Over the past 20 years, Clark Reed has become a true icon in the trucking industry. With around 2.5 million miles under his belt, he’s touched every one of the 48 contiguous states and earned a spot in numerous industry magazines. In 2021, his dedication even led to a Fireside Chat with U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm.
But for the 60-year-old Nussbaum Transportation driver, these milestones barely begin to tell his story.
Reed has been named among FleetOwner magazine’s Top 10 Influencers in Trucking, and earlier this year, he received the Truck Driver of the Year award from the Illinois Trucking Association. Shortly after, he added another prestigious title to his list: one of the five TCA Professional Drivers of the Year for 2024.
“I still don’t know how to process all this,” Reed told Truckload Authority. “I’m honored, obviously, and flattered. It’s nice to know that people recognize the work I put into what I do. At the same time, though, I kind of joke that I don’t know what I did to deserve it. I just show up and do my job!”
Reed’s roots in the transportation industry stretch back 30 years, with the first decade spent in a desk job handling third-party logistics. The monotony of office life eventually led him to make a significant change.
“The idea was to drive over the road for a couple of years and then get something more local. But of course, plans always tend to have their own way of working out,” Reed said. “I discovered I actually had a passion for the road, so I stayed out on the road.”
After earning his CDL, the Ohio native worked with several carriers before settling in at Illinois-based Nussbaum Transportation. Reed credits much of his success to a mentor who emphasized the importance of attention to detail.
“I had a really good trainer, who taught me to pay attention and to sweat the details,” he said. “When you’re driving, you have to pay attention all the time, to every little thing. I’ve always been a detail-oriented person—and I think worrying about the details and paying attention has paid off.”
However, Reed knows that trying to control every aspect of a job with as many variables as trucking can lead to burnout. That’s why he shares a crucial piece of advice with new drivers.
“When I talk to new drivers and they ask me what’s one thing I can share with them, I always tell them, ‘Practice patience,’” he said. “The kind of patience I’m talking about is recognizing everything that’s going on around you, focusing on what you can control and letting go of the rest of this stuff. If you worry about the stuff you can’t control, you’ll drive yourself nuts.”
Reed has also seen the trucking community change over the years. The camaraderie that once thrived at truck stops has diminished, replaced by the rise of smartphones and other digital distractions.
“I think that the advent of all these electronics has a lot to do with it,” he said. “Drivers can FaceTime their families at home, or just grab a phone and talk. It’s much easier to stay connected to family and friends.”
“But I will say this, and here’s where it counts,” he added, “You may not see them hanging around the counter at the restaurant—but for the most part, if somebody is out there struggling, somebody’s going to jump in there and help them out, especially the older guys.”
Reed stays connected with his fellow drivers by serving as a company training resource, finding fulfillment in watching new drivers succeed.
“What I enjoy the most about training is seeing them succeed,” he said. “I’ll tell you a story: At Nussbaum, we have a scorecard that determines what your bonus is going to be. I don’t mean this to sound like a braggadocio, but for the longest time, probably 13 months running, I was ranked No. 1.
“Well, I had a student named Mike Cline,” he continued. “I taught him like I teach everybody: Do the job the correct way every time—don’t take shortcuts on your pre-trip, don’t put off these little things you see wrong with your truck, do your planning. Well, Mike took all this to heart and then one day, he actually knocked me off the top of that scorecard! That’s something he reminds me of every time I see him.”
Reed couldn’t be prouder of his former student. “I was so happy for him,” he said with a note of fatherly pride. “One, he’s going make more money and two, it shows his hard work and dedication to doing things the right way paid off. It also showed me I was doing my job the right way.”
Source: The Trucker
Image: Clark Reed & The Trucker
