Truckload Driver
Mac Willis
After selling his retail optical business in Virginia and spending a decade by the beach in North Carolina’s Outer Banks, Mac was ready for a new chapter. “I needed to find something else to do,” he says. “So I got my CDL and started driving for Averitt.” What attracted him in part was the home time. “Where I trained for my CDL, Averitt was one of the only companies that offered weekly home time. I didn’t want to be gone for weeks at a time pulling a flatbed. That’s just not me.” But the overall perception of the company is what sealed the deal. “We’re constantly buying new equipment – so you’re never driving around in a ratty truck pulling a crummy trailer. It’s just a very stable company. It seemed like the best thing to do.”
Eleven years later, he’s still in Truckload and still going strong. “When I get in with a company, if I like it, I stay. I don’t see any reason to bounce around. Because the grass isn’t always greener. This really does seem to be a family-type organization. Everybody’s treated me well and listened to my concerns. It’s a place where you feel heard.” He’s also proud to wear the Averitt red. “It definitely gives a more professional image. You wouldn’t believe what some people wear out there. It shows that this company has pride in its drivers.” Married for 41 years and father to two adult children, Mac plans to retire at 70 – but until then, he’s staying put. “Nobody’s ever done anything that would make me want to leave Averitt. I’ve been happy here from the beginning.”
City Driver
Jerica Frias
When she was laid off from her underwriting job with just one day’s notice, Jerica decided to take a leap. “I always had an interest in truck driving,” she says. “My father was a truck driver, and I have two aunts who drive, too. So I figured maybe this was the moment.” Though she wasn’t quite prepared for how quickly that moment would arrive. “My first company had a program where you went to driving school for two weeks, then took the DOT test. I actually passed it on the first try and was on the road that same day. That was a little scary.” She later made the move to yard switcher, but missed her time in the truck. “A position opened up at Averitt and I was like, ‘Oh yeah.’ It was like a breath of fresh air.” That was in 2021. Now a city driver in Greensboro, she appreciates both the routine and the respect. “The pay, the schedule, the paid holidays – it’s almost like a regular office job, but in a truck. You’re home every day, and off on the weekends. “I’m proud to say I work for Averitt. We put so much emphasis on customer service and working to retain business. We’re more than just delivery drivers.” And the uniform is a big part of that. “It gives us a good look when you see an Averitt associate walk in. It makes you feel proud to be a part of this company.” Outside of work, she’s a full-time mom and a part-time student studying project management. She and her fiancé enjoy riding motorcycles together on weekends. “We haven’t made it to the mountains yet, but that’s the plan. Toss the bikes on the trailer and just go.”
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