Contact: Lynne M. Warne
(972) 946-3350
warnely@voughtaircraft.com
Vought Employees Receive “Vanpool of the Year”
Award from North Texas Clean Air Coalition
DALLAS, OCT. 26, 2005 – A group of Vought employees, led by Roy Morrison, received the Vanpool of the Year award at the 2005 North Texas’ Best Workplaces for Commuters Awards luncheon on Oct. 20 in downtown Fort Worth.
The awards program is a collaborative effort of the North Texas Clean Air Coalition (NTCAC) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to recognize companies contributing to cleaner air. Because “mobile sources” like cars account for more than 50 percent of air emissions in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the NTCAC focuses on changing citizens’ driving habits.
Morrison took the initiative to start a vanpool to Vought’s headquarters in 2002. Back then, there was just one other vanpool to Vought, originating from Granbury. Morrison’s vanpool departs from Cleburne, stopping at Alvarado and Midlothian to pick up 12 passengers before arriving at the plant by 6:45 a.m. Two other Vought vanpools exist; one originating in Hico and the other in Grandview. A fifth vanpool to Vought is in the works – from the Collinsville/Denton area.
A total of 42 Vought employees ride in these four vans each day to work. The vans and fuel are provided by the NTCAC. Rider fares vary, depending on the origination point of the van. For Morrison’s passengers, the average monthly fee is $87. Drivers don’t pay the monthly fare but are responsible for collecting rider fees and maintaining the vehicle.
“This driver has a 97-mile-roundtrip commute each day,” said Mike Eastland, executive director, North Central Texas Council of Governments, when presenting Morrison with the award. “He’s being recognized for his courtesy, safety record, ability to submit timely and accurate paperwork, and his encouragement of vanpools.”
Morrison estimates that if all 13 people in his vanpool drove to work separately, they would put a total of 1,171 miles on their vehicles and each spend approximately $15 per day on gas. Besides lower transportation costs, other benefits of vanpooling are less wear and tear on riders’ vehicles and less stress during commutes. In addition, vanpooling helps reduce traffic congestion and dangerous levels of ozone.
“When I look in my rearview mirror, most times I see people with their heads down, sleeping. It’s a quiet ride,” said Morrison, a 21-year Vought employee who works in facility construction. “And I think about the trust these people have in me to get them safely to work and home again.”
Three simple rules exist in Morrison’s van: 1) Wear your seatbelts, 2) If you’re sick, drive your own vehicle to work and 3) You can eat and drink in the van as long as you take the trash with you. Morrison claims he’s never had a problem with any rider breaking the rules.
The NTCAC was established in 1993 to promote voluntary solutions to air quality problems. Founding members include the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, North Central Texas Council of Governments, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART), Fort Worth Transportation Authority (theT) and the Denton County Transportation Authority.
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About Vought
Vought Aircraft Industries, Inc. ( www.voughtaircraft.com ) is one of the world's largest independent suppliers of aerostructures. Headquartered in Dallas, the company designs and manufactures major airframe structures such as wings, fuselage subassemblies, empennages, nacelles and other components for prime manufacturers of aircraft. Vought has annual sales in excess of $1.2 billion and more than 6,000 employees in seven U.S. locations.
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