Corporate Express Promotional Marketing Wins Silver Pyramid for Con-Way Truckload Driver Retention Program
News Release
Contacts:
Anne McKeough, VP Sales and Marketing
Corporate Express Promotional Marketing
314.692.3039
Corporate Express Promotional Marketing Wins Silver Pyramid for Con-Way Truckload Driver Retention Program
St. Louis, Missouri, January 15, 2006 — Corporate Express Promotional Marketing was awarded a Silver Pyramid for its work with Con-Way Truckload to improve driver retention. The Promotional Products Association International presented the award to Corporate Express Promotional Marketing at its 45th annual Golden Pyramid Awards ceremony at PPAI EXPO in Las Vegas on January 10. Their award competition brings annual recognition to industry professionals for the outstanding use of promotional programs.
Corporate Express Promotional Marketing's program utilized new-hire brand merchandise kits to positively reinforce the driver's new identity as a Con-Way Truckload employee. "The primary objective of the program was to foster employee pride and increase initial job satisfaction-and therefore retention-of employee drivers," said Julie McNeely, Project Manager for Corporate Express Promotional Marketing. "According to the American Trucking Association, there is currently a significant driver shortage in the truckload sector," explained McNeely. "At the same time, demand is expected to grow. So Con-Way's ability to retain quality drivers directly and dramatically impacts the cost and efficiency of operations, and therefore, the bottom line."
Alisa Lyons, Region Manager for Corporate Express Promotional Marketing, also helped create and manage the program. "In order to help Con-Way, we selected promotional merchandise and apparel of high utility and relevance to drivers in the full truckload, long-haul trucking business," she said. "We chose items that would be used every day on the job. This constantly reinforces the driver's identity as a valued Con-Way employee." In cooperation with a vendor partner, Corporate Express Promotional Marketing set up the program so items could be personalized with the driver's name and kitted quickly — in time for delivery during a two-day orientation process.
The kits included items for the drivers to use in their trucks — a powerful and constant reminder of their new employer's appreciation. Each driver receives five personalized men's or women's shirts. (Many of the driver teams are husband and wife.) They also receive a personalized duffel bag, which includes a first aid kit, 10-function multi-tool, heated travel mug with plug-in auto adaptor, padfolio with tire tread design, visor clip, sunglass clip, men's or women's short-sleeve low-care shirt and a hat. Once they reach six-month tenure, the drivers are also presented with a personalized Carhartt jacket. Their name is embroidered on the jacket.
How effective was the program? "Results have been outstanding in both objective and subjective terms," said Eric Madison, Manager — Human Resources for Con-Way Truckload. "The industry average turnover rate is 120%, while our annualized turnover rate has been only 30% — 90% lower than average. We're impressed by the effectiveness of merchandise in helping us realize a primary organizational goal--the maintenance of high driver retention rates."
About Corporate Express Promotional Marketing
Founded in 1960, Corporate Express Promotional Marketing specializes in centralized, brand merchandise procurement programs for the Fortune 1000. Business lines include Web-based In-Stock Merchandise Catalogs, Custom Order products and Performance Solutions such as Recognition, Incentive and Corporate Gift programs. Corporate Express Promotional Marketing is a wholly-owned division of Corporate Express — A Buhrmann company (NYSE:BUH).
About Con-Way Truckload
Con-Way Truckload is an operating company of Con-Way Transportation Services Inc. a $2.7 billion transportation and services company that provides time-definite and day-definite freight delivery services and logistics for commercial and industrial businesses. Within the Con-Way family are regional less-than-truckload carriers Con-Way Central Express, Con-Way Southern Express, Con-Way Western Express, Con-Way Canada Express and Con-Way Mexico Express; Con-Way NOW, an expedited carrier specializing in emergency shipment service; Con-Way Logistics, a supply chain services provider, Con-Way Air, an airfreight forwarder with service throughout the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico, and Con-Way Full Load, a truckload brokerage service offered throughout the U.S. and Canada, Con-Way Truckload, an asset-based, full truckload operation covering the continental United States.
About PPAI
PPAI — Promotional Products Association International — is the only international not-for-profit association dedicated to professionals of the $17.3 billion promotional products industry. Since its founding in 1903, PPAI has served as a guiding force to expand the market, establish standards, enhance the professionalism of the industry and support the growth of member companies.
