George Calore named TMC's Driver of the Second Quarter for 2015
on Tuesday, August 25, 2015
in
Awards & Recognition
George has been driving with TMC for a collective 18 years. He is the epitome of an industry veteran, having had 17 years of experience as an owner-operator before joining our fleet. Though it’s not your typical nine to five job, George describes the trucking industry as his “bread and butter”.
Making the transition from an owner-operator to a company driver was surprisingly simple for George. He was trying to raise a family and it was getting difficult to afford fuel and breakdowns. In 1992 he sold his own trucks and began driving for fellow owner-operators, but he missed the top-notch equipment that he was used to when driving his own trucks. He soon chose to make the move to ‘company driver’, and it was one company in particular that caught his attention.
“I used to load right beside these clean, new trucks in Cleveland, Ohio that said ‘The Mickow Corporation’ on the side of them,” George says. In the early eighties, TMC was still very small and operating under ‘The Mickow Corporation’. “I told myself that if I ever sold my trucks, I would go to TMC.”
George stood by his word and quickly made a name for himself at TMC. He’s driven over one million safe miles and has received multiple safety awards. “To be a successful driver, you have to have the mindset that you’re going to get the job done right,” he says. “Trucking is a lifestyle. You have to not only enjoy it, but adjust your life to it.”
TMC has grown immensely since George first started here—but the one constant has been the hard work and dedication that it takes to be a successful driver and meet the company’s high standards. As a former driver trainer, George knows all about teaching rookies the ropes. “Do things safe and right the first time,” he explains. “You don’t get the chance to prepare or un-tarp loads again.”
“George is very professional and well respected by all of our drivers, says his Fleet Manager, Jeff Bleadorn. “We have had customers ask us specifically when will George be coming back, that is how well liked he is. I can always depend on George to be safe and be where he needs to be on time every day.”
Early in his career with TMC, George had the opportunity to come off the road and into the office to be a Fleet Manager. Here is where he met some very influential people and a moment that serves as his greatest TMC memory.
Just a few months prior to this transition, George attended a quarterly ‘Driver Issues Meeting’ at the company headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa. Also in attendance were Chairman and CEO, Harrold Annett, and his late brother, Walt, who was the former VP of Maintenance and a beloved member of the TMC family.
“Walt had only met me that one time so briefly, but when I came to be a Fleet Manager months later, he remembered me and without hesitating said ‘Hey George! Congratulations!’ It really meant a lot.”
Not long after, George’s enthusiasm for adventure got the best of him and he was back out on the road in his black and chrome truck that he loved so much. “It was a great opportunity and I embraced it, but I’m a working kind of guy that isn’t made for the office. The experience was so inspiring, however, and meeting Harrold, Walt and Glen McCravy, TMC’s Executive VP of Human Resources and Risk Management, is something that will stick with me.”
We’re proud to have George as a part of the TMC team. He truly exemplifies excellence.
Criteria for Driver of the Quarter recognition includes years of service with the company, safe driving record, excellent customer service, professionalism and overall quality performance. Once a driver is recognized as a Driver of the Quarter they are eligible to receive the prestigious Wheel Master Award.