Walter Kemp Named Trainer of the Month for November 2016

on Wednesday, January 11, 2017 in Awards & Recognition

Walter came to TMC Transportation in 2012 and has been training new, inexperienced drivers for over a year. Walter is passionate about teaching and wants to see drivers succeed at TMC and in their flatbed driving careers.

As a product of an outstanding trainer, James Underwood, Walter had been equipped with all the tools he needed to help mold the next generation of TMC drivers. “James showed me what to do and how to do it well,” he says. “He was a great teacher and driver who I learned a lot from.”

Walter uses a hands-on training method, and finds repetition effective. An area he tries to focus on with his trainees is backing. “It takes a lot of practice to be proficient at it,” Walter says. Additionally, Walter stresses the importance of maintaining relationships with shippers and consignees. “Social skills are just as important as the technical skills we learn,” he explains.

Walter makes it clear to his trainees that training doesn’t end when they step out of his truck and into their own. “I tell my guys that training never ends. As drivers, we are constantly learning. Though I’ve been in the industry for quite some time now, driver training has helped me learn more and challenge myself as well,” he says.

Walter Kemp (right) and Training Coordinator Manager, Jeff Geist (left)

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 November 2016 Trainer of the Month, Walter Kemp!