At age 22, Harveys Lake volunteer firefighter Gene Bulman has some of the newest firefighting technologies available to fight fires, but he always wondered what it was like to battle blazes in the "old days," he said.

There were no high-tech pumper engines, no high-powered water hoses back then. Water got to a fire either in buckets or by hand pumping it from a portable water supply.

On Monday, Bulman and several firefighters from his company got a first-hand taste of the old style of firefighting as they took part in the "Fireman's Olympics" competition at the Sweet Valley Volunteer Fire Company's annual carnival, which concluded Monday.

The competition pits teams from neighboring fire companies against each other to see who can hoist buckets of water up a ladder to atop a 10-foot-high scaffolding. The goal: Fill a 55-gallon barrel in the least amount of time.

Once that's done, they test their arm strength and endurance as they take on an old hand pumper – a red wagon with two oversize silver handles fashioned like a see-saw – to pump water through a hose that runs straight up to the top of the scaffolding.

"We just do it for the fun of it, but it takes a lot out of you," Bulman's 26-year-old teammate, Danny Bonavina, said as he and his team prepared to do battle against a team from the Back Mountain Regional fire company. "You're running back and forth trying to get it filled the fastest. It's intense."

At the sound of a whistle, the men were off, hurriedly filling buckets from a porta-tank. Water splashed to the ground as they hustled to hand the buckets upward.

"Come on, guys! Let's go!" Harvey's Lake Fire Chief David Davis shouted, egging on his team. "Let's go! Don't be slowing up!"

Davis, 41, had competed in the competition years ago, but was more than happy to be relegated to the role of cheerleader this year, he said.

"I did it a long time ago, but now I'm the chief. I get to hold the radio," he said with a laugh.

The Harveys Lake team finished the task in one minute, 36 seconds, beating out Back Mountain Regional, which posted a time of two minutes, 10 seconds.

Dan Kaskus of Back Mountain Regional and his fellow teammates were determined to redeem themselves in the tanker pump competition.

A team of six firefighters, three on each side, worked in unison, furiously pumping the tanker's handle. At first it wasn't that hard, Kaskus said.

"You have to get the water moving. Once you get the pressure, it gets going," he said.

It was another story once the water got to the 90-degree angle in the hose and the firefighters had to push it straight up.

"You see the way that hose goes straight up? That's gravity. It's not easy to defeat that," he said. "It's all about strength and endurance"

Kaskus' team gave it its best shot, but again fell short with a time of two minutes, 11 seconds. Harveys Lake posted a time of one minute 51 seconds.

The competition has been an annual event at the carnival, which is the main fundraiser for the Sweet Valley fire department. Firefighters say it's always a big hit with festival goers.

People like 8-year-old Gabrielle Shonis, who was rooting on Back Mountain Regional, her dad's fire company.

Shonis had fun watching the competition, but said she's in no hurry to put on a fire hat and boots herself.

"That's a big decision to make yet," she said.

Pittston, Pa, –

When entering our yard at Pittston we would like all of our drivers to be mindful of our yard speed limit of 5 miles per hour and to turn right when entering the yard regardless if you are bobtail. We have many venders, mechanics and yard men moving equipment during the day and we wouldn't want any accidents because of failure to obey these posted rules.

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From: The Safety Office...
Pittston, Pa, –

Spring has sprung, this means more traffic, motorcycles and construction zones. DO NOT leave your guard down and become complacent. Along with the warmer temperatures divers fatigue becomes a big issue. Proper rest, hydration and defensive driving can help keep you safe during the busy summer days.

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Calex to host Wellness Event
Pittston, Pa, –

Geisinger Health Plan will be offering a Wellness Event to all Calex employees. All screenings are voluntary and confidential. Screening results will not be shared with your employer. Participants MUST be 18 years of age or older to participate.

This event will include:

• Weight Management & Blood Pressure Screening
• Vouchers for Cholesterol/Glucose Screening
• Exercise, Nutrition, Tobacco and Wellness Information

If interested in participating to help improve your health, please join us on:

March 10th & 11th
from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Please contact Human Resources for more information and to sign up for the screening by Friday, February 25th.

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Seat Belts: It’s the Law and a Good Idea
Pittston, Pa, –

Many states are conducting heightened enforcement on their seat belt laws. So remember it IS the law, you MUST wear your seatbealt. If you're caught without your seatbelt it could cost you a fine and points on your license. Plus failure to wear you seat belt can lower your CSA score. By wearing your seat belt you can save time and money and maybe even your life. Did you know over 40% of accident fatalities involve unbelted occupants. Next time you hit the road wear you seat belt, it will save you time, and it’s the law. BUCKLE UP!

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Helping Our Drivers Feel More at Home
Pittston, Pa, –

We are trying to make your stay here at the terminal as comfortable as possible So if you've just come off the road feel free to take a shower and freshen up. We now are providing free wi-fi, cable TV and hot coffee. Enjoy a sandwich from our new food vending machine, a cold drink or just a snack while your tractor is being worked on.

We understand how important you are to our success, that's why we're always working to make you feel more at home.

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Calex Awarded to Energy-Smart Business Honor Roll
Pittston, Pa, –

We first made a commitment to be a more energy efficient company two years ago when we began installing APU's on our trucks. We have continued our dedication to better environmental practices by converting our lighting. The changes in our shop, offices, and warehouses to more environmentally friendly high efficient lighting. As a result of our energy conservation committment and to going green, PPL Electric Utilities has acknowledged us on their Energy-Smart Business Honor Roll. We plan to continue to lead our community through better energy and environmental practices, making the future better for everyone.

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Choices on Payroll
Pittston, Pa, –

The family at Calex wants to make your working experience as pleasant as possible. One of the ways we try and do that is offering the options on how you will receive your weekly pay: Each of them is simple and seamless process;please read the information below carefully and choose the option that best fits your lifestyle.

Option #1 Direct Deposit

Your tak home pay will be automatically be sent to your checking or savings account. All we need is a voided check from your checking account or your savings account number. It's just that easy. You will receive a copy of your payroll stub along with your itinerary from that payroll week.

Option #2 Comdata Pay Card (Debit Card)

Your take home pay will automatically be sent to this card. All you need to do is have a card issued to you. Here's an overview of how it works, each week we will load your take home pay on the card you have access to that money at any truck stop or at over 30,000 ATM Machines across the country.

The choice is totally up to you, so please choose the option that works for you. See the safety department for more information.

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Calex is again awarded Smartway Transport Certification
Pittston, Pa, –

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We have Hero among us:
Pittston, Pa, –

We have Hero among us:

It’s the 9th anniversary of the 9/11/2001 attack on the twin towers in New York City: when terrorists attempted to bring our great country down: We all have a vivid recollection of exactly what happened that day 9 years ago. I don’t know about you but, I remember exactly where I was when I first heard the news:

Like you, most of us were captivated that day being glued to the radio or television. The horrors that we watched live will be forever etched in our minds.

One of our own (OTR Driver) Ivan Nieves was particularly affected by the events of that day. He was a first responder in NYC where he experienced the trauma first hand. He remembers being enroute to the first tower when he heard a sound, looked up and actually saw the second plane hit the tower.

He went on to tell me for four days he dug through the rubble, cut beams, separated metal from concrete in hopes of finding survivors. He faced the trauma of seeing the carnage and death first hand. He also noted that personally he lost seven friends in the devastation: He went without sleep, limited food and water for four straight days. First and foremost to Ivan (and so many other volunteer first responders) was to try and find survivors.

We at Calex salute all the heroes of that tragic event and we will continue to remember them in our thoughts and prayers.

To those victims and their families let us not forget this cowardly attack.

And to our own Ivan Nieves, We SALUTE YOU! Thanks, for your selflessness and heroic acts on the days following the attack.

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From: The Safety Office...
Pittston, Pa, – One of the favorite radio stations today for truckers is WLW out of Ohio. Everyone waits for the week end to listen to Bubba Bo Americas favorite Radio DJ for the trucker. Bubba Bos shows on the week end is always filled with great conversation about what going on in the world of todays trucker. Call ins and in studio guests make up a big part of this show. Lately Calex Express has been well represented on this show. Saturday night 8/1/10 had John "Sarge" Timmons there for five hours. John covered topics with Bubba from Electronic Logs, to CSA 2010 and several other topics. Naturally the topic came up of where John is working now and he was proud to tell them about his time at Calex. Sarge isn’t alone on the air waves. Other recent guests have included Bill "Lobster" Lobger, and one of our newer drivers with the company Greg Field! Listen to WLW often and learn more about whats going on in the industry and what our "On line" celebrities from Calex are saying

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From: The Safety Office...
Pittston, Pa, – On Aug 5,2010 a representative of our Insurance Carrier was traveling on I 81 in Penna. As a large insurer of trucking companies he watches closely the driving practices of motor carriers on the road and especially close at those that they insure. On this day he had the opportunity to follow one of our units for quite a distance > Here is part of the excerpt from his e mail to us. “Mort I observed truck #23231 n/b on I 81 at mm 160. good driver practices, speed and road courtesy. There were some other trucking companies not paying attention but your guy was doing it right.” Congratulations to Mike Salzer for an outstanding job of representing Calex in a positive manner, and for being a safe driver. We appreciate your efforts Mike

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From: The Safety Office...
Pittston, Pa, – Recently I received a call from Jimmy Michaels in truck #23317 He had just pulled into a truck stop in Wyoming and noticed a tractor pulling a refrigerated trailer with Calex rear doors and green covers over the motor. He also could see where our 800 # had been pulled off the doors. Jimmy immediately called me in safety as he remembered some years back we had had a reefer stolen in the pacific northwest. Checking our records I found this to be true. Jimmy immediately got me all the tag and DOT info off both the tractor and trailer. While I was still checking this information out the tractor pulling this trailer left the truck stop. Without hesitation Jimmy immediately began following him at a reasonable distance so that we knew his whereabouts as we contacted the proper authorities. Thanks to Jimmy this unit was stopped and all information was verified and the appropriate action taken A BIG thank you to Jimmy Michaels for going above and beyond the call of duty

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From: The Safety Office...
Pittston, Pa, – Electronic Logs (e logs) have been up and running for the first quarter of 2010. While the program has been widely accepted by the drivers in general we continue to have several common problems that could easily cut our violations by 80% or more! Pre Trip Inspections must be the first thing done after coming off a break. Be sure to change duty status to "on duty" prior to selecting Pre trip or post trip. Post trip must be the last event prior to going off duty or sleeper berth. Both must be done daily. Log off your vehicle when leaving the truck in the yard. This will help prevent an interruption of your 34 Hour reset should maintenance need to road test your vehicle while you are off. MAKE SURE each and every break is a full 10 hours. 9:59 minute break will quickly put you into a violation status Should your system show an unknown location when changing duty status please type in the city and state closest to you at that time. This is very important for DOT Then when you come to the yard note that your antenna needs to be checked by maintenance. On an average day I handle between 50-60 calls related to the above problems. Your help in remembering to these things an do them correctly will be greatly appreciated. There is a point coming VERY SOON where these corrections will not be made and they will become violations to you Thanks for your assistance in this very important matter

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Congratulations to Jason Jones Truck #23311.

Jason is the proud winner of the PC Miler GPS System made especially for the Trucking Industry! Jasons name was drawn as the winner of the Safety Depts. Safety Awareness Contest. Driver names were entered monthly for each of the following Safety Categories

1. No serious log violations
2. No accidents
3. Clean DOT Inspections

Jason has begun using his system in his truck and has reported that it is now an “invaluable tool” Congratulations to Jason and good luck to all in our next safety contest

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APRIL 2010

Pittston, Pa, – Check out the latest additions to our fleet, these Smartway approved skirts will assist in reducing air flow and drag created underneath the trailer. Preliminary reports show that the skirts along with LRR Tires (low rolling resistance) will increase fuel economy by 3 to 7%. Although all of the fuel economy information is not in yet, we are excited and plan to share the results once they are in.

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MARCH 2010

We lost a member of our family last month, Michael Creeden. Mike spent the last several years here at Calex as a coast driver; those who knew him would say he was very quiet, a person of strong conviction. He was a long time employee and friend. He will be missed by all of us. Our deepest sympathies to his wife Betsy and family. His untimely passing will leave a void in all of our lives.

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CALEX GOES GREEN!
Pittston, Pa, – Yes, Calex has gone green! We don’t just mean the color of our trucks. Lots of companies talk the talk, but we are walking the walk. Calex understands the environment and is committed to doing its part to ensure an eco-friendly climate for all of us. Not only is going green important when it comes to helping the environment, but in today’s economic climate every trucking company who wants to survive needs to understand that it must automate itself everywhere it can to increase efficiencies. In doing so, the bottom line is affected in a positive manner. We would like to think that we are well ahead the curve in that regard.

So for these reasons, Calex has now gone to electronic logs in all of its company vehicles. No more paper logging! Less trees dying! More oxygen in the atmosphere for you and I! Earlier last years DOT announced that GPS systems in trucks could and would be used to audit logs. With this in mind Calex made the decision to have its drivers do their logs electronically while in the trucks, thereby not only complying with the regulations, but staying a step ahead as well. In September 2009, the Safety Department began testing with five trucks and initial results were impressive to say the least! By December 31, 2009 we were able to have all units in full operation. Naturally, there was much skepticism and apprehension, but within weeks of implementation, feedback was almost 100% positive and turnover was basically non-existent. Drivers have seen the benefits and even the most “technically challenged” have managed to enter the Safety Office with a smile on their face and share comments on their electronic logging success stories. One driver even commented that he now wants to buy a laptop and review his logs online and finally e-mail his family for the first time in his life while on the road! We even received positive feedback from DOT officers across the country commending us on taking the lead!

Watch for the next What’s Happening and see what’s going on at Calex!

But wait…it doesn’t end there…. Look on the road in the next week or so and see our 7 new 2010 Volvos that just arrived! Based on the input of our drivers, these trucks will now be equipped with a straight 10 speed. We’re almost as proud of our new trucks as we are our drivers…. Almost!

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CALEX RISES TO CHALLENGING BUSINESS CLIMATE
Pittston, Pa, – During this tough economic climate that we are all experiencing, Calex Express has managed to maintain its position in the industry and has actually taken several steps to set itself apart from much of its competition. Over the past few months we have had strong success in hiring drivers in several areas of the country based on studies of our traffic lanes. Hiring these drivers in specific locations has enabled us to offer quicker response to our customer’s needs while still aware of the all-important home time that our drivers have come to expect and appreciate. We have received several new tractors and trailers in the past few months as well. This equipment was all built to the specifications required by our drivers, maintenance department and safety department, which meet the rigid demands required today. We have opened a Company Store that offers all employees to buy quality merchandise (all with the Calex Logo) at a very low price all conveniently payroll deducted. Items include jackets, shirts, hoodies, skullies, coozies (full size), coffee mugs and much more. Calex is also focusing on requirements coming forth next year with CSA 2010 and trying to prepare each of our drivers to meet these stringent requirements set forth by our federal government. With this we are reviewing all drivers’ record to ensure only the most safe and courteous drivers are retained. Lastly, but far from least, is one of the largest projects we have taken on as a company. At this point over 70 of our drivers and trucks are up and running with electronic logs. This state of the art program allows our drivers to go green and paperless while having the most accurate and up-to-date logs in the industry. Both drivers and the safety department are amazed at the smooth transition and how easily even the most "technically challenged" are able to adapt. Look for much more on this endeavor in the coming weeks.

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THE BEGINNING OF 30 NEW 53' DURAPLATE AIR-RIDE TRAILERS BEING PUT INTO SERVICE THE BALANCE OF THIS YEAR.

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ADDED TO OUR FLEET: NEW 53' DROPDECK

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NEW DECALS ARE ON THE TRUCKS....

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THE NEW TRUCKS HAVE ARRIVED
August 4th 2009 - Seven of the twenty four trucks being put into service this year have arrived at our corporate headquarters in Pittston PA.

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CALEX JOINS U.S. EPA SMARTWAY TRANSPORT® PARTNERSHIP
Pittston, Pa, – Calex “Integrated Supply Chain Solutions” today announced that it joined the SmartWaySM Transport Partnership, a innovative collaboration between U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the freight industry designed to increase energy efficiency while significantly reducing greenhouse gases and air pollution. - read more

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Knoxville based High Country Express joins the Calex team!
I am excited about adding Knoxville, TN as part of our network! The former High Country Express, based on Knoxville, TN, is now part of the Calex team. Not only did we add a presence in the southeast, we added a new type of equipment, flat bed's with rolling tarp kits. These trailers will be available throughout much of the United States. Out of the new Knoxville location we also offer standard flat bed, dry van and refrigerated service. - read more

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Calex inks relationship with i2m Mountaintop PA
i2M is pleased to announce a partnership with Calex Logistics for the management of the i2M supply chain. The partnership and combined expertise of Calex Logistics in Supply Chain Management and i2M in the manufacturing of Thin Film products insures our competitive position and efficient distribution to our client base both internationally and domestically. - read more

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Calex adds five new Refrigerated Trailers to our existing fleet and updates our logo