Motion & Purpose 2025 Q1

Is your company a great place to work? How do you stack up? You always wonder, says Truline President Paul Truman.

“We know we’re not perfect, but we do have internal goals of being a great company. Part of that is being a great place to work,” he told us.

Truline went through a complicated evaluation process to find out whether the company is viewed that way. Now it’s one of 47 for-hire firms certified as an “Elite Fleet” by the Truckload Carriers Association.

TCA reviewed an array of key metrics. Drivers were surveyed. TCA considered training, compensation, and employee engagement. To be considered, Truline built a spreadsheet with data about equipment, facilities and safety, and more.

“It was more than we expected when we first signed up for it,” Truman said.

The Elite Fleet certification confirms Truline as one of the “Best Places to Drive.” Equally valuable, the prize comes with a bundle of useful information – Truline will see comparative data from the other firms that submitted.

“We wanted to compare ourselves to the rest of the carriers in the U.S. How do our health benefits compare? How does our 401K compare, and dental, and vision? Holiday pay and vacation time? Fortunately we’re considered one of the best.”

The boss credits the Truline team with providing driver support and a positive vibe.

“There are so many different ways we touch the drivers, to try to make it a good environment,” he said.
“It takes a lot of people to do that.”

TCA President Jim Ward released a statement praising the 47 Elite Fleet carriers that received top scores. The Elites were celebrated in Phoenix this month at Truckload 2025, the association’s annual conference.

Jensen Precast stretched and grew for more than fifty years to meet the demands of a changing market. At last, the company outgrew its name.

“It doesn’t describe our company anymore,” said Josh Dragon, Vice President of Manufacturing at the recently-renamed Jensen Infrastructure. “We have all these emerging things we’re doing. We’re making a lot more than just concrete.”

You might say now that Jensen Infrastructure has more line extensions than Frito Lay. Its new name describes a company that’s evolved from a small local shop turning out concrete septic tanks, to a multi-market provider of underground utility structures, supplying such projects as Southern California Edison’s power line relocation.

Branching out from bread-and-butter products, Jensen’s ventured into some surprising specialties. A recent acquisition put the company into fiberglass manufacturing. At a plant in Sparks, it builds 20 crane trucks each year. Vintners have discovered Jensen’s harvest pillars for rows of grape vines. The concrete supports don’t rust or rot due to weather, like steel and wood do.

But Jensen’s fastest growth has come from acquiring other precasters.

“Concrete is a regional business,” Dragon said, because hauling concrete products from place-to-place is expensive. “You have to have a lot of geographical presence to make it work.”

Reno-based Jensen has acquired companies in the coastal states, plus Hawaii and Arizona. It’s the largest independently-owned firm of its kind in the west, with more than 1,100 employees.

Its value proposition, Dragon explains, is making concrete structures more economically than a contractor can make them onsite. Then delivering the product, which for Jensen means taking it beyond the front gate. Delivery includes placing the product directly into its intended trench or anchor hole.

“It’s something most of our competitors don’t do,” said Vice President of Transportation Chris Nigro. “Our (truck-mounted) cranes are capable of lifting 25-30,000 pounds, and setting it wherever it needs to go. It’s a little competitive edge.”

From his office at Jensen’s Las Vegas facility, Nigro manages “anything that has wheels on it,” he says. Since coming onboard two years ago, he’s centralized the far-flung trucking operations Jensen picked up from its new out-of-state companies.

Transportation procedures are now unified and streamlined, he said.

“We went from 10 dispatchers down to four. We have detailed maintenance costs on all the units. There’s a central safety program and uniform driver training.”

The task included whittling down the inventory of assets, some of it broken or outdated. The work was complicated by regulatory issues, including California Air Resources Board requirements. Then, dozens of remaining vehicles had to be retitled.

“A lot of figuring out to do,” Nigro said. “I’ve been in the industry for 30 years. You still learn something all the time.” His previous experience includes developing, from scratch, AX Transportation as a division of the Ahern Equipment companies.

Nigro hopes to make Jensen’s transportation arm self-sustaining. In perhaps five years, he says, it could make sense to offer trucking as a separate business.

In Reno, Josh Dragon, too, has an eye on the future. Jensen’s forward-looking posture makes it an exciting environment, he says.

“We’ve had a lot of growth through acquisition, but this company’s made a tremendous amount of investment back into our existing facilities.”

The investments include experimenting with new technologies, which can be time-consuming and costly. And they aren’t always the right solutions.

“They’re a gamble, we understand that. But we also believe that by making those kinds of investments and efforts that we’ll be able to apply these cutting-edge technologies sooner than the competition, and return the value to our customers.”

He’ll depart soon for Europe, which he says is home to the most advanced precast automation in the world. There, he’ll explore a specific innovation in wetcast forming tools.

Meanwhile, at home in the Jensen plants, a Continuous Improvement Team looks for opportunities to improve.

“Quality by design – it’s all the things you do, the operating system — to assure that your product and process represents the best known way. You’re constantly refining that. There’s no arriving,” Dragon tells us. “There’s only continuously improving.”

The company is still family owned, with the second generation of management at the helm. Founder and patriarch Don Jensen remains a strong presence, while son Eric is CEO.

“The entrepreneurial spirit is as strong as ever, if not growing,” Dragon said. “I don’t know how many family-owned companies see this kind of commitment to innovation, but it’s alive and well here.”

CMC Tires
Sticha Trucking
US Drug Test Centers
Mile High Transportation Services
Goodyear Truck Tires
Cargo Carrying Carter, LLC
GT4
Jetstream Transportation, LLC
McGivney Trucking LLC
Patten Trucking
Aurora

Announcing the 2025 Nevada Truck Driving Championships – where skill meets safety! Join us on May 3rd in Reno, located on the Historic Lincoln Highway to celebrate the unsung heroes of the road, as skilled drivers from across the state gather to showcase their precision, expertise and commitment to safety. This isn’t just a competition; it is a testament to the dedication of truck drivers who navigate our highways with skill and responsibility.

Participate in this exciting event that goes beyond driving, focusing on promoting safety standards and recognizing the invaluable contribution of truck drivers. Come, be a part of a community that honors the hardworking individuals behind the wheel, and let’s drive together towards a future where safety takes the front seat.

Not a driver? We still need you!
NTA is in need of the following in order to make this event a success. Contact Patti@NevadaTrucking.com if you can help.

• Volunteers – we need people for registration, judging and general assistance.
• Equipment – we need all types of power units and trailers
• Sponsorships – help offset the cost of this event with sponsorships

The Nevada Truck Driving Championships
Saturday, May 3rd
Washoe Regional Public Safety Training Center * 5190 Spectrum Blvd., Reno

Additional details can be found at www.NevadaTrucking.com under the Events tab.

June 3, 2025 – ZOOM – 8am – 12:30pm – $140/person

This course covers the elements of the DOT annual periodic vehicle inspection, completion of the annual inspection reports and placement of decals. Students will learn the regulatory requirements of the annual periodic vehicle inspection and 49 CFR 393 and 396 Appendix A, previously known as Appendix G. Inspectors/technicians will learn the requirements to become a qualified inspector and how to maintain qualification.

Contact Patti@NevadaTrucking.com to register.

NTA continually seeks out new partners with affordable benefits for our members. Check out these services, products, and training opportunities. Identify yourself as an NTA member to receive the negotiated prices and discounts!

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION INSURANCE
ProGroup Inc. administers the Nevada Transportation Self-Insured Group for NTA. Join this group for cost savings, technical assistance and training in all areas of employee health and safety.

Contact Michelle Ferrise at ProGroup – michelleferrise@pgmnv.com – 702-805-5122

TRAINING/SEMINARS
Scopelitis Transportation Consulting (STC) is a specialized consulting and advisory business that serves the evolving safety, regulatory, compliance and business needs of the transportation industry. STC has a series of webinars focused on DOT regulatory compliance. These trainings are geared to fleet / operations managers and safety / compliance professionals. Upcoming seminars include:

• Hours of Service and On-Road Compliance – April 22, 2025

Click here to learn more and to sign up for this series.

Front Range Compliance Services (FRCS) is a proven and trusted DOT compliance program manager. FRCS is a 50-state specialist in all things DOT. They offer a variety of services, including DOT Compliance Training, internal mock “audits”, file management, DOT Compliance Audit Preparation & Representation, MVR Services and Drug/Alcohol testing programs. FRCS is a full-service safety & consulting company. Training Programs currently include free informational videos and on-demand webinars via www.DOTUniversity.com. NTA has scheduled 2 initial ZOOM classes for the first half of 2025:

• Reasonable Suspicion Training (required for all motor carriers) – February 11th
• Periodic Vehicle Inspection & Qualifications – June 3rd

Go to www.frontrangecompliance.com for more information.

DRUG/ALCOHOL TESTING
TSC Testing was founded for the Transportation Industry. They service all states and have thousands of collection sites to serve their clients. Through the NTA program, you receive discounted pricing on consortium fees, employee drug testing and more. Contact Levi Ochotorena, lochotorena@tsctesting.com, 916-345-5022

LEGAL ASSISTANCE
Driver’s Legal Plan is an actual national law firm dedicated to protecting the rights of truck drivers, and the interests of trucking companies. This program offers subscription-based legal assistance for drivers to correct CSA data, manage citations and if necessary, assist with crashes.

Contact Tina Hopkins, tina@driverslegalplan.com, 405-724-4219.

BUSINESS SERVICES – FREE REVIEWS
Schooley Mitchell is the largest independent cost reduction consulting firm in North America. On average, they reduce essential business service expenses by 28% and most do not require changing vendors. Services include credit card processing, ELDs, telecommunications, uniforms and more.

Contact Rodney Wead, Rodney.wead@schooleymitchell.com, 317-588-9325.

TIRES
Goodyear Tires. NTA Members receive discount pricing on all your Goodyear tires, as well as any related incentives and rebates. Available at Goodyear Tire Dealers.

Contact your local Goodyear dealer or call Roland Corona, roland_corona@goodyear.com, 209-576-6064

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE – FREE PHONE SUPPORT
Ironwood Business Consulting is a leading national compliance consulting firm. NTA members receive free telephone support for questions on DOT / OSHA / HR and more. You can also receive discounted rates on in-depth consulting for training, crisis management, crash assistance and other areas.

Contact Tammy Bailey, tammy@ironwoodbc.com, 936-537-0638.

SAFETY REPORTS / MOMENTUM DASHBOARDS – FREE
Momentum Dashboard / Bluewire Severity Reports. NTA provides these reports free-of-charge to our members. The reports include safety performance tracking and detailed data from the CSA program and other sources.

Contact Patti Gillette, patti@nevadatrucking.com, 720-560-3957

BUYERS’ GUIDE
Strategic Value Media has once again produced NTA’s online Buyer’s Guide. This guide offers our members a quick link to vendors across dozens of categories from financial services to truck parts and insurance.

Check out the guide at www.nvtruckingbuyersguide.com

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