Written by David Fessenden, Sr. Transportation Manager
If you had the pleasure of visiting the St. Joseph, Missouri, terminal, you would have found a small construction trailer for an office graced by a porta-potty strapped down to keep it from blowing over in the wind. Needless to say, the amenities were limited. Many a visitor would poke their head into the office to question if they were at the right place. With 40+ drivers who called St. Joe their home domicile and a steady stream of Dot drivers from other locations coming and going, we knew improvement was needed.
Finding a New Location
Finding a new location was not easy; it took months and a team of folks to make this happen. Realizing St. Joe was limited on options, we decided to look south. Logistically Kansas City (KC) made sense. We have a large volume of freight going through KC, 85 percent of our St. Joe drivers lived in the KC metro area, and we had more property options to choose from.
What to Expect
The new location offers many of the basics—running water, showers, microwave, fridge, coffee, lounge area, Wi-Fi, plenty of office space, and several large rooms to hold meetings.
We also have a dock allowing us to collect empty pallets, returns, or swing products from one trailer to another. In the coming months, we will expand the parking area—the entire property will be paved, add perimeter lighting, and have truck, reefer, and DEF fuel available on-site 24/7. New signage, landscaping, and a fresh coat of paint on the building will complete the project.
What do our Kansas City terminal drivers have to say?
“No more tracking mud into the truck!”
“Professional atmosphere.”
“Game changer.”
“New, positive approach to the work environment.”
Terminal Driver Growth
The terminal driver group has grown significantly over the years across all locations. Like all Dot drivers, they take pride in the equipment and facilities we work out of, professionalism, and how all of this is part of the Dot brand. In a year of many challenges, we know this is a positive morale boost to our KC drivers. We are excited to welcome any driver or visitor who comes through the Kansas City area.
Enjoy this blog? Want more information about joining the Dot Transportation team?
Fill out this form and the Dot Transportation recruiting team will get in touch with you!