Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/74547
MAKING TIME TO HELP and the athletes enjoy themselves, and it's a cool feeling to know Brad brings that good name to our business as well," she says. Kathy Karkula, Special Olympics program coordinator, says Chapdelaine's personable business manner brings more carriers and truckers into the convoy. "He's there to give a testimony about his experience. The athletes absolutely love him, and he always does more than is asked of him," Karkula says. "Anything from flipping hamburgers to designing and executing a show of 'Smokey and the Bandit.'" For Chapdelaine, trucking was the natural choice after a career in the mili- tary. He joined the Army in 1972 and was active for five years before being a reserv- ist for the 18 years following. Stationed in Germany, he was a dispatcher, which involved making sure all the runs for posts were done and checking that equipment maintenance was conducted. Chapdelaine drove trucks – deliver- ing equipment – while stationed at Fort Polk. He started out in the maintenance department shop before running the heavy equipment section, and finally ending up in supply. He gained experience with big rigs while running a wrecker for Peterbilt- GMC in Roanoke, Va., following his Army career. "One day, I just thought, 'I'll get into trucking,' and I looked around and C&N Evans hired me" in 1987, Chapdelaine says. He began his term with the now- shuttered carrier as a company driver. After moving back and forth between a few other carriers for nine years, Chapdelaine finally settled in with Dart, and has been with them since 2000. Chapdelaine bought his current truck, a forest-green 1999 Kenworth W900 with a 3406B Caterpillar and 13-speed transmission, in 2008. He bought it from a friend who drove with his wife as a team, but got sick and couldn't drive. The friend rebuilt the engine and named BRAD CHAPDELAINE 1954: Born in Pontiac, Mich. 1987: Began driving for C&N Evans as a company driver. 1990: Son, Bradley, was born. 1991: Joined Dart Transit for the first time. 1991: Became an owner-operator with purchase of 1988 International cabover. 2000: Began driving for Dart again. 2004: Began working with Special Olympics of Minnesota. the rig "Big Girl" prior to Chapdelaine's purchase of it. Chapdelaine added a television, micro- wave and refrigerator to make it more comfortable. Another in-cab comfort is his dachshund, Daisy, who accompanies him on many jobs. His pit bull, Chaos, stays at home. The truck is in good condition, partly because Chapdelaine takes a hands-on approach. "I do 90 percent of maintenance myself – brakes, wheel seals, work on the engine and rear end," Chapdelaine says. He records his business data weekly and hires an accountant at tax time. With Dart, he hauls "anything and CHAPDELAINE'S TIPS FOR OWNER-OPERATORS • Make sure you have the right tools for the job. • Have a close relationship with a shop, so you know who to ask if you have a question. • If you see a problem, fix it right away. • Choose your loads: The lighter the load, the better the fuel mileage. • Keep track of your vehicle, and keep the maintenance up. everything" – currently containers from Chicago to Minnesota – and other freight for Target and Kohl's. In the six years Sue Caine has worked with Chapdelaine at Dart, she's learned that he is the go-to guy for a clean, pro- fessional job. "Since he runs his own business, he is very conscious that his name carries a good reputation, and that whatever needs to be done gets done on time and without issue," Caine says. Chapdelaine nets around $35,000 a year. "That's the freedom of being an owner-operator, now that the truck is paid off – I basically do what I want to do," Chapdelaine says. Brad Chapdelaine is a finalist for the 2012 Owner-Operator of the Year award, which is sponsored by Overdrive and the Truckload Carriers Association. The winner will be announced at TCA's annual convention, March 3-6, 2013, in Las Vegas. 46 | Overdrive | August 2012 Chapdelaine has put almost 400,000 miles on his truck, which will soon reach 2 million miles. Renee Hennagir