A Day in the Life of A Bobtail Driver

Going on this ride-a-long gave me a new appreciation for what the drivers do everyday. It’s important to recognize all the gears and shifts that keeps Ted Johnson Propane up and running. Without the drivers, we wouldn’t be able to deliver propane to our customers all over Southern California.

Remember to thank your drivers and essential workers so that their hard work is appreciated!

I was able to join one of our drivers, Jim, for a drive along to see what he does on the job everyday. Jim has been delivering propane for around 7 years now. He starts his day in the early morning around 5:15 am to get a head start on his route to try and beat traffic. The drivers will usually have the same route and visit the same customers. With each stop, I got to see the relationship Jim has built with these customers over the years of delivering propane to them exemplifying how important maintaining relationships with customers is. Throughout the day, Jim carefully delivered the propane to each location effectively and efficiently as he has many stops on his route. When the last stop is made, that is where his day will end usually around 3-4 p.m.

Jim, along with our other drivers, makes sure they are taking care of the customer’s needs but also keeping safety in mind. For example, he will always wear gloves when handling the propane.

During their day, the drivers will face different obstacles like the gates not being open and no one is around or answering. This job also requires expert driving skills as a lot of backing up is involved. I have seen Jim maneuver into the tiniest of spaces with this bobtail truck to be able to deliver the propane.