Another ‘Red’ rides white line and love-hate relationship to trucking music glory
Country music has offered its share of memorable opening lines over the years. With “It’s a Bloody Mary morning,” Willie Nelson jolted radio listeners out
Kris Rutherford
- About Kris Rutherford
- Since retiring from a career as an outdoor recreation professional from the State of Arkansas, Kris Rutherford has worked as a freelance writer and, with his wife, owns and publishes a small Northeast Texas newspaper, The Roxton Progress. Kris has worked as a ghostwriter and editor and has authored seven books of his own. He became interested in the trucking industry as a child in the 1970s when his family traveled the interstates twice a year between their home in Maine and their native Texas. He has been a classic country music enthusiast since the age of nine when he developed a special interest in trucking songs.
Posts by Kris Rutherford
$64,000 question: Can the trucking industry emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic stronger than before?
The COVID-19 crisis isn’t the type of tunnel one enters with an optimistic eye. After all, a global enemy infecting more than seven million people
‘Rubber Duck’ has a sentimental side, and it’s only a flip side away
Among truck drivers, particularly those who drove during the 1970s and ’80s, C.W. McCall and his CB handle, “Rubber Duck,” point directly toward the No.
One puzzle piece at a time: Robert Morris and ‘Fiona’ increase autism awareness with inspirational truck
VILLA RICA, Ga. — Robert Morris has a lot of women in his life. “I live with seven females,” he said. “There’s my wife, twin
Dan Seals’ trucking song teaches us to avoid regret and follow our dream
We could spend a week talking about the qualities of classic country music. Whether it’s momma, trucks, trains, prison or what have you, classic country is pure
Asleep at the wheel: FMCSA can lead truck drivers to CPAP therapy, but it can’t make them sleep
Rusty Traxler insisted he never felt sleepy when operating a vehicle. “I never knew I had a big problem other than I’d stop [breathing] for
Truck OEMs retool to keep employees on the job, fight COVID-19 pandemic
When COVID-19 rose to the forefront of the nation’s news early this year, the trucking industry found itself in high demand. Carriers, company drivers and
The Oak Ridge Boys’ Joe Bonsall: Following his parents’ road map to success
“One thing about truck drivers is that they never change.” Those are the words of Joe Bonsall, one of four members of The Oak Ridge
Kathy Mattea finds a diamond in the rough with 18 wheels, a dozen roses
Contrary to popular belief perpetuated by her late 1980s country music video, Kathy Mattea never met a soon-to-be-retired truck driver named Charlie at a truck stop, and
Driving for the stars: Bud Hunter tells of 30 years hauling for entertainers
Bud Hunter can’t remember a time when trucking wasn’t part of his life. “Ever since I was born, I was always around trucks,” the Joplin,
Trucking through COVID-19: PI&I Motor Express protects employees in economic freefall because ‘it’s the right thing to do’
“It’s a simple matter of corporate responsibility,” Joe Kerola said, referring to taking care of his employees during the current economic downturn. The president of
As repercussions of Celadon bankruptcy case continue behind the scenes, asset acquisitions and auctions go on amid pandemic
The aftermath of the closing and subsequent bankruptcy filing of Indianapolis-based carrier Celadon made for prominent headlines in trucking industry news from December 2019 until
Country’s best-known ‘common man’ connected in the trucking-obsessed 1970s
When it comes to performers, the connection between singer and songwriter is not just important — it is an absolute must. Since country music was
Can the COVID-19 crisis serve as a ‘vaccination’ against nuclear verdicts in trucking?
The COVID-19 crisis isn’t the type of tunnel a nation enters with expectations of an ever-brightening light ahead. After all, an enemy with the ability
Ted Daffan: Musical pioneer satisfies society’s simple needs with simple song
Louisiana-born Ted Daffan (1912-1996) had already made his mark as a singer/songwriter in southeast Texas when he pulled into a roadside diner one evening in
At the Truck Stop: Retired U.S. Air Force firefighter serves multiple roles as a Schneider Ride of Pride driver
David Buck has spent a career pulling double duty, and it has served him well. In fact, when Schneider chose Buck from its pool of
For a classic country trucking song of the modern era, look no further than ‘King George’
My previous columns, I believe, have made the point that my preferences in country music rest in the “classic” era — or almost anything recorded
Trucker’s invention could be answer to many icing situations leading to jackknifed rigs
CHICAGO — “Jackknifing” is a trucking-related term most nontruckers understand. Many have passed the scene of an accident involving a jackknifed trailer during their travels.
With U.S.-Canada borders closed to non-essential travel, attention turns to nation’s southern border
As of March 16, the U.S. had provided little information about restricting travel at its southern border with Mexico. Most discussions regarding the Mexico border
Keep the U.S. out? Not yet, says Canada
UPDATED: March 18, 12:10 pm CT President Trump announced in a tweet this morning, “We will be, by mutual consent, temporarily closing our Northern Border