Cover Story

Mark Scherer
Daily Express, Inc.

Mark Scherer is one of the hardest-working, most highly skilled drivers in the trucking industry. As an owner-operator leased to Carlisle, PA-based Daily Express, Inc., Mark is entrusted with the safe transport of cumbersome, heavy and often wildly expensive loads that would make many a trucker break out in a sweat. It is, however, a challenge that this over-the-road professional greets with great enthusiasm.

Mark first got behind the wheel of a big rig after graduating from high school, when he transported equipment from job site to job site for a local excavating company. The work was re-warding, but Mark had a couple of detours to take before returning to the open road.

First he decided to pursue a lifelong dream by entering a nearby law enforcement academy with the intention of be-coming a police officer. After graduation, Mark found that full-time employment opportunities were scarce, so he decided to follow another interest and joined the Navy. “I wanted to do something different, and it seemed like a great way for me to see the world,” Mark remembers.

During his four years as a radio operator on a guided missile cruiser, Mark visited 22 countries and noted Singapore and Costa Rica as his favorites (outside of the United States, of course). After processing out, Mark was again faced with a tight market for law enforcement officers, so he returned to the trucking industry.

A few years running as a company driver convinced Mark that it was time to be his own boss. “I’d been pulling furniture on a dedicated route, and I just about went bankrupt doing it,” Mark says ruefully. “A friend of mine had been running with Daily, and he suggested that I come on over to Carlisle, PA. I liked what I saw, so I bought my own truck and leased on.”

Like so many drivers who move from dry van to heavy haul/specialized freight, Mark found the transition a little intimidating at first, but he quickly discovered that the benefits more than outweighed the new challenges. The compensation is among the best in the industry, with coordinated, non-forced dispatch that minimizes wait times and maximizes owner-operator profitability.

Daily Express operates throughout the 48 contiguous states and Canada. Most of the company’s freight is based east of the Rocky Mountains. The company operates out of 10 company-owned regional terminals, with no agents.

“Daily treats me very well,” says Mark. “I usually know what I will be hauling on my return trip before I even drop my load.” Owner-operators at Daily have a unique opportunity to earn genuine respect and career advancement. If a contractor can demonstrate driving skills and become qualified to pull larger and more complicated loads, higher revenues are sure to follow.

Mark clearly loves his work, and he credits his wife, Ann, for much of his success. “Ann is very supportive of my trucking lifestyle, and she even helps me manage my paperwork. I can’t thank her enough.” The Scherers are the proud parents of a daughter, Reba, who is now in junior high school.

The staff of Over the Road and Pro Trucker magazines would like to wish Mark continued success with Daily Express. For more information on owner-operator and company driver opportunities available at this industry-leading specialized carrier, see their ad on page 2 of this issue.