In the fall of 2016, StoneBridge Trucking was starting to catch a glimpse into its future. The customer base was growing, processes were being improved, and the fleet was receiving some much needed updates. With all the progress that was being made, one key component to a successful logistics company was proving to be a challenge; as felt throughout the industry: FIND SOLID DEPENDABLE, COMPETENT DRIVERS that will provide the service required by StoneBridge and demanded by its customers.
Later that fall, an ad was ran in all of the local newspapers searching for drivers that would fit the StoneBridge Trucking employment model. A week after the ad was run, Bill Gamble reached out to StoneBridge CEO Shane Kennedy to introduce himself via telephone. Kennedy liked what he heard. “Bill was impressive, he had a successful history of hard work in the logistics and manufacturing industry, and seemed confident to drive a straight truck. With this, he had served his country. I was comfortable giving him a shot, but was uncertain that StoneBridge was a good fit for his needs at that point in his life”. Both discussed the pros and cons of the job and Bill took some time to evaluate the opportunity with his wife. A few days later, Kennedy received a call from Bill “My wife and I discussed this opportunity. We really like what you are doing with veterans and I would like to give this a go”. Little did Kennedy know at the time, but he had just hired StoneBridge Trucking’s first “ROOKIE OF THE YEAR”, an honor given to a StoneBridge Operator within their first year accounting for safety, miles driven, and many other numerous factors in which StoneBridge holds paramount.
Bill Gamble was born on December 15th, 1959 in Rockford, IL. His father was a musician and his mother was a housewife. Growing up, Bill had always been called to serve his country. In 1977, upon graduating from high school, Bill enlisted in the US Army. His career in the military would take him to Korea, Texas, Kansas, Panama, Alaska, and Germany while serving in Calvary. Bill could have very well spent a career in the US Army, but he and his then wife experienced something no parent would ever want to experience. “I was in the middle of tactical field exercises in Grafenwoehr, Germany, when I was contacted that I had to be home with my family immediately. The Squadron Commander sent me home in a helicopter to my base in Amberg, Germany.” When Bill arrived home, he received the news that his 2 month old daughter had passed away from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Recollecting this life changing event, Bill Gamble remembers it vividly. “It was quite possibly the worst, if not one of the worst moments of my life. I would never wish that experience on any parent or loved one.”
This experience caused an extreme level of stress of pain for Bill, which ultimately took a toll on his marriage and military career. He and his then wife were divorced and after nine years of military service, Bill received an Honorable Discharge from the US Army. He returned to Indiana in which he would eventually marry is wife Debbie on December 5th, 1986. Bill began his career in logistics when he drove a truck for 3 years for Days Express and eventually for Rumpke. Bill finally decided to spend 18 years working for Knauf Insulation which ended due to a knee surgery.
Bill currently holds his AS in Visual Communication and is presently 12 credits away from a BS in Graphic Design. He is a proud husband, father of four, and grandfather of eleven. His daughter Lee is a paralegal and happily married with four boys. His daughter Amanda works in management and is a proud mother to a son. His son Chris works as the Sports Director for the Shelbyville Parks Department and is a proud father of 3. His daughter Carrie is the proud mother of 3.
Since October 2016, Bill has literally and figuratively been “rolling” with StoneBridge Trucking. Once he was in a straight truck, he has never looked back. He has quickly climbed the ladder at StoneBridge and worked extremely hard to earn the honor of the StoneBridge Trucking “Rookie of the Year”. Shane Kennedy is proud of the decision to bring Bill on board. “Bill Gamble was my first hire at StoneBridge and has proven to be one of the best. We are a better company today than we were then because of all of the hard work Bill has put forth to his job and our company. We are lucky to have him.” Along with being a proud husband, father, and grandfather, he is also proud to be a professional Operator with a company like StoneBridge. ‘StoneBridge has taken care of me and my family. I feel appreciated as an employee and veteran. Importantly, my family still comes first in their eyes, as they always have in mine.”
