Say What?

Question: What do you like the most and the least about your job?

Ken Haag, 52, Slippery Rock, PA 
Professional driving experience: 25 years  
“I like being my own boss. I’m an owner-operator. I can usually stop and start when I want. I’m leased to a company, but I know when the loads are supposed to be delivered, and I deliver them on time. As I get older, I tend to stop a little more often. What I like least about it is the government getting more and more involved and regulating drivers.”

Gary Close, 43, Windsor, Ontario, Canada 
Professional driving experience: 24 years 
“I like going down the road. I like the different people I meet. The bad part is being away from the family and home. That’s tough.”

Jenny McCormick, 52, Henderson, KY
Professional driving experience: 18 years    
“I drive team with my husband. I drive from midnight to noon, so I like it quiet and by myself. I’m a night person. What don’t I like? Driving in the day, the noise and the traffic. I can’t drive during the day.”

Kevin Fletcher, 50, Mount Vernon, KY  
Professional driving experience: 3 years 
“We used to run pretty much 48 states. Now we’re running a dedicated route from Louisville to Norfolk, VA. What I like now is being home every weekend. What I didn’t like before was not being home. I think right now we have one of the best, cushiest jobs in the trucking industry.” 

Lorinda Fletcher, 36, Mt. Vernon, KY  
Professional experience: 3 years  
“The best part is that I’m with my husband all the time. There’s a whole lot of freedom; there’s not a boss right over your shoulder. I like that a lot. I like the traveling. What do I like the least? There’s not enough parking. When you want to park, you can’t find a place, especially at night. In lots of states, the rest areas are very small. If I want to pull over to go to the restroom, it’s almost impossible. I hate that about this job.”