As we celebrate Averitt’s 50th anniversary, it’s all about highlighting the teammates who make up our strong culture. Atlanta West team shuttle drivers Tim and Alison Rorabaugh are great examples of Averitt’s unique opportunities, which is one of the reasons why our team has enjoyed 50 years of stable success.
Tim began his Averitt career not long before he and Alison were married more than 30 years ago. Tim got his foot in the door on the Atlanta West dock in 1998. Soon after that, he began training on the job to become a driver. He learned the ropes of truck driving in a city position before taking advantage of a shuttle driving opportunity.
“That’s when I really learned about Averitt,” says Tim. “I figured out it was a growing company, and a good place to be where I felt like I could grow too. And if they were willing to invest their time and energy to train me from dock to driver, I was going to give it my best effort. I’ve been an Averitt guy ever since, and I haven’t looked back.”
A while after the two became empty nesters, Alison left behind a career in preschool and child care to join Tim on the road in 2012.
“I definitely feel like I made the right choice,” says Alison. “Averitt has always been there for my family. Now that Tim and I work together, it’s nice to know that I can be there for Averitt.” Life on the road together changed the landscape of their day-to-day lives, and Alison shares what that looks like for her and Tim.
“It is challenging and wonderful at the same time,” says Alison. “He sleeps while I drive, and I sleep while he drives. We’re up together about a couple hours in a day’s time. It can be difficult, but the blessing is that anytime one of us needs the other, we’re there for each other. He’s my best friend and always has been, so it works really well for us. We do great together.”
When it comes to the future, the Rorabaughs are glad they chose their careers with Averitt. There’s plenty on the horizon for this driving duo to look forward to.
“People can sometimes be short-sighted,” says Tim. “They’re always looking for another couple pennies per mile, and they don’t think about their seniority, retirement, and benefits. To me, it doesn’t matter if the person driving the truck beside us is making two cents a mile more. We’ve got good jobs with great benefits, the raises have always come when they are due, and we’re with a company that’s going to be here tomorrow.”