Meet Trainer of October 2018, Matthew Nadeau

on Thursday, December 6, 2018 in Awards & Recognition

Not many drivers can recall the exact day their journey with TMC began, but Matthew remembers it like it was yesterday. “It was New Year’s Day in 2012,” he says. “That’s when I hit the road to head to Orientation in Des Moines.” Before pursuing flatbed trucking, he was working as a mechanic and looking for a change of pace. “After I went to Roadmaster Drivers School in Jacksonville, I did my research and liked what TMC had to offer,” he says. “They were my first pick and thankfully, it worked out.”

After driving on his own for a year and a half, Matthew became interested in taking the next step to becoming a driver trainer. “I wanted to immerse myself more into the company and our mission. Training seemed like the best way to do that,” he says.

Now that he has been training for over four years, Matthew wouldn’t trade it for anything. “You meet new people who all come from different backgrounds and experiences,” he explains. “It’s awesome to learn what made them want to be a truck driver and then help them reach that goal - just like my trainer did for me.”

In regards to his training style, Matthew takes a very hands-on, low-stress approach. “He focuses on teaching guys to think on their feet and use all of the tools at their disposal to get the job done right,” says Jeff Geist, Training Coordinator Manager. “His goal is to build their confidence so they don’t feel overwhelmed once they get into their own truck.”

As we hear from most of our driver trainers, patience is a key factor to success. This, along with the support of his family, are two of the greatest factors that help Matthew out on the road. “My wife always pushes me to do the best I can,” he says. “She and my two girls are the reason I’m out here, so I constantly strive to do right by my trainees.”

Driver trainers are vital to the TMC Training Department, and each month a trainer is chosen who demonstrates the outstanding qualities TMC looks for in a trainer. The Trainer of the Month recipient is chosen based on their safety record and the safety performance of their trainees, the number of drivers trained and the retention percentage of those drivers. Congratulations to our October 2018 Trainer of the Month, Matthew Nadeau!