FIXTITLE Ira Bailey.docx

DEDICATION AT ITS BEST

The Story

Of

Ira Bailey

As we all know, this section of our magazine, The Legends is our platform dedicated to the professionals in our industry. All nominees are either selected by a family member, close friend or sometimes through their company. However their name was thrown into the hat, the intentions behind the vote were made to highlight this individual’s hard work and commitment. Displaying their own character of unselfishness and responsibility in a way that is above the rest, yet not on purpose to be boastful but simply because it’s their nature. During the time recognition is rewarded, you’ll know that you hit the mark when the humble one truly seems fathomed. As if they don’t grasp their own remarkability. All of course will admit their devotion to the job… how being a professional truck driver is his or her life. But it’s the way they perform this duty that sets them apart from the others. This certain individual makes it a point to put trucking as their main priority and assumes everybody else behind the wheel ranks the opportunity the same. Some will say they do but talk is cheap and action speaks for itself or as they say; the proof is in the pudding.

This particular nominee is a great example of the role model in which we chose to feature. In speaking with him and his wife, what his fellow co-workers say about him and his reputation deem true. Words like; simple, soft-spoken, respectful and honest to a fault all describe Ira Bailey. “It may take a bit to really get to know my husband but he will give anyone the shirt off of his back. He’s very giving of himself and never meets a stranger,” says Wendy Bailey. Born in Oklahoma City, it was an easy decision to come back home and work for A&R Transport. Since joining the team in March of 2003, Ira has been steadfast in his duties and is considered one of the company’s most reliable drivers. Having been selected as Terminal Driver of the Year isn’t considered bragging rights to a man that says, “I’m just doing my job.” I can imagine that titles and awards seem like gibberish to a person that upholds his own standards to a certain degree. It was recently though, when everybody at A&R Transport, along with his wife Wendy, had the chance to surprise him. On March the 15th, a Safety Meeting was held at the Fort Worth terminal in honor of Ira Bailey as he was presented with a plaque awarding him as A&R Transport’s 2013 Corporate Driver of the Year. Ira arrived unaware of the ceremony and was more caught off guard to find his wife was involved the entire time. I love when a good plan is successful! Tim Reaska, Ira’s direct manager provides us with a few more details, “Ira was nominated by a group not by a single person but rather a body of our local and corporate dispatch, regional manager, our vice president of operations and so on.” He explains that within Ira’s eleven years as a veteran driver at A&R he demonstrates a great attitude and has a customer friendly personality to mentor and represents the company to a tee. “He is a good representation for us and knows his job well!”

Almost a Fourth of July baby, born on the third in 1957, Ira is the baby by five minutes quickly following his twin sister, Iris. His parents Rolla and Ivon Bailey raised the twosome, along with their other sister and two older brothers in a little city called Harrah, just on the outskirts of town. The Bailey family resided on an acre of land, next to the river where they took care of Quarter Horses for local rodeos. “I remember when I was young, we’d get up and feed the horses before we walked to school.” The school that is in Ira’s memory was about 12 blocks away and back then, that’s nothing but a hop, skip and a jump away. Today I’m sure that any kid would regard the walk as punishment. Ira gives a little intel on what it was like growing up in Harrah, “It was such a small town that everybody knew everybody. If you did anything wrong, more than likely, the news of it would beat you home.” His fondest memory plugs him into the world of trucking in a sense. “I would go out with my dad on his dozer…we would eat cheese sandwiches and spend all day doing the slopes or digging a pond.” This was early in Ira’s childhood when his father was an independent contractor doing construction work in his Caterpillar D6 bulldozer. When Ira turned sixteen he went to work at the local newspaper, running press and a couple of other duties. At the time, his family was getting out of the horse business and he came across an ad stating the paper was looking for good help. We share a laugh as he tells me about his mega bucks, “It was my first job! …and they paid me $1.35 an hour.” I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t decent pay for them days, especially for a teenager. Taking care of the horses had ran its course on the family and grew old on Ira, even though he was just the baby of the bunch. He enjoyed working at the paper and saved up enough to purchase his first car. For $200 he bought a dark green 1962 Chevy Nova station wagon. I’d give anything to buy my kid a car for two hundred bucks (and it run)!

Ira went on to graduate high school before his eighteenth birthday. In 1975, he joined the Oklahoma National Guard and was sent down to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri for his basic training. He continued his AIT in field artillery there on the weekends. In the meanwhile, he also went to work for a large refreshment company delivering to outlet locations preordered products to convenience retail and petroleum accounts twice a week. By 1976, Ira had married and became a father. His first daughter, Misty was born that same year and his youngest, Christy was born in 1981, both in Oklahoma City. After some time went by, Ira moved on to another trucking company that offered more pay and better benefits. He stayed with them until the company went out of business five years later. Ira drove for a couple of companies, then he eventually found a home with a business in 1988 out of Springfield, Missouri. Some changes in his personal life took place a couple of years before and now he was able up to run refrigerated freight to all 48 states, plus Canada. Ten years later, Ira noticed a lot of changes within the company that began effecting his pay. He took that as his queue. His next job required him to haul liquid chemicals, again to all 48 states and Canada. He continued until their doors closed, which happened to be five years later. Something about that five year itch, I guess. Lucky for him, at his next venture there is no way plausible that the doors will be closing any time soon.

It was at the beginning of the year in 2003, Ira called A&R Transport in Oklahoma City and landed an interview. He wasn’t in much of a hurry to jump on board with another company. “I didn’t have many bills at the time and I wanted to shop around first before committing to one company.” He knew landing a job with A&R wasn’t going to be just a drop in the bucket. “I knew they had strict guidelines…you almost had to know somebody to get in.” He didn’t get the phone call until almost four weeks after his initial interview. Closing in on his three million safe mile mark, he goes on to say that he is very content with his employer. “Here with A&R I don’t feel like a number, you’re a name. And they know you by your name. With the transition now with our new owners, it’s like one big family.” Since joining A&R Transport, Ira is on his fourth truck. He paints a picture for me of his very first one. A ‘pinkish-purplish’ color, 1986 Kenworth T600. One year later he traded it in for a 1999 silver Kenworth T600 that he drove for three years. Still hauling all over the country, you can spot him in a light blue 2011 Freightliner Columbia with A&R’s signature ribbon on the side in yellow.

Going back to March, “When Ira was given his award, he was just astounded! He couldn’t understand why he was the one chosen… you can say that he was in ‘wow’ of the whole thing.” Wendy knew that they had definitely pulled it off. Seeing his reaction wasn’t a surprise to her even though the heist had been executed perfectly. Nobody knows Ira as well as Wendy. They had met back in 1986 at a company Christmas party. She was with someone else at that time but the two shared a mutual friend. A number of years later, in March of 2003 he was called on for a favor by this particular friend without knowing that destiny was about to intervene. Once Wendy and Ira’s paths crossed again, the timing couldn’t have been more spot on. They married the following February, on the 18th and just celebrated their ninth anniversary. Wendy is currently a clerk at the local hospital in Purcell near Noble, Oklahoma where they call home. She has four kids and nine grandbabies. She admits that Ira is on the road a bit more than she would prefer but she understands how dedicated he is to his work. “He is beyond generous and that goes for the way he devotes himself to his company too. Ira is the type of person that doesn’t take short cuts and he’s not afraid to help someone that is in trouble.” If everyone lived and worked by Ira’s motto, then every cab on the road would own a plaque similar to the one handed over last month. But the truth is, there aren’t many Ira Baileys out there. So when a large company like A&R Transport has an opportunity to recognize one of their own for his or her outstanding service, we’re glad that they do. Mainly because we believe that positive acknowledgment goes a long way and when you encourage others, in turn, you’re uplifting your entire core as a whole. That one action; giving praise, whether it’s a pat on the back, a handshake to say thank you or an award with your name on it chosen out of 700 …it all leads to success. A successful individual will only be appreciated by a successful company.