Driver Recognition 2010
Mike Stanton Driver of the Year 2010
Mike has been driving trucks for 29 years. He has been with Wilson Lines since April 1992.
After high school he started as a mechanic. He worked on cars, trucks, and farm machinery. He drove a school bus part time for two years as well.
Mike moved with his wife and their 3 boys to Steele, AL for almost a year. His wife’s sister and brother in law wanted them to come down. They got home sick and moved back to Mondovi.
He got tired of working as mechanic and he became a truck driver at Menards in Eau Claire. After 9 years he went to Trac Inc. for 2 years. Former Wilson Lines’ driver Billy Raether told him to come to Wilson Lines and make more money. Mike met Paul Sr. and had an interview at his farm. His wife Barbara came along and later she said it was the strangest interview she had ever heard.
Steve Ebert Driver of the 4th Quarter 2010
Steve Ebert joined Wilson Lines in March 2010. Steve grew up on a dairy farm in North Illinois where he learned to drive when he was 14 years old. He changed careers a few times and he says that ‘driving is in my blood’. He enjoys being outside and driving to different places. There are so many things to see.
Steve began his career as truck mechanic for International Harvester. Steve dreamed about being a truck driver for a long time. After 10 years he thought if you do not do it now then you will never do it. So he bought his own truck and leased it to Dean Foods for two years. At Dean Foods he used to have a trailer with bullet holes in it that happened during a dairy strike and they never got fixed.
Brad Yanish Driver of the 2nd Quarter 2010
Brad Yanish has been with Wilson Lines since August 1988 as a local driver. His longest trips were to Tomah and Black River Falls. In the first years people at Wilson were telling him that he was a ‘lifer’. And he proved them right.
Before he joined Wilson Lines he worked at Catco “Clutch & Transmissions”. He wanted to change because it was too far to drive every day. So one day on the way home Brad stopped at Wilson Lines and asked for a job. Based on his experience driving tractor and hay wagon Paul Sr. hired him right away. The next day he was driving to Zumbrota with a load of cheese hoping it will go all right.
In the first 3-4 years his ‘team driver’ Brent Libby was riding with him every day. Brent learned his driving skills first hand from Brad. They were called the ‘killer bees’.
