Charles Auzenne Jr. - Transportation Trainer

February 2016

Originally hired as a route driver, Charles Auzenne Jr. is now a Labatt
Transportation Trainer in Houston and has been with the company for 14 years.

How did you come to Labatt?

“I had been driving long distance routes for about a year before I came to Labatt. It was hard – I would be gone for weeks at a time and didn’t have the opportunity to see my family as much as I wanted to. Working for Labatt, I get to come home and see my kids every day. On weekends I can relax, play some basketball with my kids and go out with my wife.

The biggest challenge for me was the physical work. But I like physical work, so I was happy to do it and I really enjoy meeting and working with customers. I started as a Route Driver, but the was offered a lead driver position after being a route driver for 5-6 years. Two years after that, I became a trainer.”

Tell us about your job as a Transportation Trainer.

“My job is to teach people how to drive. I work a lot with the student drivers, which is challenging because they have no experience with delivering or driving. We start small going through the gears, our computer systems, and how to handle the weight of the trailer when turning, stopping and speeding up. Many of my students aren’t from Houston, so when I’m teaching them about deliveries, I get to teach them about the city as well.”

What advice would you give someone entering the Student Driver Program?

“I would advise someone looking to be a student driver that it’s hard work, but if you like to work, it isn’t hard. Labatt has great home time, good benefits and pay, and we have a good atmosphere in our department.”

Share with us what you love most about your job.

“I enjoy the physical work, and getting to meet and work with people. With my students, I like to get to know them and watch them grow as drivers and also within the company. I also really enjoy my co-workers. I’ve known most of the supervisors here for 5-6 years, and we all get along very well. We have similar work ethics, and help each other out with our workloads when we need it. As far as customers go, my Friday route is my favorite – I’ve gotten to know the customers on that route pretty well and I enjoy getting to see them every week.”