Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/718131
8 www.bigrigowner.com S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 6 M ercer Contractor, Miles Johnson, understands the ins and outs of being a successful Owner Operator at Mercer Transportation, but after being leased on at Mer- cer since July of 1992, that shouldn't come as much of a surprise. "After being leased on here for nearly 25 years, I can't imagine working with any other company," Johnson said. "You want to surround yourself with good people and there are plenty of them here." Miles was one of the fi rst Owner Operators asked to become a Mentor when the Mercer Mentor Program was launched in 2015, and he eagerly accepted the offer. He understands the assistance and support that a Mentor can provide. In fact, Miles had a Mentor himself. "I started in trucking work- ing for my uncle," Miles said. "After six months he told me to take the truck over and run it like it was mine. I felt like I had been thrown in to the deep end of the pool." But his uncle didn't just hand him the keys and walk away. "He was always there to help me out, answer questions and provide moral support," said Miles. "Helping other drivers is a way I can kind of pay him back. I know that's what I am supposed to do." Buying his fi rst truck in 1987, Miles' current truck is a 2000 Peterbilt with a whopping 2 and a half million miles on its odometer. "I used to do all the maintenance on the truck myself but now that I am a little older, I have a local mechanic doing any major work that needs to be done," Miles said. "But I still do a lot of the minor stuff myself." When asked what the most important thing for Owner Operators to do to be successful at Mercer is, Miles didn't hesitate coming up with the an- swer. "You want to establish a good relationship with your Coordinator. Go to lunch with him or her and take time to get acquainted," Miles said. "And meet the other people you work with at the offi ce. With the Mercer open-door policy, you can meet with anyone in the company regardless of their title." Miles travels the road with his four-legged rider, Yoda. "I love having her with me. Taking her on walks keeps me active," said Miles. "I may be stuck in traffi c and frustrated, then I see how calmly Yoda is handling the situation and I just laugh to myself." Miles and Susie, his wife of 31 years, live in Judsonia, AR. On his downtime he will work around the yard or spend some time at his camp on Greers Ferry Lake. "Susie and I are NASCAR fans and we will take our 38-foot, fi fth-wheel camper and head to one of the tracks to catch a race several times a year." Mercer is proud to have Miles on our team as an Owner Operator working with our customers and as a Mercer Mentor assisting other Mercer Con- tractors. It's great to see a person, who received help when they were starting out, pay it forward and be there for others. Job well done, Miles! Meet Miles Johnson Mercer Contractor that Believes in Giving Back! Program was launched in 2015, and understands the assistance and support that a Mentor can provide. In fact, Miles