Team Member Strengthens Final-Mile Delivery Service

Package delivered. These notifications are what Donald Suggs and his team work to achieve every day at the Evansville Logistics Hub in southern Indiana.

It’s one of 26 Watco locations that support a big-box retail customer with final-mile delivery service, the last step in the shipping process where packages are moved to consumers’ doorsteps.

Suggs joined the Evansville Logistics Hub in 2023, where he’s been the hub manager ever since. He leads a mix of Watco team members and contractors who work together to unload, sort, scan, and stage packages for third-party drivers to pick up and deliver.

Once packages arrive at the hub, the team has 24 hours to deliver on behalf of the big-box retailer. It’s a tight window, and one that the Evansville team found challenging at times.

It’s what prompted Suggs to reexamine current operations to find areas of improvement. One way he did this was by looking at the performance of the current drivers. He weeded out those who were regularly underperforming and immediately started vetting new carriers he could trust to take their place.

“For a time, this hub struggled,” said Regional Operations Manager Gary Nephew. “It took Donald three months to get the right drivers in place. Now Evansville is one of our top-performing locations for final-mile deliveries.”
 

Another way Suggs helped improve operations at the hub was by finding more ways to encourage and empower his team. According to Shift Supervisor Melinda Bailey, he’s never been the type of boss to micromanage. But he’s always there to help answer questions.

Bailey said, “I call him Uncle Don, because he looks out for all of us. If we have questions or just want to talk, he’s there. And he’s always reminding us that what we do matters to the customer and Watco.”