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TALKING TCA
Those Who Deliver
with Modern Transportation
By Dwain Hebda
One of the most common slogans used to lure new
drivers to a trucking company is the promise of
family time. “Home on weekends” — and even
“Home every night” — have become common
phrases that are appealing to prospective drivers
seeking a balance between home life and work life.
Pennsylvania-based Modern Transportation takes this concept
and kicks it up a gear, promising drivers that they’ll be “Home
SAFE Tonight,” a commitment that’s as ambitious as it is compelling.
“I’ve never worked for a company that cares about its team
members as much as Modern Transportation,” said Woodson
Witt, the carrier’s vice president of safety and human resources.
“The company’s success is built on a culture of care. It’s living
by the mission of, ‘Are you paying your people appropriately? Do
they have enough personal time? And are you making sure you’re
enabling them to feel good about taking that personal time?’
“When we say, ‘We value you and your safety above anything
else’ and that nothing we do is worth hurting ourselves or others,
we absolutely believe that,” he continued. “I mean, that is the first
standard in our mission.”
That corporate mission has evolved over the years since Modern
Transportation was founded as a bulk materials hauler for
western Pennsylvania’s coal mining industry — but the core
operational ethic has remained the same. The company seeks
to provide superior transportation solutions to customers in the
safest, most professional, and efficient manner, Witt shared.
This standard is more than words on a page, he added. It’s a
calling that’s dyed, top to bottom, into the company’s corporate
“fabric” providing a daily challenge to leadership and front-line
workers alike.
“If a team member gets injured, for whatever reason, we have
failed as an organization,” Witt said. “You could say, ‘Oh, it was
because of the neglect of the team member.’ Well, if it’s neglect
on the part of the team member, then what didn’t we do as an
organization to train them appropriately or set expectations?
“There’s always a root cause analysis that’s done on anything
to help us get to that ‘why’ factor,” he explained. “Why did that
happen? What could we do to prevent or reduce the risk of a
non-preventable accident from happening again in the future?
We have to look at it that way.”
Over the past 35 years, Modern Transportation has become an
industry leader in bulk material logistics and trucking, expanding
into liquid and chemical loads as well as petroleum-based products.
The company operates two dozen terminals and supports
shipping lanes in more than 30 states. In every location, the drive
for improvement is constant, manifesting itself in new technology,
precise logistical strategies, and a relentless focus on developing
teamwork that benefits both clients and employees.
“A culture of safety means not only that we want everyone to
be safe out on the road, but also, when you come to work, it’s
a safe place. There’s no contention, there are no silos. We’re all
there for the same purpose,” Witt said. “We walk through those
doors, we’re there for that mission, and that’s what we’re living.
Our pledge to our customers is that we want to be innovative and
creative to improve value for their dollar.”
Achieving this lofty goal requires a mix of the high-tech and
the high touch — being personally involved in every aspect of
the company’s operation. Witt says Modern Transportation has
never shied away from deploying the latest technology, from
TMS and other systems to onboard safety devices and systems
that streamline billing.
But even as it embraces the advantages of new tech, Modern
Transportation never forgets the value of old-fashioned, one-onone
interactions when it comes to solving problems and building
client relationships.
“We had a customer who was doing their annual visit with
us. While they were here, they got the news that one of their
other suppliers had just closed their doors,” Witt said. “They just
looked at us and said, ‘How can you help us?’ We were able to
turn around and pick up that business in a matter of days and get
them right back on track.
30 Truckload Authority | www.Truckload.org TCA MAY/JUNE 2024