Ever wonder what it’s like to work as a driver for Woodford? In this blog, we talk to Steve Clingerman, a Woodford Transport driver based in Morgantown, WV.
Watch the companion video of this interview on our YouTube channel.
How long have you been with Woodford Transport and how did you get into trucking?
I’ve been with Woodford for eight years. I was with another trucking company for 24 years. But I’ve actually been around trucks since I was about 16 years old. Things were a little different back then. I used to work in a grocery store. And, at nighttime, the guys had to stay and unload the trucks. I got to know the driver and he let me drive his truck one time. So, at 1 or 2 o’clock in the morning, I was driving, at 16 years old, a truck around the parking lot. And that’s how it all began.
What do you enjoy most about your job at Woodford Transport?
What I like about Woodford, and this job, is I enjoy the flexibility of the hours. I have no start time; I have no end time. They send me my loads by email and I basically decide for myself when I want to come to work.
What is the culture at Woodford like?
We have a good group of guys here. Everybody works together. When somebody has a problem with their truck, we try to help each other out and get things fixed. With my job, I leave at 3 o’clock in the morning and I’m gone all day long. I don’t come back until 3 or 4 o’clock in the afternoon, but when somebody’s here, and they need help, we all pitch in and help each other.
Walk us through a typical day at your job.
I get to work at 2 to 2:30 a.m. every morning. I do a 15-minute pre-trip inspection on my truck. And then I’m usually on the road between 2:30 and 3 a.m.
I travel from Morgantown, WV to the Pittsburgh area and pick up a load of fuel from one of the area terminals and then drive back to West Virginia. I unload, and then head back to Pittsburgh to pick up another load of fuel. I basically do two loads every day. I deliver to a lot of coal mines, limestone quarries, the commercial side of it. Sometimes I’ll deliver to a few gas stations, but for the most part I supply the coal mines and limestone quarries.
Safety is a high priority at Woodford. How do you see that play out through your work?
We have policies that nobody can climb on our trucks for the risk of falling off. Another thing about safety is that Woodford runs all brand-new tires on our trucks, so we very seldom ever have a blowout. We also have Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) on the trucks that track us throughout the day to make sure we don’t speed. Through our ELDs, they have cameras that are forward-facing and they’re on all the time. If you hit the brakes real hard, it makes the camera come on and start recording, so it keeps us accountable.
How does Woodford’s focus on customer service impact you as a driver?
I think there’s an overall mindset among drivers of constantly looking to be as nice as we can to people. We deal with people every day. I’m always thinking that whatever we can fix for a customer now, if we can be professional about it, then, next week, when they need the next load of fuel, they’ll call Woodford. And I’ve experienced that.
We’ve had customers we go to and they’ll say, “When the last company was in here, they weren’t even prepared to unload and we had to help them. Whereas, you all come in here, you know what you’re doing.” And that translates into the next load, where they say, “We’re going to stick with Woodford.” They all like Woodford. They specifically notice the clean, new trucks and they love to see that.
Woodford is very active with community events and schools. Have you had a chance to represent Woodford at any community events?
Yes, the elementary school right here in Morgantown (Mylan Park Elementary School) has had events called “Careers on Wheels Day” and “Touch a Truck.” And I’ve gone to the school, and talked about my job, and the hydrants and equipment I work with. And we just go from class to class, talking to the elementary kids about what we do. They really enjoy it.
Would you recommend Woodford to a friend looking for employment?
Absolutely. Woodford is a good, family-owned business. It’s a really, really good atmosphere. A good place to be.
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Woodford Transport, LLC, is a Woodford Oil Co.-related entity.
