29 www.ortrucking.org Issue 3 | 2023 Former Professional Truck Driver/Transportation Manager Kenny Clark—Organically Grown Company In the early 1990s, Kenny Clark was working as a machinist for Freightliner when a round of layoffs occurred due to there being more trucks on the road than there were people driving. “I was sitting there on my lunch break, and someone asked me what I’m going to do next,” said Kenny. “Someone was backing up to the dock getting ready to unload parts and I said that’s what I’m going to do right there.” Nearly three decades years later, Kenny has seen his fair share of changes in the trucking industry, having worked as a professional truck driver for the majority of his career before transitioning to a Transportation Manager role at Organically Grown Company. “The biggest change I’ve seen in trucking is the invention of cellphones,” said Kenny. “You used to talk on the radios all night long—I couldn’t get in a truck without talking to the other guys on the road and that’s all gone by the wayside.” The camaraderie Kenny shared with fellow drivers was one of his favorite parts of driving, in addition to the scenery he got to explore on the different routes he drove, including many years of driving triples back and forth from Medford. “I really enjoyed the Medford route,” said Kenny. “You saw the same stuff every trip, but you also got to know the same people and had a camaraderie with the other LTL drivers.” Kenny also appreciates the work-life balance that many drivers have these days. While many drivers find it challenging to be away from home for long stretches of time, Kenny had a unique opportunity to bring his home life on the road with him when his wife transitioned from the billing department at Estes to become a professional truck driver. The couple did team driving for a few years and appreciated the opportunity to work and spend time on the road together. While not everyone can bring their families on the road with them, Kenny believes that one of the biggest misconceptions about driving is that you’ll be gone for long periods. “A lot of companies realize it’s not just about moving freight anymore and there’s a lot of work-life balance,” said Kenny. “At Organically Grown Company, it’s very important that drivers get that balance and that everyone is happy. We know that everyone has things going on and we do our best to schedule around everyone’s lives.”
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