Carlile Hostler Al Estencion has been named the 2024 Saltchuk Michael D. Garvey Award for Distinguished Service in Safety
For Aldin “Al” Estencion, safety in the workyard isn’t much of a stretch.
Each morning, he leads employees at Carlile Transportation in Tacoma, Washington, in a series of exercises designed to keep everyone moving safely throughout the day.
“Everybody is tight,” he says. “When you do stretches in the morning, it helps you feel more loose.”
And limbering up is a proven method for reducing injuries.
The stretching program began about five years ago under the direction of Safety Supervisor Larry Gifford, who has since retired. He researched exercise videos on YouTube.
But Estencion has taken up the torch. And his leadership in this and other aspects of his job earned him the 2024 Michael D. Garvey Award for Distinguished Service in Safety.
Building a culture of safety
“It’s all pretty simple, nothing hard,” he says. “We’re not doing jumping jacks.”
Instead, he demonstrates how to reach your arms up and over your head as you stretch side-to-side, or how to safely bend your hand back and forth at the wrist, while applying gentle pressure to all four fingers with the opposite hand.
The stretching exercises — performed at the beginning of morning safety meetings — are part of the routine and the culture of safety at Carlile.
Estencion says it’s common for him to find employees lined up, waiting for him to lead them in exercise before the workday begins. What they may not know is that Estencion has already rehearsed the routine, and possibly added a round of pushups, before stepping up to lead the work group.
“I add extra, just for myself,” he says. He also works out twice a week with weights, and he has a set of back exercises he does to keep in shape for his golf game.
All the right moves
But Estencion is more than an exercise guru. His job title is Hostler. The term historically applied to someone who worked with horses or mules. But the modern hostler works in a freight yard moving cargo, bringing trailers to and from the dock, operating hydraulic systems to lift trailers, and related tasks.
“It keeps you on your toes,” Estencion says. “You move at your own pace. But there can be a lot of moves — about 30 to 50 a day, on average.”
Estencion was born and raised in Hawaii. He moved to Washington and a friend from his home state persuaded him to apply at Carlile. That was 18 years ago.
“He takes his yard seriously,” says Jeremy Mitchell, the Carlile operations administrator who nominated Estencion for the award. “The standard he operates at is second to none.”
Safety is Job 1
Mitchell says Estencion takes a lot of pride in keeping the trailer yard organized and as clean as possible. That’s important in a truck yard where freight on its way to Alaska can include anything from food products to large transformers to structural steel.
“I’m all about safety,” says Estencion, who is always careful to wear his reflective vest and hard hat while working. “I try to watch out for other people and keep them safe. You’ve got to know the whole yard: go slow, hit your horn. If I see an object out in the yard that can damage a (truck) tire, I pick it up.”
“Aldin has been a model employee for safety and reliability,” Mitchell says. “He continues to be a great asset to Carlile and all of the employees around him.”
What does Estencion like best about working at Carlile?
“It’s a good group of people. Everybody watches out for each other. It’s like a family.”