Be Your Own Boss
Robert Wright has been with Bennett for 13 years and says the freedom to work when he wants is the most appealing factor of being this type of driver. He says Bennett’s flexibility and desire to work with drivers is unmatched.
“I could work 365 days of the year if I wanted to,” Wright said. “I love the freedom. It’s hard on you sometimes, but I just love it. Ninety percent of my trips go right by my house, and a lot of guys don’t have that. It means a lot to me.”
Marsha Dority agrees. Both her and her husband drive for Bennett, which has created a unique lifestyle they both enjoy. Traveling with her husband across the country together has created many great memories for them.
“I can decide when I want to go,” Dority said. “During the month of December, we took off the whole month, and no one was upset. We have that freedom. We are our own bosses. I don’t think I could go back to having a boss. Not that it’s a bad thing, I just really like this freedom. I can literally work whenever I want to and the same goes for my husband.”
Freedom to Choose Your Own Loads
Not only do DriveAway contractors have the freedom to be their own boss, but they also get to choose their loads, which isn’t always the case with some other carriers.
Dority says her and her husband have stayed with Bennett DriveAway because of how loads are handled. Differentiating themselves from other carriers, Bennett uses a load board that is always filled with trips. This means that drivers always have plenty of options to choose from.
“We get on the load board and see, ‘Ah that’s going there,’ and we’ll take that. They pay me to go see the country. We’ve been all over Canada and most of the United States,” said Dority.
Operational Efficiency
Wayne Govan has been with Bennett for roughly the same amount of time and has similar things to say about the way Bennett handles its operations.
He said, “Bennett has been meeting all of their goals as a business. I’m 100% Bennett. I can grow my own business within Bennett.”
When it comes to leading the way, Govan said Bennett is quick to help.
“They show me the way and open doors,” Govan said. “Drivers just do their thing and keep moving. It’s important for any business to have multiple streams of income. Even though we are contractors, we still work for Bennett.”
Having been a contractor for more than three years now, David Begley said that he originally came to Bennett because of how straight forward the company was. He appreciates how big Bennett is, but how they still make you feel like you’re a member of their family.
Begley says, “I like the people I work with. My dispatchers are good people. Because Bennett is such a big company, there is support whenever you need it. It’s a great company to contract with. It truly is.”
Opportunities For Growth
When asked about why he’s stayed with Bennett, Robert Wright broke down his reasoning, saying “I always want to figure out a way to help others. When I found out about Bennett, I thought it was a good company to get in line with. I can have the potential to grow and meet people who know this business. I do drivers taxes as well and saw that drivers make money. I own six trucks myself.”
Wright also admits he’s always the first to share the perks of his job with others through referrals.
“When I meet people I always tell them, Bennett first. I admire how they handle business. They allow me to make my own decisions. They allow you to go on the board and pick what you want. You’re a part of the team. Right now, I’m looking at other opportunities with my vehicles within Bennett. I care about people and want them to have opportunities so I always ask how I can utilize all these people under my umbrella who want to be DriveAway drivers. Bennett taught me and showed me the way.”
Unique Lifestyle
If one answer was the same across all drivers, it was how DriveAway is unlike any other trucking business. Since there are no extra expenses associated with being an owner-operator, DriveAway allows independent contractors to seamlessly pick up and drop off their loads.
Begley shares that he’s always wanted to be a truck driver and loves how DriveAway allows him to be on the road. “By the grace of God, I get to do what I love,” said Begley. “I like being on the road. Your brain goes into overdrive and you just get to think about a lot of things. To me, 11 hours isn’t long enough. I love DriveAway because I get to stay on the road for extended periods of time if I want to.”
For Wright, Bennett DriveAway is unique because of its customers. “I go to the same customers year after year. I drive the same routes, and stay at the same hotels,” Wright said. “I go see the guys that we delivered buses to last year, and you get to know them. I enjoy seeing the same people. They’ll ask how my family is, and I’ll do the same. Having a routine is nice.”
Govan claims Bennett DriveAway is “the perfect business model.”
“They already have everything set up. They allow you to be your own boss, but they don’t leave you out there alone without support. The only thing you invest in is your time and your CDL licenses. You have to worry about everything if you own your own truck. With DriveAway, you’re only responsible from the time you pick it up to when you drop it off. That’s why I chose to do DriveAway.”
If you want to learn more about what it’s like to drive for our Bennett DriveAway division, watch the video below or click here.
