Stories Over The Road: Saving a Hawk
Wherever you’re going, be purpose driven. This is something our drivers live out every single day, in ways big and small. Sometimes it looks like a driver going out of their way to help a shipper in a bind. And sometimes, it looks like pulling a truck over on the side of a New York highway to save a hawk’s life.
What Happened
Driver Tim Kelly was rolling down the highway in New York when a three-foot hawk struck the center of his grill. Most people would’ve kept driving. Tim didn’t.
He pulled over immediately, put his gloves on, and got the hawk free from the grill. The bird was alive, but in shock, with a broken left wing. Tim didn’t leave. He stayed right there with the hawk, calling 911 and waiting alongside two New York State troopers until animal control could arrive to help the bird recover.
As the hawk slowly came out of shock and started to move again, one of the troopers was so moved by what Tim had done that he walked back to his patrol car and handed Tim a New York State Police patch — a simple thank-you for a driver who chose compassion over convenience.
When Tim called in to let us know what happened, he summed it up simply: he wasn’t about to leave an animal to die on the side of the road. And when the troopers told him how admirable that was, Tim told them exactly what we believe to be true — that’s just how people at Nussbaum are.
Why It Matters
Tim didn’t have to stop. Nobody would have known if he hadn’t. But that’s exactly what makes this story worth telling — Tim didn’t do it to be seen. He did it because it was the right thing to do, in a moment nobody was watching except two state troopers and an injured bird.
That’s what it means to be Purpose Driven. It’s not reserved for the big moments — it shows up on an ordinary Tuesday morning, at 65 miles an hour, when something unexpected happens and you have a split-second choice to make.
As an employee-owned company, every one of us carries the Nussbaum name with us wherever we go — and Tim carried it well. He didn’t just represent himself out there. He represented all of us, and he left two state troopers with a better impression of Nussbaum drivers because of it.
The Takeaway for All of Us
Every mile has a mission. Every person has a purpose. You don’t have to be handed a big moment to live that out — most days, it’s the small ones: a wave to a fellow driver, patience with a shipper having a rough day, or stopping when something tells you to stop.
Tim’s story is a good reminder that we never really know what kind of impact we’re capable of making until the moment shows up. Thank you, Tim, for representing Nussbaum so well — and for showing all of us what it looks like to be purpose driven, wherever you’re going.
Got a “Stories Over The Road” moment of your own? We’d love to hear it — reach out to marketing@nussbaum.com.
