It’s time for a new story. This week, we bring you the story of Omar Al Theyabat, 44 years old driver who joined BHX in July last year. Omar has moved to USA from Iraq in 2018. and he says this has been a wise move for him and his family. Omar joined our show live from Kutztown, PA.
To kick the show off, we asked our guest about the weather situation in the area he is located in, as the east is having active stormy patterns this week. “It started raining last night and did not stop until morning. But it is okay, I finished my load and dropped off at 6 AM. I came here to the truck stop, parked and going to get my breakfast, while I wait for another load.”
Omar will mark his first anniversary with BHX about 3 months from now. We asked him to comment on the time he has spent working as a driver and the time he has spent working with the company so far.
“When you start in any work, you will face challenges. My friend Ahmed Darnasser (another BHX driver) explained everything to me. I know Ahmed for almost two years. He got me into this job. He used to live in Roanoke before and that is how it started. I think I am lucky because he explained everything to me in tiny detail. He is a very good teacher. I am also very thankful to dispatchers. They are very friendly and they have been helping me since the very first load.”
We asked Omar how helpful our dispatch team is to him in getting adapted to his new job. Omar told us how his relationship with the dispatch team has been more than just an ordinary business relationship.
“To be honest, helpful is a really small word. When you talk to dispatchers, the word brother really feels up to its meaning. I feel like I have very close brothers and friends at any time by my side. Another thing I want to say and I am surprised about it. When I am stuck in some area on weekends, I received multiple calls while waiting for a load. They make sure I know they are looking for a loads for me and they explain everything. They make me feel that I know I am not alone.”
Omar shared a situation from the time when he had to temporarily pause his duties and travel to Iraq to visit his sick father. He recalls how close his communication with dispatch has been during the time he was off.
“I called Elma and a few more dispatchers at that time. I told them I need to see my father. While I was there, off duty, they kept in touch with me by email, asking me how is my father and to keep them updated. In our culture, if someone shows care for you in your bad times, that is huge.”
Gaming appears to be very popular among BHX drivers. Omar told us that he finds his moments of relief with his mobile games. We asked him to name his favorite. “I like Call of Duty. It is a military game and I had a military background before becoming a driver, so I find it fun.”
People in the Middle East can simply be categorized into two groups; they support Real Madrid or Barcelona. Omar shared with us that he is a big fan of Real Madrid. “When we talk about the international level, I am a big supporter of Real Madrid. I love Real as much as I love my kids. I feel really bad when they lose and that makes my day hard.”
Much like the rest of our guests before, we asked Omar to send a message to the BHX universe out there for the end.
“I really want to say big thank you. I am happy that I found my way to this company and to the people who work in this company. I do not know many of our other drivers but my relationship with dispatchers and with Aldin is really good and I am thankful to you all for being helpful and supportive. Due to the fact I had to visit my father, I worked 3 months last year and then 3 months this year again, but I still made something for my family and myself. So thank you very much for your help and hard work. I hope we will have a chance to meet face to face in the future.”