FIXTITLE Eddie Vandergriff.docx
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The Story
Of
Eddie Vandergriff
When a trucking company is asked to take an account of their top elite drivers, the most outstanding above the rest correlated by performance, safety, and quality of service, the names at the top of this list should be the best of the best. The leaders; managers; their guides. The type of drivers put in positions to represent the company and train other drivers the correct and proper way to succeed, as follows.
Any group or number of individuals are held together and function better as a whole if the key player (s) exhibit dedication, perseverance, and poise. Dedication is the commitment to the job with a sense of loyalty for his or her company, their family, or sense of pride. Perseverance is hard work driven by a personal goal or specific purpose. And poise is demonstrated through confidence and patience; very much needed in a situation to give instruction.
When Millis Transfer, Inc. nominated this driver as a Legend, we hit the bullseye. With close to 40 years in the business and well over 3 million safe miles to date, he is sort of what I label a solid ace. His passion for the trucking industry is unshakeable and his expertise behind the wheel is superb. He has been training new drivers at Millis Transfer, Inc. for 22 years, giving him a total of 25 years with the company.
His patience as a father and husband carry with him through his work, being considerate and understanding, yet skilled enough to pass on that same know-how makes him the perfect adviser to help teach the next generation of truck drivers.
Sticks, Chicken & A Bell
A small town, just under 30 miles northwest of Chattanooga is home to many, but to them only a few. Whitwell, Tennessee lay outside the county lines where Hugh Vandergriff grew. Hugh, known to everyone as Eddie was born in 1959, the middle child of three.
Eddie’s father was a machinist, with the gift of a steady hand. He held a full-time job working in maintenance, but also lent his welding skills towards farm equipment, such as tractors. His mother worked as often as his father did at a local factory. Having both parents occupied with work to support the family, Eddie and his older sister and younger brother were left to roam the woods around their house. The only catch was that with the small amount of people in his home town news spread easier and much quicker. Meaning, any trouble that Eddie could get himself into typically made it to his mother before he could walk through the front door. He laughs at the fact of truth, along with the memories he made in the woods exploring and playing with his siblings. “I never watched much TV, still don’t. I’d get out there and just play with sticks. Sometime I would go hunting. We had built a cart and would ride it on the side of the mountain. All of us pretty much stayed outside until Momma rang the bell. We knew when we heard that sound it was time to go home,” he said.
Growing up in a house without hot water is tolerable if you’re taught how to make things work. Having to use an outhouse seemed normal given that day in time. Eddie explains how back then a bucket of water became as necessary as we consider bottled water today. Also 50 plus years ago, school, chores, and work were compiled into a different order of concern. Eddie’s first job was one that I would pay my daughter to do for one day! He explains, “I was 13 when I got my very first job. I went to different farms with a crew and my job was to catch chicken.” Again, living a simple down-home, country lifestyle being around farm animals; cows, pigs, and chicken was completely common. He adds, “I lasted about six months on that job. I think every 13-year-old should have to chase chicken, because every job after that is great!”
Professional Tourist
By the age of 16, Eddie had landed a position at a cabinet shop. There he began to hone in on his natural ability of working with his hands. Like his father, Eddie was keen on making objects transform. The only difference was that he worked with wood, as his father dealt mostly with metal on a larger scale. In order to keep his talent from becoming an everyday labor, wanting to preserve the art of it he decided to make woodwork more of a hobby. He remained at the cabinet shop for a year and a half. During that time, he grew to appreciate woodwork and went on to build his current home from the ground up. “I loved it, there was just no money in it back then,” he said.
At 19, Eddie got a job for a private carrier at their Chattanooga terminal working in the shipping and receiving department. A veteran driver by the CB handle, Super Diesel had begun filling in as a dispatcher. He still drove, but the two had met in the plant. Eddie says, “Before I started driving on my own, he would take me riding with him. I learned a lot from our period of time together. He kept me in line and taught me what I needed to do to drive a truck safely. In fact, he was the first one to ask me if I wanted to drive a truck. So, I guess it’s all his fault that I’m in this now.” With a more serious tone he adds, “Later, I would always run to him for advice. I’d say he has been the biggest influence on my trucking career.”
After turning 21, he was able to get a feel of what running over the road was like. “A friend and I had a delivery to Brunswick, Georgia about seven and a half hours away. It was my first time driving, but only my second time out. We were in a white International Cabover with no power steering. I was about 140 pounds and I had to basically stand up to turn the steering wheel,” he said. After we both laughed at the obvious visual, I asked Eddie if that was how he had pictured his dream job. He continued with, “I was too young to be bothered. All I knew was that diesel fuel was in my veins and I had to go trucking!” Eddie began running over the road immediately and stayed with that trucking company for 12 years.
From his first trip out in a truck, he knew he had found his calling. Even as a teenager, he and a buddy would jump in a car and take off. “I’ve always like to travel. On the weekends, we would go riding. There was no telling where we would end up. Sometimes Florida or Texas. Once I got in a truck I remember thinking, ‘This is nice!’ Now I get to see the country. I’m a professional tourist. On top of everywhere I get to visit, I never get tired of meeting new people too. There is no telling how many people I know on the road now. From all over, starting at Wisconsin down to Florida and from Texas up to New Jersey. People from all walks of life and different cultures and places. I have friends that I would have never met if it weren’t for trucking.”
Staying Power
A recruiter and close friend called Eddie to see if he was interested in a job, driving for Millis Transfer, Inc. Their home office is in Wisconsin, but his terminal would be Cartersville, Georgia. The offer came at the perfect time. Eddie joined the driving force at Millis three days later February 11th, 1992.
“Their open-door policy is what I really appreciate. They listen if there is a problem. If you have an emergency, they will get you home as soon as possible with no questions asked. Plus, they are always trying to improve the pay.” He adds, “I’ve made a really good living with them, let’s put it that way.”
Eddie has been recognized by Millis Transfer, Inc. numerous times for his exceptional service and impressive numbers for safety and on-time delivery. In doing so, he has received Driver of the Month twice and Driver of the Year in 2007. He currently runs the regional area east of Mississippi, hauling a little bit of everything. He is home every week, but when he leaves out for more than a week or two, he gets a week of home-time in return.
He has previously worked in the drivers’ training school for Millis and encourages other drivers to research the school for more information. He says, “For new drivers, before signing on with just any trucking company they should always do their homework. The more they know, the more informed they will be in making their decision. If they look further into our school, they will find that Millis has one of the better schools in trucking, as far as teaching their drivers more than enough. And for the veteran drivers looking for stability, here you won’t be wondering around. You can finish your career on solid ground at Millis.” In teaching his students, he also trains them for weeks, sometimes longer in the truck until he feels they are prepared to drive alone on the same roads as his family.
Eddie’s main priority of training is safety first. Along with the proper use of mirrors, trip planning, punctuality and awareness of his surroundings at all time. His second rule of thumb is to teach each driver how to read a map, versus using a radio signal receiver. He reveals the advantages of both, given a GPS is much simpler however, on a map you can pin point a specific geographic area as your destination with no unexpected interruptions and the entire picture is laid out in plain sight providing further options, if needed. Having the knowledge to interpret a map is an asset nobody can take away and will be used to your advantage more often than not.
Eddie states that he enjoys training on the road as much as he loves traveling. “You have a companion with you. It’s also neat walking into a drivers’ meeting or a company cookout and looking around to notice over fifteen drivers you trained are still around. And they’re doing well! That makes me feel good, like I’m doing something right,” he said. Eddie’s biggest training tool has been patience. With patience comes tolerance, in turn establishing staying power. He understands that each driver is different and values the time he spends teaching them individually. By giving his students time to learn, based on their progress, has proven to be the one essential element that has allowed them to build their own successful careers.
As a teenager, Eddie’s life changed due to trucking. He credits the industry for providing a good life for his family. “I’ve never had to worry about having a job or where my next check was going to come from. I’m a workaholic. Even at home… my dad was that way, I’m the same way and my son does it too. At least I get to do what I love.”
As committed as Eddie is to trucking and helping drivers improve, he is just as dedicated to his family. He and his wife, Peggy will soon celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary in March. Together they have a blended family of four kids, with six grandchildren all in his home state of Tennessee. With a growing family and a rewarding career at Millis Transfer, Inc. Eddie is one to admire and has created a legacy worthy of great respect.