90 Years. 90 Stories.

Pope Bess

Pope is a Truck Driver for Purcell Tire and has been with the company for over 21 years.

I started at Purcell Tire & Rubber Company on January 5, 2005. I came here as a truck driver, and that’s what I’ve been doing ever since. Before Purcell, I was driving for another company. One Sunday, a friend of mine, whose son-in-law, Brian Hayes, was a manager of Purcell Tire at the time, called me. He asked me if I wanted a good job.
I told him, “I’ve got a good job.”

He said, “No, do you want a great job?”

He told me Brian needed a driver and that he thought I’d be a good fit. He asked me to stop by and talk to him. So, I did. After we talked for a bit, Brian asked me, “Can you start tomorrow?” I told him no. I wanted to put my two weeks in at my old job because they were good people and it was a good job. Brian understood and told me to call him if I could come any sooner. I put in my two weeks, and before they were up, my old company told me I could go ahead and leave for Purcell. So, I called Brian, and he sent me out on my first run. My first trip was to Iowa with Gene Williams. We had a great time, and that was the start of a whole lot of miles with Purcell. I started out running the Iowa and Minnesota route. After about six months, I started running Colorado, all the way to Wyoming, and through Nebraska. I did that for about two years before moving on to the Salt Lake route. I ran that route every other week all the way to Elko, Nevada, and did that for 10 years. Eventually, I got on the Florida route, and I really like it. They treat me like family out there. When I think about how things have changed since I started, most of the day-to-day work is still pretty much the same. The biggest difference is the routes and the people. There are a lot of different faces around Purcell than there were when I first started. One thing I do miss is getting to see Bob and Juanita as much as I used to. They were such a big part of the company and of my time here. Working with and for Purcell’s has been great. I’ve never had a job where someone takes care of you like they do. They’re like family, and I couldn’t have asked for anyone better. If you have a problem, they’ll fix it. That’s the kind of company Purcell has always been to me. And after all these years, some of my best memories are about the people I’ve gotten to know along the way. Bobby Veach is one that really stands out. He’s another truck driver, and we’ve always gotten along well. We’ve both spent a lot of time on these long routes, so we talk to each other all day long. There probably isn’t anybody else I talk to more.

After more than 21 years, I’ve driven a lot of miles and seen a lot of the country. I’ve had a lot of different routes, met a lot of good people, and made some friendships that have lasted along the way.

I came to Purcell because I was asked if I wanted a great job.

Twenty-one years later, I’d say, "Great, it is."