The Oregonian names Jubitz a Winner of the Oregon Top Workplaces Award for Third Straight Year

Jubitz received the Top Workplaces award from The Oregonian for the third straight year. The list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey. The anonymous survey is administered by employee engagement technology partner Energage, LLC. The data collection uniquely measures 15 drivers of engaged cultures that are critical to the success of any organization. Attributes include alignment, execution, and connection, just to name a few.

“In times of great change, it is more important than ever to maintain a connection among employees,” said Eric Rubino, Energage CEO. “When you give your employees a voice, you come together to navigate challenges. You shape your path forward based on real-time insights into what works best for your organization. The Top Workplaces program can be that positive outcome your company can rally around in the coming months to celebrate leadership and the importance of maintaining an employee-focused culture, even during challenging times.”

So what makes Jubitz a Top Workplace?

According to Chief Operating Officer Mark Gram, “The Jubitz family and Jubitz management team feel strongly about valuing and validating its employees. We make efforts to communicate often and to keep our employees safe and well. It is best exemplified in one employee’s words: ‘Thank you for taking measures to keep us safe, employed, strong and united.’ This is especially true during these last 7 months.”

Jubitz prioritized employee safety and wellbeing from the beginning of the pandemic. We’ve taken measures like installing plexiglass shields, providing masks for customers and employees and being flexible with employees who have faced obstacles like lack of childcare.

Jubitz strives to offer a true team environment where everyone’s contributions are recognized, from cashier to CEO. Employees receive cash incentives, training and career development opportunities and awards for going above and beyond. In turn, their dedicated employees offer a World Class Customer Experience (WCCE) to every customer who walks in the door. Jubitz provides full-time employees with access to medical, dental and vision insurance. The benefits only get better with free disability insurance, free group term life insurance and a free Employee Assistance Program (EAP). This is all in addition to paid time off (PTO), a 401k retirement plan and employee meal discounts.

See the full list of 2020 midsize Oregon and SW Washington employers honored as Top Workplaces in 2020.


Interested in a career at a Top Workplace? Jubitz is hiring for a variety of positions!
See all open positions here.

How to Get Your Commercial Driver’s License (CDL)

You’ve done the research and decided that being a truck driver might be the career for you. After all, trucks are still the most popular method of moving freight with expected industry growth of 5% over the next decade. Trucking companies don’t hire just anyone, though. You’ll first need to earn your Commercial Driver’s License (CDL).

 

What you need to know before getting your CDL

Taking your sedan to work isn’t exactly the same as driving a big rig. Getting your CDL has more requirements than a non-commercial license, which is regulated by the FMCSA and Department of Transportation. Safety is everything on the road, and qualifications vary per vehicle type and professional duties.

 

The minimum requirements to apply for a CDL

Every state has a different path to getting your CDL, but there are some requirements across the board that every aspiring truck driver must meet;

 

Depending on your state, you may come across requirements such as having a minimum driving history of two years. Additionally, you may only drive within the state your CDL is issued in until you’ve turned 21 years of age.

 

Getting your Commercial Learner’s Permit

Like most jobs, operating a Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) requires a certain amount of training and testing. Permits are issued through your state DMV. You may be tested on general CDL knowledge, driver safety, cargo transportation, air brakes, and more. 

 

Be better prepared for your CDL test with behind-the-wheel experience

Once you get your CLP, you’ll then be able to practice driving a CMV so long as a certified commercial driver’s license (CDL) truck driver is in the cab with you. You may learn through a private instructor or designated truck driving school. CDL driver training programs take on average seven weeks to complete. Note that you must hold your CPL for 14 days before you can test for your CDL.

 

Choosing the right type of CDL

With three CDL options to choose from, plus endorsements, picking the right one may feel daunting. The good thing is that you’ll quickly understand which one you need based on the specialized vehicles you drive.

 

CDL Class A

The Class A license is required for any vehicle with a gross combination weight rating (GCWR) of over 13 tons. It’s towing capacity needs to be over 5 tons to qualify for CDL Class A.

The most common Class A vehicles include;

Class A licenses are best suited for professionals who want to freely switch between Commercial Motor Vehicle options. CDL Class A also tends to cover most vehicle requirements of the other CDL types, with a few exceptions noted below.

 

CDL Class B

The Class B license is most often for a single vehicle with a GCWR of over 13 tons without a hitched trailer.

The most common Class B vehicles include;

 

CDL Class B

The Class C license is for vehicles with a GCWR under 13 tons that can also transport hazardous materials and over 16 passengers.

 

 

Endorsements

Endorsements are exceptions and permissions for CDL holders that allow truck drivers to operate a wider selection of Commercial Motor Vehicles. When getting your CPL, you may declare up to three endorsements that you intend to also qualify for upon passing your CDL test. You can become a more valuable prospect to trucking companies by taking additional tests for the following endorsements;

 

Ready for the road

We hope this has helped you define the right path for you as a truck driver! While there are many options to consider, the multiple commercial driver’s license (CDL) classes and endorsements allow optimal flexibility and fluidity to work across the trucking industry. Be sure to visit your state DMV site for additional requirements in getting your CDL.

Jubitz employee Amanda Mclain awarded NATSO Foundation scholarship

Every year The NATSO Foundation awards $5,000 scholarships. These awards go to deserving students with ties to the truck stop and travel plaza industry through the Bill and Carolyn Moon Scholarship. This year Jubitz is proud to announce that Vault Auditor Amanda Mclain is a scholarship recipient. Thanks to this scholarship, Amanda will finish her bachelor’s degree in accounting at Portland State University earlier than originally planned. She now expects to graduate in fall 2020.

Before Accounting

Before Amanda decided to pursue accounting, she earned degrees in both culinary arts and music production while living in Florida. While she loved both of those things, “I wanted to be practical about what I was going to do with my future,” she said. She enjoyed working with numbers and found a position in Florida. Here, she worked with money and logistics, but she felt like it wasn’t a place where she could grow. In search of a new challenge, she made the decision to move. She chose Portland, a city she hadn’t even heard of until a few years before.

Seeking challenges isn’t unusual for Amanda. As an extremely motivated student, she completed her associate’s degree at Portland Community College, a two-year degree, in single year. On top of that, she worked at Jubitz full-time!

 

Amanda Mclain working
Amanda replenishes cashier tills

Putting in the Work

As a vault auditor at Jubitz, Amanda collects tills and does audits to ensure accuracy. She fills ATM cassettes, lottery machines and completes other tasks that put her all over the Jubitz campus, which means that she’s not just in an office all day. She interacts with her coworkers and customers on a daily basis!

Amanda’s hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed. In May 2019, she was named World Class Customer Service Experiences Superstar of the Month. “Amanda is an integral part of our small vault team. [She] has taken the lead role in the vault…and the vault has been excelling under her lead,” said Crystal Petrie, her supervisor. Amanda is always willing to go above and beyond. This year she was even the co-chair of Jubitz’s annual fundraising campaign for United Way.

 

Amanda with the accounting team at the United Way kick-off event

Why Jubitz?

Amanda’s favorite thing about Jubitz is the people. “The people will make or break the job, no matter how much you like the actual work you’re doing,” she said. Working at Jubitz is also a great fit for Amanda. Her flexible schedule can easily accommodate her school schedule. Plus, she uses the tuition reimbursement offered by Jubitz to help pay for her classes.

Amanda loves Jubitz’s commitment to World Class Customer Experiences (WCCE). In her scholarship essay she wrote, “Being employed at Jubitz allows me to see my full potential while continuing to learn and grow every day. World Class Customer Experience has taught me how to communicate more effectively and positively with customers and my peers.”

In the future, Amanda hopes to take on a leadership role. She wants to challenge herself and be a mentor to others. “I am excited to see what the future brings for Amanda,” said her supervisor Crystal Petrie. We know it will be bright!

Jubitz named Top Workplace second year in a row

Jubitz is proud to announce that, for the second year in a row, we have been awarded a Top Workplaces 2019 honor by The Oregonian. The list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by research partner Energage, LLC, a leading provider of technology-based employee engagement tools. The anonymous survey measures several aspects of workplace culture, including alignment, execution, and connection, just to name a few.

 

Alyssa sitting at her desk in the Jubitz Truck Service Center
Alyssa Rodriguez, Service Writer at the Jubitz Truck Service Center

 

So what makes Jubitz a Top Workplace? According to Alyssa Rodriguez, service writer at the Jubitz Truck Service Center, “It feels like you’re working with family here–it doesn’t really feel like coming to work. No matter what time your shift is or your position, you’re excited to come in because it’s a great environment to be in.”

 

Lindsay Nelson preparing a drink at the bar
Lindsay Latham, cocktail server at Ponderosa Lounge & Grill

 

“Top Workplaces is more than just recognition,” said Doug Claffey, CEO of Energage. “Our research shows organizations that earn the award attract better talent, experience lower turnover, and are better equipped to deliver bottom-line results. Their leaders prioritize and carefully craft a healthy workplace culture that supports employee engagement.”

 

Phanith smiling at his desk in front of his computer
Phanith Keo, IT Services Manager

 

Jubitz believes in the importance of creating a positive work environment through valuing and validating our employees. We offer a true team environment where everyone’s contributions are recognized, from cashier to COO. Employees are given cash incentives, training and career development opportunities and awards for going above and beyond. In turn, our dedicated employees offer a World Class Customer Experience (WCCE) to every customer who walks in the door.

 

Lisa holding a bag at the convenience store counter
Lisa Engstrom, fuel station cashier at the Driver Services Convenience Store

 

Jubitz provides full-time employees with access to medical, dental and vision insurance. The benefits only get better with free disability insurance, free group term life insurance and a free Employee Assistance Program (EAP). This is all in addition to paid time off, a 401k retirement plan, tuition reimbursement and employee meal discounts!

 

Top Workplaces 2019 The Oregonian OregonLive

 

See the full list of 2019 Top Workplaces here.

Interested in a career at a Top Workplace? Jubitz is hiring for a variety of positions! See all open positions here.

Celebrating Gaylene Salvagno on International Women’s Day

This International Women’s Day we’re celebrating a very special member of the Jubitz team: Vice President of Fleet Services Gaylene Salvagno. Gaylene has worked at Jubitz for over 30 years. She started in an entry-level position and has been working her way up since. “Gaylene is very knowledgeable about many aspects of Jubitz and is great with customers. She is highly trusted, values her staff, work, and customer relationships and keeps lines of communication open,” said Mark Gram, COO. “These attributes make Gaylene an invaluable asset to Jubitz.”

Gaylene came to Jubitz in her twenties with a degree in accounting and started working in the vault in 1983. After only six months, she made a positive impression and received a promotion to shift leader. She stayed in this position for six years before deciding she wanted to take some time off to build her family. Upon her departure, she let her manager know she would consider returning to Jubitz in the future.

Four years later, she got a phone call—a part-time position opened in the vault. Gaylene looked forward to coming back. She began working part-time, and again, quickly became a supervisor, a position she held for the next four years. She continued getting promoted and became the billing manager and then the accounting manager. After 12 years as the accounting manager, COO Mark Gram approached her about a position managing customer service in Fleet Services. Gaylene felt ready for a new challenge. In 2006, she moved into the new position. Within Fleet Services, she worked her way up and became vice president in 2016.

Gaylene has chosen to stay at Jubitz for such a long time because she loves that it’s a family-run business, and that management commits itself to looking within for talent.  “Because I didn’t have any experience in managing customer service in that division, Mark could have just placed an ad and not even told me,” she said. “But [at Jubitz], we try to look at, who do we currently have who we should try to keep?”

Gaylene pays it forward by doing her best to mentor others at Jubitz. When Jubitz recently hired a new accounting manager, Gaylene even stepped in to assist with training since she held that position years ago. Customer Service Manager of Fleet Services Liz Valseca, who works closely with Gaylene, says, “Gaylene’s professional achievement is one that I aspire to follow. She inspires me to set my own goals high in what is a primarily male-dominated industry.”

 

Fleet Services Team
Gaylene with the Fleet Services customer service team.

 

Are you a woman in business? Here are Gaylene’s tips for success.

Jubitz Corporation Named in 2018 Top Workplaces

Every year since 2012, the Oregonian Media Group and Energage recognizes Top Workplaces in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Their analysis is based on the results of employee surveys. Jubitz is proud to announce that, thanks to our employees, we made this year’s list.

 

Three Ponderosa Lounge & Grill employees standing in the bar

The Jubitz Difference

Jubitz believes in the importance of creating a positive work environment. We do this by valuing and validating our employees. We foster a true team environment where everyone’s contribution’s are recognized, from cashier to COO. Our employees receive cash incentives, training and career development opportunities and awards for going above and beyond. In turn, our dedicated Jubitz employees offer a World Class Customer Experience (WCCE) to every customer who walks in the door.

 

Moe's Deli employee greeting a customer

Jubitz Employee Perks

Jubitz provides full-time employees with access to medical, dental and vision insurance. The benefits only get better! Jubitz offers free disability insurance, free group term life insurance and a free Employee Assistance Program (EAP). This is all in addition to paid time off, a 401k retirement plan, tuition reimbursement and employee meal discounts!

 

Fleet Services customer service representative on the phone

Learn more about Top Workplaces

Read about Oregon and SW Washington’s Top Workplaces here.

Are you interested in a career at a Top Workplace? Jubitz is hiring for a variety of positions! View all open positions here.