By Al Muskewitz

In 19 years as a professional truck driver and training engineer for Schneider, Tom Lehr has hauled everything from airbags to zippers across the country in just about every type carrier in the fleet.

No matter the load or destination, it has always been with an abundant amount of pride for the company, the customer and the freight. Going forward, he’ll be carrying a little extra on those trips that is near and dear to his heart and soul.

Lehr, a retired Marine and million-mile safe driver from Harlan, Iowa, has been chosen to drive the 2020 Schneider Ride of Pride, a truck series from Freightliner designed to be a rolling tribute to members of the United States military – past and present. It’s the 12^th time Schneider has been selected to participate in the program.

“It is an incredible privilege, high honor and extremely humbling to be nominated and selected,” Lehr said. “Using this role as an opportunity to articulate my story as a Marine – and to represent and tell the story of all branches of service – really makes my heart swell.

“Over a recent weekend, while parked in my hometown, I had dozens of people come up to me and speak about their, their parents’ or their grandparents’ military service. It is beyond rewarding to watch people swell up with pride and see their eyes water as they look at the truck and share their personal stories – each one being different than the last, and each just as moving. For those who more recently served, you can see the years and distance fade away as they remember the friends they made when they served. That camaraderie and connection is the heart of this truck.”

This year’s Freightliner tractor, which Lehr will use to pull his loads as a Midwest regional OTR driver out of Schneider’s Urbandale, Iowa, operating center, will showcase military uniforms throughout the years. Following the tradition of naming the trucks by previous Schneider Ride of Pride drivers, Lehr has named this year’s unit “Fidelity,” a nod to the Marine Corps motto “Semper Fidelis” (Always Faithful) and a reminder of those who faithfully serve the nation, regardless of their branch of service.

Fort Worth, Texas, driver David Price (Navy) named his 2017 truck that featured a montage of 15 U.S. memorials, “The American;” it continued the mission in 2018 with David Buck of Illinois (Air Force) in the seat. Jon Ritscher (Army) of Crown City, Ohio, named his 2016 Ride of Pride truck “Valor” and Jay Hull (Army) of Green Bay, Wis., named his truck in 2015 “Patriot.”

The Ride of Pride trucks have always been a hit wherever they’ve pulled into the lot and the drivers relish the opportunity to share the stories of the military and their service with those who approach them.

“Everybody asked me if the truck was mine, so I told them that it’s everybody’s truck, for what it stands for,” 2007 Ride of Pride driver Lowell Wilderman said.

The Ride of Pride program originated in 2001 when Ed Keeter, a shift manager and U.S. veteran at Freightliner’s manufacturing plant in Cleveland, N.C., proposed the project as a way to honor military veterans. It quickly became part of a national effort that includes participating in major events like the annual Ride for Freedom (Rolling Thunder) and Wreaths Across America. Schneider received its first Ride of Pride truck in 2007.

“Adding a new Ride of Pride to our fleet is always a special, tangible display of our commitment to those who serve – past and present,” said Rob Reich, Schneider executive vice president, chief administrative officer and U.S. Army veteran.

“The Freightliner team is proud to stand with our friends at Schneider to show our appreciation and gratitude to all of the brave service members who have worked or currently are working to protect our country,” Richard Howard, senior vice president, on-highway sales and marketing, Daimler Trucks North America, said in a news release announcing this year’s program. “It’s a true honor to participate in the Ride of Pride program with our important customer, Schneider, and to watch the program continue to grow year after year.”

Schneider has been independently ranked as the top military-friendly employer in the trucking industry, with approximately 22 percent of its drivers being veterans or currently serving in the National Guard and Reserves.

Within its Military Experience Program, 100 percent of a driver’s military driving experience is applied to his company service time or they receive one-year driving experience credit (starting pay) if they served in a non-transportation capacity. The company works to get its Guard and Reservists home on time for their monthly and annual training events without using paid time off and protects their positions while they’re gone.

Additionally, the Department of Veterans Affairs has accepted Schneider into its 12-month Apprenticeship Program, making service members active in the Guard or Reserves and those discharged in the last 12 months who meet basic qualifications eligible for a monthly educational benefit check of up to $1,431 in their first year.

It’s that recognition and commitment to veterans that has helped Lehr remain loyal to the company for nearly two decades, almost as long as he served in the Marines.

“It was clear that Schneider sees the benefits of employing someone with a military background,” Lehr said. “My time as a company Gunnery Sergeant, training and taking care of the needs of my Marines, allowed me to see the value in how Schneider treats their veterans … When I saw how well they took care of their service-member employees, I knew this was the right place for me and my family. And I haven’t looked back.”

Al Muskewitz is the Editor at Wright Media. He can be reached at musky@wrightmediacorp.com