Cover Story

Gerald 'Bo' Boday - Covenant Transport, Inc.

Gerald “Bo” Boday loves his life as a professional, over-the-road driver. “This is the perfect job for me,” he says with a smile. “I’m not married, I don’t have any children and I enjoy travel. Trucking allows me to see the sights and get paid for it!”

Bo, now 49 years old, first got behind the wheel in his early 20s. Other jobs tempted him, however, and he spent much of his young life working as a plumber, a maintenance engineer for a school district and a member of the merchant marine.

Eventually, Bo grew tired of the grind. “The politics really got to me, and I didn’t feel like I was going anywhere,” he says. “In 2004 I came to my senses and returned to the career that is right for me: professional driving.”

Bo earned his CDL and began searching for a carrier to call home. A man of faith, he liked what he saw at Chattanooga-based Covenant Transport, Inc. The company professed a commitment to strong values, and that was just what Bo wanted to hear. Within weeks he was out on the road once again.

There are many reasons that this trucking success story is happy to be running with Covenant. “I run from Maine to Washington State to south Texas and every part of the country in between—it works out well for me,” says Bo. “I’m happy with my income and the day-to-day aspects of my job, and Covenant backs me up if I have a problem. If I had a complaint at some of my old jobs, it wouldn’t be taken seriously, but here they listen to me.”

Bo is also proud of the brand-new Volvo tractor he has just been issued, one with just over 300 miles on the odometer. He makes safety a top priority, and it is reassuring to him that the equipment he drives is in top working order.

“I helped a driver back his trailer into a tight spot a couple of weeks back,” remembers Bo. “This truck was beat up, and it had duct tape holding the outside mirror together. I sure appreciate what I have.”

Bo runs hard during the five-day workweek, but he makes a point to shut down and relax during the weekend. “Lots of other drivers out there like to ‘go, go, go’ all the time, but not me,” he says. “I need time off to catch my breath and get some perspective. When I start back on Monday, I’m fresh and ready to go.”

Eager to please the folks at Covenant, Bo is ready to take on whatever responsibility they give him. He attributes his strong work ethic to his mother, who counseled him to “like what you do and do it well.” “I know that I can be anything I want to be, so I look forward to the future,” he says.

When he is not rolling down the highway, Bo likes to visit zoos, parks and horseracing tracks. Always interested in animals, he contributes to their welfare whenever possible. Bo is also known to play a mean game of horseshoes.

The staff of Over the Road and Pro Trucker magazines would like to wish Bo continued success with Covenant Transport, Inc. For more information on solo and team company driver opportunities available at Covenant, see their ad on the inside front cover of this issue or contact one of their recruiters at (866) 575-2344.