Roger has one of the most difficult jobs at HNI: he helps engineer processes that change driver behavior. He works with motor carriers to build and communicate proven strategies to avoid and manage accidents. Roger draws on a 30 year career in the trucking industry in this position, 22 years of which were spent with the same large truckload carrier. Prior to that he spent more than 7 years as a police officer in the Milwaukee suburb of Shorewood, after 6 years in the U.S. Navy.
Roger began his career in the trucking industry driving over-the-road covering the eastern 2/3 of the continental United States. After doing this for 8 years, he became an over-the-road driver trainer and classroom facilitator for new driver orientation. In 1984 and 1985 he served as Dedicated Account Foreman for a major account in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he directed activities for the dedicated fleet prioritizing local and over-the-road system freight.
In 1986 Roger was promoted into management, and spent the next several years managing the road trainer boards for the company’s Milwaukee Operating Center - during which time the center grew from less than 100 drivers to over 1100 drivers. Roger’s responsibilities in the role included driver training functions, tractor assignments, as well as managing driver services and fueling facilities. In April of 1994, Roger was given the accountability of managing seven team leaders with a total of 300 drivers, responsible for daily assignments, payroll and key factor results of those drivers. This was in addition to the driver services and training duties.
Roger's next role was Manager at the company’s Driver Training Center, where he remained until December 1998. His duties there included directing training activities for up to 85 instructors and their students, implementing more efficient training programs, developing and monitoring the supplier base, and maintaining facility and equipment. His work in this position impacted over 3500 drivers annually that trained at the facility.
Roger later worked as an independent risk and safety consultant for the transportation industry. In March 2003, Roger was recruited to help a bulk commodities carrier to improve safety, recruiting and driver retention programs.
Roger joined the HNI team in July 2006, and his 30-year career in the industry makes him an asset to our team and to the driver engineering strategies we create for our clients and captive members.