Big G Express - Winter 2020

Big G Express - Winter 2020

WINTER 2020

our focus to make sure we closely monitor and limit the overall percentage of our business tied to ANY economically sensitive industry. I give a great deal of credit for our success in 2020 to the principles that were put in place by our founders 25 years ago.

THE REASONS WE THRIVED IN 2020 OUR FOUNDERS AND OUR TEAM DRIVE OUR SUCCESS

Equally important in our success this year, though, is the team we have in place. Trucking today is not what it was 25 years ago — or even 10 years ago — or even earlier this year. It is evolving and changing every day, and it takes a great deal of discipline and commitment from every professional driver and every person in every department for it to have a chance to work. And to the credit of everyone here, it does work, and most days, it works very well! I appreciate everyone who works here. There is not an easy job in the place. I like the old saying that “if it was easy, anyone could do it,” and honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I believe the fact that we work hard makes success that much sweeter and the rewards that much greater. I believe the hard work is what sets us apart, and I believe it always will. We have been blessed this year to have maintained our business levels despite all the challenges thrown our way. Our people and our customers have carried us places few others in our industry have been able to go in 2020, and I can’t wait to see where 2021 takes us. Finally, I want to take a moment to thank Deanna Phelps for her 20- plus years of service. Deanna is leaving us to work with her daughter in her business, and we wish her and her family the very best.

As most of you know, I don’t do social media. The truth is that too much of what I saw there when I did scroll through really wasn’t worth seeing. My wife did share something with me yesterday that I feel worth sharing with all of you ... It went something like this:

“Can we skip turning our clocks back an hour this time? I don’t want 2020 to last one hour longer than it has to!”

And while that is true for a lot of the world today, I still maintain that even with all the negative we have force-fed to us daily by the media, it is always good to be us. The Big G Express family of companies is still strong, and a little more 2020 in many ways might not be the worst thing that could happen to us! Let me tell you why I feel that way. A lot of companies in our industry this year have been in survival mode since before COVID-19, and many have failed to make it. For whatever reason, from higher costs for insurance to soaring equipment costs and an overall glut of predatory pricing by some carriers, it was more than many could overcome in 2020. Yet we, as a family of companies, have pulled together to do more than survive. In many ways, we have thrived. Much of our ability to be as successful as we have this year goes back to the very origins of our family of companies in 1995. It has always been our practice to not allow too great a percentage of our business to be with a single customer. In addition, it has been

And thank you all for everything you do to make the Big G family of companies great!

–Randy Vernon, CEO

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BE PREPARED FOR THE UNEXPECTED

slick. So use THREE POINTS OF CONTACT, your health depends on it. In any type of inclement weather, you must slow down, avoid erratic movements, and increase your following distance by two or three times. Lastly, be prepared for the unexpected during the winter months. Pack extra clothing to keep yourself warm, blankets, water, and non- perishable foods. You never know when you may get stranded or shut down somewhere, and we want you to be prepared and have enough supplies to literally “weather the storm.” Remember the winter storm that shut down Atlanta in 2014? You never know when it could happen and you could be in the middle of it. Let’s never forget the basics folks. Following the basics are what largely got you to the place you are now! It is easy to develop short cuts or stop doing the basics because we think we know too much or are just simply in too big of a hurry. I am going to challenge you and tell you that you can’t afford to forget or stop following the basics. How much time do you lose and how much money will be lost if you have an accident? How much time do you lose if an officer stops you for speeding? That time and money lost is just not worth the risk. It will take you weeks or months to make that money back or to work yourself back to the level you were previously. Pay attention and run the speed limit, maintain a safe following distance, know what is going on around your truck, and pay attention to your surroundings. We want you to be safe, prosperous, successful, and able to spend time with your family and friends when

Greetings from the safety department! We all want to wish you and your family a merry Christmas and happy New Year’s. October was observed as Distracted Driving Month, which is something you must be aware of every time you get behind the wheel of a CMV or your personal vehicle. According to the National Highway Safety Administration, 80% of collisions and 65% of near collisions involve some type of driver distraction. Distracted driving can be manual (reaching to get something to drink, adjusting the air or heat), visual (taking your eyes off the road, something off the road catches your attention) and cognitive (mind focusing on something other than driving, such as a phone conversation). Your goal should be to greatly reduce or eliminate all forms of distraction while driving your CMV or your personal vehicle. As winter is rapidly approaching and some areas have already had some snow and ice, you have to slow down and be very deliberate in your actions and movements. First of all, if you don’t feel safe, don’t go! If you are not comfortable with the road conditions and you don’t feel you can operate safely, contact operations immediately and let them know you do not feel safe driving the conditions you are faced with. YOU ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT SAFETY FEATURE IN THE TRUCK

on home time. You, as a driver, are the most important safety feature in the truck, and those who care for you are counting on you to be safe and do things the right way. Getting back to the basics can help you achieve this goal.

–Tim Clark VP Maintenance

Next, be careful when entering and exiting your truck. Those steps can and will get covered with snow and ice, which makes them extremely

WELCOMING JOHN FAIRCHILD TO THE TEAM

that they have received much needed recognition during the pandemic. COVID-19 has opened the eyes of the general public to the key role that our professional drivers play in keeping products moving across the country and, ultimately, in keeping our store shelves full. Second, I enjoy working with team members across the organization, helping them identify their strengths. Marcus Buckingham defines a strength as, “Something that draws you in, it makes time fly by while you’re doing it, and it makes you feel strong.” I truly believe that people are much happier in the workplace when they are able to apply their strengths directly to the work they do every day. As the definition says, when you are applying your own strengths to the work you do, “it makes time fly by.” It “draws you in” to the task at hand and makes you feel “strong” and confident in your work. Don’t we all want to feel that way while we work? –John Fairchild

It is our pleasure to announce that John Fairchild joined our team as vice president of human resources on Oct. 26. John will be working with our human resources, driver recruiting, and communications teams. He joins us with prior experience in the trucking, third-party logistics, and automotive manufacturing industries.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT HR?

Two things come to mind quickly. First, I appreciate the fact that I am able to work in a department that gets to support our professional drivers each day. I sincerely understand the sacrifices they make just to work in this industry. I am glad to see

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Big G Express and Elect Rx Want You to Save Significant DOLLAR$ on Your Brand Drugs!

If you absolutely must take a Brand drug as a part of a long-term maintenance medication regimen then the Elect Rx Personal Importation Program is designed specifically for you. Check to see if your Brand drug is a part of the Elect Rx program. If it is, you will be AMAZED at your savings. Big G Express plan members benefit from a $0 co-pay (Free!!) with Elect Rx. If you do not see your Brand drug listed below then call Customer Service to see if your Brand drug is covered.

Stiolto Symbicort Tradjenta Transderm Scop Trelegy Ellipta Tribenzor Vesicare Viibryd Vivelle Dot

Flovent Glyxambi Invokana Janumet Janumet XR Januvia Jardiance Linzess

Advair Diskus Anoro Ellipta Breo Ellipta Brilinta Bystolic Chantix Combigan Dexilant Edarbyclor Eliquis Entocort Entresto Eucrisa Oin. Farxiga

Lotemax Nasonex Nuvaring Rexulti Rybelsus Spiriva

Vraylar Xarelto Xifaxin Xigduo XR Xiidra

The Elect Rx Personal Importation program is easy to use: 1. Call customer service to enroll – 1-844-ELECTRX (1-844-353-2879) 2. Ask the customer service representative if your Brand drug is covered under the Elect Rx program. 3. If your Brand drug is covered, then have your Doctor fax your 90-day script (with three refills) to the Elect Rx toll free fax number – 1-844-333-0700 4. It is that simple! No forms to fill out. Elect Rx is a safe and reliable source for many of the FDA approved versions of Brand drugs that are required as a part of a long-term maintenance medication regimen. These scripts are dispensed from “brick and mortar” retail pharmacies in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and England. Helpful Tip: The first script through Elect Rx may take 3-4 weeks to arrive in the mail so have at least a 30-day supply on hand at the time your first script is faxed.

SUMMARY ANNUAL REPORT FOR BIG G EXPRESS EMPLOYEE STOCK OWNERSHIP AND 401(K) PLAN

This is a summary of the annual report for the BIG G EXPRESS EMPLOYEE STOCK OWNERSHIP AND 401(K) PLAN (Employer Identification Number 27-1192613, Plan Number 002) for the plan year 01/01/2019 through 12/31/2019. The annual report has been filed with the Employee Benefits Security Administration, as required under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). Basic Financial Statement Benefits under the plan are provided by insurance contracts and a trust fund. Plan expenses were $2,395,403. These expenses included $1,928 in administrative expenses and $2,311,511 in benefits paid to participants and beneficiaries, and $81,964 in other expenses. A total of 941 persons were participants in or beneficiaries of the plan at the end of the plan year, although not all of these persons had yet earned the right to receive benefits. The value of plan assets, after subtracting liabilities of the plan, was $60,455,880 as of the end of the plan year, compared to $46,590,734 as of the beginning of the plan year. During the plan year the plan experienced a change in its net assets of $13,865,146. This change includes unrealized appreciation or depreciation in the value of plan assets; that is, the difference between the value of the plan's assets at the end of the year and the value of the assets at the beginning of the year or the cost of assets acquired during the year. The plan had total income of $16,260,549, including employer contributions of $3,896,499, employee contributions of $632,578, and earnings from investments of $11,249,288. Your Rights to Additional Information You have the right to receive a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, on request. The items listed below are included in that report: 1. An accountant's report. 2. Assets held for investment. 3. Insurance information, including sales commissions paid by insurance carriers. 4. Information regarding any common or collective trusts, pooled separate accounts, master trusts or 103-12 investment entities in which the plan participates. To obtain a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, write or call the plan administrator, at 190 Hawkins Dr., Shelbyville, TN 37160 and phone number, 931-680-3519. You also have the right to receive from the plan administrator, on request and at no charge, a statement of the assets and liabilities of the plan and accompanying notes, or a statement of income and expenses of the plan and accompanying notes, or both. If you request a copy of the full annual report from the plan administrator, these two statements and accompanying notes will be included as part of that report. You also have the legally protected right to examine the annual report at the main office of the plan: 190 Hawkins Dr., Shelbyville, TN 37160, and at the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington, D.C., or to obtain a copy from the U.S. Department of Labor upon payment of copying costs. Requests to the Department should be addressed to: Public Disclosure Room, Room N-1513, Employee Benefits Security Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20210. Paperwork Reduction Act Statement According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13) (PRA), no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The Department notes that a Federal agency cannot conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it is approved by OMB under the PRA, and displays a currently valid OMB control number, and the public is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. See 44 U.S.C. 3507. Also, notwithstanding any other provisions of law, no person shall be subject to penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if the collection of information does not display a currently valid OMB control number. See 44 U.S.C. 3512. The public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average less than one minute per notice (approximately 3 hours and 11 minutes per plan). Interested parties are encouraged to send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Attention: Departmental Clearance Officer, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Room N-1301, Washington, DC 20210 or email [email protected] and reference the OMB Control Number 1210-0040. OMB Control Number 1210-0040 (expires 06/30/2022)

DRIVERS MONTH of the SEPT

TIMOTHY GOLDEN Tim joined Big G in April 2016. He started his trucking career in 1977 by hauling grain from farms to barges on the river in Illinois. He went OTR with CRST in the late 1980s and drove with them for several years. In 1993, he went to work for Harold Ives in Arizona and drove for them for about a year and a half. Then he pulled a reefer out of Michigan for a while running the West Coast. After that, he moved to Florida for a while and finally joined the Big G team. MARC BROWN Marc has recently rejoined Big G. He started trucking in December 2005 with Builders Transportation Company pulling a flatbed, worked with them for about a year, then tried a few other OTR companies. He left trucking in 2010 and became a lineman with a power company for a few years, then went back OTR with TMC. He joined Big G the first time in 2015 and worked until he found a local job to be home with the family more. KELLY STRICKLAND Kelly joined Big G on Jan 7, 2020. He started trucking in 2012 with Swift. He worked for them for about six months, then joined his dad at ABC pulling tankers. He tried the lease option deal at Dart Transit; that did not work out, so he switched to running regular fleet with them, and then finally made it to Big G. Before getting his CDL, he worked in landscaping. When asked what makes Big G stand out from other carriers — It’s the people he works with day in and day out, and it really seems like family. TERRY HAMLET Terry joined Big G in June of this year. He started his trucking career in 1974 running local in Virginia. He went OTR in 1995 with Warrior Xpress out of Charles City, Virginia, and worked for them for six years. Next, he went to work for CX Logistics from Richmond, Virginia, for another six years, then moved to Abilene Motor Express for 11 years. At that point, he went local with Harris and then finally joined Big G.

When asked what makes Big G stand out from other carriers —The ESOP makes a big difference; it is hard to complain about free money. Also, all of the Big G customers and OTR maintenance facilities such as Love’s repair shops seem to really respect our company and our drivers. His advice for new drivers — Just understand that you will learn something new every day. He lives in Ocala, Florida. In his time away from the truck, he likes to scuba dive and go off-roading with his Jeep. When asked what makes Big G stand out from other carriers — The company is family-oriented and they are willing to work with the drivers, and it feels more like family than just coworkers. His advice for new drivers — This is a learning experience. I just try to learn something new every day. He lives in Sonora, Kentucky, with his wife, Erica, and three kids. When he is not out in the truck, he likes to spend time with the family and weekend trips to Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

OCT

His advice for new drivers — Trucking has been good to him and it will provide for anyone if they put in the work and pay attention. He lives in Hampton, Tennessee, with his wife, Amy, and three kids, Leif, Corbett, and Shay. On his weekends off, he likes to travel around the tri-cities area playing music and singing.

When asked what makes Big G stand out from other carriers — The benefits and the pay are both really good. The people are just easy to deal with. His advice for new drivers — Try to do all you can, and if problems pop up, make sure to notify your driver supervisor — these can be worked out. He lives in Hopewell, Virginia, with his wife, Nancy. When not trucking, he likes to rest up and complete some honey-do’s.

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AUG/SEPT/OCT ELITE FLEET

PERFECT INSPECTIONS FOR AUG/SEPT/OCT

GARY ERGLE GREGORY BARNES RAYMOND VAUGHN BENJAMIN PRESLEY

SEAN HUNT ERIC HARRISON BRIAN RINGLE GARY ERGLE RODNEY SIMMONS TIMOTHY GOLDEN MARC CROTEAU ROBERTO COSA DENNIS HULING DANNY DEPRIEST MICHAEL MYERS JOSEPH SHIRLEY WILLIAM BATTLE JAMES BINKLEY RONALD KNOWLES WILLIAM PARROTT

TAHARA RAMSEY JAMES BELLAVIA CHRISTOPHER ADOMYETZ JOHN MILLER ALLAN MONROE CHARLES CRAVENS, JR

RONALD CAROWICK GERALD GREENOUGH WILLIAM HAMLETT STEVEN THOMPSON JESSIE ASHBY AARON BROOKS GARY DOTSON STANLEY ALDRIDGE JOHNNY JACKSON GARY GAINES LAMONT HILL COCHISE MULLINS EDWARD FORTUNATO DAVID CALDWELL JR RICHARD GARY JOSHUA CARVER RAYMOND JENKINS III KEITH HICKMAN DONALD AMAN DAVID WAYNE PASCHAL JOHN REYNOLDS JR

1,000,000 Accident-Free Miles Harvey Diven 500,000 Accident-Free Miles Robert Korsmeyer Jon Wicker Richard Tustin 250,000 Accident-Free Miles

TAYLOR DUNN MARK GRIFFIN

JOHN MARSHALL SHARLA OWENS MIKAL SHAFFER JAMES BELLAVIA WESLEY BARWICK KYLE CANTOR MAURICE LEE JOHN MILLER JAMES BAYLESS BRYAN TAYLOR RANDALL HOWARD JOSEPH DARNELL BRYAN TAYLOR JONATHAN DALTON DAVID KINSLER ROBERT NEWKIRK BOBBY MALLORY

MARC BROWN JAY WEINSTEIN SHANNON ACKERMAN

Joseph Ensor Donald Hayes

Danny Croft

STATAVIOUS CHEEK ANTHONY MCNEILL LAWRENCE VINES JR STEPHEN WHITENER MOMODOU SAINE DON WILSON MATHEW TUCKER EDWARD DOBBS AUSTIN JOHNSON FRED KIMBERLIN DONALD WALLACE DOUGLAS BALEK

Jerome Woodard Cochise Mullins

125,000 Accident-Free Miles James Hotsinpiller Timothy Simpson Billy Haywood Ernest Singley Cline Dotson

KELLY CASH DAVID ESTES

Donald Malone Rebecca Eaton Nathan Wilson

Steven Strickland Hiram Crittendon Christopher Adomyetz Timothy Tucker James Blankenship Richard Murray Jesse Johnson

DOUGLAS BALEK ANTOINE GORDON KEITH HICKMAN JERRY RIFE WILLIAM HICKERSON

NOV

DAVID DONNELL David joined Big G in March of 2020. His first trucking job was with American Van Lines in 1995 driving a straight truck. He went OTR with C.R. England in 2006, and he worked there for about six months. After that, he went to NAPA Transportation out of Pennsylvania and worked for them for a few years. He tried the lease purchase program with Risinger Brothers Transportation for approximately three years, then finally joined the Big G team. Before starting his trucking career, he was in the cable business. FRANKIE BURGIN Frankie joined Big G in June 2010. His first trucking job was with Colonial Freight out of Knoxville, Tennessee. He worked there about a year and a half, worked for Celadon briefly, and then made it back to Big G. Before he joined the trucking industry, he was a die cast operator. When asked what makes Big G stand out from other carriers — They care and have proven it by helping me through some hard times.

When asked what makes Big G stand out from other carriers —The courtesy and respect he gets. He feels like he is part of the family; he feels at home here. His advice to new drivers — Just be patient and things will eventually work out, be reliable, and get the job done on time. And if there are problems, be proactive, not reactive. He lives in Vass, North Carolina, and during his time off, he likes to spend time with the grandkids and family.

His advice to new drivers — Just hang in there — it will be rough at times, but it will always smooth out. He lives in White Pine, Tennessee, with his wife, Katrina, and his great niece, Trinity. When not running around making money, he likes to relax, work on wood craft, and spend time with the family and go fishing.

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MONEY MATTERS

Now that the third quarter is behind us, I thought I would take this opportunity to compare how we have done through the first three quarters of 2020. This year can be characterized as a tale of two periods, pre- and post-COVID-19. While COVID-19 did not impact us to the extent that it did many other companies in our industry, due primarily to the diversification of our customer base and their continued demand in the marketplace, we did see some other things change. Most significantly, since June, we have seen a steady increase in the number of open trucks. This has singlehandedly stunted our ability to create levels of profitability in what might be the “best” carrier environment we have ever seen. In this environment, we’ve seen high levels of demand as many shippers look to restock inventory levels depleted when the economy came to a screeching halt, which has been coupled with the lowest levels of available trucks the industry has seen. As employee-owners in this situation, each and every one of us should be trying to figure out what we can do to turn the trend around. Now, as Paul Harvey would say, “for the rest of the story,” one of the industry advantages of a tightening in capacity — or to put it more simply, a reduction in trucks available to pick up the freight that shippers have — is that the rates we are able to charge some of our customers increase as shippers shift their focus from minimizing costs to increasing their confidence that the shipment will be picked up and delivered where it needs to go. In an ideal world, we’d have the best of both situations with open trucks at a more traditional level of 7%–10% of our total fleet and high rates because everyone else is struggling. Unfortunately, we do not find ourselves in that situation, but we do have one factor mitigating the other. Hello from the sales team here at Big G! I hope you guys are all having a great start to the fall (winter in some places). I am amazed at how quickly the year has moved. We all keep hearing phrases like “new normal,” “unprecedented times,” and “essential workers.” As I look back over the first 10 months of 2020, it certainly has been much different than any other year. However, some things have remained consistent and constant. Our group of employee-owners have given it all they’ve got this year! Our new normal was met with a passion for success. Our essential workers have been out there daily moving product that makes the rest of the world happen. I sent out a video a few weeks ago about the Starbucks awards recognizing our entire team. While I am super excited about this recognition, it should come as no surprise. Big G owners make the difficult look easy every single day.

We continue to make improvements operationally that allow us to maintain levels of profitability despite the difficult driver market we are facing. It is as important as ever that each and every one of us, as employee-owners with a stake in the outcome of our business results, continue to focus on doing what we can to contribute to ongoing beneficial results for all of us as our ESOP balances grow.

GIVING OUR ALL IN UNPRECEDENTED TIMES –Stephen Voorhees, VP of Finance & Accounting

at such an exciting company during a very exciting time. Thank you to all for what you do on a daily basis to move our company and our customers ahead.

Thanks and be safe!

Fall is one of my favorite times of the year, and I like to slow down to count my blessings. I can genuinely say that I am blessed to work

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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

190 Hawkins Dr. Shelbyville, TN 37160 931-684-9140 www.biggexpress.com

INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1 2 3 4 5 THE REASONS FOR OUR SUCCESS IN 2020 BE PREPARED FOR THE UNEXPECTED PERFECT INSPECTIONS ELITE FLEET DRIVERS OF THE MONTH MONEY MATTERS GIVING OUR ALL IN UNPRECEDENTED TIMES

SHOP TIPPS BIG CHANGES AHEAD FOR 2021

Hello fellow employee owners!

The maintenance department is hard at work making sure our drivers are taken care of. We have a lot coming up this year, and we want to make sure you know that no matter how busy we get, we are here to keep you in well-maintained equipment and on the road. Fall weather is here, and with it colder temperatures. Please take the time to fire up your APU heaters and make sure they are functioning properly. If you run into any problems, stop by any of our three maintenance facilities for repair.

of their equipment. We have so many great drivers who do such a great job with pre-trips, getting services completed on time, keeping the inside and outside of the trucks clean, and being professional in front of our customers. This is the backbone of what makes Big G Express successful and such a great place to be. –Tim Tipps VP Maintenance

We want to make sure you stay warm on those cold nights.

Next year will see a lot of new equipment as we swap out approximately 150 tractors with new units and upgrade the trailer fleet with 250 new units.

I do want to take this opportunity to thank all of our employee owner- drivers here at Big G Express and IKE, who go the extra mile taking care

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