A Few More Stories about "The Boss"

This is related to the previous post I did, "Salute to the Tasmanian Devil of Third Party Logistics".  The post referred to the passing of my old boss that I had the great fortune of working 10 years for starting in 1993. His name is Craig Schneider, who at the time was a Senior Logistics Manager for Ryder Logistics in Salt Lake City and quickly advanced to a Director in the company.

Another BOSS man story. Craig didn't normally talk about it unless you asked him, but he had a photo on the wall of his office with him in a Miami Dolphins uniform. He was actually on Don Shula's team in 1974! That was the year after two consecutive Superbowl championships. Bob Griese, Larry Csonka and Mercury Morris were still on the team. Craig was signed as a lineman, then cut, then signed again. After getting cut again, he decided it was time to get a real job. Good for me, as I then ended up working for him 19 years later. Although he never got to play in an NFL game, he was a hell of an athlete to even get to that level! I'm a fairly long legged guy and I remember having difficulty keeping up with him as we were hurrying through an airport. He was like OJ Simpson in the old Hertz commercial, LOL!

Memories of the BOSS (Craig). We were in Vegas working late one night on a startup. As almost always, one person went out to get food so the rest could keep working. That person elected was me and it was decided to go to In-N-Out Burger. Everyone ordered a Double-Double with cheese/onions and fries. Craig said he wanted two. I asked him if he was sure about that, and he said he was hungry. Well, I brought the food back and Craig wolfed down both Double-Doubles with the fries and about an hour later he was in agony, suffering big time. He dismissed us and we called it a night. Got off early! LOL

Craig was a big fan of the TV show Seinfeld back in the 1990's. I didn't watch a lot of TV during that time, being so busy, with an irregular schedule. When out of town with Craig, he always had to be back to his hotel room to watch the latest weekly episode on TV. It was always on Thursday night at 7:30 pm mountain time. On those nights I knew we'd be done working by then, LOL. It wasn't until many years later, I greatly enjoyed watching the series in reruns.

And then, there was Emily, who was hired in a clerical position right out of high school about 1996. Her brains and ability quickly became evident as Craig promoted her up the chain into her currant role as Regional Manager at a freight and logistics company. She recently sent me this: "I think of you every time I see great food posts about places that we used to always eat at back in the day lol! I have so many great memories of Daniel S. Bridger, Bob Carter & Jim Maxson, driver trainers I'd never met until I had to pick you guys up at the airport. All Craig Schneider told me is you guys knew his Maroon Ford Taurus. And who ever jumped in it, bring them back to the office, lmfao"

One of Boss Man's often stated quotes "Bottom line, it's chump change!". Often heard when discussing the cost of implementing a new policy or investing in new equipment, LOL!

It was a wonderful 25 years I spent living and working in Utah. So many great friends made, and co-workers that worked together as a great team to get things done! Under the leadership of Craig, he was a major reason I stayed there until retirement in early 2018. Although I surely missed my family and friends back in Wisconsin all those years, it would have been foolish to leave. It's been a hell of a ride and a great one!

Salute to the Tasmanian Devil of Third Party Logistics

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Salute to the Tasmanian Devil of Third Party Logistics

A Celebration of Life service is being held today in Las Vegas for my old boss, Craig Schneider. He was just 74 years old and only recently retired. I am also now retired and had the very great fortune of spending 10 years working for him starting in 1993. I was working for Ryder Dedicated Logistics in Wisconsin and transferred out to Salt Lake City, UT. Craig was a senior logistics manager there at the time.

That division of Ryder Systems, Inc is a third party logistics provider employing more than 10,000 drivers serving the transportation needs of companies throughout the US. Our major customer in Salt Lake was/is one of the largest independent bottlers of Coca-Cola in the world.

It was a hell of a ride with Craig rapidly being promoted to Director in the company (Ryder). There are only a very few people in the lives of most of us that really make a difference. One of those for me was Craig. Long story, short, he was most responsible for my 25 years spent living and working in Utah. The man taught me so much, and reined me in hard when I needed it. I always appreciated his work ethic and what he taught me about business. A great man that made a huge difference in my life.

Craig was always thinking “outside the box” and throwing out ideas and concepts to customers, colleagues and employees constantly. I remember a customer's high level manager telling me that hearing some of Craig’s ideas would seem so off the wall, but ended up being brilliant. Hence the “Tasmanian devil” and “bull in a China shop” references to him. His leadership style produced amazing results directing a great team that enjoyed working for him throughout the inter-mountain west. Rest in peace Boss!

What follows are some of the online comments I received expressing how respected and appreciated he was from colleagues and former employees:

From BM:

Craig was a hell of a boss and mentor!!!! He stuck up for me when others were trying to take me down. I owe him so much with what I learn in life and management!!! Rest in Peace My Dear Friend!!! Thank you Dan for posting this!!!

From YS:

One hell of a boss for sure. Rest in peace boss man.

From DT:

God Bless him and his family

From MC:

Oh no, what a great loss. One of the greatest guys I ever knew and worked for! RIP Craig!! Thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family!!

From ML:

I am so sorry to hear, he was a great person and boss. RIP

From CW:

He was one of a kind! I learned so much from him in the 15 years I worked with him. He was the kind of boss who believed in his people and brought out the best in them. I was shaped by his leadership and he pushed me to be the best I could be. I will forever be grateful! This world lost a good one.

From NW:

With Dan's comment, Craig gave me opportunities that I never dreamed of. Will miss him

From DC:

Sorry to hear

From BK:

Good man, I have a picture of him and me together of him handing me the 1st place truck rodeo trophy. Condolences to his family.

From JD:

Lousy news. He was his own logistics engineer because he could keep the numbers in his head. More importantly he led his team with an all for one and one for all approach that for a long time produced some impressive results.

From DT:

A Good man

From YM:

That's Craig for ya. He used to make me laugh with his stories of different startups. RIP Craig

From JP:

Amen, brother. Only reason I became COO of *****, was Craig. I owe him for taking a chance on me. Speaking of *****, I retired. Will re-engage somewhere, and take some time for rest.

Bottom line (one of Craig’s frequent expressions), he had such an impact on so many lives, he deserves a tribute. I authored a book in 2020 that describes many of our adventures throughout the 1990s, into the early 2000s, My Truck Driving Life, if you’re interested. From us two haoles working a startup in Hawaii to Las Vegas, Phoenix, Denver, Seattle and throughout the intermountain west, it was a fascinating ride for me, a cheesehead from Wisconsin. I wish I could be there in Las Vegas today, not possible, but this man will live on in my frequent dreams as long as I’m still around. Craig Thomas Schneider, always will be, The Boss!

On this road called life, you have to take the good with the bad, smile with the sad, love what you got, and remember what you had. Always forgive, but never forget, learn from your mistakes, but never forget. People change. Things go wrong. But just remember, the ride goes on. Credit: simplereminders.com

And, a hell of a ride it was for me and so many of his employees!

Craig Thomas Schneider Obituary

Ryder’s Ultimate Maintenance Challenge!

Ryder, the company I work for, took one of the newest, most advanced trucks on the planet…and completely destroyed it. They then challenged a team of Ryder technicians, from across North America representing all levels of experience, to fix it…and they only gave them 24 hours to do it.

Check out what happened here: 

Ryder among ‘America’s Best Employers’

cartalk.com

Article thanks to Matt Cole and ccjdigital.com. Links provided:

By Matt Cole @MattColeRR on May 4, 2015

Ryder System, Inc. has been named one of Forbes’ “America’s Best Employers,” ranking 62nd out of 500 on the list.

The 500 employers on the list were chosen based on an independent survey of 20,000 American employees working for large U.S. companies and institutions, and U.S. divisions of international firms.

They were asked anonymously through several online panels if they’d recommend their employer, or any other employers in their industry, to a potential employee. The survey was conducted on companies in all industry sectors employing more than 2,500 workers in the U.S.

Ryder was also recently named among Fortune’s “World’s Most Admired Companies.” Ryder is a $6.6 billion commercial fleet management and supply chain solutions company, with operations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe, and Asia.

Another Ryder Salt Lake City Driver named Driver of the Year!

Yes! Another of our Salt Lake City Ryder drivers is selected for our company's national "Driver of the Year" award. Congratulations to Craig Vorwaller, a driver that I have had the privilege of working with for 20 years!  Story thanks to Dawn House of the Salt Lake Tribune. Link to their site provided below: 

After 3 million miles, Utah trucker has advice for the roadways

Driving » Honored nationally for safety, he’s seen it all in 34-year career.

It’s not unusual for Craig Vorwaller to see motorists texting, talking on cell phones or even reading books during his run from Salt Lake City to Reno.

The veteran trucker can only shake his head — and stay out of the way.

Unlike drunks who drive slowly, distracted motorists have a tendency to drift into other lanes while they’re speeding down the highway.

"I appreciate courteous drivers," said Vorwaller, who has racked up more than 3.1 million miles over his 34-year driving career. "The others, you just wonder how they made it this far."

Vorwaller, 56, has been named Driver of the Year by Ryder System Inc., a leader in transportation and supply chain management services. He drives a Ryder truck for Swire CocaCola out of Salt Lake City.

The award honors those who have demonstrated exemplary safety performance, customer service and citizenship throughout their careers.

Vorwaller, of West Valley City, said he is conscious of the entire roadway when he’s behind the wheel, trying "to see what’s coming up, what’s going to happen before you get there."

"You leave some space between you and the other guy," he added. "You try to do their thinking for them, you try to know what they’re going to do before they do it. It can be difficult, but it comes with experience."

The first rule of defensive driving is to be patient, he added, and to ignore discourtesies. Vorwaller can’t count all the times that motorists have raced ahead of him and nearly cut him off — just to rush to a freeway off-ramp where they must slow down while the traffic they sped around continues down the road.

Vorwaller says he must guard against fatigue. Before he gets tired "to the point of being stupid," he knows to pull off for a 20-minute rest or catnap so he can refresh himself, and stay alert.

He grew up in Magna, but instead of working in the nearby mine or an office, he opted for the open roadways.

Through the years, the most feared drivers have been those who are young and inexperienced, he said. They have a tendency to speed and to concentrate on just about everything but the road. Vorwaller said young drivers gave him pause when it came time to teach daughter Amanda, now 27, how to drive.

"It’s not just boys, it’s girls, too," he said. "They have a tendency to speed, to text, to not watch what they’re doing. They change lanes too often and they’re not looking where they’re going."

He insisted that his daughter learn to drive a manual transmission, with its driver-operated clutch and movable gear stick. He thinks manuals gives drivers a better feel for the power of the engine and that they won’t be caught off guard if the situation demands such knowledge.

Wife Janet, a Fillmore native, learned to drive farm equipment at an early age and is a veteran driver, he said.

After all these years on the road, Vorwaller says he’s learned to stay out of motorists’ blind spots and that when he’s courteous to another motorist, "people appreciate it." And they’re usually polite in return.
Photo Gallery of Craig and his Ryder/Coke truck

dawn@sltrib.com

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/money/56216901-79/driving-vorwaller-driver-ryder.html.csp

My Employer

Photo by Mike Tucker
As of 2012, I have been employed with Ryder Integrated Logistics for over 20 years.

Ryder System, Inc.

Ryder System, Inc. is a FORTUNE® 500 provider of leading-edge transportation, logistics and supply chain management solutions. Ryder's product offerings include: Fleet Management Solutions (FMS), which provides leasing, rental and programmed maintenance of trucks, tractors and trailers to commercial customers; Supply Chain Solutions (SCS), which manages the movement of materials and related information from the acquisition of raw materials to the delivery of finished products to end-users; and Dedicated Contract Carriage (DCC), which provides a turn-key transportation service that includes vehicles, drivers, routing and scheduling. Ryder serves customer needs throughout North America and in Mexico, Europe and Asia.

For nearly 80 years, Ryder has earned high marks for serving customers in a timely, cost-effective and reliable manner. That reputation has helped Ryder to continually rank among the industry's leading companies in many publications. Inbound Logistics magazine has recognized Ryder as the top third party logistics provider, andSecurity magazine has named Ryder the number-one company for security practices in the transportation, logistics, supply chain, and warehousing sector. Ryder is a proud member of the American Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program, supporting national and local disaster preparedness and response efforts.

Ryder's stock (NYSE: R) is a component of the Dow Jones Transportation Average and the Standard & Poor's 500 Index.

Important Note: The views and opinions expressed in this blog are my own. Ryder Integrated Logistics, Division of Ryder Transportation Systems, is in no way responsible for any content.