18 Wheels of Justice Proudly Presents…Trucking Legends
800-500-3089
Memphis, TN
1. Call Empire or click on any Empire logo to go to website.
2. Fill out Application.
3. Work for Empire.
Empire Express - Memphis, TN only hires drivers in specific areas for a reason. They get you home when they say they will. To find out more - read on...
Empire Express began by listening to and embracing an idea from one of their own: a loyal driver.
Mr. Ed Gatlin founded and developed a successful automotive refrigerant business, lg-Lo Products Corp. It was so successful; that the company caught the eye of the Valvoline Oil Company in 1985, and Valvoline made an offer to Ed he couldn’t refuse.
Now, the way I understand it, lg-Lo had a private fleet of 12 trucks at the time, Valvoline realized it wasn’t tough enough for the trucking business and didn’t want to continue to run the private fleet. Luckily, one of his best drivers (who was also about to be out of a job) approached Ed about starting a trucking company. Ed decided to try his hand at the “For Hire” trucking business for a few years. In 1989, Mr. Tim Gatlin, with a belly full of fire and a love for the trucking business, took over and the business grew from 8 trucks to the proud 194 trucks under his careful watch today.
Now, the way I understand it, lg-Lo had a private fleet of 12 trucks at the time, Valvoline realized it wasn’t tough enough for the trucking business and didn’t want to continue to run the private fleet. Luckily, one of his best drivers (who was also about to be out of a job) approached Ed about starting a trucking company. Ed decided to try his hand at the “For Hire” trucking business for a few years. In 1989, Mr. Tim Gatlin, with a belly full of fire and a love for the trucking business, took over and the business grew from 8 trucks to the proud 194 trucks under his careful watch today.
18 Wheels of Justice likes it when the owners of a trucking company use specific numbers when they are talking about trucks and drivers. It says a lot about the person, the company and the overall attitude of things there.
We’ve done this long enough to know whether the owners, managers and dispatchers have a handle on things at their company after the first few minutes of talking to them. And quite frankly, we are hearing loud & clear that Empire Express in Memphis is running an outstanding outfit.
We were fortunate enough to get a few minutes of Mr. Tim Gatlin’s time to answer some questions for the 18 Wheels of Justice Staff about Empire Express in Memphis (please see excerpts from the interview below).
Mr. Gatlin, thank you for joining us today. We have heard many good things about you and Empire Express, and we are honored to finally have the chance to speak with you here at 18 Wheels of Justice HQ.
Now, Empire Express has been in business for 27 years, a big milestone in our industry. What do you attribute your long term success too?
Empire specializes in safety and time – sensitive freight. Over 50% of our business is packaged chemicals and 40% is JIT or time sensitive. This has been our focus for over 20 years and we have a very strong loyal customer base because we deliver the safe, on-time performance they demand.
Empire is in the top 10% in terms of driver retention in our industry, this is among the best of the best of low driver turnover rates in the country. Why do drivers who begin with Empire stay so long?
They stay because of the way they are treated. We know at Empire Express, without the drivers, we wouldn’t have Empire Express. We have created and encourage a driver-friendly culture.
What is so great about Empire Express for drivers?
They are a name, not a truck number. They get the miles, get paid and get home. During the recruiting process, we make sure the driver lives in an ideal place to get him home regularly. We know home time with family and friends is so important. Our customers’ freight is also driver friendly, no-touch high velocity freight.
Pay per mile is one thing, but miles are important also. The 18 Wheels of Justice Audience takes their careers seriously and they like to run and not sit when out on the road. What kind of miles can drivers expect?
2500 – 3000 per week.
Can they depend on the operations staff to get the miles and get them home when they need to be?
Absolutely! We offer a great pay package, “Pay for Performance”. Every six months our drivers are evaluated on their performance in Safety, Service and Miles. The majority of our drivers average over 2,500 miles per week, are safe, and deliver on-time. This performance qualifies them for the top pay level which helps us retain the top performers and attract other top drivers to Empire.
Mr. Gatlin, we can’t thank you enough for sharing your story about Empire with us today. That sounds like quite an operation you have there in Memphis. How can drivers and operators get a hold of your company?
They can call our Recruiting Line at 800-500-3089 or visit our website at www.EmpireExpress.com. Thank you for having us. (Please click on the Empire logos or photo and it will take you directly to the Empire Website)
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