FIXTITLE Remy Braun.docx
TRIED-AND-TRUE
The Story
Of
Remy Braun
Growing up on a dairy farm outside of New Trier during the late 60’s, in the southeastern part of Minnesota in a city named Cannon Falls (referring to the falls along the Cannon River), gave way for a young farm boy and his six siblings. With up to eighty acres at their reach, also came responsibilities. To run a dairy farm nearly fifty years ago, there were a number of chores required of a child, which in turn, made the children back then mature much faster than the youth of our current times. It was nothing for an entire family; the kids, male or female, and the mother included, to work the land and help farm in order to provide a decent lifestyle of living. Being introduced to working hands-on at an early age provided Remy Braun with an extensive background for a world ahead full of many options as an adult.
Remy’s father worked full time on the family’s farm and drove a truck at night. His mother tended to their packed house, while also managing to work a late shift at a local factory. Remy was second to the youngest of the bunch, with four brothers and two sister. Their father came from a large family as well, eleven kids including himself.
With all of the duties that Remy had to perform on the dairy farm, he picked up on fairly quickly. Being raised by a farmer, it came quite natural for him. Before Remy was even out of elementary school he already knew how to milk cows, bale hay, and drive a tractor.
As Remy reached middle school, his parents separated. In 1981, his father sold the farm and relocated to another part of Minnesota, further up north. Being one of the few children still living at home, Remy went with his dad and enrolled as a new student at Underwood High School. He excelled in sports such as; wrestling, track and football. He continued to play until he graduated at the age of seventeen, in 1985.
During this period after the move, Remy’s father took to driving full time. He drove a dump truck and delivered milk to creameries from various farms. This strong-willed, independent man that Remy looked up to influenced him in such a positive way, that he was eager to begin his own path.
A year before Remy’s high school graduation, he decided to enlist in the Army June of 1984 with his father’s consent. He wanted a position none other than to be a Motor Transport Operator. Immediately after finishing his senior year, he left for Fort Leonard Wood to attend boot camp. There he completed his basic training and his AIT from that August until November.
Next, he was stationed at Hunter Army Air Field in Savannah, Georgia. He considered his first year on the slow side. In 1986, he was finally able to start driving. His experience as a young child, driving his dad’s tractor on the open field for days on end, now came in handy. They sent Remy to training in California, Texas, even overseas to Turkey. At each location he would spend a few weeks hauling water or jet fuel. All training operations were performed while he drove for the 416th Transportation Company pulling tankers that hauled jet fuel, gas and diesel to other air fields.
The April of 1988, Remy opted to join the Reserves for another year. His honorable discharge came in December, 1992. He went to work for a farmer, hauling sugar beets to a local field for planting. That following October, Remy landed a trucking job with a turkey plant that offered local routes and also over the road gigs to different stores or meat markets. In the beginning, he only took the local channels, but before he knew it he was off on his first over the road assignment. For his initial shipment, he was sent all the way to California, from Minnesota. He spent about a year with this company before moving forward with his trucking career.
His next move was to be expected. Since leaving home as a teenager in search of his own calling, everything led him back to familiar territory… his father. Now with his own stamp on the world, he was tightening his grip on the profession of trucking. Remy felt that he could hold his own on the road and lined himself up to run with his father at the same trucking company that he was employed with pulling refer.
Shortly after joining the company in late 1990, Remy did a lease purchase and was able to buy his first truck. It was a 1987 Cabover Peterbilt. For the next four years, Remy continued to haul cheese and potatoes to warehouses in the Midwest region. In 1994, he sold his Peterbilt and bought a 1988 Volvo white Conventional that he kept for two years before selling it. He stayed on with this company for seven years.
It was August in 1997, when Remy finally found his niche in the trucking world. He was in the process of looking for a new fit when he noticed a well-established refrigerated carrier based in Carthage, Missouri that stood out above the rest. There were many reasons that caught his attention. “The fact that they’re a small company, but not too small,” he says was one of their main pros, versus cons. “With D&D Sexton I’m not a number. They know me by my voice here.”
Since joining the D&D Sexton team, Remy’s luck didn’t end there. In 2000, he met his future bride, Julie on a regular night out. Both parties were with their friends and as the evening came to an end, the couple was aware of the chemistry between the two of them. A year later on July 14th, they were wed in a small, intimate wedding on her grandmother’s property set in the country.
At the time, Remy was honing in on trucking. He made it a point to become familiar with the ropes at D&D Sexton. Today he delivers primarily in the Midwest area and is able to get home once a week. Since December of 2013 he’s been a driver trainer and a positive role model for other drivers. With a total of 28 years’ experience, Remy has earned up to 3 million safe miles throughout his entire professional career. 17 of them years were spent dedicated to D&D Sexton, where he added his last 2 million miles.
Over the years, Remy has proven himself loyal to D&D Sexton. It’s that unfailing dedication that he demonstrates daily not only on the job, but as his role in life in being a friend, a father and most importantly, a husband. He knew first hand, at an early age that you have to earn respect first. Also, that a person is only as good as one’s word. He has used these strong factors to help perfect his craft. In doing so, he has landed numerous amounts of awards. He has competed many times in various truck driving competitions. He has won 2nd Place five times at state level among his class. Twice, he was awarded 1st Place and went on to compete at Nationals. His first year was in 2005 when the Nationals was hosted in Tampa, Florida and again in 2006 in New Orleans.
February of 2012, Remy was announced D&D Sexton’s Driver of the Month. A few months later in July, he was the Driver of the Month for the entire state of Missouri. He finished up 2012 by bringing home the award for Driver of the Year. After five years with D&D Sexton, each driver with a safe driving record is presented with a ring. With a continued clean record, every year their drivers will earn a diamond. In 2012 Remy’s ring was full, celebrating 15 years of safe driving. He continued success on the road and was recognized again for his hard work and was awarded D&D Sexton’s Driver of the Month for June 2013.
When I asked Remy what is it about trucking that motivates him, his response was clear. He says, “I’ve been around trucking all of my life. My father loved it and now I love it. I get to see our great country! I get to meet different people… I’ll do this for as long as I can do it.”
These days Remy and Julie enjoying time with their family. Their only grandson, Kingston is two years old and is the son of Julie’s daughter, Steffany. They devote most of their time towards raising 14 year old, Ginny and 13 year old, Jeremy. Between Julie driving a school bus, Ginny’s cheerleading and Jeremy’s football, their schedules stay busy. Every now and then Remy says he likes to get away and check out the local garage sales and auctions. I’d say with everything he carries on his plate, he deserves a little free time to himself to enjoy the small things.