Employee Spotlight – Todd Stine In His Own Words

I have been a professional driver for 19 years now, and have been driving for Carbon Express for the last 9 years. With ten years of experience pulling flatbed trailers over the road, I decided I wanted to try a new challenge in my career. When the flatbed company LJ Kennedy closed their doors as a result of the recession of 2008, I had the opportunity to try a different segment of the trucking industry.

I worked at 2 different companies pulling 53′ van trailers for a few months, but I didn’t like sitting in the seat waiting on loading and unloading. I like to be more physically involved and active when I’m not behind the wheel, so I decided to give tanks a try. After a few weeks at Carbon Express, I loved the tank work as well as working for a smaller company where everybody knows everybody. I enjoy being involved in the loading and unloading by using pumps, hoses, and compressed air, I like being active between long periods of driving, and I especially love that Carbon Express puts us in hotels on the nights we don’t make it home. Also, they are great with giving me the time off I need when I’m volunteering as a coach for Special Olympics.

Pulling tanks is better than flatbeds because there is no worry of loads shifting, moisture damaged loads, tarping in the wind, nor the incredible loading detention delays at steel mills. My famous quote I mentioned at a NTTC conference is “Once a tanker yanker, always a tanker yanker.”

After several great years with the company with a flawless safety record, my safety director encouraged me to try out for the America’s Road Team. I was skeptical at first, but I’m very glad I took the time to do the lengthy application process and video. I was picked as a finalist and won the selection process on my first try, which is very rare. Most road team captains make it after several application submissions. As an America’s Road Team Captain, I serve as an ambassador to the trucking industry by going to trucking events and speaking in public sharing my experiences in the trucking industry. I also take a tractor trailer into schools and teach students about blind spots and the dangers of distracted driving. One of my most memorable experiences with America’s Road Team is when we took two tractor trailers onto the south lawn of the White House and got the opportunity to meet President Donald Trump.

Carbon Express encourages, and I enjoy taking part in, the Truck Driving Championships. I’ve competed twice in Pennsylvania in the tank truck division, of course, and took home trophies both times.

I was named as NTTC Professional Tank Truck Driver of the Year. It took several attempts to win this and I was chosen as one of 8 finalists twice for this prestigious award. After 9 years and nearly a million accident free miles with Carbon Express, I found a great company to stay with until retirement.