True Respect

I received this note from one of our Professional Drivers about the respect he saw in a new employee (rehire):  

Just had an absolutely wonderful conversation with a brand new / old hand - J. B. Hunt driver named Melvin Thompson!   He worked for J. B. years ago, then just came back a couple weeks ago - he has enjoyable stories, a wonderful sense of humor - AND he taught me a few things a about the Espar Bunk Heater I didn't know!

Drivers like Melvin, old guys and gals, that talk and laugh and don't mind teaching us green youngin's a thing or two - are to me, what has always - and it seems STILL, made/makes J. B. Hunt special - unlike every other major mainstream carrier out there.

We used to say, back when I was one of the VERY LUCKY FEW 1 year experience drivers allowed to come to work here: "Every J. B. Hunt driver is your Family hand, you just haven't met 'em yet!" - and we said it sort of jokingly, but also kind of seriously...

Well, Melvin is "that sort" of driver - makes me feel like a bloody noob again, but not in a bad way - makes other driver around him smile and want to share stories instead of go hide in their truck.

It made me feel special again, just because Melvin and I are J. B. HUNT - the other drivers around us weren't - and I kind of felt that "hey, you've got family here on this stinking grocery warehouse parking lot, and you didn't even know him yet!" kind of feeling :)

Melvin watched my ...trailer behind... while I backed in - without even being asked - and I watched him as he backed up - just like the old days (though I should say that Melvin needed me watching him back up as a safety, about as much as I need a second naval in my forehead - the man can back a truck as well as I can drive forward - and it just felt good all of a sudden, to be here with my friends and my "J. B. Family" out on the road.