Ryan Baker Excels as Trainer for New CPC Drivers

As a tow truck driver required to be on call 24/7, Ryan Baker was looking for a job that would allow him to spend more time with his family. After several conversations with CPC Logistics Division Manager James Long, Ryan knew CPC was the right fit for him and joined the team on October 25, 2021.

Ryan was assigned to drive for a large consumer packaged goods company in Dayton, Ohio. Within a month, CPC Operations Manager Bill Kinman recognized Ryan’s potential to serve as a trainer for new CPC drivers.

“When I look for a trainer, I look for someone who not only excels at their job but is also good with people and has a positive attitude,” Bill said. “I could tell Ryan was that kind of a person.”

Ryan estimates that over the last three years, he has trained more than 50 new CPC truck drivers.

“I like knowing that I am helping to set a good example for my fellow drivers,” Ryan said. “It’s important that drivers are getting trained the right way so they can be successful and represent CPC well.”

Bill agrees.

“I can depend on Ryan to train people right from the very beginning,” he said. “And that is important because if someone is trained properly, they will go on to be a safe, dependable driver. But if they are taught wrong, their behavior will have to be corrected, which can take up a lot of time and resources.”

When Ryan trains a new driver, he spends three days in the cab with them. On the first day, he takes the wheel to show them how it’s done.

“I have found that it is easier for them to listen and learn as passengers rather than trying to drive and pay attention to what I am teaching them at the same time,” Ryan said.

Over the next two days, Ryan observes and evaluates the trainees as they drive.

“This allows me to get a feel for their driving skills and figure out if there is anything they need to work on,” Ryan said. “For example, some of them are not used to backing into docks every day or have only driven a certain type of truck. As someone who has spent more than 17 years behind the wheel and is versatile in many forms of driving, I am able to adapt to lots of different backgrounds and experience levels, which makes me a better trainer.”

After the three days of in-cab training, Ryan gives his phone number to drivers so they can contact him with any future questions or concerns.

“I tell them I’d rather have them call me—even on my days off—if they are unsure of how to handle something instead of making a bad decision,” Ryan said. “I get calls all the time, even from people I trained years ago, and I am always happy to help.”

As the consumer packaged goods company’s private fleet has expanded to new locations across the United States, Ryan has volunteered to spend weeks away from home training the new drivers. Last year he was in Albany, Georgia, for two weeks and in Montgomery, Alabama, for three weeks getting dozens of new drivers up to speed.

“When you send someone to interface with a customer, you have to be sure they are going to represent you well,” Bill said. “I know Ryan will always make a positive impression with our customers.”

Ryan offers several important tips to all the new drivers he trains:

• Listen to the drivers who have been doing the job for a long time.
• Be patient and take your time.
• If it is safe to do so, don’t be afraid to get out of your cab and assess the situation, especially if you are backing up.
• If you are unsure of anything, ask someone.

“I love training new drivers because I love helping people,” Ryan said. “It is just who I am.”