Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/506679
28 | Overdrive | May 2015 S ometimes it takes an outside push to get you going in the right direc- tion. For Thomas Miller, the nudge came from John Hancock, who before his death last year was Prime Inc.'s director of recruiting and training. Miller had been named to America's Road Team in January 2013. Hancock fully understood what it meant to be part of the elite group of drivers, chosen by the Amer- ican Trucking Associations, who for two years represent the industry in public forums. "John Hancock said, 'You're out there promoting the image – you need to live the image,' " Miller recalled. "He more or less told me I was going to do the program." Miller, at 278 pounds and smoking more than a pack a day, was a good candidate for Prime's 13-week Driver Health and Wellness program. Thomas Miller received an expenses-paid trip in March to the Gaylord Palms Resort near Orlando, Fla., where the Truckload Carriers Association held its annual meeting. PRIME TIME Thanks to a company health program, Thomas Miller moves further down the road toward a positive image for the industry. It's not the only time this Owner-Operator of the Year has made his mark professionally and personally. BY MAX HEINE Miller became an owner-operator in 1999. He owned two Freightliners and a Peter- bilt 387 before buying this 2014 Kenworth T680, with which he pulls a reefer to all 48 states. He started driving in 1994, delivering dairy products regionally. After a brief stint with another carrier, he joined Prime in 1999. Max Heine