SIDNEY — Continental Express Inc., headquartered in Sidney, Ohio, is a privately held logistics company specializing in the truckload transport of temperature-sensitive food product. Despite the uncertainty and chaos of 2020, Continental Express had a record year for sales and made continued investments in technology and its people.
A highlight of the year for the organization was the launch of its “CE-Go” application (“app”). The app is completely custom-built and owned by Continental Express. The app is loaded onto company-owned i-Pads that are issued to drivers, and places dozens of tools into a single device. It essentially aids drivers in every aspect of their deliveries. Through the software, drivers can communicate with their dispatcher, record load numbers, receive turn-by-turn navigation, monitor the temperature of their reefer units, view weather forecasts, obtain a map of truck stops and fueling locations, view secure pay-information, plus much more, all on one screen. The app was modeled after the three main principles at Continental Express: Safety; Service; and Communication.
Tablets and a custom-built app are not the only benefits Continental announced for its drivers in 2020. The company also increased driver wages by 6% or $.03 per mile in October. “Our men and women drivers work extremely hard, and we wanted to further help them with financial security during this time of uncertainty,” said Russell Gottemoeller, president of Continental Express. Continental’s top drivers earned well over $100,000 in 2020, while the average driver wage was in excess of $72,000.
Gottemoeller’s report continues:
Continental Express also unveiled a second military wrapped truck right before Veteran’s day, which is being driven by Sidney native and Air Force veteran, Rick Brown. The wrap on the brand new 2021 Freightliner displays the eagle wing American flag, the POW/MIA emblem, our 5 branches of the military, and the phrase “Home of the Free, Because of the Brave.”
Concerning new trucks, Continental purchased 52 new 2021 Freightliner Cascadia semi-tractors in 2020, which will add to the company’s fleet of 450 trucks (and 1,000-plus trailers), as well as replace some older model vehicles. These trucks are all very “smart” and are equipped with the newest state-of-the-art Detroit Assurance Suite of Safety Systems, which includes adaptive cruise, lane departure, side collision prevention and auto brake technology. The newest Freightliners really are at the cutting edge of becoming fully autonomous vehicles. The new trucks are also Freightliner’s most fuel-efficient vehicle generation.
The company was also excited to honor seven of its drivers who reached 1 million miles of safe driving with Continental Express in 2020 and one driver who reached 2 million miles of safe driving. This is a tremendous accomplishment. These drivers were recognized and received a plaque, a decal for their truck and a generous cash bonus this past year.
Finally, a recap of 2020 would not be complete without mentioning how Continental’s truck drivers and support team officially became “essential workers” during the height of the pandemic. “Without the hard work and dedication of all our employees through these tough times, grocery store shelves and kitchen cabinets would lay empty. I am really proud of how everyone stepped up to help and continued to work during a challenging time,” said Kiera Sullivan, General Counsel for Continental Express. 2020 has shown us all that truck drivers, and all of those who support our drivers, really are a backbone to our economy.
Continental Express’s corporate headquarters are located west of Sidney on State Route 47. Continental Express has also terminals located in Gaffney, South Carolina; Fort Worth, Texas; Danville, Virginia; Louisville, Kentucky; Indianapolis, Indiana; Columbus, Ohio and a dedicated operation in Portland, Oregon. The company has approximately 650 employees. 475 of those are drivers. Continental Express has been in business for 36 years under president and founder, Russell Gottemoeller.
If interested in employment opportunities, rates or other general information, visit Continental Express’s corporate headquarters located at 10450 State Route 47 W., Sidney, Ohio, or Continental Express’s website at www.continentalexpress.com.
