Maverick recently hosted the opening of their newly expanded聽training center with more than 13,000聽additional square feet. The聽$4 million聽center now has聽multiple adjustable聽classrooms and five new training bays, enough聽to train 210 drivers at any time.
Maverick, predominantly a flatbed carrier, requires highly structured training. Proper load securement and an emphasis on safety have always been hallmarks of Maverick鈥檚 training program.
Arkansas Governor聽Mike Beebe was also聽on聽hand聽to speak to the聽capacity crowd聽and praise Williams for his efforts. While Beebe鈥檚聽remarks聽may have been聽brief,聽he made it clear that聽Williams and Maverick don鈥檛 take any shortcuts. 鈥淭hey聽are the best I鈥檝e ever seen聽at what they do.聽He鈥檒l pay more, he鈥檒l do more,聽and he鈥檒l聽respond more.聽It鈥檚 easy for folks to take the low road.It鈥檚 never been an option for this company,鈥� Beebe said. 鈥淎rkansas is noted for great trucking companies, but this is absolutely the best.鈥�
Seventy-five percent of聽Maverick鈥檚 drivers聽come to the company聽without previous experience, so the cost for training them is expensive. Williams estimates the number to currently be approximately $10,000 per driver. 鈥淎nd we don鈥檛 know if that individual, once they graduate, get the keys to that truck, will be with us one day or the rest of their lives,鈥� he said.聽Williams聽added聽retaining over-the-road drivers聽can be tough when the natural gas industry can pay聽its drivers much better wages.
