Merle Clizbe joined the Whitewood fleet in January 1999, after running for several years under his own authority. His interest in the trucking industry began when he was 10 years old riding with his uncle, and led to a life-long career in the trucking industry.
Merle has amassed 52 years in the trucking industry, logging a total of over 5 million miles—678,313 of those miles for Whitewood Transport. While at Whitewood, he received seven safety awards and had only one minor preventable accident in 2004. He was a knowledgeable, experienced driver and a true ambassador for the trucking industry, always willing to share stories or his expertise with others. Merle is especially interested in the history of trucking safety and how it has evolved over time. In his early career, he set the hand brake on the floor of the cab and then got out of the truck to place wood blocks behind the tires. Now he pushes a yellow button and the air brakes are set. He also considers power steering a great invention! Merle retired in 2010 after an incredible career in the trucking industry.
The entire Whitewood family is very proud of Merle and applauds his being awarded this very special honor.
