It's a Team's Life
Trucking Solutions Group
In 2008 the original group was formed under another name. The purpose of the group from its inception has been to help grow each other's businesses. Members are all owner-operators, located all over the country, and are involved in different types of trucking. The common ground for the group is trucks, we just all go about using our trucks differently to make a living.
Over the years members of the group have left to form other groups and in time the original name was changed to what it is now, Trucking Solutions Group or TSG. We have met weekly using a free conferencing call service with very few changes or time off. The call lasts for an hour or sometimes more depending on the subject.
The weekly calls consist of having guest speakers that we invite or who ask to be on a call. The subjects range from experts in tire retreading, trucks engineers, logging rules, all the way to what is the best fuel discount card. We have served as a focus group or sounding board for new products, advertising ideas, or what do you think about this product? On other calls, we do not have a speaker and we talk among ourselves. The “witty banter”, our nickname for talking among ourselves is often eye-opening and can be educational or just funny.
Over the years we have had drivers leave trucking or get into a different type of trucking and leave the group. Many of the members have not met in person and yet are the best of friends. We share in each other's triumphs as well as hardships. Several of them spend hours talking every day. The teasing that goes on is hilarious and even recipients of the teasing handles it well. No one is above being teased about something.
Being involved in a group of drivers from all over the USA, drive different types of trucks, and having vastly different operations benefits each one of us. We all have learned more about hauling oversized shipments, flatbed, walking bottom trailers, having your own authority, team driving, and of course expediters. One of the members goes into and out of Canada often and keeps us updated about crossing the border. . Another member visits marinas all over the country and in Canada delivering boats. Others see a lot of docks and one sees a lot of railroad yards.
When there are that many people on a call and I think most are A-type personalities we have a few rules we follow when on calls. If we have a guest on the call we say our name and then speak or ask a question and when done talking we say “Over”. It works and keeps us from talking over the ones that have a quieter voice.
One of our members created our “calling card” which is a website where each member is listed and a little about each of the members. There are also lots of pictures featuring the trucks working and with their owners. Each of the members is special and all are respected members of the Trucking Solutions Group.
Trucking Solutions Group Calling Card
Bob & Linda Caffee
TeamCaffee
Saint Louis MO
Expediters since January 2005
Expediting isn't just trucking, it's a lifestyle;
Expediting isn't just a lifestyle, it's an adventure;
Expediting isn't just an adventure, it's a job;
Expediting isn't just a job, it's a business.