ARLINGTON, Va — Professional truck driver Jeff Tetzloff’s philosophy for a successful career begins with safety — and he’s got 39 years and 4 million accident-free miles behind the wheel to prove it.
For his attention to staying well on the road, Trucking Moves America Forward (TMAF) recently included Tetzloff in its Safety Champions awards.
“Safety is one of my top priorities,” he said. “When it comes to road safety, I take it one mile at a time, one day at a time. Everybody’s got family out there. I have a family and I want everyone to be safe. We all have to share the roads.”
His advice is simple: “Be patient. Be considerate. And, if you have to, slow down, especially in bad weather and in big cities.”
Tetzloff said his decision to become a trucker was one of the best in his life. He calls the profession a “blessing,” adding that “it made a good life for my wife and kids. It’s been a rewarding career.”
One special highlight of that career was a visit to meet President Donald Trump at the White House.
“In April 2018, I was invited to attend the White House with ATA (American Trucking Associations) on behalf of Crete Carriers, one of the three trucking companies nationwide selected by ATA. Visiting the nation’s capital and attending a speech by the President at the White House Rose Garden was an amazing experience, and I felt it was a privilege to be selected to represent his company and the industry at the White House. Thirty-five years of trucking and who would have thought it would lead me to the White House!”
Trucking Moves America Forward’s mission is to establish a long-term industry-wide movement to create a positive image for the industry, to ensure that policymakers and the public understand the importance of the trucking industry to the nation’s economy and to build the political and grassroots support necessary to strengthen and grow the industry in the future.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Great article.i too have over 4,000,000 without a chargeable accident
My story is little different as I got into trucking 35 yrs ago because of a fluke
Back in the late 80’s I was a displacement dairy farmer.
I went to south east vo tech to get retrained.they wanted me to go into building maintenance,which I declined because I didn’t want to go back to school for 4 yrs.
So they asked me?would you be interested in going to school to drive truck?I almost laughed at her.i told her I had never been out of state of South dakota.why would I want to go to school to drive truck.
She said what are you doing now?I said odd jobs helping farmers.
She said we will pay for your schooling pay you mileage to drive to school.all I needed was 35 dollars for books.which I borrowed from my parents.the rest is history.who knows where I would be today without trucking..if you would like more information my email is [email protected] or feel free to reach out to me 6056330626