Bob and Linda Caffee recently won the 2014 Citizen Driver Award from the Travel Centers of America. TA sponsored the Citizen Driver program to spotlight the thousands of professional truck drivers who make our economy go and the outstanding individuals who make up their ranks.
As part of the recognition the drivers receive along with the award, is getting a truck stop permenantly named after them in their honor. As Bob and Linda Caffee stop at the North Las Vegas Petro frequently, it was a natural choice. The ceremony was held outside of the truck stop and lasted about 30 minutes. Ann Farro, administrator of the FMCSA was in attendance at the ceremony and also gave a speech to share her appreciation of Bob and Linda Caffee for their years of saftey and service, as well as her appreciation for all of the other safe drivers on the road. Ellen Voie, President of Women in Trucking, Mary Aufdemberg, Director of Product Marketing at Daimler Trucks North America, and our Team Run Smart Coaches Terry O'Connell and Joe Rajkovacz, were some of the other guests in attendance.
The ceremony was followed by a luncheon that was a beautiful buffet spread at the restaurant inside the TA. I have to admit that I do not frequent truck stops very often but I was very impressed with this Petro. It had amazing amenitites, was very clean, and everyone who worked there was very friendly.
What a great day to celebrate two professionals who truly deserve the recognition for all of their hard work and dedication to the industry. Congratulations Bob and Linda Caffee! We are very proud of our Team Run Smart Pros for being named Citizen Driver Award winners in 2014!
(For more photos of the luncheon head to Team Run Smart's facebook page.)
Bob and Linda's Recognition in this month's RoadKing Magazine:
The first time Bob and Linda Caffee tried trucking it just didn’t take.
“We worked for a major carrier,” Bob recalls. “We liked being on the road and we liked trucking, but Linda didn’t want to pull a 53-foot trailer.”
“That first time we were hermits,” Linda says. “We stayed to ourselves, didn’t do anything except drive and weren’t involved with anything else.”
They headed back home and started a lawn care business, but the road still held appeal. Linda started doing research to figure out a way to make it work, and hit on expediters. That’s what the two of them have been doing for the past nine years, and they definitely don’t keep to themselves.
“Linda’s research got us more involved in trucking,” says Bob. “In our downtime we were reading online forums and posting ourselves.”
The online conversations gave the couple a place in the trucking community to share ideas and experiences. They would post about what worked for them, as well as what didn’t work. Linda started a blog, and heard from many other women considering a career in trucking. The Caffees found that a lot of drivers and potential drivers were thirsty for advice.
“Our involvement kept growing as we met other drivers and networked and shared experiences,” Linda says.
They were part of the original group of drivers that became the Trucking Solutions Group, which works with industry leaders to improve things for drivers. They joined Trucker Buddy, keeping in touch with an elementary school class and offering kids a glimpse of what truckers do. They are active in Women in Trucking and St. Christopher Truckers Development Relief Fund (SCF), which helps drivers in financial need due to medical issues. They share their road experiences with other drivers as part of Freightliner’s Team Run Smart.
“It’s just about saying yes,” Linda explains. “Why not share something with another driver that can save them money or heartache? Why not give them information that will help them make a decision?”
“We just like to help people, I guess,” Bob says.
Fedex Custom Critical / Bob – 800,000 , Linda – 650,000 Accident-free miles
Location: Linda & Bob Caffee north Las Vegas stopping Center in Nevada