TT- Let me congratulate you two on being TOTAL’s Team of the Year!
D- We appreciate it. Thank you.
TT- Was that something you were expecting?
D- No, it was actually a huge surprise. We never thought we’d qualify for something like that.
C- We are shocked and surprised. In the best way.
TT- Clearly, you are focused on getting things done out there.
D- That’s basically what’s been going on, we’re just doing the job.
TT- Where do you two live, and how long have you each been driving trucks?
C- We live in Jackson, Mississippi and I’ve been driving since November of 2016.
D- I’ve been driving since October 2012. I started with CR England, I went in as an independent contractor. Got some experience from that. I got my training and learned the ups and downs of trucking and everything. Then I worked for a company called Tango that was based out of Shreveport, Louisiana.
C- TOTAL is actually my first trucking job.
TT- What about driving trucks appealed to each of you?
D- I guess I started this. I had tried quite a few different jobs. I’ve worked in manufacturing. I’ve done construction work. I’d done a few different things trying to find something that suited me and I stumbled into trucking. Honestly, I didn’t really know if I would like it or not. I got into it without fully knowing what to expect. But it just grew on me. From there, I kind of pulled Clarice into it. Before that, she wasn’t thinking about trucking at all.
TT- What was that pitch like?
C- I was already in the transportation industry. I was a dispatcher for a much smaller company before driving for TOTAL. I just wanted to try something new where I could make more money. I wasn’t thinking about driving trucks until he brought it up.
D- The pitch was me telling her about teams. I had gotten a little window into teaming at my first company. I talked to some TOTAL team drivers about the money we could make together. We realized we could get ahead on some things that we wanted to do in life. That helped me talk her into coming out with me and giving it a shot.
C- That was what did it. More money, more time with my husband, and a much more interesting line of work. I didn’t know exactly what to expect but I was looking forward to it, and I knew he’d be there to teach me. It just kind of grew on us, it’s been great. He’s a smart guy.
D- Oh, come on now.
C- No, you are. And I trust Dimitri to lead me. There have been instances out here where we’ll see stuff and he’ll tell me what’s going to happen before it does. He can tell me what to look out for or how to deal with whatever comes up. I trust him to lead us.
TT- When you were leaving CR England, what made you choose TOTAL over another company?
D- Well, with them I went in as an independent contractor. So, I didn’t get the full company experience. Being an independent contractor was… I’m gonna’ be honest. I would just say it was a nightmare. I had all these expenses that came with it. I had to reimburse all my fuel costs, insurance, and truck costs. It just really added up to not making much sense to me. It seemed like the only way that I was going to even be able to make any money on that side of the business was to train people. I really didn’t want to be a full-time Trainer. At that point, I didn’t have a bunch of experience, but that was the only option for me there. I got through it and didn’t have any accidents or anything like that. But it was just a nightmare. I didn’t want to deal with that side of the business anymore. The other issue was that they were located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and it was next to impossible for them to get me home when I needed to. That’s why I moved to Tango. I’d never heard of TOTAL before bumping into one of TOTALS past Directors of Recruiting, Kevin Gaulf at a movie theater. I was talking with my cousin about trucking and he overheard me. He gave me his card and mentioned TOTAL was local and I should come check things out. That’s basically how I got here.
TT- What do you think makes TOTAL different from other trucking companies?
D- The communication and consistency of miles are just great. We’ve also got great equipment. Those are what really stands out the most to me from the other companies that I’ve been with.
TT- What are the most important skills to have as a driver?
C- I think awareness, patience, and safety are at the top of the list.
TT- Has the attention to safety been challenging?
C- Not really, having been a dispatcher I’ve had the chance to take driving courses and I’ve had to talk to and counsel drivers about that kind of stuff. So, I was conscious of safety from the beginning. When you get in these big trucks you really have to be conscious and aware.
TT- What was the most challenging part of becoming a truck driver for you?
C- My most challenging part was getting comfortable on bridges. There are some really high bridges out there. It was the height of the bridge, the truck being big… all of it. After I conquered my fear of driving over tall bridges I was okay.
D- Some of those in New Jersey, or even in the Dallas area were the same way for me too. Big long bridges going across the water. It can feel like you are on a roller coaster.
C- Also, if you make it to California or New Jersey people don’t drive like us. The drivers are so aggressive. You’ve got to learn how to get out there and drive in that. You gotta learn how to drive this truck safely and to get where you’re going. Cuz some cars will try to run you over thinking they’re trucks. But after a little time doing it, you learn.
TT- How do you feel about our equipment?
C- It’s like a Cadillac. We’ve got top-notch equipment.
D- The trucks are great. They are well-kept and maintained. We’ve got no complaints about the equipment. I think for any driver coming to TOTAL equipment would be their last issue.
TT- Have we been responsive when you’ve had breakdown issues?
D- Yes, no problem at all. Breakdown and the fuel department, they always answer and they’re always doing what needs to be done. They’re dedicated to the job. I will say that. I’ve never had a complaint with them. They’re fantastic.
C- Yeah. The communication from them is on point. They tell you what it is and you got a good idea of what to expect. They just get the job done so it’s all good.
TT- What do you like most about truck driving?
C- It’s the money, and we get a chance to see a lot of places out here that I wouldn’t have been able to see. I’ve seen a lot out here and I enjoy moving around.
TT- Where did your last load take you?
C – We took a California run and then back over to Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Then came down to the terminal in Loudon.
TT- That’s a good loop, you get the full breadth of the country doing that.
D- Well, if everything is running smooth we make our loop and get back home each weekend. Do our 34 reset and get right back to it. Normally, we leave out on a Sunday night. Get over to Texas, grab a load and roll to California. We get to California Tuesday morning. Leave out of there with a load into Carlisle PA early Thursday and then get something back down to Mississippi. That’s how it usually goes. Sometimes there’ve been a few hiccups getting home. Sometimes it doesn’t run like clockwork and you just roll with the punches. That’s trucking. It’s an adventure and it’s an experience being out here and we can’t complain about much. Trucking has done a lot for our family has done a lot for us. We’ve gotten a lot done. So honestly, we’ve got no complaints.
TT- You are technically an OTR team but had a regular loop?
D- Yeah, we were never able to get into a dedicated run. Not sure why. We almost had one but it turned into just doing anything. That’s been a little frustrating. I’ve been here eight years, Clarice will have seven in December. We felt like we might have a little seniority by now but it is what it is.
TT- I understand, there’s a lot behind what dedicated lanes are available in what areas, how long they last, and what openings there are. There’s a lot more to it than a lot of folks understand. Just keep talking to your FM and your TM. Now you can drop the Team of the Year Card into the conversation as well.
TT- You two have the pleasure of working together. How do you balance your work and home life?
D- We manage our home life and work life by just keeping the main thing, the main thing. Keep focusing on safety first, and then just sorting out all the other distractions that come with life. You know, our loved ones, family, and home, stuff like that. As long as we’re on the truck, we’re together, and we just keep that time sacred. We just focus on that time. When we get home, there’s just a whole different thing right there. We appreciate our love ones and stuff like that, but at the same time we try to keep all of it kind of separate. So, I think that’s what’s keeps it working for us.
C- We’ve also figured out how to ignore one another. If I’m getting on his nerves, he can go close up in the bunk or vice versa. We’ve figured out how to just get along.
D- I’m sure it’s a different experience being husband and wife than for other teams. But my mission is to keep her happy, and I guess it’s the same for her. So, we want to be able to give each other space, but at the same time get the job done. It takes a little work, but I guess we’ve mastered that part.
TT-. Is there anything you’d like to say about your Fleet Managers?
D- Over the years we’ve worked with several different fleet managers. We’ve had good and bad days, but overall the fleet managers have been fair. We understand their job and know it can be very demanding. We’ve had times when we might not have wanted to go somewhere, or we got sent somewhere without understanding why. But overall, we’ve been good with everybody and the communication has been good. We can have an open dialogue with them about what we’re trying to accomplish and feel they do their best to try to accommodate us when possible. We’re working with Joseph Smith going on two years. He’s a pretty solid guy. He gets us get back home, answers our emails, and responds to our concerns even when he’s out. I give high praise on that.
TT- How do you prefer to communicate with him?
D- Each FM is a little different, for him it’s probably the in-cab computer. That’s probably most efficient for the company. It’s quicker for us to call him, but sometimes we shoot a quick email. I understand sometimes things might need to be documented. But sometimes I just like to call and have that open dialogue.
TT- How can drivers foster a stronger relationship with their Fleet Manager?
D- Communication is key, it’s gotta be the first thing. When any new drivers come in they get assigned to a Fleet Manager. Just try to get a feel of who you’re working with. Don’t be afraid to express your concerns. You’ve got to remember that we’re all a team, so we all got to work together to get the job done. So, if you if you got any questions and concerns, don’t be hesitant to communicate with your Fleet Manager. They’re your first line of communication too. If you need to go a little further up the ladder you can.
C- Just get a good feel of who you’re working with and get that communication started off right, just go from there.
TT- Do you have any suggestions for a productive and satisfying career in trucking?
C- They need to know from the door that you can’t sit still. For some reason, people have the notion that they’re gonna go drive trucks and make a bunch of money. But if you don’t have the drive to get up and work, you won’t make any money. Just stay focused, slow down, be safe, and set realistic goals. That’s what I’d tell any driver.
D- She’s right. A lot of people get out here and don’t have the motivation to drive. Then they blame it on the company. At the same time, they haven’t even tried to challenge the company on what they hired them to do. I know I might come off some kind of way sometimes, I’ve had back-and-forths with my FM and TM. When we’re out here, we like to go, we don’t like just sitting around doing nothing. We want to do what we are here to do. We’re here to get the miles, keep production up, and then get back home safely to our family. That’s what’s been our attitude the whole time we’ve been out here. Maybe that’s how we got Team of The Year, I don’t know. That’s just been my work ethic ever since I’ve been here. My wife, adopted that same attitude, so I think that’s why it works.
TT- From what I’ve seen, it seems like you’re gonna get out of it what you put into it.
C- Exactly. That sums it all up.
TT- Do you have anything to say to the other truck drivers across the country?
D- I would just tell all my fellow drivers to just keep the sunny side up, remember if the wheels ain’t turning you ain’t earnin’. And be safe out there.
C- Absolutely.
TT- Thanks for what you two are doing out there and thank you for taking the time to talk to us
C- We appreciate you.