By Wright Media staff
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DES MOINES, Iowa – Bill Crane was in the jewelry business before he signed on to drive with TMC Transportation. Now, he’s a gem of the company's driver trainer program.
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Driving a truck was never something Crane pictured himself doing, but he reached out to family members already in the industry for advice when the economy turned and they recommended TMC as a “starting point.†He has been with the company since 2012.
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“I’m still here because it’s the best,†he said.
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He was just as uncertain about becoming a driver trainer when approached with that opportunity, but he took the leap and earlier this autumn was recognized as TMC Trainer of the Month.
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“I finally decided to try it and now I love it,†he said.
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Being a trainer gives him a chance pay the experience he received from the company forward. And, he says, it “breaks up the monotony†of the sense of isolation that can come with life on the road.
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Driver trainers are vital to the TMC training department and the company recognizes one each month who demonstrates the outstanding qualities it seeks in a trainer. The winner is chosen based on their safety record and the safety performance of their trainers, the number of drivers trained and the retention percentage of those drivers.
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“Experience is the best teacher so I do my best to have my trainees get their hands in everything,†Crane said. “The lifelong friendships are worth it. It’s also great to see TMC keep growing and knowing that I had a hand in getting others ready for the job.â€
Cover photo: Bill Crane (R), TMC's Driver Trainer of the Month for October, is congratulated by training coordinator manager Jeff Geist.
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