BIRDS OF A FEATHER - Mike & Stacy Hakey

BIRDS OF A FEATHER

Legend Nominees: Mike & Stacy Hakey

There are many married couples who have found success while also partnering together in a professional work environment. They do so by sharing the same passion and focus towards achieving their goal, effectively complementing each other well. Some would say, navigating back and forth from a spousal relationship to the professional one would seem like a direct path leading straight to marital collapse. For any husband-wife entrepreneurial team, maintaining both a strong business partnership and healthy marriage sounds easy enough, if the firm foundation in which they build upon is structured with support and encouragement for one another.

However, it still requires finesse to succeed in a work-related marriage then allowing that connection to translate into prosperous business careers. Special skills such as; patience and communication, must be present from both spouses to overcome difficult situations that may arise during working hours. I believe the key to working together as a married couple is fully understanding that after the work day is complete, it’s important to avoid carrying problematic issues any further. By allowing the marriage to take precedence serves as a reminder to what is the most important at hand: your spouse. Above all else, whether collaborating as business partners and advising each other on a constructive level, keeping the intent to detail nonabrasive out of respect for your loved one should help impact the transition back to married life, versus the work relationship. Otherwise, it has been stated, having fundamental differences can act as a positive aspect. Meaning, the two individuals invested have nothing to add to the other if they are of the same exact mind; they may lack the ability to challenge one another or push their spouse towards achieving greater potential.

For the long run, the opportunity to work alongside your spouse offers the best of both worlds: pursuing a professional dream with someone you love, while getting a chance to spend more time with them. This featured Legend couple from Fort Wayne, Indiana has been married 27 years, and recently hit their second year running as a team with Mercer Transportation based out of Louisville, Kentucky.

Mike Hakey brings to the duo close to thirty years of experience as a professional truck driver with 2.5 million miles to boot. His wife, Stacy also tributes to the total package with a background in management, as well as, eight years of dispatching. Though they have developed their own personal careers apart, with Stacy diving deeper into the trucking industry as a driver, the position has opened the door for them to enjoy the journey of traveling the country together.

The idiomatic phrase, “birds of a feather” refers to people that tend to spend more time with others which share in similar characteristics, backgrounds, and interests. Mike and Stacy are the perfect example of two separate minds thinking in harmony as one. They each share a deep passion for the trucking industry and strive to represent Mercer Transportation as positive advocates in displaying teamwork, old school truckin’ values, and continuing to encourage the upbeat camaraderie among their fellow drivers while out on the road and at the terminal, as well.

The interesting perspective to this married duo is the additional challenge of their given workspace; primarily working inside of a semi-truck for long hours and continuous days at a time. Personal space is crucial in any relationship, but for a cohabitated business life in which the pair have a very limited area to find distance when needed, naturally discomfort and anxiety may seep into play. The reality of all relationships is that there will be instances when you won’t agree with each other. On those days as professional truck drivers, when you’re forced to face unexpected situations head-on at the height of a bad day, learning to find the balance in collaborating as a team to push through, is what ministers to the special bond as husband and wife. For the Hakeys, being in business together has proven to be a challenge, but also a rewarding experience as a couple; ultimately strengthening their marriage. Mike states that one of his proudest moments to-date was the day Stacy earned her CDL. He says, “I knew she could do this! In our line of work and the equipment we pull can understandably be intimidating to anyone. Stacy is a quick study and fast learner, she stuck with it and stayed positive. As a husband and co-pilot, I couldn’t be more proud of her and all that she has accomplished!”

To pull a double trailer, two months after Stacy joined Mike on the road, she got her commercial drivers licensed endorsed by passing the doubles endorsement test. Their work schedule typically runs 3 to 4 months over the road, then returning home for a week to ten days. They pull UPS trailers to various terminals, and twice a month haul doubles. Many years prior, Stacy’s father and uncle owned and operated a trucking company where Mike got his first break as a driver, at the age of 23. Those were the days when learning to drive a truck weren’t spent inside of a building or at specific areas designed to practice driving. Instead, you were given a crash course of what ‘not’ to do and shown the ropes by jumping right into the heat of things. With tough-love and a strict work ethic, Stacy’s Uncle Asher further impacted Mike’s trucking career with simple words of advice that he continues to live by today: “If you believe it, you can achieve it.” Back when the economy hit a standstill, the bottom fell out of freight affecting most all families industry wide. It was the teachings of Mike’s predecessors that helped him and Stacy pull through.

“When everything took a turn, we were in too deep and suffered like many others. Tapping into Uncle Asher’s guidance combined with hard work, I began to believe as he did; that we control our own destiny. So, we just kept moving forward taking it one day after another. A lot of things change over time, most of what you have no control over. To succeed you must keep working hard, stay dedicated and determined, most importantly always try to be positive. Everything I learned from them, years later is still helping me be the driver I am today.

Also, my mother said to me something that kind of fits into trucking too: Shy people go hungry. And I feel that knowledge is the same way.”

Stacy agrees, stating that in order to learn one should never be too prideful or scared to ask questions. “Out here you learn something new every day!”

Mike initially started over the road driving an International, pulling step deck. A year later, he switched to running local to be home every day with his growing family. Over the course of his driving career he added flatbed, double drop trailers, tankers, and doubles to his résumé. In 2001, he decided to become an owner operator, having split his amount of years on the road almost equal; 13 years as a company driver, and the remaining as an owner operator.

Before Stacy’s promising career in trucking kicked into full swing, her life was quite opposite, yet still demanding. With a total of four children to raise (all girls), between school functions and sporting events, Stacy’s ability to multitask was pinned down to a science. She says, “I remember having to juggle all the kids’ activities and needing to rush back home to get on the computer. I was at it nonstop from early in the mornings, until late in the evenings, doing dispatch and helping Mike keep the business afloat. Often, I would sit at ball games on my tablet, making sure everything was still going as it should.” Not shying away from being a workaholic fared well for Stacy in her transition over to the trucking industry.

During Mike’s time running long-haul, the distance between them was difficult, as Stacy stayed behind managing the business from home with a full household. Now that they are together running team, being away from their family is even harder to endure having since grown and expanded to include 12 grandchildren. She adds, “What we get to do for a living allows us to visit with friends that live near and far. When we travel, we get to see so many wonderful sights and cities, but home will always be my favorite place to go. Not being with our family is a huge sacrifice.” The power of technology, preserved through fun apps on a cell phone, like Snapchat and FaceTime, the Hakeys are able to stay connected to their loved ones, minimizing the length of separation.

As for the barrier of experience in the driver’s seat for Stacy, as opposed to Mike’s record of nearly three decades of driving, the couple divvy the work effort fifty-fifty. Stacy’s proficiency to adapt is her strong suit, which is eminent to succeed in their profession. As well-qualified and trusted drivers, Mercer Transportation quickly recognized their commitment to the job and further support their roles as mentors. Reflecting the title as labelled a counsellor, both Stacy and Mike prefer to be known as ordinary and humble people that only wish to help others whenever the opportunity presents itself.

In agreement, they explain that everyone is a mentor in some way. As parents, Mike and Stacy’s most influential words fell on the ears of their children. For as long as 20 years, when Mike sensed his girls needed comfort they found warmth in his words of hope and reassurance. He says, “On the days they would come home and something had them feeling down or discouraged, I would tell them; you can do anything you want to do when you put your mind to it. The sky is the limit, reach for the stars. And they remember our talks, still today.” The Hakeys express optimism in the purest form by sharing words that they too live by.

Combine their cheerful personalities and knowledgeable backgrounds into a professional partnership, their outreach extends to all genres of truck drivers. They both chime in saying, “When we see new drivers in the lounge or out in the yard, we welcome them to the Mercer family and give them cards with our numbers on them. We tell everyone that they’re welcome to call us anytime!” As a veteran driver, it was Mike’s encouragement that instilled the confidence Stacy said she needed to pursue trucking. “Mike is extremely helpful and a hero in a sense, because he always comes through; for anything we’ve ever needed and for anybody who has ever called on him,” Stacy said. “He’s not just a good role model, he is an amazing friend to have and is great at what he does.”

When the Hakeys are unable to get home to their family, the second-best group of people they enjoy being around are their fellow drivers at the Mercer Transportation terminal. The driver-friendly amenities cater to the men and women of the road, and was designed to help make the downtime spent there as laid-back, accommodating, and stress-free as possible. They describe the personnel in-office as friendly and kind with an overall family-oriented atmosphere.

“At Mercer, they do whatever it takes for you to succeed. And when you work for the best, there is nowhere else to go. We plan to stay here until we’re completely done driving, we’re officially lifers.”

-Mike & Stacy

This past August during the Great American Trucking Show hosted in Dallas, Texas, Mike and Stacy were asked to present their truck in the Mercer Transportation booth. Ecstatic and honored, they obliged. Also, adding to the highlights of 2017, they took home a few trophies from their first truck show competition: 2nd Place Working Bobtail, 2nd Place Working Bobtail Paint, and 3rd Place Interior. The experiences they have lived thus far have been an adventure, only to continue for many years to come. Should you meet this Hakey-team, whether at the Mercer headquarters, a truck show, or out on the road… know that you are in good company.