Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/74547
FIT FOR DUTY Medically released from the military after serving in the Marine Corps and the Army, William Dove decided to build a com- pany staffed exclusively with veterans and their families. He founded Anna, Texas- based American Veteran Xpress in 2010. MEMORIAL RIGS TRAVEL THE COUNTRY TO HONOR VETERANS ing jobs, Dady says. "We have individu- als who've been in human resources, mechanics, engineers – all have become truck drivers." Crete even has a driver who retired as a three-star general. It's the "love for trucks and travel," Dady adds, that transcends prior experience and makes people want to pursue a driving career. Crete has 40 drivers who are for- mer military. "Our goal is to quadruple that. We'd like to see 400 to 500 per year hired through this program." Schneider National provides a "con- tinued career path for our heroes" by offering them the opportunity to become owner-operators, says Grailing Jones, with Schneider's Small Business Owner- Operator Development Division. Once "vetrepreneurs" have been company drivers for Schneider for four months, they are eligible to own their own truck. Schneider provides the financing and helps mentor them in running a small business. "The maturity level and tenac- ity of individuals coming out of the mili- tary sets them a cut above" many owner- operator candidates, Jones adds. William Dove didn't intend to own a trucking business when he was separated from the Army in 2005 for medical rea- sons. He found work in computers, but when his employer suddenly closed, he decided to follow in his dad's footsteps and go to driving school. After working for various carriers, he bought a 2005 Kenworth W900 and started American Veteran Xpress in 2010. Today, Dove's company runs six trucks, one driven by 30 | Overdrive | August 2012 After a lieutenant he trained was killed in Iraq, Jeff Edwards found himself dealing with anger and depression. Diagnosed with post-traumatic stress syndrome, Edwards was medically discharged from the Marine Corps in 2006 after 13 years of service. "I felt that I failed because I didn't complete my 20 years of active service to be able to retire," Edwards says. Fast-forward to 2011 and Edwards, now a driver for Schneider National, received a message from Schneider asking for nominations for drivers with military experience to pilot the company's Ride of Pride truck, a specially decorated Freightliner that travels the country to events honoring our military. Edwards' boss encouraged him to apply, and he was selected. "It was like strapping back on the uniform, and not necessarily fighting the enemy, but supporting the guys who are," Edwards says. Freightliner's Ride of Pride tradition began more than 10 years ago when Ed Keeter, Freightliner shift manager and Vietnam War veteran, proposed the project as a way to honor current and prior members of the U.S. military. The original idea was to decorate a truck to take to the local Veteran's hospital near Freightliner's manufacturing plant in Cleveland, N.C. Freightliner employees embraced the idea so wholeheartedly that it became part of a national effort that includes participation in the annual Ride for Freedom, a procession through Washington, D.C., each Memorial Day. Freightliner also decided to award each year's Ride of Pride truck to a different trucking company and decorated the cab for the chosen fleet with military-related decals. strapping back on It was like the uniform. — Jeff Edwards, who was chosen to drive Schneider National's Ride of Pride truck. Last month, Freightliner Trucks pre- sented its 10th edition Ride of Pride truck to Schneider. The new tractor joins the 2007, 2008 and 2011 Ride of Pride tractors, plus the only Canadian Ride of Pride ever produced, making Schneider the only company with five of the tribute vehicles. During a ceremony at Freightliner's Cleveland plant, Russ O'Dell of Clarksville, Tenn., who retired from the Army in 1999, received the 2012 truck. Because of high demand for the Ride of Pride's presence at events this summer, Edwards' truck will remain in service, driven by Greg Roberts of Eastpointe, Mich., who retired from the Army after 20 years of service. his dad, pulling dry vans. "Everyone who works for us is either a veteran or a close family member of a veteran," Dove says. He wanted to create an environment where former military personnel would feel accepted. "Veterans understand veterans," he says. In many ways, the challenges vet- erans have faced make them uniquely qualified to be truck drivers, Schneider driver Edwards says. "We're out on the road, which is a lifestyle we're used to. We can usually handle it more than someone who's been home all of their life," he says. Veterans considering careers in truck- ing should know that their new mis- sion is critical, Schneider's Hinz says. Trucking has a hand in everything from disaster relief to keeping the nation's auto plants running on time. Much like in the military, he says, "you're part of something bigger than you."