Leaders Thank Drivers During Special Week

Sep 9, 2018 By:

This week, we take the time to thank you, our professional drivers, for your professionalism. Your skill. Your commitment to safety and to our customers. Your hard work and teamwork. Your Captain of the Ship mentality. Your positive representation of Ruan. Your desire to protect our family members with whom you share the road. Your treatment of the equipment like it’s your own. Your willingness to embrace new technology. Thank you.

At Ruan, we put people first. Our mission is to employ the best team in the industry to move our customers’ business safely, efficiently, and on time, every time. Our team members allow us to do just that. Ultimately our professional drivers—the team members who make it possible for the rest of us to be employed within the trucking industry—drive not just our customers’ loads, but our entire company.

And professional truck drivers in general make the world go ‘round. Your critical position within our nation’s economy does not go unnoticed by us. Every time someone buys a gallon of milk, you’re there. You’re there when materials are used to build homes and manufacture products. You’re there when those products go to market. When someone benefits from medical products or gases, you’re there. Essentially, truck drivers allow us to live our lives easily and with the products and services we need. And you do it so effortlessly that many take you for granted. But we know that if you weren’t here to do such an important job, people would certainly notice.

So thank you for the long hours and many miles. They matter. You matter. Thank you for all you do!

We’d like to share a few personal thank you messages from Ruan’s leaders. Please know that everyone at Ruan echoes their sentiments—and each of us thank you.


"A very special shout out to all of our professional drivers and their families this week. To Our Drivers: Your commitments to delivering the goods and services that support our customers is perhaps the single greatest enabler to ensuring our American prosperity. To Your Families: The unending support for your loved ones is the fuel that keeps our economy moving—one mile at a time. Our collective way of life would not be possible without all of your incredible commitments. From my family to yours, thank you.”

- Ryan Frederiksen, Vice President of Operations 


"Without our professional drivers, we wouldn’t have a company. Management doesn’t deliver one load—you do. Thank you for what you do every day. I appreciate your professionalism and safety first mindset."

- Bob Hogstad, Vice President of Operations


"Thank you, professional drivers! Your commitment to safely execute the delivery of the goods that keep our county going and supporting the services of our customers is greatly appreciated. Your commitment to safety and customer service is the backbone of Ruan and what has made us great for over 86 years."

Lance Cheney, Vice President of Operations


"Ruan’s professional drivers provide exceptional service for our customers, which makes me proud to be a part of their team. Thank you!"

- Marty Wadle, Senior Vice President of Supply Chain Solutions


"Thank you, Ruan drivers, for being the economic fuel that drives our economy. There are very few items that get safely to consumers that are not covered by the $1.5 trillion in transportation investment annually. Thanks for all that you do to drive a prosperous United States—it matters."

- Dan Greteman, Chief Information Officer


"First and foremost, thank you for all you do. As a professional driver with Ruan, you’re the hero of the road, you’re saving lives by defensively driving, you’re moving nearly all of America’s goods, and you’re a great representation of all things good in this industry. Your commitment to safety is appreciated by your personal family, your Ruan family, your friends, and the motoring public. As we celebrate National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, we celebrate YOU."

- Allison Meiners, Director of Safety Programs


"Thank you for all that you do and for doing it safely. Your commitment to making Ruan a safety first company does not go unnoticed."

- John Holt, Safety Compliance Manager


"National Truck Driver Appreciation Week gives us the opportunity to pause and reflect on what makes Ruan’s customer service great: our drivers! I frequently receive emails from our metals customers sharing feedback they have received from their customers. This feedback praises our professional drivers for the challenging work they do. While we occasionally deliver to large metals customers, a majority of our deliveries are to smaller customers. These smaller customers do not have the resources of a large facility and count on the dedication of the Ruan team to deliver. And they do! This praise highlights that Driver Appreciation Week celebrates more than just Ruan’s appreciation for our professional drivers. It celebrates the appreciation of the Ruan organization, our customers, and their customers. With that in mind, I would like to thank all of our drivers for making Ruan the great organization that it is."

- Todd Bratten, Vice President of Operations