Thursday, December 31, 2015

Beauty Through the Windshield


Day after day people complain about the weather. Have you ever heard anyone say that it is too sunny? It happens more than you think.

Our question is why?

Being truck drivers, we understand it more than most, but we don’t complain about it.

Yes…

There are times when we have doubt. Like when we are white knuckling it over a snowy pass, or when it’s raining so hard that backroads become swamps.

But…

That’s what we signed up for living in the Pacific Northwest. It is part of the adventure.


Our job is not weather dependent unless there are road closures, and even then we find a way around.

However…

Some of our competitors are weather dependent, and it’s funny because they are practically handing us business.

We love getting calls that someone else can’t or won’t do.

Imagine this

A customer on the phone with BICO, “Can you haul a widget for us in the next day or two? We called Company X and they told us that it would be within the next two weeks depending on the weather.”

BICO’s response, “We’ll be there tomorrow.”


The world is beautiful and we love driving so much that we made it our livelihood.

Our office (aka the truck) is traveling in God’s backyard. That is unbeatable.


But…

There is one thing more beautiful than all the scenery we see every day, and that is the face of the person that we are delivering to.

When we see their smile and shake their hand, we know that we delivered as promised and they are happy. That smile is the best part of our drive.


We here at BICO don’t complain about the weather because we are too busy celebrating the fact that we are blessed, get to do what we love, and we get to do it as a family. The scenery outside of the windshield is just a bonus.


BICO Transportation…reach out to us today. 

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Working with Another Great Company

We have been lucky enough to work with some really great companies since we first started BICO.

Actually…

Luck doesn’t have a lot do with it. We partner and work with companies that we like and can grow with.

We do our homework and then foster relationships with who we respect.

Just like…

NYX Transport Logistics out of Bellingham, WA.



NYX is worldwide and have been doing what they do since 2006. They are a great company that we have been working with for a little while.

The funny thing is that we haven’t been working together all that long, but the relationship feels (in a good way) that we have been partnering for years.

In fact…

James over at NYX has been our go to guy since the beginning. He is a pleasure to deal with, and he really knows his business. It is always a good day when the person who you are talking to knows what is going on.

Thank you James for always answering the phone. Thank you for reaching out to us.

Thank you NYX Transport Logistics for being true to your word and having values that we believe in.

Please check them out on Facebook and visit their website…




Monday, December 14, 2015

How Much Did We Spend on the Kids?

We’re not talking about our kids (even though we’ll be asking that come Christmas morning).

We are talking about a charity art auction that we were involved in over the weekend. The auction was to raise money for the Dreaming ZebraFoundation, who gives art and music supplies to underprivileged children.



BICO is a family business, and our family extends into the hearts and homes of the people we meet and help; and so giving to an organization like Dreaming Zebra, wasn’t hard to do…plus we got some really cool stuff that we didn’t need.

Like lunch with the Mayor of Vancouver…

Anyone have any thoughts that we should bring up during our visit?


All kidding aside…it was a great night for a great organization.


There’s more…

Do you remember the couple who had the vision to help fight homelessness, and BICO answered that call by moving a shed that became a small house for a homeless man (we posted the story a while back)?

The woman in the story is an artist, who created a couple of pieces for the charity auction.

The former homeless man, who happens to be a poet, worked with a local artist and also created a piece for the auction.

The most moving part of the night was when the MC, who knows the story really well, was trying to express the meaning of these pieces and who the artists were. The MC was doing a good job, but the words and meaning did not emotionally connect with the audience until Josh Fendell came up to the front and shared his and Shannon’s story in connection with the people involved in making the small house concept a reality.

Josh is a beautiful speaker that made a connection with the entire audience. From that short speech, people wanted to know more about BICO because of Josh.

However…

The night wasn’t about BICO, or any one person or organization. The night was about the kids who will benefit from the money raised.


It’s humbling to hear about other people’s struggles. As a family and as a business, we have issues that we have to deal with, but we are thankful and fortunate enough to be able to help others. We can’t always give a lot financially, but we give what we can; even if that is donating our time, listening, or sharing our story.

We are fortunate, because no matter what we have gone through in life, we have found each other. We created a family. We created a company. And no matter how big we grow or how small we stay, we will always be successful because of each other.

From our family to yours…

God bless you!!!!


Friday, December 11, 2015

What Does London + Olympia + Ballroom + BICO =???

The most exciting answer is that BICO is transporting a Ballroom from a castle outside of London, England to Olympia, WA.

But unfortunately no…

Not until we add a barge to our fleet that is.


However…

We have a better answer…

The best answer…

London Vessey is a great person who we absolutely love and work with a lot. London is one of our favorite contacts and representatives for Ballroom Landscape Supply, located in Olympia, WA.

Ballroom recently (in the greater scheme of things) got into the shed selling business, and you know if there is a shed out there…BICO is around the corner somewhere.


So let’s do this…

We’ll give you a little backstory on Ballroom and then transition it into Josh Fendell and BICO Transportation.


Ballroom Landscape Supply is a landscape supply yard; who is easy to deal with, have no minimums, build good lasting relationships, put the customer first, honest, and all within the confines of what a true mom and pop type business is.

And for some reason they got into the shed selling business last summer.

Why?

Because there wasn’t any new shed locations in the Olympia area. There was a gap of service in the area and they filled it.


Unfortunately…

Their shed business did not start off strong.

Their original shed moving driver wasn’t the best. He made a lot of mistakes and damaged buildings.

Ballroom needed someone new.


In comes Josh with his BICO Transportation truck and trailer, and yes he saved the day.

London went out on a ride along with Josh to get a better feeling about him and to see what his job actually entails. London went out liking Josh, but came back respecting Josh.


So of course the next logical question is what are London’s thoughts on Josh?

The answer…

Josh has made business really easy, understands his job, is really cool, easy going, works his tail off, works an insane amount of hours, and has never damaged anything.

In fact…

If a customer has a question…any question…about a shed…they call Josh.

If Ballroom doesn’t have the answer for a customer, they don’t give the customer the shed (manufacture) company’s phone number because it can take a long time to get an answer. They give the customer BICO’s phone number because Josh will always answer every question knowledgeably and in a timely manner.


We cannot see any reason that Ballroom and BICO will not have a long a beautiful relationship.

Thank you London for your time and support. Thank you Ballroom for your continued business.

Please check out Ballroom Landscape Supply.

And as always…


We’re here when you need us…BICO Transportation

Monday, December 7, 2015

Over the Passes and Through the Woods

We weren’t going to grandma’s house either…at least not to our grandma’s house that is.


A little snow time fun on one of our latest hauls.


Have you ever been to that point in which you think this may not be worth it?

Well…

We have NEVER felt that way because you are ALWAYS worth it.

So what if there is a little (or a lot) of snow in the way…because we will always find the safest, most economical, quickest, and best route to get your items from here to there.


The post office says that you can count on them no matter what the weather conditions.

Guess what?

We’re better than the postal service.

Why?

Because we’ll haul both the mail and the mail truck…with the mailman in the truck (not really…safety reasons, but you get the point). 

Just place everything on our trailer, and we’ll take the mailman door to door. It would feel nice to bill the government for once…you know…for our transportation services.


So no matter what you have to haul…no matter the weather conditions…big or small…give us a call and we will help you in any way that we can.




Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Farms Produce the Foods That Feed the World



There is no doubt that farmers have a hard life, but without these unsung heroes none of us would eat.

Farmers have a big spot in our hearts, and that is more than likely the result of growing up in Eastern Washington, where the things that folks take for granted are grown.

Growing up we were surrounded by the life blood of this nation…of this world.


Eastern Washington is known for its farms, ranches, orchards, hop fields, vineyards, and dairies.

There is a sense of pride to see Yakima apples in Japan, and Yakima hops in Germany, but for us personally it is seeing that Yakima Valley peach or that Selah apple sitting on display in our local grocery store.

It reminds us of home.


So when BICO was first approached about working with farms it was an easy decision to make…Yes!!!!


From hauling hay, to equipment, to boxes of fruit…whatever it is…

BICO is farmer friendly.


We may not be farmers ourselves, but we are proud to be a part of that farm to table circle of life.

And…

It is an honor to be trusted and to build relationships with our local farmers.


We have always said that…

We’re an old-school handshake type of transportation company.

And farmers are the same way…a handshake is their bond.


BICO Transportation…call us today.

360.269.5322




Friday, November 27, 2015

We haul pretty much anything…even a truck right in front of a towing place (look at the photo we captured).


Hey…

When you’re the best…you’re the best…and that’s us!!!!!


Honestly and truthfully…

We’re not that egotistical. We’re pretty humble, but it is fun to play around.

But we are good at what we do because we work hard at being the best.

We work hard because we don’t know anything different.


It’s part of us…

Josh’s dad, for example, is a great man and a good dad who taught his sons about a strong work ethic and that they can do whatever they want in life, and that he would be proud of them as long as they tried. Mr. Fendell has stood beside Josh his entire life and is proud of the man that he is today.

Josh is a father, a husband, a friend, a son, a brother, and a person who puts his responsibilities before his own needs.

That is the heart of BICO. We put our customer’s needs first, so that we can put our family’s needs first at home.

BICO Transportation is family, and you are all part of that strange and wonderful world.


Welcome home!!!!


Monday, November 23, 2015

Thursday, November 19, 2015

This is what the morning meeting looks like…

Sure it is sweet and romantic, but it’s hard to hire new employees because it’s more up close and personal than the squiggle dance that employees do at that one mega retail chain that we don’t want to mention because they don’t need any advertising help from us.





Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Can I Be More…A Shed’s Journey


Can we truly be whoever we want to be, and do whatever we want to do? The easy answer is no, because then we don’t have to try and can place the blame elsewhere. Saying yes takes work, but the work is worth it.

Pinocchio wanted to be a real boy, but that seemed to be an impossible dream for a toy puppet. Through the story of Pinocchio we learn that dreams can come true through hard work, trial and error, and from the help of others.

The same can be said of a shed that wanted to be a house, but unlike Pinocchio this is a real story.



Our story starts years ago on the banks of a river with a company in full production…

As the company grew, they needed to keep people out, and so they built fences and hired security to regulate who and what came and went. A newly built guard shack was part of that change.

The shack was nice…

Good size, sturdy, well insulated, had AC, a heater, windows, gutters, and even cabinets. The security team used the guard shack as their work home for years, until the company remodeled and went with a new unit.



When that change happened, the shack was moved onsite and became a shed to store paints and chemicals. Employees found it easier to bring the pieces that they were working on to the shed, rather than going to the shed to get the paint. Pretty soon the shed became a paint booth.

As time goes by, that particular paint booth was no longer required, and it becomes a sign shop for the company. The problem with that was that employees started bringing in other items to get personalized, like getting their names on their hardhats. The sign shop wasn’t producing and getting behind, while all along the room was filling up with other items to be worked on.

The leadership team put a stop to that, and the sign shop sat empty and unused.



Then one day news came…

The sign shop would be destroyed. Taken apart and thrown away because it wasn’t being used and was taking up space.



Meet Bob

Bob was an employee of the company for years, and had always liked the little building, but had never thought much about it. Bob was also an avid fisherman who had way too much fishing equipment (according to his wife) to keep in the garage.

When Bob heard the fate of the building, he has an idea. He reached out to his boss with an idea that would save the company time and money. Instead of creating more work for the guys on the team, why not let him take the building home.

With a big truck and a forklift, the old sign shop became a shed in Bob’s backyard. The shed housed all of Bob’s fishing gear, making Bob’s wife extremely happy.



As time goes on, things change, and the shed’s future was once again unclear. Bob sold his house, and the new owners wanted the shed gone before they took possession of their new home. They didn’t care how, they just wanted it gone. Bob loved the shed and couldn’t find it in himself to take it apart, and so he placed an online ad to help find it a new home.




Meet Nat and Fred

Nat and Fred are a couple who love to give back to their community, and try to educate others that as a community we can accomplish anything. They have worked and helped homeless couples in the past, and have this idea that by creating a small home environment throughout the city that we can reduce or eliminate homelessness all together. The change has to start somewhere, and so they took it upon themselves to create that environment of change by altering the lives of a homeless couple by giving them basic human rights; a home to go to, an address, a place to keep their stuff, a place to get out of the weather, security, and most importantly a place to create a fresh start.

All they needed was a small house.



Nat answered Bob’s ad, and the shed once again had hope, but right away there were issues. How would Nat and Fred get the shed to where they needed it to go? And to make things worse, there was another person who also wanted the shed to turn into a dog run. Bob wanted Nat to have the shed; however, he would give it to the dog guy over tearing it down, and so it came down to race of who could get it first.



The dog guy had an idea, but Bob stopped him in his tracks. The guy was hooking the shed up to the back of his truck and yanking it out with a chain, which would destroy the shed, Bob’s fence, and the corner of Bob’s house. Bob said come back with a better idea because that’s never going to happen.

On the other end of this race was Nat who was going about things logically. There was a team that could do it, but it would require a crane and a ridiculous amount of money.




Meet BICO Transportation

BICO is a small business that prides themselves on the ability to do the jobs that others cannot or will not do. They like the normal hauls, but the unique keeps their mind sharp. BICO was founded and started by husband and wife team Josh and Shannon Fendell, with an idea that there were lots of people who were being overlooked by carriers who didn’t care and who put ridiculous barriers on loads that they didn’t want to take, like thousands of dollars to move a shed.



Nat found BICO, and BICO responded. They would do it. BICO had their back against the wall with time, because they too wanted to beat the dog guy. They love animals, but turning a shed into a small house to help fight homelessness is a better reason then turning a shed into a dog run.



On the day of the move…

BICO shows up at Bob’s house, and they load the shed onto their trailer. It is official; the shed is on its journey to becoming a house.

The run from Point A to Point B goes down without any issues. BICO delivered the shed and moved into place per Nat and Fred’s vision.




Meet James and Beth

James and Beth are a homeless couple that Nat and Fred would often see. James and Beth didn’t hold signs asking for handouts, they sold local newspapers and did odd jobs as a way to make money. Their life was hard. Their life was about survival with no place to escape from their reality; constantly harassed by cops, thieves, bullies, and people looking down on them. They had no place to hide from those people or the weather. Every aspect of their lives was exposed, and sleep left them vulnerable.


Nat and Fred asked James and Beth about their idea of small home living. There would be a lot of work in turning the shed into a home, but Fred and James were both skilled in the trades to make that possible.

James and Beth said yes.



The shed had always been more than a shed, and it was always meant to be more. Its journey through the years lead it to where it needed to be. It was saved so that Nat and Fred could realize a dream, and so that James and Beth could sleep safe and sound.

It is an honor to be a part of that journey…

Guard shack…paint booth…sign shop…shed…small house…home…


The dream is real. 



Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Check out those wheels!!!!


The Impossible Move Made Possible by Customer’s Will and BICO’s Skill

The question on Victoria Mason’s mind was what she should do with her land? She could build, but was that the right thing to do?

After lots and lots of thought, Victoria decided that living on the land full-time was not for her; however, she wanted to use it more for weekend getaways and breaks from the daily grind.

So she started her research…

What sort of dwelling would fit the land?

Teepee? Dome? Cabin?

Then she saw it…


In the beginning of the summer, Victoria saw a cabin listed on Craigslist, but she would need to move it herself; which seemed like an impossible task with no construction experience or the ability to budge it an inch.

But she wanted it…

She asked for time, but the homeowner stated that there had been lots of interest, and that the first person to move it can have it.

So Victoria Mason went to work and called everyone who could possibly move a small house.

All of the cabin movers said no.

All of the home movers wanted too much (those of who didn’t say no).

These no’s could have been considered a setback, but they weren’t because everyone else interested in the cabin were having the same troubles.

Then Victoria Mason’s luck changed…

She came across BICO Transportation, a small independent company that she never heard of.



She called, and within a few minutes Josh Fendell called her back.

Victoria told Josh of her need, the issues, and that no one would even attempt it due to what needed to be done.

Others had said that there was no way to move the cabin. The big house moving companies could possibly do it, but to the impossible nature of the move it would cost her well over $10,000 for the one day run.


An impossible move and a big stack of no’s didn’t scare Josh…it intrigued him, and he went out and summed up the job.

Josh’s first thoughts should have been to run, but he didn’t.

Josh did not want to take the job after he saw what everyone before him saw. The time, the work, and overwhelming issues weren’t worth the money. He would have said no, but Victoria’s positive enthusiasm and can do attitude was catchy, and so Josh said yes.


Of course…

That yes was just a yes with no physical means to move the cabin.


So what were the issues?

The cabin itself is beautiful. The 14’ x 20’ layout is perfect for small house living or for the romantic getaway. Cedar shingle siding adds that rustic and warming look, and while there is a question to the age (1920’s or 1930’s) of the cabin, there is no doubt that it was rolled in on logs decades ago.

Of course the cabin had steps and a covered porch (that was part of the roof line) that would have to be removed prior to moving it, which was the first noticeable issue.



The bigger issue was that there was no way to get under it without destroying the cabin…it could not be moved as-is.

Also…

Even if BICO could get the cabin free of the land that it has been sitting on for years, then there were the issues of where it was going.

Victoria Mason has a beautiful 5 acre lot. A perfect backdrop for this old house (cabin).

However…
  • It is open farm land
  • It’s on a flood plain
  • Limited access
  • Building anything takes permits…lots and lots of permits


Josh wanted to help, but didn’t know how to help.


Over the next couple of months the cabin sat. Nobody could or would move it. During this time, Victoria and Josh were talking and exchanging ideas.

Then Josh saw a workable solution in one of Victoria’s ideas.

Building on the land was a no-no, but a home on wheels was okay, and with that Victoria got the go ahead from the governmental powers that be to proceed.

They had the end result…

Although the situation hadn’t changed, they approached with a newly refreshed attitude.

They had a win…no matter how small it was…they had a win.


Victoria looked at tiny home trailers, but they cost way too much. RV trailers were the wrong fit as well.

Then came along a burnt down 52’ office trailer. The trailer itself was perfect (just missing the office that once sat on top of it).

Perfect trailer, just not perfect for this particular cabin.

Luckily Josh is one of those people that know people…“I’ll have it taken care of…I have a guy”.

That 52’ trailer was cut down and modified to accommodate the 20’ cabin.



The plan was coming together…

Then the timeframe was moved up…

The trailer wasn’t ready…no brakes, no lights, no wiring, not road ready…simply a rolling chassis.

Josh shook off despair and got it done.


Then came the cabin itself…

There was no way to lift onto the trailer, or even get underneath it.

And so they jacked up the house…4” at a time, placing cinder blocks as they went. From there, a completely new frame was built under the house. Then they continued to go up, until the cabin was high enough off of the ground to back the trailer underneath of it.



Then came the best part (up to that point)…

The trailer and the cabin became a single unit as they were secured together.



It has to be said (as it is important), that on the day of the move it was the re-telling of the “The Perfect Storm”. The rain was pouring down hard, and the wind could knock you off of your feet.

Perfect weather for a big move…

The team set off down the road.



The weather was unforgiving, but they made it unharmed.

Then came the biggest struggle of all of their issues…

How to get the cabin to its new location on the property?


The ground was soaked and saturated from all of the rain. There was no way to avoid being stuck.

Victoria, however, had access to the dike. If Josh could somehow get up onto the dike, keep a steady hand along the tight path, follow it, and then come back off of it; they might have a chance. If anything, getting stuck at that point would at least be in the general area of the final destination.

They mapped out the idea, and went forth with it.

BICO Transportation never got stuck once, and they placed the cabin in the perfect location.



After everything…

It worked out perfect. Not one shingle was out of place.



The truth is that this move never would have happened without both Josh and Victoria. Neither one gave up, and they fed off of each other’s positive energy. It would have easy to quit because it wasn’t worth it, but the truth is that it was worth it. Every piece of this move was worth it.



Afterwards Josh stated that, “I did it. No one else would do it, but I did it.”

That’s not Josh being egotistical. That’s a confirmation that BICO Transportation has a very important role to play in this world. BICO is a vital part to the moving and transportation industry. 

The big guys said no. The little guys said no.

BICO said yes.

BICO Transportation is here to stay. We thrive on the impossible. We like saying yes when others say no.

We are BICO!!!!!





Thursday, November 5, 2015

The Wedding Shed

An unknown author wrote, “A daughter is the happy memories of the past, the joyful moments of the present, and the hope and promise of the future”.

We believe in family, and as parents, we have a daughter who will one day find the love of her life (she’s still young though and has plenty of time ahead of her…lots and lots of time).

Whenever possible, we take on jobs that move us. Meaning, that yes we do this for the money (it’s a business and that’s how we put food on the table), but our reward comes from meeting people and getting to be a part of their story. That’s what moves us, and fills our hearts.

Like Gene and his wife. They too have a daughter. They also have a shed.




Sorry…all we have is pictures of the shed, but again that’s our small piece of this story.

Gene’s daughter got married, and they built a wood floor to hold the reception and that very important first dance.

What Gene did afterwards is what touched us. He built his shed out of the wedding floorboards.

That was a gift to his wife so that the memory of that night and the vision of their daughter would live on forever.


So where does BICO fit into this story?


Gene retired, and his wife took a new position that required them to move from their home in North Bend to Chehalis. The move seemed to be a standard move (if there is such a thing); however, the shed caused an issue.

Was the shed part of the deal? Would the new home owners get the shed as part of the package?

The answer was no, the shed was not part of the sale, and so it needed to be moved.

Moved to their new home in Chehalis, WA.


How could we say no? As a true family business, our answer was always yes. We would have done the same thing if that was our story.

One day in the far off future, our daughter will walk down the aisle, and we hope that there is something that we can use to preserve that moment in time for eternity.


Gene inspired us to do just that. His daughter’s moment in time lives on in their shed, outside of their new home; allowing the family to continue enjoying those thoughts, and its functionality (it is a shed after all).

So here’s to Gene…thank you sir for allowing us to be a part of your story.






Thursday, October 29, 2015

BICO Drives and Why We Do It


Truck drivers in general (or so the story goes), get asked a lot on why they drive truck for a living. 

Different people have different answers, but the truth is that there are parts of the job that everyone loves and hates (like any other career).

Let’s look at some pros and cons of what a few drivers have thrown out over the years:

  • You’re not stuck in an office all day, but you are stuck in a truck all day.
  • You get to see the country, but you don’t get to enjoy it. Working…not vacation.
  • Weather, but then there is weather. You take the good with the bad.
  • You get to catch up on emails and beating that level of Candy Crush, but that’s because you are waiting for hours upon hours whenever you stop.

Look…

We can go on for days about the ups and downs of driving a semi…aka the big rig…but we already know all of this, or at least have an idea.


The question is…

Why did Josh leave his career as a truck driver with a great company to go it alone in a world that is over-saturated with transportation companies?

Talk about being a small fish in a big pond.


First of all Josh isn’t alone…

  • He has Shannon (Josh’s wife and co-owner)
  • He has his family (this is truly a family business)
  • He has his faith and love for God
  • He has his friends
  • He has other businesses that he partners with


There are lots of reasons that Josh and Shannon started BICO Transportation. There are lots of reasons that Josh quit driving for another company and started driving for himself.

We’re not going to go into any of those reasons…EXCEPT for one.

The biggest reason…

The reason that BICO is successfully swimming with the big fish…

And that reason is…

BICO does what no other company will do.


Which is what?

Putting the customer first, and saying YES when everyone else says no.


As a driver for another company, Josh met people all of the time that had large and unique projects that had to be moved, but he couldn’t help them. He could give the people suggestions, but that was about it.

Josh knew that certain companies would move the unique…the one-offs…for a ridiculously high cost, but the trick was finding a company that would do it in the first place. There was a gap in service.


And…

From that gap in the industry…

BICO was created.


There are NO one-offs in BICO’s world, because “if there is a will there’s a way”, and every day BICO hauls loads that others shy away from.


And they do it for a fraction of the cost.

How?

Because BICO was built around that market gap, and will move anything within their legal limits.

Meaning…

That the company was started with a YES concept.


If there is a need…BICO will find a way.


Josh loves the challenge of moving something that no one else would dare to attempt… it must keep his mind sharp because he doesn’t give up.


So…

Whatever you have to move…

The “normal” or the “abnormal”…

Give BICO a call and we’ll beat the “other guys”…in customer service, cost, time, or in just saying yes…

…or sometimes in all of the above…


BICO is your company.

We do it because no one else will.




Wednesday, October 21, 2015

We are the BICO Family…all of us are…everyone reading this.

Why?

Because we can’t run this company that we call BICO without all of your love, support, and opportunities. We’re successful because of you, and each interaction that we have makes us better in life and in business, because we take something good home with us…with each and every conversation and opportunity that we have.

Please help us grow the BICO Family by sharing our Facebook page with your friends and family.

Then…

Swing over and check out (and follow) our new and official Twitter feed @bicotransport