Frank and June Yanicki take a selfie at the Grand Canyon.
One of the most special things about Bennett is our diverse group of drivers. These drivers come from various backgrounds, and no two are the same. That’s why we were so excited to speak with Frank Yanicki and his wife, June. They’re traveling the country together while Frank drives for Bennett, and we wanted to learn more about their story.
Frank Yanicki has been driving for 34 years, 20 of which have been with Bennett. He currently drives for our freight division as an owner operator, and became a part of the Million Milers Club a few years back. However, he got his start many years ago when working with a nursery in Florida doing local runs. Eventually, he was asked to do runs farther and farther out. He then relocated to Tennessee, and started driving for an owner operator there who had a few trucks. This is where he truly learned the ins and outs of the business and eventually bought his own truck.
When Frank first started driving for Bennett, he was doing runs very close to home. He would run back and forth between home and Baltimore, but his goal was to be home most weekends. Once that contract was finished, he started driving farther and farther north to south, then east to west, and he truly grew to love it. This all lead him to the path he is own now.
These days, Frank’s wife, June, is along for the ride. For the past four years, June’s gotten to travel with Frank and see many of the places he’s been experiencing through the years.
Frank says, “She loves it. Sometimes she misses home, but our daughter takes care of our farm while we are away, and we get to come back home to the farm and spend time with our grandchildren.” He says he would recommend this lifestyle for older people who may want to get into trucking yet still want to travel, and that this is a type of retirement for he and June.
We asked him to tell us about some of the places they’ve gotten to experience together.
“For two weeks, we went to the Grand Canyon,” he shares. “Last year, we parked the truck in Washington and flew up to Fairbanks, Alaska. I took her to see the seals on the Oregon coast. We went to San Francisco, parked the truck, rented a car and drove up and down the coast.”
Frank and June have experienced more together driving back and forth across the country than many people might experience in a lifetime, and they attribute Bennett’s flexibility to helping them achieve this lifestyle.
Frank says, “What’s great about the way Bennett is now, I can pick a load from my phone, go anywhere in the country I want to go, take a week or two off and do all of the tourist things and rent a car, then get back to the truck and have another load ready to go. It’s a great company as far as I can see, and they pretty much let you do what you want to do.”
We also asked Frank what’s driven him to stay at Bennett for all these years and this is what he had to say: “I like Bennett’s pay system. They’re quick on their pay. However, the main thing for me is the people. I like the people at Bennett, and I’ve never had an issue with anybody. They’re just a decent group of people and they try to help you out as much as they can.”
