From Retirement to Trainer: Joe's Second Career at Laufer

Joe Volz came to trucking as a second career. He retired from a different field and finally acted on an interest that had been with him for forty years. What started as a fall harvest job on a farm turned into a part-time position at Laufer, then flatbed work, then a role as a driver trainer. Today Joe is the driver Laufer sends new drivers to.

How He Got Here

"I was in a totally different career field, and upon retirement, decided to fulfill my forty-year interest in trucking," Joe says. He went to work on a farm during fall harvest. When the harvest ended, he wanted to keep driving.

He reached out to Laufer. As it happened, Laufer was looking to start a part-time local driver position at the time. "It worked out well for both of us," Joe says. From there he was trained on flatbed work. Later, Laufer offered him the role of driver trainer.

The Joy of Training

Joe spends three to four weeks with each new Laufer driver. In that window, his job is to bridge the gap between the basics and what the road actually asks of a driver.

"It is a joy to watch their confidence and skills develop and increase," Joe says. "After training, it is great to see them continue to improve and hear their stories of their successes."

The training program itself, he credits to the safety team. "Laufer has developed a very good training program which I feel helps us develop safer drivers."

What He Thinks Makes a Safe Driver

Joe has watched enough new drivers to know which traits separate the ones who last from the ones who do not. He breaks it into three.

Attitude. "Patient, courteous, and predictable in your driving so others know your intentions."

Health and fitness. "Sitting in a truck for long hours can be hard on the body. Eating healthy, managing sleep, and doing some type of physical fitness will go a long way."

Continuous learning. "Keep up on changes in laws pertaining to the trucking industry. Take mandated company training seriously. Stay up to date with company policies."

None of these show up on a driving school syllabus. All of them show up in Joe's three to four weeks.

What He Tells New Drivers

Joe's advice for anyone starting a driving career is short and direct.

"Look for a company that cares about their drivers and employees, and don't just chase the money," he says. "There is a reason why Laufer has a high retention rate. They take care of their employees, and they listen. Communication is the key to a successful career and a successful company."

Why Laufer, In His Words

Joe's answer to what makes Laufer different is not about pay or equipment, though he mentions both. It is about size and communication.

"Laufer is a good sized company that allows drivers to know each other. It allows for good communication with the front office," he says. "They have maintained a family atmosphere in which you can bring up concerns or ideas and they will listen. They encourage open communication, which makes for a positive experience."

The flexibility runs both ways. "If a driver wants to run hard and be out all week, they will try to accommodate. For part-time drivers, they work with their personal schedule."

Joe also notes something Laufer does that most carriers do not. "It is encouraged to get other drivers' phone numbers so they can help each other while on the road, whether it is where to stop for the night or to give a heads-up on a traffic incident." The drivers are not competitors on Laufer's dispatch board. They are colleagues, and the company treats them that way.

"It has been a great experience to work for Laufer," Joe says. "I love the sense of family, the well-maintained equipment, and the variety of routes we do."

Laufer hires experienced CDL-A drivers out of Hartford, Wisconsin, for local, regional, part-time, and specialty work. If that sounds like the next step for you, call (262) 673-6810 or learn more at Laufer Careers.