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Theodore Terry

Theodore Terry
Spartanburg, South Carolina
US Xpress
Scholarship Won: Thomas Welby Scholarship - $3,000

I have experienced a lot in my career with US Xpress. Learning how to drive a semi-truck safely and being responsible for my schedule was a big accomplishment. It taught me self-discipline and it gave an opportunity to see things I would have never been able to see. In my short time driving I never had an accident or moving violation. Training new drivers was a challenge that I took very seriously. It was a good feeling when students upgraded, knowing that I helped open a door for them to have a better life. When the opportunity presented itself to move inside the office it was a hard decision to make but I knew it would allow me to develop more of an understanding of the trucking industry. I began to understand why it was important to fuel at certain locations and trying to prevent out of route miles. With my promotion to Load Planner I was given a bigger responsibility of keeping all trucks moving without incurring major out of route miles. Managing to keep utilization high while keeping drivers happy was a challenge that I feel I did well. In June of 2007 I was promoted to account manager, managing 60 drivers and 8 office staff personnel. Having such a diverse background in transportation has given me an opportunity to better understand the driver issues and company issues. I know by continuing my education I can learn more about the business side of transportation.