After driving more than a million miles for the cooperative, Randy Howell has made his final fuel delivery for MFA Oil. Howell retired from his career as a driver for the Moberly, Mo. plant in early October with a pristine safety record – no accidents in 34 years as a driver.
Howell says he enjoyed his time on the road.
“I grew up on a small farm and appreciated the opportunity to be out in the countryside every day,” Howell says.
Barry Oden, district manager, says Howell was well-liked by his many customers.
“Randy has been a reliable, consistent and dependable guy that our customers could count on,” Oden says. “The customers love him, and it’s no surprise considering he’s also an all-around nice guy. Randy will be missed by everyone who knows him, and we sincerely appreciate his 34 years of hard work and dedication to MFA Oil.”
Many things have changed over the 34 years Howell has been with the co-op. When he first started, delivery tickets were handwritten and the Home Office was still located in downtown Columbia, Mo. The Moberly plant moved locations twice. Then there are the many trucks Howell has driven. He counts at least 10, not to mention trucks he would occasionally test drive for the company’s truck shop at the Moberly Business Support Campus.
In retirement, Howell looks forward to spending more time with friends and working on his hobbies, including his collection of antique toy tractors. He regularly visits toy shows in search of his favorite brand – International Harvester – the same type of tractors his family used to have on their farm.