The Driver Management Difference: A Q&A with John Trahan, Vice President-Driver Management Services, Sales and Operations
At Centerline, our people make everything possible. Our Driver Management Service is the most hands-on with our customers and drivers because we’re managing an entire driving program.
We spoke with John Trahan, Vice President-DMS Sales and Operations, to learn more about why our driver management service solution is different and how our team brings next-level expertise and service to our customers and drivers.
1. What’s your background and how did you get into this business?
I went into the Air Force right after high school and became a security policeman. I served four years on active duty in the Air Force. After I left, I ended up going into third-party logistics and held a bunch of different roles in that industry from a warehouse manager to an ops/logistics manager. I ran warehouses and fleets for about 18 years and then transitioned over to driving leasing and transportation. My last position in the 3PL space was as a corporate HR manager. And I worked with the recruiting department and managed a lot of driver staffing vendors. So I came into the space with a lot of familiarity and experience with Centerline and what we do. Plus, the 3PL industry has some pretty strong similarities to driver staffing in the sense that you’re not providing any functions for yourself—but providing those services for a customer.
2. Tell us a little bit about how you built this solution and team?
Jill Quinn, now president of Centerline, actually built the driver management service solution before I came on board. But about 12 years ago, she offered me the opportunity to build a dedicated team. With her guidance, we put together a structure and a plan and hired the teammates that we have today. We’ve really built this team with a solid foundation of taking care of clients, drivers, and our company—all while working safely.
3. What’s your favorite thing about driver management services?
My favorite thing about driver management is getting into work with great professional drivers around the country and connecting them with fantastic career opportunities with private fleets. On our team and at Centerline, we’ve always kept our drivers top of mind every single day as we’re looking to connect them with good opportunities to provide for their families.
4. What’s one thing you wish people knew about driver management services?
The one thing I wish people knew about driver management is what a great opportunity it is to strengthen the driver staffing part of their operation without adding a ton of overhead. I always like to say our driver management is a solution that provides a fully competent compliance, recruiting, and safety team without adding any personnel to your company because we’ll handle it all.
5. What makes this different from other solutions?
I think what makes us different is the level of expertise and hands-on service we provide. Our team and your drivers are a full-time dedicated resource to your company. You get the flexibility of working with the driver staffing company with the additional benefit of knowing the drivers are yours and only yours. And our driver management service solution is supported by our flexible staffing solution and our mobile driver solution—to ensure your fleet has the drivers needed at all times.
I also think our drivers are some of the best out there. We’ve had multiple drivers win NPTC Hall of Fame and All-Star awards. And it’s very common for our drivers to be with the same customer for many years. We have a few driver management drivers who have helped the same account for over 30 years.
On top of that, our driver management service team is world-class. Each member has decades’ worth of experience in this industry and works hard each day to use that to the benefit of our customers.
To learn more about our Driver Management Solution, get in touch with our team below.
