For the last 30 years, Sherri Tatro has been the backbone of the RDO Trucking Division in Park Rapids, MN. Although there are many ways to quantify the years that Tatro has spent working for RDO, the most jaw-dropping may be the number of loads she coordinates daily.
The Trucking Department works hand in hand with R.D. Offutt Farms by delivering raw product (potatoes) from different farm locations to the RDO Frozen/Lamb Weston facility in Park Rapids.
Lamb Weston operates seven days a week, which means the Trucking Division does, too.
Tatro estimates that on average, her drivers deliver 60 loads of potatoes per day, which equates to more than 20,000 per year and more than half a million throughout her career.
That doesn’t even factor in other loads Tatro and team deliver, such as seed delivery to the RDO farms during planting and helping with harvest in the fall.
With that much coordination, Tatro relies heavily on the 24 truck drivers whom she manages directly along with a few hundred independent seasonal drivers.
“I have such a great team and it’s important to me to foster individual relationships with each of them,” shared Tatro. “Although I’m their manager, I believe that we are equal. In order to complete RDO's puzzle of operations we need every piece to fit together.”
This balance is something Tatro prides herself on, always prioritizing her team’s wants and needs above all else.
Her management philosophy is simple: everything she does will make a difference down the line.
“Partnering with employees is my favorite RDO core value because it’s a trickle-down effect to the rest,” said Tatro. “Treating my team with respect ensures that they, in turn, will treat customers with respect which is a high priority for the Trucking Division.”
Tatro applies this philosophy outside of work, as well. From planning the annual RDO Park Rapids picnic to getting to know the families of her team, she couldn’t imagine spending her career with any other company.
“I love the structure of RDO and how every day brings different challenges,” explained Tatro. “Working here has been such a great fit for me between the focus on family and the ability to give back to the community.”
Although a lot has changed within RDO since Tatro joined in 1993, one thing that hasn’t is Tatro’s enduring practice of doing her work by hand. She prefers to rely on paper schedules regardless of the advances made in technology.
“I think I’ve kept the eraser industry in business after all these years at RDO,” said Tatro. “But, I truly wouldn’t want it any other way. Regardless of how busy we are, I love what I do and I’m so glad I found a home here.”
Whether you measure Tatro’s career in potatoes hauled, miles driven or erasers used, she has truly left her mark on the Trucking Division over the last 30 years.
