Hector Rodriguez credits his experience as a U.S. Army veteran and veteran member of the Tropical Shipping team for making him safety conscious. As Chairman of the Security Committee for the Puerto Rico Shipping Association and in his everyday work, he goes above and beyond to lead on safety issues.
Talk to any Saltchuk Safety Award winner, and they’ll tell you: ensuring that everyone makes it home safely every day is everyone’s responsibility. Each year, Safety Award nominations come from across the Saltchuk family of companies, highlighting employees who go the extra mile for safety. We asked each of the dozen 2024 awardees to tell us something about themselves and why they like to play it safe on the job.
Getting to Know Hector
Q: Tell us about yourself. Where did you grow up? Where did you go to school?
“I was born and raised in Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico. Trujillo Alto is a small town near San Juan. I have been married to my wife, Alba, for the past 26 years. We have a son Eduardo, 23, and a daughter Paola, 20.
Like any other Puerto Rican, I grew up playing baseball and watching the Chicago Cubs. And like many Puerto Ricans, I also enlisted in the U.S. Army right after high school. I later went to college, graduating in 1997 with a degree in criminal justice and earned an ROTC active-duty commission as a 2nd lieutenant in the Army Infantry Branch. In 2004, after my time in the service, I returned home to Puerto Rico.”
Q: Tell me about your career, your current position, and what led you to it?
“I started working right away upon returning home. My first job was as a receiving & dispatch supervisor for a local warehouse agent, where I was responsible for equipment and over 15 employees. The economic situation of the island was not great, but I was lucky to land another job as logistic coordinator for PepsiCo/Frito Lay Caribbean Division, and that is where I met the Tropical Shipping team for the first time.
After working at PepsiCo for six months, a position opened at Tropical Shipping, I interviewed for it and the rest, as they say, is history. I started working with Tropical in August 2005. I had the opportunity to learn and work in all aspect of the operation, from warehousing, equipment, agency operations to marine operations and everything in between. After my promotion to operations manager, I also worked as vessel planner attached to the Tonnage Center. It has been a roller coaster that I have enjoyed, and still do.”
Safety to Hector
Q: In your own words, why were you nominated for a safety award? Tell us about what led you to retrain the warehouse employees and reviewing operational and safety requirements. Have you noticed a change in the team?
“Our operation, like most other warehouse operations, is repetitive in nature, so people get used to the job. That is when accidents will happen if we don’t take action.
I started to notice how people would leave empty pallets and other packaging material debris behind. They were cutting corners in order to expedite the operation. That did not sit well with me.
I asked Eddaritza Ortega — from our traffic department with no warehouse experience — to walk the warehouse with me and to point out to me anything that she saw out of place. I asked her to offer any recommendations to help us to provide a safe and secure working environment for all.
It was an eye-opening experience for me. She was pointing out stuff left and right. It was amazing how we were used to working the way we did without noticing all the potential improvements. I took it as a learning experience and an area of opportunity to grow and to get better as a team.”
Q: What was your first impression of Tropical Shipping? Tell us your favorite story about your time with the company.
“I still remember my first day — everyone made me feel part of the team right off the bat. They all were very helpful and wanted to know everything about me, my family, what I like to do in my free time and so on.
My favorite story comes from a horrible situation — the impact of Hurricane Maria back in 2017. I still remember the devastation on the island and our warehouse/office was no exception. But, I also remember how everyone became so focused on moving forward. We cleaned the debris from the warehouse in one day.
We had employee families moving in the office since we had a power generator, water, and a kitchen. Our warehouse became our oasis. While we were working, family members were doing the cooking and taking care of the young ones.
In the end, we did not miss a sailing. The Tropic Palm arrived, and we loaded cargo for all destinations. It has been the biggest accomplishment of this team and the one that I am most proud of — not because we did it, but because we did it as a team. “
Q: Your nomination outlines several areas where you have gone above and beyond the requirements to lead in safety. Is there something in
your life that drives your commitment to safety?
“I will have to say my time in the service. In the Army you are taught safety first, from day one. You will develop your training or prepare for a mission with one single thing in mind: accomplish your task and bring all your guys back home. Doing that, you develop a culture of safety. Safety has always played a role in my life and everything that I do.”
“There is no greater reward than seeing everyone go home safe. It is the best feeling. “
Q: How did it feel to be appointed as the Chairman of the Security Committee at the Puerto Rico Shipping Association? What impact do you hope to have in this role?
“Being selected by the members of the Puerto Rico Shipping Association as their Security Board Chairman is an appointment that fills me with pride.
Since taking this position I planned and conducted a workshop for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Coast Guard and the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). I have also worked together with HSI in providing local terminal orientations on federal grant applications for security and safety. I started the monthly Safety Topics, an idea that I took from Tropical Shipping.
I will continue to work hard on this role to provide a safe environment in our ports.”
Q: Speaking up for safety can be difficult for some people. What advice would you give to someone within our family of companies who’s convinced their feedback won’t matter — or worse, that they’ll somehow be punished for taking action?
“It does not matter if you are just a receiving clerk or a forklift operator. We are all responsible for safety. If we really care about the safety of our colleagues and our own safety, take action. Don’t ever hesitate to talk to your first line supervisor.
If you don’t see a response, go to your manager, or go to our website. Let yourself be heard. Believe me, someone will listen, and actions will be taken, and you will feel that you did the right thing in protecting everyone.
There is no greater reward than seeing everyone go home safe. It is the best feeling. “
