From Driver to Safety Leader: John Schlichter Reflects on 49 Years in Trucking

Regional Safety Manager John Schlichter’s career began the same way as many other leaders at CPC Logistics: behind the wheel. After 49 years, he is retiring after helping shape the safety culture he once lived as a driver.

John started driving for a family-owned produce company in his hometown of Mascoutah, Illinois, in 1977. Seventeen years later, he was flipping through a newspaper on a Sunday morning when he came across an ad for a job at CPC.

“I was planning to respond to the ad on Monday, but my girlfriend encouraged me to call right away,” John said. “I got in touch with Larry Foltz, CPC’s former executive vice president of operations, and he hired me as a driver.”

A Trucking Career Takes a Turn

John spent six more years behind the wheel before Larry asked if he would be interested in a management position. In 2000, John was promoted to operations manager based out of CPC’s headquarters in Chesterfield, Missouri.

“I had been driving for 23 years, so this seemed like a natural next step to further my career,” John said. “At that point, I also knew CPC was where I wanted to be for the long term and thought this opportunity would set me up for a bright future with the company.”

John believes his driving background helped prepare him for his new role.

“Many of CPC’s managers started as drivers and worked their way up,” John said. “We have the hands-on knowledge that helps us understand what drivers are going through on a daily basis.”

Advancing Safety Through Experience

In 2006, John transitioned into his current position: regional safety manager for the Southwest.

“I wanted to spend more time working directly with drivers to proactively advance safe driving, which is something I’ve always cared deeply about,” John said.

After decades behind the wheel and working alongside drivers, John has seen firsthand that the safest habits often come down to simple decisions. Two issues he continues to emphasize are maintaining proper following distance and avoiding cell phones behind the wheel. To prevent incidents, drivers should maintain at least six seconds of following distance and put phones out of reach to avoid distractions while driving.

A Legacy Built on Relationships

Looking back on his 32-year career with CPC, John remembers what it was like to log his driving hours on paper and operate manual trucks. Like the equipment he used, John believes he has come a long way.

“I’m proud of the way I progressed from driver to operations to safety,” John said.

As John gears up for retirement, he reflects on the strong relationships he has built with CPC team members along the way, including Division Manager Richard Jones and his management team, the current CPC ownership and upper management group, as well as John Bickel Sr., CPC’s former president.

“I will miss the people the most,” John said.

After nearly 50 years of early mornings, long drives and conversations with drivers across the country, John is looking forward to a slower pace once he officially retires in July.

“When I was a driver, my days started in the middle of the night, so I got used to getting up early,” John said. “I’m going to have to learn how to sleep past 4:30 a.m.”

John is also looking forward to having more time to share with his life partner, Linda Austin, who has always supported him for the past 13 years.