[Music] welcome back to another edition of check call don't forget to subscribe to check all the newsletter on freight waves. com if you haven't already today is one of might be one of my favorite episodes of the year we welcome Jane good JT Logistics professional driver and Corey Bruce director of JT Freight at JT Logistics welcome to the show guys welcome thank you welcome I'm excited about today because this is something that I mean I kind of grew up knowing but I've also learned that like not a lot of people it's it's not as widely popular I don't know if popular is the right word anyway it's reads Across America you guys handle the logistics behind a good chunk of it in Iowa um and I'm really excited to dive into it today because it's something that um i' as as a as a logistics nerd I always like to see how things get to where they need to be uh before we get too far into that though let's get some background on kind of how you guys both got started with JT Logistics and subsequently uh wreaths Across America Jane why don't you kick us off sure I've been a professional driver for about eight years and I've done everything from doubles over the road all all kinds of other Transportation but I'm very happy to be a local driver here with JT Logistics awesome and Corey how did you get started yeah about three and a half years ago um I joined JT Logistics um and today today you know we're going to share a little bit about our journey with uh Reese across America but shortly after joining U JT Logistics I had the privilege of hiring Jane and just shortly after the um hiring of Jane her and I sat down had a awesome conversation about Reese across America what it meant to her and to see if it would be something you know I would be interested in and the organization after a conversation I instantly knew that this was something that we at JT Logistics would be behind and also myself um so I reached out to Reese across America to see what we could do as an organization to assist with them um they gave us an opportunity that first year and we've grown ever since um so this year we get to you know haul two loads back which has been an honor to even you know build this a little bit more so that's where it is so let's get into it how did you guys what prompted you guys to get involved in this because reads Across America is uh for those who might not know every every December they have wreaths that are laid on a fallen soldiers Graves um and it's all volunteer for the most part like eat from the volunteers laying reads at cemeteries to I'm assuming you guys as well um so what what made you guys be like yes this is a th% where we want to devote our time and energy and resources um other than the fact that it's just a really great cause um yeah so Jane obviously as I said before approached me because there's a huge meaning I'm going to let Jane um take that role of explaining the meaning to her behind re Across America um we also are involved with folds of Honor which is a huge thing we are you know fully involved in for a volunteer a fundraiser um so I figured this would match so close with um f of Honor so it'd be huge for us to get involved in re Across America in the meaning behind it it's you know a lot of people wrap up in just volunteer work well we have such big meaning behind this and I'll turn it over to Jane from there to really explain why the meaning is and I just fell in love with her story that I knew that this was something that we needed to do as an organization all right Jane take us off sure my first husband he was a veteran so he served in the United States Navy for seven years he attended the Naval Academy and uh he's passed away and so he's buried at the Iowa Veteran Cemetery and every year I've gotten to put his wreath on his headstone and uh it's super important to me obviously but I also love the meaning behind the entire project and how it honors every veteran Across the Nation and even the world and uh so I knew that we had to transport the wreaths somehow back here to Iowa and I thought well I work for for a transportation company so JT Logistics should be involved with that so I went to Corey and and explained it and I didn't even get I don't think one sentence into my uh situation and Corey immediately agreed that we needed to be involved so um this would be my third year transporting for JT Logistics and uh Ed Dolson and I drove up to Maine and uh we picked up the two loads brought them back and it's just an amazing incredible project I absolutely love that um it's it's always so impressive to see like just to see the trucks pull up just full of reads and see all the volunteers come and unload the trucks and place them um I think it's a fantastic tribute that um that we do for our soldiers um so I I love that you guys were like so just like willing immediately to be like yes 1,00% this is this is worth it um because also that's a long drive from Maine to Iowa that's a really long drive J it is is it what's the what's the best part of the drive because you have to go through some mountains and um having driven through the snow in Pennsylvania I can confirm that it is horrible not in a semi so I don't even know how you do it similar there's a lot of root planning uh you know trip planning and then just on the Fly making changes my original route got closed on the way out there so anyway the most amazing part to me is when you roll into that section of Maine um there's a giant flag that they've put up for the last two years um that flies well above the parking lot I mean it has to be 15200 feet tall um and it's in the parking lot of the driver's Lounge where you pull in to await getting loaded with the wreaths um there's an even bigger flag pole on his property but it's just the most patriotic incredible experience and when you enter the driver's Lounge um there are between 20 and 50 or 100 drivers in there at any time um you know awaiting getting loaded finish getting loaded enjoying the experience or getting ready for the Convoy to Arlington that is amazing um so I guess everybody picks their reachs up there even like in Washington or Oregon like they all make that cross country track right there are um other locations they do send some by train I think to maybe St Louis or a couple other locations so there are other ways they can get the wreaths um but there are drivers that come from all over that's so cool um I wrote about the the Convoy last last year or the year before because that is really impressive that there's just like all of them that go down there um but um so I guess how when how when does the when do the waths usually um need to be picked up because it's kind of like a time sensitive thing because it's all obviously like cut and it it starts dying the second it's cut so I guess how how do you guys really preserve that um those reads from the moment that you pick them up to the moment that they end up where they need to be and then subsequently do they just kind of stay in the truck till they're needed at the cemetery or do you guys um take them to a warehouse and store them and then disperse them as necessary this year I delayed uh the trip up a little bit later to enjoy a different part of the experience up there but that allowed me to come straight back I I returned back on Tuesday at about 10:00 a. m.
and I was already delivering as of Tuesday afternoon I delivered on Wednesday and all day yesterday as well so each Cemetery I call them set up the delivery appointment make sure that it works for them a lot of them have volunteers there to unload the trucks and then we do a hand unload of all of the boxes of the wreaths and they get set up for the ceremony which is Saturday that is a lot of that's a lot of I I think I think I didn't not realize how volunteer heavy it was even leading up to the big ceremony on Saturday um because obviously that's the one that I'm the most familiar with um I just thought that everybody showed up on Saturday and it was all there um but turns out it needs to be there a little early too um so I guess is there any so now you Cory you mentioned that you guys have the two loads um or the two major loads um is there any plans to kind of expand or is it just kind of a um a you you are allotted from the organization how does that work do you just kind of have to wait for some someone else to stop volunteering um no JT Logistics is dedicated to remaining actively involved with Race Across America and to continue to volunteer um for this meaningful event should it arise and we're in the position to provide additional support we gladly explore opportunities to contribute further at that point in time um it's I think there's opportunities even beside and outside of transportation that you know we could help in the organization and we'll explore growing that as we grow with Reese across America I love that it's one of the it's just one of my favorite things that people like because so one of one of the organization one of the organizations I worked with did scouting for food and so they said we basically have all of these resources all of these these um and the logistics know how we might as well help out where it's needed and I think that I don't know what it is about like the logistics and supply chain profession and people in general they really just kind of like like fundamentally understand how to get involved and how to move things and also they're really good at it because as someone who's worked with a lot of volunteers you get some really good volunteers and then you get some that you're like thank you for showing up we appreciate you um not that there's anything is not that there's such a thing as like a bad volunteer because again it's a volunteer they're being generous with their time time um but I will say that there is something about those Logistics professionals that you're like hey you have the resources at your disposal and you have trucks and other things that can just make it happen um and I do appreciate that part um because it's just it's just so easy you know it just lends itself so nicely excuse me it's just lighting right in and helping out the most um so I guess the um the the what kind of why is why as a for as a logistics company Corey is giving back to the community so important because um honestly you guys could have chose anything to do and obviously we have Jane's incredible story um but why has this why is giving back to community in the first place so important well we deeply value volunteer work um at JT Logistics as it means given back to the community and supporting organizations like Reese America and folds of honor and it you know we we are proud sponsors of those organizations because we feel we're given back to the people that give the ultimate sacrifice um you know our ownership and leadership team believes it is crucial to contribute to causes that matter volunteering is something passionate about okay it's responsibles we take at heart um yeah yes we have the day-to-day operations that just are dragging where we can step away from those you know day-to-day operations and volunteer to get back to something so powerful and meaning as in ree Across America gives us a refresh and one of our biggest things is core one of our biggest core values is create amazing so we feel being able to contribute to this we're create amazing for people that you know they're dealing with with difficult times at this part of the year with um you know loved ones that are no longer with us so it's amazing for us it's a rewarding gift and then Jane have you kind of seen more people get involved the more years you've done this either with throughout the JT Logistics organization or kind of in the community as a whole have you seen it kind of grown as you've you know I guess more or less championed it here at JT Logistics yeah absolutely it's grown every year by Leaps and Bounds I mean even the number of trucks delivering this year has gone up I think at least 10% that's incredible um I I feel like it has to be such a special moment when you show up at that um that driver's Lounge to wait to get loaded um I gota feel like that's probably the the lowkey the best driver's Lounge in America but I could that that might not be accurate oh it is it definitely is um there's I feel like there's a joke here about shippers using bathrooms and drivers um but I just I don't I don't have it but those who know no um so I guess so obviously there's all this work leading up to it um but come Saturday the big day where everybody goes and physically lays the waths out it's the big ceremony um is that something that the entire company gets involved with is it kind of like a everyone shows up because it's Contin ation of their efforts um is that kind of the the norm around the office um so several of our employees not everybody um do generously volunteer to go lay the wreath our biggest um contribution is obviously the transportation and then we go to the cemeteries like we did on Wednesday unload the truck they have trailers that are staged where uh those WS are put and then they transport those out to the into the cemetery where the different areas are where where the race will be laid um you know it it's not something that we push um to all our we offer it to all the employees but it's not something that you know all the employees do come out and do if they want to volunteer their time and they want to be part of this special event it's it's all volunteer here you go here's where the area is is um talking to the director re Across America last year they had so many people that came out that the interstate leading to the IR Mora Cemetery was blocked in one lane and the state patrol had to guide traffic in because they had so many volunteers show up for this ceremony that is very special plus reace being laid uh I I want to say that's a good problem to have I don't I don't know that I would be overly um upset that the police had to come manage traffic um for for this um that's a that's a huge huge Testament um I I know one of my friends participates in the one in Arlington every year and I C she she just says you have to get there super early because the traffic is insane and just plan to spend a very good chunk of time there because getting out afterwards is also um a hectic thing um but I can only imagine how it is everywhere um it's it's it's fantastic um and Jane I have a question for you so obviously you have a connection um with your first husband do you find that a lot of other drivers that are going to picking up these loads do you find that a lot of them are also veterans like do you how many veterans do you see throughout this process yeah almost every driver that goes up there is a veteran in fact Ed Dolson from our JT Logistics that went up there this year he is a veteran so a lot of them get to go up and experience seeing the tip land where they make the trees how they cut them back there's memorials for all sorts of uh different veteran um situations there um he makes um just anytime anybody felt like they were slighted in the the VA World um they make a memorial up there for it and it's amazing you you would have to see it to understand how incredible it is but he even donated Merill woster of um that makes the wreaths he even donated some land of his to make their main Veteran Cemetery there so and it's attached to his property um so yeah there's veterans that have their trucks decorated all year round if you driving around the country and you see one of those trucks they're there and they deliver to Arlington um it's just amazing that is absolutely fantastic um because I've seen the wrapped trucks obviously around re re across America I've seen those um I don't know why I thought they unwrapped them after the holidays but that would make sense that they just leave them wrapped year round because it's such a great advertisement for it and um I'm guarantee if you saw one of those at a truck stop and ask and talk to the trucker about it or the driver about it they would a th% probably talk your ear off and keep you there for a long time just sharing all the stories that's exactly right um I absolutely love that um although I I guess it does make sense that it's mostly like veteran supported um because yeah that has to that has to be a special kind of feeling driving up there and seeing that giant American flag that you were talking about earlier because that just that has to be a nice little like warm hug welcome back of like it's okay everything's all right um so I guess the excuse me so you said that this year you were able to push or kind of um go up there at an appropriate time so you didn't you could just drive the breathe straight to the S Cemetery um what about in previous years have you guys had to kind of arrange any kind of storage or do you usually time time it so that way you don't have to do any storage of the wreaths for a long period of time other or just so you can just drive it straight to the cemeteries um so there in the past years we have brought it back um JT Logistics also has you know warehousing space that um part of our organization so we'll bring back here we'll sort them out put them on the trailers to try to obviously preserve these keep them at a cooler temp to help you know preserve these longer instead of in a warm environment um so between our you know trailers and our warehousing space we'll we'll store them until you know Jane and Ed are ready to deliver them out to the cemeteries that's nice I guess I did forget that you can just kind of it's It's not um an entire Warehouse is full it's just a couple truckloads so you can kind of of stick it on a Reaper trailer um and hold hold it on to it cuz I started thinking like well if you have your normal operations how do you suddenly accommodate all these extra reads and this extra space in the warehouse um but it's also not like 20 truckloads of space it's just a couple which is a lot easier to find space for than you know like 700,000 waths yeah we did 11,500 this year and it's hard to believe that you can you know place 11,5 00 Reese on two 53t trailers um but the way they box them and and palletize them it it works out great I'm also trying to first of all I'm trying to Envision what 11,000 waths look like um and it's it's all I just see is just like a mountain of greenery um but I feel like that uh I feel like yeah I feel like they if they're boxed and packaged I mean they have it down to a science up there in Maine so it's it's probably just a matter of you know just moving it appropriately um Jane do they get to do they show you the reads before you pick them up just out of curiosity yeah you get to take a factory tour you take a tour of the tip lands where they show each tree um they only cut 18 inches off the ends of the trees every four third year so the trees don't die they don't uh they just regrow and then three years later they come back cut that same tree back um there's also dog tags of loved ones veteran you know veterans in the trees so I have have my own tree up there with um my husband's dog tags in there and um Ed has a friend that passed away in the service and his friend's tag is in my tree and um so yeah it's it's just amazing first of all I don't know why I thought that they cut the trees down because the fact that they just cut branches off is incredibly sustainable for keeping this going forward in the future um that is a wonderful beautiful tribute and 1,000% having a tour of everything and seeing all of that yeah that is the best driver uh like that's the best weight time in the world like the absolute best just instead of sitting there going hopefully I'll be done in two hours the factory um they can make up to a 100,000 wreaths a day um out of the factory so they're literally when we're parking and then getting ready to go over and get loaded they're still making the wreaths and packing them into the boxes and then loading them on the pallets and strapping them down and then literally driving them right onto our truck I mean they can't be any fresher I actually am this year and a few other years have been loaded right at the facility right behind the factory that is insanely cool and I don't I don't again I don't know why I would think that like they just have been sitting there in boxes and they're just ready to load them on the truck but no because where do you put a whole bunch of where do because if you do 100,000 reads a day like where do you put where do you put 100,000 reads every day straight down to the trucks yeah you you'd have to otherwise you'd need a massive Warehouse to hold it all um well that is really um that is that is amazing I did not know all of that behind it um so one last question for you Jane what is I guess I don't know if there is a best part of going up there but what is your favorite part about being involved in this and um going up there and picking up those reads in person it's the veterans I mean that's the entire purpose the entire read everyone up there is usually a veteran um this year on the way out I got to participate in the um first hour of the Convoy to Arlington I've never gotten to do that till this year and literally there's people lining the streets with flags waving flags I mean it was 12 degrees outside it's not you know snowing and 12 degrees and I saw a gentleman who I guess his age um was probably a Vietnam veteran he was in uniform and he was there saluting and I guarantee it took about 20 minutes for every truck to pass by where he was standing he saluted the entire time that all of us drove by and that was just the most patriotic thing you could ever see on a cold day in Maine that is um absolutely beautiful and I can only imagine how closer it gets to Arlington you see more of those acts and tributes and um I bet that's incredibly beautiful well following that very serious note um we have an unserious question to end of everything um all right so uh we have a new question on the show we used to ask is a hot dog considered a sandwich um but we you know after 150 episodes it's time to retire it so I'm going to start with you Corey if you could build a house out of any food what would it be um one of my favorite foods and you talked about carb loving people I love pizza so it would have to be pizza and the reason that is is because all the different combinations of ingredients sauces the smells the Aromas your house would smell awesome every day all day long and so I build it out of pizza okay any specific Pizza like we've had something some we've had someone say like thin crust cold pizza or are you just an equal opportunity Pizza person oh no if we're going to do it right we're going to do it Canadian bacon mushroom and sauerkraut throw that all the combo together good old thin crust pizza and it'd be amazing that that's a choice that's that's a choice um I have to say that's not my favorite choice but if it brings you Joy who am I to say no um just don't count me in for a slice of that pizza or a slice don't you don't have to worry about me coming over and eating your house all right Jane if you could build a house out of any food what would it be so it would be gingerbread to be seasonal and then I would use MREs for the structure of the corners of the house because the veterans need to feel like they're still you know eating the MREs I mean also MREs would make your house incredibly structurally sound like you wouldn't have to worry about the gingerbread uh getting wet the MREs would would hold that line for you because they could they can get wet they could get everything and they would still hold the line um all right well uh Jane and Corey if anyone wants to reach out uh maybe with designs of a house in gingerbread and MREs or pizza or if they have any questions um on kind of how you guys got involved in this or anything else we've talked about today where can they find you outside the show uh Corey we'll start with you um yeah you can uh get a hold of me my email address is Corey c re y. Bruce B ruce JT logistics. com um or give me a call 515 323 7133 and I'd be happy to talk to anybody about this awesome awesome uh volunteer opportunity and Jane if someone wants to get involved with you where is the best place to find you Jan dogood JT logistics.
com awesome thank you guys so much for joining us today thank you thank you you can find check all the podcast anywhere you get your podcasts like apple podcast and Spotify don't forget to check out all the other incredible freightwaves shows and don't forget to subscribe to the newsletter on freight waves.
