Driven To Succeed…..

Cedar Rapids, Iowa – Spending quality time with your significant other is always a treasured activity, but rarely does one ever get to experience this luxury while working. For Irene Villicana and Michael Houchin, spending time together on the job is a reality they experience every day. Michael agrees wholeheartedly with Irene’s statement, “I wanted to find a job that I could do with my husband.” This is exactly what they were able to do when they learned about CRST’s ‘Train Your Spouse Program.’ Time spent together is very important to both Irene and Michael, especially while out on the road. Having only been with CRST Van Expedited for five months to date, they are two very dedicated drivers who are on the path to help “blaze the trails” for many future drivers. As Michael says about their dedication to the job, “My wife and I sacrifice to make ETA’s. Sometimes, it’s FUEL AND GO.” Nothing says dedication and dependability like that kind of attitude!

Before becoming a proud company driver for CRST, Michael served for eight years as a Combat Marine in the United States Marine Corps. During his time in the Corps, Michael was highly decorated for his achievements and often recognized for his outstanding performances. Michael also served as a Sergeant for the California Highway Patrol and worked as a dispatcher for nine years. With his new job as a company driver for CRST, Michael has many things to be happy about and look forward to.

Spending time with his wife and being a positive representative for his company is what matters most to Michael while on the road. He states, “I am always spoken to very professionally, and the people within the company are very pleasant to me.” As much as Michael enjoys the time he gets to spend alone with his wife on the road, he is always ready to see his three children that eagerly await his arrival when he returns home each month. His children, Juston (8), Janelle (7) and Jacob (4), are what drive him to perform as well as he does each and every day.

Family is very important to Irene, as well, who also has three children of her own, Nate (23), Corey (19) and Chase (8). Irene and Michael’s dispatcher makes sure to help make family time possible for them. Irene recalls one time when, “our dispatcher went out of his way to make it possible for us to be able to attend my son Corey’s Naval Academy graduation!” One of the great things about being a driver for CRST is that she gets to see her family every month after traveling to many “really beautiful places” as Irene states.

Irene and Michael both were able to earn their CDL-A’s through CRST’s company-sponsored training program. Irene was very pleased with the fact that she had “very little out of pocket expense.” When asked what she likes most about working for CRST, Irene had many positive things to say. She states, “Our dispatcher Kevin Murphy is so awesome and great to work with. You can request your time off in advance for home time, and the staff that runs the whole show is wonderful.”

Irene and Michael both have a great head on their shoulders and possess positive, driven attitudes. When it comes to overcoming problems they may experience while on the job, they remark, “Our fleet manager and us get along and work well together. Issues are always resolved promptly!” They both agree that the mileage is very satisfying, which is something very important to any driver. Having only been with CRST for a short five months, they are looking forward to their future with the company and are already striving towards their future goal of winning honors such as the Safety and the Million Mile awards.

Michael confidently says, “We get very positive feedback from our Fleet manager. We haven’t made the ROOKIE OF THE YEAR wall yet…but we should!” With their hard work and perseverance, as well as working for a great company like CRST Van Expedited, that shouldn’t be a problem for them. Michael sums up how he feels about his job when he says, “If you have the maturity and will do anything to get the job done, then truck driving can be fun and rewarding.” Clearly, Michael and Irene are driven by this kind of outlook and standard of living every day, especially when they are on the road working together.

Whatever your level of experience may be, there is a home for you at CRST. We are the nation’s largest team company, and 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. Also don’t forget to ask about our “Train Your Spouse” program.

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