Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/455137
34 | Overdrive | February 2015 NAMING THE BEST GLEN HORACK I t's all about trucking for Glen Horack. The resident of Eckland, Mo., has been team-driving for three years with his wife, Karla, typically staying out for 10-12 weeks at a time. In their 2014 Kenworth T680 leased to Prime Inc., they run a dedicated multi- drop flower load every week from Miami to Alberta, Canada. With the timeliness needed to trans- port that delicate freight, the Horacks must account for time at border cross- ings and the weather. Yet Glen Horack has logged 100 percent on-time service. He has been driving a truck for 31 years, the last 21 as an owner-operator with Prime. "He continues to impress us with his professionalism, safety and service with these loads," says Robert Low, President of Prime. With his wealth of experience, Horack has three key principles for budding owner-operators: • "First, pay attention to the details. Watch what you spend, how you run your equipment, and always keep your eyes moving. Always! • "Next, haul freight that nobody else wants at a premium rate. It's much easier to make a living when you're not fighting everybody for freight." • Finally, the one that he gives the most credit for his success: "Timeliness. Plan before you go." Horack is "a safe and profitable driver," says Steve Field, Prime safety director. "Many drivers will tell me that they need to get the job done and can- not go as slow as we recommend. Well, Glen has proven that it is possible to get the job done on time and safely." Horack acknowledges that the part- nership with Prime has benefited both parties: "They're friendly, make me money and leave me alone." Horack hopes to retire in nine years, buying his final truck with cash in the next two years. Horack drives team with his wife, Karla. THOMAS MILLER O ne of Thomas Miller's biggest highway-related accomplish- ments last year involved a vehicle of only two wheels. Encouraged by his daughter, MacKenzie, the Prime Inc.-leased operator turned his motor- cycle hobby into a benefit ride for Sam Biggs, a child fighting a pediatric cancer. Miller and his daughter developed Ride with Daddy Day to raise money for Sam's family. What began as a local event in Bunker Hill, Ill., soon was repeated in Springfield, Mo., home to Prime's headquarters. The events raised nearly $1,400 for the Biggs family and brought more awareness to childhood cancers. Miller, a smoker for 29 years and overweight at the start of 2014, also took on a personal health project last year. He lost 26 pounds while par- ticipating in Prime's 13-week Driver Health & Fitness program. Miller next tackled his cigarette habit and has re- mained tobacco-free for nine months. Miller's influence in the industry ex- tends far beyond Prime, where he serves as a trainer and mentor. This is his second consecutive year as a contender for TCA's 2014 Owner-Operator of the Year. He served as a captain for the American Trucking Associations' 2013- 14 America's Road Team. "Thomas has been a great example of dedication and professionalism not only inside of Prime but also in the trucking industry," says Steve Field, Prime's safety director. Miller drives a Kenworth T680 across the lower 48 states, usually hauling re- frigerated foods. He's driven more than two million safe miles. He says he can boil his best practices down to a single thought: "Whenever you're out there driving on the road, drive around other vehicles as though that was your family. You'll never do anything to harm them." Miller made big strides toward better health in 2014. Shows 'professionalism, safety and service' Pioneering Ride with Daddy Day