Cover Story

Richard Arrington - Tango Transport, LLC

Charles Arrington, better known as Richard, celebrated his 10th year in the trucking industry on April 29. After working in a few other careers, he decided to go to driving school because he always heard that if you do something you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. He loves to drive and loves being his own boss – so trucking was a natural fit. And Richard doesn’t just drive for work; his hobby outside of driving a truck is riding his motorcycle with the Tribe of Judah Motorcycle Ministries.
     For seven of his 10 years of driving, he has been at home with Tango Transport, LLC of Shreveport, LA as a company driver. Living in Shreveport, he has gotten to know a lot of the office staff at Tango Transport, and many of them attend Shreveport Community Church with him. “I really like the people at Tango, and I get to come home at least every other week and usually every week,” he says. Last June he was presented with an award for being a safe driver for seven straight years. He is honored to be chosen to represent Tango Transport and the trucking industry at area job fairs so that young people can learn about their career opportunities. Last June he was also appointed to travel the open road with a class mascot named “Tango Ted” to teach a local elementary school class about safety and traveling. As Arrington visited different areas, he took pictures of Tango Ted so the students could see the places they visited. He also kept a journal of the trip, describing the miles he drove each day, the states he visited and the things he saw, such as the St. Louis Arch in Missouri.
     Richard takes representing the transportation industry seriously because he has seen the public’s perception of the truck driver go down over the years. He remembers years ago when truck drivers were considered the Knights of the Road and that is the persona that he wishes all drivers would strive to live up to. “I think everyone should dress professionally and conduct themselves in a way that promotes respect,” he says. “Unfortunately, one bad apple can make a bigger impression than a lot of good ones. But if we all do our part, drivers can change how we are seen.”
     When Richard chose his career in the trucking industry, he was considered a mature driver at the age of 48. His advice to younger drivers is to seek out solutions to problems in their working environment instead of sitting back and complaining. “We can all work together to make this industry the best it can be. I listen to trucking radio and Evan Lockridge to keep up with what is going on in our industry,” he says. “Some of the new rules coming into play don’t make a lot of sense because people that don’t drive are making them. While I understand the need to monitor what is going on, we need to voice our concerns so that the regulations will help our industry grow and succeed.”
     The staff of Over the Road magazine would like to wish Richard continued success with Tango Transport. If you would like to learn more about the company driver, owner-operator and lease purchase opportunities available now at Tango, give one of their recruiters a call at 866-873-9140, visit their Web site at tangotransport.com or see their ad on page 1a of this issue.