I remember 31 years ago, leaving the parking lot on my first solo run as a professional truck driver. From the first mile, it was exhilarating to be driving on my own. That first route was only the beginning; it was a start to many roads I have taken since. It’s symbolic when you think about it. Trucking can lead you down many paths, but only you can say which is the right one for you — and so the journey begins.

Being a professional isn’t only about getting paid to drive — anyone can do that. In recent months, our industry, along with those who regulate it, are raising the bar in terms of training, safety and professionalism, ensuring that fleets and drivers do things the right way for the right reasons. Given our standards, it’s only a starting point. This was taught to me early on by those who trained me, and those before them.

Still, only through self-discipline, focus, determination and above all else, the mindset that safety comes before all else can you truly be called a pro.

I like to think of the road I follow, “Professionals Drive.” It’s not a road I found on my own, by any means. Rather, it was many other drivers who helped me succeed along the way. Mentors, professionals, and safety personnel throughout my early career who cared enough to involve themselves and invest in me and my career. They each made time to work with me and guided my journey. There aren’t enough words to express how thankful I am to have known and learned from them.

A safety mindset is the forefront of any professional driver. It is first, not even a close second to anything else the driver may be responsible for, bar none. No matter the load, no matter the circumstances that we may find ourselves in, our decisions are based on what’s the safest solution, period.

Once you make your way onto Professionals Drive, your focus and dedication to the principles of safety don’t become any easier. In fact, once you get there, it takes even more focus to remain. Each road has curves, difficulties and challenges, but the professional drivers who handle these with the utmost focus on safety first are the only ones who can drive there.

I read somewhere, “Your success isn’t anything if it costs someone else everything.” That’s the mindset of all the pros on Professionals Drive. We will always put everyone’s safety before our own.

Now, you’ve made it! You’re travelling on Professionals Drive! You’ve dedicated yourself to the high standards of a true professional driver. What does that mean for your employers, your customers and your career? Easy, it’s the respect you’ve earned; there is a lot to be said about having that respect of your colleagues and peers. You have made yourself more valuable to yourself, your family, the public, your company, and the industry. Your ability to sustain higher-paying positions and seek other opportunities in the industry is there as well now. Others see you as a mentor, a trainer, a Road Team Captain, and most importantly as an example of what our industry is about: safety and professionalism.

There are acceptable short detours off Professionals Drive that everyone wants to take: the state and National Truck Driving Championships (TDC). Over the last several months, we witnessed thousands of professional drivers exit off to their state TDC. You can’t get there off of any other road and without being accident-free for a full year. About 450 of those professional drivers left Professionals Drive again and exited off for Pittsburgh for the National Truck Driving Championships, including nine of our own from Alabama.

After the competition, each of those professional drivers will get back on Professionals Drive and sustain their safety records. For the time being, let’s wish all of the drivers good luck, show our respect for what they have accomplished and sustained, and cheer them on. These professional drivers are representing what we all stand for as professionals. Thank you for being an inspiration to me when I first started and continuing to be for our future generation of professional truck drivers.

Good luck, everyone! Can’t wait to see you out on the road again!