Age: 51

Homebase: Lexington, Ky.

Hobby: Fine dining with friends. “I love every cuisine you could imagine. Some of the best meals I’ve had were when I lived in Sydney, Australia, and we ate Malaysian food. I really love Italian food in Italy or in Europe. Italian, French and Asian cuisine are my favorites,” said Merrick.

Worst part of the job: “When I have to say no to riders because the rules are the rules. Sometimes the rules don’t allow them to get what they need, the way they need it, when they need it. I have a lot of empathy for how hard they all work. Sometimes we simply can’t do what they need, because of the way the rules are written,” he said.

In The Future: “When the day comes that I’m not traveling so much, I’m going to own my own horse, a Corgi, or maybe two Corgis, and two cats. I don’t have pets because I go away for such long periods of time. My family doesn’t live here, so pets and plants are impractical. That’s what I’m looking forward to one day,” he noted.