10-4 Magazine August 2023

previously mentioned W900L company show truck. Since meeting Dave, I’ve always looked up to him and admired him for his integrity and professionalism, but more so as someone who has always been kind to me. I had a chance to speak with him recently to get a little background on V-Max. Since August of 2000, the company has exceeded Dave’s initial plans for a 17 truck fleet, as it will be running about 52 trucks, after taking delivery of five more this September. V-Max Transportation is a very family-oriented company, with three generations involved, including Dave’s wife Shelby, who handles the accounting, and is assisted part time by their daughter Kami. Kami’s husband Zach works in dispatch on the highway side, and their other daughter Erin (who works as a dental hygienist) is married to Lucas, who is a mechanic in the shop. Dave and Shelby’s son Ryan is in charge of the back building, where the truck sales and service take place. The third generation is represented by Lucas and Erin’s sons, Case (15) and Caden (13), who work at the company in the wash bay. As a company owner, Dave took the time to explain the importance of having and maintaining quality drivers and how critical it is to find the right individuals who you don’t have to worry about. These individuals not only do their jobs well, but they have a lot of knowledge, take care of their equipment, and have pride in what they operate (even if they don’t own it). He said, as a whole, he is blessed to have the drivers the company has who not only do a great job, but also keep the company image up with the way they take care of their trucks. Tom 10-4 Magazine / August 2023 37 is included in this, with the dedication, pride, and loyalty he exudes. When growing up, family vacations for Tom were almost always in a truck. During summer vacations and Christmas breaks, Tom rode with his dad in the truck whenever he could. A highlight memory since he has been trucking was the chance to haul a load of new furniture to Brainstorm 2019 (a meeting of CEOs from Fortune 500 companies) in Aspen, CO. It was a trip he and another driver made with Dave and Ryan Van Haitsma, unloading in an area of Colorado where trucks don’t usually go. They all hung out for three days and saw some amazing scenery, and did some hiking, too. Once the meeting was over, they reloaded and hauled the furniture to California to be sold as used furniture. I admire Tom for not only being passionate about life, but also his passion for trucking’s past, which includes past and present Michigan trucks. Something positive Tom promotes is a charity truck show that started to help a mutual friend who was battling cancer. This show, Great Lakes Pride & Shine, which is held