At PAM Transport, we’re not just filling seats, we’re creating real career opportunities for truck drivers. For more than 25 years, PAM has helped new drivers accelerate their careers with hands-on training through our Driver Mentor Program. Today, there are countless safe, professional drivers delivering the freight America needs every day because of truck driver mentors like Christopher Miller.
Like other PAM Driver Mentors, Christopher helps young drivers achieve their career dreams, by his willingness to offer his knowledge, time, and talents to guide new drivers as they learn to apply their new skills, after they earn their CDLs.
Having worked as a branch manager and trainer for a well-known professional moving company since the mid 90s, becoming a Driver Mentor was a natural progression for Christopher, once he got his CDL.
“I went through Driver Solutions and AAA Truck Driving School in Philadelphia and they were fantastic!” he says. “From day one in school to training with my mentor, Charles, to where I am today, it’s been a great experience. I team drove with my wife for nine months until she decided to come off the road and then I went solo for a while. Being a solo driver just wasn’t enough. I’d been a trainer for a long time, so it seemed right to become a Mentor.”
Empowering the Next Generation of PAM Professionals
Upon earning his Red Mentor Hat, which is awarded to drivers approved for mentorship, Christopher went straight to work making sure other truck drivers had the same kind of positive experience he enjoyed during his mentorship training.
“My PAM mentor, Charles Boyes, was fantastic; he set the standard for me,” he says. “When I became a mentor, I wanted to be like Charles because he mentored my wife when she was on her own as a solo driver.”
According to Christopher, Charles really “stepped up to the plate” to help him and Mrs. Miller acquire the skills and confidence they needed to meet PAM’s high standards. Now Christopher is helping other drivers meet those high standards.
“I gotta be honest, I didn’t expect the feeling I got when I handed my first trainee their first set of keys on the day they upgraded [to first seat driver],” Christopher says. “It was like a lightbulb moment when I realized that I’m part of a system that’s creating jobs and opportunities for people. That’s something you can be really proud of and you can’t put a price on that!”
Christopher often goes the extra mile to help new drivers master the rules of the road. Just before Christmas 2020, he ran across a newly upgraded driver who was struggling with confidence issues.
“I was in the driver’s lounge and a lady came in, visibly upset,” he says. “She’d been away from her family for several weeks and, even though she’d passed her driving tests, she didn’t feel confident going it alone. So, after talking with her, I said, ‘let me see what I can do for you.’”
Christopher had some available time before going home for the holiday, so he asked the Student Department if she could accompany him in the truck for a few days, so he could help get her up to speed.
“She ended up doing really well!” he says. “After we parted ways, she sent me a picture of her backing into her first shipper. She was so proud and happy and I was proud of her too. You get a good feeling when your students do well.”
Driver Mentors Earn More
Christopher’s commitment to professionalism and the selflessness he demonstrates to other drivers in the “PAMily” has not escaped the attention of the PAM leadership team, who recently brought him to Tontitown to learn how he approaches mentorship.
In his short time with the Student Department, Christopher has exemplified PAM’s company values of Integrity, Excellence, and Certainty. Therefore, it was a no-brainer for the leadership team to award Christopher with a $1,000 bonus for participating in the newly-formed Driver Advisory Council.
Christopher’s outstanding achievement is just one example of how we work together to build a better PAM experience for everyone. The PAM leadership team will provide more details about the Driver Advisory Council and other initiatives to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of our professional truck drivers in the near future.
Additionally, we pay a $1,500 bonus to all new PAM Driver Mentors, as soon as they start driving with their student drivers. Drivers with at least six months of experience can be approved as CDL mentors in as little as two weeks!
Day in and day out, the entire PAMily works hard to accomplish our mission of delivering the freight America needs to survive. That is why our professionals are so driven to succeed. We truly believe we have the best people in the industry, behind the scenes, and behind the wheel.
Ready to accelerate you earning power? Visit our Driver Mentor Program at pamdrivingjobs.com to learn how much more you can earn per mile as a PAM Driver Mentor.