Clyde Watanabe (favorite peeps)

          I’ve not been shy about the fact that I think I am blessed to work with an amazing group of people. I’m also not shy about stating that I think I have the best DM (driver manager, aka dispatcher) at Freymiller; Clyde Watanabe.  That’s not to say that the other DM’s aren’t great; they’re just not Clyde.

          Clyde has been around Freymiller for about 17 years and in the trucking industry for over 40 years.  (I think he started working when he was 10.)  When he decides to retire, you’ll probably hear my sobs all over the country.  I tell him that when he’s not there when I expect him to be, I get separation anxiety.  If he only knew how true a statement that is!

          What I love most about Clyde is he knows his drivers.  When a situation is coming, he knows how I will handle it before I even know it exists.  He is also on top of what’s going on.  If I have a question, he usually knows the answer.  If he doesn’t, he has it for me within a few hours.  He’s never left me hanging. He is also very even tempered.  I had one driver tell me “I love Clyde, it doesn’t matter how whacked out I get, he still stays calm.” 

          When I asked Clyde what he likes to do when he’s not at work, he mentioned hanging out with his homeless friends.  You can tell a lot about a person by how he treats people who can do nothing for him.  It’s easy to throw money at problems in our society, but not everyone makes time in their busy life to get into the trenches.  Clyde walks the talk.