FIXTITLE Voris Steward.docx

ALL FOR HIS GLORY

The Story

Of

Voris Steward

As children we are naturally vulnerable to our surroundings. To people; their actions. Our environment. All of it is captured by the eye. Influences start with a simple memory that can impact a young person’s life for many years. Through time comes maturity and the need to feel accomplished. Having a life of importance coveys pride. Some may seek to fill this void with affection or materialistic items. A shy number of individuals search for their answers within their religion. After speaking with Voris Steward of Pearland, Texas I realize that he is one of these elite few. He chooses to be obedient and speak boldly of his Christian faith in all aspects of his life. Each day he lives his life as the son, husband and father that he feels he has been led to be. He attempts to reflect all recognition to the man upstairs, only referring to himself as a servant accepting no selfish gratification.

When I explain to Voris that he was nominated anonymously, he seemed a bit surprised. Although, still willing to allow me to pry. For obvious reasons I noticed quickly that this was not going to be a boastful note, but remember with all of our Legends selected, they each have their silver lining. The more in-depth Voris shares his life, I begin to understand the adversities that he has had to overcome. Using prayer as his only refuge, in exchange it has strengthened his relationship and trust in God. Following your heart is easily done. However, speaking out loud the goodness that you believe in is not always reciprocated. Negative feedback can ruin a mood, while a positive attitude can lift an entire room. Your faith has to be strong enough to endure the rain. It’s the only way to blossom.

Voris is the middle child of five, with two older sisters and two younger brothers. He took an interest in trucks before most kids his age were even in Kindergarten. His father drove a truck for a food company, delivering in the surrounding areas outside of Houston, Texas. Voris’s mother worked for the family business. This was his link and initial introduction to trucks. Her dad, Voris’s grandfather owned a construction company. He recalls the first piece of equipment that he crawled up on at an early age belonged to his grandfather. It was Voris’s two uncles that held his attention. “They would park their big trucks at my grandfather’s. I remember, I’d help clean their trucks and watch them leave out,” Voris says. Because he was so close to his uncles and brought up around their trucks, he credits them as his main influence towards his future career.

At just six years old, Voris was learning the ropes of maneuvering case dozers and loaders. He had full access to one of his uncle’s equipment. By nine, he was turned loose. He focused his energy on helping his family. The nature of their business was geared toward land clearing and demolition work. Every opportunity possible, he made his way to his uncles’ trucks doing what he could to learn more. From cleaning the trucks, holding parts while they worked on them, to fetching tools; anything truck related he had to have his hands on it.

Overall, Voris had an active childhood. He was very athletic and spent a few years in gymnastics. He also enjoyed music and sang in the school choir throughout high school and some during college, but he admits that trucks have always been his niche. “I had one thing that topped everything else.” He laughs as he reflects on another early memory, “I would tear my toys apart just to put them back together.” It’s only when he wasn’t hanging out around trucks that he explored his other talents. The entire principle that continued to draw Voris in was the pride that his uncles displayed. He says, “The thing about trucks that attracted me to them wasn’t necessarily the size at the time. I watched my uncles and I saw how they truly enjoyed trucking. Not only the job at hand as a driver, but all of it. They made it a positive thing. It was about taking care of the items you own and having pride in what was yours.”

During his middle school years he worked for his uncles, cleaning trucks and picking sticks from job sites. As he grew older, he was given more responsibility and worked longer hours. Voris was able to perform mostly any mechanic work asked of him and he became more familiar with operating heavy equipment. At 16, he had his driver’s license and landed a job working the night shift in the mechanic department of a local grocery supply store. He managed to continue working for his uncles also, but eventually left the company and went back full time with his family until he graduated high school.

Voris received a scholarship to attend Lamar University located in Beaumont, Texas where he spent his first semester living on campus, as required. Over the following few years his schedule consisted of Technical classes to earn his Diesel Mechanic Degree and returning home on the weekends for work. When the 85 mile stretch home wore out, he found a job at the Montgomery ward in their mechanic department. Shortly afterwards, his instructor at Lamar University introduced Voris to a gentleman that was looking for an extra hand. He was wanting to retire and needed a mechanic to help run his shop. The two became very close working together. He took Voris under his wing and was a great role model for him. Voris grew to love and respect him as family. To this day, he still considers him like his Godfather. Voris stuck by his side until he graduated college in 1997.

Fresh out of school and ready for his next adventure, Voris relocated to Houston to be closer to home and teamed back up with his uncles. December of 1999, he purchased his first truck. It was a 1996 Freightliner FLD and he immediately hit the road. He leased to a company pulling flatbed based out of Buda, Texas running the east coast region. He traveled every week, but made a promise to himself to get home at least every two weeks. “They were a good starter company for me, but I wanted more,” he says. A year later, Voris came off of the road and leased to a local business pulling flatbed, hauling lumber and steal supplies. When the company lost one of their major contracts, they began to downsize. Voris saw this as an opportunity to find a gig closer to home. In 2001, he found the perfect fit with a major aggregate hauler transporting sand and gravel throughout the Houston area. Two years later he got his own authority. This allowed him to branch out and try new things. Hauling mulch was an avenue that he pursued. He bought an end dump trailer and in 2004 he purchased an ITT walking floor trailer.

Everything started to fall in place and he was building himself a solid book of business. For a short time, he pulled a trailer for an acquaintance that resulted in him buying his second truck, a 1994 Freightliner FLD from one of his uncles. He then turned around and bought an Eagle Bridge trailer. While Voris was running his truck, he had to bring on an additional driver. His prayers had been answered. “Business was doing well! I always enjoyed hauling heavy equipment. That was my primary goal from the very beginning,” he explains. “All of this was an amazing blessing!” In 2006, at the height of his career, he acquired another truck. A 1999 Kenworth. The following year was his most rewarding of all. Not only did he add his fourth trailer, but he also bought a house, proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Jocelyn and welcomed their first child, Cerianna.

Voris had met Jocelyn many years before, in 1999 on a trip to Cancun with mutual friends after college. The two exchanged numbers, but when Voris returned home to Houston they lost touch after a short game of phone tag. It wasn’t until the Thanksgiving holiday of 2000, while accompanying his sister to a venue party, he bump into Jocelyn again. He laughs, “The rest is history. Once we were reconnected, we haven’t separated since!” He can recall it raining that night, so they sat together in Jocelyn’s car. While they caught up on small talk, Voris was thumbing through some of Jocelyn’s photos albums. At the time, she traveled a lot and took many pictures while on vacations. Everything came to a complete halt when he noticed a particular photo of Jocelyn in Jamaica taken about two years prior to them meeting. She was in a pool and he was standing next to her with his arm around her. They both laughed at the coincidence and shared their memory of that day, without even knowing that almost two years later they would be sitting side by side, looking at that photograph together. Voris says, “The more she started talking about it, I remembered that it was my last day there on vacation and we had discussed that we were both from Houston… then we snapped the photo and that was it. We didn’t speak anymore on that trip. She went her way with her friends and the same for me.” The couple took it as fate giving them a second try and tied the knot in 2007. Their second child, Voris Christian turned one on January the 16th.

Voris had always wanted to build a custom truck. After attending the Great American Trucking Show in 2008, he decided that he was ready and started looking. A few months later, his mentor from college had mentioned that one of his clients owned a wrecker service that had a truck for sale. A purple 1994 Kenworth. It was a repo from a bank. However, the bank was basically going out of business and was needing to liquidate their assets. Voris went to see the truck, placed a bid on the deal and got it. Once he brought it home, he went to work on it right away.

By 2009, the economy began to slow down and the ripple effect hit his company. “I had to venture out to stay afloat. By the grace of God we made it and I was able to keep all of my equipment,” Voris said. His first truck show he debuted in was August of 2010 n Dallas. He walked away with a 3rd Place trophy and was featured in a magazine. The next month, he put his show truck to work and ran it for one year. His intentions were to shut it down about a month before the annual Dallas show again. Unfortunately, right before the event a drunk driver pulled out in front of Voris. “I wasn’t able to make that show, but I was just thankful that we all walked away from the wreck.” He refused to total it out. It took Voris eight months to put his truck back together. His first trip back on the road, he headed straight to a truck show and placed 1st in Peoples’ Choice. This time the event was hosted by the club, Lone Star Large Cars in San Antonio. Voris had met Tommy Roach, one of the original founders and current president of the club back in 2010, at their very first show. A year later, in April 2011 Voris became a member himself.

As much as Voris enjoys his job and loves his show truck, it’s not what drives him in life. “I have what it’s all about big and bold on my truck; The Redeemer.” He also turned the Kenworth symbol on his truck into a cross. He says, “This is a ministry for me. Through my work and my truck. When Tony approached me about Lone Star Large Cars, I knew that it would be a great platform to reach other people, prominently men. I feel that we can always use more men that share a passion for God and want to serve outside, even inside of our homes. Not just on Sunday mornings.” Being a man of faith, unashamed and free spirited sounds easy enough. The challenging part is being in an industry where your ethnicity makes you the minority. Voris however, views trucking the way most professional truck drivers do… with his heart. The same as he did as a child. It’s the beautiful trucks. The pride that pulsates through your veins. The open road with you behind the wheel in control. Everyone will face obstacles and win victories. It’s the in-between when nobody is looking and you’re striped of everything that will matter. Will your character be enough?