ALL HEART - Peter Davis
ALL HEART
Legend Nominee: Peter Davis
The trucking industry offers a wide variety of career opportunities ideal for every truck driver’s lifestyle preference. Commercial transportation is a career field that provides great job security with positions available to meet your personal life demands: local driving jobs, regional work and long-haul. Companies nationwide steadily seek to hire solo and team drivers (an advantage for spouses, friends or family members that choose to run together) with increasing efforts, now more than ever, to recruit female drivers and military veterans. Coupled with the consistent evolution of new developments in a high demanding industry, the career opportunities are constantly emerging.
Professional truck drivers are extremely imperative for the survival of our nation’s economy. If you need it, use it or own it – a truck brought it. Understanding the value of these men and women, specialized training and licensing programs to operate a commercial motor vehicle properly and safely are offered by many schools (e.g., private or independent, company-sponsored, technical, etc.) and/or community colleges located most anywhere throughout the country.
Veterans seeking a respectable industry with career options are highly encouraged to pursue the field of transportation where they can thrive as a commercial truck driver due to their strong leadership skills, military training experience, self-discipline when working independently, as well as, displaying great teamwork and compatibility.
This Legend driver set out to accomplish two goals within his lifetime: serve in the U.S. Navy and follow in his father’s footsteps as an over-the-road truck driver. Navy Petty Officer First Class Peter Davis, retired in 1992 after 12 years of service. Currently a company driver for one of the largest truckload carriers in North America, Transport Corporation of America (Transport America), Peter has surpassed his 1-million-mile mark accident-free with zero violations and no citations. A former driver trainer with experience pulling dry van and refrigerated freight, he has spent most of his driving career operating as a team driver. Today, Peter is running solo in a 2016 Freightliner Cascadia for Transport America’s one-way division.
Born and raised in Vermont, Peter grew up in the small town of Bennington. His father drove a truck full-time, while his mother raised Peter and his five siblings. As a young boy, Peter was a nature enthusiast and took to fishing and hunting; they often ventured out on camping trips together as a family. A student in school he excelled in sports, such as, baseball and football. He later, joined the marching band playing percussion instruments.
Life after graduating high school led him out west to California. In 1980, he enlisted in the Navy and completed his basic training at the Naval Training Center in San Diego. Upon being stationed in San Diego, he was assigned to the USS St. Louis the following three years. Throughout Peter’s military career he worked on various ships as a seafarer of an organizational team within the deck department.
“I truly believe my military background helps a lot with my profession now as a truck driver. After years of training yourself to be strong-minded, that determination and self-discipline pushes me when I need to keep driving and complete my shift or chimes in during moments, say for instance, in heavy traffic… there is this sense of patience and restraint that was instilled in me after so many years of exercising those skills. Also, growing up in a large family with six kids, you learn to respect one another and pull your share of responsibilities. Both have aided in my success thus far as a professional truck driver.”
Transitioning back from military service to the civilian workforce, Peter remained in the San Diego Bay area working as a painter in the shipping yards, later securing an assistant manager position at a Naval lodging facility. In 1997, he relocated to Arizona leaning on his early woodworking trade he studied in school and became a cabinet maker. After 15 years of wood crafting, he found himself at a crossroads.
At the time, there were not many general labor jobs feasible in his line of work where he and his late wife, Paula resided, although one stood out among the small selection. Peter explains, “Starting a new career was a decision that would affect both of us, me and my wife. Financially, I knew something needed to be done and we saw companies looking for truck drivers to start work immediately. I didn’t want to consider leaving her for long periods of time because I enjoyed being home every night together but driving a truck for a living was always something that I wanted to do. Mainly because that passion I remembered my father had for the business and the pride he took in doing the job had always held a special place in my heart. I knew that he provided for our family through the trucking industry, so I was hopeful that I could do the same for mine. I may have succeeded him in this line of work later than I had initially planned at the young age of 54, but it’s not a decision I’ll ever regret! I make better money than I have before in any of my previous jobs.”
As a second-generation trucker, Peter’s earliest memories of his father driving a truck involve the two of them running the winter roads of Vermont with commercial snow plows. Many flashbacks are of him leaving or returning home by the weekends, pulling every type of trailer from flatbeds and reefers to dry van. With a career spanning over 30 years, his father’s invaluable mentorship helped advance Peter’s learning process during the beginning stages of schooling. He enrolled at a truck driving school owned and operated by former truck drivers and military personnel, earning his CDL with flying colors. Addition to the advice given by his father, the instruction and refinement he received educated him on the importance of one’s health and wisdom as a professional truck driver.
The title itself; truck driver, is considerably humble in terms, as to the complex measure of liability and obligations placed upon a driver. Focus, plenty of rest and a proper diet are Peter’s core principles that he encourages drivers to use as their daily focal point. He continues, “Getting an adequate amount of sleep and eating healthy helps keep a driver more alert and focused behind the wheel. It sounds simple, but as a driver responsible for maneuvering a semi-truck safely, those fundamentals can prevent the occurrence of a tragic disaster from unfolding. We’re not just these massive vehicles on the road, we as drivers are out here setting an example for other motorists on the road. Safety saves lives.” He says, in order to avoid any bad situations from happening is to avoid all distractions while driving.
As they say, in order to lead others well, one must be a good follower first. Starting his truck driving career running teamster, led him into a driver trainer role. His ability to work in harmony with ease made Peter an asset when partnering him with multiple co-drivers over time. He remains in touch with all of his former student drivers and always tries to help when called upon for assistance rather than leisure. As a team driver, he explains the leverage equals more miles in a day’s work, versus the obvious worry: putting your life in the hands of another. He reverts back to his military training, as the second half of a partnership, to co-exist both parties must have patience and tolerance – familiar traits enforced while serving in the Navy. Finding that balance requires an equal share of teamwork or that confined space in which they work and live together can easily feel smaller.
Before heading out on the road with a new team driver, Peter invites the individual for a sit-down in advance, so the two can learn about one another beforehand. Over time, the teamsters form a bond of trust from which they both can learn from. Upon parting ways with every driver, Peter says one chapter ends and the next one starts. During each venture, he shares his safety measures and the knowledge passed down from his father to him, in hopes when the time comes to separate, they both leave more informed than when they had started. Stating,
“There are so many tips and tricks that my dad taught me that I use daily. If someone else can learn from our experiences, then that’s what it’s all about. When I talk with my dad, he’ll end our conversations by saying, ‘keep the shiny side up and the rubber down.’ To me, that message couldn’t be more important. Drive safe, drive smart, slow down and don’t be in a hurry. There is no load worth your life!”
Since joining the force of drivers at Transport America, Peter has traveled through all 48 connecting states. Paula’s work schedule only permitted her one trip over the road, an 8-hour run from Arizona to California. Their road adventures came to an end December 8th, 2017 when Paula suffered a brain aneurism just months after celebrating their 33rd wedding anniversary. Together they share 4 children and 9 grandchildren. He splits his off-time between one coast and the other; up north in New York and Vermont visiting with siblings and his parents, then California and Arizona where his immediate family reside. Often remaining away on the road consecutive months at a time, he encourages drivers to squeeze in that home-time with your spouse every chance available.
Peter describes Transport America being unlike any other trucking company and the relationships he shares with the staff as honest and real. “I enjoy the people here! They treat you life family and the open communication I have with my dispatcher and our friendship means a lot to me,” he said. From his time in service, experiencing different cultures and meeting people of foreign backgrounds is another reason he appreciates the vast connections within the trucking community.
His proudest accomplishment to-date is achieving over a million safe miles without an accident. Adding, “I don’t claim to be the smartest or the best driver out here, but I can say that I choose to be one of the safest.” He continues to discuss the difference in the old school trucker image that he grew up idolizing through his father and today’s misconception of who truckers are. “We are still the same highway heroes, delivering goods so everyone can live a better life.” Though, his image falls in direct line with his safe driving – extremely important – he maintains presentation and professionalism. Ending our interview, he speaks from the heart:
“When you do something that you enjoy, it’s not considered work because it makes you happy and work shouldn’t be so great, right? You see, I’m still serving my country by hauling goods that people need to survive, plus I enjoy the travel of getting to explore this beautiful nation that I love. It doesn’t get any better than this. Driving a truck for a living isn’t a job, it’s my life.”