Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/642741
New Mentor Program at Mercer Transportation. B eing an Owner Operator can be tough and sometimes frustrating. In an effort to assist their Owner Operators, Mercer Transportation is introducing the Mercer Mentor Program. Through this program, new contractors have 24/7 access to Mercer Owner Opera- tors who have volunteered to become a Mercer Mentor. "We are very excited about the new Mercer Mentor Program and feel like it will be a huge benefi t to our Owner Operators," said Gerald Garrison, Mercer Contractor Relations Team Leader. "The program was created after receiv- ing feedback from our drivers about the Mercer experience and what we could do to make driv- ing for Mercer even better." Thirteen current Mercer Owner Operators have been selected to become Mercer Men- tors in the pilot program. These drivers were selected based on their success at Mercer and their willingness to work with other drivers. A Mentor Summit was held in October to bring this group together and discuss the challenges faced by Mercer drivers and how they could use their expertise to assist them. Among the group of Mentors are drivers that have become ex- perts in different aspects of truck- ing and running their business profi tably. From assistance with mechanical issues to fi nancial and budgetary questions, the Mercer Men- tors are ready to lend their assistance. From all indications the pilot program is al- ready proving successful. Brad Book leased on with Mercer in October, 2015 and is very happy with the help he has received from the Mercer Mentors. "I hadn't been leased to a company before and for the past six years had my own authority," said Brad. "Having the ability to talk with another driver who was willing to help me learn the ropes has been awesome. I was pretty skeptical when I fi rst started here but am quickly fi nding out that all the great things I heard about Mercer were true." "We want to give our Owner Operators the tools that will not only make them successful at Mercer but will help them improve their profi tability," Garrison said. "Trucking is a tough business and we want our drivers to understand that Mercer and the Mercer Men- tors are behind them every mile they drive."