In this edition of Through The Gears, we talk with Tim Norlin, Vice President of Driver Employment at Roehl Transport in Marshfield, Wisconsin.
Tim has been working in the trucking industry in some capacity since receiving his Bachelors of Business Administration from Iowa State University's Ivy College of Business. He started in his current role with Roehl Transport in May of 2017. You may have seen him as a regular exhibitor for years at a national truck show or conference or heard him as a regular guest on XM Radio's Road Dog Trucking Network. Tim has always been a very visible presence in the trucking industry, especially as it relates to the Driver Recruiting niche.
We recently talked with Tim to get to know him on a bit of a more personal basis.
CDLjobs.com: We assume that you have always worked in the trucking industry, so what was the first job you ever held?
Tim Norlin: I cleared tables at a popular restaurant while in high school. My first trucking job was loading and unloading trailers.
CDLjobs: What was your favorite band 10 years ago?
TN: My answer hasn't changed in more than 10 years, I like the classics. The Eagles!
CDLjobs: How do you like your eggs?
TN: Over easy.
CDLjobs: You have a lot of experience in the business side of trucking and have seen some different management styles. What has been the most valuable piece of career advice you’ve been given?
TN: It may seem simple, but the one phrase that has stuck with me the most, which just happens to fit perfectly into the Driver Recruiting world is, "If you don’t know the answer, admit that you don’t and go find it!"
CDLjobs: Conventional or Cabover?
TN: Conventional
CDLjobs: Who has had the most influence on you at Roehl Transport, and why?
TN: Our Chief Executive Officer, Rick Roehl. A lot of people might be stunned to learn that Rick still drives and delivers freight. He always wants to be able to see things through a driver’s eyes. He's making decisions at the corporate level, but he has never forgotten that it's the professional driver that directs the organization.
CDLjobs: Where did you grow up?
TN: Eastern Iowa
CDLjobs: There has been a lot of change with driver pay recently, and even some potential court cases that could have an affect on the future of our industry. If you were named "King of Trucking," what would be the first change you would make?
TN: Roehl is a company where I feel we do a great job compensating our professional drivers. An industry-wide change I would make would be to pay drivers based on performance and not just years of experience. In addition, I would pay all professional drivers for all of their on-duty time!
CDLjobs: Nobody has a better understanding of beautiful places to visit than professional truck drivers, and we've had truck drivers weigh in on their favorite places. What has been your most memorable travel experience?
TN: A self-guided tour of the Columbia Gorge Waterfalls along I-84 in Oregon. I walked 16 miles and climbed over 100 stories in one day to see them.
CDLjobs: If you were a professional wrestler, what would be your walk-out song?
TN: "Crazy Train" by Ozzy Osbourne
CDLjobs: Competition for qualified professional drivers has never been more fierce, and qualified professional drivers have a lot of good choices of where they want to work. What separates Roehl Transport from the competition?
TN: As I mentioned earlier, Roehl Transport is a truck driver’s company who is being lead by a truck driver. Unlike a lot of trucking companies, we pay PRACTICAL miles and we make sure our top performing truck drivers are our best paid truck drivers!
We're grateful that Tim was able to take some time from his busy schedule to go Through The Gears with us, and we hope you've enjoyed learning a little more about him as well. View more specific information on Roehl Transport jobs and get started on your new career today!
