Driver of the Quarter: Brett Niebuhr

on Monday, July 20, 2026 in Awards & Recognition

Brett Niebuhr has a deep connection to trucking—and to TMC.

He was introduced to trucking at a young age, and he’s spent much of his working life behind the wheel, including the last 12 years driving for TMC’s Dedicated Division. Brett has shown himself to be an outstanding driver who truly understands how to do the job right and be part of a team.

As his fleet manager, Garrett Tigges, says. “Brett brings a positive presence to the team and represents the values we strive for every day.”

That’s just part of why Brett was chosen as Driver of the Quarter for the first quarter of 2026. Read on to learn more about how he’s made a difference for TMC.

A Lifetime in Trucking

Brett recalls being “no taller than the steer tire” when he used to ride with his great-uncle in his Mack truck up and down Interstate 80.

Even back then, Brett knew what he liked about trucking: “Just being there, not being anywhere else,” he says. “It's freedom. It's, ‘You go do what you need to do, and we'll leave you alone.’ You get to do your own thing at your own time.”

As an adult, Brett always found himself drawn to trucking. He drove tankers and cement mixers, even spending some time hauling a water tanker up and down the narrow switchbacks of a Colorado ski-resort-turned-mountain-biking-course in the summer.

After years of working other trucking jobs, he came to TMC because he was looking for a company that would pay him what he was worth. At a previous company, he says, he often found himself arguing for even the smallest pay raise, and he was tired of having to negotiate to earn more.

Driving for the Dedicated Division

For all of his 12 years with TMC, Brett has been part of the Fort Dodge Dedicated team, focusing on delivering freight throughout the upper Midwest for one of our largest customers.

Brett enjoys the consistency and the chance to build relationships with customers that come with being on a Dedicated account. “I pull up in Rapid City, they know me by name,” he says.

In addition to being a great driver for the account, Brett took on additional responsibility when TMC began handling the loadout and tarping at Fort Dodge three years ago. Because Brett was familiar with the operations of the site after years of picking up cargo there, he stepped up to help with the transition.

He spent a few months working out of Fort Dodge, helping train tarpers and shag drivers, and even briefly taking over management of the site.

Brett was happy to do his part to support the team. “My thought was, I need to do this to protect my Dedicated account, to protect my livelihood, all the livelihoods of all the guys that I run with up there,” he says.

He says he also wanted to make sure that things were being run the right way at the site. When he was involved with setting up operations there, his approach was simple: “We're going to do it the TMC way. Because that's preached to me as a driver every day.”

Operations Manager Jeff Knafla, who has been working with Brett for over a decade, says that this mindset is a key part of who he is.

“What sets Brett apart,” says Jeff, “is his unwavering willingness to step in and support others in any situation—whether assisting our drivers, helping other companies’ drivers, working alongside shag drivers, tarpers, and yard managers, or partnering with our office team—always demonstrating a team-first mindset.”

Garrett agrees: “Brett consistently demonstrates an exceptional commitment to our team and the work we do. He is always willing to step up and help wherever needed.”

The TMC Approach to Safety

With 1.3 million safe miles, Brett has also demonstrated a strong commitment to safety during his time with TMC.

But this is nothing unique to him, he says. “I’m just beating the same old drum that everybody else does, you know? Slow down. Think about it. Take your time. Do it right the first time, and then you don't have an issue later,” he says.

Brett does a great job of executing these principals every day, his fleet manager notes. “Safety is clearly a top priority for Brett, and he approaches every task with a high level of care and responsibility,” says Garrett.

Carrying on the Tradition of Trucking

Family is at the core of who Brett is—and the heart of his time at TMC. His wife, Kisha, started in the Customer Service Department about a year after Brett became a driver.

“We’re one of the corny married TMC couples,” Brett laughs. But he is quick to note that Kisha has made his success as a driver possible. “I'm here today because of her. I couldn't do what I do without having her at home doing what she does,” he says.

About four years ago, Brett and Kisha adopted two of their grandchildren. The kids have developed their own relationship with trucking, just as Brett did as a child.

Brett’s eleven-year-old grandson has ridden with him on those same roads he used to drive with his great-uncle. Brett’s granddaughter is still too young to ride as a passenger, but she has still come to understand the rhythms of trucking. “She knows Friday is Papa Day. That's when Papa comes home,” Brett says.

Brett combines a lifetime of trucking expertise with hard work, dedication, and love of family. Congratulations to Brett for being named Driver of the Quarter!