FIXTITLE Roger Johnson.docx

FOR A PURPOSE

The Story

Of

Roger Johnson

We’re all familiar with businesses that have a spokesperson that everybody in the listening audience can connect the two with. For instance, there’s the funny character, Flo with the bright red lipstick that represents an insurance company. In the commercials she’s funny and we all know her on a first name basis, like we grew up together and go way back. There’s Ronald McDonald for the world famous fast food joint. Did you know that two brothers opened the first McDonald’s restaurant in 1940 but it was originally a BBQ operation? Their hamburgers were ten cents with all you can drink orange juice for five cents. Today you can find a McDonald’s location in one of the 118 countries around the world, with 34,000 restaurants, employing over 1.7 million people. These are insane numbers for two guys that set out to obtain one goal when it all started: to make one million dollars before they turned fifty.

When I was doing my research on this nominee, he not only comes with high nods from his co-workers but is considered family to the former owner, now company president of Southern Refrigerated Transport (SRT), Tony Smith. On February the 16th, Roger Johnson celebrated twenty five years with SRT. “I was with Tony back when he had only fourteen trucks and he was able to come out in the truck yard with us and cut up.” Over a thousand trucks later, serving 48 states and Canada, Tony’s plate is a bit fuller. “…but he’s still the same standup guy. He’s the reason that I have never had any intention in leaving. Even though he’s stuck in the office more, I know that because of our close relationship I can pop in there and we can pick up just like we were out in the yard again.” I guess in a way, you can consider Roger as SRT’s poster child. He loves the company. Loves what he does for a living and is far well qualified with the number of years’ experience under his belt. Then tie in the fact that he’s already reached over three million safe miles. I don’t think a company could find a better representation to highlight. After all, he is the top seniority driver with the company.

Roger is the oldest of three children. Born and raised in Texarkana, Arkansas on October the 12th, 1962. He was raised in the country and spent most of his time at his grandmother’s place, on her cattle farm. “I was grandma’s boy, big time. I’d say I spent about 90% of my free time there. I remember I had a pet skunk and I caught my first fish at the lake nearby when I was four.” By the time he was in school he was already checking out the other gender. The ladies had his full attention from day one. With a laugh he says, “Oh, I was in elementary when I started thinking about girls!” I’m thinking this farm boy is quite the charmer with a funny personality. He picked up football in his later years and at fourteen he scored his first job bussing tables and washing dishes at a local restaurant. He stayed on for about a year. Roger saved up his money and with some help from his father, he bought his first car. It was a metallic gold, 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air with black racing stripes.

Drag racing was a big part of Roger’s life. He and his brother were introduced to it at an early age. His father had been involved in it all of his life. By the age of sixteen, Roger had his CDL and was drag racing along with his brother. They had an orange 1972 Ford Maverick that the three of them took turns driving every weekend. His father was also in the Army for six years, serving two tours in Vietnam with the Special Forces Suicide Unit. With pride in his blood, he followed his father’s footsteps and also joined the military, right out of high school. In 1979, at seventeen Roger enlisted into the Army. First he was sent to Fort Knox in Kentucky for six weeks of training. Then for his AIT he was stationed in Georgia at Fort Benning to attend Ranger School and also the U.S. Airborne School. His next move was with his Airborne Unit to Fort Bragg, followed by Fort Polk in Louisiana where he was acting drill sergeant for six months before being deployed to Korea in 1980. He spent over a year serving stations with a joint security area connected with the United Nations Command. In three day increments he would rotate from guard duty, to stand by, rifle control and then three days out. His primary objective was to shield the border where the foreign country lands meet, of any incoming or outgoing traffic.

The October of 1983, at the age of 21, Roger returned to Fort Lewis, Washington as a ranger of the 2nd Battalion, 75th Infantry. After his final mission was successful, Roger put up with military boots for the final time. In 1984, he found himself back in his home town of Texarkana. He began driving a cattle truck for the family. By twenty five he joined an OTR company, hauling common freight. In 1989 he settled down, got married and had a nice, little family. His wife had a two year old son that Roger adopted. The following year a friend of his that hung around with his father mentioned the trucking company that he was driving for and suggested that he come check them out. So he did… and he met Tony Smith with SRT. The rest is history. “My first truck was a purple 1983 Freightliner flatbed, because they didn’t have any more refers.” His career was on track and he soon welcomed his second son to the family. He still remains close to his two sons, Zachary and Nicholas, although he and their mother split fifteen years later.

In 2001, Roger was nominated and came home with the win as Arkansas’s Driver of the Year. He was also the youngest driver to have ever achieved this prestigious award. After being honored for reaching his one million safe miles with a plaque and ring, he was doubling his numbers too quick to keep up. When I asked Roger how come he’s so devoted to SRT his reply was simple and humbling, “I have the boss people dream of having. He’s a good man! As long as I’ve been here, I’ve seen some come and go but we have a good, solid group of loyal people here that think the world of Tony and his son, Justin.” He continues to elaborate on the freedom of trucking and the reasoning behind his passion. His profession isn’t like the average job, where someone is constantly looking over your back. With trucking he explains that there are so many advantages that he enjoys. “I get to see the country and that’s just a plus for me. I always say, ‘I’m a happy camper on a long stretch trip.’”

His next plan is to give it about seven more good years and then come off of the road. Retire but not completely. A man with this drive doesn’t exactly know what retiring really means. His version of retiring is to plant himself inside the walls of SRT and help other drivers, such as himself. To help them learn how to deal with the life that he’s already lived on the road. If anybody can relate and give encouragement, it’s Roger Johnson. He still wants to further his trucking career but on the other side of the desk. “SRT is the perfect trucking company to begin a career in trucking and to retire in trucking. I’m living proof of it.”