After a decade of working as a camp leader with the YMCA, Charles Hunter decided it was time for a change. “I’d heard a lot of good things about Averitt,” he says. “And I had some friends who worked here. They referred me, and I’ve been with Averitt ever since.” That was 29 years ago. And he’s never looked back. “What I like about Averitt is how we grow each year. We have good benefits, and we really take care of our associates. And leadership is terrific. I’ll tell you, I haven’t had one bad experience since I’ve been here. That’s the honest truth.” In fact, he’s enjoyed the experience so much that he’s been eager to share it. “I’ve recruited several people that were hired here,” he says. “And they’ve been here 20-plus years now. That tells you something about the leadership around here.” Charles also has a unique appreciation for our team’s professional appearance. “Wearing Averitt red means a lot to me,” he says. “It means I’m providing for my family while at the same time enjoying a really good career. I love that.” Speaking of family, he and his wife have five grandkids (all between 7 and 3) who keep them on their toes. “We had all five of them for a weekend,” he says. “Oh my gosh, they were running all over the place. I told my wife, ‘I love my grandkids, but we’re just going to do this maybe once a year.’” When they’re not busy wrangling the grandkids, he and his wife enjoy a bit of globetrotting. “We travel twice a year. Never the same place twice. We’ve been to Jamaica, Mexico and the Dominican Republic. Our next trip will be to Hawaii for our anniversary.” Christopher Bennett got his early truck driving experience with the Georgia Department of Transportation, hauling heavy equipment. “One of the guys I worked with had a secondary part-time job. He said a lot of his coworkers were leaving for Averitt. So I looked online and the reviews seemed pretty good. So I said, ‘Let’s do this.’” Yet there’s an irony to Christopher’s time with our team that isn’t lost on him. “One of the biggest attractions of Averitt to me was the home time,” he says. “That was important to me, to be home on the weekends enjoying some family time.” And for his first year and a half, that’s exactly what he got driving with Truckload. Then the entertainment bug bit. “I’d been interested in On Tour Logistics since I started, but couldn’t talk myself into it. Once I did, I fell in love with it. Now I’m on the road three to six months at a time.” Having toured with names like Chris Stapleton, Brantley Gilbert, Old Dominion and others, he has an added appreciation for the role professionalism plays. “In the touring world, you’re not just representing Averitt, you’re representing the artists. The better you treat people and the more you respect them, the more they want to work with you,” he says. “And they love the fact that we’re uniformed and respectful. They say, ‘No other touring company dresses as professionally as you do.’” On the rare occasions that he’s not touring with superstars, he enjoys traveling. “I spent two weeks in France last year. I have an adopted sister over there. I also have a 5-year-old nephew that means the world to me. I love being able to be home for his dance recitals and jiu-jitsu competitions.”
CHARLES HUNTER Dock Associate
CHRISTOPHER BENNETT On Tour Logistics Driver
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