On this week’s episode of Taking the Hire Road, Dave Powell, professional CDL truck driver with Usher Transport, joined Jeremy Reymer, founder of DriverReach, to share the story of his career with 2 million accident-free miles and what it meant to him to achieve the 2024 National Tank Truck Carriers’ Driver of the Year award.
“I didn’t set out to be a truck driver,” Powell said. “I think most people are brought up to be in the industry from an early age or they find their way into the industry one way or another.”
Powell attended a vocational school and studied tool and die machining his junior and senior years of high school. He worked in a machine shop until he was 21 but didn’t care for the environment. “Being stuck in four walls for 50 to 60 hours a week wasn’t for me,” he said.
Like many young men, Powell followed in the footsteps of his father. “At the time, my dad had recently switched from a career on the factory floor into truck driving, and he loved it,” Powell said.
Seeing how rewarding a career in truck driving could be, Powell thought he might as well try for the opening in the company where his father worked. “It wasn’t a lifelong dream, but it turned into one after I started,” he said. “I haven’t looked back since.”
Powell worked at a variety of companies in the trucking industry, from local food hauling to less-than-truckload dry hauling. He eventually became an owner-operator, and that involved primarily over-the-road trucking.
“I pulled refrigerated goods for about a year and a half, and then a neighbor helped me get into the gas business,” he said. Fuel hauling was where he felt he belonged, and he gravitated to the specific skill sets needed in that sector.
Unfortunately, the economic difficulties in 2008 meant that Powell had to transition to driving for a different industry. “I was sort of the low man on the totem pole, as they say, but the steel business found me,” he said. “I didn’t go out looking for it, but I was recruited and started hauling steel – covered wagon, flatbed. But honestly, I always wanted to be back in the gas business.”
In 2013, Powell signed on with Usher, and he has found it gratifying to work there since.
“I like to challenge myself, and the tank sector is much more than just getting behind the wheel of a truck and safely operating it,” he said. “With what I do, specifically hauling petroleum goods, I load my own truck, unload my own truck. It’s fast-paced.”
Powell also prefers tank truck driving due to the added benefit of more home time as compared to OTR trucking. “For anyone who hauls gas, it’s probably one of the biggest factors,” he said. “Not only that, but almost half of my day is spent outside of the truck, so you do a lot more physical activity. I’m in and out doing different things all day.”
Of course, Powell says, there’s often better pay in hazmat hauling because it requires more specialized skills. “I like the fact that there’s so much more responsibility on me individually rather than just driving a truck to a location,” he said. “Being able to take that kind of ownership over my whole day’s work just really appeals to me. I take personal pride in it when I do a good job.”
Winning the NTTC Driver of the Year award was a major highlight of Powell’s career, and something he never expected. “I don’t think any truck driver starting out in their career thinks they’re going to be on a national platform winning an award like that,” he said.
“It was a huge honor, and I’ve met so many people in the industry,” Powell said. “I’ve gained a lot of knowledge outside of being a truck driver through this process, and it’s been awesome. Look, I’m sitting here talking to you! Just yesterday, I was on XM radio, and I’ve been on podcasts and stages. I’m glad I have a platform to promote the industry and talk about how great it is.”
Powell described the process of winning the award and detailed the requirements. “In the beginning, they review your safety record extensively,” he said. “That’s the price of admission.”
Drivers have to go through an application process and create a submission video, usually with the help of safety personnel. The NTTC selects eight finalists and invites all of them to participate in a media day, complete with questioning in front of judges and industry representatives. Typically, a winner is announced three to four months later.
“At the national conference, myself and all the finalists attended while the president of the NTTC spoke about our backgrounds and qualifications,” Powell said. “Then they read off the results. If you win, next thing you know you’re giving your acceptance speech.”
For Powell, bringing home this award is a particularly special honor, as he is the first Usher driver ever to earn this award. “The full title of the award is ‘The William A. Usher Sr. Professional Tank Truck Driver of the Year,’ and it means the world for me to be able to bring that home for Usher,” he said.
“It’s not just my award, it’s our entire company’s award. I wouldn’t be here without them, so it’s a great feeling to be able to represent them,” Powell said.
Podcast recommendation: The Next Generation
Click here to learn more about Usher Transport.
Click here to learn more about National Tank Truck Carriers.
Sponsors: DriverReach, The National Transportation Institute, Career Now Brands, Carrier Intelligence, Infinit-I Workforce Solutions, WorkHound, Asurint, Arya By Leoforce, Seiza, Drive My Way, F|Staff, Trucksafe Consulting, Seated Social, Repowr