Owner-Operator, Cliff Richard, delivered his final load last week in Ft. Detrick, MD after being in the trucking industry for 35 years and with NHH Services the final five years of his career.
He’s ready for retirement and everyone he’s worked with, from other truck drivers to his dispatcher, are acknowledging his exemplary career, while wishing him a happy retirement and saying their good-byes. 
“Cliff is a special breed. He’s a businessman and a truck driver. He’s like part of my family,” said Alice Turner, Cliff’s longtime friend and NHH dispatcher.
Alice and Cliff worked together since 2000 and Alice continued as his dispatcher until his retirement. He was an owner-operator for NHH Services since 2017.
During his career, Cliff rose before dawn, sacrificed home and family time, trucked all over the country and logged over 2.6 million miles.
It began in 1986 when Cliff had to make a career change to avoid relocating his family, while working in the oil and gas industry. He got in the truck and got on the road, initially driving locally near his home in Raceland, Louisiana.
After his trucking career continued, Cliff met Alice and eventually made the transition to NHH with her.
“This last move [to NHH] has been one of the better ones and I’ve enjoyed working there. I go through Alice and Shelley, and if I go through them everything was always fine. I’ve never had to get anyone else involved,” said Cliff. “It’s been a great working family.”
Cliff says the best thing about driving is all the memories and friends made.
“You know the industry, a lot of good, some bad, a lot of friends. Some of them moved on, some are no longer with us. I’m the old man on the block, but young enough to enjoy the rest of my life,” he said.
There was a time when Cliff and other drivers who trucked the same lane, formed a club they called the I-10 club. Only two drivers from the club remain in the business now.
Alice remembers Cliff for his professionalism, easy-going demeanor, loyalty, and most importantly, friendship.
“He’s a professional type; always clean and well-dressed when he went into a customer to load or unload. He was always on time and kept his equipment up to par,” she said. “When on the road, he called me every day at 8 a.m. exactly to tell me where he was and what he was doing, like clockwork. I’m going to really miss him.”
Before Cliff began his career in the trucking industry, he served in the Army from 1969-1971. Now he is looking forward to spending time with his wife and grandkids during his retirement.
He says he’ll miss it, but he’ll clean out the truck and put his 1996 Peterbilt for sale.
“I plan to sit back and relax, and work around the house. I have enough stuff to do around the house that’s neglected; projects I’ve started and now it’s time to finish them up. I also plan to go fishing and enjoy the Gulf of Mexico as I did when I was a kid.”
