FIXTITLE Steve Fenescey.docx

THEN & NOW

Legend Nominee: Steve Fenescey

This Legend nominee comes from a family of origin, in which strength and passion remains their common bond that continues through generation after generation. With a multitude of talent comprised of hard work and dedication, their backgrounds include mechanic work, construction, and transportation. All professions that necessitate a certain level of hands-on ability and perseverance.

Steve Fenescey was born in Walton, New York. A town located along the West Branch of the Delaware River in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains. His family later relocated to East Branch where he was active as a young boy, participating in sports year-round, such as; soccer, basketball, and baseball. Steve’s parents often treated him and his older sister to family vacations, or weekend getaways. His childhood memories are as clear as the moment he decided his own fate. He explains, “My dream, for as far back as I can remember was to work with large equipment. It’s just what I’ve always wanted to do.”

On his mother’s side of the family, he had relatives in the construction business and close cousins that ran a logging operation. By 14, he was driving a log skidder, pulling cut trees out of the woods to a mill about a mile and a half down the main road. Many nights he stayed late to help load the trucks. On Steve’s father’s side, his uncle was a skilled mechanic and experienced truck driver, as well. He devoted 25 years to both trades, before coming off the road completely as a full-time mechanic. His grandfather started in the transportation business, paving the way for future drivers as he delivered cans of milk to farms by wagon. As for Steve’s father, he joined the Army at 16 and fought in WWII. When he returned from service in 1947, he immediately joined his father and began hauling cabbage throughout the New York state.

He went on to further his career, purchasing a wooden cab Brockway truck; the first truck of many to come. In all, he dedicated 48 years of hard work to the industry. Steve continues, “They both were my role models, my uncle and father. I used to ride with my uncle some and he wasn’t as tough on me as my father was. The first time I went out with my dad on an actual trip with him, I was 11. By 12, I had a part-time job on the weekends, working on his truck. I oversaw the general maintenance: washing it, greasing it, changing the oil, and making sure everything was tight. Changing the tires was my least favorite thing to do. Every opportunity I was given to learn something new about them, I paid close attention.”

I was lucky enough to catch Steve for an interview with his wife, Peggy riding alongside him. With a considerably larger than average family to care for with 5 children and 8 grandchildren, both Steve and Peggy split their time between work and family. Meaning, Peggy’s time away from home is limited, so when I asked her how she found a happy medium for balance being married to a truck driver, her response was genuine. She says, “Seeing him so happy being able to do what he loves, and knowing that his job makes him that happy is enough for me to understand. That’s why he is so good at what he does, because he loves his job. Also, because he grew up in the business with his family, he is very knowledgeable and family-oriented.”

This couple has discovered the key to maintaining a healthy relationship in a profession that requires just as much effort from loved ones at home. “Many won’t get it,” Steve says. “It’s hard to explain… the desire to go, go, go. Some call it White Line Fever. It’s just something you get in your blood. Years ago, way before cell phones, a person couldn’t get ahold of me unless I stopped and called. So, if you’re a family man trying to make a living at this, it takes a great support team at home. You need a real caretaker at home so you don’t have that stress on you too. And Peggy is exactly that when I’m away.”

Steve’s father and uncle played a huge role in his life, in more ways than one. Their disciplined work ethic impacted his own desire to perform well, even as a young protégé, but it was their strong belief in how they should represent themselves as professionals that influenced his career many years later. The trucking industry opened the door for Steve to following his family’s footsteps and live out his dreams. “In trucking, you’re given the freedom to make your own decisions while running the road of responsibility. Back when your phone calls were limited to pay phones that were miles apart from one another, you were trusted to build a reputation. That reputation, along with your work ethic really mattered, in a way, you are selling your service. That’s how they taught me to work; with old school values, and that is how I still look at it. If I am remembered for one thing out here on the road, I want it to be for my level of service that I provide and the courtesy to other drivers,” Steve said.

Being groomed by the best came with tough love. His uncle offered a lighter side, while his father held him to the highest standard. Steve says, “Being in the business my entire life, my father figured I was supposed to already know everything, like how to drive. That alone was tough, learning the hard way, but I’m glad that I did.” His father’s way of teaching ingrained values that deeply rooted, helping advance Steve’s insight by years. In 1978, Steve purchased his first truck and leased onto a trucking company with his father. It was there, during his four years that he was introduced to heavy haul. Curious as to the details of maneuvering over-size loads, he knew that was the direction he wanted to pursue. Steve jumped at the opportunity to work for an outfit based out of New Jersey that ran a small rigging operation.

“I was at one point, addicted to my job. I would take a vacation and after a week I was antsy and ready to go back to work. I’ve always been very headstrong about doing my job. That’s another thing I picked up from my father. I was constantly looking for different places to go. Hauling over-size a main part of my entire career. It was sort of the challenge that consumed me. I hauled large pieces, like transformers or stacks for power plants and large industrial machines. When I would get a machine from someplace like Germany, while I was rigging it into a building, I liked learning what the machine was going to do, its functionality and the people that was going to run it. The whole process intrigued me, so I always enjoyed being on the job sites.”

Next, Steve tried his hand pulling for a long-haul LTL carrier. The focus shifted to the race against time, versus the precision to detail on a specific item. He preferred a more hands-on approach. He purchased his second truck in 2000, hauling flatbed and drop deck, retreating to the core of where he initially started. Steve continues, “It all goes back to my favorite thing about being on the road, doing it all on your own. Being your own boss. When I first started, what appealed to me the most was the feeling like a rebel, driving away from it all. There was no GPS to lead you, or data system to track you. It was basically, ‘Here is your load, here is your truck, we trust you to take care of it.’ When I was doing the over-size, these guys were given a truck, trailer, and a million-dollar load on it and it was all up to them. We handled our own permits, scheduled our appointments… as drivers, we took care of a lot and were treated extremely well because that’s what they hired us to do. I miss that! After all, a truck driver is a person that can take care of a load, everything from loading to delivering it safely and on time. I got into this business when we were really active in it. My boss would tell us what we were picking up and it was my job to select the proper trailer, decide how high the piece was going to sit on the trailer, figure out my axle weight, call a permit service, order my permits and get that all set up. Then, call the customer to discuss my day and time of delivery, so they could have a crane ready. To me, it was a total package for the truck driver to coordinate it all and make it happen. That’s how I was brought up… old school trucking; to appreciate the work and do it to the best of my ability.”

Working on his 40th year in the business, with over 3 million lifetime miles, Steve now runs a dedicated lane in the northeast region. He originally leased onto Mercer Transportation in 2006, continuing off and on until 2015. Back as an owner operator, he is currently in a 2003 Western Star. Occasionally he still runs heavy haul with a close friend. “We started working together doing over-size in 1981. We’ll get customers that call and request us,” Steve says.

Since branching out from under his father’s wing, Steve’s personal goal as a truck driver was to come as close to his father’s pristine driving record as possible. His father retired without a single chargeable accident. Trailing close behind, Steve declares his biggest achievement is the fact that he too will soon be out of the business clear of any incidents that led to physical injury, to himself or others. Awards are appreciated and records can be broken, but a person’s life is the most valuable gift. Truck drivers are trained to properly operate their vehicles. Safety is the number one priority, above all accounts. As professional drivers of the open road, they are prepared to handle situations that may unfold due to an accident and often become witnesses to the unexpected. Steve speaks of his sense of obligation, meaning he gained yet another attribute passed down from the leading men before him. Their success as business men and love for their family stemmed from one simple motto that Steve still embraces today: Every day is a good day; some days are better. Approach everything with a good attitude.

Steve has reached a new chapter in his life that involves being home more with his family. It’s a bit slower in tempo, but full of variation to keep him busy. I asked the inevitable, will there possibly be a fourth or fifth generation driver in the family? His oldest son gladly stepped into that role for 10 years. Now with 3 sons of his own, he opened a gravel pit and no longer runs over the road. Less than a month ago he had one of his grandsons in the truck with him on a quick trip out. The short hauls he currently runs only keep him out a couple of days at a time. Long enough to fill the void of trucking, then right back home to his family. “I’m 61 years old, I’ve got to where I want to be at home with our grandkids, instead of on the go. When I am home, my wife and I always have grandkids with us. We are building a new house and they’re up there helping us. Even our little Bailey, at four years old is there trying to do something. There’s so many good things going on at home, it makes it harder to leave. Being outdoors together is a big thing for us. So, we’ll take the grandkids to different places and teach them how to fish or hunt. We enjoy just being involved in their lives,” he says. Peggy also likes to visit new areas and explore the country, as she joins her husband on the road every now and then.

The list of locations Steve wishes to visit again without his truck include The Grand Canyon and Mount Rushmore National Memorial. “I have been within a few miles of many historic places, I just never stopped and took the time to see them. It was always work first.” Seeing all that our nation has to offer from a window’s view is a sight a lot of people envy, and getting paid to do so has its advantages. Bringing us to another reason Steve respects the industry in such a manner. He explains, “This business offers you a way to see the country and provides us with the idea that any individual can make what they want out of it and do it proudly. You can be proud of your service, proud to keep your truck looking nice, proud of the way you represent yourself and the company. You can take your career as far as you want to go with the support of your loved ones and a good moral compass.”

A few things have changed within the industry between then and now, back when the means of shipping milk was delivered in cans by a wagon. However, certain principles will never waiver, as they shouldn’t. If the family traditions and old school values of trucking do not carry on within Steve’s household name, I know plenty of truck drivers that will be more than happy to pass on his moral code of ethics.