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SHOWING UP
Cal Ripken Jr. shares the importance of
dedication, perseverance, and dependability
By Wendy Miller
Much like baseball, trucking is a team
sport: Everyone has a position, and each
position is valuable. From the professional
truck drivers on the ground to the executives at
the top, there are a few qualities that each member
of the organization must possess — dedication,
perseverance, and commitment.
Major League Baseball (MLB) Hall of Famer
Cal Ripken Jr. knows a thing or two about those
qualities. An unforgettable shortstop for the Baltimore
Orioles, Ripken made history not only with
his exceptional abilities at the position, but also
with an unprecedented dedication to the game —
2,632 of those games to be exact.
Ripken shared his story of dedication and perseverance
to more than 1,200 attendees during the
Truckload Carriers Association’s Annual Convention
— Truckload 2020: Orlando. He stressed that
the importance of “showing up” cannot be taken
for granted. Doing just that — showing up — is
what led him to make history.
On September 5, 1995, Ripken broke the MLB
record for the longest stretch of consecutive games
played by any player in MLB history. This accomplishment,
which earned him the nickname
of baseball’s “Iron Man,” gave dedicated Oriole
fans something to be proud of during some of the
darker times in the team’s history.
Time can fly by just as fast as a baseball, and
Ripken recognizes that as he approaches the 25th anniversary
of setting that record. As he reflects on the
record he still holds and celebrates the “milestone of
a milestone,” Ripken still credits much of his success
to resiliency and dedication.
“Well, I think when you’re finished playing, all
you have is time to sit back and remember,”
said Ripken. “The good part about that
is that most people remember all
the good stuff. They don’t
remember any of the
bad stuff. The ‘Iron
Man’ record
was really
something because I was resilient enough to go out
there and play. Mentally I was strong enough to meet
the challenges every day, so I’m very proud of that.”
Ripken said that celebrating his streak of games
has shown him that everyone — no matter the industry
— has a streak of which they are proud.
Whether it’s going to work and never using a sick
day, or having perfect attendance in school, dedication,
perseverance, and simply showing up are
valuable assets.
Bringing his point home to the attendees, Ripken
said he has had several truck drivers relate their
dedication on the road to that of Ripken’s on the
field.
“Everybody would tell me their streaks, and so
many times there were truckers that said, ‘I’m on
the road, like you are as a baseball player. We have
challenges, like you do as a baseball player,’” said
Ripken. “It’s important for us to meet those challenges
each and every day, and that’s the principle
that I love. There’s value in showing up. And there
were many different truckers that had the same
sort of attitude and approach that we baseball
players have.”
Ripken said those challenges include being
away from home, juggling schedules, and
meeting deadlines, all of which can be a lot to
32 TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY | www.Truckload.org TCA 2020