“Inside the Mountain”: If you can drive it there, you’ll drive it anywhere

Freddy Puente, Transportation Coordinator – New Jersey

In Frank Sinatra’s classic song “New York, New York,” he famously sings: “If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere.” Freddy Puente is living proof.

When he joined Iron Mountain in 2017 as a driver for our shred team, his route was Midtown Manhattan, where just about anything could stand between him and his customers. A U.N. General Assembly meeting snarling traffic. A crane putting up the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center. Summer tourists stepping into traffic while looking at their phones, trying to find Times Square.

“New York is a different animal. I know we have other big markets like Boston and California. But, New York, we beat them all.”

Now a transportation coordinator, Freddy navigates New York-level complexity from an office, using his road experience to support his drivers – “I consider my drivers to be my customers, too” – and create a culture of teamwork.

“Today, as a matter of fact, three drivers called to say they might not be able to finish their routes in time. I called two other drivers who were ahead of schedule to get them to take extra stops. To see those drivers say, ‘thank you, Freddy, for the help’ and to have them come back with everything accomplished for the day is a great satisfaction.”

Meet Freddy Puente

Since 2017 – he remembers the exact date: January 31 – Freddy drove routes in New York City and New Jersey before being promoted in 2022 to transportation coordinator. “Freddy is as good at building relationships with customers on the phone and over email as he was face-to-face as a driver,” said his manager, Transportation Supervisor David Voss.

Question: When friends or family members ask what you do, how do you describe Iron Mountain and your job?

Answer: I joke with my wife that I'm the glue to keep this company together. Seriously, I say that I make sure that drivers are okay, that my peers are okay, and that that brings me great satisfaction.

Question: What part of your job do you take the most pride in?

Answer: I love when the job gets done. Even now, as a coordinator, I’ll still go out. I’ll say, “Let me take these stops so I can help this guy finish the route.” That was the case when I finished my route as a driver, and it’s the same as a coordinator.

Question: Now that you manage people, how do you build a team culture that connects to Iron Mountain’s overall culture?

Answer: I’ll give you an example. Most of the drivers have a set route, but sometimes I have to give someone stops from somebody else who is struggling to complete their route. They might say, “Oh, this isn’t on my route.” I remind them of what my supervisor used to say: "It's not your stop. It's an Iron Mountain stop."

They get it, and my job also is to make them get it in a friendly, respectful way. I’ll tell them, you know, I used to have to do this, too. And if we do move something to them, we make sure that they are able to handle it.

Question: What suggestions do you have for Mountaineers who want to succeed here? What do you credit with your success?

Answer: One word: dedication. I thrive on the challenge. Like I told one driver, you gotta want to do it. If you see the route and go “I don’t know if I can get this done,” well, you haven't gone into the field yet. Sit down, have a cup of coffee, look at the paper, and maybe when you get there it's not as bad, you know?

We had a new hire who was very nervous in the beginning. He said he didn’t think he was going to get it. I put him under my wing and I said, “Just don't get overwhelmed. This is what we do.” This driver is thriving right now. He's saying, “Give me more. I want to do more.”

Question: What’s your favorite moment so far from your time at Iron Mountain?

Answer: When I competed in the Iron Mountain Truck Rodeo! (Spelled “RodeEo.”) This was before the pandemic. They picked a few of us here to compete based on our safe driving, and then whoever won got to go to North Carolina and it was run on a NASCAR track against Mountaineers from all over the U.S.

We took a test and drove an obstacle course, doing everyday things like backing up the truck. I didn’t win, but I got a plaque for my safe driving and a cash prize. Plus, we got to see the NASCAR cars going around and then they let us use the track to do two laps in the truck.