Since her military father was a driver, and her mother and stepfather were both drivers, J&R Schugel team driver Nichole Johnson says, “I’ve always wanted to drive a truck even as a child, no question. It’s just in my blood.”
She, along with her husband Carl, achieved that dream four years ago, when they began team driving. Now, after two years with J&R Schugel, Nichole says this is their career home.
“It’s the best decision we could’ve made,” she says. “This is an amazing company. They treat us so well, like a close family. It’s a very personal environment.”
Nichole says that feeling was put to the test last year when Carl became gravely ill. “J&R Schugel never blinked; they never asked me to leave his side to work. Everyone just kept us in their prayers and made sure they knew we were supported,” she says. “That told us all we needed to know about how the company feels about drivers.”
As a CDL-A truck driver team, Nichole and Carl stay out on the road about a month at a time getting 4,500 to 5,000 miles per week. “Since we drive long haul, we love our 2020 purple Kenworth named Peanut,” Nichole jokes. “J&R loves to keep drivers in new equipment – it’s so comfortable and has all the safety and convenience features. We’re very grateful they make it a priority.”
In the first quarter of 2021, J&R Schugel is bringing on additional new trucks for incoming qualified Class A drivers.
For Nichole and Carl, one of the biggest advantages to joining J&R Schugel has to be the company’s employee stock ownership plan (ESOP), a qualified retirement plan that provides eligible employees with an ownership interest in the company. “The company is contributing to our retirement for us – we just drive!” she says. “The ESOP account is something for us to fall back on because you can’t just count on Social Security or 401(k) when the time comes. With J&R, we know our time and effort is paid for down the road.”
If you’re interested in a driving career with a more personal touch, or to learn more about J&R Schugel’s ESOP program, connect with us today!
