under his belt, Wayne went on to win the Rookie of the Year at the National Truck Driving Championships competition in Salt Lake City. Additionally, Wayne became, and still is, the only rookie who has ever won Grand Champion at the NTDC. Then, in 2007, Wayne was nominated for and became captain of the ATA’s Americas Road Team. Charles Henry, a notable mentor of Wayne’s, was one of the big components that helped America’s Road Team get its start in 1986. Charles helped guide and support Wayne through that exciting experience. The trucking industry isn’t all competition and fun, and it’s not the type of job that people always love at the beginning. “Just say you take 100 people. I don’t care about walks of life. I don’t care where they come from. Give them everything they need to get a CDL license and wait one year, you might have 10 drivers left,” said Wayne. “Being a trucker is not for everyone, but when you can make it work, you can have a great career.” Though Wayne has been fortunate to love his career, it has seen many changes and, with that, challenges. “People are living longer, they’re driving longer. You’re sharing the roads with about five different generations,” Wayne said. “And, with today’s generation, everything is immediately at their hand-held — everything’s fast-going. It’s a different generation and a different type of thought process when you’re on the road. Like they say in the trucking industry, ‘When it gets tough, you just adapt, and you move forward.’ So it’s just more traffic, it’s taking a little longer to do your runs now, and there’s a lot more construction going on. You learn to have patience and just stay away from everybody. What I want to do every day is get back home safe to my family and that’s what I want everybody else around me to do.” Trucking is not an easy career. It can be dangerous, dodging lousy weather while hauling thousands of pounds for hours. It’s always important to remember, especially on the hard days, what you like about your career. Wayne’s answer is straightforward: It’s just him and the open road. He speaks highly of the independent nature of the job and the opportunity to get out and see changing landscapes every day, rather than be confined in an office. “My office is a window. I get to look out the window, and nobody’s looking over my shoulder.” A career of this length did not come without the help of many mentors, friends and the support of FedEx, and Wayne has given back to the industry through his own mentorship. “I love mentoring people in TDC,” said Wayne. “I’ve been very fortunate to help mentor America’s Road Team. I’ve been very fortunate to help mentor the FedEx Freight Road Team. Sometimes I enjoy that more than I enjoy competing. I get more out of the self-satisfaction of mentoring or trying to help people get involved.” In his mentoring, Wayne has always sought to relay a message of authenticity and professionalism. “If you’re going to do it, do it 100%,” he tells them. “Leave the team better than it Kentucky Trucker | 15
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