Kevin Martin’s Story with Pacific States Petroleum, Inc.
The History of Pacific States Petroleum
Kevin Martin, Recruiter with Pacific States Petroleum, Inc. (PSPI), has worked out of the Bay Area for 20 years. Kevin is the longest-tenured employee and one of the original five employees. PSPI now staffs a little under 300 employees throughout the state which includes Pleasant Hill, Stockton, West Sacramento, San Jose (with yards in Norwalk), San Marcos, San Bernardino, and Reno.
Fun facts: Kevin got his present job through the One-Stop Center operated by East Bay Works in the Bay Area; and, in the early 90’s his father worked at a One-Stop Job Center in Sacramento.
Kevin was promoted to Recruiter two years ago after working as a truck driver for 3 years, and a dispatcher for 15 years. He now works with truck driving schools to hire drivers.
In Concord, Kevin partnered with the Contra Costa County Workforce Board, and the Employment Development Department (EDD). He was later invited to job fairs in Woodland and Sacramento, where he met Zachary (Zach) Stevenson. Zach shared resources and information about how to find drivers, including hidden talent such as the re-entry population. Zach also helped provide resources for newly hired drivers. The resources Zach shared led Kevin to start attending job fairs, receiving referrals, and making connections to training that has helped to build his network. Kevin shared that Zach gave him the confidence to believe the resources would come together and cemented his desire to work with SETA Sacramento Works.
Employment Needs
Kevin states, as a recruiter for PSPI, he is always looking for drivers for several important reasons:
- Drivers often move on to other work after understanding the nature of the job
- Drivers are exposed to hazards due to working with petroleum
- The job is demanding, causing a person to get dirty and smelly
In addition, as of February 2022, the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration (FMCSA) mandate requires that truck drivers who don’t currently have a commercial truck driving license (CDL) must go to truck driving school. The FMCSA & California Department of Motor Vehicles now requires candidates to attend an accredited Truck Driving School with special courses in hazardous materials theory training and have a clean background check with TSA before a candidate is allowed to take the DMV’s Hazmat Endorsement test.
How could we better assist?
Kevin suggests assisting customers with preparation for interviews with prospective employers if that is not something SETA Sacramento Works is already doing. He stated that on many occasions he had conducted interviews only to find that individuals are totally unprepared for the process or start the session by making inappropriate comments at the very beginning of the interview such as bad-mouthing a previous employer.
SETA Sacramento Works could develop a community-based resource guide. When candidates are sent to PSPI, they should have their credentials or know what they need to get hired: CDL Class A, Class B hazardous material, and commercial tank endorsements.
Presently, PSPI is looking to hire Drivers, Diesel Mechanics, Mechanics, and an Operations Manager, which is particularly challenging because the experience needed for an Operations Manager is not something that you can learn in school. These are positions that SETA Sacramento Works will help PSPI fill. Overall, Kevin believes that as an employer, individuals that go through the workforce systems are better prepared.
