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Employee Profile: Joel Holverson, Inkom Port of Entry Inspector

Joel Holverson, a Port of Entry Inspector at the Inkom Port of Entry in District 5, was born in Pocatello. He attended Pocatello High School and lived in Pocatello all his life. Prior to joining ITD, Joel worked as an armored guard, transporting money to banks and servicing ATMs. He enjoys skiing, dirt biking and traveling with friends and family, and time spent with his wife and two boys.

Describe a typical day." A typical day consists of entering truck data, checking for permits and answering phone calls. But then a truck bypasses the port, or you find a big violation, and the typical day is no more. I have stopped vehicles that resulted in a police standoff, found drugs, a hazmat spill, or wanted people – even something as simple as recovering a lost mattress from the middle of the freeway during the high traffic of the 2017 Eclipse. There are no two days the same."

What is the most challenging aspect of your job? "Educating the public and drivers who have been doing things a certain way for years on new laws and regulations is the hardest part of the job. A perfect example of this is the new mandated Electronic Logging Devices."

What skills/mindset are needed to be successful in your job? "Good judgment, integrity, knowledge and customer service are a few of the skills required to be successful. Also, a good mindset to always keep is to remember everyone we deal with is just trying to provide a living for their families and themselves."

What do you enjoy about your job? "The thing I like most about my job, again, is that no two days are the same. Things can be slow paced then you get a phone call, or go on a bypass and things escalate from there to where you are tied up and involved for several hours sorting things out. Also, when you stop a potentially dangerous situation from happening, such as an intoxicated driver, wheels falling off, or unsecured load, it gives an instant sense of satisfaction that you could have potentially saved someone from harm or even death."

What advice do you have for new hires? "When making any decisions look at the situation from both sides of the counter and always treat people with respect, even if they are not showing you any."

What is the best advice you have received? "If you can go home at night and sleep well after the decisions made that shift, then you did a good job."