INDUSTRYThe Used Truck Association

Volume 20 • Issue 6 • June 2018

1.877.GETS.UTA • WWW.UTA.ORG

WATCHChartered May 16, 1988

2 Board and Committees

2 Quips & Quotes

3 Board News & Views

4 Are We There Yet on Automated Transmissions?

5 UTA Events Calendar

5 Industry Events Calendar

6 Face to Face with Chris Visser

7 Women In Trucking: Can We Just Get Along?

7 Women In Trucking Index

8 Welcome New Members

8 In Memoriam: Marvin Rush

9 Ease the Pain of Returning to Work After Time Off

10 Industry News Briefs

12 JD Power Valuation Services Update

15 Early Registration’s Open for UTA’s November Convention

16 Brooks Tip of the Month

17 From Where We Sit

18 It’s Vegas Baby! Photos from the 2017 UTA Convention

Contents

A Visit to the PACCAR Technical Center; Showcasing Quality

In early May on a beautiful sunny day, board members and guests from the Used Truck Association (UTA) made a visit to Mount Vernon, Washington — home to the

PACCAR Technical Center. Located about 90 miles north of Seattle, the Technical Center conducts research and testing for PACCAR, where 400 employees, materials scientists and powertrain experts lead innovative technology development. The Technical Center features a 1.6-mile banked high-speed oval track, and a research and test facility on 375 acres near Padilla Bay.

The UTA board members made the trip west to see how PACCAR Engines, and Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks are tested. “We wanted to showcase our facility so UTA board members could see the process that goes into the testing and designing of the product they’re selling into the secondary market,” said Jenifer Beebe, director of PACCAR Powertrain marketing. “PACCAR doesn’t just design a truck, or an engine for the first customer – we know our products have to stand the test of time and hold up well for the second, third and fourth user of that truck. It was an educational experi-ence coupled with a little fun – all the members got to get behind the wheel of a Kenworth or Peterbilt truck powered by a PACCAR engine to take the trucks for a spin on the test track.”

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SHARE YOUR NEWS with the UTA Industry Watch.Send submissions, ideas and comments to:UTA Industry Watch Editors Brad and Deb Scheppc/o Sentry Management 303 Corporate Center Drive, Suite 300 AStockbridge, GA 30281 Phone: 877-GETS-UTA (877-438-7882)Fax: 770-454-0029editor@uta.org

Twitter: @usedtruckassocFacebook: Used Truck Association

Management: Misty Reis, misty@uta.org

Art Direction/Graphic Design: Laura Carter, laura@lauracarterdesign.comwww.lauracarterdesign.com

Convention Committee Chair – Hal Dickson Co-Chair – Amanda Kent

Dealer Group Chair – Bobby Williams Co-Chair – Anthony Gansle

Elections Committee Chair – Charles Cathey

Finance Committee Chair – Craig Kendall

Marketing & Website Committee Chair – Craig Kendall Co-Chair – Rick Clark

Membership Committee Chair – John Cosgrove Co-Chair – Mike Roney Co-Chair – Kelly Coldiron

Preferred Partners Committee Chair – Brock Frederick

Scholarship Committee Chair – Dean Jeske

Training Committee Chair – Amy Shahan Co-Chair – Jody Johnson

Rick Clark PresidentBobby Williams Vice PresidentAmanda Kent SecretaryCraig Kendall Treasurer Marty Crawford President EmeritusCharles CatheyJohn CosgroveKelly ColdironHal Dickson Brock FrederickAnthony Gansle Jody JohnsonMike RoneyAmy Shahan Michael Cox Alternate

Executive Advisors Dean JeskeRonnie JordanRobert Yost

2018 USED TRUCK ASSOCIATIONBOARD OF DIRECTORS & COMMITTEESwww.uta.org/directory

“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportu-nity in every difficulty.”

— Winston Churchill

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Michael Coxmichaeljcox@me.com

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It has been a great honor serving as a Board Member of the Used Truck Association. The view from my seat has allowed me to see the demographics of our industry, and compare them

with our larger society.

But first, raise your hand if you are reading this and you danced to Adele’s Rolling in the Deep at your high school prom.

Now think about members of your sales staff who might have attended their proms in 2011, when that song was so popular.

What is significant about high school proms from 2011? People who attended them are now about 25 years old. Many have completed college. Some are working in their first or second full time jobs. Most are not yet on a solid career path— but they might be getting close.

It’s a good bet that neither you nor many on your sales staff were at their high school proms in 2011. This is easy to see at any UTA event—we aren’t getting any younger. Now is the time to ensure your organization’s future success by bringing younger people into your businesses.

Here’s how the U.S. workforce breaks down by generation:Silent/Greatest: 2%Boomers: 25%Gen Xers: 33%Millennials: 35%Post Millennials: 5%Source: Pew Research Center

So Millennials now make up the greatest percentage of our fulltime workforce. Like no other generation prior, people in this age group rely heavily on advocates and influencers when making purchasing decisions. It’s paramount for organizations to build a sales force and staff that relates with future decision makers.

Some members of older generations deride Millennials as narcissistic, selfish, soft-in-the-middle whiners. As with almost any prior generation, the stereotypes are unfair. A decision to exclude this generation from your organization could prove costly to your future business.

All older generations look at the younger ones with skepticism. Consider this quote:

“The children now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise.”

Who said these words?

1) James Hackett, the CEO of Ford (Age 63)?

2) Warren Buffett, CEO, Berkshire Hathaway (Age 87)?

3) Nick Saben, Head Coach at Alabama football (Age 66)?

4) Socrates (died 499 B.C.)?

If you picked #4—Socrates—you’re right. Strife between older and younger generations is timeless. It would be silly to lose future business over something that can be easily handled with good hiring and quality management.

Millennials are not looking for anything much different from their careers than previous generations. Consider the chart “What Different Generations Look for When Applying for a Job.”

Millennials want quality management. They want to learn and grow. They want to be interested in the work they do. Who doesn’t want to hire a person who wants these qualities in their workplace?

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Are We There Yet on Automated Transmissions?

A few years ago Freightliner came up with a promotion

to interest potential used truck buyers in the newest Fuller Autoshift 10-speed automated transmission. A $50 gift card was given to those who test drove trucks with these “new” transmis-sions. “We wanted to give our customers the opportunity to experience the benefits of auto-mated transmissions firsthand,” said Gary Wingate, then manager of marketing for Daimler Trucks Remarketing.

At the same time, trucks equipped with the “auto-shift,” or the “smartshift” later version missing the clutch pedal, took a huge hit in their prices. The trucks equipped with the newer transmis-sions cost about $5,000 less than those with stan-dard transmission but many dealers didn’t even want them on their lots.

A decade later a second-hand Volvo truck with the iShift auto-mated transmission sells like hot cakes and with a premium of $3,000 to $4,000. Same with Freightliner and their proprietary DT-12 transmission. But it seems that not everyone is there yet.

In the electronics industry new technology is doubling its capacity and efficiency each year. The set backs are quickly overcome by more efficient and reliable systems.

Why we are not able to do the same? Manufacturers have the resources (funds) to increment their engineering staffs and their testing procedures. Why has the

adoption of new technology always been a slow and costly process to users when newer mechanical components are available? And with automated transmissions it seems that the problems we are having are the electronics. The media reports that over 2,000 Peterbilts and Kenworths 2017-18 equipped with an automated Eaton Ultra-Shift Plus or Eaton Advantage

Transmission with right hand stalk shifter are being recalled. If a truck does not run when new the result is that this specific model will carry a huge value deduction when it comes to the secondary market. Worst of all is that the word of mouth negative comments make some trucks completely un-remarketable.

According to NADA, Volvo, at almost 70% now, and Freightliner are leading the “automated transmission” market share with their trucks being delivered with such transmissions. Other manu-facturers are at less than 20%. The single benefit to the owner is fuel savings. And that’s why most large fleets are ordering these

Ricardo Rodriguez-LongRe-marketing and Asset

ManagementLookout Valley

Equipment Sales, TN

transmissions. Ease of use and driver fatigue is also important for the large fleets. But on the sec-ondary market there are still some questions and fears. I was shown a $24,000 bill for a transmission replacement at 535k miles. The high cost of repairs can also bring values down on the used truck segment.

So I think that unless the cost of diesel gets back to the $5 range

we are still far away from the day that all trucks will run on “auto-mated” boxes. And keep in mind that today’s premiums could quickly disappear overnight if news of recalls or failures makes it to the nightly news.

PS: for the above mentioned recall issues contact NHTSA recall # 17V-840, 18V-092, 17V-078. n

Industry Events Calendar

August15-18 • National Truck Driving Championships, American Trucking AssociationsColumbus, OHhttp://www.trucking.org/

23-25 • Great American Trucking ShowDallas, TXhttps://www.truckshow.com/

SEPTEMBER 9-12 • in.sight user conferencePeopleNet and TMWHouston, TXhttp://insightuserconference.com/

OCTOBER 3-5 • National Trailer Dealers Association Annual ConventionColorado Springs, COhttp://ntda.org/

27 -30 • American Trucking Association – Management Conference & ExhibitionAustin, TXhttp://www.trucking.org/Events.aspx

NOVEMBER1-3 • NASTC Annual ConferenceNational Association of Small Trucking CompaniesNashville, TNhttp://www.nastc.com/

7-10 • 19th Annual UTA ConventionLoews Sapphire Falls Resort at UniversalOrlando, FLhttp://uta.org/2017/01/06/uta-2018-convention-in-orlando/

12-14 • Accelerate! Conference and ExpoWomen In TruckingDallas, TXhttp://www.womenintrucking.org/accelerate-conference

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JUNE18-19 • UTA Training Seminar: Selling for Success (Nashville, TN)(George Papp Training)Courtyard Nashville BrentwoodNashville, TNhttp://uta.org/uta-sales-training-events/

21-22 • Jerome Nerman KC Golf Tournament and Scholarship ReceptionHarrah’s North Kansas CityN. Kansas City, MOhttp://uta.org/jerome-nerman-kc-golf-tournament/

AUGUST12-14 • UTA Training Seminar: Managing for Success (Battle Creek, MI)Featuring Eaton Ride and Drive Event(George Papp Training)Firekeepers Casino HotelBattle Creek, MI http://uta.org/2017/12/04/managing-for-success-2018/

SEPTEMBER17-18 • UTA Training Seminar: Selling for Success (Chicago)(George Papp Training)Courtyard Chicago O’HareChicago, ILhttp://uta.org/uta-sales-training-events/

NOVEMBER7-10 • 19th Annual UTA ConventionLoews Sapphire Falls Resort at UniversalOrlando, FLhttp://uta.org/2017/01/06/uta-2018-convention-in-orlando/

UTA Events Calendar

The UTA is grateful to the following companies, which are sponsoring our training seminars: CAG Truck Capital, Cummins, Eaton, and National Truck Protection.

WITH

Chris Visser

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publishing all expanded market analysis such as our Guidelines monthly update, and presenting this data to industry groups.”

Chris’s job and expertise give him the opportunity to interact and share insights with industry players. That’s actually the part of his job Chris enjoys the most. “Discussing the used truck market with industry players who directly impact market dynamics is prob-ably the most fulfilling part of my job,” he said. “I’ve also always been interested in the global economy and financial markets, and the fact that I can use this in my daily operations is great.” When we asked Chris to look back on some proud moments, his enthusiasm for what he does shone through. “I’ve been doing this for 20 years, but I still feel like it’s too early to look back!” he replied. Still we pressed for a few proud memories. “Seeing our business grow in the first couple of years was encour-aging,” he said. “Expanding our operations to include longer-term forecasting was also something of a milestone.”

Once again looking forward, Chris saw some challenges ahead for the industry. “The two biggest challenges dealers face in the short term are how to dispose of the increased supply of used trucks and how to find qualified technicians,” he explained. “The tough adjustment period of major depreciation is behind us, but there will be downward pressure on values for at least another year. We also have newer specs enter-ing the used market, including 6x2’s, and electronic safety aids like collision avoidance and

Chris is the Senior Analyst and Product Manager for J.D.

Power Valuation Services, formerly ATD/NADA. He became a member of the UTA in 1999, attending his first convention in 2000. When he joined the organization, he had already been working in the valuation division of ATD/NADA since 1997. His opportunity to

focus on commercial trucks came up about a year later. Today, Chris has 20 years of experience and insights to share. We asked him to describe what his current job entails. “I manage J.D. Powers Commercial Vehicle Values,” Chris explained. “This includes valua-tions and forecasting, writing and

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automatic lane-keeping. Just down the road, electric trucks will enter the marketplace. Dealers will need to know how to repair all this equipment, as well as assess its value.”

He offered some advice for those just starting out in the industry that can also be applied to so many other areas of life. “When talking about used trucks it’s very easy to figure out whether you know what you’re talking about or not,” he noted. “Listen more and talk less.” Chris admits this can be hard, but particularly in the first few months it will be an asset. At the same time, don’t be afraid to ask questions of experienced people. “Don’t be shy,” Chris advises. “Most people like to tell you what they know, especially if it’s framed as advice. In addition, definitely participate in activities outside the office.” Chris says it doesn’t matter if it’s a casual happy hour or a more organized volunteer event. Getting to know others in the industry is the way to go. “The better your coworkers know you, the smoother your professional interactions will be.” Building a solid reputation goes beyond the boundaries of your own office or workplace. “In a lot of ways the used truck industry is small and tight knit,” Chris said. “This means your product or service could be better than the next guy’s, but everyone’s going to stick with the other guy until they get to know you better.”

Chris said that he is lucky enough to live near his parents and his brother’s family. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with

Ellen Voie CAE President/CEO

Women In Trucking Association, Inc. (920) 312-1350

Can We Just Get Along?I recently attended a conference

for warehouse professionals. I was intrigued by the session entitled, “Managing Carrier Friendly Warehouses,” and de-cided to attend. The facilitator asked the audience how many were from the warehouse industry and how many were from the carrier side.

Apparently, I was the only person in the room interested in how these executives were working on becoming more “carrier friendly.” I was asked to give them some ideas on how they could better accommodate drivers.

My list included a nice lounge with fresh fruit and snacks, comfortable chairs to sit in, and showers and rest rooms for both men and women. I suggested they include free Wi-Fi and make available a “courtesy car” if the driver wants to leave the facility while he or she is waiting for a load.

The people in the room looked at me as if I had lost my mind. One man shook his head and said

there was no financial incentive to accommodate drivers and in fact, their goal was to “turn and burn,” (load them and get them on their way) instead of allowing drivers to stick around.

So, I suggested that at the very least, they treat the drivers as professionals and look at the environment to see if it’s actually hostile to the men and women who pick up and deliver at their warehouses. I asked them if they ever looked at the signs in the warehouses that were so negative. Instead of “NO DRIVERS ALLOWED,” how about “Employees only?”

One warehouse manager agreed, as he was shocked to learn that the warehouse he was hired to run had signs on the rest room

doors, telling drivers they were not welcome to use the facilities. He took the signs down and instead replaced them with, “please leave the rest room as you found it.” (Much friendlier!)

These warehouse professionals did not understand that their negative attitude toward drivers could actually be hurting them, as carriers are looking at shippers who openly display their disdain for professional drivers.

Women In Trucking Association has partnered with the folks from Dock411 to help rate these ship-pers. In addition to a map of the facility, there is a list of amenities, such as free Wi-Fi, overnight

The numbers are small but rising. The percentage of

women truckers now stands at roughly eight percent; the per-centage of women managers in trucking at roughly 24 percent. These figures were compiled by Women in Trucking, along with the National Transportation Institute (NTI).

The figures are an improvement of about one percent respectively since January 2017.

The Women In Trucking Associa-tion’s (WIT) goal is to boost the

percentage of women working in the trucking business.WIT devel-oped the WIT Index with the NTI, a research organization that surveys hundreds of trucking firms for data on driver wages, benefits, retirement plans and more. In 2017, NTI added two questions to its list of research responses to help WIT track the percentage of female drivers and managers in the industry.

While the boost in drivers and managers was perhaps less than hoped for there were still some pleasant surprises in the report,

WIT Index Shows Slight Increase in Women Drivers, Managers

according to WIT. “The surprise is in the number of carriers who are now reporting these numbers,” WIT recently noted. “In the past two years, there has been a 19 percent improvement in those companies tracking the percent-age of female drivers and manag-ers. This means that more compa-nies are actually monitoring these figures and can benchmark with other carriers in the industry.”

WIT has also partnered with Memphis University to track

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Jeffrey E. Allbaugh II, Assistant Used Truck Manager MHC Kenworth Oklahoma 1603 Carlisle Ct. Oklahoma City, OK 73120www.mhc.com(405) 593-2056 (w) jeff.allbaugh@mhc.com

Prior to joining the truck industry in 2012, Jeffrey worked in the automotive business.

He’s become a UTA member hoping to extend his network beyond the MHC dealership group.

Customer interaction is Jeffrey’s favorite part of his job, and also “selling a product that I can stand behind.”

Outside of work Jeffrey enjoys riding his bicycle and lifting weights.

Jeffrey added that he’s excited to meet a new group of people who have a common goal, and he looks forward to meeting as many people as he can to extend his network.

Te-Jay Brewer, Used Truck SalesSummit Truck Group 7076 SE Cannonball Rd Holt, MO 64048www.summittruckgroup.com http://www.facebook.com/summittruckgroup/(816) 277-9687 (w) tejay.brewer@summittruckgroup.com

Te-Jay just began working in the truck business last year after working in car paint sales and the dairy industry. When he’s not on the job, Te-Jay enjoys horses, riding, and pulling carts.

Like many UTA members Te-Jay finds meeting and working with customers to be the best part of his job. He’s joined the UTA to meet and connect with other people in the trucking industry.

Te-Jay added that while he’s new to trucks he “already loves what he does and looks forward to learning from all the experience that is out there.”

Alex Clarke 4216 Southway St. NWCanton, OH 44706 (330) 477-8127 (w) aclarke@brechbuhlertrucks.com

Doug Nichol O’Halloran International, a TriVista Company3311 Adventureland Drive Des Moines, IA(515) 967-3300 (w) Ronnie Rivera 425 Homecrest Drive Lavernia, TX 78121 rrivera@grandetruck.com

John Shireman UHL Truck Sales, a TriVista CompanyPO Box 6 Palmyra, IN 47164(800) 852-5947 (w) Douglas SwaffordMHC1524 North CorringtonKansas City, MO 64120 douglas.swafford@mhc.com

Valerie Swaner, Senior Account Manager 15 West South Temple, Suite 300Salt Lake City, UT 84101 (801) 931-5237 (w) vswaner@cbankus.com

Valerie says she first joined the “equipment finance” business in 2000. She’s become a UTA member to gain a better understanding of the used truck industry,

About her current job, Valerie enjoys serving, what she says is an under-served market. “Few banks will finance used tractors and trailers. “ She finds it “personally rewarding” to work with business across the US..

Valerie’s looking forward to be of service to UTA members.

Scott Vaught MHC1524 North Corrington Kansas City, MO 64120 scott.vaught@mhc.com

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In Memoriam: Marvin RushThe UTA Board is saddened to report the passing of W. Marvin Rush of Rush Enterprises, Inc, San Antonio, TX. Marvin passed away peacefully at home, in the company of his loved ones on May 17, 2018 after a long illness. He was 79 years old. Born October 10, 1938, Marvin was taken with the business bug early. He started his first company, a vending machine business, at the age of 10.

In 1965 he founded Rush Enterprises with a single franchise in Houston, TX. He continued to add fran-chises, and by the time of his retirement in 2006, he had built his company into the largest network of commercial vehicle dealerships in North America, including more than 100 centers in 22 states. In 1995, under Marvin’s stewardship, Rush Enterprises became the first automotive dealership group in the country to go public, according to his son, Rusty Rush, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Rush Enterprises, Inc.

Marvin credits consistently calling on his staff as the secret to his success. “Every past, current, and future Rush employee owes him a debt of gratitude for the opportunities he created for us,” said Trey Golden, Rush’s Vise President, Used Trucks. “But, it was never about him. He truly believed that his people were his greatest asset. I always remember the pride he had when he spoke about all that the

team had accomplished.”

Left behind to treasure his memory are his wife Barbara, his eight children; Rusty Rush (Jeni), Robin Rush (Nancy), Michael Rush (Kristin), Colleen Davis (Glenn), Tonya van Heerden (Jacque), Parker Rush, Amy Heebner (Ken), and Lauren Sutton,

and his sister, Susan Peloquin (Mark). He is also survived by 12 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. n

Ease the Pain of Returning to Work After Time Off

Reprinted by permission of Harvard Business Review Press.

Excerpted from HBR Guide to Being More Productive.

Copyright 2017. All rights reserved.

Editor’s Note: Vacations are great but in the back of your mind may be the mountain of emails and other work you’ll face when you return. Fortunately, there are things you can do before you leave for that vacation to make getting back in the saddle less painful. In this month’s excerpt, author Alexandra Samuel discusses some things you can do prior to your vacation to lessen that load. In next month’s excerpt, the author discusses how to ease the transition once you are actually back at work.

As much as we all need a break, the day or week after some

time off often leaves us wondering whether the joy of vacation is

worth the pain of returning to work. Between the email backlog, the pain of readjustment, and the fight to fit into your work clothes after two weeks of eating all the biscuits in Oregon (strictly hypotheti-cally), you may feel as if you need another vacation just to recover from the stress of get-ting into a work groove.

But a simple set of digital tools and practices can make it easier to get your work mojo back—particularly if you lay the groundwork before your vacation.

BEFORE YOUR VACATION

Triage and queue your tasks

Use the week before your annual or semiannual vacation to ruthlessly cull your task list: Now is the time to move all those hazy or long-neglected to-dos out of your main task list and into a someday/maybe/never” list.

Make a short priority list of what you actually need or want to tackle

in the week or two after vacation, and annotate that list with where you’ll start with each one. (I like to put that list in a digital note-book like Evernote, but you could put it on Google Drive or even a Word document.)

Set up timed alerts that will remind you at a specific date and time of any task that must get addressed that first week back, in case it takes you a day or two to feel up to looking at your task list.

Along with your list of key priori-ties, make a separate list of interesting or easy tasks you can tackle in week one, so you can knock off some fun stuff while you’re waiting for your work brain to turn back on.

Park on a downhill slope

A common bit of wisdom on writing is to “park on a downhill slope”: Wrap up your day’s writing by leaving yourself a note about where you intend to pick up the next day. It’s actually easier to take the next step of a project that’s already underway than to start from a blank page, so “park” at least a couple of projects on a downhill slope by writing yourself a note about where to begin on your return.

If you’re choosing which projects to wrap up before vacation and which to leave for completion upon your return, leave the most enjoyable or interesting chal-lenges unfinished—that way you’ll have something to look forward to when you get back. Put together a folder of emails or a

project-related notebook in Evernote to help you get your work underway as easily as possible.

Lower expectations for your return

Give yourself a little margin for getting back into the flow of online communications by setting expectations with your pre-vaca-tion messages. When you set up your out-of-office reply, tell people you’ll be back on email a couple of days after you’re returning from vacation; my vacation message always tells people that while I’ll try to work my way through the backlog, I can’t guarantee it, so they should email again after X date if they need a response.

Also give yourself a little wiggle room for your return to any social networks you participate in regularly; whether you’re pre-scheduling social media updates (with a tool like Hootsuite or Buffer) for your vacation, or simply telling people that you’re going dark while you’re away, allow yourself an extra three to seven days before you plan on resuming your usual social network posting schedule.

Plan for your first week back

Block off significant chunks of time in your calendar for the week you get back so that you don’t return to five days of back-to-back meetings. Just as important, schedule a couple of lunch or coffee dates with people you’ll enjoy seeing, so that you have something to look forward to. n

by Alexandra Samuel

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Used Class 8 Prices Stronger than Expected: J.D. PowerFewer trades resulted in more stable pricing for the first four months of the year, J.D. Power reported in its May 2018 Commercial Truck Guidelines Industry Update.

“To put it all in context, year-over-year, 4-year-old to 6-year-old trucks sold in the first four months of the year brought 20 percent more money than the same period in 2017,” said Chris Visser, commercial truck execu-tive analyst.

“While demand clearly has picked up,” Visser added, “we still forecast the supply of used trucks to increase noticeably as the second quarter unfolds. Demand has improved quite a bit in recent months, which will keep average depreciation at around the two percent level by year’s end.”

Major findings in the monthly report note:

» Predicted influx of trades has not yet hit the market

» Stronger demand keeping depreciation to a minimum

» Dealerships reporting better traffic

» Red-hot freight market helping to move iron

» Medium Duty segments mixed

» Cabovers recover from a late-winter weakness

April’s Class 8 Orders Drop from March’s Record Levels: FTRApril’s Class 8 orders dropped 12,000 units from March’s record-setting number of 34,700 units, FTR recently reported.

But this was to be expected, and while the drop was the largest month-to-month drop since 2011, the numbers were still up 50 percent over those of April 2017. FTR added that demand for trucks “remains at record levels and fleets are still attempting to add capacity as fast as possible in this market.”

“To put the April results into perspective, while we saw a nearly 12,000 unit drop from March, the figure is still above the average month for Q4 of last year. This remains a very elevated market,” said Jonathan Starks, FTR’s chief intelligence officer.

“These order levels will continue to put pressure on the OEMs and suppli-ers to increase production and output. The market will stay red-hot into 2019. The question remains: how hot can they run?” Starks added. n

International® Creates Platform for Discussing Pressing Industry Topics If you’ve noticed that the truck industry is brimming over with new technologies these days that demand your attention, you’re not the only one. Technologies such as electrification, digital supply chain, autonomous trucking, and block-chain are in the news seemingly all the time.

To that end, International has announced the “UPNEXT” platform to discuss such industry topics.

“There’s a clear need for concerted industry dialogue on the new technologies that everyone is discussing, and that will revolution-ize the way we all do business,” said Mark Johnson, Navistar’s vice president, Strategic Marketing. “UPNEXT is intended to serve as a central platform for exploration of these and other important topics. Its goal is to spark lively discus-sions that will facilitate critical thinking, heightened collaboration, and even public policy action.”

International said its first UPNEXT initiative is a new website www.UPNEXTtrucking.com, which can be accessed now. The site is designed to get “expert communi-cators” discussing these kinds of topics. The website, International explained, now features white papers from International, and “curated content from other sourc-es, including the media and other industry thought leaders.“

“The industry today is facing a period of radical disruption, when new and existing players are

TCI Dips In March: FTREnvironment Still Favors Carriers

FTR’s Trucking Condition Index (TCI) for April fell from March’s sky high figure of 15.41, to 10.30. (The TCI tracks changes in five major US truck market conditions. These are freight volumes, freight rates, fleet capacity, fuel price, and financing.) Freight demand remains high, FTR added, and there are no fundamental chang-es in demand for freight.

The TCI remains more than triple the 2017 reading of 2.97, FTR noted. “The carrier-favorable environment is not expected to see any real change at least through 2018 with even more positive conditions during the second and third quarter. FTR forecasts conditions for carriers “stabilizing at a high level into 2019 as fleets continue to add capacity and the supply-chain adjusts to the ELD regulation.” n

rethinking the trucking industry’s entire ecosystem to drive opera-tional efficiencies,” Johnson added. “UPNEXT is designed to ask the big questions, provide an expert point of view, and bring together policy makers, carriers and other industry leaders to drive meaningful and beneficial change. We look forward to productive dialogue conducted in that spirit.” n

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Virtually Design, Spec, Volvo VNR and VNL Models with Online Configurator

Kenworth Displays T680 Hybrid Cargo TransportKenworth displayed a prototype T680 tractor equipped with a parallel hybrid electric propulsion system at the recently held Ad-vanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo.

The special Kenworth T680 truck is part of the Hybrid Emission Cargo Transport (HECT) demon-stration project. The project is funded in part by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable

“Online Configurators” that let you virtually spec out exactly what you’re looking for in a new truck model aren’t anything new to the industry, but when they’ve been updated or introduced for new truck models that’s always good news.

Volvo says that there are thousands of configurations for its new VNR and VNL series of trucks. Its new Online Configurator tool makes those configurations a lot easier to work with as customers build and customize the new models.

Here’s how the Online Configurator is used, according to Volvo. Cus-tomers can start by selecting the Volvo VNR or VNL series, choosing cab size, and then custom config-ure the truck’s exterior, interior, powertrain, axles, warranty, and uptime services. The Online Con-figurator for desktops and tablets has 22 options that can be select-ed, rendering more than 4,000 versions of your truck. The online tool features the eight Volvo VNR and VNL models – VNR 300, 400, 640 and VNL 300, 400, 740, 760 and 860, the company noted. After

selecting a VNR regional haul or VNL long-haul model, the configu-rator allows users to choose various options, including a sample of paint colors, bumper, mirrors, air intake, aerodynamic options (roof, side and chassis fairings) and bright packages. Customers finish

up by selecting interior trim level, powertrain, safety features, and uptime services.

“This is an appealing tool that’s fun to use and a customer’s virtual configuration becomes a conversa-tion starter with their local dealer,” said Johan Agebrand, Volvo’s

director of product marketing for North America. “Custom configur-ing a new Volvo VNR or VNL model and sending [the results] to a dealer before visiting can also expedite the sales, spec’ing and order process.” n

Energy (EERE), the U.S. Depart-ment of Energy, and the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

In a release to the media, Ken-worth provided some specs for the prototype. The T680 HECT truck uses the Cummins Westport ISL G Near Zero (NZ) emission engine fueled by compressed natural gas (CNG), in combination with a generator to extend the truck’s battery range. The truck has a 30-mile zero emissions range using the electricity stored in the lithium-ion batteries. When the batteries are depleted, the near-zero emission engine turns on to generate more energy and extend the truck’s range up to 250 miles.

“Our near-zero emission hybrid-electric Kenworth T680 has been developed to evaluate potential alternatives to diesel power for commercial vehicles,” said Stephan Olsen, Kenworth director of product planning. “We believe that in certain applications, such as drayage and regional hauling, the T680 HECT truck will be an excel-lent solution for local clean air regulations, while delivering performance our customers expect. Later this year, when the truck is placed into service with Total Transportation Services Inc. (TTSI) at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, we anticipate it will perform equally, or even better than, current diesel trucks.” n

11

J.D. Power Valuation Services UpdateSupply Increase Kept at Bay for Yet Another Month

The predicted supply increase of Class 8 trucks had not yet come to pass as of May. Stronger demand is absorbing any additional trucks

that become available. Medium duty segments had a less successful month, with most segments bringing lower pricing.

Sleeper Tractors – AuctionVolume at the auctions we monitor remains lower than predicted. The number of trades entering the market had not yet ramped up to expected levels as of May. As such, pricing remains stable to mildly downward. Smaller auction houses continue to move more trucks than last year.

May auction performance of our benchmark model was as follows:

» Model year 2015: $43,300 average; $2,500 (5.5%) lower than April

» Model year 2014: $36,000 average; $2,000 (5.9%) higher than April

» Model year 2013: $30,500 average; $2,750 (8.3%) lower than April

» Model year 2012: $25,750 average; $750 (2.8%) lower than April

» Model year 2011: $20,250 average; $5,250 (20.6%) lower than April

Year-over-year, trucks four to six years of age sold in the first five months of 2018 brought 18% more money than the same period in 2017. Late-model, low-mileage trucks are in relatively tight supply, but we expect this to change somewhat in upcoming months. Historical delivery patterns combined with the massive increase in new truck orders in the past three quarters makes an increase in supply inevitable.

See the “Volume of the Three Most Common Sleeper Tractors Sold...”” and “Average Selling Price: Benchmark Sleeper Tractor” graphs for detail.

Sleeper Tractors – RetailApril was another month with stable pricing. Retail sales volume was lower than expected, and the predicted increase in trades has not yet come to pass. As was the case last month, a few aggressively-priced, multi-unit packages impacted our averages. Actual pricing for individual trucks was better than the figures below suggest.

The average sleeper tractor retailed in April was 81 months old, had 459,737 miles, and brought $49,299. Compared to March, the average sleeper was 5 months older, had 3,102 (0.7%) fewer miles, and brought $797 (1.6%) more money. Compared to April 2017, this average sleeper was 7 months older, had 6,094 (1.3%) more miles, and brought $878 (1.8%) more money.

Looking at trucks three to five years of age, April’s average pricing was as follows:

» Model year 2016: $78,667; $5,898 (7.0%) lower than March

» Model year 2015: $63,686; $1,931 (2.9%) lower than March

» Model year 2014: $46,995; $440 (0.9%) higher than March

On a year-over-year basis, late-model trucks sold in the first four months of 2018 brought 4.8% more money than in the same period of 2017.

See the “Average Retail Selling Price: 3- to 5-Year-Old Sleeper Tractors” graph for detail.

Looking at specific models, newer International ProStars have made notable gains, particularly when equipped with the Cummins ISX. Otherwise, lower volume in April resulted in some competitive move-ment that we do not consider meaningful.

See the “Average Retail Selling Price of Selected 3- to 5-Year-Old Sleeper Tractors” graph for detail.

Class 8 sales per dealership dropped unexpectedly in April, coming in at 4.9 trucks per rooftop. This result is 0.8 truck lower than March, and

contrary to predictions. There is a mild shortage of newer used trucks with under 400,000 miles, which could partially explain the lower sales volume. However, pricing for these trucks suggests supply is still satu-rated for the most part.

$0

$10,000

$20,000

$30,000

$40,000

$50,000

$60,000

$70,000

$80,000

$90,000

$100,000

AverageRetailSellingPrice:3-5Year-OldSleeperTractorsAdjustedforMileage

4YO5YO

3-5YOAvg.

Source: J.D.PowerValuationServices

$0

$10,000

$20,000

$30,000

$40,000

$50,000

$60,000

$70,000

$80,000

$90,000

$100,000

Jan-

15

Mar

May Ju

l

Sep

Nov

Jan-

16

Mar

May Ju

l

Sep

Nov

Jan-

17

Mar

May Ju

l

Sep

Nov

Jan-

18

Mar

May

(est

.)

AverageRetailSellingPriceofSelected3-5Year-OldSleeperTractorsAdjustedforMileage

386

387/587

579

Cascadia

CX

ProStar(ISX+MF)

T660

T680

VNL630/670

VNL730/780

MarketAverage

Source: J.D.PowerValuationServices

12

0

50

100

150

200

250

Jan-16

Feb

Mar Apr

May Jun Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan-17

Feb

Mar Apr

May Jun Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan-18

Feb

Mar Apr

May

VolumeoftheThreeMostCommonSleeperTractorsSoldthroughtheTwoLargestNationwideNo-ReserveAuctions(4-6Year-Old)

Source: J.D.PowerValuationServices

$0

$10,000

$20,000

$30,000

$40,000

$50,000

$60,000

$70,000

Aug-15

Sep

Oct

Nov Dec

Jan-16

Feb

Mar Apr

May Jun Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov Dec

Jan-17

Feb

Mar Apr

May Jun Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov Dec

Jan-18

Feb

Mar Apr

May

AverageSellingPrice:BenchmarkSleeperTractorSoldthroughtheTwoLargestNationwideNo-ReserveAuctionCompanies

MY2011

MY2012

MY2013

MY2014

Source: J.D.PowerValuationServices

See “Number of Trucks Retailed per Dealership Rooftop” graph for detail.

Looking forward over the long term, new truck orders remain extremely high, which will add supply to a market already expected to increase in upcoming months.

See the “Retail Value Forecast” graph for a look at how we see used truck pricing unfolding over the next four years.

Medium Duty TrucksMedium duty segments were more negative than positive in April, with heavier-GVW conventionals performing strongest.

Starting with Class 3 – 4 cabovers, April’s average pricing came in at $14,408. This figure is $2,078 (12.6%) lower than March, and $3,090 (17.7%) lower than April 2017. A higher-mileage mix of trucks sold in April is mainly responsible for the lower pricing. We do adjust our averages for mileage, but the intangibles of harder use impacts pricing. As such, we see the cabover market as depreciating mildly.

See the “Average Wholesale Selling Price: 4- to 7-Year-Old Class 3-4 Cabovers” graph for detail.

Class 4 conventionals lost ground for a third month, while Class 6 conventionals remain stable.

Specifically, Class 4’s averaged $17,237 in April. This figure is $1,684 (8.9%) lower than March, and $3,751 (17,9%) lower than April 2017. Class 6’s averaged $19,563 in April. This figure is $382 (1.9%) lower than March, and $419 (2.1%) lower than April 2017.

Class 4 depreciation appears to be more than just a one-month anomaly. Sales volume was up moderately, but this same factor did not impact pricing for heavier-GVW trucks. Average mileage was lower than the past two months, so we can disregard that factor. It appears demand for Class 4 trucks may be pulling back.

Class 6 trucks held steady month-over-month, with average mileage and pricing nearly identical to March. While off mildly from the early first quarter, pricing for this group appears stronger than the second half of 2017.

See the “Average Wholesale Selling Price: 4- to 7-Year-Old Conventionals by GVW Class” graph for detail.

ForecastStrong demand for freight, long lead times for new trucks, and the ELD mandate are supporting pricing on the used side. However, historical delivery patterns and the massive increase in new truck orders should increase supply in upcoming months. Even in a rebounding environ-ment, there’s only so much supply the market can absorb. As such, we still predict depreciation will average 2% per month by year’s end. n

Chris Visser, Senior Analyst and Product Manager Commercial Vehicles

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Jan-15

Feb

Mar Apr

May Jun Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov Dec

Jan-16

Feb

Mar Apr

May Jun Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov Dec

Jan-17

Feb

Mar Apr

May Jun Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov Dec

18-Jan

Feb

Mar Apr

May(e

st.)

NumberofTrucksRetailedperDealershipRooftop

Source: J.D.PowerValuationServices

$0

$5,000

$10,000

$15,000

$20,000

$25,000

$30,000

2per.Mov.Avg.(Class4Price)

2per.Mov.Avg.(Class6Price)

AverageWholesaleSellingPrice:4-7Year-OldConventionalsbyGVWClassAdjusted forMileage

Source: J.D.PowerValuationServices

-25%

-20%

-15%

-10%

-5%

0%

5%

10%

2015 2016 2017 2018(f) 2019(f) 2020(f) 2021(f) 2022(f)

RetailValueForecastPercentChangeYear-over-Year

3YOTruck

4YOTruck

5YOTruck

Source: J.D.PowerValuationServices

$0

$5,000

$10,000

$15,000

$20,000

$25,000

Jan-15

Mar

May Jul

Sep

Nov

Jan-16

Mar

May Jul

Sep

Nov

Jan-17

Mar

May Jul

Sep

Nov

18-Jan

Mar

May(e

st.)

AverageWholesaleSellingPrice:4-7Year-OldClass3-4CaboversAdjusted forMileage

Source: J.D.PowerValuationServices

13

Visit to PACCAR continued from front page

The day began with a briefing about the Technical Center, which started operation in 1982. In the early years, the Technical Center had an environmental dynamometer (dyno), a road simulator, a failure analysis laboratory, and high-speed computers for analyzing the durability of truck parts. When engines became more computerized with electronic control units (ECUs), the Technical Center developed hard-ware in the loop (HiL) test benches – which simulate truck inputs to have ECUs operate as though they were driving down the road.

The Technical Center has been testing and validating PACCAR MX engines since 2005. The facility has numerous dynamometers, which act as a treadmill for engines. Engi-neers can change loads dynamically, and can run performance tests to measure durability and emission levels.

The Technical Center even has a test bed called the Powertrain Test Cell — four integrated dynamometers that can test the engine, aftertreatment system, transmission and axle together as a system. This allows engineers to optimize fuel economy, and smooth out shifting.

The group toured through the facility and got a first-hand look at how materials and adhesives are analyzed. “Before spending millions on tooling, we make sure the material will work,” explained Jonah Leason, supervisor of vehicle program management. “We will look at fiber-glass fibers for the hood, as an example, and test for strength. We use a scanning electron micro-scope with 250,000-times magnification to see every detail. We will even scratch paint to see the impact of corrosion on the material underneath.”

Other interesting highlights included seeing how PACCAR does electrical testing – some-thing that is becoming even more complex considering the typical day cab has 10 to 12 ECUs, while a sleeper unit could have 18 to 20. “Each has to talk to each other, so it’s vital that the communication works flawlessly,” said Jonah. “Software is the future – it’s important for new truck owners as well as used truck owners. Those running trucks need to see what’s going on.”

The tour group also got a behind-the-curtain look at the PACCAR “SWAT” team – a group of engineers who find solutions for real-life customer issues. “Engineers here don’t work in a bubble,” Jonah told the group. “We go out in the field too – we’re not afraid to get a little dirty. We’ll also do tear downs – taking apart an engine with more than a million miles to see how our components are holding up.”

“That was really interesting to me,” said Jeff Godwin, with CDL Solutions. “They told the story of soot build-up in a DEF filter with a customer and the customer couldn’t figure out why that

was happening. So they sent someone from the Technical Center down to work on the case. They found the driver constantly played the throttle back and forth — and that caused the problem. So, it was a driver issue, not a system issue. Yet, the Technical Center was able to learn from that and test against excessive throttle use.”

Vibration and repeat stress tests were also viewed. Doors on trucks are open and shut 300,000 times during one test, and the Technical Center can simulate 1 million miles of vibration from computer simulated roads in a 30- to 40-day period – running 24/7. “Testing never shuts down,” Jonah said with a smile.

One of the big ‘wow’ moments came for board member Kelly Coldiron, of Coldiron Companies, when she saw the climate chassis dynamometer. “I would never have

guessed you could freeze a truck, or put one through extreme heat and changes in alti-tude,” she said. “I think that’s really impor-tant testing, not only for the truck and pow-ertrain, but also for all the adhesives and other materials that need to stay in working order over the life of the truck.”

How cold and how hot? The climate chamber can drop down to a frigid minus 22 degrees Fahrenheit, and rise up to 130 degrees Fahr-enheit, while reaching an altitude of 14,000 feet (simulated by reducing the pressure of the air the engine breathes). The chamber recre-ates real-world testing in areas like Canada’s Northwest Territories, Death Valley, Colorado’s Eisenhower Pass and the challenging Baker Grade in California.

Board member Ronnie Jordan of Jordan Truck Sales, said his second time around at the Technical Center (he was there last year for another event) gave him even more informa-tion to take home. “I picked up so many things I missed the first time,” he said. “It was one of the most rewarding trips I’ve had in a long time. We learned so much, and I know our other members were blown away with what they saw and came away with. I also was impressed with the quality of the people we met and their passion for what they do – in-cluding the test drivers who assisted us when test driving trucks. I think that speaks vol-umes – you’re not going to be able to build quality trucks unless you have quality people.”

For board member Craig Kendall of The Pete Store, the testing and validation component of the Technical Center caught his eye. “Testing real-world conditions at the lab is really

something – and they can test the complete powertrain,” he said. “When we sell used trucks – and in this case Kenworths and Peterbilts – a buyer might ask why the brand costs a bit more than others. What we learned at the Technical Center – all the technology and all the testing – helps us relate that information to our customers. You might pay a little more, but here’s why….”

Testing Trucks against the Elements: Last summer, LandLine magazine ran an article, which featured Jeff Turner — manager of the Technical Center’s embedded engineering team. If you’d like to learn more about PACCAR’s real-world testing, click on the link: http://landlinemag.com/Magazine/2017/July/features/Driven-Brink.aspx n

Cool Moments“I really appreciative learning more about DPF filters. Our PACCAR presenter gave a very straightforward and honest view of the filters – how they work and how they were designed. He was a straight shooter.” – Ronnie Jordan

“In everything we saw, I could see the integrity of the product was substantiated. It was clear that the Kenworth and Peterbilt brands were names you could trust.” – Kelly Coldiron

“The durability test caught my attention. They test trucks against all the different vocational roads. They can simulate a logging road to test the durability of a logging truck; or they can put it through the paces of stop-and-go to simulate what a P&D truck might go through.” – Jeff Godwin

14

Early Registration’s Open for UTA’s November Convention

Who's ready for November’s UTA Convention in sunny Florida? Or, maybe we should say who isn’t ready, as so many of us are already looking forward to it!

If you're planning to attend, now is the time to register. “Early bird” registration is open through August 31.

This will be the UTA's 19th Annual Convention, and it’s being held November 7-10. The Convention will be at Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal, in Orlando, FL. Rooms

are available at the special UTA room rate, a nice savings over the regular rate. We hear that rooms go fast at the Lowes Sapphire, and the block of UTA reserved rooms is limited, so register soon to get the discount!

With a record 837 attendees in 2017, record sponsorship, and record overall vendor support, last year's Convention was the best yet. This year's Conven-tion at Universal Studios Orlando will only build on that.

The UTA Convention is one of the highlights of the year for anyone who sells, finances, repairs, insures, or has anything else to do with used trucks. If you have attended other UTA Conventions you know why: It’s where “everything in our industry comes together!”

As this is the UTA’s 30th Anniversary there’s extra incentive to attend this year's Convention.

For more information, and to register, visit http://uta.org/2017/01/06/uta-2018-convention-in-orlando/

15

BROOKS TIP OF THE MONTH

Successful sales managers work on their sales teams and not in them.

There is a big difference.

WIT continued from page 7

WIT Index continued from page 7

parking, rest rooms, etc. The information is provided by the shipper or is crowd sourced by drivers themselves.

There are three questions we asked to determine how “carrier friendly” the ware-house really is: (1) Were you treated as a professional, (2) Did they get you in and out in a reasonable amount of time, (3) Were there restroom facilities available? Each month we get a report from the app develop-ers and as the ratings are increased, we will look at the truly carrier-friendly facilities and perhaps, create a way to acknowledge their efforts. For the lowest-ranking warehouses, it might prompt a discussion with the manage-ment team.

Of course, drivers are accountable for their behavior as well, and the shippers also created a list of desirable actions on the part of the driver or carrier. They wanted notice if the truck will be delayed and they asked that the driver be prepared with a load number, placards as needed, and the proper secure-ment equipment.

That doesn’t seem like too much to ask from the carrier side. One of the consistent topics of conversation was about good communica-tion. This includes keeping the receiver informed and staying in touch with the customer when delays occur.

Someday, I hope the warehouse managers won’t be so stunned when I mention things like free Wi-Fi or showers for drivers. Maybe they will start to see the value in treating every driver as a professional. Maybe some-day we won’t need a session on how to manage a “carrier friendly warehouse.” n

women managers and board members with publicly traded carriers. Of the 16 organiza-tions tracked, 12 or 75 percent, have female directors, a slight increase from 2016 where ten out of fifteen or 67 percent included women on their boards.

This index of publicly traded carriers also tracks the percentage of women holding executive positions. Only six of the fifteen companies showed women in management roles, unchanged from 2016.

This year’s index names ArcBest, led by CEO Judy McReynolds, as the leader in both groups with 28 percent female executives, and 33 percent of the board of director seats held by women. n

16

Board News and Views continued from page 3

Face 2 Face with Chris Visser continued from page 6

The process of selling heavy transportation equipment —particularly used heavy transportation equipment—is a dinosaur industry. This means the methods used to transact business have not changed significantly over time. Unless there is a cataclysmic change in our tax code, it is likely that new purchases of heavy transportation equipment will continue as is, and there will continue to be a secondary market for such assets. Technological changes—such as autonomous vehicles—may change the market, but are unlikely to significantly change how we sell to end users. Selling parts and service will remain the same—albeit more technical. New technology will easily attract younger people into our business. It may be a challenge to train them; how-ever, that challenge is the same whether the person is 30 or 60 years old.

If you were to Google “Managing Millennials” you’d find thousands of pages to read. Here’s a quick sampling of hints some of those web sites provide:

» Provide structure

» Provide leadership and guidance

» Encourage a positive personal self-image

» Take advantage of the Millennial’s comfort level with teams

» Listen to the Millennial employee

» Take advantage of your Millennial employee’s computer, cell phone, and electronic literacy

» Capitalize on the Millennial’s affinity for networking

» Provide a life/work balanced workplace

» Provide a fun, employee-centered workplace

These all sound like good management practices for employees from any generation.

Hiring Millennials makes good sense for your business. They are rapidly becoming more prevalent in the work force, and they will be the decision makers in the very near future. Their youthful outlook and ability to quickly embrace technology will make them an asset for your business.

Hiring a person between the ages of 22 and 37 is an excellent move that will help ensure your business’s future success. There will be challenges. Millennials will challenge managers. Millennials will demand fair pay—commission-heavy compensation plans will likely need modification to attract quality candidates. Millennials are likely to use their smart phones, computers, and tablets more than most of us. Bottom line though: Your organization needs to hire younger to build for the future.

One final word: Make sure to run that help wanted ad online, and that includes using social media. It’s unlikely a Millennial (or anyone else for that matter) is reading the classified ads in a newspaper. n

them and pursuing his hobbies. “I try to make time to pursue my passions,” he said. Those include music, classic cars, and staying active. “As far as those go, my band just recorded its second album, I’m about 80 percent done with my latest car project, and I’ve had fun helping to organize the 5K Run/Walks at recent UTA conventions. Oh, yeah, my dog Ollie would be disap-pointed if I didn’t mention him.” n

17

Living here in this small town in our farming valley, it’s easy to see the seasons

pass. The first signs of spring include the smell of manure as the farmers fertilize the fields just the same as the crocuses that pop up in the flower beds. We actually love the rhythm of the changing year and find comfort in the well-expected and appreciated changes the calendar brings. As we get ready to close out the first half of 2018 we are looking forward to Memorial Day weekend, cookouts, and trips to our local minor league baseball team’s stadium. The Frederick Keys, so named for our beloved son Francis Scott Key, allow us to step back in time to the day when baseball was less a com-mercial enterprise, and more a home to the hopes of young and devoted athletes. It really is a trip back in time for the love of the game!

Since living here itself is much like stepping back in time, we recently took some time to visit our Town Hall’s new Heritage Gallery. We saw a lot of what we expected, including the original ransom note left by Jubal Early when the Confederate General ransomed our town with the threat of burning it to the ground. What we didn’t expect was to discover Middletown’s most famous son was Charlie Keller, once a star of the New York Yankees right alongside the more famous Joe DiMaggio. Now, we both loved baseball as kids, but we’ve both set that devotion aside as adults with family, work, life, and other assorted challenges having taken over. Most of our fondest memories of baseball were of players long ago retired, but still beloved. Sandy Koufax and Willie Mays were favorites for one of us, and Mickey Mantle and Babe Ruth for the other. Charlie Keller retired before either of us was born, so that’s our excuse for why he was lost to our history until we wandered through Town Hall.

Imagine how surprising it was to discover that Charlie (King Kong) Keller, born and raised right here at home, was not only famous, but he was also integral in making the New York Yankees the powerhouse team they were in the mid part of the 20th Century. He joined the team in 1939 and played for the Yankees for ten seasons. During his rookie year he played in 111 games and hit .334, including 11 home runs, three of those during the Yankee’s World Series sweep against the Cincinnati Reds. He was also the team’s regular left fielder and, for much of the time he played with the Yankees, he was part of the powerhouse trio of Keller, DiMaggio, and Tommy Henrich. He returned to Frederick County in retirement and lived out the rest of his life as a local boy who made good. The Keller family is still a vital part of our community, but as you might guess, as latecomers we rarely hear the old-timers brag about their achievements.

Fortunately, we now have the chance to brag about a new achievement from a young and promising athlete who also was born and raised right here at home. Just a few weeks ago, young Rick Leonard, a graduate of our local high school, was drafted by the New Orleans Saints as part of their offensive squad. Like Charlie before him, Rick was known within our community as a local football hero. During his time in high school, our little town won three consecutive state championships! That means we beat teams from cities as big as Baltimore and as wealthy as Bethesda! Take it from us it’s always a mistake to underestimate the underdog. Now, we have no crystal ball to predict how well Rick will do in the National Football League, but the excitement of seeing one of our own get this opportunity has made this spring a bit brighter.

Rick played defense in high school and college, but his college coach saw the potential for an effective offensive player and convinced him to change course. As parents, we have to worry about concussions and other injuries, but as local football fans, we can’t wait to see what our 6 foot 7 inch 300-pound tackle is going to do. As you might expect from a local boy, he looks forward with modesty. “I’m still growing in tackle, obviously,” he told Joel Erickson of TheAdvocate.com. Knowing what we do about the culture of our little town and the folks who make up its history, we image Charlie “King Kong” Keller also started his career with the Yankees in modesty. Maybe humility comes from watching the seasons slowing change the fields and farmland, but humility is a welcomed companion to great success. At least that’s the way it looks from where we sit. n

Deb and Brad Scheppeditor@uta.org

Some Highlights from 2017 Convention

18

Some Highlights from 2017 Convention

Register NOW for the 2018 Convention in Orlando, Florida!19