“You can’t slam the curtains in a truck.”

Birmingham, AL – Team driving creates a relationship like no other. It’s a way of togetherness that most couples know nothing about. But for Betty and Edward Ewing, it’s perfect. “We just enjoy being together,” Betty says. “For 15 years I sat at home and waited on him, and now I can be with him. Not just be with him, but feel like I am bringing something into it.”

Before going on the road together, Ed had his own driving career and then he and Betty ran an auto repair shop that gave them a taste of being together 24-7. When it was time to hand the shop to their son, Betty started calling around trying to find a trucking company who would let her ride with Ed, who wanted to go back out on the road.

The CRST Malone recruiter asked Betty why she’d want to ride when she could drive and earn money as part of a team. “I couldn’t even drive a stick!” As soon as she got out of school, she joined Ed on the road where they’ve been going strong for the past five years.

A lot of the companies Mrs. Ewing called weren’t easy to relate to. “Like talking to a distant voice,” she remembers. “At CRST it was a person, not just someone doing a job, trying to meet their numbers. Of the people they work with now, the Ewing’s have met their families, shared meals and celebrated births. “For our 30th anniversary, some CRST folks gave us a party at their house.”

CRST owns the truck the Ewing’s drive, but they consider it theirs and care for it accordingly. Same applies to the customers. “We treat customers as if they were ours. We were Drivers of the Year for 2001 and all we did was perform our job.”

“I am not a truck driver,” Betty Ewing explains. “I am a woman who loves to travel and loves my husband dearly. For me, I have the perfect arrangement. Other companies have called us, but we are so totally happy. We just got a raise in January and then they announced another one for March. “

A typical day for the Ewing’s’ begins with Betty on the pre-dawn shift and Ed taking over at 5 or 6am. “When we pick up a load, we don’t stop. We run with it. “ Mr. Ewing explains that the “first 24 hours are the most important. That’s where you get your distance.”

Young drivers, listen up because Mr. Ewing is a million miler without an accident or a ticket to his name. And Betty Ewing is not far behind him. Because they run so fast, the Ewing’s are in their 6th truck in five years. CRST normally keeps a truck in service for three years, or 500,000 miles, but Betty and Ed go through them too fast. One year they did 5200 miles a week for 52 weeks.

Mr. Ewing has a wonderfully chivalrous way of handling life in the truck to keep Betty from the rougher side of the business. “I don’t let her drop trailers. Not to say she can’t, but she’s a lady and this is my type of work. “ On the flip side, he does firmly believe that his sandwiches “don’t taste near as good as hers.”

Where safety is concerned, the Ewing’s are pleased with the company’s shut down policy. CRST doesn’t require drivers to chain up. “If you feel that you can’t go on anymore,” Betty says, “you shut down until it’s safe. My husband can drive in worse conditions than I can and I can drive in worse conditions than a new driver. They say ‘We can reschedule a load, but we can’t replace your life.’ A lot of trucking companies are not like that.”

Some wisdom from Mr. Ewing sums up the situation perfectly, “Use your head for something besides a hat rack and you’ll get there.” The same could be said for choosing which company you want to drive for and trust with your career.

Whatever your level of experience, there is a home for you at CRST. We are the nation’s largest team company; we run the longest average length of haul and the most miles per tractor per week in the industry. To become a part of the CRST Van Expedited team, call us at 800-553-2778 or apply on line at www.joincrst.com. And don’t forget to ask about our new pay package effective March 1, 2005.

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