Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/671338
Driver Feature Q: What's your favorite thing about be- ing a truck driver? A: I still enjoy going out on the road. I still enjoy driving the truck — even the longer runs from the Midwest to Califor- nia. I love to go out to Los Angeles and Seattle. Q: What do you enjoy listening to while driving? A: Fox, Fox and Fox. I'm into politics; I like news. When I get tired of that, I listen to '50s music, country and western and a little gospel. If you listen to Fox or talk shows, you can get a little upset. If I get into places where I need to pay attention, I just shut it off or leave it on '50s music or some soft jazz, because listening to that other stuff (like Fox) is not always good for your attitude. Q: What do you like about driving for GTI? A: Gordon is a really good company. I started with Gordon right out of school but left for another company that was paying a little more. But ,I kept seeing Gordon trucks and reading about how they had expanded. I said, 'Hey, can I come back?' They looked me up and said, 'Yeah, and we'll give you a raise.' That was 10 years ago. Q: Do you have any advice for new drivers? A: I don't care if you're digging a ditch, pulling fish out of the ocean or driving a truck — attitude is everything. I laugh a lot, but I take my job seriously. Common sense and a good attitude have gotten me out of more difficulties. You would be surprised how many truckers don't know how to spell common sense, let alone have it. Just do your job. You can't be mad when you're driving the truck. Q: A er your years of being on the road, is there s ll something you find challenging? A: I can get in some tight blind spots when backing up. Every year I get a little more experience. You have to re- ally pay attention to what you're doing. Get out and look if you can't see. Q: How do you stay healthy on the road? A: I'm 5'11" and 178 pounds. I try to eat right. For the past five or six years, I've been eating oatmeal for breakfast. Sometimes I'll have eggs, but I don't eat bacon or fried, greasy foods. I snack on fruit and Wheat Thins, and I prepare my own sandwiches. I eat 90 percent of my meals from my refrigerator. Tonight I'll have a bowl of cereal.I do leg exercises every morning, and when I pull into a truck stop, I immediately head to the south 40. I don't park by the restaurant. I'll walk three or four times around the truck stop before I go in the restaurant, and when I go out, I do the same thing. When I get home, I work out on my NordicTrack and walk in the neighbor- hood. Q: What's one thing you do that makes you a successful driver? 48 April 2016 BestDriverJOBS www.bestdriverjobs.com