Character

Character Counts.

Way back in the 80’s I started dispatching drivers for a household goods company, I also was freshly married and was starting a young family.
I was at work and back from a lunch break when I saw an envelope on my desk, I opened it to find a $100.00 dollar bill. I asked the dispatcher who sat in back of me where it came from and he said driver Rufus dropped it off.
I immediately took the envelope and went outside looking for Rufus, I found him in the parking lot near the warehouse and called to him and gave him back the money.

He apologized and said he meant nothing by it and he just wanted to thank me, I told him that if I accepted the money it would not look right and it would not be fair to him. I told him that he was a good driver and I was going to do my best to load him good because of he was a good driver and if I took the money he would think it was because of that he was getting loaded.
Now back then having a young family and just starting my job a $100.00 was more like $1000.00
And I sure could have used it, I was struggling to pay my bills and buy oil to heat my home but I never for a second gave keeping the money a second thought, I knew it just was not right.

I do believe Rufus meant right, that is just how he grew up in the business, he was about in his late 50’s then maybe even his early 60’s and he was your typical over the road driver that grew up in the 50’s , he was from down south and as tough as they come. Once Rufus cut himself on the job, a pretty good open wound, he found some turpentine in the garage poured it on the cut , wrapped it with packing tape and went back to work. Now that may be an urban myth but that was the story that was told, and knowing Rufus I believed it. He was on the road most of his life and made a lot of friends and a lot of memories and customers loved him.

Rufus and I remained friends for many years, even after his retirement.
I went on to become Senior Vice President of Operations and met and worked with many great hard working drivers and I enjoyed each and every experience and learned from them all.

Character Counts.