Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/29112
I t’s a crisp, late March evening in Albuquerque when Charlie Hamilton arrives at my hotel to pick me up for dinner. After a quick introduction of family members, including his wife, Janice, we head just up the street to Sadie’s of New Mexico, a local favorite where servers ask “red” or “green” when custom- ers make their selection from New Mexican-style entrees. “The green peppers are hotter,” Charlie says. I took this as more of a recommendation than a simple fact. After all, this is Charlie’s town, espe- cially the east side of Albuquerque. This is where he’s spent the majority of his 53 years. He and Jan- ice live a scarce six miles from the house where he grew up — just a stone’s throw south of the origi- nal Route 66. Charlie was right about the chili peppers — good heat, good flavor. He has a quiet confidence about him and possesses the ability to guide a person where he needs to go without actually demanding it. Whether it’s a natural trait or learned from his years on the road, it’s one of the many characteris- tics that has helped establish him as a leader in his profession. With a proven track record for safety — more than 4 million accident-free miles over a 30-year career — Truckers News selected the Navajo Express driver/trainer as its 2011 Company Driver of the Year. Charlie and Janice will receive a free trip to the Great American Trucking Show in Dallas, Aug. 25-27. Charlie admits being spotlighted with the honor makes him a little apprehensive. “I’m a little ner- vous,” he says, laughing. Humble to a fault. Even though he has represented his company and the state of Colorado (where Navajo is headquartered) in the 2001 National Truck Driving Champion- ships, Charlie jokes that there are a lot of truckers out there with a wealth of talents, but he doesn’t have one. “I live a pretty uneventful life. I see a lot of drivers who can do a lot of things. But with me, the only instrument I can play is the radio,” Char- lie quips. “Maybe you could say I’m a frustrated Charlie won first place in the sleeper-berth category at the 2001 Colorado Truck Driving Championships and represented Navajo Express in the nationals. At Westway Express, he won first place at the New Mexico Driving Championships in 1996, third place in 1997 and finished second to his brother Jay Hamilton in 1998. athlete who drives a truck.” The inside of his cab reflects his love of athletics. Almost always with him are his golf clubs, a bas- ketball, a baseball and glove. He doesn’t pass up a chance to take in a golf course on the road when he has time, though he says that has become less frequent because hours-of-service regulations com- bined with electronic onboard recorders make slip- ping away to visit the links for a few hours more difficult. “Still, I try to stay active,” Charlie says. “If I shut down somewhere there is a basketball court, I’ll get out the ball and shoot.” He also keeps the softball and glove ready in case he runs into his brother, Jay Hamilton, who is an owner-operator. “We don’t see each other a lot on the road, but when we do, we’ll throw the baseball around on a back lot if we have time,” Charlie says. Left: Charlie Hamilton, a driver/trainer for Navajo Express has more than 4 million accident-free miles. In addition to competing at truck driving championships at both the state and national levels, he has driver of the month awards from motor carrier associations in Colorado and New Mexico. For the past nine years, his dog Angelo has been his trusted sidekick. Charlie, who grew up playing sports competitively, finds them to be a great stress reliever from the pressures of driv- ing a truck. And age hasn’t dampened his competitive nature. When playing regularly, he boasts a 12 handicap on the MAY 2011 TRUCKERS NEWS 23 COURTESY CHARLIE HAMILTON