Mother and Son Partner to Build Successful Driving Team

Post Date - Jul 18, 2023

Roadrunner’s Smart Long-Haul Network partners with team drivers to power their one-day service lanes to certain parts of the country. With nationwide presence and terminals across 37 metro markets, Roadrunner offers more direct long-haul metro-to-metro shipping than any other nationwide LTL carrier in the US.

We recently sat down with a mother and son team to learn about what it’s like to be on the road together. Gerald, the mother has been driving for 27 years, while Brandon, the son, has been driving for 14 years. Here is what they shared:

When did you decide to team up?

We decided to team up in 2012 and have been driving together for 11 years!

Why did you decide to work together as a team?

There were a lot of reasons. We enjoy sharing each other’s company. It’s nice to spend time with my only son and be together. We help each other out a lot when on the road and when dropping trailers, etc. Plus, we make more money as a team! And all that money stays in our household.

How do you make decisions together on the road?

It all boils down to communication. We discuss where we want to stop, what loads to take, where we want to go. We weigh all the pros and cons before we make any decisions.

How long have you been with Roadrunner?

Our story is a bit of a comeback story. You see, we were with Roadrunner for 3 years and then we left for 8 years. We came back over a year ago due to all the changes and improvements you have been making at Roadrunner. It is a much more driver-centric culture and focus now at Roadrunner. We really feel like we have a seat at the table and that they respect their drivers so much more.

For example, we now get paid to dead head to terminals, it’s all easy drop and hook, and they offer better fuel discounts at more locations. We also love the new Haul Now app. Before we had to store all paperwork but Haul Now makes that task much easier.

Can you describe how it has been to work with Roadrunner? What do you do well? What do you need to work on?

Once we get a load we don’t mess around. We hit it hard and get to the terminal safely and on time. In fact, we try to arrive before the estimated time. Once we get where we’re going, then we can relax because our job is done. We like to optimize our fuel costs. We always pre plan where we are going to fuel up, which saves so much money. We take advantage of the fuel discount. We follow all the rules and regulations.

How does Roadrunner compare to other carriers you’ve driven for?

People are friendlier, more laid back, and you can tell they really care about you. You can tell at other companies that people are stressed out and that influences how they interact with you. At Roadrunner, they ask how we are doing, and genuinely care and listen to us. It’s also nice not having to constantly deal with a lot of different brokers and customers.

What is the most fun you’ve had while driving as a team?

It’s all about the little things. We love having extra time and getting to do some sightseeing. Sometimes we will rent a car and see the sights in California or Las Vegas for a few days after we’ve delivered a load. We like unique loads such as ones that deliver to military bases or other cool locations.

There’s still a lot more of the country we want to see and we’re going to keep at it! We want to try and revisit places as a tourist rather than a truck driver.

Any memorable moments while on the road?

Once we got to deliver in Manhattan two blocks away from Times Square! We were able to walk into Times Square, take pictures, see all the tourists, and eat good food. Truck drivers don’t usually get to do that.

Anything else you’d like to share with us?

We always try to be extremely helpful to other drivers and make friends along the way. We like to share our knowledge. We met one of Roadrunner’s newest teams at the Philly terminal and became friends with them. We noticed them from one of Roadrunner’s videos about new drivers. Now we run into them frequently, which is nice.

Roadrunner’s unique owner-operator and team driver model gives our long-haul driving partners direct routes, no-touch freight, and plenty of miles. Their award winning, app, Haul Now allows drivers to schedule their own loads, track their settlements, and run their own business. Haul Now allows drivers to maximize the profitability of their trucking business while providing the freedom to work when they want and the flexibility to go where they want.

Join our Smart Team today of over 1,000 independent drivers as we empower entrepreneurs to live the American Dream. Get the flexibility, stability, and support you need with Roadrunner.