Meet Mr. Whitmire 

Mr. Whitmire was born in Laurens, SC. Mr. Whitmire played football, baseball, and basketball. He graduated from Berea High School. He then went to prison for 15 months. After he served his time, he came home and started working loose end jobs, Mr. Whitmire stated “once you get that record you take what you can get. I started working at a temp service”. He went from job to job for a few years. 

Mr. Whitmire then went back to school at ITT Tech, but it was not a good fit for him. Wanting a job change, he begun to work for Pepsi of Greenville. At Pepsi he gained some driving experience. After leaving there he went to work for his father in law at a restaurant he owned called Rotellies and worked as a manager for a few years. After that, he started working for a towing service which was a sub-contractor job for AAA service where he continued to work for a few years. 

Mr. Whitmire eventually gained a lot of experience and started his own roadside assistance business in which he still operates.  “I do lock out, tire changes, and fuel.” Mr. Whitmire explained. "I wanted to change things up, so I went to SC Works, I picked a school and here I am, a week from graduation”. 

“CDL training, even though you have a bad background, was a good idea for me. CDL drivers are in demand. No other road gets you anywhere, so I chose to come here. The only thing I have completed in my life was a prison sentence, I am not giving up. No matter the odds. My brother just got his CDL from here about a year ago and he has a background, and he is working. “

Mr. Bailey stated, "he [Mr. Whitmire] is a pleasure to be around. He has a wonderful attitude, great outlook toward trucking and life in general. He is always smiling, he always has kind words, and is willing to put in hard work daily. At the Academy, a lot of people end up with a nickname and his has become “sports fan” due to him wearing a different piece of sports memorabilia daily. I have not seen the same hat, jersey, or shirt twice. He is one of those students that I really hope keeps in contact with us after graduation. His whole demeanor is so uplifting."

**When this interview was initially completed, Mr. Whitmire was a week out from his last day. We are happy to report, he finished the program yesterday and will graduate with a grade point average in the mid 90’s on Monday. SBL Driving Academy is very proud of Mr. Whitmire for completing his program.**