Driving Success: Tré Taylor's Penske Journey
For Tréon “Tré” Taylor, it took a homecoming – and a little encouragement from his dad – to put a career at Penske on his radar.
Taylor attended Mt. St. Joseph University in Cincinnati, Ohio, earning his BA in Sociology/Criminology in 2020 and his MBA in 2022. Taylor was recruited as a two-sport athlete – football and track and field – and still holds top-10-fastest times in Lions history in both the 100 and 200 meters.
Having grown up in Florida, he decided to focus on a return to his home state after graduation with his girlfriend, Julia.
“Penske wasn’t on my mind coming out of school,” said Taylor. “My dad asked, ‘Why don’t you apply to Penske?’ I thought it was a good idea. So, I went to the Careers page, and found an opening for the Management Trainee role. It was pretty much right up my alley. It would allow me to eventually try whatever I wanted to. I didn’t have any previous experience in the industry before. But I just wanted the opportunity, and I would work to make it happen.”
Tre’s father, Earl, has driven for Penske since 1997. In his 26 years behind the wheel at the company, Earl served as a Smith System certified driving instructor and captain of the American Trucking Association’s 2017-2018 America’s Road Team. Having first gained experience driving oversized vehicles while serving as a tactical operations specialist in the U.S. Army, Earl was inducted into the Penske Diamond Class, which celebrates 20 years of safe driving, and inducted into Penske’s Driver Wall of Fame in 2018.
“Growing up, when I was learning how to drive, my mom was the one who was brave enough to get in the car with me,” said Taylor. “My dad taught me safe driving. I used to think, ‘Here comes dad with his Penske stuff.’ I thank him for it now.”
Taylor started in 2022 as a Management Trainee (MT) at Penske’s Tampa, Florida branch. The role gave him a chance to make an immediate impact.
“I was so eager to find something. I thought, ‘Just give me a chance and I’m going to do the best I can with it’,” said Taylor. “That’s how I grew up. There wasn’t a lot of talking, it was just ‘do.’ I want to learn everything.”
After five months, Taylor was invited to attend the Penske EDGE (Exploration in Development Opportunities, Gaining Connections and Leading through Excellence) event at corporate headquarters in Reading, a two-and-a-half-day event during which rental representatives and MTs come together to connect with one another, learn more about the company and explore ways they can develop in their careers. Within the year, he was promoted to the role of Assistant Rental Manager across the Bay in Clearwater, Florida. His responsibilities? “Everything”.
“The job description isn’t actually as broad as the job that you’re doing,” said Taylor. “I’m helping with billing, navigating relationships with the people who come into our branch, renting trucks. You need to know what’s needed in a particular situation in the moment. We’re always thinking about what the company is expecting from you and what will be best for the customer.”
While Taylor didn’t plan on a transportation career at first, his interests align with the job in a particularly important way.
“I love anything with vehicles,” said Taylor. “I share that passion with my father. I’ve been getting more familiar with the service department. If I have an opportunity to learn something, I can help when our customers come to the location and need help.”
Penske’s Management Trainee program has given Taylor the chance to collaborate with smart, driven colleagues, find innovative new ways to solve problems and make important business decisions. All with a company that invests in hard-working, motivated people with an entrepreneurial spirit. The goal? To help them grow their careers.
“Whatever degree you have, regardless of where you worked previously, you can succeed at Penske,” said Taylor. “Your skills are transferable here. I’ve applied a lot of what I had learned even though not all of it is related to the industry. What I don’t have, Penske can give me the opportunity to learn.”
Penske is always looking for talented individuals to join our team. View our current list of job openings here.
By "Move Ahead" Staff