Trucking Life Archives

Never forget: Former driver spearheads creation of 9/11 commemorative die-cast truck

Dwain Hebda - May 5, 2021

John Holmgren sat, like the rest of the patrons in the restaurant, in stunned disbelief. Earlier that day — Sept. 11, 2001 — he’d received the terrible news of what had happened in New York City, across the continent from where he sat, yet at the same time, as close as his backyard. Silverware plinked softly on plates as TV news reports rolled, somber and sad. “That day, I was driving out in California and I didn’t have my radio on or any of that,” Holmgren recalled. “How I even found out about Sept. 11 happening was I had missed the place that I was getting ready to load at and went to do a U-turn in a parking lot for school buses. I pulled in there, and there were (some) guys standing around talking, probably about six of them. “I pulled up and turned my truck off, joking around, and said, ‘Hey, you can’t have a union meeting on company property,’” he continued. “They turned and said to me, ‘They hit the towers.’ I said, ‘What, did they drive another car bomb into it?’ The guy said, ‘No, seriously. The twin towers fell today.’” At the memory of that moment, still raw and fresh nearly two decades later, Holmgren pauses. “I just felt really alone, and I did for a long time after,” he said. Searching for a way to do something, Holmgren made a small mural for the side of his rig, a design featuring the twin towers and the Pentagon, with planes flying above in missing man formation, an aerial salute often performed at funerals or memorial events. The design was a simple, personal gesture, but it planted a seed for something much bigger to come. “It didn’t matter how you felt politically,” he said. “Regardless of who you were, we had to remember a couple things. We had to remember that these people died — that 2,977 people died for no reason. We had to remember that we then had guys that were going over (to the Middle East) every day, active in our military.” As Holmgren noticed that the sting of 9/11 was starting to wear off on the public, his efforts to never forget grew bigger and louder. By 2003, his cause had grown to a rolling memorial devoted to the victims of 9/11. “I got tired of hearing people talk about, ‘Why are we doing the war?’ and everything like that,” he said. “I decided the best thing to do was for someone to make a memorial semi. So, out of my own pocket and with some help from my friends, we decided to build this truck that had the names of every person who died Sept. 11 on it.” Holmgren’s fully wrapped Freightliner and 53-foot refrigerated trailer struck a nerve with the public, as Holmgren quickly discovered. “I would wake up with wreaths in front of my truck, money taped to my truck, letters — just all kinds of stuff,” he said. “This was huge. I’d actually go park someplace, like a hotel, and in the middle of the night they’d wake me up because a TV crew was out wanting to video the truck.” Holmgren wanted to capitalize on his rig’s popularity by having a die-cast model made and donating proceeds from its sales to charity. But when he contacted a manufacturer, he was quickly smacked with the financial facts of life regarding the production of his dream. “When we got ready to make the first truck, my ex-boss a couple years earlier had for Christmas got us drivers these trucks from this company called DCP, Die Cast Productions, which is now owned by First Gear out of Peosta, Iowa,” he said. “I called them up and talked to a lady named Peggy Haverland about making this truck. She said, ‘In order to do that, you’ve got to have about $50,000,’” he continued. “So, I asked her if she would send me just one of their blanks, which was a maroon truck and white trailer.” Holmgren had the graphic artists who designed his original truck make up stickers and used them to create a mock-up of what the model would look like. Then, he hit the road with his late wife, Amy. “My wife and I kind of became show freaks is the best way to put it. State fairs, county fairs, you name it, all over the United States. I became a circus act,” he said. Holmgren eventually filled 30 pages with names and contact info for people interested in buying the model once it came out. Unbeknownst to him, the people who signed the paper barely scratched the surface of the actual demand for the memorial model. “I didn’t really think nothing of it; just kept doing that around the country for about six months, a year,” he said. “Then I was up at Dubuque, Iowa, sitting there doing a show, and Peggy (Haverland) came in. She introduced herself and said, ‘How you doing on getting this truck made?’ I said, ‘Well, I’m still about $50,000 short of $50,000.’ “And she says, ‘No, you’re not. Fred Ertl is tired of getting phone calls for this truck, so we want to make it.’ Fred Ertl owned DCP, and his cousins owned the Ertl toy company,” Holmgren shared. Holmgren’s barnstorming efforts had essentially presold thousands of the model, which was released in 2002. And while in some ways things are very different for the Kansas City-area native since then — he quit driving in 2014 because of a health condition — in other ways, they’re eerily the same, such as actively promoting the release of a 20th anniversary edition model of the memorial rig. “Now that we’re at the 20-year mark, I called a toy company and asked them if they were interested in making them and they said, ‘Yes, without a doubt,’” he said. “I told them I wanted to hook it in with a charity, and we’re doing that as well.” That group, the Tunnels to Towers Foundation, is an organization formed by the family of slain 9/11 firefighter Stephen Siller. A portion of the proceeds from sales of the model will support the group’s work on behalf of military members, first responders and their families. Holmgren said getting the second truck made, while easier than the first go round, has been no less gratifying. “I’m just a proud American,” he said. “We have to remember the people that died. We have to remember our (military) guys who went over there who possibly weren’t going to come back. That’s why I did the truck. It’s a helluva story, and a helluva journey.” The 20th anniversary 9/11 memorial die-cast truck is available for pre-order through First Gear Inc., the manufacturer. Ordering information is at firstgearonline.com/60-1019. To learn more about the Tunnels to Towers Foundation, visit tunnel2towers.org.

Perdue Farms driver Alvin Smith achieves 4 million accident-free miles

The Trucker News Staff - May 4, 2021

SALISBURY, Md. — Alvin Smith, a truck driver for Perdue Farms, is celebrating a milestone achievement of 4 million consecutive accident-free miles — the equivalent of approximately 160 trips around the Earth. Smith is Perdue’s first company driver to achieve this goal. “It’s an honor driving trucks,” Smith said. “Before each trip, I check the map and plan the first stop. I check everything to make sure it is ready to go. I pray. I really believe in the power of prayer and also getting yourself prepared before each trip.” Smith, 63, started driving for Perdue in 1982 and averages about 110,000 miles a year. He said his competitive nature motivates him to keep going. Many of his co-workers have asked if he will try for 5 million miles. “I say, ‘Well, I don’t know’ — but I am pretty competitive, so I just might,” Smith said. “If you really work at it, you can do a million miles in about six years, so I probably could get to 5 million.” Smith is part of Perdue’s team of 350 professional truck drivers. Other members of the team have previously achieved milestones: 170 Perdue drivers have reached 1 million accident-free miles; 52 have achieved 2 million safe miles; and seven have achieved 3 million accident-free miles. Smith stands alone as the first in Perdue’s 4-million-mile club. “Our Perdue drivers are important ambassadors for our brands and company. Besides seeing our customers on a regular basis, drivers of our Perdue tractors and trailers drive 35 million miles a year feeding America,” said Richard Hernandez, vice president of transportation and warehousing for Perdue Farms. “What impresses me most about Alvin is a combination of his professionalism and down-to-earth approach. Alvin brings instant credibility to every conversation and situation because everyone knows that he has seen or done it and that he knows exactly what it takes to be successful. Imagine someone with all of this experience who is also an excellent listener and mentor,” Hernandez continued. “Alvin is the best of the best. He didn’t wake up one day and decide to be successful. He put the time and energy in day after day, combined with a ‘can-do’ attitude for so many years.” First Sgt. Christopher Knox of North Carolina Department of Public Safety and State Highway Patrol congratulated Smith on his milestone. “This achievement is a testament to the many professional drivers of commercial motor vehicles we have on our roadways. This feat is not one to be taken lightly. There are lives at stake when operating a vehicle on the roadways and especially vehicles that are larger in size and weight,” Knox said. “His commitment to safety most undoubtedly was done so with intention — avoiding speeding, distractions and impairment have been conscious decisions each time he got behind the wheel. We are so proud of him for this impressive accomplishment, and congratulate him on a job well done.” Smith started driving for the former Perdue plant in his hometown of Robersonville, North Carolina. For 15 years, he drove from Robersonville to Emporia, Virginia, and back, about 180 miles daily. “I really enjoyed those local trips because I would make the same stops and go through the same towns. There was one bus stop that I would pass each day. The kids would get excited to see me and would wave. I feel like I got to know those kids. I got to see them grow up at that bus stop for 15 years,” Smith said. Smith also knows the restaurant staff at his regular stops. “You can have some great conversations at little general stores and small restaurants while you are driving a truck,” he said. “I have gotten to know so many people during my driving. It’s always fun when you get to make that stop and catch up with someone.” After the Robersonville plant closed, Smith started driving out of the company’s plant in Lewiston, North Carolina. His routes have taken him all over the East Coast, and he believes he has seen every state and many towns east of the Mississippi. At home, Smith stays busy with his wife, Cathy, at Grace Family Fellowship, their Pentecostal church. They have a son and a daughter, and two grandchildren. Smith enjoys working in his garden, going deer hunting and watching NASCAR. Driving runs in Smith’s family — his father and two of his brothers have had careers as truck drivers. His father drove for more than 30 years. “(Trucking is) a great career. I always tell people, ‘If you want to see the world, join the military. But if you want to see our country, become a trucker,’” Smith said. “It’s a job that I love, and I hope to continue doing it for as long as I can.”

Road partners: Factors to consider before team driving

Cliff Abbott - May 4, 2021

In the current economic climate, opportunities abound for drivers. Some of those opportunities involve teaming with another driver, an option that often pays better and can allow the sharing of some road expenses. Team driving is not for everyone. Many drivers choose trucking because of the independence it offers. For these drivers, even with electronic logging devices (ELDs), satellite tracking and advanced telemetrics, driving a truck still beats working 9 to 5 (or 11 to 7) at a plant or office. Sharing the close, personal space in the cab of a tractor does not appeal to some. For others, however, teaming is a solution to some of the problems one might face in trucking. With another person in the cab, the isolation — and sometimes loneliness — of driving solo might be dispelled. When it comes to problem solving, two minds can be more effective. Team driving can also be a great way for friends, relatives and spouses to be involved in each other’s lives. Team driving, however, takes a little more effort than two people just climbing in the cab together. “Teams have to clarify roles up front, before there’s a problem,” explained Laura Duryea, manager of recruiting and retention at Billerica, Massachusetts-based Boyle Transportation. “Who drives at night? Who drives during the day? What preferences does each driver have?” According to Duryea, these are issues that should be discussed before a couple decides to team. Such discussions can help to prevent problems on the road. Boyle Transportation hauls mostly loads consigned to the military and pharmaceuticals, usually highly controlled products with special handling and delivery requirements. Because of customer and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requirements, 98% of the company’s fleet consists of teams, she noted. The company doesn’t look for a specific type of team, but it’s important that the individuals work well together. “Teaming takes a lot of patience. Each has to recognize that their team partner may behave in certain ways due to exterior influences such as traffic, weather, hunger or whatever,” Duryea said. Jill Coulter and her husband, Dean, have been team driving with Boyle for four years, often staying out two to three weeks at a time. “We’re each other’s best friends,” Jill said. The couple began their trucking careers when their daughter wanted to attend Bible college. “We needed more income to make it happen,” Dean sad. The couple attended a hiring event sponsored by Schneider National and enrolled in Schneider’s CDL school. “We ran A-Team expedited freight to start,” Dean said. Running expedited freight and then pulling doubles for Estes between terminals kept the Coulters busy, but things are a little slower paced these days. “At Boyle, 3,000 miles a week is a good week,” Dean noted. “There are a lot of ‘truck watch’ and security duties, since we haul for the military.” While the pace of work has slowed for the Coulters, stress levels have not. As drivers for Boyle, their loads are often monitored, and sometimes escorted by government vehicles. “They monitor the loads and know exactly where you are,” Jill related. Part of the Coulters’ success can be attributed to the division of duties they have worked out. “She handles everything inside of the truck, including cooking and supply inventory,” Dean explained. “I handle everything outside — except we each handle fueling if it’s our turn to drive.” While teaming works well for the Coulters, others who are considering teaming have much to consider. Sleeping in a moving truck is a prime example. Some drivers don’t sleep well when the truck is in motion, no matter who is driving. Then there’s the noise coming from the other team member, who may be listening to music or using the CB while working. Traffic noise, engine brakes and roadway sounds don’t help. Even the best of relationships won’t survive team trucking if one partner can’t get any sleep. A long-forgotten advice columnist once gave this counsel to couples who are considering teaming. “Lock yourself in the bathroom together for a week,” the column read. “If you’re still on speaking terms, you might be able to team in a truck.” Of course, not every team is romantically involved. Friends or relatives who normally get along well often find that things are different when confined to a truck. Bad habits and personality quirks that can be overlooked at home become magnified in the truck. Discussions about highly personal things can be difficult between drivers who only thought they knew each other well. Privacy, or the lack of it, is an issue for every team. A truck that stays in motion most of the time makes it difficult to have a private phone conversation or engage in any activity without an audience. The thin curtain that separates the sleeper berth from the tractor cab may provide some privacy, but that curtain provides nothing in the way of security once it is opened. Hygiene can be another issue that can come between team partners. If one takes a shower every morning while the partner washes on a weekly basis, clashes will occur. Personal possessions can be another area for conflict. It makes no sense to have two CB radios, two refrigerators or two microwaves. Who has the use of each, and expectations for taking care of them, should be discussed up front, before issues arise. Regardless of the relationship, patience and communication are essential for team drivers. “Team partners need to be able to ‘walk away’ from a stressful situation and willing to talk later,” Duryea advised. “Don’t let things fester. It doesn’t take much to set things off when it’s allowed to build up over time.” Driving as a team can be a rewarding and profitable experience if the partners work together to avoid the pitfalls.

‘I’m famous!’: Montana mechanic keeps truckers on the road

The Trucker News Staff - May 4, 2021

MISSOULA, Mont. —Tim Kline’s head pokes up out of the garage pit as he dips his brush into the bucket of bright yellow again. A moment without a truck to work on is rare for Kline, so he takes advantage of the spare time to repaint the faded pit which, much like himself, is usually decorated with diesel, grease and oil. The phone begins to ring, echoing throughout the shop walls. Kline stares blankly at the stairs — his only escape from the pit — and analyzes the wet paint, then screams: “Little Brother! Phone!” Jeremy Himber, Kline’s co-worker and buddy of 20 years, emerges from the back door, wiping his greasy hands on a shop rag before answering the phone. They’ve got a truck to work on. Kline has worked as a truck mechanic at Muralt’s Service Center for 26 years, but the 55-year-old has done auto repair for much longer. “I’ve been a mechanic my whole life,” Kline said, “I can fix anything. If I can’t fix it, I have friends who know how to fix it.” Kline said he was mostly a self-taught mechanic as a youth, but he learned a lot of what he knows after graduating high school. At age 18, he worked for the National Guard in Kalispell, Montana, but he ended up in trouble because he was a “bad boy.” “We stole’d an M50 machine gun, big one,” Kline said, smiling at the memory as he puffed on a cigarette. He landed himself in jail and was faced with an ultimatum — armed forces, prison or Job Corps. He chose Job Corps and was shipped to Ogden, Utah. There he remained for the next three-and-a-half years, passing every automotive class he tackled with flying colors and learning to be a “pretty good criminal.” With these new skills under his belt, Kline made his way to California, where he worked as a mechanic and learned how to repair big trucks. After six years in California, he moved home to Hot Springs, Montana. Kline said he remembers a warm summer night when he joined a few buddies at a bar in Plains. What he thought was just going to be another night of getting “slammed drunk” soon took a memorable turn when he met Carey, his future wife. “When we first walked into the bar, I noticed the old lady sittin’ in the corner,” he said, putting out his cigarette and lighting up another. “I told them, ‘I’m taking [her] home with me.’ And I did. It’s been 27 years now,” he said. He and Carey were married and have since had two kids and several grandchildren. The newlyweds moved to Missoula, and in 1993 Tim Kline responded to a hiring ad for Muralt’s Service Center. The crowded, greasy shop that always smelled like motor oil and cigarettes soon became his home away from home. Kline is not a manager, but he considers himself to be the shop’s best mechanic. He said that even if the opportunity had been presented, he wouldn’t have wanted to move up. “I’ve learn’t you stay at the bottom — it’s nicer there,” he said. “You get up to the top — then they expect [sh*t].” Over the past 26 years, Kline said he has built up quite the posse of loyal clientele. He said he’s so popular that when he injured himself and was out of the shop for several months, handfuls of disappointed customers called Muralt’s wondering where he was and begging for him to come back. “My truckers, they love me,” he said as he munched on pork rinds, the bag turning black from the smudges of oil and grease on his fingers. “I’m famous.” Himber — dubbed “Little Brother” by Kline — said he’s learned a lot from him over the 20 years they’ve worked together. “If someone asks, ‘Who’s Timmy?’ I say, ‘He’s the best mechanic Missoula’s got — and probably Montana,’” Himber said. “Hence, I’m famous!” screamed Kline’s voice from the other side of the shop, followed by a long cackle. Included in Kline’s large pool of loyal clientele are Don Johnson and Jerry Balk. The two truck drivers have been stopping at Muralt’s at least once a week for years just to have Kline look at their trucks. “He can’t ever quit,” Johnson said. “He’ll do anything for you if you do him right. He’s just like a brother to me.” Balk, described by Kline as his “most loyal-est customer,” appreciates the meticulous effort Kline puts into his work so that potential issues are caught before they get too out of hand. “He’s a great guy; knows what he’s doing. That’s why I keep coming back,” Balk said. “Timmy always cares.” Kline is happy with his plan to remain at Muralt’s until he retires. “I’m gonna die here,” he said. “I do it my way, the way I want it. And if you don’t like it, I don’t care.” Story by Erica Staat, special to The Trucker

Rock ‘n’ roll driver: Chip Warterfield shares the story behind transporting concert, performance stage productions

Hannah Butler - May 3, 2021

You’ve got your tickets in hand, a smile on your face and a sense of eagerness as you wait for the concert to start. Ever since you bought those tickets, you’ve been anticipating this night — the night you see your favorite band, or maybe your friend’s favorite band. Either way, you know this night is going to be fun. The stage is already set up when you arrive, but that’s not what you’re thinking about. All your thoughts are on the imminent appearance of the artist. Then, the music begins to play, and the show begins. All is well. Your view of a concert is much different than those who put it on, especially truck drivers. As a fleet safety manager and driver for Upstaging Inc., a company that transports stage lighting, sound, video, set, wardrobe, band gear and other production-related equipment for touring artists, Chip Warterfield is focused solely on the stage. “There is an art to moving a show,” he said. “If you’ve seen a touring schedule where the artist is in a different town every day for four or five days a week, then there’s a pace to it all, to how that gets done. The wheels underneath the show are the trucks and buses that move around. You don’t get to just pull over; you have to keep this thing moving.” Warterfield didn’t learn all of this in one show. He has 41 years’ worth of experience hauling band gear and lighting. “It’s like one 41-year-long weekend,” he said. Just like the artists on tour, it’s a fast-paced life for Warterfield, and he loves every minute of it. He didn’t start out hauling for some of the most well-known bands and artists. It actually all started with something completely different — boats. “I started out in this business totally by accident, ‘guilty by association,’ you might say,” he said. “I was always interested in all things transportation.” An interest in the actual trucking industry did not hit him until a while later. He was already working in a form of transportation — hauling boats from coast to coast in his pickup truck — and he had enrolled in a vocational program to become a screen printer. Warterfield recalled that screen printing and graphics were the first notable businesses to come to his hometown of Nashville, Tennessee, and thought it would be a solid career to go into. His first gig in the screen-printing world gave way to his first encounter with the music industry when he was tasked with hauling T-shirts to a music club in Fort Worth, Texas. “I saw the energy and excitement and I was like, ‘Man, I gotta have a part of this,’” he said. “Then I never looked back.” Growing up in “Music City,” it wasn’t uncommon to go to school with friends whose parents were in the music business. “It just kind of became second nature to fall into some work working around the artists,” he explained, adding that one of his friend’s parents, who was an artist manager, connected him with the iconic Southern rock band, Alabama. Warterfield drove Alabama’s buses for seven years before he started driving tractor-trailers for the band. All in all, Warterfield drove for the band for 13 years. Even when Alabama wasn’t on tour, the show went on for Warterfield; he filled his time by working with other artists, including Ricky van Shelton and Reba McEntire. “The whole game of entertainment transportation changed a lot during those years, but it’s been an interesting vision, watching it go from where a person worked directly for an artist to where you worked for one of the vendors to the artists,” he said. Today, Warterfield works for Upstaging, which hauls the touring production for artists like Metallica, Rolling Stones, Foo Fighters, Beyonce and Coldplay. Of course, with a job hauling for some of the most notable artists and performers in the music industry, many readers are likely wondering: Do the drivers ever meet the artists while driving for these vendors? Warterfield quickly noted that “meeting artists is not a part of our job,” adding that occasionally “by association, the artists might get to see us.” Even though Upstaging drivers don’t work directly with the artists, there is always a chance of encountering members of the artist’s team. Warterfield shared that a backing vocalist for Colbie Caillat once borrowed his iPod. “She brought it back and (said) I needed to be committed for the wide variety of music that was on my iPod,” he said with a laugh. Warterfield doesn’t always get to choose which bands or performers he drives for, but a perk of the job is, of course, getting to haul equipment for artists he loves. “I tend to like Americana and country music,” he said. “Being born and raised in Nashville, you’re just familiar with it all there is. I firmly believe all the best music was recorded in the ’70s and ’80s, but that’s just me being an old guy.” One might think that being a truck driver for the entertainment industry would guarantee a front-row seat to lots of concerts, but Warterfield said hauling for a tour is almost always “just business.” Instead of attending the shows, drivers are typically resting in preparation for the next day’s drive or assignment. Occasionally, though, he might be able to see a show — if time allows. Warterfield said one of his favorite assignments is hauling for country artist Kenny Chesney. “The tours are always great,” he said. “He does huge stadium shows, with always a special guest showing up on the weekends, and he would bring some of the most amazing figures of rock ’n’ roll to come in.” Despite the rock ’n’ roll moments that occasionally come with the territory, Warterfield said his favorite part is the camaraderie among his co-workers. “The most interesting people that you cross paths with are all the crews,” he said. “They have some amazing background stories.” His co-workers are also his real-life friends. “One of the things we do when we’re out on tour that gets to be pretty interesting is when we do have extra time off, we’ll throw together something of what you might call a potluck,” he said. “We’ll bust out the grill and all kinds of stuff, and just set up camp and start to fix ourselves a great big old feast. So, the camaraderie is the best part of it all.” Warterfield’s line of work might seem like glitz and glam, but there’s no question that it is hard work. He’s a part of a team of carefully selected drivers, chosen because of their reputation for reliability. If that standard isn’t met, a concert could be delayed — and the show must go on. “This is completely different than hauling regular freight, (where) you usually pick up a load and take it from one place to another,” said Robin Shaw, who is a leader with Upstaging. Shaw added that Upstaging avoids using titles for their employees in order to promote a company culture of inclusion, which demonstrates that “everyone who works there is equally important.” Upstaging is a prominent company in entertainment transport and is also a heavy hitter in concert lighting, supplying everything from lights to video, set and the crew needed to support the show, Shaw noted. Hauling the nuts and bolts for a concert or performance can be a lot of pressure, but Warterfield enjoys it. “If you get into this and identify with it, the pace of the work is fantastic,” he said. “We just don’t run that many miles. We work well as a team, and we get a lot of really amazing moves done. There’s a great sense of accomplishment with it, and the reward is good.” Shaw said a lot of Upstaging drivers get a sense of accomplishment and pride within a trucking entertainment role, because they are a part of a whole team that helps to make a show possible. Shaw said driving for Upstaging differs from other trucking jobs, because drivers take on responsibility as part of a crew who put on these shows. “There is a great sense of satisfaction and pride in this job,” Shaw said. “You bring a lot of joy to the folks that come to see the show.” The drivers behind each concert are essential pieces of creating a positive experience for the audience. In a way, each concertgoer’s memory of the event — just like retail items such as T-shirts and toilet paper — was transported on a truck. “All in all, I’m right at home with what we do here,” Warterfield said. “It’s difficult. It’s not for everyone, but for those that are ready for a unique change in the ways you can truck, this is certainly a good place to be and experience something different.”

Transportation in her blood: Kellylynn McLaughlin got into trucking on a whim, but she’s now on a mission

Hannah Butler - April 28, 2021

EDMOND, Okla. — “You can do it,” were the words a volunteer said to Kellylynn McLaughlin as she climbed into the cab of the truck accompanying her child’s marching band in 2014. The rig was used to haul all the marching band’s gear — drums, tubas, uniforms and even a golf cart. The truck, typically driven by the volunteer, was intimidating to McLaughlin. It looked like fun, but she was hesitant. “I thought, like a lot of people thought, that it was beyond me,” McLaughlin said in an interview with The Trucker. “I thought you needed to be a mechanic and a man, and had to have been in the industry for years.” When the volunteer expressed the belief that she could do it, McLaughlin felt a rush of excitement and encouragement. Once she actually drove, she wondered why she had doubted herself. “I felt very silly for doubting that there was something I couldn’t do, because I have a pretty adventurous spirit,” she said. McLaughlin’s adventurous spirit has always had its roots in transportation; in fact, she spent her high school years fantasizing of taking flight lessons and being a pilot. In addition, her father was an amateur race car driver, influencing McLaughlin’s longing for life on the road. “We have engines and speed and transportation in our blood,” she said. At 50, McLaughlin knew she really wanted to learn how to drive a truck — and she already had experience in transportation as a passenger safety instructor for the National Transportation Safety Administration. Her life hasn’t been the same since. “I just decided that if I was old and saying goodbye to the planet, I would want to leave with no regrets,” McLaughlin said. “I would regret not giving (trucking) a go, and I really enjoyed it. I have learned a lot about myself.” Today, she’s been driving a truck for five years and is a training engineer with Schneider National. She’s learned a lot about herself and what she can accomplish. Becoming a truck driver has empowered her, she said. “It was very empowering to conquer something that you think is better than you are,” she said. “To be able to haul an 80,000-pound vehicle through really tight spaces at high speeds on the highway — and do it safely — is such a sense of an accomplishment. I have learned something new every day, and met so many interesting people that I never would have met.” As McLaughlin adjusted to her new career, she started asking questions like, “How come we don’t tell girls they can be truck drivers if they want to be? Why is it so hard for me to find a bathroom and take a shower? Why do I even have to pay for that shower?” McLaughlin said these thoughts showed her the nonessential feelings associated with being an essential worker. “I only had men to ask my questions to. Sometimes they had an answer that was really suitable for a man, but it maybe didn’t really fit my need as a lady,” she said. “I started looking for ways to connect with other women in the industry.” Asking these questions led McLaughlin on a quest to find her mission — the kind of mission that would challenge and change her. She had gotten into trucking on a whim, but now it was time for her to seek wisdom, a search that led her to Women In Trucking (WIT). WIT is a nonprofit that works to encourage the employment of women in the trucking industry and provide resources in minimizing potential obstacles. “I wanted something along the terms of professional development and to broaden my horizon and learn about the industry as a whole,” she said. “I just want to leave this industry better than I found it.” McLaughlin started to notice when she went to truck shows that WIT always had a booth set up. Finally, she joined the organization. “It was one of the best things I did to connect with other women,” she said. “I got weekly newsletters that sometimes reiterate what I was hearing from other industry journals, but sometimes it would be completely new information that was relevant to me as a lady in the industry. I like the fact that they include not just drivers, but mechanics and executives and associates on the support side of transportation as well.” In 2020, McLaughlin was named WIT’s first driver ambassador. In this role, posting a YouTube video — with topics ranging from safety precautions to cooking in the truck, tips on fueling, and more — is on a weekly list of “to-dos” for McLaughlin. There are also blogs to be written and a podcast to produce, as well as media interviews and even a few speaking events, with COVID-19 precautions in place. Without a pandemic, there would be more of those speaking events, she said. As she visited with The Trucker, McLaughlin was preparing to board a truck dubbed “WITney” that serves as a traveling billboard and educational exhibit for WIT. The trailer is filled with interactive kiosks, quizzes and exhibits that share stories of the trucking lifestyle. As a trucker and training engineer for Schneider International, McLaughlin splits her time between Schneider and WIT, making the two part-time jobs a full-time commitment. McLaughlin said it can be hard to schedule interviews, podcasts and blogs while she’s on the road, but she is able to make time for everything. McLaughlin enjoys talking about trucking, which she describes as the “circulatory system” of the nation. “This is an important job, and these people make sacrifices every day to make sure our country is up and running. The least we could do is be nice and pay them better,” she said with a laugh. McLaughlin said it was the realization that everything that was in her house came on a truck that brought her to truly appreciate the industry she had joined. “If (the trucking industry’s) not running, the country just shuts down really quick,” she said. “This country cannot survive without us, and I never gave that much thought before I got into trucking. I was one of those people that just took it for granted, and drivers were just a nuisance on the road.” At home, she’s more than a driver, a trainer or an ambassador for WIT. She’s a mom with two daughters in college, one of whom is studying aviation, and animals to raise. “My daughters and I raise pigs, and I like to go on walks with my dog,” she said. “When I’m home, I like to do things like garden and cook and play with the farm animals. I get together with my girlfriends and can just be another ordinary person.” McLaughlin noted that raising pigs goes hand in hand with her passion for gardening by providing fertilization. She’s been raising pigs off and on for about six years, and says they’re a perfect winter project. “They’re so smart and fun,” she said. “And the best thing about pigs is that you can get them in the fall and they’re ready to be butchered by springtime. They’re very hardy; they’re coyote-proof.” She encourages her daughters and animals just like she does the students she trains and the people she teaches along her way. McLaughlin seeks to provide motivation through her YouTube videos, podcasts and blogs much in the same way as she was motivated: She was simply encouraged to hop on a truck and drive.

Nikki Weaver earns WIT’s 2021 Driver of the Year award

The Trucker News Staff - April 27, 2021

PLOVER, Wis. — The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) on April 27 named Nikki Weaver, a company driver for FedEx Freight, as the winner of the association’s second annual Driver of the Year award sponsored by Walmart. Weaver was among three finalists for the award. The other finalists include Carmen Anderson, a company driver at America’s Service Line LLC and Ingrid Brown, independent owner-operator of Rolling B LLC. Weaver has been a professional driver for more than 20 years, and has been a company driver for FedEx Freight for the past 13 years. She has accrued more than 2 million accident-free miles with zero moving violations. “I am so honored to be recognized for this award,” Weaver said. “I love being a professional driver and encourage any women who are considering this career to go for it!” She has served as an America’s Road Team Captain since 2019. She was most recently a finalist for FedEx Freight’s Luella Bates Award, and she is a two-time winner of the prestigious Bravo Zulu Award, an honor created by FedEx Freight founder Fred Smith. Weaver speaks to community colleges about the trucking industry as well as the Pennsylvania State Police Academy’s new commercial officer cadets. She is an advocate for Truckers Against Trafficking and has attended their leadership conference and is also involved with outreach programs in her community. Perhaps Weaver’s most important achievement, however, is that her 10-year-old son is proud of her and loves what she does for a living. “We are proud to honor Nikki Weaver with the Driver of the Year award. She demonstrates a positive public image of the trucking industry through her safety standards and community involvement,” said Ellen Voie, president and CEO of WIT. Sponsored by Walmart, the annual award was established to promote the achievements of female professional drivers who lead the industry in safety standards while actively enhancing the public image of the trucking industry. “Walmart is honored to sponsor Women In Trucking’s Driver of the Year award, which recognizes an outstanding driver who is making a positive impact in the transportation industry,” said Ryan McDaniel, vice president of Walmart Transportation and a Women In Trucking board member. “With the events of the past year professional drivers all across the county demonstrated how essential our industry is in helping our communities have access to necessities such as food, medicine and cleaning supplies. We congratulate Nikki and each of the finalists for their examples of safety and service.” Members of the judging panel included Tricia Tullis, general transportation manager for Walmart Transportation; Jeana Hysell, senior safety consultant for J.J. Keller & Associates Inc.; Tim Ridley, talk radio host; and Ellen Voie, president and CEO of WIT. To view a YouTube video of the virtual announcement, click here.

TA announces Don Talley, Dan Porter as 2021 Citizen Driver Award honorees

The Trucker News Staff - April 26, 2021

WESTLAKE, Ohio — Truckers Don Talley of Muncie, Indiana, and Dan Porter of Acton, Ontario, Canada, have been selected by TravelCenters of America (TA) as its eighth annual Citizen Driver Award honorees. Chosen from a pool of nearly 100 nominations, the two drivers have a combined 73 years of freight-hauling experience, with nearly six million accident free miles. TA President Barry Richards announced the two honorees live on the Dave Nemo Radio Show on Sirius XM 146- Road Dog Trucking Radio on April 19. “Each year, our Citizen Driver Program honors those who go above and beyond in their service to customers and the community. Their commitment to delivering our nation’s goods, no matter the weather conditions or circumstances, is what keeps our country moving,” Richards said. “Last year, Americans were reminded of the essential role professional drivers play in their everyday lives, as the industry quickly rose to meet unprecedented challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. We want to continue to share these drivers’ stories and demonstrate why they deserve respect and recognition year-round.” As a Citizen Driver Award recipient, drivers may choose a TA, Petro or TA Express location to be dedicated in their honor. To celebrate the driver’s career and contributions, a bronze historical marker with the driver’s image and story is installed on front of the building, and a dedication ceremony is held with 30 of their closest family and friends. By dedicating a location in their name and displaying their accomplishments at the site, TA allows the drivers’ stories to be shared with by all travelers that pass through. Don Talley Don Talley is a U.S. Army veteran who now drives for Carter Express. He has dedicated the last 21 years to professional driving, logging 1.95 million accident-free miles. He first learned to drive a big rig while serving in Saudi Arabia. Talley was active in both the Vietnam War and the Gulf War in the 20 years he served in the military. He has earned many decorations for his integrity and unwavering commitment to service, including the Soldier’s Medal, the highest honor a soldier can receive for an act of heroism unrelated to combat. Talley received Army achievement medals for exemplary leadership and two certificates of achievement for his safety mentality and contributions to Operations Desert Storm. Talley was also issued a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart for sustaining injuries while saving lives in a combat setting, after an Army truck full of ammunition caught fire and he rescued the soldiers trapped inside. After retiring from the military, Talley put his leadership skills and dedication to work, fostering safety to the trucking industry. He received a Master Truck Driver Award from the Indiana Motor Truck Association and named the association’s Driver of the Month for May 2018. Carter Express has also been recognized for his safety achievements, including being named Carter Express Driver of the Month for June 2018 and receiving Carter’s 1 Million Mile Safe Driver Award. Last year, Talley formed the Road Dog Crew to promote funding and representation of the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund and Truckers Against Trafficking. Talley also volunteers with Feed My Sheep, a nonprofit with a mission to ensure all families in the area have a meal to share at Thanksgiving. He is an active member of his church and volunteers at its food pantry with his wife. Talley has chosen the Petro in Gaston, Indiana, to be dedicated in his name. The St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund will receive his $2,500 donation. Dan Porter Dan Porter, also known as Dusty, is a professional driver for Werner Enterprises. His 52-year career includes 3.8 million miles of accident-free driving. Throughout his several decades on the road, Porter’s approach to driving has stayed constant: Treat people with respect, help when you can, and always have a positive attitude. His empathic nature, calm demeanor and unbiased support allows him to connect with other drivers emotionally, and he even once saved someone from taking their own life. While driving a truck is Porter’s full-time job, taking pictures is his full-time passion. He has spent countless hours snapping shots for trucking nonprofits and donating the photos to the organizations. Porter has served on the Driver Advisory Committee and regularly attended safety meetings during his time driving for Hyndman Transport. He is well-known at the Mid-American Trucking Show (MATS) and the Great American Trucking Show (GATS) for photographing different non-profit groups like Women In Trucking (WIT), Trucker Buddy International, Truckers United for Charities, St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund and Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT). Porter has volunteered his services to the Special Olympics Truck Convoy, Convoy for a Cure, the Owner Operator Independent Associations (OOIDA), and Trucking for a Cure. In addition to his photography skills, Porter managed the Trucker Buddy Rodeo Challenge at GATS, a bull riding event whose proceeds went to Trucker Buddy International. He is a lifetime member of the International Freelance Photographer Organization, OOIDA and WIT. Porter has chosen the Petro in Glendale, Kentucky, to be dedicated in his name and is going to split his $2,500 donation between St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund and Truckers United for Charities.

Idaho trucker works to keep interstate clean along daily route

The Trucker News Staff - April 23, 2021

KOOTENAI, Idaho — A long-haul driver who goes by “Trucker Matt” has taken it upon himself to clean a stretch of Interstate 90 when his travels take him daily on the heavily traveled north Idaho freeway, which links Idaho to Montana and Washington State. Matthew Culver hauls cedar bark from Naples, Idaho, to Superior, Montana. He has been driving a truck since retiring from the Marine Corps in 1999, and has owned his own truck — and his own company — since 2007. Culver has driven the route daily for about four-and-a-half years, and officially signed on with the Idaho Transportation Department’s (ITD) Adopt-A-Highway litter pickup program about two years ago. Since then, he has picked up nearly 100 bags of litter from “his” stretch of interstate. “I not only clean up Fourth of July Summit, but all over on the route in any wide spot where a truck can safely park,” he said. “Fourth of July Pass is my primary objective since it seems to get the most trash, but I also clean up the Idaho Port of Entry roadside temporary inspection location in East Hope at Denton Slough, and occasionally Lookout Pass Summit.” Culver’s cleanup efforts aren’t limited to I-90. H said he and his wife will often bring back a bag of trash from wherever their hiking and fishing adventures take them. “Wherever Matt goes and whatever he does, he continually looks for ways to make a positive difference,” said Robin Karsann, ITD’s volunteer services coordinator. Culver said his time in the military made him appreciate cleanliness. “Having served 25 years in the Marine Corps, I never like seeing an unsightly area with trash strewn about everywhere,” he said. “Besides, Idaho and Montana are just too beautiful to see trash along the road.” He said it is very rewarding when he sees a clean stretch of highway that was once cluttered with trash. “I get dejected when I see trash on the roadside, but when I take action, I feel that I’ve made a positive difference in keeping roads clean and pleasing to the eye,” he said. Culver said he would love to see more people get involved in keeping roads clear of debris. “I urge others to get involved by contacting your local IDT office and sign up,” he said. “The Idaho Transportation Department will provide trash bags and safety vests. Not only have I benefited in getting exercise by picking up trash, and experienced the rewarding feeling of making a difference; I have also collected thousands of dollars in excellent-condition tire chains, bungee cords, hand tools and more — all left abandoned by truckers. It’s a win-win-win situation.” Culver Enterprises is one of the 242 organizations in Idaho’s District 1 that participate in the Adopt-a-Highway program. Some have made it a long-term commitment. “What amazes me about being a Volunteer Services Coordinator for District 1 is to see the faithfulness and longevity of participation our volunteers show year after year,” said Karsann. “Several groups have been participants for more than 20 years.”

Truck historical society launches hall of fame to honor industry leaders

The Trucker News Staff - April 22, 2021

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the American Truck Historical Society (ATHS) is launching the American Trucking and Industry Leader (ATIL) Hall of Fame, a new home for existing industry achievement awards programs and a place to recognize industry leaders and icons. Located in the ATHS office in Kansas City, Missouri, the ATIL Hall of Fame will allow trucking industry members, their families and the public to celebrate transport industry contributors and award winners. “There are various awards programs out there,” said Tom Mullen, chairman of ATHS. “We want those awards programs, their winners and industry leaders to be known forever, easily found and honored — all in one trucking industry center.” There will be a Golden Achievement Awards based on ATHS members who have achieved 50 years of driving. The goal is to award drivers every year, but criteria may be different depending on the company. “Independent companies can set their criteria that they’re looking to do,” Mullen said. “By being a member of the hall of fame, it allows them to focus on whatever facet of their program.” The ATIL Hall of Fame is built around honoring all industry awards and safety recognition programs, including the already-established ATHS Awards program, and is set to grow through the inclusion of the whole trucking industry. The ATIL Hall of Fame plans to invite all company and industry awards programs to display their programs as part of the overall trucking industry experience, alongside the ATHS Visitors Center and the Zoe James Memorial Library. “For too long, trucking professionals have been receiving prestigious awards, only to then be forgotten,” said Laurence Gration, executive director of the ATIL Hall of Fame. “The ATIL Hall of Fame will allow proper recognition to continue and expand the awareness of the excellent work trucking professionals do as they contribute daily to our society.” ATHS has is a projected launch date of October 15-16 for the Hall of Fame; award announcements may be released earlier. For more information, visit www.ATILHallofFame.com.

Women In Trucking announces finalists for 2021 Driver of the Year

The Trucker News Staff - April 21, 2021

PLOVER, Wis. — The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) on April 14 announced three finalists for the organization’s 2021 Driver of the Year award. This second annual award recognizes outstanding female professional drivers who lead the industry in safety standards while actively enhancing the public image of the trucking industry. “The Women In Trucking’s Driver of the Year award recognizes and helps empower women who are making an impact across the industry,” said Ryan McDaniel, vice president of Walmart Transportation and a Women In Trucking board member. “Walmart is pleased to sponsor this award as part of our work with Women In Trucking to help advance women within transportation. Congratulations to the finalists.” This year’s finalists include Carmen Anderson, Ingrid Brown and Nikki Weaver. Anderson, who is a company driver for America’s Service Line LLC, has accrued 2.5 million safe driving miles. In 2015, she won the South Dakota Truck Driving championship and went on to compete in the national competition in St Louis. Two years late, she was selected for the Wisconsin Road Team. In August 2019, she was named the Wisconsin Motor Carriers Association (WMCA) Driver of the Month; she was also named the WMCA 2019 Driver of the Year — the first woman to be named the sole recipient of the award. That same year, she was appointed to the WIT Image Team. Anderson is a lifetime member of WIT and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA). She also serves on the organizing committee for the South Dakota Special Olympics. Anderson was named one of WIT’s Top Women to Watch in Transportation for 2021. She has also been trained to recognize and prevent human trafficking through her involvement with Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT). Brown, the independent owner-operator of Rolling B LLC, has been a professional driver for more than 40 years and has accumulated over 4 million accident-free miles. She is also a company driver for Fleenor Brothers Enterprises Inc. Brown was named to the WIT Image Team in 2015. As a mentor and educator, she was chosen as a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Voice of Safety for the “Our Roads, Our Safety” campaign. She also participated in the FMCSA’s 2020 Trucking Safety Summit, a public meeting with the goal of improving safe operations of commercial motor vehicles. Also in 2015, Brown was selected for the National Association of Small Trucking Companies’ (NASTC) America’s Road Team in 2015, and was ultimately named the NASTC Woman Driver of the Year. In 2018, Brown was a TA/Petro Citizen Driver Honoree; the Oklahoma City Petro was renamed in her honor in June 2018. Most recently, Brown was named to the St. Christopher’s Fund driver council. She continues to be an advocate for driver awareness and safety through her involvement within the industry and can be seen in numerous magazines, TV news specials and speaking panels. Weaver has been a company driver with FedEx Freight for 12 years and has driven more than 2 million accident-free miles during her 19 years as a professional driver. She has served as an America’s Road Team Captain since 2019. She was most recently a finalist for FedEx Freight’s Luella Bates Award, and she is a two-time winner of the prestigious Bravo Zulu Award. Weaver speaks to community colleges about the trucking industry as well as the Pennsylvania State Police Academy’s new commercial officer cadets. She is an advocate for Truckers Against Trafficking and has attended their leadership conference and is also involved with outreach programs in her community. The judging panel for WIT’s 2021 Driver of the Year competition includes Tricia Tullis, general transportation manager for Walmart Transportation; Jeana Hysell, senior safety consultant for J.J. Keller & Associates Inc.; Tim Ridley, talk radio host; and Ellen Voie, president and CEO of WIT. “Given the difficulties of this past year, it is especially important to recognize these outstanding and essential professionals who keep our country moving,” Voie said. “These women have proven safety records and are truly making a difference in the industry and in their communities.” The winner will be announced April 27 and will receive a plaque and a commemorative ring.

Yellow Corp. honors 2020 safety million-milers

The Trucker News Staff - April 19, 2021

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Yellow is proud to honor its drivers who achieved the safety milestone of driving at least 3,000,000 miles without a single preventable accident in 2020. Yellow drivers who attained the 5-million-mile safety milestone include: George Brown – Memphis, Tennessee. Horace Crouch – Dallas, Texas. James Banner – Chicago, Illinois. Robert Herber – Jackson, Mississippi. Yellow drivers who reached the 4-million-mile safety milestone are Keith Fielding of Dayton, Ohio and William Trimble of Rockford, Illinois. Yellow drivers who reached the 3 million-mile safety milestone are: Alan Emerick – Youngstown, Ohio. Cecil Desnoes – Buffalo, New York. Chris Young – Memphis, Tennessee. David Clifton – Charlotte, North Carolina. David Miller – St. Paul, Minnesota. Donnie Hires – Atlanta, Georgia. Dwayne Easter – Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Gary McGowan – Memphis, Tennessee. Gary Slone – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. George Sharp – Dallas, Texas. Ivan Amor – Indianapolis, Indiana. Jackie Allison – Charlotte, North Carolina. James Hedgecock – Oklahoma City, OK James Hedges – Joliet, Illinois James Woodard – Memphis, Tennessee. Jeffry A. Rouse – Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Kent Stevens – Indianapolis, Indiana. Michael Repman – Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Michael Tebow – Kansas City, Missouri. Nathan Brannock – Charlotte, North Carolina. Randy Bath – Denver, Colorado. Ray Ackermann – Saint Louis, Missouri. Richard Kokeny – Buffalo, New York. Richard Perea – Dallas, Texas. Richard Scholl – Akron, Ohio. Robert Cockerham – Evansville, Indiana. Ronald Harris – Charlotte, North Carolina. Ronnie Sanders – Raleigh, North Carolina. Samuel Turner – Phoenix, Arizona. Terrence P. Oswald – Cincinnati, Ohio. Terry Goetting – Saint Louis, Missouri. Terry Myers – Saint Louis, Missouri. William Brown – Albuquerque, New Mexico. “Many thanks to our drivers for their unmatched professionalism and vigilance in their jobs as they achieve these remarkable million-mile milestones,” said CEO Darren Hawkins. “We have the best drivers in the industry, and I could not be prouder of their continued dedication toward safety and service.” Since 2008, more than 230 Yellow drivers have achieved a safe driving milestone of 3,000,000 miles or more. In the past decade, five drivers have had the distinction of achieving 5,000,000 safe driving miles, approximately the same distance as 11 trips to the moon and back. “Yellow companies prioritize safety, as it’s truly the focus of how we operate on a day-to-day basis across all job functions,” said Tamara Jalving, vice president of safety. “Working together, we identify and control exposure to champion safety in all we do. Thank you to our incredible million miler drivers, and congratulations on achieving this outstanding safety achievement.”

Lytx honors 2021 drivers and coaches of the year

The Trucker News Staff - April 14, 2021

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Lytx announced the recipients of its 2021 Driver of the Year and Coach of the Year awards April 8. The awards honor professional drivers and coaches who utilize the Lytx Driver Safety Program. Lytx provides safety services and video telematics, productivity and analytics solutions for fleets of all sizes across various industries. The 2021 honorees were chosen based on having a passion for their jobs and a steadfast dedication to safety. Each individual recognized has gone above and beyond to keep their roads and communities safe, according to Del Lisk, vice president of safety services at Lytx. “Over the past year, we have witnessed drivers and coaches cope with one of the most difficult challenges they’ve ever faced,” he said. “We’re excited to honor these heroes of the road for their remarkable work and sacrifices to keep our country moving forward.” Lytx recognized winners of the Driver of the Year and Coach of the Year awards from a pool of clients across six categories — government, services and utilities, transit and motor coach, for-hire trucking, private trucking, and waste and construction. Lytx’s drivers of the year include: Government First Place: Donald McNair of the Fairfax County government always puts the needs and safety of those he serves first, and has been doing so throughout his 20-year driving career. During his five years with Fairfax County, McNair has never received a seat belt or cell phone policy violation. McNair has not had a coachable event since 2017. Along with his dedication to Fairfax County, he spends his free time volunteering at the Fairfax Deer Management program. As an assistant group leader, McNair supervises 15 to 20 participants each year and manages safety and compliance standards across their respective programs. Second Place: Heinz Hansen of the city of Atlanta’s Department of Aviation. Third Place: Chris Hickman of the city of Ocala, Florida. Services and Utilities First Place: Fritz Nordmann of the Murphy-Hoffman Co. remains motivated every day to create a safe workplace and to be as vigilant on the road as he can be. Taking an active role in his community, Nordmann is passionate about addressing food insecurity for children and families in his area, volunteering at his daughter’s school and a local food bank, Tri-Lakes Cares. Having driven for Murphy-Hoffman for the past eight years, Nordmann has received many awards, including the company’s Safe Driver Award, on five separate occasions. With a strong work ethic and commitment to safety, Nordmann has worked for the past three years without a single coachable event, moving violation or preventable collision. Second Place: Robert Wagner of National Grid. Third Place: Ryan Sidoff of Vitalant. Transit and Motor Coach First Place: William Smith of Greyhound Lines Inc. has been a constant presence in Houston passengers’ lives, ensuring they arrive safely at their destinations for the past 32 years. With over 45 years of experience as a professional driver, Smith has received numerous accolades, including the 2019 Faces of Excellence Driving Award for Greyhound’s Southern Region. Safety and customer service go hand in hand for Smith as he meets the road’s many challenges each day. In the 2.5 million miles Smith has driven for Greyhound, he has never had a preventable collision. Second Place: Godwin McNeal of Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority. Third Place: Victor Michel of First Transit. Private Trucking First Place: John Dansby of Honda Transportation and Ryder has driven more than 3 million miles throughout his 31-year driving career and remains just as committed to safety as he was on his first day. Always adhering to all safety and compliance policies, Dansby is routinely the go-to individual for recertifying and training his fellow drivers. Named Ryder’s Driver of the Month on four separate occasions, Dansby consistently maintains a high level of safety and has built strong relationships with all of his shippers as well. During his free time, Dansby is involved in community service through his church and the local Humane Society. Second Place: Chase Cronan of Hill’s Pet Nutrition Inc. Third Place: Victor McQuillen of Performance Food Group. For-hire Trucking First Place Winner: Jan Quarnberg of Barney Trucking Inc. takes great pride in his work as a professional truck driver for over 45 years. Receiving numerous awards throughout his career, including the Lytx and DriveCam Good Driving Award and the Glen Barney Hall of Fame award, both in 2017, Quarnberg lives life by the principle, “Treat others the way you want to be treated.” Inspired by his father to always do the job right the first time, Quarnberg has never been involved in an accident or had any driving violations during his 45-year career. Second Place: Jeff Christian of TransWood Inc. Third Place: Phillip Clifton of Transport America. Waste and Construction First Place: Lino Bueno of Waste Connections loves his job, and it shows. Bueno has been with Waste Connections for 12 years, and he has 39 years of overall driving experience. As a tried-and-true professional with a passion for driving, Bueno takes great pride in serving his customers while always maintaining a high level of safety behind the wheel. Motivated by his colleagues and family to stay safe, and because of his tireless hard work and dedication to the job, Bueno has not had a single coachable event for the past three years. Second Place: Kelly Lazaron of Waste Management of Londonderry, New Hampshire. Third Place: Ronnie Johnson of GFL Environmental and Waste Industries. Coach of the Year Lytx also recognized Buner “Herschel” Evans of Yellow Corp. (formerly YRC) as the overall 2021 Coach of the Year as well as in the for-hire trucking category. Having maintained a flawless driving record with over 3 million accident-free miles and numerous awards and accolades to his name — including the 2018 Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance International Driver Excellence Award — Evans is described as an ideal representation of safety for YRC. A true ambassador for the industry, Evans is always doing his part to make the industry safer and, as such, was selected as an American Trucking Associations Road Team Captain. He is also an active member of the Holland’s Safety Committee and Review and Editing Board, YRC Accident Review Board and Mid-Atlantic Professional Truck Drivers Association. In addition to his work at Yellow, Evans has participated in many truck-driving championships throughout his career. He is an active member of his community. He volunteers for Convoy of Care, and is the creator of the Safety Drive for a Cure event, which benefits the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. Other first-place 2021 Coach of the Year winners, within their respective categories, include: Government:Takisha Williams of North Miami, Florida. Services and Utilities:Kyler Van Gulden of National Grid. Transit and Motor Coach:Ronald Bremer of MV Transportation. Private Trucking:Mike Russell of Bimbo Bakeries. Waste and Construction:Justin Heddy of Waste Connections-Pacific Disposal. “We are delighted to celebrate these professionals for the extraordinary work they have done over the past year and throughout their careers, including an unwavering commitment to safety across the board,” Lisk said. “While Lytx remains devoted to helping our clients meet and surpass their safety goals, coaches and drivers like this year’s winners are essential to making our safety program a success.”

Thin red line: Wisconsin trucker, firefighter pursues dual passions

Cliff Abbott - April 12, 2021

It’s not uncommon for someone to have to choose between making a living and pursuing something they are passionate about. Dan Ravenhorst of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, has found a way to do both, driving his 2019 Mack Anthem 64T and volunteering at the city’s Township Fire and Rescue Station 1. “I bought (the truck) in March 2020, so I’ve had it a year now,” Ravenhorst said in an interview with The Trucker. “It’s my first brand-new truck.” Like his previous truck, a red 1994 Freightliner Classic XL, the black Mack is customized with tributes to firefighters. “I decided to go with the ‘Thin Red Line’ theme,” he said. “Black is the color of mourning, and that thin red line (in an American flag motif) represents fallen firefighters.” The logos of fire departments around the world — including the fire department that Ravenhorst is a part of — incorporate the Maltese cross emblem. For his truck, Ravenhorst combined the Maltese cross with a caricature of a bulldog holding a fire hose, complete with the word “Mack” on the dog tags. The design features the words “Last Alarm,” the term used for the traditional firefighter’s funeral. The truck’s number, 927, has a significant meaning for Ravenhorst. On September 27, 2019, he suffered a heart attack while fighting a fire. “I exited the building, pulled off my mask and fell on my face,” he explained. “The other firefighters were on me right away. Ravenhorst’s wife, Amanda, suggested using the number as a remembrance of the event. “That’s the date I almost became part of the thin red line myself,” he said. Leased to McCormick and McCormick Trucking out of Kennan, Wisconsin, Ravenhorst hauls cheese and other refrigerated products, as well as paper products, in Wisconsin and neighboring states. “I usually don’t leave the state; maybe (I make a run) into Minnesota once in a while,” he explained. “With my firefighting and family life, I drive three to five days a week.” When he’s not driving, Ravenhorst is training instructor for the Eau Claire Township Fire and Rescue Station 1. The department has 145 volunteers and operates five stations with 22 trucks in addition to pumps, boats and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). The department covers more than 230 square miles of Eau Claire County, and handles about 1,000 calls per year. “I participate in probably 60 to 80 calls a year,” Ravenhorst said. “I’m usually on call all weekend, and sometimes Monday, too.” In addition to responding to calls, he handles training for his assigned station and often assists other stations with their training needs. Ravenhorst’s Mack is equipped with a 13-liter MP8 engine coupled with a 13-speed MDrive automated manual transmission. “I didn’t think I’d like the transmission,” Ravenhorst said, “but it really makes it comfortable to drive.” His says the decision to buy Mack was an easy one. “I like to be different,” he said. “I don’t want to be like everyone else. I like Mack because it’s an American icon. I even like the model, the ‘Anthem,’ because it denotes patriotism.” Ravenhorst grew up in Lake City, Minnesota, the home of Bud Meyer Trucking “I knew Bud, and I grew up with (his son) Dusty,” he said. “When I was 15, I started working on the yard, washing trucks and moving trailers around, non-CDL stuff.” Once Ravenhorst was old enough to get his CDL and make it official, he hit the road. “I’ve been on the road since 2009, driving all over the Midwest. I’ve been to every state except Montana, Oregon and Washington. I had my own authority with my dad for a while.” Ravenhorst said his father, who is now 76, was a big influence in his life and career. “Dad was a concrete contractor in the summer and drove trucks in the winter,” he said, adding that although his father no longer drives, he still likes to ride along on occasion. “I never know when he’ll climb up in the cab for a ride-along,” Ravenhorst said. “He’s still doing cement work in the summer.” Ravenhorst’s firefighting career is as lengthy as his tenure in trucking. He’s been a firefighter or EMT for the past 21 years, beginning in Lake City, Minnesota. He never forgets those he has worked with and wants to bring them all the recognition he can. “PTSD is a big problem for firefighters, EMTs, police and the military. What’s that saying, ‘What has been seen cannot be unseen?’ I still remember scenes from calls I was on when I was 19,” he shared. Ravenhorst enjoys being with his wife and their five children during his free time, and attending truck shows as a family is a popular pastime. When the kids were younger, Ravenhorst said, they loved riding along in the rig, “but now that they’re older they think it’s boring,” he laughed. The couple’s 15-year-old son Marshal is showing interest in following in his dad’s firefighting footsteps. “He’s a member of the Altoona Explorers, and he’s starting some college-level fire training,” Ravenhorst said, adding that the group is a venture between the Altoona, Wisconsin, Fire Department and a local chapter of the Boy Scouts of America. When he’s not on the road or responding to fire alarms, Ravenhorst likes to fish for the northern pike and walleye that are abundant in Wisconsin waterways. Another hobby, not surprisingly, involves a different sort of vehicle. “I like anything with wheels,” he said. “I’m big into Jeeps; I’m always tinkering with the one I own.” Ravenhorst’s previous truck was featured on a Cat Scale Super Trucks trading card, and he plans the same for the Mack he drives now “I want to do a few more things to it yet,” he explained. “I need to add more chrome.” Whether his role is that of a truck driver, a firefighter or a husband and father, Ravenhorst remains down-to-earth. “I think of myself as an ordinary person,” he said. “I’m not big on attention for myself, but I try to get recognition for those who put themselves in harm’s way for the rest of us.” Few people would pick Ravenhorst out of the crowd at the scene of a local emergency, but many will notice his distinctive black Mack driving along the highways of Wisconsin.

Dedication and strong lifelong work ethic led Jerry Fritts Jr. to a successful trucking career

Hannah Butler - April 8, 2021

CORDOVA, Tenn. — Gerald “Jerry” Fritts Jr., is feeling a little depressed after retirement, but he just needs to find his next adventure. Fritts has spent 60 years in trucking, and as a third-generation trucker, his history with the industry spans almost his entire life. Now, as his retirement is in its second month, Fritts said he feels a little lost. “I’m one of these people, according to my wife, that needs to have a mission and adventure,” he said. Given his record of driving accomplishments, which include numerous awards and 6 million miles of safe driving, one would think he would do what any other new retiree would do — enjoy a bit of rest and relaxation. But Fritts can’t rest. That’s just not his MO. Fritts didn’t stop trucking when he was told by doctors — twice — to retire after injuries. And he certainly didn’t stop when he fell and broke his left arm while out on the road. Instead, he proceeded to splint the arm with duct tape and Truckload Authority magazines; then continued driving another four days to finish a delivery. Fritts says trucking is in his blood. When he was born in 1946, he rode home from the hospital in his father’s K7 International Truck. Trucking has been his life ever since. Fritts was put to work on his father’s farm at age 6. Soon, farming would become his primary responsibility. Even before he began junior high school, Fritts was driving the family’s cattle truck back to the farm after unloading the livestock. He remembers seeing his cousin looking back to make sure Fritts didn’t hit anything. Looking back at these moments, Fritts, remembers why he was actively working at such a young age. “We were being trained,” he said. “There were plenty of us in those days, us young people, especially out in the farm. Our heroes weren’t in sports, Hollywood or anything like that. They were the adults in our community, who were rugged, hardworking men. We aspired to that because we didn’t know anything but that, really.” But even as a boy, Fritts didn’t need have to aspire to be a “rugged, hardworking man.” He was already one of those men, even if he didn’t have big, calloused hands and work boots, and instead stood small and skinny. When he was around fourth or fifth grade, one of the men in the community told Fritts’ dad, Gerald Fritts Sr., that his son was getting “to be a big boy.” As Fritts Sr. put his left hand on his son’s head, he said, “Yeah, and he can work like a man.” With a butch haircut and wearing suspenders, the youngest Gerald of the family was filled with pride. It flowed through every fiber of his body to become the theme of his life — to always work like a grown man. From beginning work at the early age of 6 to cutting off two fingers on his right hand at age 15, with no rehab or proper healing, Fritts persevered. “I think it really was that lifestyle, or something of a different generation,” he said. “You’re judged by your character and how hard you work. That’s something not to be prideful of, but it’s something that’s valued a lot in the rural agriculture community. You know if it’s valued, then you want to be valuable.” In 1964, he entered Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey to study transportation. Two years later, he started a full-time career in trucking. Fritts then embarked on a lengthy career with Landstar, and was selected for the Citizen of the Year award by TravelCenters of America and Petro. Fritts even has a Petro Truck Stop in West Memphis, Arkansas, named after him, and was recognized with the prestigious Roadstar designation from Landstar. In 1984, Fritts and his wife, Bonnie, started counting how many new owner-operator jobs were being added to their newspaper’s job list. It went from four listings in 1984 to more than 50 in the next three or four years. Eventually, he became an owner-operator for American Overland Freight, a career move that he says meant added responsibilities. Over the course of his career, he accumulated 63 years without an accident and 6 million miles of safe driving — all accomplished despite a battle with prostate cancer, a hernia, a heart attack and knee operations. Fritts lived through it all, although he feels as if his humanity wasn’t prioritized during the years he worked. “Somehow, we need to find a way on how to get that on a spreadsheet,” he said. “I would go out a month or two at a time. I remember leaving out one time after Thanksgiving and didn’t get home until Easter.” Fritts and his wife got used to celebrating anniversaries and the holidays whenever one of them got home from a trip. “Looking back, I gave way too much to this industry and way too much to this career,” he said. “When I can finally look back and run the numbers after selling the equipment, by a long shot, that wasn’t worth it.” Despite a few criticisms of the industry, Fritts said the trucking life is a part of who he is. “Some of us just gravitate toward it,” he said. “I can’t tell you why. We’re kind of like misfits.” Fritts said he learned to embrace his own humanity when he volunteered at the American Red Cross after one of his injuries led him to temporarily park his truck. At the time, Fritts thought it would be permanent. He spent the next year wondering if that was the end of his career and feeling depressed. He tried acupuncture, counseling, a hypnosis doctor. Eventually, he was advised to find a way to volunteer. Volunteering became his new mission, and one of the best roles in his life. As a volunteer for the Red Cross, Fritts was a shelter manager, providing comfort to victims in crisis. He says he wasn’t sure he could be a leader and comfort victims in a time of need, but he was determined to keep going. As with trucking, he felt needed and depended on as a volunteer, but for a different reason. He particularly recalls families looking to him to provide help during the Nashville, Tennessee, floods in 2010. “All of the exciting adventures and near-death experiences that I’ve experienced as a truck driver pales in comparison to the human experiences I’ve experienced working as a volunteer at the American Red Cross,” he said. He saw men and women, with tears and their eyes, asking him if their family was going to be OK — and, Fritts says, he didn’t know if they were going to be OK. But he continued to set up cots while he challenged himself on his personal beliefs. He wasn’t sure if he could help everyone during the floods, and the thought unsettled him. Still, he worked — sometimes forgetting to eat and sleep — until his feelings of depression went away. “It turns out, the best way to get over a depression or a bad time in your life is to help other people through the inevitable bad experiences in life,” he said. “When you’re doing that, you’re forgetting all about your own (trouble).” Helping others will likely be the focus of Fritts’ next journey, he said. With his trucking and volunteer history, Fritts has enough connections that he feels a new opportunity will come along soon. In the meantime, he’ll be serving on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) new advisory panel, advising new truck drivers in the industry, and spending time with Bonnie. Soon enough, he’ll find a bigger adventure to tackle — and a new way to give back.

‘Trucking angel’ Reanee Swiger-Gray named WIT’s April 2021 member of the month

The Trucker News Staff - April 5, 2021

PLOVER, Wis. —The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) has named Reanee Swiger-Gray, a professional driver for Brenny Specialized Inc., as its April Member of the Month. Swiger-Gray’s driving career began in 2012, and she has logged well over 1 million miles as an over-the-road driver. In addition to consistently being one of Brenny’s highest-mileage drivers, she has an impeccable safety record and is constantly working to improve her skills and be a safer driver. WIT describes Swiger-Gray as a “trucking angel” who loves helping others, noting that she goes out of her way to meet the needs of anyone who needs a hot meal, a bottle of cold water, a listening ear and — one rainy day near Austin — a pair of shoes. While enjoying some home time, Swiger-Gray and her mother had taken her father to the hospital for a check-up. As they were finishing up, Swiger-Gray noticed a scene unfolding at the bus stop near the hospital. A man was trying to get on a bus but was being told “no” over and over. The man was shouting, “I don’t have shoes!” Hearing the desperation in the man’s voice, Swiger-Gray realized that he just wanted to get on the bus and perhaps find shelter from the rain, but was being denied access because he wasn’t wearing shoes. As the bus zoomed away, leaving the man standing in the cold rain, Swiger-Gray turned to her mother and said, “Momma, that man has no shoes. I need to find him!” So up and down the blocks near the hospital she drove. When she finally found the man, Swiger-Gray shouted out her window, “Hey Bubba, what size shoe do you wear?” The man sheepishly replied that he wore size 8 or 9. Swiger-Gray promptly grabbed a shoebox, containing a pair of sneakers she had purchased for herself, and said, “Take these.” When her mother later said, “You gave that man your new fancy blue tennis shoes?” Swiger-Gray responded without hesitation, “That man can’t walk around in the rain without shoes, Momma!” According to WIT, this is just one of many stories Swiger-Gray has shared with co-workers. “Reanee is one of the drivers that will leave a legacy as an angel, keeping this industry looking and acting professional,” the organization noted in a statement.

Passing down passion: Pennsylvania family shares a father-son love of trucking

Cliff Abbott - April 2, 2021

Pretty much every driver wants a great start to a trucking career. For Lamar Buckwalter, owner of Leola, Pennsylvania-based Buckwalter Trucking, the end of a career is important, too. He’s working to make sure his father and mentor, Mark Buckwalter, finishes up his driving career in comfort and style. Mark’s truck is a 2005 Kenworth W900 that features a 1999 Caterpillar C15 engine, rated at 525 horsepower, and a 13-speed manual transmission. The custom color package has a gray base, accented with stripes in colors that he and his wife picked out. Of course, there’s a lot of chrome, from the visor to the 6-inch dual exhaust, stainless-steel boxes, custom light panels and more. “I chose the Kenworth 900 for the way it rides. Other trucks just aren’t the same,” Lamar said. When he purchased his dad’s truck, Lamar was driving a Kenworth T660 that had been featured on a Cat Scale Super Trucks card. In August 2020, while pulling a brand-new trailer he had just picked up, Lamar’s truck was totaled in an accident on I-95 near Hardeeville, South Carolina. More than 30 vehicles were involved in the crash, which occurred during a heavy downpour. Lamar wasn’t seriously injured, but the business was set back, and he and his wife started the recovery process. Their search for a replacement turned up another Kenworth W900 that he purchased, this one with a dark red paint job, a 1999 Caterpillar engine (just like his dad’s) and an 18-speed transmission. “I replaced the exhaust system with a ‘picket style’ exhaust with 6-inch pipes, put stainless-steel boxes on both sides, (and added) a drop visor and custom light panels,” he said. It turns out that the two W900s have VINs that are so close, they were likely to have been on the production line at the same time. The Buckwalters refer to the trucks as the “ugly sisters” — but they’re far from ugly. “They’re both real attention getters,” Lamar remarked. “Somebody is always looking or taking pictures of them.” Another feature common to both of the trucks, as well as the trailers they pull, are decals of the cartoon character Snoopy, Lamar’s childhood hero. “He stuck up for the underdogs, was loyal, brought good cheer and always willing to save the day. I adopted his ways into my personal life, which carries into my business,” Lamar explained, pointing to assisting other drivers, being loyal to customers and having a positive, upbeat attitude as attributes inspired by the character. Mark has been a huge influence on Lamar’s trucking career. Mark’s career began with a farm-equipment manufacturer, where he obtained a chauffeur’s license so he could deliver equipment. “I always liked trucks,” Mark said. “My oldest brother was a driver, and he kind of got me started 42 years ago. I’ve hauled steel, buildings, bridge girders, concrete building sections.” Lamar rode along on many of those trips. He and Mark remember one trip in particular, when Lamar was 8 years old, that presented a problem. “We were hauling empty beer bottles to a brewery. We ended up spending 12 hours in the guard shack because they wouldn’t let Lamar in,” Mark recalled. “My mom says I knew every make and model of truck before I knew my ABCs,” Lamar said. “I tease her that I was conceived in a truck and born in a truck, and I’ll probably die in a truck.” Lamar’s trucking career was accelerated when Mark had a heart attack, leaving his truck sitting idle. “I knew his truck wouldn’t bring in a dime while it was sitting, he said. “I started working towards getting my CDL.” Once he obtained his CDL, he became a company driver for the same company his dad’s truck was leased to. “I tried flatbed, because I figured there wasn’t a lot of backing, but then they put me in a reefer,” he remarked. As a trucking rookie, Lamar had much to learn. He didn’t complete a single log page during his first trucking gig, until a manager at the company asked why he wasn’t turning them in about a month after he started work. “I had to re-create history,” he said. Later, when Lamar asked his dad to let him drive a truck in a charity truck convoy, Mark decided to “have some fun” with the new driver. Lamar didn’t notice that his father had slid the trailer tandems all the way to the rear before handing over the keys. “I got to the end of the convoy shaking,” Lamar said with a laugh. These days, both Lamar and Mark pull refrigerated trailers, hauling produce and food products along with van freight when it makes business sense. “We’re LTL (less than truckload), so we might pick up 10 pallets here and another 10 somewhere else,” Lamar explained. Portable bulkheads are carried to separate shipments when needed. These days, Mark may officially be a company driver for Lamar, but that’s only a technicality to Lamar. “It’s his truck. Whatever he wants, he gets,” Lamar said, adding that the pair’s working relationship is different, too. “I don’t know what it’s like to have a ‘normal’ employee,” Lamar quipped, adding, “I know he’s coming to the end of his career, so I’m always trying to find ways to make his last years his best.” Trucking isn’t the only passion Mark passed on to Lamar. “I like drag racing,” Mark said. “I haven’t raced since ’69, when I had a Nova SS with a 396. The back end was jacked up and kinda gave me a legal issue,” he added. Lamar’s racing interest leans to sprint cars. “I’m heavily involved in the sprint car world. I sponsor some race teams,” Lamar said, noting that possibly the biggest is the World of Outlaws Jason Johnson Racing team. “He was my best friend, and we used to joke that I’d sponsor his team one day.” Tragically, Johnson, known as the “Ragin’ Cajun” on the sprint car circuit, lost his life in 2018 in a crash at Wisconsin’s Beaver Dam Raceway. Lamar still sponsors the team, and stays in touch with Johnson’s widow and son. Another person with whom Lamar stays in touch with is Ayden Lavertue, a cancer patient he came to know through the Make a Wish foundation. Ayden’s wish was to join a pit crew on a professional race team. After being turned down by NASCAR and IHRA, the organization contacted Lamar, who put them in touch with his contacts in the sprint car circuit. In May 2019, Ayden’s wish became reality the at the Lincoln Speedway in Abbottstown, Pennsylvania. Lamar also has his Firefighter 1 certification and volunteers at the local fire department when he’s not on the road. He spent time as a rescue worker at ground zero after the tragic events of 9/11. The Buckwalter children, Lane (15) and Leslie (11), are both very active at their schools, but still find ways to help their dad with the trucking business. Lamar said Lane helps with everything from sanitizing trailers to full-service oil changes and polishing the trucks. Leslie also brings her personal touch to the family business by helping with cleaning the inside of the trucks and making “TV dinners” for her dad to take on the road. Lamar said she also leaves notes for him to find while he is on the road with messages such as “I love you.” Lamar said he keeps one in his sleeper and looks at it every time he goes to bed. Faith is important to the Buckwalters. Featured on both trucks are Bible-based statements that are important to each driver. Mark’s truck has “Walk by faith, not by sight” on the side, while Lamar’s says “Beyond Belief.” Both Lamar and Mark are active at Carpenter Community Church in Talmadge, Pennsylvania, where Lamar’s wife manages the youth ministry. Loyalty, good cheer and willingness to stick up for the underdog are all qualities the Buckwalters — and Snoopy — can be proud of.

Greg Stehouwer named TMC’s 2020 Trainer of the Year

The Trucker News Staff - April 1, 2021

DES MOINES, Iowa — TMC has named Greg Stehouwer as the company’s 2020 Trainer of the Year. A third-generation truck driver, Stehouwer, has been training new TMC drivers since 2013. After serving in the Marine Corps as a diesel technician, he said a career in trucking just made sense. As a civilian trucker, Stehouwer was not only committed to being a safe driver; he also joined the Safety Support Team at TMC to help other drivers achieve safety goals. “He still wasn’t satisfied, though, because he wanted to make an even bigger impact on our drivers,” read a company statement from TMC. “He knew the best option to accomplish this ambition was to become a trainer.” Stehouwer’s first goal as a trainer was determined to make sure drivers are trained “to do everything the right way.” He said that watching his trainees’ lives improve drives him to be a more successful trainer every day, and that he admires the hard work the new drivers put in to become a TMC driver. One principle Stehouwer stands by each day is to “never forget where you came from.” He believes that having patience and empathy for his trainees will make them better drivers. To that end, he thinks back to his early days as a trainee, working to put himself in the shoes of his trainees. When working with trainees who are about to hit the road with their driver trainers, Stehouwer offers three simple points: Always listen to your trainer; ask questions; and remember to be patient with your trainer. Just as the trainee is learning new skills from the trainer, the trainer is also trying to understand how to best teach the trainee according to their learning style, according to Stehouwer. Even after a trainee is handed the keys to one of TMC’s black and chrome trucks, Stehouwer said he likes to stay in touch and keep a relationship with them. He reflected on the kindness of one trainee and his family; the trainee, along with his wife and kids drove to the training center to bring dinner for Stehouwer one day. Another situation Stehouwer distinctly recalls is that the first person he ever trained had never driven anything bigger than a car. It was a challenge and the trainee wanted to give up several times, but he was determined to push through — and his persistence paid off. That trainee ended up becoming a successful driver, able to provide more financially for his family than he had been able to do before.

Pig in a Rig: Pint-sized swine draws praise on the road

Sarah DeClerk - April 1, 2021

It was a match made in hog heaven when Jerry and Melissa Cooper met on an internet chatroom in 1998 and married a month later. Melissa, who started driving trucks in the early 1990s at age 19, taught Jerry how to drive a big rig in 2005. The pair now spend their days on the road together with their three dogs and their 1-year-old Juliana mini pig, which the pair named Jake Brake. “The funny thing is it started out to be Jake — just regular Jake,” Jerry said. “Then, when we took him out to go use the restroom, get exercise or whatever be the case, we’d say, ‘Come on, Jake, let’s go back to the truck, let’s go see Mommy.’ He’d lean back and dig his front feet into the ground, just like a Jake brake does on a truck to stop it, because he didn’t want to go. That’s how ‘Jake Brake’ came about.” Jake is the couple’s third pig, he said, adding that they adopted their first pig, Charlie, three years ago to fulfill Melissa’s long-standing dream of having a pet pig. “I fell in love,” she said. “After Charlie passed away, it broke my heart.” The couple soon found a second pig, Frankie, but had to donate him to a rescue because he became too large to fit in their truck. At about 85 pounds, Jake is a good fit for the rig, a 2016 Volvo VNL 560 equipped with a 156-inch custom ARI Legacy sleeper, Jerry said. A pet gate divides the sleeper from the cab, and the couple covered the linoleum floors with carpet because of Jake’s hooves. “It’s kind of funny to watch him ‘skateboard’ — you know, slide around on the floor,” Jerry said with a chuckle. “(But) it’s not too fun when you’ve got to stop and you’re doing 65 or 70 miles an hour.” He added that his favorite thing about pigs is their intelligence. “As a matter of fact, Jake Brake has got the mentality of a 5- to 7-year-old kid,” he said. “You can actually teach them to do tricks.” Jake can sit on command, and close drawers and doors in the sleeper, and he also goes outside on a leash. Melissa said potty training and leash training a pig is easier than training a dog. “When we first got him … he had his accidents because he didn’t know what to do,” she said, adding that he quickly learned from the couple’s “boys” — their three dogs. “He noticed that when we were putting harnesses on the boys, the boys would go over to the passenger door. He started watching, and he started to move toward the passenger side. He was like, ‘I want to go,’ so we put his harness on and he just automatically trained himself.” The couple takes Jake out three or four times a day to ensure he gets plenty of exercise. It is a sight that brings joy to most everyone Jake meets. “His picture’s been taken so many times by other truck drivers, it’s unreal. People fall in love with him,” Jerry said. “They ask me what breed he is, how big he’ll get. ‘What does he eat?’ is the biggest question. I tell them the list of foods he won’t eat is longer than the foods he will eat.” Since Jake will not eat his pig feed plain, the couple dresses his food up with powdered peanut butter, collagen supplements and vegetable supplements. Jake also enjoys making spitballs, Jerry said. “One thing with pigs that you’ve got to watch out for is, if you ever let them tear paper (they discover) it’s soothing for them,” he said. “They will find any piece of paper — doesn’t matter what it is — and shred it because it calms them down.” Because pigs need constant companionship, it is usually best to get two, Melissa said, adding that it is important to supervise relationships between pigs and dogs, who may view pigs as prey. Oliver, the couple’s 11-year-old Italian greyhound, is the leader of the pack, she said. Also on the truck are Fred, a 6-year-old miniature dachshund, and Earl, a 5-year-old basset hound and dachshund mix. “Jake and Earl are best friends,” she added. “When Jake and Earl are back here by themselves — you know when two little siblings are fighting in the back seat and picking on each other? That’s what it’s like. We’re like, ‘Would you knock it off?’ Nine times out of 10, it’s Earl sleeping in Jake’s bed on the floor, and Jake wants him to move.” While a pig may seem like an unusual road companion, Jerry said he knows several truckers that have pigs, including two teams who have 300- to 350-pound potbellied pigs that use a ramp to get in and out of the trucks. “If you’re going to get a pig for the truck, be sure to check out the pig’s parents,” he added. “That way, you’ll know what size they’re going to (be).” Melissa also emphasized the need for prospective pig parents to research the pets’ needs before adopting. “Be prepared that once you get one, you’re in it for the long haul,” she said. “They can live up to 20 years, and they can be very demanding.” Although caring for Jake and his brothers is a full-time job, the pets make life on the road more enjoyable. Jerry said the critters notice when he and Melissa get stressed, and will often chase each other to break the tension. Sometimes Jake will pick up his food bowl and bang it against the gate, “like he’s in piggy prison,” Jerry said. “It’s very stressful out here on the road when you’re going full time, because you’re going to different places, different environments, and having a pet just helps with your mentality,” Melissa said. “It helps because a lot of drivers are out here by themselves, and pets are just reassuring that everything’s OK.”

Driver Q&A: On the Road with Darnise “Neicy” Harris

Linda Garner-Bunch - March 30, 2021

Over-the-road driver Neicy Harris answered a few questions about her career on the road in a recent interview with The Trucker. Q: Where do you call home? A: I was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. Q: How long have you been a truck driver? A: I’ve been a truck driver for 15 years. I received my CDL (commercial driver’s license) in 2006. Q: Why did you seek a career as a truck driver? A: At 26 years old I said, “Ahh … yep, I need to do something with my life.” College was not really my thing. I was sitting home one day and saw a commercial that said, “If you want to change your life, get your CDL now.” This program definitely changed my life! It was much different than the new setup. I was in classes for six months. I had experience driving a manual transmission in a car but had no idea how I was going to do this in an 18-wheeler. So, for six months I worked at night and went to school during the day, paying my loans the school offered all the way through. Q: What do you like most about your career as a truck driver, particularly as an owner-operator? A: For nine years I drove local/regional, humping freight to mostly restaurants as a 5-feet, 4-inch-tall, 135-pound woman — sometimes with a partner and sometimes solo. What I mostly enjoy about being an owner-op is the freedom and opportunity to travel the states. If I had not chosen this career, I might not have ever traveled. The change of it on a daily basis keeps me on my toes, thinking and conquering the world one load at a time. Q: Will you tell us a bit about being an owner-operator? A: Being an owner-operator has been the most challenging and greatest accomplishment of my life. My first truck was a money pit. I did not get 30 days out of running it after I had leased on with a company. Most people would say I am a late bloomer. Back when I started trucking, getting to own equipment and have an LLC was not encouraged — especially for young Black girls. It was a scary process back then, and knowledge was limited. Trucking was a “learn-as-you-go” type of industry. I recently purchased my second truck, and she has done me well. This round I purchased it from a private owner outright — it is all mine, title and all. I have my own perspective of what this career should be for me. I have made this career my own and I enjoy it. I am currently leased on to a company in Maryland and am working towards 100% independence. Most days are difficult dealing with the company dispatcher. However, I enjoy using the DAT board, building a networking system with agents, and determining what coast I will end up on by the end of the week. Q: What did you look for in a trucking company to lease to? A: These days, honestly, I do not look for anything. I am moving toward retirement. The odds have always been against me, meaning I interview differently, and I was pushed differently, especially working locally and with men. I have been the only girl on jobs for years. Q: How long do you spend on the road at a time? A: I spend a lot of time on the road. As I am getting older, my views are changing. I want to let my hair down a little now — but whether it’s local or out on the road, I work anywhere from five to six days a week. I believe I can live my lifestyle because I never had children. This career choice has been my service to the country for 15 years, but it’s been even important during this pandemic. I have been running a year straight, delivering essential items nonstop from the northeast corridor, Midwest to Miami. Q: What’s your advice to anyone looking to become a truck driver? A: My advice to young women interested in trucking or just starting out is to make (this career) your own. You can only glimpse into someone else blueprint. You must find your own lane, learn it and be the best. Q: More specifically, what is your advice for anyone looking to become an owner-operator? A: My advice to becoming an owner-op is that it’s trial and error. It’s not perfect; however, you need to make a plan, own it and stay focused.