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AT
THE TRUCK STOP
PRESENTED BY CAT SCALE. VISIT WEIGHMYTRUCK.COM
Iowa trucker concludes 33-year career with
TMC Transport, offers advice to new drivers
TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES
DES MOINES, Iowa — In mid-December, Iowa
trucker Russ Allen returned his keys to TMC Transportation
for the final time, ending a 33-and-a-half-year
career of driving for the company.
Allen, who grew up on a farm, says he remembers
watching the big trucks in the field as he raised cattle.
He recalls that farming got tough in the 1980s, and that
transitioning from part-time driver for a local sale barn
to a full-time trucker in 1985 was a decision of necessity.
After two years of driving over the road, Allen was hired
by the late Walt Annett, who was then TMC’s vice president
of maintenance, to drive for TMC in May 1987.
“I had a good friend who drove for TMC. I thought
that the shiny black trucks were a lot nicer than the
cabovers I had been driving,” he explained.
After more than three decades of driving at TMC,
Allen says the most rewarding part of his job has been
parking a shiny Kenworth or Peterbilt in front of his
house on the weekends. Another high point, he noted, is
the flexibility that comes with hauling flatbed freight.
“With flatbeds, you get exercise, which makes staying
in shape easier than shutting the doors on a box
trailer,” Allen said.
“I enjoyed taking my kids with me several times.
My daughter, Alicia, had never seen a mountain before,”
he continued. “Being able to share those special
moments with family, exploring new sights made it all
worth it.”
Since Allen entered trucking, there have been numerous
changes in the industry — especially regarding technology.
In the 1980s there were no cellphones or GPS.
According to Allen, the biggest obstacle he had to
overcome in those days was “going into any big city,
trying to find where to go unload. Over time it got easier,
but it was a challenge.”
Winter driving was an obstacle as well. “It takes
time getting to know what the truck can or can’t do,”
he noted, adding that slowing down when the roads got
bad was key to his safe driving record.
When asked about what advice he would give to a new
driver, Allen shared, “The pay is good if you work for it.”
While being a truck driver isn’t always easy, it can
be a rewarding career.
“Every day has different challenges,” he said. “The
work can be hard, but when you get that special load
that looks cool on the trailer, it makes the extra work
worthwhile. If you stay long enough to get on the specialized
or boat division, it can be rewarding. As an
ex-farmer, parking a shiny new piece of machinery at
my house can be impressive.”
Allen also shared some advice for young or inexperienced
drivers.
“I would say, ‘Be really careful when loading and
unloading,’” he said.
“I got in a hurry several times and fell off trailers or
had a tarp roll off insulation and hit my head (I used to
be taller),” he continued. “Things like that, you shake
it off and keep going, but years later you look back and
think, ‘Why did I let that happen?’”
Courtesy: TMC Transport
Russ Allen, who drove for Iowa-based TMC Transportation for more than 33 years, retired Dec. 18, 2020. Allen says he
plans to work on his farm and travel with his wife, Molly.
“
Every day has different
challenges. The work can be hard,
but when you get that special load
that looks cool on the trailer, it
makes the extra work worthwhile.”
— Russ Allen, professional driver
of more than 30 years
His second piece of advice: “Tie the loads down and
tarp right the first time. Then, you do not have to stop
and redo anything. The load stays on the trailer.”
Now that he’s retired, Allen says he plans to work
on the farm and spend time with his four grandsons.
His son, Jed, farms in addition to running an agriculture
machinery repair business. In addition, Allen and
his wife, Molly, plan to do some traveling.
“I made lifelong friends here at TMC. I was always
treated well by people in the shops, the fleet managers,
all the way up to (TMC CEO) Harrold Annett. I will
always be thankful for Walt Annett hiring me. He is
the reason I stayed for over 33 years,” Allen said, noting
that he enjoyed working the entire team, including
fleet manager Glenda Miller, operations manager Chad
Reece and Mike Duffy, who became TMC’s vice president
of maintenance two years ago.
“I cannot believe I am over 70 years old and spent
nearly half my life at TMC,” Allen said. “I want to
thank everyone who I worked with here, and Todd
Bunting (vice president of safety). Thankfully, I stayed
on the good side of Todd — most of the time.”
While Duffy is sad to see Allen retire, “he’s earned
it, and I’m excited for him,” Duffy said.
“I think everybody has a short list of individuals
who they know that can be counted on to do the right
thing and do it to the best of their ability every time,”
Duffy continued. “Russ is definitely on my list, and
I’m sure many others. His work ethic is unbelievable,
as is his attention to detail.” 8