• TARTA News

Averaging one thousand trips a day, TARPS drivers are putting in hard work each time they walk through the door.   For them, the payoff comes in more ways than just on a paycheck.  It’s in the conversations had and the relationships built on the road.

[Passengers] say they love TARPS and love all the drivers who come to pick them up and take them places,” Randy Duquette, TARPS driver, said.  “Otherwise they wouldn’t be getting out.”

Duquette has been on the TARTA team for the last eight years.  Like a lot of applicants, he was just looking for a job and, on a whim, filled out an application.  Nearly a decade later, he sits proudly behind the wheel and enjoys the fact that each day is different and that he isn’t stuck in the office.

“I like to drive,” he said.

That’s clear when you look at his performance, for example, Duquette hasn’t missed a single shift in the last 365 days!  Quite the feat, but he says it’s as simple as: “just getting up and going into work.”

This month, his efforts and commitment to his position are being recognized.  He is January’s TARPS Operator of the Month.

“He’s one of those guys who never miss a day.  He’s always on time and very dependable,” Tom Metzger, superintendent of transportation said.  “He is well respected by his peers and is well-deserving of being named Operator of the Month.”

“It feels pretty good, getting recognized for something that’s worthwhile doing,” added Duquette. 

He’s quick to point out that his success is, in part, due to the team behind him.  Those who work day in and day out to take the calls, schedule the rides, maintain the fleet and everyone in between.

“We’re working as a team to get it done. There’s no other way of doing it.  As they say, there’s no ‘I’ in team,” he said.

Randy calls Toledo home.  When he’s not at work, you can find him catching an Ohio State Buckeyes or Detroit Lions football game.

Thank you for your hard work and dedication, Randy!  You are a shining example of what it means to be part of team TARTA!