It’s no secret that our United States Military has done more for our country than we can imagine. They have bravely served and protected us, and as many of them retire, they enter the trucking industry. According to usmilitary.com, there are over 18 million veterans currently in the U.S., and one in four of them are truck drivers, particularly that drive tractor-trailers. The trucking industry is always seeking to hire more drivers, and there are several reasons why so many retired veterans seek employment in logistics and excel!
We surveyed a few of our military employees here at Spot and these are the top five reasons they gave us that veterans do well in the trucking industry:
1. Teamwork – “By always being part of a team, teamwork comes easy to most veterans, and they can help teams bond in ways they haven’t.”1 Teamwork is engrained into the military and is how they function. Not only are military missions team endeavors, but transporting shipments are as well.
2. Reliability & Focus – “Veterans are the most loyal and hardworking demographic of people you will ever meet.”2 “No matter what boot camp a vet has been through, there is a level of discipline and mental structure instilled in veterans to be the very best version of themselves, to go out there and win the fight no matter what obstacles he or she is faced with.”3
3. Critical Thinking – Military experience helps develop critical thinking and fast problem-solving skills to ensure total success in daily tasks. “Veterans have the mental agility to develop their skills fast and effectively.”1
4. Leadership, Morale & Mental Stamina – Veterans know how to take ownership of their actions and how to take charge of a stressful situation when needed. “Veterans can provide leadership to their coworkers at any time, any place. Veterans also know how to keep morale high when it starts to get low.”4 Extreme discipline is one of the critical elements every veteran knows, which is a perfect fit for trucking as a carrier or even as a logistics broker here at Spot.
5. Situational Awareness – This industry is constantly moving, quite literally. Veterans do well because they are trained to “stay alert and aware because problems arise all the time, so you always have to stay on your toes to be able to solve the issue.”5
Veterans usually join this industry for a stable transition into civilian life that consists of steady pay and good benefits. Here at Spot, we are no different!
Meet our very own Spot Freight U.S. Military Veterans:
(From left to right)
- 1Pranav Balan – Army about 2 years (active duty) – IT Intern at our sister company RED Technologies
- 2Jacob Pearson – Army 6 years – Logistics Lead here at Spot Freight
- 3Gerald Rich – Marines 4 years – Carrier Account Coordinator here at Spot Freight
- 4Jaydan Baker – Airforce 4 years – Logistics Coordinator here at Spot Freight
- 5Jacob Mellinger – Marines 4 years – Logistics Coordinator here at Spot Freight
- Lawrence Stevenson – Id Army 4 years – Logistics Specialist here at Spot Freight
- Tim Anderson -Id Army 3 years – Logistics Coordinator here at Spot Freight
- Ian Diaz – Marines 4 years – Carrier Account Manager here at Spot Freight
- Amanda Johnson – Army 3 years – Logistics Coordinator here at Spot Freight
- Rhett Ducksworth – Marines 4 years – Account Manager here at Spot Freight
Thank you to all our military veterans for your sacrifice, as well as your dedication to our industry. Without you, the U.S. would not be what it is today from both a freedom standpoint as well as the products and goods that are transported every day! If you are interested in applying for a job here at Spot, you can check out our job board at spotinc.com/about/careers.