Over 3 years ago, Todd and Penny Sheneman decided to take their relationship to the next level. After 30 years of marriage, they decided to hit the open road as team Hazmat drivers in PAM’s expedited division.

It Started with an Idea

Todd had originally been a local delivery driver in South Bend, Indiana. However, he couldn’t find regular work to provide for his family. Having served in the Army, Todd had driven bigger trucks before, so he looked into OTR trucking.

As Todd brought the idea up to Penny, she decided to take it a step further: she too wanted to obtain her Class A CDL. On the road together, they could run a lot more miles and make more money, and not have to worry about leaving each other at home.

On top of that, Todd and Penny knew it would be good money, a career they both could grow in, all while getting the chance to see every corner of the country.

Finding the Right Start

The next part was finding the right company to get their start with. They were concerned about finding a company they could fit in well with as they adjusted to an over the road lifestyle, something neither of them had really experienced before.

After thorough research, Todd and Penny came across PAM Transport. Their Team Hazmat program stuck out to them above other companies, and decided to join the PAM ranks.  

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Team Hazmat Benefits

The thing that Todd and Penny did that really helped them stand out from other drivers and teams is that they both got their Hazmat endorsement. Being a more versatile and widely endorsed driver will give you more opportunities to haul in the PAM fleet.

Penny attests to that claim by saying, “the main benefit is that we get a lot more loads than a lot of people do, because there are a lot of loads that they need a Hazmat team to pick them up.”

But the best part of having the Hazmat endorsement is that you get paid more no matter what.

“Even if they don’t have Hazmat,” adds Todd, “they want a Hazmat team in there just in case you’re hauling Hazmat. The thing is, we can do those loads and we can do non-Hazmat loads, too. I mean, you get paid the same either way. [Having a Hazmat certification] widens our options...so we’re getting more loads and getting paid more.”

Their Veteran Advice

As veterans of Team Hazmat driving, the Sheneman’s offered up 3 key tips for succeeding in this area of trucking:

• Keep your paperwork straight.
• Check your placards every time you stop.
• If you see a leak of any type, assume it’s Hazmat and call a Hazmat team.

When it comes to Hazmat driving, you can never be too careful. Penny adds, “You’re trusting the people you’re picking up from. But if they don’t know or if they screw up, you’re the one who will get in trouble for it. So if you see a leak of any type, stop and call a Hazmat team.”

Todd’s Final Thought

Todd wanted to add one final piece of wisdom for truckers: “Above all, enjoy yourself. It’s a good life out there. It really is. It’s different than when you’re at home. Embrace that difference because if you’re out in the world, you get to see everything. It’s all right there in front of you. A lot of it you’ll see as you buzz by it really fast, but you can always get back to it someday. You can always put it on your bucket list. Get out there and see the world and enjoy it!”

Todd and Penny have found such great success that they were even recently featured on the PAM Transport website. For their full trucking profile, click here.

Start Your Trucking Career Now

Driver Solutions can help you get the CDL training you need to become a truck driver.  Start your career now and you could be on the road making up to $50,000 in just the first year!  Just take a few moments to complete our online driver application now. 

Apply Now