For Landstar Agent Randy Owens and his customer, TurboFab. safety
is in the details encouraging employees to buckle up, relying on
tried-and-true methods to secure a load, even providing cold drinks
to Landstar business capacity owners on a hot day.

TurboFab, a division of Solar Turbines, Inc., specializes in the fabrication
of generator and turbine platforms, as well as pipe spooling and process skid
and turbine base assembly. Safety a! the Channelview, Texas, facility is
emphasized ever}, day, in every way. Take serving cold drinks, for example.
Nice, eh? But the practice has more to do with safety than hospitality.
Tarping a load with the heat index hovering around 110 can make toast of
any truck driver.

"We make sure the drivers are well taken care of," said Lupe Buenrostro,
TurhoFab's safety coordinator, "There's a shaded area where they can work,
plenty of cold drinks available, and the drivers are encouraged to take
breaks. We keep an eye on them, too."

That's why TurboFab was selected Landstar's M.U.S.T. Customer of the
Year. Mutual Understanding of Safety Together is a cooperative venture that
encourages collaboration between Landstar agents and customers to
enhance safety at manufacturing and shipping facilities. Owens and
TurboFab work hand-in-glove to build a safe working environment for
everyone involved.

"The job flows smoothly and the load gets to its destination safely," said
Owens, talking about the proactive cooperation between his agency and
TurboFab. "Everything seems to work better and everyone is in a happier
realm because, when it crones to safety, we work together."

Sometimes it's as simple as coming up with a better way to secure a load.
"If it will improve the way a load is transported, prevent damage, or make
tie-down expedient and more secure, we're all for it," said David
Buenrostro, Lupe's brother and TurboFab's traffic manager and materials
coordinator. "We work closely with Randy and the Landstar BCOs until we
come up with a solution. Delivering on time and without damage is crucial
to our business."

If the delivery involves transporting a new piece of equipment for the first
time, Owens and the Buenrostro brothers work together to develop loading
and tie-down procedures, then try them out in the yard before taking them on
the road. Then they review the procedure with every BCO who hauls
TurboFab freight.

At times, TurboFab puts employees in the driver's seat to promote safety.
The company brought a No-Zone trailer to its facility so elnployees could
experience first-hand what it's like to sit behind the wheel of an 18-wheeler.
"Our employees should get an idea of what it's like from a truck driver's
point of view," said Lupe. "In the past, we've shown Landstar safety videos,
too. It could make the difference between life and death for the employee
who's in a hurry to get home from work."

TurboFab holds daily safety meetings and grades each department against
a safety checklist using a scale from one to 10. lfa department scores seven
or less in a category, the company focuses on that issue to alleviate existing
and potential problems. "TurboFab is a great customer to work with," said
Owens. "They're safety-conscious, and that makes for a good business
relationship.'"

"Safety works both ways," said David. "We trry as much as possible to
weave safety into our everyday activities. TurboFab. like Landstar, wants to
make the workplace safer for everybody."