From hiring veterans to participating in the Wreaths Across America “Honor Fleet” to organizing local memorial events in our hometown of Versailles, Classic Carriers has a longstanding history of supporting our veterans. We recently spoke with two of our drivers to get their perspective on trucking as a career for veterans.
Veteran Driver Spotlight: Dave Leimkiller
Classic Carriers company driver Dave Leimkiller hadn’t planned on making trucking a long-term career. After serving in the Army and Navy, he needed a job to help him financially support his five children without a college degree.
But trucking ended up being an ideal civilian career to apply skills gained in the military. He now has more than 38 years and hundreds of thousands of miles under his belt.
“A lot of veterans are out here on the road because they kind of control their own destiny,” he said. “And they’re usually self-motivated anyway.”
Dave joined Classic Carriers a little over a year ago. A friend of his was already working with Classic and told him about the opportunity.
He appreciates the family atmosphere at Classic and that the company covers things like layovers and detention time if you’re sitting somewhere waiting to unload for more than an hour. The price per mile was right for Dave, especially since bringing his own insurance gets him an extra 10 cents per mile.
When you’re paid by the mile, he said, there’s an incentive to apply your strong work ethic: “The harder you push yourself, the more you’re going to make.”
This type of pay structure also makes trucking a flexible career. During a difficult time for his family, Dave was able to be there to support his wife.
“These guys got me home whenever I needed to be home,” he said of the Classic Carriers team.
Dave has seen a lot in his time on the road but particularly enjoys driving out west. He’ll always pick a route to Southern California or Arizona if he can get it. He’s hauled dynamite to diamond and gold mines in Alaska and the Northwest Territories. He’s even trained new drivers and more experienced drivers to get their federal explosives license.
“I like helping somebody out along the way and giving back to the industry,” he said.
Veteran Driver Spotlight: John Malin
Trucking runs in the family for John Malin. Both his maternal grandfather and great uncle were drivers in the tri-state Philadelphia area. After serving in the Army for three years, John picked up the career as well.
He started out as an owner-operator but transitioned to a company driver after the organization he was leased to was bought by Classic Carriers. He’s now been with Classic for more than 16 years.
The traits of veterans, both learned and inherent, lend themselves to a career in trucking.
“Drivers are disciplined, committed to safety, and used to taking direction,” John shared. “Working as a team toward common goals is another overlap if you find the right trucking company to work with.”
John appreciates the consistency of the route he’s been running for the last four years and the relationships he’s made with his delivery customers: “They treat me wonderfully and with a lot of respect.”
We’re Hiring Drivers!
Join a carrier that values the experience and skills of veterans. Classic Carriers is seeking driver trainees and Class A CDL drivers. Start your application or contact our recruiter, Julie, to learn more.