At Mercer, Thanksgiving Starts a Few Days Early in the Driver’s Lounge
By: Roderick Young Jr.
The morning was chilly, the kind of November cold that bites at your cheeks as you walk from your truck to the building. Outside the driver’s lounge, a small crowd had already gathered. Drivers, wrapped in jackets and hats, greeted each other warmly, their laughter carrying on the crisp air.
“Good mornin’. Smells good, don’t it?” one of them called out as I passed. And indeed it did. From the parking lot, the aroma of sizzling bacon and cooking sausage wafted across the lot, drawing you in.
Inside, the lounge buzzed with energy. Drivers jostled for their places in line, some catching up with old friends, others quietly surveying the spread that awaited them: eggs casserole, biscuits smothered in gravy, sweet breakfast treats, and of course, piles of bacon. At the center of it all was Dean Donnell, standing over a giant cast iron skillet, stirring gravy for the biscuits with care.
But it wasn’t just Dean. Contractor Relations—Val, Cheryl, Shelby, and Chris—were orchestrating the morning, making sure every plate was ready, every detail attended to. And at the heart of it, guiding the rhythm, was Shelby Corum. For nearly twenty years at Mercer, she has been the quiet force making mornings like this possible, arriving at the crack of dawn each year to prepare, to care, and to make the lounge feel like home for those who would be away from their families on Thanksgiving.
Shelby didn’t inherit this tradition though, she built it. She remembers the days when drivers were buried in UPS surges, running back and forth with little time to rest, no chance to be with family. One morning, she thought:
“If they can’t go home, we’ll bring Thanksgiving to them.”
And so she did.
The breakfast itself is more than food. It is warmth, laughter, and connection. Drivers help cook, swap jokes, and share stories as if they were in “someone’s grandmother’s kitchen.” The camaraderie is palpable, a mixture of new bonds and familiar traditions. Shelby’s voice rises above the chatter:
“Has everyone gotten a plate!?”
Some nod, some lift empty forks, still chewing with delight. Every face reflects gratitude, not just for the meal, but for the message it carries: You are seen. You are valued. You matter.
Her connection to the drivers isn’t performative.
“Her compassion is genuine. That’s what makes her stand out to the drivers every year,” says Dale Corum, General Manager and Shelby’s father.
Growing up in the trucking industry, Shelby learned early the importance of compassion. Her father brought drivers home for dinner, helped stranded drivers on the road, and showed her what it means to care. Shelby carries that legacy every day in the driver’s lounge, embodying it with every conversation, every hug, every plate of bacon she hands over.
“I hope that they feel like they’re at home,” Shelby says. “Like they’re in the best place they need to be. Even if they can’t be with their families, we want them to feel loved.”
And the drivers notice. From Dale, who gave his wholehearted blessing to the tradition, to the newest faces in the lounge, Mercer drivers leave this breakfast full: Full of food, full of camaraderie, and full of a sense of belonging that most never expect from a trucking company.
By the time the plates are cleared and the last scraps of food are washed away, the room carries a quiet satisfaction. Hugs are exchanged. Smiles linger. Hands are shaken. Drivers return to their trucks or linger a little longer to savor the warmth of the moment. And Shelby, who has spent decades learning how to serve and care for drivers, watches it all, quietly satisfied, already thinking about next year.
Her legacy is simple, yet profound: honesty, compassion, and the unwavering commitment to show drivers they are more than numbers. In the driver’s lounge, Thanksgiving begins not at the family table, but in the quiet care of a woman who understands what home feels like, even when you’re miles away.
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