Norfolk Southern creates DRIVE Team to improve terminal operations and partner communication

A team of Marketing and Operations leaders have joined together to improve communication with Norfolk Southern’s partner driver community. The Driving Recognition, Innovation, and Value through Engagement (DRIVE Team) will focus on enhancing safety and efficiency at intermodal terminals, while improving the service that Norfolk Southern and the driver community jointly provide to customers.

“We are always working to improve safety and efficiency at our terminals,” said VP Intermodal Automotive Operations Yannik Thomas. “The DRIVE Team will help us gather feedback and actionable ideas from our valued partner drivers, and I’m eager to see the results of this collaboration as we all work to serve customers that rely on Norfolk Southern’s rail network to move their goods through the global marketplace.”

The DRIVE Team will host events, create routine touchpoints to gather feedback, and leverage those touchpoints to improve driver and terminal processes. For example, the DRIVE Team aims to conduct periodic driver roundtables, launch a driver recognition program, and manage responses to inquiries and comments collected in the ExpressNS+ app.

The following Norfolk Southern representatives make up the inaugural DRIVE Team:

Council:

• Keith Burris- Group Manager, Domestic Intermodal
• Kam Patel- Group Manager, Process & Analytics
• Kenneth Rains- Director, Customer Logistics

Committee:

• Dale Dunn- Manager, Customer Logistics
• Jordan Masters- Market Manager, Domestic Intermodal
• Jeremy Smith- Assistant Manager, Customer Logistics
• Armand Poole- Assistant Manager, Customer Logistics
• Steven Sultzaberger- Senior Product Owner
• Brad Carpenter- Operations Manager

Safety on the terminal is the first item the DRIVE Team will address. Whether it is in-gating, out-gating, or on-terminal activity, Norfolk Southern wants to help partner drivers execute their duties safely. To kickstart the safety campaign, the DRIVE Team created a flyer with helpful instructions and reminders for the partner driver community. It is being disseminated to partner drivers across Norfolk Southern’s 22-state network.