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O wner-operator<br />
By Wendy Miller<br />
OF THE YEAR<br />
‘The truck comes first’: Kevin Kocmich<br />
finds success through tedious planning<br />
Kevin Kocmich and his wife, Joy, might take a vacation. With<br />
a $25,000 check in his pocket, the two could afford a little<br />
time off. But like many other self-employment opportunities,<br />
working as an owner-operator means running a small<br />
business — and the business’s finances and stability come first.<br />
“We want to make a trip to Alaska,” said Kevin, noting that he and<br />
his wife have driven there in the truck for work. “Joy wants to make a<br />
trip up there for a vacation. That might be in the plan for next year. It<br />
won’t be this year, but I want to go on a couple weeks’ vacation like<br />
that. I want to go on a vacation and enjoy it.”<br />
Kevin, who is leased to Diamond Transportation System, Inc.,<br />
didn’t just stumble upon $25,000; he earned it as the 2019 grand<br />
prize winner of the Owner Operator of the Year contest presented<br />
by the Truckload Carriers Association and sponsored by Love’s Travel<br />
Stops and Cummins. As a requirement of the contest, Kevin had to<br />
submit his tax returns for the past couple of years and a business<br />
plan, among other things, in order to be considered.<br />
Kevin said that part was pretty easy since his business plan and<br />
budget haven’t changed since he began his career. He has always<br />
budgeted for a new truck every few years and allowed plenty of<br />
money for repairs and equipment. Keeping his finances in order is<br />
one of the essential pieces of being a successful owner-operator,<br />
according to Kevin.<br />
“If you want to make more money as an owner-operator, you have<br />
to run your business as a business,” he said. “We’ve never overspent.<br />
The truck comes first. That is what makes us our money. The truck is<br />
in the budget, and it hasn’t changed for years. We’ve never gotten<br />
into a bind, but I watch the future.”<br />
Kevin, who has driven a truck for more than 30 years, was a<br />
company driver for a while before buying his own truck. Since taking<br />
that step, the truck has been his main financial focus, and he has<br />
built a business in a pretty specific area of the industry — oversized,<br />
heavy loads. Kevin said he can haul up to 92,000 pounds with special<br />
permits in some states.<br />
With a gooseneck trailer of his own used for hauling everything<br />
from military machinery to a 40-foot Christmas tree headed for<br />
the Alamo, the duo spends most of the year on the road. Although<br />
Joy doesn’t drive the truck, she keeps the business in order by<br />
monitoring the load board, watching for loads that make the most<br />
sense for the couple.<br />
“She does everything else [other than drive],” he shared. “She puts<br />
the flags and signs on, and she prints my permits and paperwork.<br />
She will keep her laptop in front of her, watching the load board.<br />
She calls for directions and talks to brokers for information about<br />
the loads.”<br />
The freedom to make decisions is another thing Kevin said he<br />
enjoys about being an owner-operator, adding that it also helps to<br />
be leased to a company that keeps the best interest of its drivers<br />
in mind, which is a quality he found in Diamond Transportation<br />
System, Inc.<br />
Kevin Kocmich and his wife, Joy<br />
“We are able to run our business as we see fit,” shared Kevin. “They<br />
work hard for us. They try to get the best rates for us, and if we don’t<br />
want to go someplace they’ll offer it to the next guy. They don’t force<br />
anything on us. They take care of us. They’re all good in my book.”<br />
With 3.7 million accident-free miles, he has an impeccable safety<br />
record, which is another consideration for the Driver of the Year<br />
contest. How does he manage to remain safe on the highway when<br />
running between 100,000 and 150,000 miles a year? He simply looks<br />
ahead and makes plans, just as he does with his finances.<br />
“Kevin is always safe and courteous on the road. He takes the<br />
extra time to secure his loads properly, recheck the points of<br />
contact, and properly measures and scales his loads,” said Diamond<br />
Transportation System, Inc. President Jon Coca. “Not only is he both<br />
safe and provides the best service, he’s a great representative. We<br />
truly wish we could have 100 owner-operators just like Kevin.”<br />
Kevin said that the thorough evaluation of an owner-operator’s<br />
performance as well as his or her emphasis on safety and financial<br />
stability is what makes this award so special to him. Admittedly,<br />
he shared that he’s typically the “one at the back of the room” who<br />
doesn’t seek attention, but when he was nominated for the contest,<br />
he was excited and honored to even be considered.<br />
“I’m pretty proud and honored to win this award,” said Kevin. “They<br />
looked at pretty much your whole life, so it is a pretty big award. It<br />
really covers everything. There are good truck drivers out here, and<br />
we are doing the best we can. It is a very hard industry, and we give<br />
up a lot. An award like this is good to get out there and show the<br />
public, as much as possible, that the industry is working hard. It is<br />
good to recognize the people that work hard at this.”<br />
Outside of the truck, the Kocmichs have been involved in the<br />
Trucker Buddy International program for nearly 15 years. The<br />
program pairs elementary-school teachers with truck drivers that<br />
can serve as pen pals to students in the classroom.<br />
Kevin said technology makes it even easier to keep in touch with<br />
the students through email. They send photos of the places they<br />
travel and enjoy showing the students the world through their<br />
truck’s windshield. Whether it is exploring a new part of the country<br />
or learning about a piece of equipment he is hauling, Kevin said he<br />
enjoys contributing to an educational environment.<br />
Throughout the interview, there’s no doubt he takes great pride in<br />
his job and even though it isn’t easy, Kevin will never regret getting<br />
into one of “the most important industries.”<br />
“It makes me proud that we are moving all of the freight for<br />
everybody else’s needs,” said Kevin. “Whether you are an owneroperator<br />
or a company driver, you are going to get out of this what<br />
you put into it. I think that is what has kept me in the business. I’ve<br />
never fallen behind on anything. It has been an adventure.”<br />
TCA 2020 www.Truckload.org | TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY 29