Goodwill driver talks about 33 years on the road, working with his dad

As a kid, Scott Duguay’s dad would park a blue van in front of their house with “Goodwill” hand painted on the side. It was the 1970s and Gerry Duguay was the only driver for the Lewiston, Maine area. At that time, Goodwill had a regular street van used to help collect donations for the stores.

Scott grew up. And in a way, Goodwill grew up too. The van became a box truck, then more box trucks. Goodwill now has a staff of 15 drivers who serve three states.

In 1989, Gerry told Scott about a position in the Goodwill transportation department. It wasn’t long before father and son were on the Maine roads, collecting donations from the stores. (This was before New Hampshire and Vermont were added to the Goodwill NNE territory.) Scott has been with Goodwill for 33 years, and his dad Gerry still drives too — between the two of them, they have 78 years of experience.

When Scott started with Goodwill, there were no pallet jacks, forklifts or even bins to contain the donations. It was physical and demanding work. Everything was transferred, by hand, on and off the box trucks – one shoebox or tote bag at a time.

But Scott was hooked. He enjoyed the people and the work. In 2001, he received an Employee of the Year award. It wasn’t long after that, he, with Danny Vidals of Hudson, took home the Ryder Driver safety awards. Ryder said it was rare for two drivers to win from the same organization.

Scott wanted to deepen his driving career. He took a course and received his Class A license so he could drive tractor trailers. Unfortunately, Goodwill didn’t have any tractor trailers at the time. But when Goodwill got a rig in 2009, Scott was the first rig driver.

Now Scott coaches and mentors many drivers. James Harmon was first hired as a “rider” — this is someone who rides with a driver to help with donation pickups and drop offs. One day Scott asked him if he wanted to drive a box truck. Thrilled, James said “yes!” so Scott took him for a test drive. James was a natural driver. He took to the challenges of tight urban streets with ease and calm. James still drives for Goodwill, 17 years later.

Scott doesn’t just drive trucks. He is quick to help in the warehouse or the necessary paperwork in the office. But he is happiest on the road. He loves the challenge of the weather – the heavy rain, hot sun, or dense snow. It makes each day on the road different. Plus, he likes the people he meets in the stores. When he makes his store stops, he jokes around with his teammates.

When asked about working with his dad he said, “He is the best driver in the agency! When he has a bad day, you wouldn’t know it. He always has a smile on this face.” For 45 years, Goodwill has been fortunate to have Gerry on the transportation team.

Scott emphasized the hard work of the Transportation team. Combined, they bring 257 years of experience to the agency!

Here is the Transportation team, along with the number of years with Goodwill.

Gerry Duguay – 45 years 

Scott Duguay – 33 years

Karen Snow – 33 years

Todd Barter – 22 years

Ed Mahoney – 21 years 

Michel Butera – 21 years 

Allen Brannen –18 years combined

James Harmon – 17 years 

Uwizeye Ngoboka – 15 years

Danny Vidals – 15 years

Nick Smith – 9 years 

Chris Smith – 5 years

Brian Stickney – 2 years

Darryl Starbird – 8 months

Owen Raymond – 4 months

To our Transportation team, you are amazing front-facing ambassadors to the good work we do. Thank you for the work you do each day!

Interested in becoming a driver? Working for Goodwill has its perks, including work-life balance. Drivers tend to work a regular schedule, allowing them to be home in time for dinner. Goodwill NNE has stores and offices in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont only. Find our full job board here.