Happy Retirement
Soon, Mr. Jenkins will be retiring from STS. Mr. Jenkins began his story by relating his trucking career to one of Johnny Cash’s infamous country songs, “I’ve Been Everywhere.” As the song plays, Cash sings of dozens of cities and states across this great country. Anywhere from Bangor to Pasadena, from Minnesota to Louisiana and all points in between. Many professional truck drivers like him, have devoted their lives to traveling across the country sacrificing time with their families to keep America supplied.
Mr. Jenkins dad was a truck driver, and he found his father’s passion for transportation inspirational. From a small boy, he would ride with his dad during holidays and summers. He loved being out on the open road with him. It was on his dad’s deathbed, when he told his father not to worry, he would take his place and continue to “move the freight.” In 1986, the Monday after Thanksgiving, he hauled his first load!
Mr. Jenkins has spent half of his career training new drivers and loves getting to know and sharing his experiences with them. When asked if he had any advice for new truck drivers, he stated “be prepared to stay away from home. If you are a newlywed or a new parent, you might want to reconsider or put it on hold for a bit.” While he has thoroughly enjoyed his trucking career, he has missed a lot of family events due to being on the road. His favorite places to travel are the Cascadia and Rocky Mountains, “the sights are unbelievable.” He did not hesitate to also mention his least favorite places to drive “you can have all the big city driving you want LA, Chicago, and Atlanta are some of worst cities to drive through. Be sure to STAY AWAY from Washington DC during rush hour on a holiday weekend!”
Throughout his tenure, Mr. Jenkins has seen many changes in transportation. DOT regulations have been difficult for him at times, but he has also seen some of the “best” changes in trucking. He says, “Drivers today are lucky to have instant communication when they have breakdowns or some sort of delay. Truck drivers no longer have to pull into a truck stop and wait his/her turn at the bank of phones to get their next dispatch!”
Mr. Jenkins says he will “miss the people the most, truckers are loyal to each other.” He will also miss being a part of STS, because STS has been the “best years” of his trucking career. “I have never worked for a carrier where EVERY team member treats and cares for the drivers the way STS does.” He will always cherish the relationship he has had with his Fleet Manager, Becky too! “Becky knows me as a person, she has kept me busy and always has my best interest in mind!” “Ramsey cares about his folks that work for him, and is a great leader.” He could not say enough good about Crystal… “not another one like her.”
We asked what was going to be the first thing he did when he retired, he immediately responded “get up and make breakfast!” Cooking is one of his favorite hobbies and he admits he is “pretty good” at it. In fact, his wife said “when he hangs up his keys, meal time is his time!” Although, cooking is a great hobby of his, spending time with family is what he is looking forward to the most. He plans to take his wife on a tour of Texas. Other plans include spending lots of time with his sons, his grandsons, and being present for the birth of his granddaughter.
As the song by Johnny Cash ends so does Mr. Jenkins trucking career…. The lyrics “I’ve been everywhere”, could not reign more truth to his professional truck driving career. He has climbed up in his rig and sat behind the wheel for 33 years. He has been to all 48 contiguous states and has logged 5 million miles, which is equivalent to 10 trips to the moon and back. Although, driving a truck is one of his favorite pastimes, he does not think he will miss it. He is ready to hang up his truck keys!
About Specialized Transportation Services…
Specialized Transportation Services (STS) is a leading transportation company who employs highly qualified drivers, utilizes the latest technologies and leverages the most advanced logistics management practices to deliver the best possible service to our customers and our drivers. From our drivers to our customer service, management, and office personnel, STS is built on nothing less than a team of dedicated professionals who care about the safe transportation of our customers’ products. We are committed to adding staff and drivers who have an exceptional work ethic and the desire to satisfy the customer.