will also tell you the Current Balance, the Credit Limit and the Amount you have in Available on the account.

EXAMPLE: Status: Open Credit Current Balance: 10,000.00 Limit: 50,000.00 Amount Available: 40,000.00

If the account is Over Limit and the Amount Available appears in red and is a negative (-) number you will not be able to enter your load. In this case you need to ask for a credit limit increase by submitting a Credit Request Form (CRF). Please do not assume that by submitting the CRF we will automatically give approval to move your loads, the account will have to be reviewed and approvals acquired. If you have questions in regard to a credit limit increase, please call the credit extension 8722 or email credit@ammf.com. Note: The Credit Request Form (CRF) can be found on the Admiral website under the Credit tab then Forms.

EXAMPLE: Status: Over Limit Current Balance: 55,000.00 Limit: 50,000.00 Amount Available: - 5,000.00

If you pull up a customer and the account says Over Limit but it the screen comes up with a Current Balance of zero or you are questioning the Amount Available, please contact the credit department at extension 8722 and we will work with you.

EXAMPLE: Status: Over Limit Current Balance: .00 Limit: 10,000.00 Amount Available: 10,000.00

Credit Hold means you cannot load this customer; the account has been placed on Credit Hold. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact the credit department at extension 8722 or email credit@ammf.com.EXAMPLE: Status: Customer on Credit Hold

Admiral requires a credit approval for every new customer and for increases to an established line of credit for existing customers. No Admiral personnel should commit to giving credit until credit approval has been given by the credit department. The extension of credit and credit terms will be granted in compliance with Admiral Merchants Policy Terms and Conditions in conjunction with Admirals Credit Application.

Pat Gegner Credit Manager

Permit Request Access System (PRAS)

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Over the past several months the Permit Department and IT Department have been working on creating an online application for submitting your permit requests. We are pleased to announce that it is now up and running.

Please take the time to look at PRAS and its functionality. If you have any helpful suggestions or comments please email Permits@ammf.com as we will continue to work on enhancements to make this application better and more functional for our Agents and Drivers.

Some of the advantages of PRAS are the following:

Less time spent on the phone or on hold with the permit department. Permits processed faster, which saves time and money. Provides a more effective way to submit permit requests. Provides confirmation email once application has been submitted. Online permit request application provides 24/7 submission.

You can access PRAS via our Admiral Merchants Portal Website under the Permits tab and by clicking on the Permit Request System (PRAS) link.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email permits@ammf.com or call 612-843-8270.

Megan Erickson Permit Manager

Perfect Score

Congratulations to Harold Sparkman (agent 3399).

On April 20th, he bowled a perfect score at Colonial Lanes in Huntington, WV.

Debbie TaylorBrokerage

Admiral recently wrapped up its annual awards in Nashville, and it was a great success thanks to the efforts of Augusta Kirk, Missy Swenson, and many others on Admirals staff. This event was especially notable for me as it was the first time that I had the chance to meet with so many of our contractor and agent partners personally.

For those that were in attendance, I would like to thank you for your graciousness and insight into this company and industry. I was humbled to spend time with so many individuals at the top of their field who took the time to give me their impressions of Admiral. To those with whom I did not have a chance to meet, I hope that we will have an opportunity to get together soon to exchange ideas on how we can grow as a company.

There were a few themes that came up repeatedly in my discussions over the awards weekend. First, it is clear that many contractors value their independence. It is one of the reasons they stay signed on with us. Admiral is a rare place in which owner operators can enjoy the benefits of central support and industry recognition without having to submit to too much corporate structure. In light of this theme, I will continue to present opportunities and research to the fleet so that you can decide what options best serve your business. I will provide you with my opinions on safety issues, make recommendations on ways to become a safer driver, show you the research on crash statistics, and present incentives to take part in safety initiatives. I hope that you will recognize and adopt programs that are in your interests. I will recognize that you have the freedom to run your business as you see fit, and continue to present suggestions to run more safely rather than issue edicts and decrees.

The second theme that struck a chord at the meeting was transparency. The claims department causes many to recoil at the mention of our name. I would like to counter that perception

and build a department that works for you. Everyone should feel free to contact me at any time to get information. I guard the confidentiality of your records against outside parties, but if you would like to know how a specific claim is progressing, what records we have in your driver file, or anything else with respect to your history at Admiral, simply give me a call or send me an email. I am happy to talk to any of you on any question that you have.

Finally, many of you have great insights into how we can better serve our partners. Brian Short often repeats the refrain from our founder, Bob Short, who said, Everything I know about trucking I learned by talking to drivers. Time and time again, drivers and agents in Nashville had fresh perspectives on ways that we can improve. On more than one occasion, a driver brought an issue to my attention in a way that I never would have considered on my own. I am sure that all of you have seen something that we can do to improve, wondered why we do things a certain way, or thought of a better process. I ask that you let me know all of your thoughts on how we can better serve you. The best idea isnt worth much if it doesnt make it to Minneapolis. Let us know what we can do to improve anytime a thought comes up.

Again, thank you to those who took the time to meet with me in Nashville. It was truly a fantastic opportunity and an enlightening experience. To those who were not in attendance, I wish you the best in 2015 and hope that I will see you as an award winner at the 2016 meeting.

As always, if you are involved in an accident, incident, or have a cargo issue, the Claims Department is here to help you 24 hours a day, seven days a week at the following numbers:

8:00 AM-5:00 PM (CST) -- 800-972-8864 ext. 8191Outside of business hours 612-991-5923

Mark DooleyDirector of Claims Management

Impressions From Nashville

Wedding At The Awards Meeting

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After the Terry Bramer awards winners were announced I got a call from Brian Johnson (Unit 5885). Brian and his fiance Lisa Fuller from Williams, IN asked if I would join them on the Friday afternoon of the awards banquet to celebrate their wedding ceremony. The ceremony took place on the banks of Old Hickory Lake in Gallatin TN. Brian and Lisa were also joined by a few family members including their two granddaughters Braeleigh & Raine. It was a beautiful ceremony on a beautiful day. All of the Admiral family sends our congratulations and wish Brian and Lisa a long and happy life together.

Wes DyerDirector of Driver Recruitment

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Ira Payne Service Award

2014 Bill Bolish Employee Of The Year

This year we had the honor of recognizing one driver that was to receive the Ira Payne Service Award. Members of the Ira Payne Service Award have been a driver with Admiral for 20 consecutive years.

Bernard Jack Ponts, Unit 1746A spent over 60 years in the trucking industry. He used to tell us that his career in trucking started while he was still in his crib and cutting teeth and that trucking was in his veins and heart from the moment he was born. Jack said he spent many years knocking around in various different segments of the industry until he finally found his home at Admiral. Jack joined the Admiral family on February 7, 1994 and never looked back. Jacks drive for excellence was exemplified by his professionalism in everything he did. His on-time performance ratings and excellent customer service was exemplary, and his word was his bond. Jack also served on our Agent and Contractor council where his industry experience provided all of us much needed insight into life on the road, and his uncanny sense of humor lightened each and every meeting.

When he wasnt on the road, Jack and his wife, Betty, were very active in the Antique Truck Society. Jack and Betty both believed that the history of trucking should have a place in the history of our country and visited antique truck museums throughout the country to help and support their preservation efforts.

Jack passed away on September 23, 2014. At the March awards meeting he would have received the Ira Payne Service Award. We will be sending his wife Betty a plaque recognizing Jacks service with Admiral.

Thanks for your service Jack. You will be missed.

When Settlements was in need of a new team member in 2008, am email was sent out encouraging employee referrals. Cindy Sorenson (employee in the department at the time) immediately reached out to a former colleague of hers knowing the person would be a perfect fit for the role. At the time, Cindy stated, she is one of the most responsible people I have known. That statement still holds true six years later.

We are pleased to announce that the 2014 Bill Bolish Employee of the Year is Kim Guzman.

Kim Guzman joined Admiral on November 3, 2008 as a Settlements Specialist in the Settlements Department.

Kim has been associated with the trucking business for 38 years. Initially she started working at Transport Clearings which was a clearing house they purchased freight bills from different carriers and Admiral was one of the carriers. After 18 years at Transport Clearing she worked in the billing and settlements at Quail Trucking and Overnight Express.

Kim has proven over the years her commitment to customer service to all our customers. She goes above & beyond and is serious about getting the job done. Kim tells it how it is and has developed a positive working relationship with everyone she deals with. Shes a very hard worker and is appreciated by many. Some have even given her nick names. One in particular is MONEY BAGS (given to her by Ken Nipper) because she likes to take your moneybut only to pay off good debt, yet she will make sure you get a paycheck!

Bill Bolish was all about taking care of our customers & employees and I know if he were here today, he would be very proud of Kim and having her on our team!

Congratulations Kim!

Patty ZilkaSettlements Supervisor

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Agent-Contractor Council

Admiral Recognizes Drivers For One Million Accident Free Miles

Mark Beare, Ringgold, GADavid Disselhorst*, Granite City, ILGary Fellure, Grove City, OHRick Guile, Eureka, ILTammy & Fred Hasse, Lawrenceville, GA

Tiny & Jacque Loretangeli, Greenwood, DE (not pictured)Jim Murphy, Hermann, MO (not pictured)Matt Rocha, Granite City, IL

Thank you to the Agent-Contractor Council members who play a pivotal role in Admirals success. We cant express enough how much we appreciate your time and effort. (A * denotes that their term on the council is up.)

I am very pleased to tell you that Admiral had the opportunity to recognize two drivers at the Terry Bramer Awards for Million Mile awards. Admiral began the Million Mile award program in 2009 and we have now had 25 drivers achieve one million accident free miles and 2 drivers have achieved 2 million accident free miles. It takes about 10 years to legally drive one million miles, and any preventable accident starts you back at zero. This makes the million mile award very difficult to achieve and is essentially the equivalent of a lifetime achievement award for a driver.

Chris Campbell Unit 1977A first started with Admiral in March 2000. By the end of 2014, Chris has driven 1,083,859 consecutive, accident free miles.

John Major Unit 4161A has been with Admiral since December 2003.In November 2014 John reached 1,043,404 consecutive, accident free miles.

Holly Caskey Director of SafetyBrian Short and Chris Campbell

(John Major Not Pictured)

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Terry Bramer 2014 Circle of Excellence

The following are the 2014 Terry Bramer Circle of Excellence honorees. Congratulations to all!

Ronald BairdSteven BairdMark BeareSteven BennettJose BotelloFrank BowersRichard BrentChris CampbellBrian CislerGlen ClaiborneLisa & Brian ClevengerJames CrowlEverett DavisBarend DeWitGary FellureDon FieldsMisael FontanezThomas Andy GriffinRicky GuileTracy & Dan HawkinsPaul HershbergerBlake HolmesITC 24 (4)Pam & Ralph JohnsChad KengBarry Stephen KennedyTeresa & David KernMarci & Jerry KettererMark KneppDavid KorhonenR. Blayne LoughAndy Mainard

Portia & Butch MantoothSteven McCarlArlen Jody MillerJames MurphyMike NicholsDanny OliverWayne OverbayD. Robert PinedaNelson QuijanoRick RammAndrew RiceMichael RobinsonNorman RuleRodney SchnelleMichael SchweighoferTim ShroutMarina & Vadim SidkoJeffrey SmithKim & David SnyderKim & Michael SouthersRodney SpicklerCarol & Jack StevensDiana & Ricky StovallMark SuverMichael TiffRon WatkinsMichelle & Joe WilliamsonDebbie & John WilsonClarence WingetWes WyattWalter Yasuk

Danny AdamsYvan ArsenaultRichard Beck JrCory BottsMarshall BrunerRoger CooperGary DanielsWillie DaviesJason DerrenbacherSteven DickertScott FetterolfCarson FinsterbushDwight FrankeHugh GrossITC 24Brian JohnsonTadeusz KarasSteven KirkJohn KnappCharles KrohneJustin MallowJames MarrShawn McLeanKent Miller

Glenn MonteithRoy Dean MurphyMichael NeuteboomCarolyn PannebakerSusan & Donald PattersonJames PharisSean PolandThomas QuintonRobert RennerMark RixMatt RochaMartin RoeMichael RuschmeyerMarvin SchwarkDon SkeltonBrent SmithJamie SturgessRobert SulzbachKeith TollesMike WimbergDaniel YoderBoguslaw ZablockiTony Zhai

Silver LevelGold Level

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2015 Criteria

Terry Bramer Circle of Excellence 2015 Revenue Criteria Gold Level $200,000 Line haul revenue Silver Level $175,000 Line haul revenue

Terry Bramer Circle of Excellence-Gold Level will recognize those drivers attaining $200,000 in line haul revenue or more within a 12-month period (calendar year) while operating according to Admirals safety standards and in compliance with federal and state laws and regulations and company policies. This includes:

No serious company policy violations. The cost of all preventable accidents combined must be below $1,000 total. The cost of all cargo claims combined must be below $1,000 total. No pending claims. No more than one out of service, no more than one moving violation, and be in good standing in all areas of safety

and compliance. Satisfactory CSA scores. Not placed on a final warning for any reason during the calendar year.

Terry Bramer Circle of Excellence-Silver Level will recognize those drivers attaining $175,000 in line haul revenue or more within a 12-month period (calendar year) while operating according to Admirals safety standards and in compliance with federal and state laws and regulations and company policies. This includes:

No serious company policy violations. The cost of all preventable accidents combined must be below $1,000 total. The cost of all cargo claims combined must be below $1,000 total. No pending claims. No more than one out of service, no more than one moving violation, and be in good standing in all areas of safety

and compliance. Satisfactory CSA scores. Not placed on a final warning for any reason during the calendar year.

Penny LynnerVP Operations

Tom Seitz Million Dollar Agent CriteriaSilver Level will be awarded to those agents producing $1,000,000 $1,999,999

Gold Level will be awarded to those agents producing $2,000,000 $4,999,999.

Platinum Level will be awarded to those agents producing $5,000,000 or more.

Walt SiteSr. VP Marketing

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2014 Tom Seitz Million Dollar Agents

Platinum LevelM & M Trucking (2103)

Gold LevelGary Fellure (3017)IB 1 & Associates, LLC (2182)LDM Enterprises (2048)Singleton Transportation (2476)Sparkman Trucking (3399)Terry Moody (3510)Value Plus Transportation (2631)

Silver LevelA Dispatch Service, LLC (2609) Helen Blennerhassett (3458) Bob Greenwell Trucking (2477) C & H Logistics (2383) Tom Campy Campos (2198) Disravis Logistics (2419) DLG Transportation Systems(3505) GMA Transportation (2061) Tammy and Fred Haase (2248)Hillegas Trucking (2963)ITC 24 Open Deck Freight Systems (3534)Jamson Leasing, Inc. (3128)Mags Logistics (2442)New Ground Transport (2664)Nipper Transportation (3229)R/T Connection, Inc. (2284)

At our recent Awards Banquet in Nashville we had the honor of presenting the 2014 Tom Seitz Million Dollar Agents. Congratulations!

MILLION DOLLAR AGENTS IN ATTENDANCE

Seated: Char Roberts(2284), Tammy Haase(2248), Tammy Toalson(2284), Tammy Fellure(3017), Dawn Disselhorst(2419)

First Row: Shawn McLean(3505), Gary Fellure(3017), John Frey (2442), Brian Short, David Disselhorst(2419), Bobby Niemeyer(2419), John Mariano III(3128)

Second Row: Fred Haase(2248), Jerry Sakowski(3534), Larry Huisenga(2631), Rick Toalson(2284), Gary Muth(2061), Harold Sparkman(3399), Matt Hillegas(2963), Brad Tolles(2609)

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Snapshots from the Awards Meeting

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Snapshots from the Awards Meeting (CONTINUED FROM 15)

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Snapshots from the Awards Meeting (CONTINUED FROM 16)

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Snapshots from the Awards Meeting (CONTINUED FROM 17)

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Snapshots from the Awards Meeting (CONTINUED FROM 18)

Snapshots from the Awards Meeting (CONTINUED FROM 19)

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I have been asked by contractors on several occasions over the years why they should submit receipts along with their quarterly maintenance reports. The short answer is - because its company policy. However, there are several other good reasons why you should submit your receipts.

First of all, your receipts are supporting documents that the reported maintenance was actually completed. As a business owner you should keep detailed records of the maintenance you perform and the money you spend on your equipment as these are tax deductible expenses. It is in your best interest as a contractor to provide supporting documents to Admiral to show that you are properly maintaining your equipment. This is why Admiral Policy requires receipts to be submitted with your maintenance reports.

Another reason that happens to be very relevant at this moment is in the event of a DOT audit. The auditors will look for supporting documents of equipment maintenance as well as for required repairs noted on a roadside inspection. The more we can provide to an auditor to show that our contractors are properly maintaining their equipment, the better the outcome of the audit. We will have only 48 hours to produce any supporting documents once they are requested by the auditor. Admiral, as well as their drivers will be subject to penalties if documents cannot be produced.

The worst case scenario happens if a contractor is involved in an accident that ends up in litigation. In 2013, I was required to represent Admiral and participate in three different depositions in relation to accidents that Admiral Contractors were involved in. When a case goes into litigation we are required to submit

any and all documents related to the driver, the equipment and Admirals policies and procedures. When this happens we want to be able to produce as much documentation that the equipment has been properly maintained as possible. It does not look good when we only have a hand written document that says maintenance was performed but we have no receipts to substantiate the repairs were made. Even in a case where the accident is not the fault of our driver, if the attorney can show that we were negligent in some way, or that we did not follow standard safety practices, then we can still end up paying a very large sum of money to the plaintiff.

The final reason that is a good idea to turn in all receipts is that it can work as a disaster recover y plan for you. A few years ago we had a contractor that had a fire in his home and all of his documents and receipts related to his truck were burned up. Fortunately he had very faithfully sent in his quarterly maintenance reports along with his receipts to Admiral over the years. We were able to provide him with all of his lost maintenance reports and receipts. He was very grateful as he needed his receipts in order to take the appropriate deductions on his taxes.

I hope that the reasons I have presented will encourage you to provide Admiral with complete, comprehensive, accurate quarterly maintenance reports along with all the relevant receipts included. If you have any questions or would like suggestions as to how to maintain your repair records, please feel free to contact the safety department at 612-843-8276.

Thanks for all you do.

Holly CaskeyDirector of Safety

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Quarterly Maintenance Reports and Receipts Why Should I Submit Them?

Office Visits

We realize that most loads do not bring you through Minneapolis, Minnesota. But when they do, we would love it if you would take time and come visit us. Just call the office and I will direct you to the best place to park and arrange a taxi for you.

We will take you out to lunch, make sure you have all of the supplies you need and give you time to talk to the members of the team.

Hope to see you soon.

Missy SwensonReceptionist

Jen Hanley-Tuttle, Scott Fetterolf, Missy Swenson, Michael Tiff

Pennys LaneAdmiral contractors and drivers strive to provide excellent customer service on a daily basis, but we seldom hear feedback. However, when customers do express their thanks and appreciation for outstanding service, we want to recognize those individuals who go the extra mile and thank them for being part of Admiral.

On January 23, 2015, Admiral received a call from Liebovich Steel and Aluminum in Rockford, IL. They wanted to tell us that John McCain unit 5965 was a true professional. They expressed that he was very patient with the crew, which wasun-der staffed on that day and that he waited his turn without complaining even though the consignee was running way behind. Thank you for the job well done!

On March 11, 2015, Wes Dyer received a call from new contractor Ronnie Brown unit 6316 at around 9 pm saying that Sherry agent 3085, out of Steubenville, OH, had called him to ask if he would be able to move a load and if he had the hours available. The load was going from the airport in Nashville to Columbus, OH, and had to be there March 12th. Ronnie called Wes to verify that it was okay to take load. Ronnie gets to Nashville to pick up this load and they have no paperwork, so a call was made to another Admiral contractor, who guided Ronnie on the proper way to fill out an Admiral BOL and delivery receipt. Sherry and the consignee (first load for this customer) stayed in contact with Ronnie until 2:30 in the morning to make sure everything was going well. Ronnie told Wes that he had never been treated so well. Thank you.

On April 6, 2015, Nancy Nieradka called Ron Toalson, agent 2684, to let him know how grateful she was that he had such a super crew of drivers handle a load for her. Yvan Arsenault unit 6078A and Richard Brent unit 6225, were both wonderful to deal with. Nancy said she got a call from Lex to make sure she received everything from them that she needed.Nancy told him she was just waiting on the paperwork. Even though Yvan was dealing with the sudden death of his 34 year old daughter, he proved that he is a true professional. Excellent job Yvan and Richard! On January 8, 2015, Ronnie Pool, unit 5218, hauled this helicopter from Satellite Beach, FL to Jacksonville, FL.

**We would love to publish pictures of your equipment too! E-mail your pictures to khedtke@ammf.com so that we can post them in the next edition of Pennys Lane! **

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Snapshots from the Office & Awards Video

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On February 6th, the office wore red supporting awareness of heart disease. I think Brian Shorts socks say it all!

Continued next page....

Snapshots from the Office & Awards Video (continued from 23)

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Fun In Nashville, Petro Economics, and Other Such Voodoo

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Another year has passed and another successful meeting to honor our partners in this transportation venture. We have another good year behind us, and many mountains to climb in the year ahead.

Oprylandwas a beautiful place to have a meeting and I found it to be absolutely amazing. The facility itself was a wonder, vast and beautiful. We were pleased to have had the experience of staying there.

The real experience of course, was having the opportunity to see and visit with so many good friends, old and new. I always enjoy the comradery. The mood was upbeat and positive, as well it should have been. We all had a good year. In 2014, records were met and surpassed by many. Thus, the awards were many.

Lets look ahead to another year of accomplishments.

Then came the realities of 2015....oil prices went in the tank, which was great for prices at the pump, but not so great for the economy.

When oil prices drop below $70 a barrel, oil companies begin to tighten up on spending. When it hits $48 they have slammed on the breaks. IT STOPS. The ripple effect of that is sure and sudden. The Saudis, do not like the small oil producers muddying up the price waters and they are out to drive them out of the market. They will do economic battle with the major oil companies, but they do not want these little guys having ANY effect on the price of oil. So, they intend to drive them out by producing all the oil we want, making it cheap and available. That will break the smaller companies; it will simply make it not profitable to produce oil.

So the ripple effect is in motion and the economy will take a hit.

We cannot stand by and let it hit us in this way. We have to find different business, new business. We have to work harder and think about what we can do to keep our wheels rolling. AND THAT IS NOT VOODOO.... we cannot sit at home and wait on what happens in petro economics. We have to roll up our sleeves and go to work, every day. You and I cant out last the Saudis. We have to keep beans on the table, and the truck payments made.

So think about it, I mean really think about it! Before you turn down or walk away from a load, you may not get what would be your first choice in a load, or it may not pay what you got last year, but get it on, go (safely), get it off, and do it again. As long as you can make it work, do it.

Keep rolling; keep your payments current, and BE THERE when the smoke clears.

Nothing gets you through tough times like hard honest work.

Be safe, always, night and day, logs current, seat belt on, repairs made. We care about safety that means we care about you.

Hug your family, tell them how much you love them, and work hard to make their lives and yours better.

Do the deal, do it again and do it right!!!!!!!!

Warm regards from the Wood household and from Admiral Merchants Motor Freight.

Ralph A WoodSenior Vice President

SAFE DRIVING AWARDS: August 2014 thru February 2015

Congratulations to the following drivers who earned Safe Driving Awards for the months of August 2014 thru February 2015.

To be eligible for a Safety Award the following criteria must be met:

A current driver in good standing with Admiral for each 12 month period after your date of lease. No preventable accident or unreported accidents/incidents. No cargo claims or unreported cargo notations. No roadside inspections with out-of-service violations No moving violations (citation or noted on a roadside inspection) No more than 50 CSA points.

Must be in good standing in all areas of Safety and Compliance as defined in Admiral Merchants policies and procedures. Thanks again and congratulations to the following drivers for achieving another year of safe driving. Holly Caskey Safety Director

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20 YearsJoseph J. Schlechter

19 YearsMelvin A. Clark

17 YearsBobby W. Short

16 YearsMark J. GuinupGarry A. HarlanMichael R. Wright

15 YearsDennis R. CaughmanVernon L. BrobstRodney L. Clark

14 YearsMark E. HarlanDanny D. OliverBrian W. CislerMarshall R. Bruner

13 YearsDennis E. HarlanCharles E. ChasteenDavid W. SaundersRoger L. Creviston

12 YearsBarend de WitJames Cody KellyMichael A. Tigner

11 YearsJames Michael Ratliff

10 YearsDouglas L. BartmanTimothy M. VonDuykeRonald B. Wilkerson

9 YearsWilliam D. Bishop, Jr.Randall E. JonesMarci A. KettererDouglas A. ChristopherWayne T. AnthonyDonald R. SkeltonGregory T. MorganH. Wayne Smith

8 YearsWesley H. WyattTadeusz KarasWilliam H. Graham, Jr.John Major

7 YearsPieter Jan ZekveldDarrell E. MyersJeffrey W. WrightJose J. QuirozJohn W. Ponder

6 YearsMichael P. RyanDeborah C. JohannRobert W. PlunkJohn H. KelleyHarry M. Ulsh, Jr.Gregory T. Simon

5 YearsScott S. EllisDavid R. KorhonenRebecca J. MarlinMichael L. DeshongBogdan Bob BielaMichael L. LapsleyPatrick W. LapsleyArlie Tim ZekveldRicky W. Lawing, Sr.

4 YearsDonald Jack StevensRoy David TidwellRonald E. FraleyElmer Luke LindsayGary L. FellureDaniel G. McNultyRobert G. SchietsJames W. CockrumSteve B. SaubleJoe E. WilliamsonMichelle C. WilliamsonLarry A. ColeB. Stephen KennedyDavid B. RiggleStephen J. SmithMelissa K. SpicerCharles J. StanaitisMark J. KneppRonnie G. Nelson

3 YearsJames D. BradyHugh D. GrossDaniel P. HawkinsTracy A. HawkinsPercy W. BellowJulius T. DupreeDaniel R. YoderRonald BairdJason J. GorsengerFranklin Chad KengJeffrey G. SmithRonald J. BalsonJames E. BeachSteven J. KingJoseph W. MitchumMark W. SuverWilliam L. Wittkamp

3 Years, Cont.Roger D. YoungIan P. WallisMichael N. Neuteboom

2 YearsCarol A. StevensBrett W. CopelandBrian K. JohnsonMichael J. VanKriekenThomas Glen ClaiborneJames R. EysterDwight W. FrankeRobert D. PinedaRobert J. RennerWayne U. SchaferTony L. TruaxBrandon Shane PryorMichael G. TiffBlaine D. CarruthersPatrick Jamie SturgessPeter ZaharopoulosMarion O. Roland, Jr.Thomas W. SmithGary L. Messersmith

1 YearRaymond R. BryantLarry C. CutterJohn W. KeckKeith W. SmothermanHarold Casey GreenwaldCarl L. HallMark E. KurtzWallace H StebeltonCleave A. TharpWilliam E. AnthonyBilly W. CleekDavid L. Conn, Jr.Eric L. Crowe

1 Year, Cont. Gary A. HageDavid M. JehleBrett H. MayEdward A. PerryMichael L. RuschmeyerBrent R. SmithRobert L. WalkerShawna C. YorkLarry D. JacksonDale K. JohnsonRussell E. KassinJohn P. KnaapWilliam R. SkinnerRonald L. WatkinsHarlan R. BecraftHarold J. BrewsterB. Phil BuschmanJeffrey A. CasadaMarion F. ChismReginald M. GriffinThomas B. LittletonDennis E.J. RileyKevin B. SeemsMichael D. WilliamsJohn CanellosBradford S. CollinsDavid L. Conn, Sr.Stanley R. Cross, Jr.Julio C. MadridDennis E. MaySeth H. SkeltonTimothy A. ShroutSteven K. Smith

1) 2048 Larry Morris Albuquerque, NM2) 3017 Gary Fellure Columbus, OH 3) 2476 Don Singleton Winchester, KY4) 2103 Jim McGowan Bakersfield, CA5) 3399 Harold Sparkman Kenova, WV6) 2609 Brad Tolles Northville, MI7) 2383 Chris Palmer Alpine, CA8) 2248 Tammy Haase Lawrenceville, GA9) 2631 Larry Huisenga Springfield, MO10) 3458 Helen Blennerhassett Conroe, TX11) 2198 Tom Campos Woodland, CA12) 2664 Shirley Bohman Chesterfield, MO13) 3165 Brian Clevenger McConnellsburg, PA14) 2963 Matt Hillegas Everett, PA15) 3128 John Mariano Morrisville, PA16) 2061 Gary Muth Hot Springs Village, AR17) 2477 Bob Greenwell Louisville, KY18) 2419 David Disselhorst Granite City, IL19) 2284 Rick Toalson Panama City, FL20) 2235 Audrey Snelson Jacksonville, FL21) 2682 Brenda Stringer Olive Branch, MS22) 3505 Shawn McLean Toronto, ON23) 3327 Charlie Armstrong Fort Worth, TX24) 2029 Darrell Elliott Birmingham, AL25) 3534 Jerry Sakowski St. Catherines, ON

TOP REVENUE PRODUCING AGENTS YTD

6240 Allen Mellott5853 Christopher Vorys4647 Richard Brent6277 John Baxter5658 Rollad Liff6176 Robert Stone5885 Brian Johnson5321A David Korhonen6140 Brian Barr5108 Michael Deshong5555 Jeff Smith5462 Terry Johnson5467B Mike Nichols5594 David M. Blue4293 Donald Skelton6009 Lawrence Ayers4622B Paul Hershberger6281 Ronald Glover5099A Brent Smith5696 Curtis Sanlo Sr.

5427 Portia and Anderson Mantooth3274B Brian and Lisa Clevenger6234 James and Kathy Ball5660 David and Kim Snyder5920 David Conn Jr.3784C Ralph and Pamela Johns5066A Don Fields5565 Joe and Michelle Williamson6119 Kimberly and Michael Southers3375 Marshall Bruner6158 Danny Adams6178 William Mellott3567 Jim Murphy5935A Angel Arroyo Jr. and Mike Fontanez2755 John Leglar6203 Charles Schenk6059 Patrick McCarthy5517 Donald and Carol Stevens6071 Timothy Shrout5342 Nelson Quijano

5680A Daniel Hawkins680A D6258 Anthony Miotke and Debra Thornton6282 Cody Olesiak6204 Donald Patterson3780A Lynn Dennis6145 Ronald Baird 5414A Diana (Lynn) and Ricky Stovall4820A Ralph Baird6144 Kris Jacobs3732 William James Davidson6177A Daniel Loewen6101 Richard Ramm5544 Steven Baird5685 Michael Van Krieken3876 David Kern6214 Waymath and Lonnie Dean6205 Timofey Moiseyenko5588 Mark Suver6020A Michael Graham3529C Thomas Glen Claiborne

FLATBEDS SPECIALIZED STEPDECKS

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TOP DRIVERS BY EQUIPMENT TYPE YTD