Dan Istre, a seven-time Idaho state champion from Caldwell, confidently entered the cab to participate in the twins division at the National Truck Driving Championships (NTDC) and National Step Van Driving Championships.
Unlike most of the 400-plus drivers who had been practicing until the last minute, Istre had not been in a truck for three weeks. He was one of 22,000 LTL drivers employed by Yellow Corp. who were suddenly laid off on July 30 when the company closed its doors after almost a century in business and declared bankruptcy.
Istre had driven a triple-trailer truck for Yellow and its predecessor for 29.5 years. The time off in August marked the longest stretch he had ever gone without being behind the wheel during his nearly 40-year career.
“It’s been hard. It’s been rough,” said Istre, 59, his voice cracking with emotion and his eyes watering with tears as he described the last month at Yellow and the uncertainty that he and 17 other Yellow drivers who qualified for NTDC faced. “You have your ups and your downs.”
Fifteen out of the 18 eligible Yellow drivers participated in the 86th annual event known as NTDC. The remaining three drivers did not compete for different reasons. Two drivers had already found new jobs in the trucking industry, while the third driver needed a medical procedure and decided to undergo it before starting a new position.
The drivers who participated in the event were able to do so thanks to the efforts of several individuals. Two people significantly raised over $30,000 to cover the drivers’ travel and hotel expenses. Additionally, throughout the week, many individuals went out of their way to make the drivers feel welcome.
In the aftermath of the Yellow shutdown, Herschel Evans, a 29-year veteran Yellow driver and trainer from Atlanta, took the initiative to create a fundraiser web page. His goal was to bring attention to the unemployed Yellow drivers and raise funds to cover their hotel accommodations. Before the shutdown, the company had already purchased the drivers’ airline tickets; however, additional expenses needed to be taken care of, and drivers like Istre hesitated to spend $2,000 to $3,000 on travel after losing their jobs.
Evans revealed that Yellow’s former CEO, James Welch, reached out to him. Initially, Welch and his wife donated $10,000 to the fundraising effort, and then just a few days later, they decided to significantly increase their contribution, covering almost 100% of the drivers’ expenses.
“I told him we had come up with a budget of about $27,000 for the drivers to come here, and about 20 minutes later, I got another message from him that he and his wife prayed about it, and they decided to cover the entire $27,000,” Evans said. “A day or two later, after a couple of phone calls, he wired $27,000 to my personal checking account, and he told me to go to Columbus and take care of his drivers. He still considers these guys as his drivers, and he still cares a lot about the NTDC and the drivers that compete here. He thinks the world of the drivers, and he showed it with the serious stepping up to make it happen.”
“I was happy to make a $27,000 contribution for the Yellow drivers who made it to the NTDC,” Welch said in an email. “I always believed in and supported the event. These drivers deserved the chance to go and be with and compete with the best of the best.”
From 2011 to 2018, Welch served as CEO at Yellow. Even during the challenging period when Yellow was facing a shutdown and bankruptcy, the current leaders showed their support by contributing gift cards and other tokens of appreciation to the drivers. Their gesture was a testament to their recognition of the drivers’ unwavering determination to attend the event.
“We put everything together and got the drivers their goodie bags and made sure they got all their expenses covered, and on the night before the competition, we all got together for dinner as a team and had a nice evening together,” Evans said. “The trucking family, led by Mr. Welch, has really stepped up for these drivers so that all of the practice, work, and studying was not in vain because they got to come to the nationals.”
Istre, along with the other competing drivers, were identified as independent drivers in the NTDC program. Despite the company’s sudden closure, he takes pride in his experience with the carrier. He also appreciates the warm welcome he received from the drivers he competed against.
“This is my seventh time at NTDC, and I’m always proud of the company and what I do; the competition, the friendships, it’s a great thing,” he said. “There were a lot of handshakes and pats on the back. It’s amazing. It was just nice to get here and see your friends. We are very grateful to Mr. Welch for his contribution. He really made this all possible.”
Great news for Istre! Just before leaving for Ohio, he received a job offer in the trucking industry. Although it’s not driving the triple trucks he’s used to on Rocky Mountain routes, he’s grateful for the opportunity. Istre is excited to accept a position delivering food products on a daily shuttle between Boise, Idaho, and Salt Lake City warehouses.
“It’s driving, and this will be a bit of a transition. I’ve been driving doubles and triples for 30 years, but I can do this,” he said, adding that he feels grateful to be able to compete at this level and for the new driving position he’s found. “Talking to the 15 of us that got here, I don’t know that it’s sunk in yet for us. But we want to stay in touch with each other and all make sure we’re OK.”
Source: Transport Topics
