News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
A Crossville man was just named the Pilot Flying J Road Warrior of 2021.
Eric Curlett is a 20-year Marine veteran who has been trucking with Maverick Transportation for six years. He said that while it was surprising, the award is an honor.
“A lot of times truck drivers don’t really get recognized for the work they do out here,” Curlett said. “A lot of times you’re not just helping people at your company but you’re giving people a hand from other companies. You can tell they could be new, or not really sure of something, and you give them your little two cents, and a lot of times that’s enough to get them going and get them down the road.”
The $10,000 contest is one that recognizes professional truck drivers who go the extra mile. The Road Warrior is selected based upon story submission, including contributions to the trucking industry, safe driving history, miles driven, and community involvement.
Curlett said that both the award and the nomination itself were a surprise to him.
“The person who nominated me, they wouldn’t tell me what they were doing they would just say ‘You’ll thank me later,'” Curlett said. “So Iw as wondering what’s going on, then they ask me ‘I need some pictures of you sitting next to your truck.’ So I said ‘Okay’ so I sent them a few pictures of me sitting next to my truck. Then they told me that they nominated me for this award, this Pilot Flying J Road Warrior award, and I said ‘What is that?’ because I never even knew anything about that. So they were letting me know what it was about and I was kind of shocked and I said ‘I appreciate that,’ and she told me that ‘I learned a lot from you when I was there, so you deserve it.’ So I was definitely appreciative of the nomination.”
Curlett said that he likes trucking because drivers aren’t necessarily pigeonholed into just driving. He said that there are ample opportunities in multiple companies to find a path in the profession. He said that his biggest advice for those who might want to follow in his footsteps would be to do their research.
“Trucking, everyone thinks you just show up in a truck you just drive,” Curlett said. “But there’s more to trucking than that, a lot more. From choosing the right company to choosing what you want to do in that company(…) You want to know what area you might want to do, and then tailor what companies you might be attracted to.”
Curlett said that one of the hardest parts of his job is being away from family. He said that he and his family plan on using his award to take a vacation some place warm.
