Darryl Rogers, aka “Hondo,” works for the PAM Road Rescue Department but that he has plenty of first-hand experience as a driver, having begun his career at PAM Transport in 1995 as a fleet member.
After driving with PAM for five years, he became a part of our office staff as a log counselor.
Old habits are hard to break, though, and the road tends to stay in your heart when it’s your passion, so Rogers eventually went back out on the road. He started driving for PAM again in 2004 and kept at it for the next 11 years, driving as a mentor for the majority of his driving career at PAM.
After his second stint as a driver for PAM, Rogers decided it was time to settle down in one area and chose northwest Arkansas to be his home and the people at the PAM Transport corporate office to be his work family. Now, working in the Road Rescue Department, Rogers brings knowledge, experience, and advice to our drivers who break down. He has “been there” and “done that,” and he understands where you’re coming from when you face the frustration of being out of service for a maintenance repair.
Here are some words of advice from Rogers as both a driver and a member of the PAM Road Rescue team:
Start with Your Truck Number
Anytime you need to call PAM Road Rescue, start your conversation with your truck number. That gets the ball rolling.
Starting your call with your truck number lets Road Rescue know many things: your name, your driver code, your current location, your tractor information and much, much more.
We don’t think of our drivers as a number, but without it, we can’t get your truck serviced—and after all, isn’t that why you’re calling?
Be Patient When You Call Road Rescue
If you’re calling us, it’s a good bet you’re already having a bad day and patience is probably in short supply because, honestly, who likes being broken down on the road?
Our trained Road Rescue staff is here to listen, ask lots of questions in order to better diagnose the problem and help get you back on the road as soon as possible. We know your time is precious and every mile counts, so you can rest easy knowing that you’ll be given the same attention as the last driver.
Even though we know it’s hard, we appreciate your patience.
Check Your Fuel Solution
When you get a new route, be sure you have enough fuel and that your fuel solution will get you to your destination. It’s always best to check and make sure before 5 pm Central Time because that is the time your driver manager and the fuel department go home for the day.
In Road Rescue, we can issue emergency fuel, but only 50 gallons. Utilizing emergency fuel has a negative effect on your fuel efficiency.
Always check your fuel, never run out, and call between 8 am and 5 pm to get a new fuel solution if you need it.
Sliding the Fifth Wheel
When you’re trying to slide the fifth wheel on the truck, remember to lower the landing gear and deflate your air bags.
Be careful, because the fifth wheel doesn’t move far, but it moves fast, so don’t slam it.
In my years of driving, I had to move my fifth wheel only a couple of times. Don’t start out with sliding the fifth wheel when scaling your load, but if you do need to move it, now you have a couple of pointers.