| |
Driver Spotlight: June 26, 2018 - Tammy Newcomer Every few weeks at BD Transportation will be spotlighting one of our drivers. Next up this month is Tammy Newcomer. Ms. Newcomer is one of the most passionate and kind drivers I’ve ever worked around. She has been driving with her class A CDL since 2000. She started in this profession because it’s something she has wanted to do since she was a teenager. She wanted to see the country since she had never been out of the state of Ohio. But this dream of hers would have to wait. After high school she got married and got pregnant on her honeymoon! Her dream would soon be realized, however, and now she has been to all 48 states in the continental United States except Maine. Talking to her I discovered that her favorite city she’s been to is El Paso, TX and some of her favorite sights has been the Hoover Dam, Mount Rushmore, and The Archway in St. Louis.
 So what does Tammy do when she’s not at her dream job? Anything that is nice, quiet, and relaxing. She loves puzzles, paint by number, and quilting. Tammy has two children, son and daughter, Tina and Frank, who are big Browns and Bengals fans… I’m sure that makes for a fun couple of Sundays a year. Her son Frank also has his class A CDL and drives for a living.
When I asked her what are her favorite things about her job she had plenty to say. She loves being outdoors and on the road seeing the country. She also likes the fact that you don’t have your boss looking over your shoulder constantly like she felt was the case when she worked in a factory earlier in her life. She likes the fact that she can feel like her own boss to a certain extent. I asked her what advice she’d give to anyone thinking of starting down this career path she said simply, it’s a great life. She told me it is a great way to earn for your family and that she has been happier doing this for a living than any other job she’s ever had. We just want to say thanks to Tammy and all of our drivers at BD Transportation. It’s because of each and every one of you that this is a great place to come to work everyday. Thanks! Posted: July 23, 2018 |
|
Driver Spotlight: April 30, 2018 - Todd Centers Every few weeks at BD Transportation will be spotlighting one of our drivers. Next up this month is Todd Centers. Todd started with us in October. of 2012. When Todd got started trucking he had been working a 40+ hour a week job and his hours got cut. Planning for his and his family’s future he saw an ad for CDL school and decided to try it. He got his CDL back June of 1997 and has been driving ever since. Definitely a wise decision, as class A driving jobs are always in high demand. He did stop twice in the last 21 years and tried to go back into factory work but quickly realized that trucking is just in his blood. He told me he never thought he’d be driving this long and now has been to all over the east coast and the south west doing this line of work.
 We asked Todd about something funny or crazy that’s he’s seen or done while on the road and he told us this pretty funny story. Todd had just got his CDL and was still with his road trainer in Nashville, TN. They were delivering at a grocery warehouse. Todd, being only 22 at the time, hadn’t been to very many large cities at that point in his life. So as they get closer to the warehouse Todd noticed a ton of folks heading towards the truck. Being green and not knowing what a lumper was he thought they were about to pull up smack dab in the middle of a Nashville riot! (A lumper, for those that do not know, is a term used to describe anyone whose job it is to manually unload freight in a warehouse.) So, Todd is freaking out and his road trainer is sitting back laughing his butt off! He told me he felt like an idiot at the time but looking back it couldn’t be funnier.
Todd is a family man. He likes to hunt and fish and take trips with the family when’s he not at work. He tries to get his family to Disney at least once every couple years and is also a very big Star Wars fan. He can’t wait to get the family to Disney to check out the new Stars Wars section of the park. Also, he likes to take the family the Smokey Mountains and out on the boat. Todd and his wife, Tracy Centers, have been together since 1993 and have two sons, TJ and Daniel.
Being a family man, Todd loves the fact we have stable, dedicated routes. He used to drive OTR but simply said, “That’s no life for a family.” He really enjoys the fact he can be home every night and plan work around his family. When asked if he had any advice for new or younger drivers he had a few things to say. One, stay out of trouble; no DUIs, no drugs. Two, driving takes a toll on your body… stay away from the fast food. Make sure you get plenty of exercise. Get healthy and stay healthy. I think that’s advice we could all use. We want to say thanks to Todd and all of our drivers, we are truly blessed to have you all and we couldn’t do any of this without you! Posted: July 23, 2018 |
|
Driver Spotlight: April 12, 2018 - Barrie McClellan Every few weeks at BD Transportation will be spotlighting one of our drivers. First up this month is Barrie McClellan. Barrie has been with us for almost 4 years, driving with us starting in July 2014. Barrie has been driving around the county for the past 26 years. He got his CDL November 1992. He spent the first 18 years of his trucking career over the road so naturally he’s been to every state in the continental US as well as Canada. Before driving he spent 9 years in the United States Army where he served as a power generator repair shop manager. Barrie served during the Persian Gulf war as well as Desert Storm and Desert Shield. And for that we also thank him. He turned to driving after serving our country as a way to support his family.
 Barrie isn’t just a driver and a military man, he’s also a family man. He’s been married to his wife, Annetta, for 36 years. Together they have two daughters and 5 granddaughters. Barrie loves fishing, boating, and riding motorcycles. One of Barrie’s favorite rides is the Tail of the Dragon, which is very well-known to motorcycle enthusiasts. For those of us who aren’t familiar, it’s an 11 mile stretch on route 129 that starts in Tennessee and ends in North Carolina that has 318 turns and hairpins.
When I asked Barrie why he chose trucking he said he loved traveling. “Driving, it’s not just a job, it’s a lifestyle.” Barrie says. He used to really love OTR when he was younger but loves the fact we do all home daily, dedicated, automotive routes. He loves the fact he gets to be home daily with his wife. Barrie has also won the Million Miles award, a safe driving award issued by the national trucking association. We would like to say thank you to Barrie first for his service to our country and second for his service and safety with us. Drivers like Barrie McClellan are what makes us the best company we can be. Posted: July 23, 2018 |
|
Driver Spotlight: Febuary 28, 2018 - Barb Siatuu Every few weeks at BD Transportation will be spotlighting one of our drivers. Second up this February is our longest tenured driver, Barb Siatuu. Barb started with us August 5th, 2002. She’s been driving for a total of 21, almost 22 years now. Barb has always loved trucks from back in the days when she a was a little girl. While kids today are playing on their phones and playing video games, kids back in the day had to be more creative. While her friends would count cars, Barb always counted the trucks. She told herself that it’s something that she would want to do once her kids were graduated and out of the house. Barb didn’t want to be one of those people that sits around on their porches when they get older, wondering what if. Barb has been through every state east of the Rockies. When asked what was one of the craziest things she’d ever seen out on the road while driving she said that she once saw a guy in a car, cell phone in his right hand, left arm hanging out the window, driving with his knees doing 70 mph. Of course our Barb called 911.
 Barb and her husband, Michael, have been married for 32 years. She has 3 kids and two grandkids. They are raising one of their grandsons, Gavin, who is currently a freshman at Troy high school. Barb enjoys camping, counted cross stitch and sewing in her free time.
We asked Barb what are some of the things she enjoys about her job. She says loves being on and on the road, meeting new people and the customers. She really enjoys trying to establish a good rapport with our customers, which is great, because our drivers are the daily, public face of the company. Also we asked her what would be some good advice for someone new thinking about going into the trucking industry, she said, “school gives you the license, life gives you the rest of it.” Also, always try and learn something new every day on the job and, “If you mess up, fess up.”
We want to say thank you to Barb, and all of our drivers, for making BD Transportation the best company we can be. Posted: July 23, 2018 |
|
Driver Spotlight: Febuary 16, 2018 - Curt Hinkle Every few weeks at BD Transportation will be spotlighting one of our drivers. First off this month is Curt Hinkle. Curt has been with us since 7/30/15. He has been driving truck for the last 24 years. Before driving Curt used to have a security job in Florida but decided to pursue a truck driving career once he moved up here from down south simply because he has always liked trucks and heavy equipment and, as he put it, “it just pays a lot better”. Curt has been to 48/50 states during his driving career. The only two he hasn’t been to is Maine and Alaska. Before working with us here at BD, Curt used to run nuclear waste out of Area 51 and said the security was so tight they would body search everyone, take cellphones, and even X-ray the trucks. Wow!
 When Curt isn’t driving one of our Volvos, he enjoys flying RC helicopters, going flying on the weekend with a buddy of his that has his pilot and helicopter license, and also loves going horseback riding out in the mountains. He has also recently learned to play the guitar on his time off of work.
When asked what the favorite things about his job are he was very quick to say it was the group of guys he works with down in Corbin, KY. He loves the fact we have dedicated routes, the ownership, and especially his dispatcher; JoAnn Sanders. We asked him what advice he would give to younger folks thinking about getting into the trucking industry and he says “Trucking is a great opportunity, it’s a lot of fun. They need to keep their record clean and pay attention in trucking school. It’s definitely a great job.”
We appreciate Curt Hinkle and all of our drivers. These men and women work very hard all across the country every day. It’s drivers like Curt that keep this country running. Thank you Curt and all of our drivers at BD Transportation. Posted: July 23, 2018 |
|
Driver Spotlight: January 16, 2018 - Bill Reck Every few weeks at BD Transportation will be spotlighting one of our drivers. First off this month is Bill Reck. Bill has been with us since 04/24/04 and has been driving since 1985. Bill has been to 12 of 50 states during his driving career which include Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Missouri, Mississippi, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin. He grew up on a farm in Arcanum OH. That’s where he first got the spark to want to drive truck. When he was younger he would watch the trucks go by and thought to himself, “that’s something I want to do.”
 Bill has two children, his daughter Brandy and son Brian. Bill says when he’s not driving he loves to spend his time off with his girlfriend Tracy at lake St. Mary’s on his pontoon boat.
When asked what was one of the craziest things he’s seen while on the road he said he watched a driver out of Wapakoneta OH watching a movie on a computer, which he had mounted and bolted down on the floor of the truck watching movies instead of watching the road. Needless to say, it was called in.
We asked Bill what does he loves about driving? He said he loved the job for the independence, freedom, basically being his own boss. He proudly represents himself and his company. We also asked if he had any advice for anyone first getting into driving and he said, “Always respect your job and respect the equipment; remember you can learn something new on the job every day. Never be afraid to ask questions if you are new to the industry.”
Bill worked with John, Teresa, Gayle, and Carla back in the Evenflo days, about 25 years ago. Everyone that has worked with and around Bill for all those years say the same thing, “If you want to get a job done; a route run, give it to Bill.” We want to say thank you to Bill, and all of our drivers, for making BD Transportation the best company we can be. Posted: July 23, 2018 |
|
Driver Spotlight: December 15, 2017 - Lee Shelton Every few weeks at BD Transportation will be spotlighting one of our drivers. Second up this month is Lee Shelton. Lee has been with us since 9/11/07 and has driven for a total of 33 years.
 Lee is no stranger to hard work. He dropped out of high school in the early 70’s in the 9th grade and started pumping gas at Bonded Oil Company for $90/week. Gas prices at the time he started working were $0.25 a gallon. After his time with Bonded he started working in a foundry and stayed there for the next 9 years until the plant eventually had to close its doors. Lee found himself to be a dislocated worker, but luckily for Lee, with the circumstances surrounding the plant closure in 1983, he was then able to attend trucking school for free. Two weeks after he graduated trucking school he started driving and never looked back.
Lee works and lives for his family. He has been married to his wife Debbie Shelton for 28 years now. Together they raised two children, Michael and Crista. His wife Debbie worked in the medical field for over 25 years and decided one day after the kids were graduated and out of the house that it was time for a change… so Lee put her through trucking school and they started running over the road together. They teamed together and ran over the road for two and a half years, running from Dayton to Los Angeles two and a half turns a week; logging 7000 miles weekly. When I asked what their favorite place to visit or drive through while on the road Debbie cut in and said, “Casinos!” and of course Lee backed her up by saying “Vegas.” Debbie now no longer drives and Lee is still at it. Debbie came off the road to raise their two grandchildren full time, who are now 20 and 15. I asked Lee, “After all that, do you have time for any hobbies now?” He laughed and said, “My hobby is the recliner.”
Lee has also had some health concerns which he has worked very hard to overcome. He was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in March of 2016. He had surgery in August 2016 and is now cancer free. Lee also wanted me to mention that he hasn’t smoked a cigarette in over 3 years. Driving on the road he used to smoke up to 4 packs a day. He attributes his being able to quit by switching to the much safer alternative, a vaporizer. He said he feels so good now that the vape has him to where he doesn’t even have to use his inhaler now. Lee will be ready for retirement in 3 years and says he can’t wait.
We want to say thank you to Lee, and all of our drivers, for making BD Transportation the best company we can be. Posted: July 23, 2018 |
|
Driver spotlight December 1, 2017 - Ed Manley Every few weeks at BD Transportation will be spotlighting one of our drivers. First off this month is Ed Manley. Ed has been with us since January 2, 2015. Ed started driving semis at the age of 21 and has always been fascinated with trucks. His uncle used to drive trucks and that really inspired Ed at a young age that this was something he wanted to do when he got older. He started driving dump truck at the age of 18 and has since driven for 28 years. There’s not a lot that this man hasn’t seen on the road during that time. He’s also been to 48 of 50 states.
 When Ed isn’t behind the wheel of one of our Volvos, you can still find him on the road doing what he loves best, and that’s riding on his Harley. He started riding when he was just 8 years old and then had his first dirt bike at the age of 10; a Yamaha 50. Everyone has passions, and this is Ed’s, but it takes something special to turn passion into compassion and that’s exactly what Ed has done with his. For the last 3 years Ed has participated in a riding benefit Toy Run with the Highway Hikers, which started in 1976. The Toy Run helps provide toys for needy children at Christmas. They ride from Medway, OH to Springfield Fairgrounds and drop off the toys and/or donations every year.
Just last month Ed took off on a Saturday to meet up with Terry from Katayama (one of our suppliers), to ride in a benefit for a 15 year old girl diagnosed with Leukemia. They had over 60 bikes participate in this generous event.
Each of our drivers are special, but it’s drivers like this that show BD Transportation’s are hands down the best drivers out there. These men and women work hard and aren’t just faceless names delivering America’s goods. We just want to say thank you to Ed and all of our drivers for the hard work that you do. Posted: December 05, 2017 |
|
|
|
|
|
