How His Love for Truck Driving Led to a Lifetime of Experiences 

Not many people can say they have stayed at a job for over 50 years! Jerry is one of the few—a truck driver since 1967 and Swift Transportation driver since 2005. As you can imagine, Jerry has driven over a million miles, held various trucking positions, learned a diverse set of driving skills, and experienced the industry shift and grow over decades.

“If you have fun with your job, you’re going to love everything about it,” he told us during our interview. “I did many jobs before driving and found that driving was the best for me. I love traveling. And once my kids were grown up, my wife would even join me on the road, especially during the summer months.”  

From Tow Truck to Big Rig 

Jerry’s journey began in the San Francisco and Monterey Bay Areas of California. He transported firewood between Salinas, San Jose, San Francisco, and San Rafael in a straight truck. From there, he switched to a wrecker tow truck for a while. He enjoyed towing cars in a smaller truck, but quickly graduated to his first big rig flatbed in 1967! 

Jerry continued towing trucks until moving to a full truckload carrier in 1978. After 7 years, he started driving for a different carrier for 21 years before joining Swift in ’05 and sticking with us ever since.  

But why stay at Swift for 18 years? For him, the answer is quite simple. “Swift is a good company!” he said. “I think it’s an excellent choice for anyone. They pay well. I don’t have any complaints, I’m happy here.”  

Jerry was initially drawn to Swift by his son who was a Swift truck driver at the time. He encouraged him to make the switch when he learned Jerry was unhappy with his previous employer. 

“They put me on a dedicated route where I was home every night with weekends off, but they wanted to cut my pay,” Jerry told us. “My son drove for Swift, and he says, ‘Dad, you gotta come over here.’ So here I am!” 

How Jerry Became a Driver Mentor 

Trucking definitely runs in his family. Both his sons are currently following in their father’s footsteps as truck drivers. Carrying on the family legacy, Jerry’s sister was also in the trucking industry! “My sister talked me into mentoring, she was my very first student at my previous company,” Jerry said. “I taught her how to drive and when we were done, she said, ‘Jerry, why don’t you do this all the time?’”  

Despite his years of experience and over a million miles, Jerry wasn’t confident he’d be able to mentor. But through his sister’s encouragement, he gave it a shot and hasn’t looked back, now a mentor of 17 years at Swift! All that he has learned during his time spent in the industry, he is eager to share with students and new drivers preparing to hit the road on their own. Some of Jerry’s students have even gone on to become mentors today!  

“To watch a student graduate,” Jerry said, “that…that’s the best. I always tell them to call me and let me know how they did. I’ve even told my students, if you have problems on the road, call me. Just because I’m done training you, call me if you have a question. If I can’t answer your question, I’ll get somebody to answer it for you!”  

Passing on Trucking Experience from Generation to Generation  

We asked Jerry what advice he has for other mentors or drivers interested in training. According to him, patience is the most important attribute of a good mentor. “My sister used a phrase that I’ve kept with me for all these years,” he said. “She says ‘Jerry, what you know, we don’t. So be patient. What you take for granted, we don’t know.’ So, I’ve used that all through my time mentoring.”  

The industry has grown over the years with so many new drivers, carriers, and equipment. There can sometimes be a culture clash between new drivers and experienced drivers. However, Jerry believes the solution is more seasoned drivers becoming mentors.  

“Experience helps new drivers,” he said. “If you’ve got some years, heck yes, jump in there and teach somebody else. When I first started driving, it was a family deal. Truck drivers were brothers. Now, it seems that has changed…but we're trying to make it better every day. We need that ‘old school’ driving culture back, where drivers appreciate and take care of each other.”

How You Can Build a Stable Career at Swift from Hire to Retire 

If you’re a new truck driver hoping to work your way up to an experience level like Jerry’s, he encourages you to hang in there! “It may seem like it’s getting rough at the start, but it does get better,” he said. “The longer you stay with it, the better it’s going to get. If you love to drive and love to travel, this is the job for you!”