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Trucking fleet
Celebrating National Truck Driver Appreciation Week at WEX
We are thrilled to celebrate truck drivers across the U.S. on the 37th annual National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. We talked to folks in the trucking industry – both drivers and fleet management executives – to share with you the pride they feel in their work and in what drivers do day in and day out for America.
Maverick Transportation
Maverick Transportation, based in North Little Rock, Arkansas provides open deck trucking across the contiguous U.S. Dean Newell, Vice President, Safety and Training at Maverick shares Maverick’s ethos about their drivers: “At Maverick Transportation, with over 1,600 trucks on the road, and eight locations, our drivers are the core of our business. Every day we are grateful for our drivers’ exemplary customer service, the professionalism they display, and the high safety standards they uphold. Hats off to Team Maverick in celebration of 2025’s National Truck Driver Appreciation Week.”
Maverick’s president, John Culp, is chairman of both the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) and the Arkansas Trucking Association and has been a respected voice in the industry for decades. “In the over 40 years we’ve been in business, it all comes down to the men and women out on the road every day transporting goods for American households. They are our everyday heroes, and we are grateful to have this National Truck Driver Appreciation Week every year to say it out loud. Thank you, drivers, for all you do for Maverick, and all you do for the U.S. economy,” says Culp.
Maverick’s Travis Harris
Travis Harris trains drivers for Maverick and he shared with us a sweet anecdote about how he interacts with his students, “I think out of the twenty-six-ish students I’ve had, I’ve only had three that wouldn’t sing with me. We sing anything from country music, R&B, to rap. We’ll be jammin’ going down the road by the second day.” He has fun with his lessons and also takes pride in seeing the drivers he trains meet their goals.
Maverick’s Tim Howell
Driver Tim Howell used to work in a factory, and discovered trucking over 12 years ago and quickly became enamored with it. “I like being my own boss,” Howell shared. “You set your own hours to a certain point. You have to be self-driven to do this. And if you’re not, you’re not going to be successful.” He shared a funny story with us about how being resourceful is always a good skill to have when out on the road as a truck driver for Maverick, “Late one night I thought I had left my winch bar out on my trailer. All I had on were my under shorts and tennis shoes, and I locked myself out of my truck! But, being the son of an Eagle Scout teaches you to always be prepared. So I had a spare key, which definitely saved me from embarrassment!”
Maverick’s Randy Smith
Randy Smith has been out on the road driving for a living for 22 years and has been with Maverick for over 14 years. “I like not punching a clock. I’m not in the same place every day, staring at the same four walls. I enjoy the wide open road and the mystery of where I’m going to be going tomorrow. I don’t wake up in the same place. I’ve been everywhere in the country – different weather, cultures, different people. I really enjoy it.”
Charlotte Cohee, Driver for Maverick
Maverick’s Charlotte Cohee has been a driver for more than nine years, and she shared with us that what she loves about being a driver is that every day is different. “I love learning the different parts of the business like securement and freight. And then there’s everything I get to see on the road, even if I go the same way more than once. You always see something different. I love the adventure of getting to work and travel, at the same time.”
Schneider National
At Schneider, being family-owned since its inception makes the culture community-oriented and all Schneider drivers are part of the family. Rob Reich, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer at Schneider says, “Before they reach our homes, stores, or hospitals, nearly every item we depend upon has traveled by truck, with a professional behind the wheel. That’s why drivers are the backbone of our industry and economy. During Driver Appreciation Week—and every day—we salute the drivers who keep America moving. Your resilience, grit and dedication to safety inspire us all. Thank you for all you do.”
Schneider’s Nan Cunningham
Nan Cunningham is an intermodal driver for Schneider out of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and has been driving with Schneider since 1989. She’s their longest-tenured female driver and a three-million-mile safe driver.
Nan is considered a trailblazer in the industry, and currently works in Intermodal. “When I first started, I was not the norm,” Nan said. “Less than five percent of drivers were females, and a lot were running teams with their husbands. I was the novelty.”
Nan has witnessed a steady rise in female drivers at Schneider, and they now represent nearly 13% of driver associates. She believes patience makes women great drivers and encourages more to join the field. “It’s a good career path for anyone who’s interested in logistics or transportation,” Nan said. “We get equal pay for equal work. It’s a challenge, but it’s fun out on the road.”
She values the freedom, travel, and friendships trucking offers. Her top advice to new drivers: “It gets easier as you go along,” Nan said. “When I was new, it was scary being out on my own. The skills come along as you practice them. Just be confident and stay the course.”
Schneider’s Greg Swift
One way drivers can differentiate themselves from their peers is through extraordinary safety achievements within a professional driver team. A big milestone example of that among truck drivers is when a driver hits five million miles of driving completely accident-free. Greg Swift is one of only three Schneider drivers to reach that five-million safe miles demarcation point. Read more about the story of Greg’s safety accomplishment here: Schneider driver achieves milestone of five million safe miles.
Greg is a van truckload driver for Schneider on the Georgia-Pacific dedicated account. He joined Schneider in 1991 after earning a teaching degree from the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire. What started as a summer job turned into a lifelong career. “I was going to drive a truck for the summer in the Milwaukee area,” Greg said. “I enjoyed it. Once I jumped in the truck, I got it in my blood. It’s turned out to be quite the long-term adventure.”
Greg attributes his five-million safe miles milestone to the support of Schneider’s entire team. “I may have driven the five million miles, but I did it with the support of dispatchers, leaders, Maintenance, and every department in the company.”
His advice to new drivers is simple but powerful: Plan ahead and manage time wisely. Outside of work, Greg enjoys traveling with his wife.
Schneider’s Juan Gomez
Juan Gomez is an intermodal driver and training engineer for Schneider out of Kearney, New Jersey. Juan’s journey into trucking began after realizing the corporate world wasn’t for him. With a background in accounting and computer programming, he found his passion behind the wheel. “The suit and tie life was not my thing,” Juan said. “So, I started driving trucks with a friend, and I got hooked on it.”
After Hurricane Sandy destroyed his equipment as an owner-operator, Juan joined Schneider in 2012. “What I really like is helping other drivers become the best they can be,” Juan said. “It’s satisfying, and it gives me joy. I’ve met great people who have helped me during my time here, and I’ll appreciate that forever, so I enjoy being that same type of resource for new drivers.”
Juan enjoys the open road and the independence Schneider offers. “I love the countryside, the scenery, and going to different places every day. With Schneider, you also get good people, good equipment, and in some ways, it feels like I’m running my own business again. I like the idea of, ‘just give me the work and trust me to do the job right.’ I feel like I have that here,” said Juan.
Outside of work, Juan spends time with his five grandchildren and enjoys fishing, hunting, hiking, and renting motorcycles. He plans to stay with Schneider for the rest of his career.
J.B. Hunt Transport
J.B. Hunt Transport is an Arkansas-based transportation provider that recently celebrated its 64th anniversary. J.B. Hunt has a vision to create the most efficient transportation network in North America.
Greer Woodruff, executive vice president of safety, sustainability and maintenance at J.B. Hunt, says J.B. Hunt celebrates drivers for the entire month of September: “During Truck Driver Appreciation Week and throughout September, we honor our drivers for their unwavering commitment to operational excellence and the value they deliver to our customers. Their daily efforts embody the strength of our safety culture, and this is our way of saying thank you for their dedication, hard work, and resilience. These are the qualities that make J.B. Hunt an industry leader in safety.”
Paul, Driver for J.B. Hunt
Paul B., is a Regional Intermodal Driver who has been with J.B. Hunt for nearly 28 years. His only regret is not having joined J.B. Hunt sooner: “There are some times when I’ve bemoaned the fact that I didn’t join J.B. Hunt back in 1987 because I’d have my five millionth safe mile by now, and be working on my six millionth.”
Paul started driving trucks after he finished serving in the U.S. Army which he joined when he was 17. He’d wanted to be a truck driver since childhood: “I wanted to be a truck driver from back when my parents took us camping a lot. We traveled every summer, and I was smitten by the travel bug, and loved the big trucks back then, and decided that’s what I wanted to do. I’m just a truck driver to the bone, I just love to drive.”
John, Driver for J.B. Hunt
John H., is a J.B. Hunt Regional Dedicated Contract Services® Driver who has been with J.B. Hunt since 2006 “When I got out of the Navy in 1995, I wasn’t ready to settle down and be home all the time. So, there was a billboard in Dallas that said, ‘Free training, guaranteed employment.’ I called them, went through three weeks of training at their school in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and I’ve been driving trucks ever since.” John loves being on the road and appreciates that he can support his family while doing so.
“Driving trucks is the best way I know to take care of my family. And I make good money doing it, and I still get to go places, see things and experience things that I wouldn’t if I had a regular 9:00 to 5:00 job at the same location every day. I still enjoy the adventure of driving, going over the next hill and around the next curve to see what’s there.”
During the 2025 National Truck Driver Appreciation week, our hats are off to the men and women who keep goods moving across the country, keeping our shelves stocked and our economy thriving. Thank a truck driver today!
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