Reliance made the announcement Thursday. Reliance is in Chattanooga; Capacity Southeast is in Nashville.

Debra Brake, the president of Capacity Southeast, will join Reliance, as will its senior vice president, Jessie Merritt. Brake will be senior vice president of sales. Meritt will be vice president of sales.

Brake has more than 30 years in the industry while Merritt was recently elected as chairman of the Young Professionals Council of the Tennessee Trucking foundation. Reliance, in announcing the transaction, said Merritt has eight years of experience.

In a prepared statement announcing the deal, Reliance President Chad Eichleberger said the deal “represents an important strategic opportunity to expand our regional footprint and further emphasizes Reliance Partners’ focus on the transportation and logistics industry.”

Reliance has been a regular part of the Inc 5000 list of fastest-growing companies in America. In the most recent list, it came in at 1,366, with a three-year growth rate of 327%. It earlier had shown up on the list between 2016 and 2019 at 729, 461, 591 and 1,021, respectively.

In her own statement on the deal, Brake said putting her company together with Reliance Partners “allows us to deliver the best possible experience to our clients in terms of service, safety, and offerings. Jessie and I chose Reliance Partners for their dedication to leadership, culture, and growth.”

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America’s fastest-growing commercial insurance agency for the transportation and logistics space is also one of the most innovative and disruptive companies across the freight industry. 

CHATTANOOGA, TENN. (October 24, 2019) – FreightWaves, the industry-leading provider of 24/7 news, data and analytics for the global freight and logistics markets, announced Reliance Partners as one of the winners of the 2020 FreightTech 100 Awards.

The FreightTech 100 highlights the most innovative and disruptive companies across the freight industry, featuring both cutting-edge upstarts and top-notch traditional powers. This year’s list includes 70 returning companies from last year’s awards and 30 first-timers.

The 2020 FreightTech 100 list is the result of over 1,200 nominations for 255 unique companies. The company that received the most nominations this year was nominated almost 225 times.

“This is not a ‘pay to play’ competition; the companies that make it into the FreightTech 100 do so because they are changing the freight industry in new and dynamic ways,” FreightWaves CEO Craig Fuller said. “We want to recognize the most innovative and disruptive companies out there.” 

Companies named in the FreightTech 100 will be judged by an external panel of industry experts, with voting conducted and overseen by accounting firm Katz, Sapper & Miller (KSM). Each member of the panel ranks the top 25 companies on a 1 to 25 point basis. The companies generating the most points comprise the FreightTech 25.

“Data has always been used to calculate driving and safety metrics,” Reliance Partners President Chad Eichelberger said. “But leveraging telematics and integrating with supply chain networks, directly, allows Reliance to prioritize the customer experience, achieve better rates, and secure on-demand cargo insurance products for shippers, carriers, and logistics companies, alike. We’re honored to have been selected for the efforts we’ve placed into upgrading the commercial insurance industry.”

The winners of the Freight Tech 25 will be announced at FreightWaves LIVE Chicago.

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America’s fastest-growing commercial insurance agency for the transportation and logistics space, is also one of the highest-scoring businesses, with standout employee engagement—three years in a row. 

CHATTANOOGA, TENN. (May 16, 2019) – Reliance Partners (Reliance) has been named one of Inc. magazine’s Best Workplaces 2019, our fourth annual ranking in the fast-growing private company sector.

Hitting newsstands May 28 in the June 2019 issue, and as part of a prominent Inc.com feature, the list is the result of a wide-ranging and comprehensive measurement of private American companies that have created exceptional workplaces through vibrant cultures, deep employee engagement, and stellar benefits. Collecting data on nearly 2,000 submissions, Inc. singled out 346 finalists.

About Inc.’s Best Workplaces 2019 Survey

Each nominated company took part in an employee survey, conducted by Omaha’s Quantum Workplace, on topics including trust, management effectiveness, perks, and confidence in the future. Inc. gathered, analyzed, and audited the data. Then we ranked all the employers using a composite score of survey results. This year, Reliance scored in the 96th percentile overall—a scored shared by the Top 3 companies in the same category. Reliance was also one of four companies in the state of Tennessee to make the cut, and one of two companies in Chattanooga to be selected.

The strongest scores came from companies that prioritize the most human elements of work. These companies are leading the way in employee recognition, performance management, and diversity. It’s a different playbook from a decade ago, when too many firms used the same template: free food, open work environments, and artifacts of “fun.”

“We’re excited to be named one of Inc. magazine’s Best workplaces four years in a row,” says Diana Flores, Employee Success Manager at Reliance.

“I’m proud to be part of a winning team and to experience the culture, authenticity, and celebration of diversity that sets us apart from other companies in our industry. Everyone at Reliance is invested in both the personal and professional success of their team members, and we’re focused on providing the best experience for our clients.”

All companies had to have a minimum of 10 employees and be U.S.-based, privately held, and independent—that is, not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies.

“We make employee experience a priority every day and we’re delighted that our employees have reported a consistently positive experience with their coworkers, their leaders and with their jobs,” added Laura Ann Howell, Chief Operations Officer at Reliance.

“This is important to us because we know that when our employees are happy they are more productive, drive better business results and make a difference to our customers.“

By the numbers

While researching the finalists, Inc. and Quantum saw distinct themes:

• 99 percent provide health insurance—and some cover the cost.
• 49 percent allow employees to bring pets to work.
• 65 percent take employees to offsite retreats to relax and recharge.  
• 16 percent offer paid sabbaticals to reward length of service.

“With today’s tight labor market, building a great corporate culture is more important than ever,” says Inc. magazine editor in chief James Ledbetter. “The companies on Inc.’s Best Workplaces 2019 list are setting an example that the whole country can learn from.“

To see the complete list of Inc. magazine’s Best Workplaces 2019, click here!

About Reliance Partners

Chattanooga-based Reliance Partners is the nation’s fastest-growing commercial insurance agency focused on the transportation and logistics space. Incorporated by a team of former transportation industry executives and founders of asset-based trucking companies, Reliance leverages its specialized expertise to provide full spectrum risk management support and a one-of-a-kind customer service experience. For more information, visit ReliancePartners.com.

About Inc. Media

Founded in 1979 and acquired in 2005 by Mansueto Ventures, Inc. is the only major brand dedicated exclusively to owners and managers of growing private companies, with the aim to deliver real solutions for today’s innovative company builders. Winner of Advertising Age’s “A-List” in January 2015, and a National Magazine Award for General Excellence in both 2014 and 2012, Inc. has a monthly audience reach that’s grown from two million in 2010 to more than 20 million today. For more information, visit Inc.com.

About Quantum Workplace

Quantum Workplace is an HR technology company that serves organizations through employee engagement surveys, action-planning tools, exit surveys, peer-to-peer recognition, performance evaluations, goal tracking, and leadership assessment. For more information, visit QuantumWorkplace.com.

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The FreightTech Innovation Challenge is a 24-hour competition for college students from across the country to team up and tackle some of the greatest challenges in the transportation and logistics industries. This event will honor the culture of innovation, vulnerability, and disruption that consistently fuels the exponential growth in freight. 141 students applied representing 24 schools, 51 students from 15 schools were selected to participate in this challenge. Students from across the U.S. will represent top supply and chain business programs such as Michigan State University, Purdue University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Iowa State University, University of Georgia, Georgia Southern University, Emory University, and University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez.

Reliance Partners is excited to be a part of this event. “The FreightTech Innovation Challenge will be a powerhouse event of innovative thought in our industry that hosts the brightest young minds from across the nation’s most prestigious schools to drive the future of freight,” said Sahej Singh, Business Intelligence & Strategy Manager at Reliance Partners, who is one of the sponsors for the event. Winners will be rewarded with the grand prize of $5,000 second place earning $3,000, and $1,000 for third place.

Reliance Partners is honored to be a part of this event and hopes to help change the norms of diversity and innovation within the industry. Good luck to all participants!

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Chattanooga, Tenn., March 26, 2019- Reliance Partners was Named One of the 2019 Best Workplaces in Financial Services & Insurance, by FORTUNE. Great Place to Work®, a research and consulting firm, analyzed anonymous survey responses representing over 726,000 employees working in the Financial Services & Insurance industry in the United States.

All employees were surveyed, and comprehensive characteristics were considered: experiences of accountability, trust, the ability to stretch ones’ capabilities regardless of position or ranking. The remaining portion of the rank evaluates all employees’ daily experiences of innovation, company values, and successful leadership.

Companies were required to meet the Great Place to Work-Certified standard to be considered. Companies with 10 to 999 people were considered for the small and medium category; companies with 1,000 employees or more were considered for the large category. Review of outliers in survey responses, financial performance, and news solidified trust in a company’s survey results.

Reliance Partners is one of the fastest-growing commercial insurance agencies in the country and a leader in the commercial transportation and logistics insurance space. The company has locations in Chattanooga, Tenn., Birmingham, AL, Chicago, IL, Vero Beach, FL, Austin, TX, Milwaukee, WI and Victoria, TX with a national client base. The company was incorporated in 2009 by a group of individuals with a common goal: to be the best agency in the insurance industry.

To learn more, please follow this link: https://www.greatplacetowork.com/best-workplaces/finance-insurance/2019

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Saturday, February 16^th 50 Reliance Partners employees volunteered with the Chambliss Center for Children. Groups spread out to tackle several projects from disinfecting classrooms and toys to mulching the playground. A helping hand goes along way, and Reliance is grateful to help in any way possible. Moving forward, we are excited to find needs throughout Chattanooga and serve together.

Want to see more? Follow the link below for a better preview into our day with the Chambliss Center for Children. Be on the lookout for our next Reliance Partners service day! We can’t wait. Know of an area we could serve in? Please reach out to employeesuccess@reliancepartners.com . We would love to hear your ideas on where there is a need in the community.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4regYFj2Xw&feature=youtu.be

-Anna Rogers

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In state of urgency, the owner will call around to many local agencies in desperate need of insurance. If not outright turned down, they often deal with unmanageable pricing options or ill-informed risk management strategies from agencies. Many agencies only have a few markets that work with trucking and even fewer options for a high risk accounts. When an unfortunate event does happen, the last thing an truck company owner wants to hear is that they are ‘uninsurable’ or their rate will be doubling/tripling with no chance for discount.

It is rare and often extremely difficult to find an agency that will give companies the time of day if they have large claims or questionable SAFER scores. The good news is, there are insurance companies out there that are designed for these companies! Because these markets work primarily with higher risk accounts, they are only appointed with a few agencies who truly know how to handle such risk. As transportation and logistics specialists at Reliance Partners, we have been appointed a wide range of markets that are willing to work with anything from well-established to new venture or tough-to-place risk. That being said, when I get the “I am uninsurable” phone call, I am able to confidently approach the situation and instill hope that there may be quite a few more insurance options out there than what other agencies have available.

Contrary to popular belief, there are quite a few carriers who have programs specifically developed to help high risk trucking companies obtain insurance without premiums cutting too heavily into their revenue. At Reliance Partners, not only do we help trucking copmanies find options with insurance carriers that specialize in high risk, but our in house safety team will provide advice to help you succeed in reducing your risk. That way, when your renewal comes around, you will be in a much better place than you were the year before, with far more coverage options. I hope this article will provide a sense hope in many people who are under the impression that a couple of mistakes will forever determine the fate of their organizations. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you want to explore options you didn’t think you had, and most importantly, keep on trucking!

Drew Hicks
(423)-682-7318
drew.hicks@reliancepartners.com

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Your driver had to wait long past his appointment to unload, and now he’s out of hours. The receiver says the driver has to leave the property, but doing so will break federal hours of service rules. The now-required electronic logging device means he can’t “fudge” his duty records with the ELD as he might have with paper.

In recognition of this dilemma, last June, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration loosened up its guidance on personal conveyance to offer drivers more flexibility so they can find a safe parking spot in these situations.

But there’s been a lot of confusion about it ever since. So, we took a closer look at the guidance and spoke to John Seidl, a former enforcement official who’s now a safety consultant to fleets with Reliance Partners, and came up with these six things you need to know about personal conveyance.

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1. Personal conveyance is not new

Personal conveyance is not a new part of the hours of service regulations. Motor carriers may, at their discretion, authorize drivers to use a commercial motor vehicle while off-duty for personal conveyance. This must be documented in a driver’s logs. That’s not new.

But there’s a big difference in how those rules are now interpreted. The previous guidance prohibited the use of “laden” (i.e., loaded) vehicles as personal conveyance. The new guidance instead focuses on the reason the driver is operating the commercial vehicle while off-duty, whether it’s loaded or not. This allows drivers who run out of legal driving hours while delayed at a shipper or receiver to get to the nearest, reasonable, safe place to obtain rest.

2. What the guidance says

Here’s the core of the guidance:

“A driver may record time operating a CMV for personal conveyance (i.e., for personal use or reasons) as off-duty only when the driver is relieved from work and all responsibility for performing work by the motor carrier. The CMV may be used for personal conveyance even if it is laden, since the load is not being transported for the commercial benefit of the carrier at that time. Personal conveyance does not reduce a driver’s or motor carrier’s responsibility to operate a CMV safely. Motor carriers can establish personal conveyance limitations either within the scope of, or more restrictive than, this guidance, such as banning use of a CMV for personal conveyance purposes, imposing a distance limitation on personal conveyance, or prohibiting personal conveyance while the CMV is laden.”

Seidl emphasizes that personal conveyance has nothing to do with sleeper berth or on-duty/not driving status. It is an off-duty status. “The key is, are you doing something that would be considered work related to and benefiting the carrier? If it’s not to their benefit, and it’s not work, then it most likely falls under personal conveyance.”

For instance, he says, if you’re driving to a plant or terminal to be loaded or dispatched, that’s work. So is driving the truck to have maintenance performed. “A good rule of thumb,” he said, “is if you’re trying to convince yourself that it’s not work, then it’s probably work.”

Seidl suggests drivers laminate the last page of the PDF version of the guidance and keep it in their truck, because it specifically addresses under what circumstances a driver may operate a commercial motor vehicle as a personal conveyance, complete with examples of what is appropriate and what is not.  Drivers will have a much easier time articulating to a roadside officer why they used personal conveyance if they have access to this document during an inspection.

You can find the guidance here:

https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/hours-service/personal-conveyance

https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2018-06-07/pdf/2018-12256.pdf

3. Remember this: Closest, safe, reasonable

One of the examples in the guidance, and the one that addresses the scenario we cited at the beginning, is this one: “Time spent traveling to a nearby, reasonable, safe location to obtain required rest after loading or unloading.”

“You have to go to the closest, safe, reasonable location to rest,” Seidl says. “What if your residence is 200 miles away and there’s 28 truckstops in between you and there; can you drive home using personal conveyance? No.”

Similarly, he says, that means drivers can’t just drive to their terminal on personal conveyance after loading or unloading, either. The only caveat to that is if your residence and/or terminal happens to be the closest, safe, reasonable place to obtain rest after loading or unloading.

“A good rule of thumb is if you’re trying to convince yourself that it’s not work, then it’s probably work.”

“The federal government now is taking cases galore on people driving to residences when they shouldn’t be or all the way to their terminal, when they should be going to a nearby/reasonable/safe location.”

It also means that if the closest, safe, reasonable place to rest is in the opposite direction of where the driver’s load will be taking him in the morning, that’s where he needs to head – not in the direction that will take him closer to his destination.

“You can’t go to the truckstop 28 minutes in the direction of your next delivery if there’s one 12 minutes away in the opposite direction,” Seidl says. “Conversely, you are allowed to head in the direction of your next shipper and/or receiver as long as that location is the closest, safe and reasonable place to obtain rest.”

What if the nearest truckstop or rest area doesn’t have any parking available? Then you’re allowed to use personal conveyance to travel to the next closest, safe, reasonable parking spot. But Seidl recommends drivers document the fact that the closest place was full.

Use your smartphone, he says, and take time-stamped photographs, panoramas, or video evidence that it is full. Then proceed to the next closest reasonable spot.

Seidl also notes that there’s not a specific distance limit. “If you’re in Alaska and you unload, can you go 68 miles to the closest truckstop? Yes.”

4. There’s a limit to using personal conveyance for ‘commuting’

The most abused and misunderstood portion of the guidance, according to Seidl, is this one: “Commuting between the driver’s terminal and his or her residence, between trailer-drop lots and the driver’s residence, and between work sites and his or her residence.

It’s fine for the driver to use personal conveyance to drive his or her truck home from the terminal or trailer drop lot once they’re off duty, Seidl says, but not from the shipper or receiver to your residence. Seidl says the term “work site” was intended for construction sites, not, for instance, loading and unloading.

“If you are driving to go to a plant or a terminal to be dispatched, that’s work. You can’t drive using personal conveyance to a facility to get loaded.”

The guidance also notes that “in these scenarios, the commuting distance combined with the release from work and start to work times must allow the driver enough time to obtain the required restorative rest as to ensure the driver is not fatigued.” Remember the 2014 crash where a Walmart driver crashed into a limo van and killed comedian James McNair and seriously injured comedian Tracy Morgan? The National Transportation Safety Board determined that although the driver was only on hour 13 of a 14-hour shift, he had driven for 12 hours from his home in Georgia to Delaware to start his route.

5.  There are other uses for personal conveyance

Some of the other times personal conveyance may be allowed, according to the guidance:

• Time spent traveling from a driver’s en route lodging (such as a motel or truck stop) to restaurants and entertainment facilities. There is no specific distance limit on this, which could be construed by some as an oversight in the guidance, Seidl says. “If you’re at a truckstop and want to drive to get more healthy food or to a movie theater, you can.”

• Moving a CMV at the request of a safety official during the driver’s off-duty time. So, if a driver has pulled onto an off-ramp to park and the highway patrol knocks on his door and tells him to move, he can push personal conveyance on the ELD and move to the closest, reasonable, safe location, Seidl says.

• Time spent transporting personal property while off-duty. “This is probably something you want to stay away from,” Seidl says, although he has worked with clients whi have used this exception in a few scenarios.

6: Your company needs to have a personal conveyance policy in place

In order for drivers to use personal conveyance, it must be allowed by the motor carrier they’re driving for: “…only when the driver is relieved from work and all responsibility for performing work by the motor carrier.”

However, the guidance also says that motor carriers can establish limits on its use. “The motor carrier could say in a personal conveyance policy that drivers are relieved from work as long as they are within the following parameters,” Seidl says. “They could say, I don’t want you to leave a truckstop and go to nearby restaurant or entertainment location,” even though that is allowed by the personal conveyance regulations if the carrier has relieved the driver of work and responsibility.

Seidl recommends that carriers do allow drivers to use personal conveyance under certain guidelines.

It would be short-sighted for motor carriers to not allow personal conveyance at all, he says, because they’re risking roadside violations in some scenarios, possibly setting themselves up for a violation of the coercion rule for forcing a driver to break the law – and it’s also a recruiting/retention tool, he says.

“Companies that use personal conveyance to their advantage will retain drivers, because you’re allowing your drivers extra flexibility to get their job done. With the driver shortage, personal conveyance is something you should embrace – but you need to do it properly.”

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RELIANCE PARTNERS NAMES CHIEF SALES OFFICER AND ANNOUNCES NEW LOCATION IN AUSTIN, TX

Chattanooga, Tenn. – November 19, 2018 – Reliance Partners is pleased to announce the addition of Brandon Richards as Chief Sales Officer and growth into the Austin market.  Richards is a veteran insurance professional with more than 17 years in the commercial transportation insurance space. Brandon’s addition also marks the opening of a new Reliance Partners location in Austin, TX where the agency plans to rapidly expand its team adding 50 employees in the next 36 months.

“Its a big win for our team to have Brandon on board,” says Reliance CEO, Andrew Ladebauche. “Brandon’s insurance and fleet risk management experience will be a key driver to our growth as an agency, especially in the Midwest.”

Prior to his insurance career, Richards served in the US Army for 6 years in Texas, Virginia, Kentucky, and Bosnia. He has been married to his wife Kelly for 19 years, and they are both fitness enthusiasts and enjoy travel, great food, and the outdoors. Kelly and him are active members in Cornerstone Church of San Antonio and also involved in several non-profits.

Reliance was recently featured in Inc Magazine as a member of its 5000 Fastest Growing Privately-Held Companies from 2016-2018, Inc. Magazine’s ‘50 Best Workplaces,’ and in Fortune as one of “America’s Best Workplaces.”

Reliance Partners is one of the fastest-growing commercial insurance agencies in the country. The company has locations in Chattanooga, Tenn., Birmingham, AL, Chicago, IL, Austin, TX, Milwaukee, WI, Vero Beach, FL and Victoria, TX with a national client base largely concentrated in the transportation and logistics space, in addition to a fast growing presence in other lines of business insurance. The company was incorporated in 2009 by a group of individuals with a common goal: to be the best agency in the insurance industry.

To learn more, please visit us:

www.reliancepartners.com

LinkedIn: Reliance-Partners

Twitter: @truck_insurance

Facebook: ReliancePartners

Instagram: @ReliancePartners

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