Otis Lindenschmidt’s career has been a winding road. He never drove a tractor-trailer for a living until he was in his mid-forties. Now, after just four years as a full-time professional driver, he has logged more than 350,000 miles and discovered an exciting new route to success.
Like most truck drivers, Otis is a hard worker who brings passion and grit to the job every day. But his wide range of previous experiences give him a unique perspective.
Otis began his career 30 years ago as a tree-trimmer and bucket operator, eventually working his way up to foreman. At age 23, he transitioned to masonry and worked on huge construction projects like Raymond James Stadium (home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. After a serious injury, Otis needed to find a job that was not so physically demanding, so he went to school to be a dental assistant. As a dental assistant he helped perform root canals and oral surgery for nearly a decade!
Through the years, Otis was always a “gear head.” It was his love for cars, engines, and all things mechanical that eventually drew him to the trucking industry. The skills he acquired over three decades working in a variety of industries, combined with his mechanical skills, have made Otis an outstanding professional driver. Naturally, Otis takes pride in making sure his truck runs like a well-oiled machine. And that attention to detail has made him a valuable team member at Leonard’s Express, where he has been driving since 2022.
“I spend about 15 minutes under the hood every morning,” Otis said. “I check my oil, all my fluids. I look over the motor, my tires, my bushings. I grab the belts and make sure there’s no more than three-quarters of an inch of play. I make sure nothing’s leaking anywhere.”
Just last year, Otis spotted a coolant leak that could have caused serious issues. “I could see the white chalky spray from the red coolant,” he explained. “If you leak too much coolant, your engine is going to overheat and that could cause major damage.” Instead of risking a roadside breakdown, Otis alerted his driver advocate, who re-routed him to a Leonard’s Express terminal for repairs. Otis’ mechanical expertise prevented what could have resulted in catastrophic engine damage, which could have cost the company tens of thousands of dollars.
Otis lives in Florida and typically hauls freight across the eastern portion of the United States. He says every trip begins with a plan. “As a driver, you’re constantly thinking ahead,” he said. “You look at your pickup time, your delivery time, how many miles you’ve got to go, where the traffic’s going to hit. If you’re over in D.C. and Baltimore, you’re going to add an extra hour or more to your time when you hit that traffic.”
Being on time, even with all the potential delays, is an essential part of the job. “I’d say 90 percent or better, I’m on time,” Otis said. “I like to be an hour early if I can. That’s important to me. It’s easier to keep current customers happy than it is to win new ones. If we’re reliable, they’ll keep calling Leonard’s Express.”
It’s also critical for drivers to understand the technical aspects of hauling freight, including weight distribution, to stay within federal regulations. “If you’re overweight and roll onto a scale, you’re getting a ticket,” Otis explained. “That means your company’s getting a ticket. And it hurts your CSA (Compliance, Safety, Accountability) score. We take pride in keeping our scores up. I get bypasses at scales all the time because of that. That tells me we’re doing things right as a company.”
Otis’ dedication to safety, aligns perfectly with the Leonard’s Express’ commitment to maintain excellent safety standards. “Safety is everything to me. I want to go home to my wife at the end of the day. I don’t want to hurt myself or anybody out here on the road.”
In one instance, Otis was leaving a truck stop near Erie, Pennsylvania, in a blizzard. “I got maybe 30 minutes down the road, and it was so bad you couldn’t see the lines,” he said. “I thought, this isn’t worth it. Some drivers will keep going because they’re worried about being late, but somebody could get hurt.”
At the end of each 10-11-hour day, he parks, completes his post-trip inspection, showers (if one is available), eats, and then goes to sleep for his required 10-hour break. “Shower, eat, and pass out,” he laughed. “Then get up and do it again.”
Otis takes great pride in his work as a driver. “I believe that it takes each and every one of us making on time deliveries to move America,” he said. “Drivers are the backbone of our economy.”
Otis typically stays out eight to twelve days at a time before heading home to Florida every other weekend. That balance matters to him, and it’s one of the reasons he loves his role at Leonard’s Express.
“Leonard’s Express treats drivers like professionals,” he said. “They leave us alone to do our jobs. They trust us, and that means a lot. If they need something, they call. If I need something, I can call — day or night — and someone answers. I’m grateful to work with such an incredible team.”
