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On the road with Maggie, Chester and Cocomo

Beverly Shoop and Jose Trevino are two team drivers who will tell you in a heartbeat that they truly do enjoy their time on the road together.

Throw in their three traveling canine companions — Maggie, Chester and Cocomo — and you’ve got a very cozy crew of five who’ve become one big happy family.

Shoop and Trevino live in San Antonio. Both have been in trucking for about five years. At the time of their interview with The Trucker during a stopover in Central Arkansas, they were employed by Prime Inc.’s refrigeration division.

Before joining the ranks of the nation’s truck drivers, Shoop worked for a major retail store chain, and Trevino was an aircraft mechanic for a leading manufacturer in the aerospace industry.

Both were unwitting victims of decisions by their respective employers to downsize.

“I just like to drive, period,” said Shoop, explaining why she chose to become a professional trucker. “Learning to drive an 18-wheeler was a challenge, and I think that my love for driving was a big factor in my decision to try trucking.”

“I got into it,” said Trevino, “because I like the freedom of being on the open road and not having a boss breathing down my back all the time. And it’s been very rewarding so far. One thing I’ve learned is that the more you do the more money you’re going to make.”

Trevino is a former owner-operator, but he, like Shoop, is happy to be driving for Prime Inc. Trevino said that being company drivers means they don’t have to worry or feel guilty about leaving the rig parked when they decide to take some time off to themselves.

“When you’re an owner-operator, it’s constantly on your mind that if that truck isn’t on the road, it’s not making you any money,” said Trevino, who is also a 20-year U.S. Army retiree.

He said being a company driver “takes the worry out of being out there 24/7 beating yourself up while trying to make a living. You don’t feel so guilty when you finally get to park the truck for a few days of downtime. Peace of mind is important.”

Both said they prefer driving the nation’s Western and Southern sectors where the weather is more conducive to driving for than along the Eastern and Northern routes.

Shoop confesses to being an inveterate collector of “all kinds of plants. I love going to malls and stopping at garden shops along the way when time permits. Trucking has taken me all over the United States and I’ve got indoor and outdoor plants from just about everywhere.”

Shoop’s penchant for plants is shared, although to a somewhat lesser degree, by Trevino. He admits he enjoys gardening, but adds that “building things and reading books about carpentry is how I spend a lot of my spare time. I’ve always enjoyed construction of all kinds.”

That may sound rather strange when you consider the fact that two of Trevino’s many jobs when he was in the Army included that of bomb specialist and demolition engineer.

“I’d much rather build things than tear them down or blow them up,” he said.

Unlike some of his peers — and due, perhaps, to the fact he is a retired military man — Trevino said he isn’t bothered by the many rules and regulations truckers must follow as part of the job.

“Regulations are good for the industry,” he said. “They provide a sense of order. However, I’m not a big fan of NAFTA and the influx of foreign drivers that it’s created.”

Asked about the ever-increasing cost of fuel, Trevino said he “kept a very close eye on fuel costs as an owner-operator and we’re still doing it. Even though we’re company drivers, we believe that it’s important to do what we can to help hold down all costs when and where we can.”

As an added incentive, Shoop said, Prime offers bonuses to drivers who do their part in helping conserve fuel.

“Prime’s drivers and the people who run the operation are top-notch professionals,” said Shoop. “One thing that has always impressed me is that their equipment is always in really good shape. And I’ve always found the company to be a good place for women drivers. I know they’ve always treated me with the utmost respect and courtesy.”

Both said they wouldn’t hesitate to recommend trucking as a career to someone who is searching for a new job.

“I would tell them to ask a lot of questions,” said Shoop.  “Learn about trucking by asking those who’ve been at it for a few years.”

“Yes, and I would tell them to make sure they have the right information about the company they’re interested in,” Trevino added. “Some of them will promise you everything and deliver nothing.”

When Shoop and Trevino aren’t on the road, they can usually be found planting or building on their 20-acre parcel of land “out in the boonies” on the south side of San Antonio.

“We have a five-year plan for developing it,” said Shoop. “That means I’ve got to come up with a lot of different plants.”

“We also like playing pool and going out to eat a lot,” said Trevino.

And that means making sure there are plenty of doggie bags available for taking leftovers home to Beagles Maggie, 12, and Chester, 10, and their Labrador retriever, Cocomo, 3.

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