Behind the Branding Video – Meet Derek

Two and a half years ago, I interviewed for a route service position with Colin Wetlaufer, now the President of CITY. Colin gave me a chance, which was awesome. And each day, I get to do a job I love.

 

When my alarm goes off at 3:45 a.m. each morning, it’s time to start my day. I dress my best in my CITY uniform, grab my lunch, and I hit the road. As I drive to work, the dark sky brightens up and the stars fade away.

 

The first thing I do is double check my truck is ready to go, and then I hop in and begin my route. On my way to my first client, the sun peeks over the horizon with orange and violet.

 

Getting to see the sunrise each morning is just one perk of my job as a route service representative for CITY. The best perk is getting to visit my clients every day.

 

My clients are like my family, which makes the early mornings much easier because I am getting up to see people I care about. Over the years, I have developed close relationships with individuals who receive our service. I really get to know each and every person as an individual.

 

Janice at J’s Homestyle is just one example of someone that I have gotten to know quite well. I look forward to seeing her every week and hearing more about her experiences of living on a farm. On top of that, she has an amazing restaurant. I take my own family there for Panther Omelets a couple times each month.

 

Not only do I know a lot about Janice, but she also knows a lot about my family and myself. That’s just the kind of relationship I have with my clients.

 

Harrison Truck Center is further example. I have developed a great relationship with Jed because we bond over our appreciation of cars and trucks. I have taken my ’79 Ford F-100 down to Harrison Truck Center on my day off just to show all the guys.

 

My son, Shelby, also benefits from my great relationships with my clients. Shelby loves trucks and one Friday I drove him down to Harrison to meet Jed and we got the opportunity to check out all the semi trucks on a facility tour.

 

It’s amazing how many connections I make while working for CITY. You really have to be a ‘people-person’ in order to do this job. It’s important to be bubbly and happy so your customers know that you truly care about them.

 

After visiting and servicing each of my clients, I head back to Oelwein with a a sense of pride and accomplishment knowing that everyone’s needs have been taken care of.

 

Once I return to CITY in the afternoon, I unload all of the items that need to be processed and I reload my truck with clean items for the following day.

 

Then, my workday is over, so I head home for the evening to be with my wife and kids.

 

As a family-owned business, CITY really fit with my lifestyle because I am really committed to my own family. The Monday-Thursday hours are an added bonus to my job. I used to be a truck driver, and I was gone three weeks at a time, so becoming a Route Service Rep for CITY has one of the best decisions I have made. I still get to be on the road and see my family every night. On top of all of that, I got a second family, a family full of CITY clients.

 

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Check out our branding video here!