James Hawes Named TMC's Trainer of the Month for August 2019
on Monday, September 30, 2019
in
Awards & Recognition
When it comes to life on the road, James is no stranger to the industry. He has been driving since 1998, with most of those years consisting of flatbed. “I’ve done a little bit of everything when it comes to driving, but I always end up coming back to flatbed,” he says.
James found his way to TMC in November 2013 after his wife sent him an application to apply for a flatbed driving position. “I was really interested in the trucks and the home time that was promised,” James says. “This is one of the few companies I have worked for that is more family oriented than anything, and that’s really important to me.”
The Flint, Texas native moved into the training role shortly after starting with TMC. “When I was at other companies, I didn’t have the kind of training that TMC offers. I’ve been doing this for a while and I wanted to be that person who helps someone start a new career.”
James puts his trainees to work right away, but he keeps his style laid back and personable. “I try to get my guys out doing the job and learning as much as they can, but I like to keep it light and make sure I’m building good relationships.”
So what is James’ favorite part of training? “Always having someone else around to help with tarps!” he jokes. “But in all seriousness, seeing these guys make it to their own trucks is my favorite part. Getting that call and knowing that someone got their start because of the help you gave them is the most rewarding.”
Finally, James says he owes his success to him Trainer Coordinator, Jeremy Meyer, and Fleet Manager, Clint Pedersen. “This recognition really caught me by surprise, but it’s not just me out here. Jeremy and Clint both keep me running and are really the two people that make this possible for me.”
Driver trainers are vital to the TMC Training Department, and each month a trainer is chosen who demonstrates the outstanding qualities TMC looks for in a trainer. The Trainer of the Month recipient is chosen based on their safety record and the safety performance of their trainees, the number of drivers trained and the retention percentage of those drivers. Congratulations to our August 2019 Trainer of the Month, James Hawes!