Truck Driver for CRST
Traumatic accident experience puts Army Reserve combat veteran on the road to success with CRST International.
by Warren Duffie

Jennifer Cooper and her husband, Jarrod, were in a state of shock. Sitting in a truck stop outside of Atlanta, the couple thought back to the horrible car accident they had just witnessed. A woman flipped her car into a swamp, and though the Coopers – both Army Reserve soldiers – had pulled her and her son out of the car, the crash victims died.

While drinking coffee in the truck stop, the Coopers began to think about their own lives. They ran a successful private video production company, but were working very long hours and had little time to “smell the roses.” They were caught in the rat race.

“Then I saw a trucking brochure that talked about driving for CRST [subsidiary Van Expedited],” says Jennifer Cooper. “It seemed like an exciting way to make a living – something not many people get to try. So my husband and I decided to give it a shot. We figured life is too short not to.”

The result has been a colorful and rewarding career that is every bit as exciting as military life. The couple drives for CRST Van Expedited, one of America’s leading long-haul truckload carriers. The company boasts 1,500 tractors, 3,000 van trailers, and more than 2,000 drivers. It also claims to have the newest trucks in the industry – with the average age of less than 14 months.

Jennifer, 23, and Jarrod – who live in Orlando, Fla. – drive together, hauling everything from storm window to electric guitars and amps to toys. Sometimes, they each work 14-hour days, but never spend more than 11 hours behind the wheel, as mandated by law. Their non-driving hours are spent overseeing the loading and unloading of their truck.

Jennifer usually drives from 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. while Jarrod drives from 4p.m. to 4 a.m. During their respective runs, the Coopers inspect their 18-wheeler twice – ensuring the tires, brakes, lights, and blinkers are functioning properly. The duration of their journeys vary as much as the terrain. One trip might require them to travel for a week to and from Canada. Another time they’ll drive from Illinois to California and on to New Jersey.

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Quick Stats
Company: CRST International
Founded: 1955
Headquarters: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Web site: www.crst.com
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The pair usually drives Monday through Friday for three or four weeks straight, and will spend a week at home before beginning the routine again. On average, they travel up to 5,000 miles a week.

A Booming Career for Veterans
The trucking industry provides a wealth of career opportunities for veterans. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, there are about three million truckers in America – a figure expected to increase by 10 to 20 percent each year through 2012. Annual earnings currently range from $40,000 to $58,000.

Trucking lends itself well to the values taught by the military. Truckers often work long hours alone and without supervision. Hauling cargo requires self-discipline and a commitment to getting the job done right.

“If I had to name two military skills that help me each day, they would be time management and the ability to schedule,” says Jennifer Cooper. “You have to pick up and deliver your hauls on time. You have to plan your mileage. It’s like planning a mission.”

CRST offers a full benefits package – including medical, dental, life insurance, paid vacation, and a 401(k) pension program, to name a few. In addition, the company provides orientation pay and a signing bonus for transitioning veterans.

From Iowa to Iraq
Jennifer Cooper never imagined a career in trucking. The Monroe, Iowa, native joined the Army Reserve in 2001 to see the world and study broadcast journalism. After basic training at Fort Jackson, S.C., and public affairs and journalism training at Fort Meade, Md., she lived in Raleigh, North Carolina. She worked two part-time jobs while attending Fayetteville Technical Community College.

Cooper was called to active duty to go to Iraq, where she served as a public affairs specialist at Camp Victory from January 2004 through February 2005. It was a demanding job in which she organized press conferences, issued press credentials, and “ran convoys.”

“Most of the time, the convoys were to transport reporters to helicopter pads or get supplies from a nearby camp,” she says. “We had to go through Route Irish [a notorious stretch of road leading between Camp Victory and Baghdad] quite often, and that was where I got my Combat Action Badge. We were making a run when we took small arms fire from a group of insurgents. We just ducked our heads and drove through them.”

Upon return, she married Jarrod, also a broadcast journalist – the two had attended training at Fort Meade together. They returned to Reserve status and started their own video production/commercial arts company. The Coopers ran the business, named Dream Team Video, until their life-changing experience in Atlanta.

“We’ve never looked back,” says Jennifer, now a sergeant. “This is a wonderful line of work. No day is the same, and we get to travel all of the time. It’s so rewarding to see the country whose freedoms we helped defend.”

Cooper’s Advice
Make sure you get all the benefits that you’re entitled. “If you served in combat, go to Veterans Affairs (VA) when you’re done. Take advantage of all of your benefits, especially the G.I. Bill.”

Find a career that interests you. “Life is too short to be bogged down in a job you hate. You should love what you do.”