Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits celebrated National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, September 13 – 19, across its U.S. branches. In addition to honoring drivers, Southern Glazer’s recently also celebrated its warehouse staff during Warehouse Employee Appreciation Week, designated by the Company from August 10 – 14.
The company’s drivers and warehouse personnel are essential to Southern Glazer’s business and its ability to deliver to hundreds of thousands of customers daily.
“Our warehouse employees and professional truck drivers have worked diligently throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, and they’ve met every challenge posed along the way,” says Bobby Burg, Senior Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer, Southern Glazer’s. “Southern Glazer’s frontline heroes play a critical role in providing continuous support to our customers at a time when they need it most.”
Created by the American Trucking Associations, National Truck Driver Appreciation Week honors the 3.5 million professional truck drivers for their hard work and commitment to tackling one of our economy’s most important and demanding jobs. As professional truck drivers continue to deliver America’s goods amid the pandemic, the American Trucking Associations, along with the support of sponsors, have launched the “#ThankATrucker – Providing for the Frontlines” campaign, intended to provide relief to the men and women behind the wheel.
The campaign continues to provide hand sanitizer stations along major freight corridors for professional truck drivers to fill up their own personal bottles. It also encourages professional drivers to submit a photo of themselves with their rig to be entered into a drawing for a $25 electronic gift card for a meal of their choice while on the road. Multiple winners are selected daily.
Companywide, Southern Glazer’s drivers each received a polo shirt and hat, and enjoy various socially distanced festivities throughout the week, from catered breakfasts and lunches, to raffles and prizes.
The Company’s warehouse employees also enjoyed similar treatment during Warehouse Appreciation Week, acknowledging the tremendous work they do to ensure the receipt, storage, handling, packaging, and redistribution of thousands of Southern Glazer’s world-class wine and spirits brands.
This year, employees submitted thank you shout-outs via Southern Glazer’s employee intranet, and thank you posters signed by the Operations Leadership Team were displayed and circulated within each facility. A health “Step Challenge” was also implemented, in which teams of up to five warehouse employees were formed to compete for team and individual rewards for tracking the most steps over a two-week period.
“I’m always incredibly proud of our devoted professional drivers and warehouse employees, who make the work we do to serve our suppliers and customers possible,” says Ron Flanary, Senior Vice President of National Operations, Southern Glazer’s. “Their unwavering work ethic and support throughout the pandemic deserves nothing but the utmost praise and thanks.”
The company reinforces its safety culture through safety programs for both drivers and warehouse employees. The Elite Safe Driver Recognition Program, for example, is available to all drivers who qualify based on having 20 consecutive quarters, or five years, of safe driving without a preventable collision. Rewards include a gold ring set and monetary bonus rewards.
“The safety of our employees and the customers we serve is paramount,” says Kay Yoder, Vice President of Environmental, Health and Safety, Southern Glazer’s. “We have implemented extensive safety protocols in all of our facilities to protect our frontline employees—from providing personal protective equipment and reconfiguring workspaces for social distancing, to implementing enhanced daily cleaning and sanitization of our distribution centers and fleet. With these protocols in place, and through the dedication of our operations teams, we are able to continue to deliver safely for our customers.”
