Meet your 2018 Driver of the 4th Quarter: David Perfect!

on Thursday, March 14, 2019 in Awards & Recognition

In life, perfection isn’t easy to come by, but for TMC’s 2018 Driver of the Fourth Quarter, perfect is his last name... literally! David Perfect has been a professional driver for TMC for eight years, and during his time on the Black and Chrome fleet, he has certainly been living up to his namesake.

A Chicago native, David came into the trucking industry a bit later in life, and quickly found it to be a perfect fit. David spent over two decades working for the Forest Preserve District of Cook County before he decided it was time for a change in scenery. He packed up and headed south to Manila, AR, where he had a brief stint in a steel mill before he figured it was time to retire. For David, however, retirement wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. Feeling restless, he remembered the one thing that could provide with him a new adventure; his CDL.

“My dad once told me that as long as you have your CDL, you’ll have a job, so I had always renewed and maintained mine that I acquired many years ago,” David says. “My dad drove an 18-wheeler locally in Chicago for 38 years, so I figured I would give truck driving a shot. I never looked back. I love this country, and I am so thankful that I get paid to be able to see it.”

David is proud to be driving down the road with those three unmistakable orange and gold letters on the side of his shiny black Peterbilt, but it is the four words just underneath the logo that is what really drives him to put in 100% each day. Those words are: “An Employee-Owned Company”.

“TMC’s Employee Stock Ownership Program is incredible. Our owner is giving his company to us not only to ensure that TMC’s values and standards are upheld, but also to reward his hard working employees,” explains David. “I don’t have to drive any extra miles, secure any extra loads, but my ESOP account continues to grow year over year. I also do my best to keep an eye on the bottom line in my day-to-day, and encourage other to do so as well. There are things that we as drivers can control that affect those ESOP dollars: watching idle time and fuel usage, practicing efficient time management and preventing accidents, no matter how small. Those things add up, and when all is said and done, we can all share in those savings.”

ESOP aside, David’s favorite aspect that comes with working for TMC is the people.

“I work with a bunch of incredible people and earning the designation of Driver of the Quarter is a great honor that I want to share with everyone,” he says. “We are a team here, all the behind the scenes people make my job fun and rewarding, which I think is imperative to being successful. Of course there are ups and downs, but I like to look at the big picture. I’m not in it for the load today or tomorrow, I’m in it for what’s to come in the next month or next year.”

Having just accomplished one million consecutive safe driving miles, success is something that David knows well. He recently decided to share his wealth of knowledge with future generations of TMC drivers by becoming a driver trainer. While he is showing his trainees the ropes to flatbed, he is sure to teach them not just how to do the job, but how to do it right. He shares all of the benefits of the job can be in the future.

“David's work ethic, attitude, and teamwork are unmatched,” says Steven Fagg, TMC Customer Service Manager and David’s former Fleet Manager “He's maintained a meticulous safety record, and is always there to help even in undesirable situations. He cares genuinely about TMC’s future, and represents Destination: Excellence in every way possible. I can't thank David enough for his continued efforts of going above and beyond every single day.”

David looks forward to continue achieving his goals here at TMC, with the next ones being his 10-year safe driving award, hitting two million safe miles. One day he hopes to be named a TMC Wheel Master, the most prestigious title the company holds.

When he’s not behind the wheel, David enjoys spending time with his six grandchildren and taking them on yearly trips to the Wisconsin Dells and Disneyland. It is this job, however, that affords him these opportunities.

“My family is spread out a bit, so I feel lucky that I can travel to see them while doing my job,” he says. “TMC’s family oriented structure makes it easy to always feel at home.”

Criteria for Driver of the Quarter recognition includes years of service with the company, safe driving record, excellent customer service, professionalism and overall quality performance. Once a driver is recognized as a Driver of the Quarter they are eligible to receive the prestigious Wheel Master Award.

Congratulations, David, on this well-deserved distinction!