TMC Transportation Names Rasnake Driver Trainer of the Year for 2015

on Wednesday, February 3, 2016 in Awards & Recognition

For Curtis Rasnake Jr., 2016 will mark 10 years of being a professional flatbed truck driver with TMC. During those 10 years, Curtis has driven nearly 1.5 million safe miles, been named Trainer of the Month twice, and was awarded Driver of the Fourth Quarter in 2014. Now he can add Driver Trainer of the Year to his list of accomplishments at TMC!

Growing up with modest resources, Curtis was determined to find a career that would allow him to earn enough to provide the best possible life for his family. He found that with TMC. At a typical job, success depends largely on other people. However, with TMC, Curtis has the freedom to be his own boss. This understanding has allowed him to make it in the company’s top ten drivers in terms of revenue for the past two years.

Curtis has been sharing his passion for flatbed with new drivers since he became a driver trainer in June of 2007, and has found it to be a very rewarding experience. As a Virginia native, Curtis trains many drivers that reside in the Appalachian Mountain area. “This area is very poor, and there aren’t many career options,” he explains. “I strive to show these guys that you can make good money here, money that will raise them above the poverty lines and allow them to support their families. It’s very rewarding to help make a difference in their lives.”

When it comes to training new drivers, Curtis insists that empathy is key. “Too many driver trainers expect perfection in the first week, but it is important to be patient,” he says. “I like to laugh and joke with them, not bark orders all the time. I’m not the boss, I’m here to show you how to be the best driver you can be, make the most money possible and being safe while doing so.”

“Curtis has done an exceptional job training our new drivers to be safe and well prepared for the challenges of the job ahead,” says Jeff Geist, Training Coordinator Manager at TMC. “He has an extraordinary attitude and is an ideal role model for our drivers here at TMC.”

According to Curtis, however, when it comes to his training methods, its not all work and no play. He and his wife Audra, or ‘Mama Snake’ as she’s affectionately referred to, have become a second family to many trainees. Curtis knows it isn’t easy to be away from your family for weeks at a time and that for most drivers this is a very new situation for them, so providing hospitality is important. “I have former trainees of mine that still stop by my house for dinner or just to visit,” he says. “Just because they get out of my truck doesn’t mean I’m not there for them anymore.”

Congratulations to Curtis on this wonderful accomplishment! We are lucky to have him as a part of the TMC Family.