Driver Appreciation Week may come once a year, but at Cypress Truck Lines, the goal is to make drivers feel valued the other 51 weeks too.
In Episode 36 of the Cypress Truck Lines Podcast, Marcus sits down with Cypress President Thad Penland and Matt Penland from HR and Safety to talk about what driver appreciation really means at Cypress. Then Evelyn Allen joins the show to share what goes into organizing the week-long celebration that has become a Cypress tradition.
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What Driver Appreciation Means at Cypress
Food, shirts, and cookouts are part of Driver Appreciation Week, but Thad and Matt explain that the bigger idea goes much deeper. The philosophy stretches back to Cypress founder D.V. Penland, who made a point of knowing drivers personally and asking about their families instead of only talking about freight.
Three priorities helped define that approach: protect the driver’s pay, help drivers get home when they need to be home, and make sure good work is recognized. That philosophy has continued through generations of Cypress leadership.
In this episode, you’ll hear about:
- Why Cypress views driver appreciation as a year-round responsibility
- How D.V. Penland helped establish a driver-first culture at Cypress
- Why driver pay, home time, and recognition remain important priorities
- What Thad Penland wants Cypress to do even better for its drivers
- How Driver Appreciation Week has grown into a major annual event
- What it takes to feed drivers throughout an entire week
- Evelyn Allen's decade-plus of helping organize Driver Appreciation Week
- The now-famous grill fireball story and Evelyn's secret burger "special juice"
- Why drivers who return to Cypress often notice the difference in company culture
More Than a Driver Appreciation Week
One of the strongest moments in the episode comes when Thad says that even with everything Cypress already does during Driver Appreciation Week, he wants the company to do more. He wants more opportunities to speak directly with drivers, understand what is happening in their lives, and make sure they know their work is valued.
Evelyn’s stories show the other side of that culture. For more than a decade, she has helped make Driver Appreciation Week happen in Jacksonville, including searching store after store for enough food during a hurricane, improvising when equipment failed, and even surviving a memorable grease-fire incident at the grill.
The cookouts are the visible part of the celebration, but the larger message of Episode 36 is that appreciation is supposed to show up long after the food is gone. Getting drivers home for important family events, maintaining their equipment, recognizing good work, and treating people like more than a truck number are what make the difference.
More Stories From Cypress Truck Lines
The Cypress Truck Lines Podcast features conversations with professional drivers, company leaders, trainers, recruiters, safety teams, operations staff, and the people who keep Cypress moving every day.
Explore more Cypress Truck Lines Podcast episodes for real conversations about truck driving careers, flatbed trucking, home time, safety, driver training, and life on the road.
Interested in Driving for Cypress?
Whether you’re an experienced CDL-A driver interested in growing your career or a new driver looking for the right place to gain experience, Cypress Truck Lines offers several paths forward.
- Regional CDL-A Truck Driving Jobs – Explore regional flatbed driving opportunities with steady freight and regular home time.
- OTR Truck Driving Jobs – Looking to maximize your miles and earning potential? Learn more about over-the-road opportunities with Cypress.
- New CDL Driver Jobs – Just earned your CDL? See how Cypress helps newer drivers build experience, learn flatbed trucking, and start earning.
- Cypress CDL School – Don’t have your CDL yet? Cypress CDL School provides a path into professional truck driving and a career with Cypress.
Questions? Call 1-800-545-1351 to speak with a recruiter.