New jobs are always stressful, but this takes it to a whole new level. Tristin Utter, likely excited and nervous to fulfill his first load working for NCI, got a whole lot more than he bargained for when torrential rains and winds from Hurricane Helene kept him stranded and unable to communicate for days.
A Kansas City, Missouri native, Utter was en route to deliver beef to an Ingles distribution center in Black Mountain, North Carolina. He parked his truck to sleep before his 5am delivery. Instead, violent winds woke him at 3am. As you might expect, he did not make his ETA.
While the storm progressed, Utter learned I-40 and I-26 had been closed, thus blocking him in. Soon after, he lost cell phone service. It was, to put it mildly, a rough situation for any driver to be in, much less someone on their first delivery for the NCI “Elite” Fleet.
Utter found himself in a Dollar General parking lot with around twelve other drivers. Since he has his kitchen stocked for a month on the road, he had plenty of food to share with his fellow stranded truckers.
Eventually Utter’s cell phone found service, and he received a personal call from NCI’s Vice President, telling him just how much everyone back home supports and appreciates him. Ultimately, after five days, Tristin Utter was able to move along. He praised National Carriers for the company’s response and how they reassured his family even when he didn’t have service to reach them. “Just the way that they treated me and the way they have been with me through this ordeal has made me want to stay with them,” he said.
“I met some really great people,” he said. “It was a terrible experience, but overall the community pulled together.”