Trucking Life

COVINGTON, La. — While Ashley Stewart has never sat behind the wheel of a semi, she has sure covered a lot of miles to become an owner-operator. She and her husband, DeAntonio Stewart, launched their trucking company, Keeping Up with the Stewart’s, earlier this year. Stewart, who’s a registered nurse by trade, has balanced the new venture with her double-duty work at Slidell Memorial Hospital in Slidell, Louisiana, and St. Bernard Parish Hospital in Chalmette, Louisiana. During 10 years of working in emergency rooms, she’s seen a little bit of everything and anything that could possibly walk through the door. But last fall, she took an assignment that altered her career, both as a nurse and as a budding entrepreneur. “I took a travel assignment at Baylor Scott & White Health in Dallas for COVID in November. I did that for six months,” she said. “That was hard. Long hours. We had to do 60 hours a week back when COVID was still very rampant. So, they were short-staffed, and we had a lot of patients. It took a toll.” Between the hectic schedule and crushing demands of the assignment, Stewart had precious few opportunities during that time to see her husband and four children. Thinking of them and their futures, she began to “percolate” the idea to become an owner-operator. “I was talking to one of my friends out there, another nurse. She actually formed a company with her husband. And then there’s a group that I’m part of on Facebook where there’s a woman who actually used to be a nurse, and she did the same thing. And she’s had a very successful trucking business career,” Steward explained. “I had a lot of time to think during that assignment. I began to wonder, what all goes into it?” Stewart floated the idea to her husband, who’d driven with local trucking companies for some time. With him on board, she began researching the ins and outs of starting up the business. “I mentioned the idea around February, and I just kinda kept working toward it,” she said. “I watched YouTube video after YouTube video all about successful trucking companies. I watched The Highway Diva; she’s a truck owner and she makes multiple YouTube videos. She’s extremely helpful. She drives with her daughter sometimes. I commented on it, and she commented back to me. She’s just great. She’s very friendly. “I made a big ol’ check list, and I would take notepads and I would just literally make lists and I’d write notes. And as I went, I would just scratch it off. I did the LLC and applied for our own vehicle authority. I just did it step by step,” she continued. “That’s what I’d tell anyone who wants to do this. I would say, ‘Take baby steps and research and make lists. Just take your time.’” Stewart is quick to point out that while she was spearheading the effort, the entire family had input at some level, from her husband’s experience behind the wheel to settling on the name of the venture. “At first someone said, ‘Stewart Trucking’ and I thought, ‘No, I want it to be cute. Stand out,’” she said. “One of my daughters actually came up with the name, ‘Keeping Up with the Stewart’s’ which is like ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians,’ you know. She always says she wants a TV show,” Stewart said. “So, I was sitting there one day at work, and I was like ‘You know what? That could work. ’Cause it’s a trucking company and it’s always moving.’” In May, the family found the perfect rig — a 2017 Kenworth T680 — in Texas and drove it home to Louisiana after Ashley’s stint in Dallas wrapped up. Once settled into the new routine, the challenging realities of making a go in the trucking business sank in. “At first, we were very defeated because nobody would work with us because we were so new,” Stewart said. “I had been working on it since March but because it just went active, it finally cleared May 28, that’s what they were going by. The first week, we’d make a call they would say ‘Nope. Nope. Nope.’” Their break finally came, however, and Keeping Up with the Stewart’s was on the road. “We did one load, like a trailer drop — that was our first move — and ever since that, we’ve been successful,” she said. While DeAntonio hauls the dry vans to various destinations out of state, Ashley serves as dispatcher and is taking a broker course, in addition to continuing her nursing career. She said her experience as a nurse actually plays a role in her life as an owner-operator. “It’s funny,” she said. “When you’re looking at the loads and trying to piece and part them together and map load after load, you have to see the bigger picture. As a charge nurse and a house supervisor, you have always look at the bigger picture too, like the flow and the management of things. Learning the trucking business, I can really rely on how I manage others as a nurse, seeing a bigger picture.” Still, she admits balancing two careers and a family of four daughters, ranging in age from 7 to 14, is not without its daily challenges. “It’s hard some days, but I think being a nurse through COVID, you learn how to prioritize a lot of things — what is a priority in life and what isn’t, you know?” she said. “I sleep when I can and research some stuff when I have a little free time here and there and just keep working hard.” One of the most important things is to not go it alone, she said. “My husband and I work on this together,” she explained. “I just wanted to have something we could call our own. I would want my daughters to see that and know that whatever you put your mind to, the sky’s the limit.”

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Landstar System Inc. has named owner-operator Dennis Bramblett of Hannibal, Missouri, as the winner of the 2021 Landstar All-Star Truck Giveaway. He will receive a brand-new 2022 Volvo VNL64T truck. Bramblett was one of four Landstar business capacity owner (BCO) finalists in this year’s giveaway. Finalists were randomly drawn from a pool of more than 1,000 drivers that have achieved 1, 2 or 3 million safe driving miles or have earned Landstar’s Roadstar designation. Roadstars are recognized as the “best of the best” based on their high levels of safety, productivity and excellence in customer service. The winner was determined during a virtual event July 13. Each of the four finalists selected one of four boxes, one of which contained a winning notification. Bramblett was the last to select a box — and that final box turned out to the winner. “Holy moly!” exclaimed a shocked Bramblett when he realized he’d won. The prize is a dark garnet red metallic Volvo VNL64T that features a 455-horsepower Volvo D13 engine, a Volvo 12-speed I-Shift transmission and the Volvo Active Driver Assist 2.0 collision-avoidance system. “I appreciate Landstar a lot,” Bramblett said. “Since I leased on, I’ve not once been tempted to look for another company. And now I have a new truck that’s paid for!” Each year, Landstar gives away a truck, including all registration fees and taxes, to one of its Million Mile Safe Driver independent owner-operators. Bramblett leased to Landstar in 2006 and was named a Million Mile Safe Driver in 2017. “Congratulations to Dennis Bramblett. Awarding a Landstar BCO with a new truck is an honor we look forward to every year,” said Jim Gattoni, president and CEO of Landstar. “We thank all of our Million Mile Safe Drivers and Roadstars for their skills and their service excellence. It is our privilege to give away such a life-changing award.”

Nikki Weaver doesn’t have a crystal ball for seeing everything the future holds, but the 2021 Women In Trucking Driver of the Year can tell you one thing: Whatever is to come, it will find her behind the wheel of a truck. “When I grow up? I want to drive a truck,” the vivacious Pennsylvanian said with a laugh. “I’m really fortunate to be doing what it is that I love to do. I am looking forward to any opportunity that comes my way that I can share my love and my passion for the industry, educate anyone that’s interested, raise awareness for the motoring public, anything that I can do to give back to the industry that has given me so much. “It’s given me a great life and a happy life. I want to share that and, in any way I can, give back to the industry.” To that end, Weaver is an unqualified success, not only due to her on-the-road prowess (2 million accident-free miles and counting) and her longevity (20 years of driving with zero moving violations), but also to the passion with which she promotes the job to others. “Trucking has limitless opportunities. You can really make it into whatever you want,” she said. “The No. 1 thing I tell people who are thinking about this as a career is just to go for it.” Weaver is so enthusiastic about the life she’s chosen, and which has taken her to 46 of the lower 48 states, it’s hard to believe trucking wasn’t her first professional path. Unlike the many drivers who had a relative in the business or who turned onto trucks as a kid, Weaver didn’t find her true love until she was in her 20s. “Before I entered the industry, I really didn’t know that women drove trucks at all. I didn’t know that was a thing,” she said. “I always loved to drive — driving was definitely my thing. I couldn’t wait to get my first license. My father was a police officer, and he taught me how to drive. I had a love for just getting behind the wheel and driving a vehicle. “Then, when somebody made me aware that [truck driving] was actually something that women could do, I was really excited about it,” she said. “It just sounded like an amazing adventure, where I get to travel all over the country — and somebody will pay me to do it.” Weaver admits that her foray into trucking wasn’t supposed to turn into a decades-long career. But she’s very glad it did. “When I got into (trucking), I thought I was just going to do it until I figured out where I was supposed to be in the world,” she said. “I didn’t have the intent of being in it for the rest of my life. Then I really fell in love with it. I enjoyed it so very much. It didn’t take me long to realize that I was exactly where I was supposed to be, which was behind the wheel.” During the first seven years, Weaver’s over-the-road jobs were fairly typical. But 13 years ago she saw a FedEx twin trailer on the road that sparked her imagination. “I was completely fascinated with the concept of pulling two trailers,” she said. “Doing my research, I felt (FedEx) was also the best company I could possibly get on with. I already had an endorsement in double trailers and twin trailers, so I was good to go. I applied for them — they were the only company I applied for — and I was really fortunate that they hired me. I’ve been here ever since.” In addition to the equipment, Weaver also praised FedEx for the consistency of routes and the control the company gives her over a schedule that allows her to be home every night. “I would call what we do as being regional,” she said. “We have something called a bidding system where, based on seniority, you choose what run you want to do for a segment of about four months. I get to choose my run and my schedule; I can choose day or night. I’ve been on daylight for a few years now and I generally pick a run that’s somewhere between 500 and 600 miles a day, five days a week.” Having a say in her schedule as she does helps Weaver keep life in balance. Among her other passions are hiking into areas well off the grid, and being the involved mom of a 10-year-old son, Eli. “Over the road is a lot different than what I’m doing right now,” she said. “Eli is just about to graduate elementary school and go into middle school next year. He is so very excited about that. I’ve had a lot of support from my family over the years who have been able to be there for him when I’m on the road. That’s how I’ve balanced being a mom with the career of being a trucker.” Weaver parlays her love of trucking to others, both as a career and as a way to bring about positive change. She speaks at community colleges about the trucking industry and also addresses the Pennsylvania State Police Academy’s new commercial officer cadets on various issues. In addition, she’s a Truckers Against Trafficking advocate who has attended the group’s leadership conference, and she stays involved with outreach programs in her community. Weaver has also served as an America’s Road Team Captain since 2019. Because of these extra efforts, Weaver was recently a finalist for FedEx Freight’s Luella Bates Award, and she’s a two-time winner of the prestigious Bravo Zulu Award, an honor created by FedEx Freight founder Fred Smith. She can now add being named Women In Trucking’s Driver of the Year to the list. In addition to her trademark advice of, “Go for it,” Weaver advises newcomers to become a student of their profession. “Do your research. Build a network of resources, your fellow drivers,” she said. “It’s one thing to read the stuff in a book or listen to it, but to see these things being displayed — professionalism, safety — was very inspiring for me. The No. 1 resource in my success has been my fellow drivers, the senior drivers who I very much looked up to. They taught me the meaning of professionalism and the true meaning of all these things in real time. “I didn’t have a family member who was a driver,” Weaver continued. “It was really outside of the box of anything I was familiar with, but as soon as I learned about (truck driving), I was like, ‘Wow, this is an amazing opportunity!’ It is very challenging job, and I think that’s one of the things that has kept me loving it all these years, to this very day. I love the problem-solving aspect of being a professional driver. It’s still fun after 20 years.”

SHELBY, N.C. — When Timothy Bradshaw, a truck driver, met Heidi Bowlby in 2011 through a mutual friend, he had no idea he’d end up teaching her how to drive a rig just a year later. He certainly had no clue they’d be partners — both personally and professionally — with three children and forever to go. As Bowlby walked toward the bar where she was meeting Bradshaw for a blind date, she saw a man smoking a cigarette outside the bar. She thought, “Oh man, he’s cute,” but didn’t think he was the man she was there to see. But once he entered the bar and she realized he was her blind date, they danced the night away. “We’ve been stuck together ever since,” Bowlby said with a laugh. At the time, Bradshaw had been a truck driver for 35 years. He learned how to drive a truck at age 16, when a man who hauled cattle and livestock taught him how to drive a 1970 GMC with a two-speed axle. “I drove it one time and I was hooked,” Bradshaw said, adding that his love of driving hasn’t waned during his now nearly five decades on the road. “I just love driving the truck.” In 1984, Bradshaw got involved with heavy-hauling trucking with Metro Lines of Transportation, a small company with only three or four trucks. Working with two of his three brothers, Bradshaw did team driving out of California for three years before the company dissolved. Bradshaw then moved to North Carolina to drive for another company, Kennedy and Son. When that company dissolved, Bradshaw looked to find his place with a right job before starting his own trucking company with Bowlby. When he met Bowlby, trucking was the only career Bradshaw had ever known. Bowlby, on the other hand, had never even been in a truck — much less thought about driving one herself. “I was in a dead-end job,” she said. “It was never even a thought for me to get on a truck.” Bradshaw said he suggested teaching her so they could drive together. It wasn’t the first time he’d trained future truck drivers: He taught all three of his brothers, plus four of his friends, his uncle and, finally, Bowlby. She’s now been driving for nine years. “Believe it or not, she was a lot easier to teach than (them),” Bradshaw laughed, as he referred to his past trainees. “When I taught my older brother to drive, he wouldn’t get over 55 miles an hour. Once he got to 56, he’d be hitting the brakes. He was scared because (the truck) was so big. But they all turned out to be good drivers.” Once Bowlby was trained, the couple worked as company drivers for three years. “It was the only thing that made sense at the time,” she said. But their shared career came with a challenge. After the couple had their first children together, they discovered they didn’t want to miss those first smiles, first words and first steps. Bradshaw suggested they get their own truck. That way, they could be their own bosses, spend time together as a couple and be with their three boys, Dakota, 10, Nicolas, 3, and Lukas, 1. “I was like, ‘I literally know nothing about it,’” Bowlby said. “’I’ve never even owned a business. I went from waitress to truck driver, and now you want to run our own company.’ It was a big jump. But we ended up with our first vehicle.” That was when Bradshaw and Bowlby started getting creative. They recognized that as owner-operators, they could now have a say in their time off, their time together — and their trucks. The engaged couple bought their first truck in 2015, and it looked a typical truck. It was plain, a standard size and just what the couple needed to launch their own trucking company. But Bradshaw and Bowlby wanted more than just a truck. They knew they wanted to stand out, so they started looking for artists to decorate their rig. Rather than using a traditional wrap for their truck, which can cost as much as $15,000, they wanted to create a truck that blended the couple’s unique personalities. “The truck is a mixture of me and him,” Bowlby said. “He is more of the fantasy type guy. He loves dragons and wizards and skulls, that kind of thing, so one side is all him. He gave the artist ideas of what he wanted. As far as colors and exactly what it looked like, (the artist) had free reign on artistic ability. The other side is a horizon, and I feel like that’s just a reflection of our job in general. It’s the things that we see all the time because we get to see scenes that look like that. I thought it was the perfect reflection to have a pretty side of the truck and a more unique side of the truck.” “We find that typically, adults or older people, they love the horizon side of the truck, and the kids, they’re more for the dragons,” she said. The artist, Trent McCauley, is located in Butte, Montana, and this was the first time he had ever painted a whole truck, Bowlby said. In total, it took McCauley four days to create the $10,000 traveling painting. Their oldest son, Dakota, favors the dragon side of the truck, while Nicolas and Lucas haven’t quite decided which side is their favorite. The couple now have three trucks, with plans to paint the rigs in the future. The next one will feature Bradshaw’s love of the band Iron Maiden. Of course, the couple will use the same artist. The rig has also caught the attention of CAT Scale folks. In 2017, the couple’s truck was one of 60 trucks featured on CAT Scale Super Trucks Cards. The couple agree that the attention certainly helps their trucking company, dubbed No Destination Trucking, capture attention both on and off the highway. Along with the unique truck decor, Bradshaw and Bowlby wanted their company name to stand out. When the two were choosing the company name, each of them would suggest a name, then the other would reject it, Bowlby said. Finally, Bradshaw casually mentioned that the trucking company wouldn’t really have a destination. Then, it was like a light bulb flashed. “That’s it!” Bradshaw said — “no destination” could be the name of their company. “That’s kind of funky, because we’re a trucking company and we’re going places — but in aspect, you really don’t have a final destination, right?” she said. “A lot of people love it, but every once in a while, you get one or two that they’re like, ‘Well, that just doesn’t make sense.’ But it’s a unique name.” Either way, the name gets the company noticed. Because of it, Bowlby often uses a quote attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson — “Life is a journey, not a destination” — as a motto for No Destination Trucking. “The work that we have put in to get to where we are is the reason why we are where we are,” she said. “And without him (Bradshaw) … I couldn’t have done it without him, and vice versa. I think us being a team like we are, has really built something that I’m proud of.” Bradshaw’s said his achievement of 45 years on the road doesn’t always top the achievement of getting to spend his time with Bowlby and their children. At the end of the day, it’s his family that makes him the proudest. “I’ve been with Heidi longer than I have anybody,” he said. “And I’m not going to go anywhere.” To see a video of Bowlby and Bradshaw’s unique truck when it was featured as a CAT Scale Rig of the Week, click here. 

LUCIE, Fla. — Calvin and Corey Williams are two peas in a pod — literally. The two are identical twins who share and do everything together — even following their dream of becoming heroes. In their book, that meant becoming the best truck drivers possible. Little did they know that they would achieve their goal of becoming heroes in every sense of the word. In addition to serving as truck drivers and trainers for Armellini Express Lines, the pair have been recognized by the Truckload Carriers Association’s (TCA) Highway Angel program as trucking heroes. Trucking met heroism when the two witnessed a catastrophic crash and came to the rescue one cold, gloomy February morning. On that fateful day, Calvin was looking for a rest area while driving on Interstate 44 near Bristow, Oklahoma, when he witnessed a vehicle going unusually fast. It was around 4 a.m., pitch dark and the roads were icy. All of a sudden, he saw the vehicle take a hard right. “I was like, ‘Whoa, is there an exit ramp right there?’” Calvin recalled. “When I saw them swerve off and I saw the car lights do like a cartwheel, I was like, ‘Damn, they lost control and went off there!’ I didn’t think about it; I just stopped the truck immediately.” As he began to stop the truck, he woke up Corey and their trainee, Allen Ford, and the team got to work. Before the truck had even stopped, the Williams twins called 911; then they both ran toward the spot where the car, which was now burning, had gone off the road. While retelling their story, Calvin and Corey described how they tore their hands up as they jumped over a barbed-wire fence to get to the car. The morning was still dark, and Corey and Calvin had nothing but a phone light, feeling around with their feet toward the car. There were two people in the car when it crash-landed in a cold, muddy ditch; somehow, they had managed to crawl out from beneath the inflated airbags and exit the vehicle. “They hit a tree so hard it knocked the headlights out and pushed the motor and transmission into the cab,” said Calvin. The car’s windows were broken, and the brothers found a male — the passenger — conscious, lying on the ground with a serious leg injury. The female driver was about 30 feet from the vehicle. One of the twins ran back to the truck to grab blankets. “She was bleeding and shivering and couldn’t move her legs,” Calvin told the Truckload Carriers Association when they were awarded the Highway Angel designation. He suspected she had a broken back. “She kept saying she had fallen asleep at the wheel. She looked like she was going into shock.” Calvin and Corey shared with TCA that the crash scene was near an old dirt road, and challenging to reach. It was an hour before the police reached the scene, and it was yet another hour before emergency medical services arrived. “Once they got there and I saw a flashlight and heard sirens I’m like, ‘Thank God,’” Calvin said. “I felt relieved, like the end of a good movie. ‘OK, they’re going to be saved and things are going to be great.’ The two recall the police officer who arrived on the scene saying, “’Well, I can’t do nothing. You guys did everything, you already got the situation under control. All we needed was for the EMTs to come.’ We were like, ‘What?’” Calvin and Corey had to help the officer over the fence because he had all his gear weighing him down. Even then, the first responders could not be the first responders at that moment. It took them a while to get to the crash scene because it was blocked by a barbed wire fence, hills, mud and wooded areas. “They had no way to get down the hill and successfully bring two people back up, especially with their injuries,” said Corey. “The (police) just looked at me like I was crazy,” Corey said of climbing the fence and helping. “And I when I thought about it, I was like, ‘Wow, that is kind of crazy. I could have gotten killed.’” But, at that moment, neither brother was thinking about his actions. “If you thought about (helping), you weren’t going to do it,” Corey said. In total, the twins stayed at the crash scene for more than four hours. The sun was peeking out by the time everything was all said and done. Despite the drive time lost while the twins stayed by the couple’s side, they said they don’t regret staying and helping. “If we called the police and drove off, they were never going to find the people,” Corey said. “By the time we got done, the fire went out on the car and the headlights went out and they were down in the trees. How were you going to find them unless you knew the exact spot they were at?” For their efforts, the brothers earned a Highway Angels award from TCA. The Highway Angels program presents recipients with certificates, patches, lapel pins and truck decals in recognition of an act of heroism while on the road. “We just looked at it as doing our job,” Corey said. “And I’ve learned a lot. You want it to be a learning experience. What I learned was that if you see a bad accident, you can’t pass it assuming that somebody’s going to go down there and find those people. You can’t just call 911 and just leave. You’ve got to jump into the accident as fast as you can because it doesn’t happen like you think it happens.” Calvin added, “You can’t ever assume that the police are going to come in and everything’s going to be peachy.” The brothers’ gut-feeling reaction to never hesitate before helping others was inspired by their grandfather, Keny Pringle, who drove a Coca-Cola truck. Pringle was the one who instilled in them a love of and admiration for truck drivers. “I thought he was a hero. He used to pull up (in his truck) and all the ladies would run up behind him and say, ‘Oh my god, can I get a free Coca-Cola?’” Corey laughed as he reminisced. “I thought it was so heroic.” Calvin remembers getting into Pringle’s truck every Christmas Day and thinking that one day, he would drive a truck, too. “I love everything about it,” Calvin said of trucking. “It’s like going on a field trip for free. You don’t have to pay for nothing — just get up, and show up. You never know what you’re going to see. It’s like going on a great adventure every time you get up.” Calvin and Corey’s road to adventure took them to becoming truck drivers, like their grandfather. The best part, they said, is that they get to do it together. “We are always together. We live together and we do everything except take a bath together,” Calvin joked. “We can’t do that,” Corey said with a laugh. Although “everything” hilariously excludes bathing, it DOES include driving. Often, the two still surprise themselves when they realize they have identical characteristics, personalities and interests. Their trucking adventure has gone on for 13 years, and it won’t stop anytime soon. However, the two spend the majority of their time training others how to drive. “My favorite thing to do is to teach it,” Corey said. “We take three people out in the truck and we love to teach it, because we became the best at it. We didn’t become drivers just to drive, we became drivers to become the best drivers.” This translates in their hobbies together. They strive to be the best drivers whether it’s on a bike or in drag races. Their love of driving doesn’t stop there; the Williams twins are car fanatics as well. Of course, they do all of that together.

While the battle rages in Washington over what should be included in the latest infrastructure bill, drivers can rest assured that some version will eventually pass — that is, if drivers can find a place to “rest” at all. Neither President Joe Biden’s $2.3 billion infrastructure proposal nor the Republicans $568 billion counterproposal includes funding to address the national shortage of safe parking spaces for truckers. It isn’t as if legislators aren’t aware of the problem. The issue was addressed in the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), the highway funding bill that was passed in 2012 and extended until September of this year, was “Jason’s Law.” Named for trucker Jason Rivenburg, who was killed by a gunshot while parked at an abandoned gas station near St. Matthews, South Carolina, the law directed that funding be made available to states to study the parking problem and to construct additional spaces. On March 26, 2021, U.S. Reps. Mike Bost (R-Ill.) and Angie Craig (D-Minn.) reintroduced the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act in the House of Representatives. The bill calls for $1 billion in funding over five years to provide additional truck parking. Spaces would be created by expanding current weigh stations and rest areas and by providing grants to privately held truck stops that add additional free parking. A similar bill introduced last year died in committee. When new truck parking spaces are created, if they are at all, finding one in which to safely park will still be an important item in each driver’s trip plan. Assuming that a space will be available when you become tired or run out of driving hours is a good way to run into trouble. Phone apps have virtually replaced truck-stop directories, and these apps do more than simply provide truck stop locations and contact information. Some allow for driver input about the number of available spaces and other information. Some can be used to reserve parking spaces at truck stops — but these are generally paid parking spaces, and the service can sometimes be haphazard. Trucker Path, TruckPark and Park My Rig are some examples of apps that can be found in the Apple store and Google Play store. Most of the major truck stop chains have their own apps, including TA/Petro’s TruckSmart, Pilot Flying J’s Prime Parking and the National Association of Truck Stop Operators’ (NATSO) ParkMyTruck. Whether you intend to pay for parking or not, it’s helpful to know which truck stops have locations in the area you plan on stopping for a rest break. While your first choice may not be available, there may be another option across the street or at the next exit. Another option might be at the receiver. Some businesses don’t allow trucks onto the property until an hour or so prior to their appointment, but others have available space and allow drivers to take rest breaks on site. Others may know of available parking nearby. In some areas of the country, however, finding an empty parking place after 5 p.m. is nearly impossible. If changing your schedule is an option, it’s worth considering. Parking spaces are usually easier to find early in the afternoon, and driving after midnight typically means less traffic. Pickup and delivery schedules don’t always allow for a change in the driving schedule, but when it’s possible it can make a difference. Sooner or later, almost every driver runs into a situation where suitable parking can’t be found. Some drivers look for local shopping centers or abandoned business properties. Be careful. Stories abound of drivers waking up to find their truck has been “booted” or chained, not to be released until outrageous fines are paid. Others have received expensive tickets from local law enforcement. Check carefully for signs and, when possible, ask permission before parking. Parking on the shoulder of the road or on freeway entrance/exit ramps is another tactic some drivers turn to when parking lots are filled. This is illegal in some jurisdictions but permitted in others. Even where it’s legal, however, there are still dangers. Ramps are often secluded and unlit and could be unsafe for the driver. In addition, it’s hard to gauge the condition of the shoulder at night, and trucks have rolled over after driving on gravel or ground that’s too soft to support the weight of the vehicle. Wherever you find room to park, the basic safety tips still apply. Light is a proven theft deterrent. Park in well-lit areas when possible. Secluded spots may be quieter, but places with people around are safer; no criminal wants witnesses to his or her activity. Locks on trailer doors aren’t foolproof, but they will help keep the amateurs at bay. Any evidence of a break-in, including a broken seal, could cause the receiver to reject the load. A sturdy padlock can discourage some would-be thieves before they start. Backing up close to a wall, post or even another trailer is cheap insurance against cargo theft. If thieves can’t get the doors open far enough, they can’t steal freight. In the cab, it’s important to keep the doors locked whenever you’re inside and when you leave the tractor for any reason. Thieves may want your money, your keys or anything else of value. Don’t give them an opportunity. Some drivers use “strap” devices that prevent cab doors from being opened from the outside. Keep the windows fully closed; if you need to open one for air circulation, don’t open it far enough for someone to get an arm inside. If it is necessary to leave the cab, even at a truck stop, always conduct a visual scan all the way around the truck before opening a door. Be aware of your surroundings as you exit the cab and walk through the parking lot. Thieves look for victims who aren’t paying attention. If you are approached, head for the closest area where there are other people. There is no foolproof answer to the problem of finding safe parking when needed, but with planning and driver diligence, instances of running out of hours with no place to safely shut down can be kept to a minimum.

Purple-haired truck driver Heather Krebs, who loves traveling with a hairless Sphynx cat as a companion, might not fit the image of a “typical” trucker — but Krebs wouldn’t have it any other way. In fact, Krebs refused to learn how to train to be a truck driver and obtain her CDL if her cat, Pebbles (better known as “Squish”), wasn’t on board. “If I couldn’t bring her, I wouldn’t have done it,” Krebs said. “I wouldn’t have even wanted to go into trucking at all.” Krebs said she has always been an “animal person.” In fact, one could say she was bred to be an animal lover, working as a veterinary medicine technician for 16 years. During her time as a vet tech, she acquired five cats, including Pebbles. “It’s not horribly unheard of in the veterinary industry,” she said. Five Sphynx cats and counting may be abnormal for a typical household, although Krebs believes it may be the perfect fit for her personality. “I am not a cat person,” she said. “I’m a dog person. However, there is one breed of cat that I like, and that is the Sphynx, or the hairless cat. Their vocals are more friendly, and they’re more social.” In her former career as a vet tech, Krebs says, she frequently got to wrangle with dogs. To her, Sphynx cats are much like dogs in their behaviors. Plus, she explained, she fell in love with the Sphynx breed from the moment she saw one on television as a youngster. “(I thought then) if I ever owned a cat, it’s going to be that kind of cat,” Krebs said. She wound up owning five. In fact, she said, the companionship of five Sphynx cats helped her face her own battles with depression and divorce. While Krebs enjoyed working as a vet tech, she said it took a toll on her physically, particularly her hands. This eventually led to not one, but two surgeries on one of her hands. She loved her career, but she loved her health, too. “I’m 50 years old,” she said. “I just thought, ‘How many more surgeries can I do? How long do I want to be wrestling 100-pound dogs on the floor?’” As Krebs recovered from a hand surgery, her truck-driving boyfriend, Kelly Jones, took her along on a three-week run in his truck. “I was just a passenger, and I just kind of fell in love with it,” she said. “As a kid, I definitely thought about (driving a big truck), but I was very intimidated. Coming out on the road with Kelly really gave me an insight to the lifestyle. Sometimes, you’re driving at 2 a.m. Sometimes, you’re driving at 2 p.m. You’re sleeping odd hours, and it appeals to me.” With her children growing up and graduating from college, Krebs said she figured it was the perfect time to go out over the road and “give this a go.” “I’m looking forward to seeing things I haven’t seen,” she said. A born and raised Californian, she hasn’t explored much of the U.S. She’s lived in San Diego her entire life, and says she’s “spoiled” to the ability to drive to the beach and the mountains in the very same day. “I haven’t seen any other places — let alone lived in other places — but I’m kind of excited to see what this means and to find something I like better than San Diego, which will be hard to do,” she said. When Krebs started her CDL training journey, Jones asked if she was open to the idea of moving. “I definitely have an interest. I’m not tied to California, and I could definitely be somewhere else,” she said. “(California is) all I’ve ever known, but the adventure of living somewhere else is definitely interesting.” Krebs said she’s excited about downsizing her life and living low-cost, with the option of buying a house and vacationing when she wants. “It’s just being able to live and have so much control of what you do,” she said. “Currently, I mean, yes, your dispatch does loads but you’re kind of your own boss. You travel the nation and take the home time that you want. That appeals to me. I’m excited to work for myself but still have the protection of working as a company driver.” Krebs is just finishing up her training and is testing with Knight Transportation to get her own truck. Of course, she made sure Knight would allow her to take a cat on the road with her. With the company “cat checked” and her training nearly complete, Krebs said she’s ready to go. There was one dilemma, however: Krebs said she had to choose which one of her five cats to bring with her on the journey. Two, Sprite and Raisin, are sisters, and she didn’t want to break them apart. Then there were Smudge, and Tiny, who could be a little too energetic. With everything considered, she said Pebbles won by a landslide, having the best temperament and potential to best handle life on the road. That doesn’t mean the other cats are gone forever. Krebs enlisted friends to care for them while she’s away, and she loves receiving pictures and videos of her fur-free forever friends. Krebs said she is happy with her choice of companion. Pebbles loves the road, and Krebs loves having the cat along for the ride. “She just sits in the passenger seat, and she’s a great co-pilot,” Krebs said. “Even though she’s not a road dog, which most people have, she’s done amazing, and I’m very, very lucky to have her. I had no idea what it would look like to bring her on a truck, and she just has free rein. When we’re moving, most of the time she’s sleeping. She’s a food hound, and if she hears any kind of wrapper, or we open the cooler at all, she’s out.” It helps that Pebbles, a “dwelf,” or dwarf elf cat, only weighs about 4 pounds. Krebs describes Pebbles as built like a dachshund, with a long body and short legs. Pebbles earned her nickname, “Squish,” because of her dwarfish, dachshund-type stature. Between Pebbles the hairless cat and Krebs’ purple hair, the appearance of the group is a conversation starter for most. When Jones took her and Pebbles out on the road, Krebs said, the three were at one point stuck in a terminal for three days. Every person that walked by wanted to know about her unique cat, she continued. “It prompted a lot of conversations, and she was kind of this little celebrity of the terminal for three days,” Krebs laughed. “She wears her little bells anywhere she is. Everybody just loves her; she’s super, super friendly. Sphynx cats are not like typical cats. They are not aloof, they love to be loved and they’re just really social. They don’t go off in the corner and only come out when they want to. It’s been my experience that they’re just lovers, and they want to be wherever you are.” Krebs strives to do the same, all while loving her own life and freedom. In a way, she’s always been a free spirit, especially after a bout of breast cancer 19 years ago. “For a little while, I did sort of roam around,” she said of her life after becoming a cancer survivor. “When I got divorced, I said, ‘You know what? I get to do whatever I want. I don’t have anybody.’ The color of the year at that time was this dark wine, purple-red color. I went to my hairdresser and I said, ‘That’s what I want.’” That purple hair is Krebs’ tribute to her survival. She has persevered through all the challenges life has handed her, and believes she’s found the life she was meant for. During a bout with depression, Krebs said, she found a partner in Pebbles. Through her divorce, she found Jones, a man she describes as her “home,” along with a whole other life waiting to be explored on the road.

WALCOTT, Iowa — With more than 100 exhibits, contests, food and fun, one might think the 2021 Walcott Truckers Jamboree is an overwhelming blowout party. Instead, it’s more like a family reunion, according to Heather DeBaillie, vice president of marketing for the Iowa 80 Group. Hosted by the Iowa 80 Truckstop, the jamboree is a favorite for both the nation’s truckers and Iowa residents. This year’s event, scheduled for July 8-10, is a return to an in-person three-day event after the 2020 Jamboree was held online because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “We liken it to a family reunion for truckers,” DeBaillie said. “If you think about the family reunions that you go to, there’s always food, and then somebody is always in charge of games, and people sit around and talk. We thought about those kinds of elements to make it fun and be kind of getting back together for a lot of drivers that make this their vacation every year.” The Walcott Truckers Jamboree is like a family reunion, but with trade show and entertainment components. That means a firework display, live music and free admission. Although the truck show is geared toward truckers, there’s a free invitation — with free parking — for the general public to join in the celebration of trucking life. “It serves all purposes,” DeBaillie said. “First and foremost, we want to celebrate drivers and the hard job they do. This is a party about them, but we also want to encourage local people to come because we want them to see trucks and drivers.” Since its inception in 1979, the truck show has grown in both attendance and in participating trucks. In 2019, the event brought in nearly 43,000 people. In the beginning, there was no Super Truck Beauty Contest or Trucker Olympics. There were no vendors or antique truck displays. It was just a simple gathering of local truck dealers, giving professional drivers a chance to get an up-close look at new semitrucks and to talk about the industry. No matter how plain the 1979 event may seem to today’s regular truck showgoers, the late Bill Moon, founder of both the Iowa 80 Truckstop and the Walcott Truckers Jamboree, centered it on his vision to appreciate the nation’s drivers. Despite the jamboree’s prosperity and the passing of the torch to a new generation of the Moon family, that vision hasn’t changed. The vision also stayed strong when 2020’s Walcott Truckers Jamboree pivoted to a virtual format in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizing an online voting system, the contests continued, with the familiar face (and voice) of Eric Harley of Red Eye Radio emceeing the event. A few local truck driving residents even brought their trucks out to the Iowa 80 Trucking Museum to video the interiors and exteriors. This year, the Jamboree is back and in person with to celebrate its 42nd anniversary. Festivities will start at 10 a.m. July 8 and 9, and at 9 a.m. July 10. Each day’s activities will last until dark, with fireworks displays closing out the first two days of the jamboree. Check out some of the most anticipated events of the Jamboree below. Super Truck Beauty Contest The Super Truck Beauty Contest is a display of about 80 trucks, although DeBaillie said they’ve had 100 trucks in a show before. Judged by 15 to 20 judges, the trucks are critiqued on their interior and exterior. Trucks must be registered on the Iowa 80 website (iowa80truckstop.com) or at the jamboree before participating. The trucks are in different classes based on the year of the truck, and there are 24 categories. Judges will review trucks for three hours beginning at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 8. Awards for the show will be presented at 3 p.m. Saturday, July 10. Trucker Olympics This year’s Trucker Olympics involve a tire roll, a coffee cup relay, a strap winding race, a truck pull and a water balloon toss. These events continue throughout the Jamboree to ensure every driver — as well as the public — has a chance to participate. “It’s fun games you might play at a family reunion, but ‘truckified’ a little bit,” DeBaillie said with a laugh. The events can involve being timed for speed or present unique challenges, such as going through an obstacle course without flipping a tire over. There’s also a “strong man” and “strong woman” competition in which participants attempt to pull an antique cement mixer weighing more than 12,000 pounds. Every participant receives a prize, but the competition is limited to CDL-holders. The Trucker Olympics will be held from 1:30-3:30 p.m. July 8, from 11:30 am. to 1:30 p.m. July 9, and from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. July 10. Trucker’s Best Friend Pet Contest Although the Jamboree is primarily about truckers, there’s room for their pets to be recognized as well. The Trucker’s Best Friend Pet Contest will once again include categories for Best Dressed, Best Trick and Owner Look-A-Like. “It’s fueled by the personality of the pets … these pets couldn’t be any cuter,” DeBaillie said. “There is the creativity of the owners for the best dressed, to see what they come up with — and how they dress up their pets is quite funny.” Pets must be registered on the Iowa 80 website before entering. The pet contest will take place on the main stage at 10:30 a.m. July 9. Pork Chop Cook-out Prepared by the Iowa 80 Kitchen, the Iowa Pork Chop Cook-out includes a full dinner — a one-and-a-half-inch-thick pork chop with a baked potato, coleslaw, a roll and a drink. Pork chop sandwiches, grilled chicken and chips will also be available. There’s plenty of time to grab a plate, as the cook-out will be open from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday. A few food vendors may also serve lemonade and frozen drinks. Inside the Iowa 80 Truck Stop, fast food restaurants are available, such as Wendy’s, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Dairy Queen, Einstein Bagels, Caribou Coffee and Orange Julius. Live Music No trucker party would be complete without live music, and the Walcott Truckers Jamboree has plenty to offer. Musicians will take the stage each day of the event. On Thursday, a local country group, Dani Lynn Howe & Band, will open for country music artist Casey Muessigmann, who competed on Season 3 of NBC’s “The Voice.” An energetic local country band, North of 40, will open for the nationally known country music group Lonestar on Friday. Opening acts take the stage at 5 p.m., while the main acts will follow at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday. Mo’s Garage, which specializes in covers of ’70s and ’80s rock, will close out the music as they take the stage at 1 p.m. Saturday. For more information about this year’s event, click here.