Editor's note: This is the second in a series about the upcoming Soldier for Life hiring event.
When Sgt. 1st Class Jamie Linen was looking for opportunities after his Army career he considered becoming a professional truck driver.
In his 24-years of service, he had driven heavy equipment trucks, including tankers; and the military taught him to be punctual, disciplined and how to be a leader.
At a Soldier for Life hiring event in August, Linen met a PGT Trucking representative and learned the company was hiring veterans with experience and with the traits that he had attained during his military career. So when Linen, a former Fort Sill drill sergeant, retired from the Army in October, it was an easy transition to PGT.
PGT will be one of the companies at the Soldier for Life hiring event March 26 at 10:30 a.m. at Rinehart Fitness Center. The fair is open to veterans, transitioning Soldiers and their family members.
"PGT has committed to hiring 500 veterans this year," said Scotty Jones, PGT Trucking regional vice president for operations, which is based in Poteau, Okla. "We're reaching out to Soldiers who already have driving experience. If they don't have the experience, but attend an accredited Commercial Driver's License school and receive a CDL, then we will hire them and provide them with more on-the-job training."
PGT is a flatbed, or open-carrier, trucking company. Flatbeds typically haul, steel, lumber and sheet rock. PGT operates in Oklahoma, Texas and east of those states, Jones said.
The motor-carrier industry is short of professional truck drivers, according to the American Trucking Association. By 2020, the shortage could reach 240,000.
For veterans, PGT has the drivers go through load-securement training, and trucking commerce training.
"If you changed the cover on our load-securement manual, it would almost look like an Army field manual," Jones said.
Then the veteran is paired with a driver-trainer to evaluates the veteran's driving abilities, and customer-service skills. The duration with a driver-trainer is dependent on the veteran's skill level.
After that, the veteran is assigned a truck.
"We want the driver to be a safe driver," said Jones, an Army veteran. The company drivers' corps includes men and women drivers.
PGT managers are aware that veterans and their families know the hardships of being separated.
"We have set-up a four-state regional operation to work with veterans to assist in getting them home more often on the weekends," Jones said. The region consists of Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas.
Jones said their new drivers typically start out earning between $900 and $1,100 a week. The company also credits veterans for their military time toward seniority with them.
For more information about PGT, or other opportunities, attend the job fair or visit www.driveforpgt.com.
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