Expediters Helping Expediters

ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
Put in tinyurl. LDB

As the Rice thread was getting long, Lawrence asked me to post this in a new thread that he will lock. The longer thread can be read at:

http://tinyurl.com/2bvef3

Cherri said:

> I hope that Glen & Janice know that they can count on a
>lot of EO members, if there's anything we can do to help.
>And they should know that they've earned it, by being so
>much help to others, when they were able, and we'd be happy
>for the chance to demonstrate that 'what goes around, comes
>around'. They both know the good feeling that comes from
>being useful to another person, and I hope they can allow
>others to feel that way, too, should the opportunity arise.
>We are a community here, and that's part of what we are all
>about.

Cherri,

Those are very kind words and you are right.

Before Glen went in for surgery, he and Jan were building a new house for themselves in the same gated community they live in now. Realizing they would be disabled for the rest of their lives and never drive again, building a more suitable house made sense. The one they had before worked when they were out on the road all the time. Different circumstances called for a different house.

The new house was recently completed to the point that they can now move in and sell their old house. They plan to move between April 9 and 15. Moving day is going to be very, very hard on both of them. They have talked about doing the move with Two Men and a Truck and friends in the retirement community (a bunch of old farts that don't know much about moving furniture).

I hate it that Glen has to worry about a move. He hates it that he will not even be able to supervise for more than a few minutes before he has been at it too long. Jan is concerned about that.

This morning, I called Jan and convinced her to allow some of their expeediting friends do the move. Glen will be much more at peace knowing they are getting White Glove quality work from people who know what they are doing. Diane and I, and one other team will show up at their place later this month to do the move (Edgewater, Florida). We will be deadheading from Los Angeles to do it if we can't get a load east. The other team will be deadheading from Denver.

We might be able to use a few extra hands if some of the good folks on EO are willing. No charge to the Rices. No pay to yourself. No money for fuel or miles. All work done at your own risk. No insurance coverage on you if you are injured, other than any you may have on your self. You don't have to be FedEx White Glove to help.

Please respond to me privately if you wish to help. Depending on the response, we may not need you but it will be good to have your name if we do. For those who can't make it, maybe someone can take up the project of providing house warming flowers or a gift basket for the Rices on the appropriate day.

We will know more about a specific date in Florida after the Los Angeles and Denver trucks get their frieght delivered, and after the Rices get a better sense of what doctor appointments lie ahead. More info to follow then.
 

Lawrence

Founder
Staff member
Phil,

Thanks for heading this effort up. We encourage anyone who is able to get involved and help out these great folks.

Thanks again!

Lawrence,
Expediters Online.com

5 out of 4 people don't understand fractions.


37% of Americans agree that while they would hate being British, they wouldn't mind having a British accent.

99% of lawyers give the rest a bad name.


I hate the country, all those animals walking around un-cooked.




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ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
Put in tinyurl. LDB

Moving day is now set for sometime between April 12 and 15 and things are coming together well.

The "Denver" truck is Caroll and Dora Bean. That name may ring a bell to some here on EO. Jeff Jensen did a story about a letter the Beans wrote when the HOS rules changed.

See:http://tinyurl.com/2rfty2

Tom Johnson (TJ959) is an Open Forum lurker. He drives a B-unit out of Michigan. He is also on board to help with the move. His B-unit Sprinter will be a big help on the smaller streets we will be working on.

Others have volunteered to help subject to their schedule and availability (understandable in this business). As the move shapes up, we will work people in as we can.

More to follow.
 

Lawrence

Founder
Staff member
Phil,

Please keep us updated. Thanks.

Lawrence,
Expediters Online.com

5 out of 4 people don't understand fractions.


37% of Americans agree that while they would hate being British, they wouldn't mind having a British accent.

99% of lawyers give the rest a bad name.


I hate the country, all those animals walking around un-cooked.




-----------------------------------------
Thanks For Visiting EO!
[p]
http://www.expeditersonline.com/hotnews/sterling_eo_forum.jpg


Please Help Us Get The Word
Out About Expediters Online.com!

-----------------------------------------
 

ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
The moving date has been set. We will begin work at the Rice's home in Edgewater, Florida Friday morning, April 13.

At present we have two team-driven straight trucks and one solo-driven B-unit lined up. While that is enough to get the job done, a second B-unit and a couple more people would lighten the load.

Already, the benefits of this effort are accruing to the Rices. Glen said he had been dreading the move. That is harder on him than would normally be the case. Part of his surgery was the removal of 70% of his pancreas. The pancreas is a vital organ that produces chemicals the body uses. With his system now in chemical turmoil as his body heals and adjusts, worrying, even a little bit, affects Glen more harshly than it would if he had a fully-functional pancreas.

With Glen dreading the move no more, he is doing much better. Volunteers won't be arriving until next week but Glen is better today because of the help he and Janice are receiving.
 

Bruno

Veteran Expediter
Fleet Owner
US Marines
Great Story. Thanks Phil for all the updates on Glen and Janice Rice. I hope all goes well and everyone stays safe during the move.

Drive safe
Dave Mayfield
FedEx Custom Critical
13 years as an O/O in Expediting.
 

ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
The three trucks mentioned above are now working their way to Edgewater, FL to help Glen and Janice Rice move. Moving day remains the same, Friday the 13th (I know, but what can you do? Friday was the best day).

Work begins Friday morning. If you are in the area and would like to help, please contact me via e-mail for details (use the e-mail feature on this page).
 

ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
Greetings from Edgewater, Florida. Here is the latest on the Rice relocation project.

Three straight truck teams and one solo B-unit are now parked for the night in Edgewater. Tomorrow morning we will all join the Rices for breakfast and then moving will begin. One of the teams arrived a day early. They and some of the Rice's neighbors began work today, mostly cleaning the new house. It is a newly-constructed manufactured home. The contractors left a lot of dust and dirt behind which is now gone.

Glen said today that this move is the hardest thing the Rices have ever done in their lives. That is saying a lot considering all they have been through. It is very difficult for them to let others help when they, because of their health, cannot also help.

We're telling them their job is to take care of themselves and each other while we move their stuff. In their minds, they agree. In their hearts it is tough because they feel they should be helping but they also know they should not. (Glen's condition has been described in prior posts. Jan remains disabled from the 2005 accident. Her doctors tell her to lift no more than 10 pounds).

Anyway, we are all looking forward to a good day tomorrow. If all goes well, the Rices will be sleeping in their new home Saturday night and their old house will be empty.

The people involved have been mentioned above. Add to the list TruckerGirl and Zman3k (Holly and Zack, a Panther D-unit team). Almost brand new in the business, these newbies had a delivery in the area and offered to help. Good folks, those two.

More to follow on the people involved and why they did it after the move is completed.
 

tom tinker

Expert Expediter
Though the rest aren't with you good Samaritans, we are praying God blesses you all for what your doing. I should check e.o. more often, lot of good things going on just seen this. Tom Tinker here :) :D :7
 

ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
Mission accomplished! With help from people they trusted instead of movers they did not know, Glen and Janice Rice are now moved out of their old house into their new.

Knowing a week ahead of time that help was coming, the anxiety they previously felt about the move dramatically delcined. That helped settle Glen and made a positive difference in his recovery. On move day (Friday) and the day after, Glen stayed awake and out of bed from morning to night. While he lifted nothing and there were moments where I thought he might be better off in bed, this is a fantastic improvement from the way he was a couple weeks ago.

Glen has several weeks if not months of recovery ahead as his body adjusts to the removal of his spleen and 70% of his pancreas. He also has at least one more operation ahead on his left arm. Still, it was great to see him alert and on his feet.

The old and new houses are both located in a gated retirement community that includes 720 homes. Most are single-story manufactured homes built by Palm Harbor. Four expediter trucks parked there is an unusual sight. As residents took their walks, bike rides and dog walks, they spotted the trucks and asked questions. Word quickly spread about what was going on. People were amazed that truckers came from as far away as they did to help the Rices move.

The moving crew included Bill and Mary Ann who are Rice friends and neighbors. Tom Johnson (EO screen name TJ959) deadheaded from Toledo in his B-unit. His carrier is Pemium Transportation Logistics. Zack (EO screen name Zman3k) and Holly EO screen name truckergirl) arrived in a fleet owner's D-unit. This Panther team delivered a load in nearby Melbourne, Florida on Thursday. With no freight moving them immediately out of Florida, they came up to help.

Caroll and Dora Bean were in Denver, Colorado when they learned of the project. In their FedEx White Glove D-unit, they worked their way down to Florida partly under load and partly deadheading. Diane and I were on our way to Los Angeles when the project idea came to mind. We got a load to Chicago, made a truck maintenance stop in Fort Wayne, Indiana and deadheaded to Florida from there in our FedEx White Glove CR-unit.

The Rices treated us all to a nice dinner Friday night. At dinner, I asked the expediters why they did what they did. Tom said, "It was the right thing to do, so I did." Zack and Holly said, "It was something different to do outside of the truck and a chance to meet some new people." The Beans said, "Because the Rices are our very good friends." For Diane and me, there was no other choice. Knowing our friends needed help, it felt better heading to Florida than doing anything else.

On Friday, we got virtually everything moved from the old house into the new. The Rices said it was great waking up in their new home. All the heavy stuff is where it is supposed to be. The kitchen and bathrooms are set up. Utility lines are mostly in. The patio grill has already been put to use. While their new garage is filled with boxes of stuff they plan to go through, the Rices are in no rush. They plan to go through a box a day until that task is done. As the they see it, the move is done and they are home.

My thanks go out to the expediters who helped bring the Rices home; especially to Holly, Zack and Tom who had never met Glen and Janice but came to help anyway. Without your help, it would have taken a lot more than a day to complete the move. You are good people who did a good thing.
 

truckergirl

Seasoned Expediter
I'm glad that we got to come help! Zak and I had a great time and loved hearing all the trucking stories that y'all had to share. Thanks for the tips you gave us. We made some great friends this weekend! Phil, I hope your cold is getting better!
 

Glen Rice

Veteran Expediter
Hello to EO readers. Janice and I are so grateful to everyone who made what appeared to be an impossible move go so smoothly. We have never seen such kindness! I want to say just a few words about each volunteer. Tom Johnson...what a guy! You worked your tail off and never had a bad word to say about anything. You are a man of few words, but you are the type of person who has been overlooked for the humanitarian award more than once. You have my respect and friendship for life. It was a pleasure meeting you.
Next are the kids that we had the pleasure of also meeting for the first time - Holly and Zack. I can only say that you made me wish I was young and healthy again. You made the move go so smoothly and from the way you worked along side all the old timers, I thought you were seasoned bed buggers! Nothing broken, nothing lost, and you made us all laugh! Oh yeah, and you have the coolest dog!
The next team of Carroll and Dora Bean, what can I say? They have been friends for years, and we had the opportunity to meet their family when they vacationed here in Daytona last year. Now, this is the family I always wish I had. Their love for one another was very evident. They have obvious respect and admiration for each other, and know how to have a great time as a family. The fact they dedicated several very hard days with a couple of broke-down truckers was no surprise.
And last but not least - Phil and Diane Madsen...the instigators! Thank you, thank you! When you called and said you had already cleared your plans with FedEx and had their blessings to drive down all the way to Edgewater, FL to help a couple of stranded old truck drivers, we knew we were in trouble! LOL??? My health was so bad 7 days ago I thought the move would put me back in the hospital...instead, the more we hung out together the better we felt! The fact that all these Good Samaritans thought enough of us to do such a wonderful thing was just the medicine we needed to feel so much better.
We want to thank everyone who posted on EO. We really felt your prayers and well wishes. Expeditors are a rare breed. Janice and I will always be proud to proclaim that our finest hours of trucking were with the men and women that do trucking just a little different.
We can never say in words how you have made us feel. God has been good to us by placing such honorable people in our lives. The generosity you have all shown will forever be in our hearts and minds. Phil and Diane will share a few of the photos of the "Big Move".
The best part of the move was having everyone together for a few meals and laughs...boy did we laugh! Thank you all, and may God bless your every mile. You are a blessing to us!
 

jackdixon_2000

Veteran Expediter
Charter Member
Best wishes to you, Glen and may you have a full and complete recovery. Although I never had the good fortune to cross paths with you very often over the years, they were memorable times when they did occur. Several times at the old Speedway in Avon, Oh. in particular, and at Four Star I remember going over you're blueprints for the new truck you were building.
Thanks to everyone who volunteered and helped out. Reminds me of the old barn raising days or communities stepping in to help a neighbor whos house burned down.

Thanks to the Madsen's and Bean's who I have met and the others who I havn't, with special thanks to Holly and Zak. A young couple new to expediting who jumped in to help because it felt like "The right thing to do". I bet Panther has a couple of top notch enthusiastic, dedicated drivers who will represent the company very well.

If any of you folks get out to N Calif and have a lil free time, dinner is on me.

As far as the move itself, I am sure the Rice's could have hired a mover to do the job but it must be encouraging and a great moral booster to have friends step in and take time from their busy schedule to help out.

Keep thinking positive, Glen and get well soon
 

zman3k

Seasoned Expediter
I remember there was a time that I said I was never going to move again, maybe that was a direct reference to me moving out of my apartment, because since I've said that, I've helped two couples move.

I have to say that, despite the soreness and the sunburn, I enjoyed what I did this weekend in more ways than one. I got to meet some good people, I got some insight, and I got some help, namely with the pesky cab A/C in that T300 of ours...well of our fleet owners.

After dealing with these people, some of my anxiety about this job has been assuaged, but more questions have come to mind. But at any rate, I believe I came out of this with some friends, or maybe, more likely, expediting parents. And all of this just happened by chance by taking a load into the black hole that is known as Florida.

This truly was a great experience, and I hope to see them again, and I'm sure we probably will, at the fuel island as Holly and I head to California, and the other heads to Chicago, but that's the nature of this job.

It was great getting to meet these people this weekend and I wish them all continued success in their lives, wherever they may lead them.
 

Glen Rice

Veteran Expediter
Zack, that is great news to hear your on your way to California! Talk about karma! What goes around comes around and you and Holly deserve the rewards of a profitable run! Rock on you two!
Love you two,
Glen and Jan
 

ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
Photo of the trucks expediters brought to the move. Seven expediters representing three carriers; PTL, Panther, FedEx Custom Critical.
 

zman3k

Seasoned Expediter
Well, the California thing was just an analogy; however, we on Monday we got a run that took us from LaGrange, GA to Meridian, ID. It was a great load, so we took it as soon as it came through. Afterwards, we headed to Portland, OR where it looks like we might have to sit over the weekend. I am so terribly sad that I might have to spend the weekend in Portland, OR that I just may cry. :p

If we don't get anything coming out of here by tomorrow we're going to put ourselves out of service this weekend, and move to my brother's in-law's house in Woodland, WA (about 50mi away) and I'm going to get to see my brother, sister in-law, and nephew this weekend, and with as good as that load was, it won't hurt us to do that. Plus it's been three weeks out, it'd be nice to go somewhere to stretch out and let the dog run around and generally decompress as we do not have a palace on wheels....yet. :)
 

ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
Way to go, Zack and Holly! Here is a photo of the crew at dinner with the Rices. Glen is front left. Behind him are Zack and Holly. To their left are Diane and Phil. Tom is on Phil's left. Janice Rice is in the pink shirt. The other two are Caroll and Dora Bean. Photo quality is not that great. The waitress moved the camera. Still, it shows a great group of people having a great time after a good thing was done.
 

TJ959

Veteran Expediter
Hi guys. I really had a great time down there and you can invite me to your next party any time. The warm weather was real nice too, but us northern folks need a more gradual transition from 4 inches of snow to 90 degrees F.
It was great to put some faces on those screen names and get to know some of you. This business can be difficult as we travel in our own little worlds and it's hard to take time out to make contact. Especially for those of us who run single.
 
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