Who Gives GW It's Personality?

 

 

Despite his age, Corey really knows the trucking business!  He’s been a Traffic Coordinator at GW since 2010, and was fleet manager with RJW Transportation and JB Hunt before that.  

 

Clients might describe him as easygoing and fun to work with, but he knows behind that, it’s the work ethic that separates GW from the rest.   “Our attention to detail is excellent,” he says. 

 

Corey would like to get to Europe someday, as he’s a history buff, but when it comes to music he’s mostly modern—Three Days Grace, Breaking Benjamin—“all the stuff no one else here knows.” Of course, being raised near Madison, Wisconsin, makes him GW’s resident Packers, Badgers and Brewers fan.

 

 

GW’s self-proclaimed “LTL Queen” jokes that she gets confused when a shipment contains more than a few pallets. Of course, that’s not true. Despite her focus on less-than-truckloads, she also works with the Traffic Coordinators on other shipments.   

 

GW is made up of “hard workers,” she says. “Everyone knows what’s expected of them.” 

 

JoAnn spends time outside the office watching her two sons play amateur baseball, walks, rides bike and spends as much time as possible with her two “grandbabies” in Minneapolis. She also tries to visit Austin, TX, where her sister and niece live, when she can.

Rick - Traffic Coordinator (back left)

Scott - Operations Assistant (front left)

Scott has shipped about everything, including “haz-mat” for eight years while in the U.S. Air Force. Since then, he worked as a shipping clerk for GE for seven years and has been with GW since 2000. 

 

“Our brand says a lot: being personable,” he says. “When a load is moving, we contact all shippers and receivers involved to make sure there are not problems.” 

 

Scott likes bike riding, working out and participating in church activities, when his children aren’t keeping him busy. Some day, he’d like to take a family vacation in Kauai, where he spent time with the military. He also would like to visit Australia, where he has friends who keep inviting him over, and a trip to Africa “is just a matter of time,” he says.

Brian - Traffic Coordinator (front right)

Gary’s favorite part of his job is meeting people—“really getting to know a person”—while he’s out finding and helping GW customers. 

 

He and his wife had enough time between companies to drive a 40-foot RV around the country, and would like to do it again someday. Key West is Gary’s wife’s favorite place, so chances are you might see them once again at the KOA near Florida Mile Marker 20.

 

 

Show Bob a lake with fish in it and that’s where he’ll probably be this weekend.  

 

His transportation experience goes back to 1970, when he was tracing boxcars of flour. From there, he’s worked for various carriers and has been with GW for the past several years. When Bob walks into clients’ offices, he feels welcome there, in part because of his friendly style, and as someone who is truly a transportation consultant and partner. 

 

He cites GW’s longevity (since 1983) and hands-on way of doing business as keys to its success. “You don’t need to talk with a customer service representative, a fleet manager, and appointment clerk…you talk to one person who handles all of that for you,” he says. 

 

Bob hopes to do some more traveling with his wife in the coming years, to places like San Fran, New Orleans and, of course, Florida, where we hear there are lots of fish.

 

A fan of rock ‘n roll and country, Lee remembers the good old days of trucking when the interstate system was still under construction. 

 

Lee has been in the trucking business since 1977, and over 20 years with GW. He credits GW’s history of “service, communication and commitment” as the reasons customers keep coming back.  

 

“We talk more to our customers than anyone else in he industry does,” he says.  

 

He’d still like to travel the US—he’s been through all but a handful of states—and spend more time on the gun range, but in the meantime Lee spends time with his family camping and taking care of his home, which is just fine with him.

 

 

 

Lance - General Manager / Vice President (left)

The focus and determination Lance uses while hunting are the same qualities that help him successfully lead the entire GW operation. 

You wouldn’t know Lance runs the place by his humble attitude: “My role is nothing more than making sure we’re all on the same page and continue to do what’s made us successful,” Lance says. 

Lance went into business with his father, Gordy, in April of 1983 and his honest, straightforward approach has helped build the business ever since.  

“We, as a group, want to do things the right way—on a daily basis,” he says. 

As for the hunting, he does as much as possible given his busy schedule, in places like Montana for Antelope, Colorado for Elk and his home state of Minnesota for Whitetail deer. Despite the success in those endeavors as well (the mounts on the office walls attest to his skills), Lance would still like to hunt moose in Canada and boar in Texas.

Sandy - Administrative Assistant  (center) 

Sandy likes numbers, whether they’re on a spreadsheet or on a stock car as it races around a NASCAR track. 

Sandy helps GW with all those important things it takes to run a business: billing, accounts receivable and payable, contracts, insurance certificates and the like. The perfect position for someone who likes numbers that much. 

Her real joy is her family, and she’s pretty busy outside of GW “living for and through my kids,” she says. Sandy’s favorite place is Maui, Hawaii, and she’d eventually like to see more of the US.

Dawn - Office Adminstrator  (right)

Dawn is busy, busy, busy, and she likes it that way. 

Having been the backbone of GW’s office administration since 2002, Dawn is responsible for carrier verification—“getting good, reputable carriers”—credit, collections and budget. 

“Our people are there for our customers,” she says, which is why she enjoys her job. “We really make our customers feel comfortable when they work with us.” 

And that’s just her day job! Outside of work, she’s busy running her four children to dance classes, choir concerts, football games and other activities. She also plays piano for students practicing the “Suzuki” method on string instruments, and substitute teaches when needed.   She also enjoys visiting her three step-children and spouses and, most all, her four granddaughters.  

She loves playing all kinds of sports, and would like to eventually visit Disneyland again. She was there “a long time ago” and would like to go back, with her family.