Military-Friendly Companies That Hire Veterans for Trucking Jobs

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military-friendly trucking companies that hire veterans for trucking jobs

After serving our country, many veterans make the transition into the trucking industry, seeking companies who hire individuals with military experience for their truck driver jobs. Many trucking companies enjoy hiring veterans for their driver positions as they embody the motivation and dedication the company is seeking. In the process, these companies are putting veterans on a strong path for the future in civilian jobs while adding disciplined employees to their talent pool.

PTS Worldwide

pts worldwidePTS Worldwide Inc. is a family owned and operated over the road trucking company dedicated to the Department of Defense and the security of our nation. They are fundamentally a people-oriented organization and know that the intelligence, insight, and energy that each individual brings to the job makes them better and stronger as an organization. It is their objective to maintain a working environment where all employees can achieve their fullest potential.

PTS Worldwide, Inc. is a company founded by drivers for drivers and knows they need your skills, enthusiasm, and commitment to achieve our goals together. They run all 48 states from military base to base, and they hire CDL A OTR Team Drivers and OTR Owner Operator Teams nationwide. As a company founded by drivers for drivers, they offer competitive pay with minimum guaranteed miles, generous bonuses, and excellent health and welfare benefits.

Oldcastle

oldcastleAs North America’s largest manufacturer of building products and materials, CDL trucking jobs are just one part of what makes the wheels at Oldcastle turn. But, they are an essential part of the equation. No matter what role a worker plays at Oldcastle, however, one thing is certain. Veterans work at this Atlanta-based company with 2,000 locations nationwide.

“Attracting truck drivers is a huge challenge, so we wanted to promote those opportunities,” says Cindycindyr Reeves, Human Resources Director for Oldcastle, Inc. To attract more military talent to Oldcastle jobs, the company overhauled its website to include a military tab on its careers page. Therefore, when applicants click on the military tab, open job opportunities can be seen, including CDL trucking jobs, engineering and sales opportunities, warehousing jobs and more. Also, the website features a link to help retiring military personnel translate their skills to civilian jobs.

“Our website tells them what job would be a good fit for them,” Reeves says. “It’s a page through military.com with a lot of credibility.”

In addition, Oldcastle launched its military-focused webpages in January 2016, and the company launches other military initiatives this week on Veterans Day. “Attracting veterans serves as an important part of our strategy,” Reeves says. “We wanted to make a place where potential military employees could come and feel welcome and know that Oldcastle has positions that are a strong fit for them.”

hollandHolland

In August 2015, this Holland, Mich.-based company hired Jason Schenkel, an Army veteran, as its talent acquisitions and fair employment manager. It did so specifically to increase its veteran recruiting and outreach.

Schenkel recruits for every position in the company, including CDL trucking jobs. “If I can find a military veteran that fits, I will recruit them for any position in the company,” Schenkel says, estimating that 70% of his recruits are truck drivers. After all, of Holland’s more than 8,000 employees, 6,000 of them are drivers.

Jason Schenkel (center) with his family

Jason Schenkel (center) with his family

Early on, Holland recognized similarities between the trucking industry and military culture in terms of safety, stress, customer service, and hours, Schenkel says. As a result, the military job candidates Holland encounters “have all the intangibles that make for a good truck driver. That’s the way Holland looks at it.”

Being an Army veteran helps Schenkel connect with his audience. “As a veteran, I know the culture, the tempo, the language, the hardships,” he says. “I think it helps me in my work. Holland, from the beginning, has put a lot of time and effort into the veteran initiative. We don’t do it because some government agency says we should. We just feel it’s a good fit for the veterans and for the company.”

exchangeArmy & Air Force Exchange Service

The Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) proudly served America’s armed forces since 1895. Striving to deliver quality goods and services at competitive prices, trucking plays an instrumental part of AAFES’ mission. AAFES commits to hiring veterans, National Guard members and reservists. In fact, veterans compose 12% of the company’s workforce. Overall, the company hires them because of the high value they bring to the organization.

“The AAFES partnered with the National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve…to actively recruit members,” says Col. Karen G. Fleming, Deputy Director, Logistics, for AAFES and herself a 26-year U.S. Army veteran. “We collaborate more than ever with installation transition offices to recruit soldiers and airmen who transition back into the civilian workplace.”

To support its military personnel, The Exchange, as AAFES provides up to 15 days annually of paid leave to guard members or reservists performing military duties that take them away from the job.

AAFES is similar to the military in some respects, Fleming adds, especially in regard to devotion and service. “Their motto is “family serving family,” Fleming says. “In addition, they remain devoted to providing the goods and services to our Army and Air Force.’”

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Drive My Way to Participate in Women in Trucking Conference This Week

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Salute-to-women-600x450

The Women in Trucking Accelerate! Conference and Expo runs from Nov. 7-9 in Dallas, Texas. The conference strives to bring gender diversity to the trucking industry and show how diversity can positively impact a driver’s career and a company’s success.

Several Women in Trucking members will be on hand at the conference, including trucking companies, truck driving schools, manufacturers, health and wellness businesses and more.

First, the conference kicks off with the opening session (1:15 p.m. Monday, Nov. 7), when FMCSA Administrator Scott Darling discusses safety in trucking.

Also, the conference offers valuable networking opportunities among those who value gender diversity in the industry. In addition, there are more than 30 sessions on important transportation issues and trends. Drive My Way’s own Beth Potratz, the company’s president and CEO, will participate in one of those sessions, “Secrets to Successful Mentoring and Why It’s So Important.”

Expect engaging discussion about how women can:

  • Use mentoring to their advantage
  • Why some programs work and others don’t
  • What types of mentoring are available for new female drivers
  • And more

“I’m excited to be part of this important women-focused conference,” Potratz says. “As a woman-owned business in the trucking industry, Drive My Way is proud to be represented at Accelerate! and be part of a conversation that fosters the success of women in CDL trucking jobs.”

If you’re a truck driver looking for a job that fits your qualifications and lifestyle, visit us at Booth 607.

Drive My Way matchmakers will be on hand to answer your questions and help you register on DriveMyWay.com. Therefore, you can get one step closer to landing the best job for you.

Are you a woman driver on social media? Be part of the show’s conversation with the hashtag #WIT16. Can’t make the conference? Follow us on Facebook here and stay up to date on all the latest trucking job opportunities that can help you grow your career in the industry, regardless of your gender.

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Firms Tweak Training to Attract More Women to Trucking Jobs

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trucks.comWhile it’s taken time, lawsuits and the rise of female driver support groups to inspire trucking companies to hire more women, there’s an earnest effort now to make training programs more appealing to women, an article by Trucks.com states.

Overall, it’s all in hopes it will help carriers expand their driver applicant pool and attract more female truck drivers.

Carriers increased assistance for female trainees by offering more practice time in truck driving simulators, creating internal support groups and adding female driver liaisons.

In addition, they added sexual harassment awareness and self-defense classes to training curriculums. Then, women feel safer on training runs and respond better in abusive situations.

To recruit more women, some carriers now allow current male drivers to train their spouses to drive. Also, other carriers expanded military veteran recruiting to promote trucking jobs among women retiring from active duty.

They also fund scholarships for female high school grads interested in CDL trucking jobs.

Despite the ongoing deficit, women account for only 5.1% of U.S. truck drivers. In addition, 11.4% of all trucking transportation industry workers are women, according to the ATA.

The numbers continue to decline. From 2014 to 2015, the population of female drivers in the industry shrank by 10%, to 177,000, according to the trucking trade group.

Past efforts to get more women behind the wheel failed, and in some cases, lacked legality, Trucks.com writes.

In May, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ordered New Prime Trucking Inc. to pay $3.1 million for discriminating against women by adopting a same-sex driver training policy. In a 2011 lawsuit, the EEOC said the policy forced women to wait up to 18 months for training.

Over-the-road driving positions remain the hardest to fill in the trucking industry.

“The hours are long, quarters are cramped and trainees make only a percentage of a regular driver’s per-mile wage,” it states. “Some bail after a short time.”

“They come into the industry saying, ‘I heard it on the radio, they’re making lady truck drivers, the industry wants more women.’” said  Desiree Wood, a veteran driver and host of the Real Women in Trucking website and podcast. “Nobody tells them you will have to work hard, and you will have to lift.”

“The bottom line is it’s a male-dominated field. For you to succeed, you have to be twice as good as the worst man out there,” adds Real Women in Trucking board member Tracy Livingston.

As part of its recent efforts to create a better workplace for women, Prime created a support group and recognition program. This serves women drivers, featuring training specialist and female driver liaison, Brooke Mosley.

Mosley credits the carrier’s training program for growing Prime’s female driver cohort to 766. That’s more than twice the industry average.

Does your company have a unique means of attracting new talent to the job? Join our community here and share your ideas.

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For One Trucking Couple, Halloween is a Real Treat

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halloween-truckWhile Americans are gearing up for Halloween with jack-o-lanterns on their doorsteps, one truck driving couple has taken Halloween to the highway.

That’s right. Cammy Ann Conway and her husband, Ken, are OTR truck drivers for Quest Global out of Georgia. They run from Atlanta to the Canadian border and from southern California to the East Coast. Sure, they’ve been on the road a lot this October. But that hasn’t stopped them from going all-out with their Halloween décor.

halloween-catThe Conways’ truck is a conspicuous sight on the road, to be sure.

Flanking its grill are a big black cat and fuzzy spider. The decorations get a lot of attention from others on the road.

“The kids love it most,” Cammy Ann says. “We do it to get a reaction from them. They’ll point or make their siblings look. It’s a lot of fun.”

When the Conways make their deliveries, shippers and receivers shout out to them as well, giving them a hearty thumbs-up. The Conways get a thrill from it all.

“We’re out here on the road, so we’re not home to decorate,” Cammy Ann says. “Decorating the truck makes you feel like you’re not on the road every day, like you’re bringing a little bit of home with you.”

Ken Conway, who’s had a CDL trucking job for five years, loves the fall holidays most of all.

Decorating the truck makes his job more enjoyable, he says. The decorations break up monotony even for those who cross their path. “The reaction we get from men is a little surprising,” Ken says. “You would think guys would rip on me for decorating, but even they get into it. It’s pretty neat.”

Ken decorated his truck for Christmas even before Cammy Ann began teaming with him two years ago. When Cammy Ann came on board, the Conways upped the ante, decorating for every major holiday.

halloween-dog-2“Putting something on the front of the truck is always our thing,” Cammy Ann says. “We do shamrocks at St. Patrick’s Day, pumpkins at Thanksgiving. People always honk and wave. To see their reactions is always fun.”

The Conways’ dogs, two mini-schnauzers, even get in on the Halloween action (They’re dressed up like super heroes this year.).

“The animals add to our life on the road,” Ken says.

The Conways plan to decorate their truck at the holidays for as long as they have CDL trucking jobs.

“Definitely, we’ll do it for as long as we’re out here,” Ken says. “Whether it’s Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas. When we retire, we’ll be able to look back on our time together on the road—the experiences, the people—and feel good about it.

“Let me tell you,” he adds. “If you can make a crusty old trucker smile at your decorations at 2 or 3 in the morning, you’re doing something right.”

Sometimes a truck can feel like home. Do you bring home to the highway, too? Connect with us on Facebook here and tell us how.

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Nasdaq GlobeNewswire Welcomes Drive My Way as Partner

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101916_drivemyway-003Cleveland, OH – October 26, 2016 – Nasdaq GlobeNewswire welcomes Drive My Way as a partner.

Drive My Way features GlobeNewswire’s trucking industry related news.

“Drive My Way is a trusted resource for drivers and employers. We distinguish ourselves by providing valuable content that celebrates the American truck driver. Overall, the content helps them work and live better through relevant information, entertainment, and inspiration,” said Beth Potratz, Founder, President and CEO of Drive My Way. “We serve as the go-to source for relevant trucking industry news. In addition, incorporating GlobeNewswire’s content as part of our website adds value to our readers.”

Nasdaq GlobeNewswire Welcomes Drive My Way as Partner

On October 19, Drive My Way’s logo was featured on the renowned Nasdaq tower in New York City’s Times Square announcing their partnership.

“GlobeNewswire is internationally recognized as a leading newswire distribution network,” stated Potratz. “Therefore, we are incredibly honored to serve as a channel partner.”

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DOT Aiming for Zero Traffic Deaths Within Next 30 Years

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overdriveonline.com

The Department of Transportation announced Oct. 5 a new initiative to achieve an incredible highway safety feat by the year 2046: Zero traffic deaths.

Overdrive magazine wrote about the announcement in a news article.

“Overall, our vision is simple – zero fatalities on our roads,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.

The U.S. DOT and three of its sub-agencies — including the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration — said the Road to Zero project will give $1 million a year for the next three years to “organizations working on lifesaving programs.” Road to Zero partners include, in addition to DOT and FMCSA, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Federal Highway Administration and the private non-profit National Safety Council.

Details on specific initiatives Road to Zero will promote are scarce

In addition, Overdrive wrote, the DOT focuses on several areas. For example, some of these include promoting broader use of seatbelts, greater use of rumble strips and greater use of data in enforcement.

Also, the DOT points to the fast-developing field of vehicle automation. This serves as reason to “[believe] the liklihood that the vision of zero road deaths and serious injuries can be achieved in the next 30 years.”

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New ATA President Puts Trucking’s Foes on Notice

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Chris Spear

Chris Spear

In his first American Trucking Associations (ATA) Management Conference & Exhibition speech as president and CEO of the organization, Chris Spear put the trucking industry’s foes – including some lawmakers – on notice. Truck News captured Spear’s important speech:

“Trucking is already one of the most regulated and taxed industries in America,” Spear said. “In the eyes of some elected officials, we look like a money-filled piñata. I’m here to tell you that those days, those impressions of our industry – are over…If you want to throw the first proverbial punch, you need to knock us down. Because you will feel the one we throw back. ATA will fight your one-line sound bites and baseless rhetoric. We will publicly call out the hidden agendas of other industry groups.”

Spear said ATA fights to reduce the industry’s taxation, and he advocates for those with CDL trucking jobs.

“Shaving just five points off our corporate tax rate would allow you to make critical investments in your businesses and your employees,” he told the packed crowd. “That’s money to use to purchase new, more efficient equipment with safer technologies, increase driver pay and provide additional training to your employees.”

Spear also cautioned against reworking the North American Free Trade Agreement.

This serves as a big topic in the 2016 election.

“Any attempt to re-open or threaten this longstanding agreement could have dire repercussions on our industry,” Spear said, noting trucks carry 70% of surface freight between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. “America relies on free trade and trucking is key.”

Also, Spear said the trucking industry must shape autonomous trucking regulations and remain united. To see his comments about that and how autonomous trucking could improve safety and reduce congestion, read the rest of the Truck News article here.

Sometimes, it’s good to speak your mind. Join the Drive My Way community here and get in on the conversation.

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A Great New App Helps CDL Drivers Find Parking

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overdriveonline.comTruck parking is a little easier now with the launch of a new mobile app called Park My Truck. The new app connects people with CDL trucking jobs to free parking spots across the United States.

Overdrive magazine covered the new app in a news story, saying:

With the app, public and private truck parking providers, including truck stops, rest areas and more, update the number of available parking spaces at any time to help drivers determine if open spaces exist at a given location. The app resulted from an initiative between the National Association of Truck Stop Operators (NATSO), the NATSO Foundation, the American Trucking Associations and the American Transportation Research Institute.

The app includes the total number of parking spaces at more than 5,000 truck stops.

NATSO says independent and chain truck stops participate in reporting their available spaces. These represent more than 150,000 truck parking spaces.

When a driver opens the app, he/she searches for parking spaces. The search remains within a certain distance of their current location, up to 250 miles, Overdrive writes.

Drivers also search by state or along an interstate.

“We have ways to let drivers know where the spaces currently exist, which is why this app serves so valuable,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. Directing drivers to safe parking spaces will give them the opportunity to get the rest they need and the off-duty time they are required to have.”

Sometimes the solution is right at your fingertips. Follow Drive My Way on Facebook here as we strive to create solutions in the industry, too.

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Why Election Day Doesn’t Pay

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Few elections have featured two nominees as divisive as Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. And while the nation wrangles over whom to vote for, consumers are filled with anxiety about what the next four years will bring.

As their anxiety builds, consumers are slowing their spending. It’s having a major impact on the trucking industry, too, as trucking clients throughout America curb their own spending in response to consumers’ frugality leading up to Election Day.

Consumers feel apprehensive

“The economy moves the trucking industry, and for whatever reason, businesses slow their freight down during an election year,” says Anthony Leichty, a company driver who hauls cars for Toledo, Ohio-based Irelan Trucking. “You really feel it during election years because no one knows which side is going to be in power next. It’s kind of a fear thing. People get afraid.”

Anthony Leichty and family

Anthony Leichty and family

Car hauling especially slows down, because cars are a substantial investment for consumers, says Leichty, who’s had a CDL trucking job for 16 years.

“My first year with this company was an election year,” he says. “I made $37,000 that year. The very next year I made $55,000. I attribute that to the election being over. The economy ticked back up.”

Comparatively, business slowed this year, but not drastically, Leichty says.

Normally, Irelan runs about $4,500 in business per truck a week. Right now, it’s running about $3,500 to $4,000 in business per truck weekly.

However, Marci Hinton, president and director of safety at refrigerated carrier Coldliner Express, says the election has in fact greatly impacted her company’s business this year.

Big companies such as Kroger and Wal-Mart buy from Hinton’s clients—recognizable food brands such as Tyson and Hillshire Farms. “Refrigerated products are time sensitive,” Hinton says. “So when buyers like Kroger and Wal-Mart place orders with my customers, they order based on our economy. When consumers are afraid of what is to come with the election around the corner, they buy and order less.”

Hinton really noticed a drop off in inventory this summer.

American families curtailed their spending. In response, Kroger and Wal-Mart curtailed theirs.

“The average middle class family lives on a budget,” Hinton says. “When they are worried about where our country is going to be in the next six months, they don’t spend the money on family parties and cookouts. Instead, they put that money back. During the summer is when you usually see a big increase in hot dog and ground beef purchases, but this year it was down over 20 percent due to the election.”

Hillary, ClintonRefrigerated trucking is the sector likely affected most during an election year, Leichty says.

Because every major trucking company has a refrigerated division. Companies don’t want to sit on food if consumers aren’t going to buy it.

“Companies don’t want to take the chance of a huge profit loss in an election year, so they just slow production down,” Leichty says. “During an election year, go to Wal-Mart. You’ll see they have a smaller stock than they normally do. They don’t order as much during an election year.”

One of Hinton’s clients already has stopped delivery to certain regions until the election is over.

The company simply is not selling enough inventory. It’s had to throw product away, so it’s chosen not to sell in certain cities until after Nov. 8, Hinton says.

“It impacts the amount of orders I receive from clients,” Hinton says. “I have to go to a broker board. A broker finds freight for trucking companies to ship. We have to go on a board and work with companies we don’t know real well. We go through all of that and then sometimes they end up canceling the load.”

Broad impact felt across the board

The election’s impact is felt across the trucking industry, from fuel surcharges to freight capacity.

John Reed

John Reed

Business owners would be smart to keep a savings account for anything that might happen unexpectedly, says Drive My Way contributor John Reed, an owner operator leased to Mercer Transportation. For those with owner operator trucking jobs like him, Reed recommends setting aside $20,000 for emergencies during an election year.

“A lot of small owner operators are worried about upcoming economic changes because they may not have enough money to correct their business model before they can adapt to the change,” Reed says.

Owner operators, however, also have more flexibility than company drivers in where they can fuel up or purchase tires.

Through that flexibility, they can save money.

“It’s easier for owner operators to adapt to presidential change than it is for a larger company to adapt,” Reed says. “When you have to bring your ideas in front of a board of directors to create change, it has to go through a voting process, whereas an owner operator can virtually change something overnight if he sees something that’s not working the way it should.”

Things should stabilize after the election, when Americans have a greater understanding of what their future holds. Until then, expect Americans to continue clutching their purse strings ever so tightly.

Want an escape from news about Trump and Hillary? Follow Drive My Way on Facebook here to diversify your newsfeed.

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Now’s Your Chance to Vote for the No. 1 Military Rookie Trucker

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military truckerThe presidential election isn’t the only important election happening this fall. The voting booth for America’s top military rookie truck driver is open, writes American Trucker magazine. And it’s up to all of you with CDL trucking jobs to choose your favorite!

Overall, the veteran who acquires the most votes in this contest will win the Transition Trucking Driving for Excellence Award. In addition, the veteran wins the keys to a 2016 Kenworth T680 commercial truck. The truck, valued at $170,000, helps propel the rookie driver’s burgeoning career in the trucking industry.

After a national nomination process, three finalists include:

  • Army veteran Kevin Scott, a driver for TMC Transportation
  • Army and Navy veteran Russell Hardy, a driver for Trimac Transportation
  • Navy veteran Troy Davidson, a driver for Werner Enterprises

How to Vote

Through Veterans Day, Nov. 11, CDL drivers and other members of the public watch videos of the three finalists. In addition, they vote for their favorite up to 25 times per day, writes American Trucker. Vote by visiting: http://bit.ly/TransitionTruckingAward. Also, the voting page, along with more details on the competition, is found through the competition’s primary website, TransitionTrucking.org.

The Transition Trucking Award was created by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes Program, Kenworth, and FASTPORT. Overall, it recognizes deserving veterans who made a successful transition from military service to the trucking industry.

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