FIXTITLE Rick Bailey.docx
HIDDEN INSPIRATION
The Story
Of
Rick Bailey
When you least expect it, an event may take place or a person will come into your life that will ultimately change your entire existence. The amazing thing about it all is, once you open that door welcoming change, by keeping it open you allow favor to continually flow into your life. Attaching yourself to only positivity, will break all strongholds. Freeing you to enjoy everyday life. Call it maturity or spiritual growth and inner peace, either way in order to be humble a person must accept their responsibilities for their actions (good or bad), their own flaws and understand that their life is of what they make it. It can be great; in every aspect of the word. In work, family-life, etc. Or life can be anything just short of great. Why settle for less?
We each have lived a life of trials that have helped create the people we are today. Every downfall sets as an anchor to our hearts, constantly reminding us of how far we have advanced from where we once were. This Legends nominee has come full circle, returning to where he started after gaining many life experiences.
Rick Bailey, originally from Indiana, grew up heavily involved in church as a child. Being his father was a minister, just as his father before him. Rick married his high school sweetheart and found his way through life, unknowingly paving a road of inspiration and encouragement for those close to him. His ambition and commitment to hard work have rewarded him in ways he never expected. His witty personality allows people to connect with him and his loyalty proves that he is trustworthy. Rick’s strong work ethic and dependability provides job security with his current company, which in turn they have recognized and awarded him for his dedication.
At this year’s Mid-America Trucking Show hosted in Kentucky, Aaron Nelson, company owner of Nelson Truck Lines (NTL) presented Rick with a 2017 Peterbilt 389. Rick joined the team at NTL in 2012, as a company driver for the car hauler division. Over the course of three years, Rick has molded his trucking career to emulate their leader’s actions. He discusses his first impression of Aaron during his initial interview and how he grew to respect Aaron as a business man, and a friend. “A mutual acquaintance had met Aaron at an auction and put the two of us in touch. I drove from Indiana to meet Aaron in Wisconsin, where Nelson Truck Lines is located. I was intimidated because he was a lot younger than me. Plus, he has been in trucking all of his life. I was just going on my seventh year in the industry, but now I couldn’t imagine working anywhere else. It has been so cool watching an honest, hard-working guy succeed by doing everything the right way. I think that is why he has been so fortunate, because he passes those same dynamics that he applies every day to the drivers and pushes us all to strive to be our very best. He provides the platform for us to excel together.”
Rick now has the dream job, working for a company led by an individual that he truly admires. At home he has his wife, Kim of 33 years. The love of his life. The couple met when she was a freshman and he was a senior in high school. They have two children together and at the beginning of this year their family grew by one, as their daughter adopted four-year-old, Aeryn. Making Aeryn, Rick and Kim’s first granddaughter.
For the last 30 years, Kim has worked at a local bank and now serves as a branch manager. She is an active member at their church, where Rick states is his safe haven. Before his career in trucking, he worked full-time at the church doing maintenance and repairs. He praises his four years spent at the church for keeping him straight. As a young boy surrounded by the Word, the seeds of prosperity were planted very early on (courtesy of his loving and faithful family). It has been completely up to Rick to allow his storms of life to nourish his strengths, giving those seeds room to grow from within. Working at the church supported Rick’s efforts to live the life that he was always destined to own. He can now administer that foundation of love to his family and friends.
Born in the city of Indianapolis, less than a mile away from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Rick recalls riding his bike from school to the track with friends and watching the Indy 500 practice. At the age of 12, his parents returned their family to Tennessee where they both originally grew up. Rick’s father was called to minister at a small church in his hometown. They often visited Tennessee before the move, staying with family. After relocating for good Rick was able to be with his cousins and the family settled in.
The church only needed his father part-time, the rest of his days were spent running the family’s pizza shops. At 13 years old, Rick’s family owned and operated four locations within a 30-mile radius. Rick worked as a busboy and waited tables. His bubbly personality was perfect for the job. He enjoyed being around customers and making them laugh. Within two years, he was running one of the small carry-out stores on his own. He stayed with the family business until he was 19 and left for a position at a local factory.
One year later, Rick took a job in Wyoming for a construction company. He remained there for two years, then flew home to Tennessee right after Kim graduated high school. The two were wed and returned to Wyoming. Both went to work at the same plant Rick was at for another year. They decided to move back to Tennessee, where Rick found work selling insurance for a couple of years. He switched to the cleaning industry working his way up to a supervisor position over 70 employees. Four years later, he landed a maintenance job at the church and found refuge that he didn’t even know he was in need of.
With a fresh start Rick, his father, and his brother all went in as partners and opened a used car dealership called, Bailey Auto Sales. The three operated the family business together for almost seven years, then the economy took a nose-dive. Before they were forced to close the doors in 2006, Rick was able to learn a new trade. He purchased a dually and a 3 car wedge trailer to haul cars from the auction to the car lot, which eventually led to him getting his own authority. He and his brother-in-law began a brokering business, hauling cars for other clients. One particular customer encouraged Rick to come onboard full-time pulling for their company. He explains, “When the car lot was gone, I knew that I had to provide for my family and this was my opportunity to do it. I got my Class A license and started driving for him two weeks later. The company was based out of Merrillville, Indiana and my first day at work as a car hauler for them was my first time in a semi. I loaded up and took off for New Jersey and back to Chicago. I had never driven a semi before and basically taught myself on the way there... And I haven’t looked back since.”
Almost seven years in, his friend introduces him to Aaron Nelson. Aaron operated a smaller, more private company (NTL) and offered him a way out of the East Coast region. Rick had learned to run the lanes and navigate through the chaos of the cities that once he was able to travel through the Midwest areas, the night and day comparison was all the validation he needed. His release of that stress allowed him to finally see the full joy of trucking.
With close to a million and a half safe miles under his belt I asked Rick, “What is it about trucking that keeps your interest?” His reply was straightforward and evident. “I absolutely love it! I love being at home, by Monday morning I don’t mind leaving because I love my job too. When I’m in the truck, I get to be in my own little world. Nobody can bother me. It’s peaceful. Plus, it’s a great living.” Driving for Nelson Truck Lines, Rick is home every weekend which is extremely important to him. Placing his ‘Mama-Time’ with Kim on the top of his priority list is exactly how the couple have made it 33 years together and are still head over heels for one another. When you have something special, you treat it as such. With Rick trucking over the road five days of the week, they enjoy spending their weekends relaxing. Just keeping each other company is enough for the love birds.
Kim describes her husband as the hardest working man she knows. She continues, “He is determined and competitive, not for the recognition, but his desire to be on top is his personal motivation. He puts all that he possibly can into his job. He is also very tender hearted. I can’t think of anyone more deserving than Rick. He takes pride in what he does; always has. For that, he makes all of us proud. He bends over backwards for his loved ones and gives to us unselfishly. Rick truly goes above and beyond for people. He works hard for his money to provide us with a good life, but it’s really all about family for him. He has the biggest heart and motivates all of us. He is a great inspiration for our whole family.”
When it comes to Rick’s professional career in transportation, he is only at the peak of his full potential. He states that he doesn’t want to be as good as the average driver. His goal is to be the best car hauler there is. Since meeting Aaron Nelson, he has impacted Rick’s pursuit of life. By having direct guidance and a clear-cut view on the outcome of doing things the right way from his mentor, Rick feels that his place in the business has to be earned. He has made it an obligation to do so every day. Throughout all of his experiences in trucking he explains in detail the many things that he has learned in the car hauling business. If he were to narrow it down to one piece of advice that has helped pull him through many difficult situations, it’s to simply stay calm and not to panic. When the unexpected occurs, be patient and work on the solution. The anxiety in between never gets the job done.
Working for Aaron at NTL has put Rick in contact with many people allowing him to build solid relationships that he may not have met if it weren’t for their business together. Nelson Truck Lines is leased on to Riverview Auto Transport. A company based out of Wisconsin, owned and operated by another close friend that Rick admires, Jesse Matthais. Jesse built his business on the same principles as Aaron: hard work and by treating people the right way.
Aaron started his business 20 years ago and has grown his fleet at Nelson Truck Lines to over twenty trucks consisting of two divisions. Flatbed and vans, then Rick’s department, car haulers. All of the drivers know each other and Rick is favored among both teams. Rick elaborates on the office staff, describing the atmosphere as family-oriented with super, great people. After speaking with Aaron, he explains that the feelings are mutual. “Rick is one of those guys that makes any company better. Because of his personality and attitude, he has this ability to lift others up. People just want to be around him,” Aaron says. “We all had this on-going joke about the truck that Rick was in, saying that he was going to retire in it. But Rick is a one of a kind employee. He is my top dog. That is why I decided to give him this brand new truck, designed for him. Basically thanking him for his dedication to me and the company.”
UNITED FOR A CAUSE
Rick is a 2-year member of the notable trucking club, Chi-Town Large Cars. A non-profit organization of 150+ members expanding throughout three countries. The club is based out of Chicago, founded by (the late) Mario Terzo Jr. and Kris (Kut) Santoianni. The Chi-Town family is a large, diverse group of individuals that come together for a common goal, to give back to their communities. For 12 years, this strong group of brothers and sisters have faced many challenges, but the core values of the club have never wavered. Honor, loyalty and respect is their code of conduct. Each member gives and receives, in return true friendships are formed. With unity, Chi-Town Large Cars is able to make a difference in the lives of every honoree selected. Each year for their annual truck show held in August, the club chooses a family in-need or a specific benefit to raise awareness. The club participates in several events, fundraisers and truck shows throughout the nation in which proceeds collected go directly to the selected recipients. I encourage you to visit their website, chi-townlargecars.org to learn more about the families whose lives have been impacted by the help of the club.
Aaron initially introduced Rick to the club years before he made the decision to commit. Aaron has been a CTLC member for five years. Both men belong to the Midwest Chapter. During one of Chi-Town’s truck shows, Rick was there helping Aaron with his trucks that he entered in the competitions. That year Rick began noticing the interaction between the club members. He says, “They treated each other like family. That type of close friendship within the trucking industry really impressed me. When they started presenting the awards for the trucks that placed in the show, that’s when I saw the real brotherhood and sisterhood shine through. They were all excited for each other. It was a cool environment, very genuine. I felt that each person really cared for the men and women standing next to them. That’s when I knew I wanted to be a part of it.”
The club’s mission to help the less-fortunate, creates a bond within the club. Every Chi-Town member stands firm in their promise to serve in some way when called upon. They also pledge to present a positive example needed to build the trucking industry’s reputation with grace and respect. The exact fundamentals that Rick displays day in and day out.