LAWTON – Although truck driver Brenda Kyle has a home here in Lawton, she and her husband Randle Kyle rarely see it.
In fact, weeks and even months can pass before they darken the doorstep of their Lawton abode. But that’s the way of life many truck drivers like Brenda Kyle come to accept.
A native of Central City, Neb., Kyle had rarely been beyond the borders of her home state. It was not until later in life, when she met her truck-driving husband, that she realized she, too, could get behind the wheel of a big rig and confidently take load after load to cities and towns across the United States.
Kyle said she was informed last week by her employer, Roadrunner Freight, that she was going to be awarded – along with two others – the Driver of the Year Award, in the midst of National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, which is observed Sept. 13-19, this year.
“I always do the best I can with a job,” Kyle said, adding that she didn’t think she was any more special than any other driver.
“I really like to do the best I can do. I’m a people person,” Kyle said during her phone conversation with the Southwest Ledger. On this particular afternoon, Kyle and her husband were dropping off a shipment in Cleveland, Ohio.
When asked if she had been to all of the states in the continental United States, she laughed and said, “Well, almost. Maybe two or three I have not been to yet.”
Kyle said it was her husband, whom she married three years ago, who urged her to join him out on the road. And since he had a son in Lawton, he thought it best that they base themselves out of this southwestern Oklahoma city.
Kyle thought about it and ended up going to classes at Roadmaster Driving School in Memphis, Tenn. Once she earned her CDL (commercial driver’s license), she was out on the open road, taking LTL, or “less-than-truckload” shipments wherever they were needed.
Kyle was pleased to note that with the recognition, she will be receiving a $500 bonus, which will be awarded to her–initially–on a large, plastic novelty check. Kyle laughed and said her boss said she could keep the “check,” something she may hang in her rig.
And the Roadrunner brass at the Downers Grove, Ill. headquarters were quite pleased with the winners this year.
“It was a difficult decision to narrow the extensive list of nominees down to only three Driver of the
Year recipients,” said Adam Diercks, Senior Vice President of Operations & Transportation for Roadrunner Freight. “This year’s winners truly reflect what it means to be a professional driver and continue to demonstrate their dedication to providing great service while maintaining the highest levels of safety. We are especially proud to recognize these individuals for their stand-out performance.”
Despite the delays and problems related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kyle said she and her husband have experienced few problems in trucking freight across the nation.
“We’ve not really seen a decrease in loads,” Kyle said.
And for those who are interested in trucking, Kyle said she loves the job and the lifestyle, but recognizes it’s not for everybody.
“If you like to travel, (trucking) is a great way to do it,”
Kyle said. “It’s a great career to get into.”
The award-winning trucker said she probably won’t be back in Lawton until November. She and her husband, who have not had a vacation together in a long time are planning a getaway in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tenn., where they got married.
Kyle, whose positive personality practically leaped through the phone connection thanked her Roadrunner employers and those who nominated her for the prestigious award.
“With this recognition, I just want to say I appreciate (the award),” she said. “I appreciate they see how hard I work.”
With 31 service centers and strategic partnerships across the country, Roadrunner delivers expansive long haul, regional and next day service in all major U.S. markets. For more information, please visit www.rrts.com/ freight-ltl/.