Setting the Stage: Who Was Kenny?

The name says everything you need to know. Meth Addict Kenny was exactly what his nickname suggests—a man deep in the grip of addiction to crack cocaine and methamphetamines. When our organization recruited and hired Kenny, I'll admit something that goes against my usual approach: I was immediately judgmental. And unfortunately, my worst fears came true.

The first time I met Kenny, he looked rough. Imagine a heavy metal rockstar from the 1980s who had consumed far too many drugs over a lifetime—that was Kenny. My first reaction was to turn to our safety director and ask point-blank: "How did this guy pass the drug test?" I couldn't hide my skepticism. "We need drivers," I said, "but you hired this guy?"

Despite my reservations, we went through the standard onboarding process. I met with Kenny, set clear expectations, introduced him to our planner and safety staff, and set him up with a truck. Like many new drivers, Kenny started getting paycheck advances right away. At first, I ignored it—new drivers often need some financial help as they get started. But then the pattern began to emerge, and it wasn't good.