Rookie of the Quarter: Thang Lian

on Friday, November 7, 2025 in Awards & Recognition

For TMC driver Thang Lian, 2025 has been a year of new challenges—and new successes—as he began his flatbed driving career. We’re proud to recognize Thang as TMC’s Rookie of the Quarter for Q3. Read on to learn more about how he’s turned those new challenges into a great career.

A New Start

After a decade working in a factory, Thang decided to make a change in his life and become a truck driver. “I wanted to try a new career instead of spending too many years in the factory. Why not try?” he says.

Thang was open to a new adventure, and he made the most of the opportunity. After completing TMC’s orientation program, he spent a few weeks in over-the-road training with seasoned driver trainer Matthew Messer, who Thang says helped him refine his skills and prepare to get his own truck.

“This was my first truck company, so I didn’t know anything about it,” Thang says. “I learned everything, every detail. I asked questions of my trainer about everything—load securement, how to choose a route and prepare for the next step.”

Now, in his own truck, Thang has certainly applied what he’s learned, with great results, says Operations Manager Zach Mulder. “What I noticed from Thang in his first month was his work ethic,” Zach says. “He was always parked up Sunday nights, and he was doing all the right things during the week to be empty early and provide the best customer service for our customers. He is not only a safe driver, but very respectful to his peers and customers, always willing to help.”

Overcoming Challenges

Though Thang has been very successful on the road, not everything has been easy. Load securement, he says, can be a challenge—especially in hot or cold weather. But Thang says that developing toughness is part of being a flatbedder. “It’s not an easy job, not for everyone. You have to be tough,” he says.

At times, he also struggled to understand his fleet manager’s approach to dispatching him—until he attended TMC’s TQM and Advanced TQM trainings.

TQM—which stands for Total Quality Management—tailors TMC’s continuous improvement framework to drivers. It empowers drivers to make smart, proactive choices on the road. In Advanced TQM, drivers also learn about TMC’s approach to fleet management and how to make it work for them.

Through these classes, Thang gained a better understanding of all the factors that fleet managers juggle on a daily basis. “Sometimes [drivers] feel like fleet managers aren’t doing us a favor, or we’re waiting too long for dispatch,” he says. “TQM taught me what they’re doing. They’re not just dealing with one driver. Now I just relax and I don’t worry, because they’re doing their job. They’re doing the best for me.”

Looking to the Future

TMC’s Rookie of the Quarter recognizes a driver who has completed TMC’s TQM training within the previous quarter, taken the Train the Trainer course to prepare to be a driver trainer, and met several other criteria related to performance and safety. These drivers represent the future of our company and our commitment to Destination: Excellence.

Though Thang is honored to win this award, the recognition is not what motivates him. Instead, he says, he strives to be the best he can, represent TMC well, and provide for his family.

Thang says he will continue to do his best, in the hopes of achieving the same milestones as the longtime drivers he sees recognized on TMC’s social media and our podcast, The Black and Chrome Show. “I hope that will be me one day—maybe five safe years, or a million safe miles,” he says.

Congratulations to Thang Lian for being named Rookie of the Quarter! We can’t wait to see what you’ll achieve in the future.