Loren Bridge: 43 Years of Service to NCI

Recently, VP Loren Bridge celebrated forty-three years of trucking at National Carriers. Here we share a few of his favorite recollections

• Legal pad, pencil and telephone was all a dispatcher needed in 1974 to do the job.• Had to learn that a fifth wheel was not the spare tire.

• Deregulation in the early 80’s opened the door to more customers and more competition.

• Weight and length changes allowed for longer trailers and heavier pay loads.

• Three truck parades down Main Street in Liberal, Ks.

• Commercial Driver’s License, the days of multiple licenses and log books are behind us.

• New hours of service rules and regulations.

• Technology, satellite tracking and communication with the trucks.

• Recession.

• Electronic logs, the preverbal black box.

• Technology, satellite tracking, temperature monitoring with trailers and in-cab cameras.

• FSMA-Food Safety Modernization Act.• Cost of equipment.

• Wrinkles, fifteen to twenty additional pounds but not much gray hair, yet.

What made National Carriers great 40 plus years ago is what will continue to make National Carriers successful, the folks behind the wheel, without the drivers doing their thing those of us in the office wouldn’t be here. LOREN BRIDGE