This National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, we’re pausing to recognize eight drivers who have been named CRST’s 2026 Mile Makers. They earned the title of Mile Maker through hard work, professionalism and a genuine commitment to doing the job right, day after day and mile after mile.
How were CRST’s 2026 Mile Makers chosen?
Winners were nominated by their operations teams, chosen for their dedication to go above and beyond and elevate the customer. Each also had to demonstrate a clean inspection record and zero accidents/injuries in the last 12 months.
Meet our 2026 Mile Makers
(From upper left)
- Justin Bivens | Driving for 20 years, including 16 with CRST
- Eric Buckner | Driving for 8 years, including 2.5 years with CRST
- George Dendy | Driving for 6 years, including 5 with CRST
- Jose & Veronica Jimenez | A husband-and-wife team: Jose has been driving for 34 years, including 6 months with CRST; Veronica has been driving for 6 months, all with CRST
- Keith Lomenzo | Driving for 20 years, including nearly 3 with CRST
- Millard McGlothen | Driving for almost 7 years, including 15 months with CRST
- Beverly Munoz | Driving for almost 7 years, all with CRST
- Corey Still | Driving for 12 years, including 4 years with CRST
What inspired you to pursue a career in trucking?
For some drivers, trucking was a childhood dream. For others, it was a family legacy or a turning point that pushed them to make a change. And for at least one of our teams this year, it was both.
Keith Lomenzo: I had an infatuation with race cars and big trucks as a kid. Smokey and the Bandit combined both.
Jose Jimenez: I get that. Being a truck driver has been my dream since I was 5 years old.
Veronica Jimenez: My family has always been in trucking. I’d worked in the industry in a few different roles before I got behind the wheel myself.
Eric Buckner: What originally inspired me was watching my uncle drive a truck for about 10 years before I started.
Justin Bivens: For me it was my Uncle John.
Beverly Munoz: And for me, my father and brother inspired me to go for it. I’d wanted to do this for a long time but was afraid of failing and disappointing my father. And here I am.
Millard McGlothen: My family inspired me. I was working in law enforcement for 60-70 hours a week, then another 32 hours as a certified nursing assistant on my days off. Even though I was home every day, I hardly saw my young family.
After standing by my wife’s side through almost 24 hours of labor with our daughter, I had to go back to work the very next day and pull a double. I watched my daughter’s first steps in an email from my wife, and that hurt me inside.
That’s when I decided I’d had enough and started looking for a way to change things financially for my family. I’ve always had a high work ethic, and trucking offered a real return for the work I put in.
“I’d wanted to do this for a long time, but was afraid of failing. And here I am.” – Beverly
What motivates you to strive for excellence?
Ask a Mile Maker what keeps them going, and you’ll hear a mix of family, personal pride and a simple love for the job.
Millard: My family motivates me to strive for the best possible outcome. If I’m going to be away from my loved ones and the things I work hard for, I need to make that time worth every penny. Time is priceless – it’s the only thing you can’t get back. So once I’m home, I get to create memories instead of moments, because I did my best while I was away. It’s exciting to see their faces light up when you’re able to provide.
Eric: I’ve always wanted to do my absolute best in everything, and this job has come the most naturally to me.
Corey Still: I agree. I try to do my job to the best of my ability, even and every day.
George Dendy: For me, it’s high earnings and the ability to set my own schedule.
Keith: When something interests me, I learn everything I can about it. Vehicles and transportation are things my brain just locks onto, so striving for excellence feels like a normal day for me. In trucking, I’ve always believed a boring day is a good day. If there’s excitement, it usually means something happened that you didn’t want to happen.
Beverly: I’ve always been motivated to be the best at everything I’ve done in life. I have four grown granddaughters who look to me as their inspiration to be successful. That’s what keeps me going, along with my awesome family.
“A boring day is a good day. If there’s excitement, it usually means something happened that you didn’t want to happen.” – Keith
What advice would you give to drivers who want to go above and beyond?
We asked our Mile Makers what separates a good driver from a great one. Here’s what they had to say.
Veronica: You have to believe in yourself.
Beverly: Agreed. And give it your all. You should be your own favorite cheerleader. Practice makes perfect, so keep a strong work ethic and share your knowledge with other drivers whenever you can. We all started with zero experience somewhere. My dad used to say, “If you don’t learn something new every day, you’re not a real truck driver.”
Corey: Strive to do your best, day in and day out, and your work will speak for itself.
Millard: A few things, in no particular order. First, build rapport with everyone – from agents to the folks loading and unloading you. Second, respect every person regardless of title. You get more with honey, and people reciprocate that energy. Third, know your finances. Figure out the minimum you need and strive to surpass it so you can live comfortably. And fourth, evaluate your runs every week and month. Look back at your best pay days and ask what you did right and whether you can repeat it. Those are the things I check on regularly.
George: You’re right: Definitely build relationships by being responsible. And stay safe. Get things fixed. Don’t haul overweight. Also, choose routes that present lower risk – good decisions on the front end save you a lot of headaches down the road.
Justin: Treat everything like it’s your own. Make good decisions and be safe.
Jose: Be yourself. Don’t compete with anybody else.
“You’re only going to get as much out of truck driving as you put in, so always try your best.” – Eric
Thank you to our Mile Makers
Please join us in thanking our Mile Makers, and every CRST driver, for the professionalism and heart they carry with them on every mile, this week and every week.
