After 41 years behind the wheel and a total of 4.2 million miles logged, Richard “Wayne” Crowder is retiring his CB handle, RC, and hanging up the keys. 

Some people fall into their careers, finding their place after a long, windy road. For Wayne, however, he always felt drawn to this industry. “As a kid, I always wanted to be a truck driver. I can’t tell you how many times I went to California from Kentucky on the front porch of my house while playing trucks,” Wayne said with a smile. “This is just what I wanted to do. I always wanted to drive a truck.” 

Around the age of 19, Wayne bought a used truck from Frito Lay, painted it and embarked on the journey he felt destined for. Recalling his first trip from Louisville, Kentucky, to Jersey City, New Jersey, “When I got to Jersey City, I thought to myself, ‘What was I thinking? What have I done?’ But here I am 41 years later, getting ready to hang the keys up, it’s been a pretty good ride,” Wayne said. 

Wayne delivered various loads from automotive parts to diapers, baby formula and first-aid kits. Even though he started out by hauling smaller loads, he had an understanding of the importance of his work — keeping cars running and babies fed and cleaned. 

In 1994, Wayne started driving for FedEx Freight, known at the time as “American Freightways.” As a FedEx Freight driver, Wayne frequently found himself hauling loads weighing around 30,000 or more pounds of freight every day, over long distances. He quickly learned to know everything about his equipment and adapt to the environment in order to drive safely on the road. And to this day, he lives by this motto: Safety by choice, not by chance.

In 2004, a friend of Wayne’s, Bill Haycraft, approached Wayne with a stack of filled-out paperwork and asked Wayne to sign it. “What am I signing?” Wayne asked Bill. “Just sign the paper,” Bill told him. So Wayne signed his name and found out that he had just signed up for the Truck Driving Championships (TDC) competition. Wayne did not think that he had what it took to compete, but Bill saw something that he didn’t see in himself.  

Thrown into the competition, Wayne depended on help from his peers to teach him what to do and eventually help him towards victory. With a win under his belt, Wayne went on to win the Rookie of the Year at the National Truck Driving Championships competition in Salt Lake City. Additionally, Wayne became, and still is, the only rookie who has ever won Grand Champion at the NTDC.

Then, in 2007, Wayne was nominated for and became captain of the ATA’s Americas Road Team. Charles Henry, a notable mentor of Wayne’s, was one of the big components that helped America’s Road Team get its start in 1986. Charles helped guide and support Wayne through that exciting experience. 

The trucking industry isn’t all competition and fun, and it’s not the type of job that people always love at the beginning. “Just say you take 100 people. I don’t care about walks of life. I don’t care where they come from. Give them everything they need to get a CDL license and wait one year, you might have 10 drivers left,” said Wayne. “Being a trucker is not for everyone, but when you can make it work, you can have a great career.”

Though Wayne has been fortunate to love his career, it has seen many changes and, with that, challenges. “People are living longer, they’re driving longer. You’re sharing the roads with about five different generations,” Wayne said. “And, with today’s generation, everything is immediately at their hand-held — everything’s fast-going. It’s a different generation and a different type of thought process when you’re on the road. Like they say in the trucking industry, ‘When it gets tough, you just adapt, and you move forward.’ 

So it’s just more traffic, it’s taking a little longer to do your runs now, and there’s a lot more construction going on. You learn to have patience and just stay away from everybody. What I want to do every day is get back home safe to my family and that’s what I want everybody else around me to do.”

Trucking is not an easy career. It can be dangerous, dodging lousy weather while hauling thousands of pounds for hours. It’s always important to remember, especially on the hard days, what you like about your career. Wayne’s answer is straightforward: It’s just him and the open road. He speaks highly of the independent nature of the job and the opportunity to get out and see changing landscapes every day, rather than be confined in an office. “My office is a window. I get to look out the window, and nobody’s looking over my shoulder.”

A career of this length did not come without the help of many mentors, friends and the support of FedEx, and Wayne has given back to the industry through his own mentorship. “I love mentoring people in TDC,” said Wayne. “I’ve been very fortunate to help mentor America’s Road Team. I’ve been very fortunate to help mentor the FedEx Freight Road Team. Sometimes I enjoy that more than I enjoy competing. I get more out of the self-satisfaction of mentoring or trying to help people get involved.”

In his mentoring, Wayne has always sought to relay a message of authenticity and professionalism. “If you’re going to do it, do it 100%,” he tells them. “Leave the team better than it was when you got on. Get involved to make a difference.” Wayne has certainly followed his own advice and has made an incredible difference in the trucking industry.

Those who have blessed the trucking industry, like Wayne, have helped to lead the industry forward to where it is today. However, a major issue in the industry is the aging workforce and lack of incoming drivers to satisfy the demand. “Even those who are outside of the industry should appreciate how vital trucking is to the U.S. economy, and should, therefore, care deeply about the mentorship and recruiting that can secure the industry with a bright future,” said Wayne. Even so, Wayne can look back on his career knowing that he made a difference, truly leaving the team — and the industry — better than he found it. 

31 years after joining FedEx, Wayne can proudly look back on his successful career. “I’ve been very fortunate to make a very good living for myself and my family,” he said. Longevity within a company certainly speaks well for an employee, as well as the company itself. “I appreciate the culture of FedEx. You know, it’s a big corporation, but I never felt like a number, it’s a pretty tight-knit family,” said Wayne.

In honor of Wayne’s long and prestigious career, the American Trucking Association recently announced the creation of a new award, the “Crowder Cup.” This award will be given to future captains of America’s Road Team who reach the extraordinary standard that Wayne has set for future generations. 

With his well-deserved retirement just around the corner, Wayne looks forward to enjoying time with his wife, Kandy, visiting their three children and spending time on the beaches of Florida. We wish Wayne well on his next adventure as he trades in his 18-wheeler for a 1955 Chevy Bel Air. 

Congratulations, Wayne. Drive safely into the sunset!