Without further ado, introducing… Penny Packit!
“I am so stoked to introduce my Co-Ambassador, Penny Packit! Penny is a polished Moving & Storage Pro who will be working alongside me to help keep everyone movin’! Penny hails from the mountains of Virginia, where character counts and everyone’s got each other’s backs. Even though she’s made of the toughest 200 lb. test corrugated cardboard, don’t let that fool you…she’s got a heart of gold!”
“Well, thank you, Bobby! That was such a nice welcome. I feel like I’m home again! I can’t wait to share with y’all my ‘Leader-of-the-Pack’ approach to moving & storage insurance. The last time I was this excited was when I shared a moving truck with Kenny Chesney’s moving boxes! Oooh, don’t you just love him singin’ ‘She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy’? Darlin’s, until next month, squeeze your loved ones tight, smile for a stranger and keep chuggin’ along!”
Latest Industry News
UPDATES from Truckers Against Trafficking
- Transit Systems Taking Steps to Combat Human Trafficking. (NCFMM)
- Parents of Texas teenager who left Dallas Mavericks game speak out on human trafficking case. (ABC NEWS/ESPN)
- How this nonprofit is teaching the public, truckers about human trafficking. (WQAD8)
FMCSA Accepting Carrier Applications for Apprenticeship Driver Pilot
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration as of July 26 is accepting applications from motor carriers interested in participating in the agency’s Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot Program for 18- to 20-year-old truck drivers who already hold intrastate commercial driver licenses. FMCSA said the program will allow a maximum of 1,000 carriers and 3,000 apprentice drivers to participate.
ATA’s Newly Formed Women In Motion Program Pursues Safer Truck Parking
Launched July 15 by American Trucking Associations, Women In Motion wrote a letter July 19 to leaders on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, in support of the bipartisan amendment Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act under consideration in Congress. The measure was approved by a House committee on July 20.
FMCSA Awards Educational Funds for Veterans, Others to Get CDLs
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration awarded $3.1 million in grants to 19 community colleges and truck driving schools throughout the country. The grant program aims to increase the number of CDL holders possessing enhanced operator safety training, while offering veterans, those serving in uniform (including National Guard members and reservists) and their spouses opportunities to drive trucks or buses.
SAFETY AROUND VEHICLES
REDUCE VEHICLE ACCIDENTS
Raise a Glass for Jeff Howe’s Retirement!
Jeff Howe’s contributions to the insurance industry and more specifically, the Moving & Storage industry, are significant. He has also worked on other classes of business, but always came back to M&S. His insurance career has spanned 49 years! We’ve all been very fortunate to have worked with Jeff over the years and now wish him many happy years of retirement!
Congratulations Jeff!
Exit Interview Q&A with Jeff Howe.
Q: What would you say is the most memorable moment in your career?
A: To be in this business for as long as I have, it is almost impossible to pick a single event. There have been so many. This may sound corny, but I met my wife where we both worked in Cleveland, and that developed into two beautiful daughters and 38 years of marriage. I would have to say that that is a very memorable moment.
Q: Who and what will you miss most about this industry?
A: The list of people I will miss is too long to put together. I have had the chance to work for many successful people and I have learned so much from each of them. I think the people with whom I have had the pleasure to associate with, over the past 10 years, have provided me with the best opportunity to take on more responsibility and to actually show what I can do. I thank everyone who has had a part in my career and allowed me to do what I have done.
Q: What message would you give the person taking your place in this organization?
A: Listen!! Ask questions!! Understand that the people for whom you work have knowledge that you have not yet been able to understand and/or achieve. Use them to better yourself. Take their experience and use it to your advantage. As for the people that work for you, listen closely to them. If you see problems of any sort, talk with them. Get their input first, before you ask anyone else. This gains the respect of the people and lets them know you are wanting to assist, not hamper.
Q: What would you say your most noteworthy achievements have been?
A: Making myself of value to those for, and with, whom I have worked. I look at my success in this industry as to what I was able to bring to the table and to provide assistance to others to ensure that the company, and people, with which I worked received everything I could provide. I can’t pinpoint any specific achievements, other than having done this for 49 years…
Q: What’s the first thing you are going to do after you’ve retired?
A: Probably Nothing!! I have doing this for so long (getting up very early in the morning and working long days) that it will be nice to actually take a break for a while. After that initial few months, I do want to get back to visit family, and then, eventually, probably get some kind of a part-time job. (I figure I better do something to get me out of the house or hitting 40 years of marriage could be tough!)
Q: What are your thoughts on the future of this industry as you say farewell?
A: The future in the insurance industry is never-ending. There is so much to learn and what is exciting about it is that things change all the time. What may have been an idea last week is now a practice. The avenues to success in this business are expanding constantly.
Q: Do you recommend any strategies for success in this industry after you’re gone?
A: Understand the people you work for and that work for you. Be open to listening and learning. There are many people in this industry who have started at the bottom and have ended up at the top of major insurance companies. They got there by using the knowledge of others upon which to build their futures.
Q: Do you have any final words of wisdom that you’d like to share to people entering this business?
A: Enjoy yourself. Insurance is an ever-changing process that has no bounds. There are constant changes to coverages and exposures that have not yet even been considered. The future is a treasure trove of excitement.
