As summer approaches, now is a great time to make sure you’re prepared for almost anything that is thrown at you during a road trip. Whether you're planning a weekend getaway or a long cross-country drive, having the right supplies in your vehicle can make all the difference. Here’s a list of items that can provide you with a better sense of safety and preparedness.

1. First aid kit: Accidents can happen anytime, anywhere, and a first aid kit is a must-have in any vehicle. Make sure it's well stocked with bandages, gauze, antiseptic wipes, pain relievers, and any prescription medication you may need.

2. Water: Staying hydrated is crucial in the summer heat. Keep a supply of bottled water or a reusable water bottle in your truck to avoid dehydration.

3. Sunscreen and bug spray: Protect your skin from harmful UV rays and pesky bugs with sunscreen and bug spray. Here’s a great list of 2023 sunscreen recommendations from dermatologists, via Men’s Health.

4. Snacks: Healthy, shelf-stable snacks like fruits, nuts, and granola bars are a great way to keep your energy levels up on long drives. They're also a good backup in case you get stuck in traffic or can't find a place to eat.

5. Maps or GPS: Even if you have a navigation system in your truck, it's always a good idea to have a map or GPS on hand in case you lose service or your device malfunctions.

6. Blankets: Summer nights can get chilly, especially if you're camping or sleeping in your truck. Keep a few blankets handy to stay warm.

7. Flashlight: Whether you're setting up camp or trying to fix a problem with your vehicle, a flashlight can be a lifesaver. Make sure you have spare batteries or a rechargeable flashlight.

8. Entertainment: Long drives can be boring, so make sure you have something to keep you and your passengers entertained. Audiobooks, podcasts or music are great options to have something to listen to during the drive.

Making sure you have these items in your vehicle can make your summer road trip safer, more comfortable, and more enjoyable. Make sure to pack them before you hit the road and have a GREAT summer!

As always, for our Maverick drivers, if you run into any safety concerns on the road, we have 24/7 phone support to assist you. Call 501-766-9257 for Flatbed and 910-610-3952 for Glass.

One of the key tenets of The Maverick Way is to value our people. We're so grateful for all of the employees who choose to call Maverick home, and we're excited to celebrate this upcoming week! Hopefully you can grab a meal and join us at one of our locations or at a Dedicated customer.

Our hope is that you feel celebrated and important, because you are. Have a great week!

Over-the-road (OTR) truck driving is a demanding profession that requires a certain set of skills, experience, and knowledge. In this blog post, we’ll explore some of the essential things every professional truck driver should know to succeed in their job.

1. Safety First

One of the core values in The Maverick Way® is to “promote our unwavering emphasis on safety,” and you will see this throughout many conversations and within every department at Maverick. Safety is the keystone of our operation and is always the top priority for any of our professional drivers. The key to being properly prepared is to make sure that your truck is in good condition before your trip begins. At Maverick, this means performing a pre-trip inspection. This includes checking the tires, brakes, lights, and other critical components to ensure that they are working properly. In total, this inspection is a comprehensive 91-point check.

2. Time Management

Time management is a critical skill for professional truck drivers and allows you to ensure that you are delivering the customer’s goods on time, while also complying with federal regulations on driving time and rest periods. This means planning out routes, estimating travel time, and adjusting for unexpected delays. It’s also important to communicate with your fleet manager, so that everyone from the driver to the customer is kept up to date.

3. Navigation

Navigating unfamiliar roads can be challenging, but it’s essential for professional truck drivers. You need to be proficient in using GPS systems, maps, and other navigation tools to find the best routes and avoid traffic. This is one of the first skills that all Maverick drivers are taught when they arrive for Pre-Employment Evaluation. It’s also important to have a good understanding of road signs, speed limits, and other regulations in different states.

4. Communication

Effective communication is key to success as a professional truck driver. This includes communicating with your fleet manager, fellow drivers, and other employees throughout the company. As a professional driver, you need to be able to convey information clearly and professionally, whether it is about scheduling, delivery times, or safety concerns. It’s also important to listen carefully to others and to be open to feedback.

5. Health and Wellness

Professional truck driving can take a toll on your health and well-being. Long hours on the road, irregular schedules, and unhealthy eating habits can all contribute to physical and mental exhaustion. To stay healthy and alert, it’s important to exercise regularly, eat healthy foods, and get enough rest. You can also take advantage of rest stops and other opportunities to stretch and move around.

The success of a professional truck driver hinges on mastering a combination of skills, knowledge, and experience. By prioritizing safety, mastering time management, navigating effectively, communicating clearly, and maintaining good health and wellness, you can succeed in this demanding profession.

Maverick has long been a proud supporter of our nation’s military members.

In September of 2018, our very first military tribute truck, Salute was unveiled. Our goal of introducing this truck was and continues to be to portray honor and pride in our active-duty military members and veterans. Salute's distinctive vinyl wrap depicts each branch of the United States military and images that show a small peek into our history.

As of today, we now operate five Salute trucks throughout the country. There are only a select number of drivers who are asked to take the helm of a Salute truck at Maverick. Along with an extensive interview process, each driver must have served in a branch of the United States military and display a high standard of performance, professionalism and safety.

We’d like to introduce you to our current Maverick Salute drivers.

The most recent Maverick driver to step into a Salute truck is Robert Jones. Robert served in the United States Marine Corps for 16 years and has been driving for Maverick since 2008. Robert said, "My father was a Vietnam War veteran and I wanted to follow in his footsteps.” When asked what he loved about being in the military Robert said he loved the comradery, tradition, and belonging somewhere. He was able to utilize the GI Bill™ to assist him financially while earning his CDL A at Maverick.

Our second Salute driver is Seth Myers. He stepped into a Salute truck in 2021. He is a 21-year veteran of the United States Army and resides in Texas. Seth has been in the Maverick family since 2016 and drives in our Glass division.

In 2022, Mark Warren became the third Maverick driver in a Salute truck. He is a United States Marine veteran and was also named a Driver of the Month for Maverick in October 2021. Not only was Mark able to transport The Wall that Heals in 2022, but he was also able to assist in its setup in Cabot, AR. The Wall That Heals is a traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. This exhibit tours across the United States, providing veterans the opportunity to view The Wall and experience its healing legacy—all within the comfort of family and friends in their communities.

David Woods stepped into a Salute truck in 2021. He drives in a Dedicated flatbed division out of West Virginia. David retired from the Navy in 1996 after serving for over 18 years. According to David, “Maverick was the only choice for me.” He is a Road Trainer at Maverick and has trained over 26 Maverick students so far during his 8-year tenure at Maverick.

Our 5th and final Salute driver, Eric Curlett, resides in Tennessee. Eric began with Maverick in 2015 and drives in Maverick’s Glass division. He was also chosen as a 2018 Driver of the Month. He is a 20-plus-year United States Marine veteran and was also nominated by a fellow driver for the 2021 Pilot/Flying J Road Warrior contest. There was a total of 2,600 nominations that were narrowed down to 12 and Eric was chosen as the final winner.

We are proud of these drivers and the ability to show honor and pride with these distinctive trucks throughout the United States.

Maverick Employee Appreciation Week is here, and we're thrilled to be celebrating in-person this year! Check out the food schedule below - we're looking forward to celebrating all of our valued employees at our facilities throughout the U.S.!

While this year’s event looked a little different than those past, we were just as excited to honor and celebrate our incredible drivers with our 2020 Driver and Dedicated Driver of the Year ceremony.

At this virtual event, Maverick’s president, John Culp introduced our previous Drivers of the Year and highlighted their significant additions to Maverick during their tenure. We also heard from our Director of Dedicated Operations, Keith Archer and Vice President of Operations, John Coppens. Additionally, every Driver of the Month was introduced and was able to share a little about themselves.

Each of our 2020 Drivers of the Month and Dedicated Drivers of the Month received a commemorative photo book that included personal messages to them from their fleet manager and other members of Maverick.

Prior to the big announcement, we were able to hear from Maverick’s CEO, Steve Williams and our departing 2019 Drivers of the Year, Liz Imel and Brian Cady. They were able to provide some much-appreciated advice for our “black hats.”

Please allow us to introduce to you our 2020 Driver of the Year, TJ Hargis and our 2020 Dedicated Driver of the Year, Scott Claiborne. Congratulations to you both!

You can watch the video of the announcement here.

https://fb.watch/3pnjDDOw1Q/

Maverick has been a proud and long-time supporter of Special Olympics Arkansas , and we were honored to participate in this year’s Truck Convoy. The purpose of the convoy is to bring awareness and raise funds for Special Olympics. 2020 looked a bit different as it was a “virtual challenge” to reach 48 states in 14 days, but we were definitely up for taking on that challenge!

“The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.” (https://www.specialolympics.org/about/our-mission)

We are honored to support such a life-changing organization such as Special Olympics and we can’t wait to see what next year’s Truck Convoy brings!

Additionally, Maverick won the Special Olympics Arkansas flag this year! Athletes that participate, write their signatures on it and we are eager to display it at our North Little Rock, AR terminal.

Check out some great photos from this year's convoy below!

Brandon M. sent in this great shot from Kern County, CA. Check out that view!

Cliff C. visited Tulsa, OK with his Special Olympics banner in tow.

One of Maverick’s Salute drivers, Eric C. made a stop in Owatonna, MN last week.

Maverick glass driver, Kalyn T. visited beautiful New York to capture this great shot.

West Virginia provided the backdrop for Kevin G.’s convoy update.

West Virginia provided the backdrop for Kevin G.’s convoy update.

West Virginia provided the backdrop for Kevin G.’s convoy update.

Last but not least, Tom B. sent this great picture in from his stop in Midlothian, TX.

Check out the photos of last year’s Driver of the Year event!

Maverick's annual Driver of the Year & Dedicated Driver of the year banquet and presentation was an excellent display of the talented drivers we employ. We anticipate this event every year as it gives us another opportunity to honor those known as a "Black Hat" - a Driver of the Month or Dedicated Driver of the Quarter.

This year's banquet was held at the Marriott Hotel in Downtown Little Rock.

Our President, John Culp spoke about our previous Drivers of the Year and highlighted their contributions to Maverick. We also heard from Director of Dedicated

Operations, Keith Archer and Vice President of Operations, John Coppens.

We heard from our Chairman and CEO, Steve Williams. He presented the Maverick flag to our 2018 Drivers of the Year, Randy S. and Scott S.

Our 2019 Driver of the Year, Liz Imel was announced. Congratulations, Liz!

Our 2019 Dedicated Driver of the Year, Brian Cady was announced. Congratulations, Brian!

Here are a few pics from the banquet. (More on Facebook) Thank you all for a great year!

As we enter 2020, we pause to celebrate the past 40 years that have shaped who we are as a company and a family. From a one-room office in Texarkana, Arkansas to 8 locations throughout the United States, we continue to provide an unwavering commitment to our employees and customers.

Our Maverick team is comprised of industry leaders who are always prioritizing safety, doing things the right way and being innovative in all that we do.

We are grateful for our entire Maverick family, but especially for our professional drivers, who continue to show us what loyalty and dedication really mean. They work without end to ensure our reputation continues to be one of integrity and respect. Without them, we wouldn’t be who we are today, 40 years later.

Steve Williams, Chairman and CEO of Maverick Transportation, LLC said, “I’m often asked if we are surprised at our success and did we ever anticipate that our company would be this large. The answer to that, is I am not sure that we ever had goals as large as this. There are many common themes that have resonated throughout the years. When we first started, it was because I wanted to do my own thing and I didn’t want to be held to the same paradigm as everyone else. We had the opportunity to do things differently…implementing an old school work ethic with a new school technology. We are a good example of a family-owned business that has priorities, values and we have stayed very disciplined to those. What remains the same is our passion about doing things the right way.”

Happy Driver Appreciation Week, everyone! Below you’ll find the food schedule for all of terminals across the US throughout the week.

Be sure to join us for food & fun if you can!

Thank you so much for all that you do - we wouldn't be the company we are today without our Maverick drivers!