For two days, Fernando Lopez felt like a celebrity. The 55-year-old had a truck personalized with his name, he went people watching from a helicopter flying over the Las Vegas strip and people asked to take his photo.
The first-class treatment was the culmination of 28 years of hard work and being named Driver of the Year in the large residential category by the National Waste & Recycling Association. He’s the first waste collection driver for Republic Services of Stockton to win the national award. “I didn’t think it was a big deal, but I was famous in Las Vegas for two days,” he said, laughing. “I had a great time with family, (the company) supervisors and owner.”
On June 7, Lopez attended an industry expo in Las Vegas where he and other winners were recognized. It was then that he said he realized the significance of the award.
The award is a big deal, said Kevin Basso, general manager for Republic Services of Stockton. Lopez was selected from more than 1,000 drivers nationwide who were nominated.
Lopez joined Republic Services in 1987, a couple of years after he emigrated from Mexico City. He said he started by cleaning the company’s corporate yard, but within four months, he began training as a driver, where he remains today.
At first, Lopez thought he’d work, save money and return to Mexico, where he still has family, but he enjoyed his job, and opted to stay once he had children.
The first 19 years were hard work because drivers had to walk and manually pull the containers, whether it was sunny or raining, he said. Now, there are automatic trucks that do the lifting.
Lopez takes pride jn his 28-foot truck, which he refers as his home away from home, and thinks it’s partially the reason he was nominated for the award. He keeps his truck and routes clean, and he keeps customers happy, Basso said. “He’s really the face of our company,” he said.
To read the full story, visit http://www.recordnet.com/article/20160618/NEWS/160619744.