If someone had told Maya Hodel as a young adult that she would one day have a growing career in the trucking industry, she would have laughed.

That’s because she always thought she would follow in her mom Amie’s footsteps and become a nurse.  

“I wanted to be just like my mom,” shares Maya. “Right out of high school, I got my certified nursing assistant license, started working part-time at OSF in Peoria, and enrolled in ICC’s nursing program.” 

By the time she was 20, she was going to school full-time, working third-shift in Postpartum at the hospital, and helping her mom birth-assist with her home-birth midwifery business. And while she loved nursing, she started asking herself if this was something she was really committed to. 

“I thought if I pursue this,” shares Maya, “can I see myself doing this for the rest of my life? Nursing is amazing, and we will always need nurses. It’s also a lot of schooling. So, I prayed about it and felt convicted that healthcare wasn’t the path the Lord had for me.”  

What she didn’t know was that she was about to take on a job that would change her life forever.

Changing Direction

After deciding healthcare wasn’t for her, Maya went through what she describes as an early 20s crisis. She stopped going to school, started working 40 to 50 hours a week as a full-time nanny, and floated around for a bit trying to figure out what she was supposed to do. 

During this time, her uncle, who is a Nussbaum driver, mentioned to her mom, “Why doesn’t Maya become a truck driver?” 

Maya doesn’t know what her mom’s exact reaction to that was, but it must have stuck with Amie because she soon mentioned the idea to Maya. 

“She kind of brought it up in passing. I thought she was insane!” laughs Maya. I told her “there was no way I was going to be a truck driver!”

Something her mom said planted a seed, though. Maya began thinking seriously about what life as a truck driver would look like. She also started doing some research of her own.

“I found out that it was lots of driving, obviously, but the pay was very enticing. I could make a lot of money driving to other states and across the country! Within a week, I’d made up my mind that I was going to go for it.” 

Right away, Maya called Nussbaum and talked to Tianne Overmeyer, the Student Program Coordinator, about getting pre-hired. Maya didn’t have her CDL yet, but had enrolled in classes at ICC and knew her graduation date. 

Of course, the first words out of Tianne’s mouth were, “Don’t worry, we’ll get you hired!” 

Tianne set up an interview with Maya while they were on the phone. But when Maya walked into Nussbaum, she didn’t exactly look like the traditional driver candidate.

“So, I went to Nussbaum for my pre-interview. My hair was curled. I had on makeup, and I was wearing a ruffly shirt. I talked with Mitch Davis who is in safety and Gary Atkins. Both of them told me I had to get dirty as a driver. I was fine with that!”

And that’s how Maya’s journey with Nussbaum began.

Being a Woman in the Trucking Industry

It’s important to note that women only make up 13.7% of all over-the-road truck drivers. And that’s an industry-wide total. That makes Maya and her role at Nussbaum an important one.

“Trucking careers are growing amongst women, which is awesome,” notes Maya. “But finding female trainers for the number of female drivers Nussbaum wants to hire continues to be a struggle.” 

After Maya had been with Nussbaum for about a year and a half, they asked her to become a female trainer. She ended up training four different women while on the road. Three of them are still at Nussbaum.

“I’ve never felt like I needed to prove myself to anyone,” admits Maya. “I just wanted to find a career I could be consistent in. Driving for Nussbaum was something I could truly commit to, stick with, and not get bored with. I have a passion for this. Being here wasn’t a point to prove to anyone. If anything, I was proving something to myself.”

Maya continued to train and work as an over-the-road Nussbaum driver for about two years total before she shifted directions in her career once again. This time, she was prompted by a very special reason.

Finding Love in Unexpected Places

While Maya was driving for Nussbaum, she was also building a friendship with one of her co-workers, Dalton Hodel, who worked in Nussbaum’s Tech department then.

“When I first met Dalton, I was not looking for a relationship,” remembers Maya. “Over time, we had different interactions that made me start noticing him. For example, one time, I needed to change a fuse in my truck. He was kind enough to come out to my truck and show me how to change it. We had a moment where we locked eyes, and I remember thinking he’s kind of cute. The more times I came in, the more he would help me out, and I started noticing how nice and genuine he was.”

Maya later found out that Dalton was also orchestrating their interactions on his end. He went out of his way to make sure he was there when she came in so he could be the one that worked on her truck. This led him to ask her out on a date, a moment Maya retells with a huge smile.

“I was getting ready to take an empty trailer up to Lebanon when I noticed my ABS light was on. Before I could switch out the trailer for another one, Dalton comes running out and offers to take a look at it. He ran diagnostics on it and got the issue fixed, then said we needed to take it for a test drive. I had no clue if that was needed, but I hopped in the passenger seat, and we drove up I-39.”

As they returned to the terminal, Dalton finally gathered up the courage to ask her if she was seeing anyone. When she told him no, Dalton asked, “would it be too forward if I maybe asked you to go out on a date with me?” Maya couldn’t say no and told him, “Of course! I’d love to!” 

Maya and Dalton dated for about nine months. He proposed on her birthday in June 2019 and a year later they got married. It was during their engagement that Maya officially made the transition to being in the office full time working in dispatch and as a Student Driver Manager so she could have more time to spend with her new finance and their families. 

According to Dalton, who is now the Shop Forman at Nussbaum, Maya always finds a way to put her family first. And, their home in Gridley sets the backdrop to a beautiful, blooming friendship between their two families.

“I love having a home full of people. I love being social,” shares Maya. “We get both sets of our families to come over at least once a month, and we’ve just been able to grow and develop a deep friendship with each other’s families.”

Living a Purpose Driven Life With Nussbaum

Maya’s journey to finding her purpose in life may not have looked like what she thought it would, but it turned out exactly as God had planned. It also put her in a position where she could impact and guide others in their journey. 

“I think all of us in life are asking ourselves, what’s my purpose?” shares Maya. “For those who have a relationship with Christ, our purpose is to honor him in everything we do. For all the people at Nussbaum, I think the purpose is to really pour into each other in order to love one another.”

Maya’s experiences working in healthcare and as a driver and trainer for Nussbaum have all shaped her ability to build solid relationships with and care for others. This makes her the perfect person to guide Nussbaum’s student drivers. 

“Now that I am working as a Student Driver Manager,” notes Maya, “I’m always looking for ways subtly show them Christ and leave them in a better situation than when they came to me.”

And, if anyone asks her if she recommends working for Nussbaum, she is quick to say, “Don’t look anywhere else! If you don’t want to be just a number, if you want to be loved and cared about, if you want to be encouraged, and if you want to be part of a purpose-driven community, Nussbaum is where you need to be.” 

Tracy, California, started as a booming railroad town and quickly grew into a prosperous city of over 90,000 people. It was here that Nussbaum’s very own Bill Petersen was born.

Perhaps Bill’s childhood first fueled his love for the West, exploration, and adventure. His mother was a Licensed Vocational Nurse, while his father operated heavy-duty machinery. They taught him to have a responsible work ethic and treat others with care—something Bill clings to today. Bill spent the first years of his life in transit—he was born in Tracy, moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, and then moved to Hawthorne, Nevada. When Bill was twelve years old, the family moved again—this time northward to Vanderhoof, British Columbia.

British Columbia is the westernmost province of Canada, flanked by the vast Pacific Ocean on one side and the imposing Rockies on the other. Vanderhoof is a rural community with more trees than people, and the Nechako River that flows through it is an infamous rest stop for migrating birds. It’s a place like this where wildlife and wild little boys flourish, although maybe not at first.

Bill recalls, “This city boy was very confused. I remember running into the house to use the bathroom, and I couldn’t find it. I told my dad, ‘They took the bathroom!’ He turned around and said, ‘You see that little building outside? That’s our bathroom now.’”

From Trifling With the Law to Enforcing The Law

The winter Bill was 16, his dad sent him to his uncle to help work on the Alaska pipeline. Bill’s job was hauling pipe on a flatbed—his first experience driving a semi. Bill would drive during the day, and his uncle would take over at night. Because he was on private roads, Bill found some protection from the law, although legally, he had to be 18 to get his CDL.

At 18, Bill saw an opportunity to enforce the law instead of trifle with it. He returned to the lower 48 states and joined the U.S. Army, dedicating five years to serving as a non-commissioned officer. Bill was stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia, and then Fort Hood, Texas, where he spent his days guarding entrances, transporting prisoners, and policing the base.

One day, Bill was monitoring the base housing development and noticed a young girl driving 25 miles per hour over the speed limit. He quickly pulled her over and gave her a ticket, then sent her on her way. Two weeks later, the base commander called Bill into his office to thank him for giving his
daughter a ticket.

Bill’s service in the military grew his appreciation for safe driving and enforcing traffic laws. When he finished serving, Bill decided to move on to something he was already familiar with and enjoyed—driving a truck. Thus began Bill’s (legal) CDL career.

Taking Dad’s Advice

“My dad always told me—‘if you want to get a job, find something you love, and it will never be a job, but an adventure.’” Bill took that advice and found what he loved: driving out West. Perhaps the wide-open spaces and ever-changing landscapes reminded him of his childhood, or maybe it was the freedom to explore and see new places that fueled his fire. Whatever it was, Bill Petersen started driving that day and didn’t stop, and today he has almost 50 years of driving experience under his belt.

However, those years haven’t come without their share of bumps in the road—job changes, truck exchanges, an abundance of miles, lack of miles, and more. You might be surprised to hear that Bill Petersen—the Nussbaum trainer, military officer, 500K safe driving miles, Level 5 Certified RED Bill Petersen—hasn’t always had a perfect driving history. “As I have gotten older, I have gotten much slower,” Bill muses.

While some may view bumps in the road as a negative, Bill’s experiences have equipped him to be an incredibly knowledgeable and valued trainer at Nussbaum. Bill can relate to his students in just about anything they might experience over the road. “I want to share my experience with my students and pass it on,” he says with a smile.

Owner Operator to Company Driver

In 1997, Bill’s father-in-law’s health declined. Bill and his wife decided to move east to support him, landing in Danville, IL. In 2013, Bill was introduced to Nussbaum. Before starting as a company driver at Nussbaum, Bill spent many years as an Owner Operator. Bill recalls, “I didn’t want automatics, a company to govern my speed, or to work with e-logs” —all of which Nussbaum did. At that point, Bill was a stereotypical cowboy; he wanted to run hard and fast and get miles.

Bill realized that Nussbaum was different after going through our Train-the-Trainer course and working alongside peer drivers. They showed him their paychecks and explained Nussbaum’s scorecard system, which increased their pay independently from how many miles they were pushing. Bill hung up his cowboy hat and decided to make his scorecard the best it could be.

Today, Bill Petersen is our first driver to reach Certified RED Level 5, achieving 500,000 miles of safe driving. His tune has changed a bit since 1997; now, he’ll tell you that automatics are helpful in traffic (you don’t need to wrangle the clutch constantly), and driving below top speed helps with fuel efficiency and safety. Electronic logs keep drivers honest in their hours of service, yet miles are still high.

For Love of the West

“Bill was my first hire,” recalls then-Recruiter Tianne Overmyer. “He’s a big guy with a big personality. He’s very respectful and always willing to do the job—as long as you send him west.”
Tianne isn’t the only one who mentions “Bill” and “The West” in the same sentence. In 2015, Caleb Gee (who was Bill’s Driver Manager) would plead with the planners if Bill got a load headed east: “But it’s Bill! There has got to be another load!”

Our planners do their best to work with preferences but can’t always accommodate them. Bill has been to all 48 states in his nine years with Nussbaum. He doesn’t always get to go West. But when you love something, everyone around you knows about it. And everyone at Nussbaum knows that Bill Petersen loves the West. When asked why he loves the West so much, Bill will reply, “because it’s not the east!”

Forerunner of Nussbaum’s Training Program

Nussbaum’s training program launched in 2016, and Bill Petersen was one of the first trainers. “Bill has always been a standard-bearer for how to run an efficient week,” notes Nussbaum CAO Jeremy Stickling. “When we built our training program, we wanted to mix in trainers with different strengths. Bill brought that skill set to our initial trainer group; he is a social person who loves people yet doesn’t have to do all the talking. That made him a great fit! Bill happily does a lot of our Rocky Mountain training, something that quite a few trainers prefer not to do.”

The program has six phases over six months. At the end of the second phase, Nussbaum requires students to drive in the mountains, one of the more challenging terrains to navigate as a driver. Inclement weather, steep down/upgrades, and winding roads are some highlights. It’s not for the faint of heart, but Bill gladly leads Nussbaum’s training efforts in this arena. Did he find a loophole ensuring he could drive out West? Maybe.
For two weeks at a time, Bill will work with a student, coaching them to control their truck going up and down the mountains. “I drive first,” says Bill. “I let them take the time to enjoy the scenery and take pictures. They also need to watch what I am doing before they attempt to drive down such steep grades.” The students learn when to use their cruise, jake brakes, and how to prevent their brakes from getting too hot, “because if you go downhill holding your brakes, your brakes won’t hold you.”

Since the program’s conception, Bill has trained about 30 students. He recalls that his first training experience at Nussbaum was unique: “We had a load canceled, so I rented us a car in Seattle, Washington, and we rode the ferry back and forth. We also rode the Space Needle.”

David Gagnon, a trainee of Bill’s, remembers his trainer having a fantastic sense of humor, the patience of a saint, and the ability to have fun through it all. Bill knows his students will love the West just as much as he does, so he makes it a point to take photos of famous landmarks for them while they’re driving (and sends the pictures to them). They even stop at rest stops he knows they’ll love.

“He was very patient with me, which you need to be if you are going out with a rookie,” David says. “I’d never been out West, and he knew I wanted to see a lot. Having him with me was such an asset for getting out of a very tight shipper. He knew that I would run into a turn I couldn’t make if I followed the GPS, so he routed me around, and there was no issue.”

When the pair stopped at a Gear Jammer next to Louis & Clark State Park, Bill encouraged David to get out and explore. David pulled up his All-Trails app and started hiking—two miles, right along a river. Back in the truck, Bill pointed out landmarks from miles away—Mount Saint Helens, Mount Hood, Mount Rainier, Snoqualmie Pass, and even Multnomah Falls—one of David’s bucket list items.

So let it be known—if you’re looking for Bill, you’ll likely find him with a student in the mountains of Montana, Idaho, or Wyoming, thoroughly enjoying himself.

Nussbaum’s Very Own Travel Guide

If you’re looking for trip recommendations, Bill’s your guy. Have you ever seen the Red Rock canyons defying nature with their color? The jagged Rocky Mountains poking the sky? The windswept prairie lands turning to gold and then purple as the sun goes down? Have you been through the longest mountain tunnel, traveling under the Continental Divide? I-70 through Colorado and Utah is Bill’s favorite route because it takes you through it all. “It is the most gorgeous country right when the sun is starting to set, and it hits those cliffs,” Bill says fondly. “There is nothing like it.”

Bill also recommends Glacier National Park. Glacier is located on the Canada-United States border in Montana and covers over 1 million acres of wild natural beauty. One of America’s most famous parks, it’s just a snapshot of the scenery Bill enjoys while traveling West.

Always on the Road

Bill is one-of-a-kind and a beloved fixture at Nussbaum. Talking to Bill, you’re bound to feel that wanderlust pull at you as he talks about his life as an over-the-road truck driver. We appreciate his faithfulness and consistency in his love of the West and in his career here at Nussbaum. In his off-hours, Bill spends time doing … more driving! He loves it. “Nussbaum is family,” Bill says. “My wife told me that if I ever leave Nussbaum, she is divorcing me and marrying the company.”

We’ll just leave it at that. Bill, we hope you’re here for a long time!

Five years ago, Jimmie Hall decided to take a path that changed his life. He became a Nussbaum driver. Little did we know then that our lives would simultaneously be changed for good. The reason behind this? Jimmie’s purpose-driven motto in life: “Be the best that you can be—all the time.” 

This motto, while simple to say, is exponentially harder to live out. Through hard work, dedication, and his positive outlook on life, Jimmie quickly showed us what service on the road truly looks like. And it’s a lesson we can all benefit from if we take it to heart. 

Finding His Path

Jimmie’s home base is in Dallas, Texas. Born and raised there as the youngest of seven children, he grew up learning what hard work looked like. Every day, he’d watch his dad go to work as a crane operator right behind their house. His mom also worked as a maid for Dr. George Charleston, the founder of Charleston Medical Center. 

While they didn’t have much money growing up, his mom and dad always provided for them. They also modeled the importance of doing a job well – no matter what it was. 

When Jimmie’s mom passed away in 1978, he went through a very dark point in his life. He was searching for which way to go. The few jobs he took around Dallas just weren’t enough. So, at the age of 23, Jimmie decided to become a United States Marine. 

Jimmie started his military career as an infantry rifleman at Camp Pendleton in California. He served multiple deployments to Far East China aboard naval vessels during that time. 

After eight years, Jimmie decided to change his military occupational skills to parachute rigger, which took him to jump school at Fort Benning in Georgia, then onto Fort Lee in Virginia, where he served as an airborne paratrooper (otherwise known as an air delivery specialist). He was also part of Marine Amphibious Unit 11 at the Marine Ground Task Force.

During his 14 years with the Marines, Jimmie made over 2,000 jumps as a paratrooper. He also fought in combat missions in Beirut during the 1980s, rotating back to the US and Hawaii. Later on, he became an instructor at Fort Lee in Virginia where he trained new recruits to become airborne qualified. 

Images from Jimmie’s time in the Marines and other post-military positions.

Serving Was in His Blood

When he retired from the Marines, Jimmie continued specializing in delivery, service, and doing his very best in every job he was hired to do. 

His first post-military position was in the concrete industry. He began by driving concrete mixers. His hard work ethic quickly saw him promoted to trainer. Then, he was promoted once again to plant operator, where he made the concrete and supervised a team of drivers. 

From there, he drove for a trucking company for a few years. Then, he switched to running his own business, an intermodal truck company that carried containers from the Dallas train yard to Louisiana. After that, he went back to concrete work for a brief period before deciding he wanted to get back on the road. His online search led him to driving for Nussbaum.

Becoming Part of a Family

According to Jimmie, that decision was a great turning point for him. 

“What led me to Nussbaum was that they were a faith-based company,” shares Jimmie. “But I also love that they are innovators. Their equipment is top-notch, and they believe in giving their drivers what they need to succeed.”

While Nussbaum’s on-the-road perks may have initially drawn Jimmie to Nussbaum, the off-the-road perks have also played a big part in keeping him here. 

That’s because Nussbaum’s dedication to our people is vastly different from Jimmie’s experience as a driver with other trucking companies.

“When I was driving for another trucking company, I had colon cancer,” continues Jimmie. “I kept trying to get home when I was on the road with them, but they wouldn’t. Nussbaum is different. They’re all about family, and they take care of you.”

Taking Purpose Driven to Another Level

Jimmie’s hard work and purpose-driven motto of doing his best doesn’t go unnoticed. In fact, he’s known for his positive interactions around the office and on the road. 

“No matter what job he’s given, Jimmie gets it done,” shares Brent Nussbaum, CEO. “He is always there to do whatever needs to be done to make sure that the company is taken care of and that we’re successful. Jimmie also cares deeply for others, and he’s willing to sacrifice himself on a daily basis for the betterment of others.”

It helps that Jimmie loves being on the road… and that he knows how to make good money while he’s doing it. His secret? Putting in his best work and helping others.

Jimmie is typically on the road for two to three months at a time. That dedication and his commitment to serving our customers have helped him find the success he
enjoys today.

“I talk to Brent a lot,” shares Jimmie. “One day, he called me in his office and we were talking about my career. I told him ‘the one thing missing is I wish my mom and dad were here to see me.’ He looked at me and said, ‘Jimmie, I truly believe if your parents could see you today, they would really be proud of you for what you’ve accomplished.’ And that meant a lot to me.”

It also means a lot that Nussbaum gives him a chunk of time between runs to spend time with his three adult children and grandchildren, go scuba diving, do a few skydiving jumps, and ride his new Harley. Not every company does that. 

Because at the end of the day… for Jimmie, life is all about faith, family, service, and the adrenaline rush!