Born in Kenya during a period of war, chaos, and bloodshed, and living in multiple refugee camps for a decade, PAM shuttle driver Muya Muya is a professional truck driver with a different perspective than those born into better circumstances.
Muya was recently recognized by one of PAM’s automotive customers in Louisville, Ky., for being the most professionally dressed driver delivering to their facility. His choice of clothes includes a pair of sensible shoes appropriate for the work, rugged jeans, a button-up collared shirt, and a blazer.
For those that don’t know, shuttle work is more labor intensive than your average OTR driving. Muya dresses to a tee, though, because of his past experiences “not having clothes. I had one pair of pants and a shirt that we washed once a week. No shoes. When you live in places like we did in Africa, you aren’t worried about clothes; you’re worried about food, about surviving.”
It wasn’t until he started middle school in the U.S. that he began to think about how he dressed — and what it signified. “I quickly realized that there were two kinds of people,” he said. “People who play with their clothes — people who sag and look sloppy (those were also the people who picked on us because we were from another country) — and you have the other people who took good care of their clothes and wore them for success. I chose success because I didn’t want to be a thug. My mother risked everything to bring me here, to have an education and not to play with it, but to be successful.”
Muya is much more than a nice shirt and blazer, though, as evidenced by his outstanding work ethic and the high level of professionalism he displays. He is also a very self-aware young man who looks for opportunities to grow, both personally and professionally.
As you may have guessed, caring for his family was and is Muya’s greatest concern. Even as a sixth grader, Muya started working on the side, running errands and doing other odd jobs for neighbors, to help provide for his family.
These experiences taught him early on that how a person carries themselves is a significant factor in their future success. And Muya is out for success. When asked about his professional goals, he replied, “I love PAM. I want to grow with the company and be at the top of the food chain; not to step on people’s toes, but to work and show that I’m worth it. PAM has people that care about their drivers. They don’t judge you for who [they think] you are, they give you the opportunity to show them who you really are. If you choose to be a positive person, PAM will show you that love in return. PAM has shown me that love by being there in my ear every day.”
“When I need a load, they’re there. When I have a complication, they’re there. I don’t have to jump through hoops to get help from somebody. If my dispatcher can’t help me, then Jacob will help me. If Jacob can’t help me, then Shane, the big dog, will get on the phone and help me.
“PAM pays my bills. They’re showing me that love just by keeping my wife and four kids in a house with a roof over their heads and clothes on their backs. That in itself, it’s like I don’t need to go look for any other thing. They trust me with this truck, they trust me with their customers, they trust me with their business. I know that the company’s name is on the side of the truck and everything I do reflects on the company, not on me as an individual driver. PAM helps me to be a better man, better father, and a better husband.”
Wise words from such a young man. We are certainly proud of Muya and other drivers like him, and we thank them for their outstanding performance and commitment to excellence in the transportation industry. Welcome to the PAM family, Muya! We’ll be watching your career at PAM with great interest!