One in a series honoring the Exchange’s 131 years of family serving family
Who he is: Michael Nelson, motor vehicle operator, Dan Daniel Distribution Center
Years with the Exchange: 18
Military connections: Nelson is an Army Veteran who joined the service right after high school. A brother-in-law also serves.
Why he joined the Army: Nelson wanted a better future for himself and he saw military service as an avenue toward that. He did basic training at Fort Dix and Advanced Individual Training (AIT) at Aberdeen Proving Ground. From there, he was assigned to Fort Knox, followed by Germany and then Fort Ord in California.
Going to technical school to be a mechanic gave him a head start.
“I was a mechanic my whole military career,” he said. “When I was in AIT, I had a lot of knowledge of the equipment, and it just enhanced my training and made it easier. Basic training wasn’t hard because I was an athlete. I still like to get outside and move around, so unloading the truck is not a problem.”
How he joined the Exchange: Nelson had been working for several years at SD Express, a Virginia-based trucking company, where he gained experience. “I started working on the loading dock and that was good experience. Then I went to work on the yard. I learned how to back up a trailer before I learned to go forward with it. I ended up with my own route. We had a good terminal manager. He said, ‘I trust you.’ He even met me at DMV with a tractor and a trailer to take the commercial driver’s license test.”
One of the other SD drivers told him the Exchange was hiring drivers. Nelson was familiar with the Exchange from his service days. He landed an interview and things happened quickly.
“I didn’t think I would hear back from [the interviewer] but he called me and asked when I could start. That was too soon,” he said with a laugh. “I was on leave from SD at the time, and I wanted to give them notice.”
On the road: On Mondays, Nelson drives to Joint Base Andrews, about 170 miles from Dan Daniel. On Tuesday, he goes to Fort Eustis, which is near the DC. On Wednesdays, he goes to Fort Gordon, Georgia, a 500-mile trip from Dan Daniel.
“I like Fort Gordon. They’re some nice folks and I like them, but it’s a lot of work. The trailer will be packed. But I’m built for it. And when I’m in the back of the trailer, I’m thinking about my next move before I get to it. I already know in advance what actions I’m going to take to get the freight off. I know what equipment I’m going to use and I’m constantly thinking when I’m in that trailer.”
The toughest routes: “Any time snow hits. Fort Drum [in Upstate New York] could be a little tough. Anything up north can get a little rough in some weather. I had the pleasure of working at Fort Drum, and that was the coldest I ever felt, even in my military career. It was so cold the pallet jack didn’t want to lift the freight up. It was a challenge, but I dealt with it.
“The weather can be challenging, but more so, it’s the people around you. You have to be aware of what’s around you. People drive on snow and ice and don’t adjust to the conditions at all.”
Nelson recalled one trip to McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville, Tennessee. The route took him through Charlottesville, Virginia, where snow was falling so hard that he had to pull over.
“I spotted a rest area and said, ‘I’m going to take a safety break and let it calm down a little bit.’ It lightened up but the roads were still rough. By the time I got to Tennessee, the sun was shining. It was strange that the snow missed Tennessee and it wasn’t that far away.”
Family serving family: “It’s helping one another—just caring for people,” he said. “I like what I’m doing. I’ll be 65 next year and there’s not a lot of other companies out there that would treat me as family. This is home here.”
Share your thoughts!