FIXTITLE Alden Peace.docx
DREAM BIG. WORK HARD.
The Story
Of
Alden Peace
Working as a means to get by without a meaningful goal, leaves you with no motivation. Invest in your work and your career. Not just financially, but in every form possible. Commit your time and your mind. Allow yourself to think big. As average people, (myself included) we forget that it is our own choice on how we should want to spend the rest of our lives. To achieve big success, most of the time you must start with a dose of small success. Then as you grow and perfect your craft, your success grows as well; becoming great. Take chances. Take a lot of them. You learn and grow with each choice you make. Everything in-between is worth it.
Build on the foundations of trial and error. Self-learning cannot be taught by another. It’s an abiding talent developed through time and enables you to hone in on past decisions. In turn, providing you with long-lasting judgment. Guidance, if you will, of what not to do again. Or what is working. Learning as you experience opportunities, even partnerships.
“A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to old dimensions.” -Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
Alden Peace, originally from Brooklyn, New York is from a fairly large family. He is the baby of five children, raised by his mother. Who herself was one of thirteen. He grew up around his many aunts, uncles and cousins, but being the youngest of his group meant that his mother kept a close eye on Alden. He took an interest in music very early. Listening to tape decks and record players. Anything capable of playing music kept his attention. He had fun playing DJ with all of his gadgets and later as an adult, he was able to relive his childhood dream as he ventured into the business world of music for a career.
At 8 years old, his mother moved the family to her home state of North Carolina. “I remember her telling me that we were not going to make it if we stayed in Brooklyn,” Alden says. As soon as she saved some money, she didn’t think twice. His grandparents lived in the small town and before the move they would visit during the summers when school was out on break. So Alden was familiar with his new home and fit right in.
As young as 14, Alden was working as often as he could. He found a position on the ‘weekend crew’ at a local cotton mill. During his shift he would clean the machines and remove any oil from the pans. His senior year of high school, he picked up a second job during the week after classes at a fast food restaurant. He continued working both jobs for the duration of that year. He says, “I always wanted to work. Since I’ve started as a teen, there hasn’t been a time that I haven’t worked.” After high school, he stayed on at the restaurant full time for two and a half years.
In 1994, Alden welcomed his first born. A little girl they named, Quneisha. A few months later, he relocated to a different city in North Carolina and found a job as a loss prevention officer. The next year, he landed a recording contract as a rapper with a record label formerly out of Canada, based in New York. In the months that followed, Alden was determined to have a successful career in the music industry. He devoted a lot of his time to performing shows, which required him to be gone on the road most of the time touring. Then in 1997, along came his second child, Alden Peace Jr.
By 1998 after his son’s birth, having two children put everything into perspective. Alden’s order of importance began to change. His own desire to chase a life in music was no longer at the top of his agenda. He was ready to take his focus away from music and make his life about providing a good living for his family.
He enrolled in Future Truck Drivers of America. A truck driving school located in Asheboro, North Carolina. That same year in 1998, Alden received his CDL. He recalls, “Even though I enjoyed music as a kid, I would always play like I was driving something with big wheels. Sometimes even a school bus. My grandma would say to me, ‘When you get old enough to drive, you won’t want to drive.’” Before attending trucking school while he was still signed to his label and out on tour traveling, after the shows instead of riding in the bus with the rest of his crew, he would ride in the truck next to the driver hauling the music equipment. Alden was friends with the truck driver and he not only enjoyed his company, but he noticed his friend’s relationship with the other voices coming through on his CB. He said, “I was amused by it. The way he would kid around and hearing them give it right back made me want to be a part of something like that. The whole package of it all! That just kind of triggered it for me.”
Fresh out of school with his CDL in his pocket, Alden teamed up with a fellow classmate and joined a trucking company out of High Point, North Carolina running team. Taken in stride, Alden learned the hard way about driving with fatigue, patience and more importantly, running team. Not exactly his forte, Alden moved on as a solo driver hauling refrigerated products over the road for a business out of Ellerbe, North Carolina. He explains, “It was a good move for me. Turns out, that was the best trucking company for me at the time. They really helped me as a driver and took the time to train me properly.” For over three years he stayed on making great money. Then, sadly the owner passed away leaving the daughter to inherit the business. When Alden noticed the veteran drivers being let go, he trusted his instincts and made a quick switch to another trucking company. This one was based in Atlanta, Georgia. After some time, he ventured into a different avenue of transportation and realized quick that he was extremely good at it. Tour buses.
In 2001, Alden began working for a travel company in Charlotte. On most of the tours, he would be responsible for anywhere up to 55 passengers each trip. Mostly a seasonal outfit, Alden continued to truck. Still to this day, Alden receives calls for tour dates. When it’s possible for him to squeeze it in his schedule, he does. He says, “I enjoy driving tour busses. Looking in my rearview mirror and seeing all of the people being able to relax and have fun, because they trust my driving is the main reason why. I try to explain to my kids the importance of driving safely. Lives are at risk every time you take the wheel. You have to be responsible.” Some tours, depending if they were for entertainment, would keep Alden out 4 to 5 months at a time. “They were very time consuming.” He laughs, “I’m not that young kid anymore.”
One of the gigs that Alden drove for while touring was a small company with ten trucks. From 2001 to 2006 he hauled dry box of consolidated freight. When the trucking company closed their doors, he switched to a local business running a dedicated route from Charlotte to Raleigh, delivering medical supplies for two years. Alden decided to take an OTR position to make more money. The pay to run all 48 states, versus local was exactly what Alden was looking for. Plus, he was able to hit the roads again. Wide open.
In 2007 and 2008, his two youngest children were born. Jace, now in third grade is his karate kid and Miss Melia is his little ballerina. She is in the second grade. “Now those two are double trouble! They’re my comedians of the family. My oldest son is my football star and my oldest daughter is now a nursing student at St. Augustine University. I have great kids! They are my real priorities. The reason I work so hard… to support them the way a dad should,” says Alden.
December of 2014, Alden was finally able to join the trucking team at Tango Transport, LLC. He had wanted to work for Tango for a couple of years, prior to his hire date. Instead of coming straight to Tango, he took an offer for a position at a different trucking company. After regretting his mistake, he patiently waited for the opportunity to present itself and when it did, he took complete advantage. Initially, Alden signed with Tango as a company driver, but after some discussion during his orientation he liked the idea of being an owner operator. He says, “I would recommend making the switch to Tango to many drivers. I’m a man by reality, of course and there’s one thing all men love. That’s money. And Tango pays me well! That’s the basic. If you like to run, they’ll run you. It’s a good fit both ways.” Alden also states that he likes how he is appreciated as a driver. Two key elements in identifying a great company.
His first truck was purchased on December 19th of that same year. A 2013 Volvo 670 with a Cummins engine, alloy wheels and polished chrome. With 18 years’ experience, he has accumulated over 3 million safe miles. Along with his share of awards. Tango, being a very prominent trucking company hasn’t disappointed Alden’s high expectations. The way his schedule is set up, they are able to get him home 2 to 3 times a week.
Alden’s goals as an owner operator have been put in motion, beginning with his first truck. He has set his mind on having at least 20 trucks running, within the next five years. “I want to have the largest fleet with Tango. That’s my primary goal. To be able to get a few trucks and put them all here. This is the company to do it with!” Sticking with his life motto; to live cautious. Not to rob yourself of anything good or viable, but to be aware of your decisions. How not thinking clearly or making spur of the moment decisions can affect you in the long run. Think first on how you can better yourself down the road. Not just for you, but for everyone tied to you too. I’d say his way of thinking are words to live by.