Trucking Life

RATTAN, Okla. — Making a living isn’t easy in farm country. It takes perseverance and adaptability, two traits that owner-operator Zac Cooper has in abundance. “I pull a flatbed, cattle trailer and hopper bottom,” he told The Trucker. “Whatever I need to get it done.” Cooper drives a 1998 Peterbilt 379 extended hood with a 550 horsepower Caterpillar 3406E engine. He purchased the truck in 2011 and has put an extensive amount of work into it. The pearl white tractor is finished with a baby blue frame and accents, and it looks good enough to be featured on a Cat Scale Super Truck collector card. The truck had more than a million miles on it when Cooper purchased it in 2011. He had the engine overhauled, stretched the frame to 295 inches and added a window to the sleeper before refinishing the exterior in 2016. He also added air ride to the steering axle. The white and baby blue color scheme continues inside the cab of the Peterbilt, where Cooper has painted the dashboard and the floor to match. Eventually, he wants to reupholster the interior in a motif featuring white diamonds with baby blue buttons, but, he says, it’s still a work in progress. The truck now has more than 2 million miles on the odometer, but it’s still running strong. Cooper’s primary haul is lumber products from one of the forestry businesses that surround his hometown of Rattan, Oklahoma, located in the southeast corner of the state, about 20 miles from the Texas border. He also hauls grain in the hopper-bottom trailer — and then there’s the cattle trailer. Cattle ranching is the family business, and the Coopers run about 300 head between the family farm and the 350 acres Zac Cooper purchased just down the road. Cooper drove trucks and other vehicles while growing up on the farm, but he didn’t enter the trucking business until he enrolled in college after graduating high school in 2006. While attending college classes during the day, he took a nighttime job driving tanker trucks in the nearby oil fields. By the time Cooper graduated from college, he had decided on a career in trucking. He worked as a company driver until 2011, when he bought his current truck. Cooper lives on the 350 acres he bought, along with his wife, Eva, and their 6-year-old son, Kycan. “He loves to fish,” Cooper said of his son, “but I don’t care much for it. I like hunting.” It isn’t hard for Kycan to find a place to fish, since the farm has four ponds on it. The family enjoys visiting truck shows when they can. “We don’t care about the judging,” Cooper said. “We just really enjoy the people there.” Even though he’s only 6 years old, Kycan is already interested in trucking, and frequently rides along with his dad. As Cooper spoke with The Trucker, he was taking his wife to an appointment while his father picked up a load for him, guided by young Kycan. “He (Kycan) knows the way as well as I do,” Cooper said. “He knows how to get in and out, and where to go to get loaded.” Maintaining 300 head of cattle spread over hundreds of acres takes work, too, but Cooper makes it a family affair. “We like piling in to the side-by-side and driving around the land, looking at the cattle,” he said. “We also spend a lot of time in our pool.” Cooper usually runs freight hauls that get him home nightly. In two hours, he can be in Dallas or Texarkana, Texas; Fort Smith, Arkansas; or nearly to Oklahoma City. “I spend very few nights in the sleeper,” he said. Rattan, Oklahoma is a long way from some of the cities where protests continue, but Cooper has a word for those truckers who are hauling across the country. “Stay safe, and keep your doors locked,” he said.

JACKSON, Ga. — Being an over-the-road truck driver is not always conducive to attending church regularly or following the teachings of one’s religion. Because of this, one organization has set out to help drivers foster their relationship with God — or at the very least, help lead them down that path. Truckstop Ministries, a Jackson, Georgia-based nonprofit organization, was founded in 1981 by truck driver Joe Hunter after he suffered a bad accident and converted to Christianity. Afterwards, he became an ordained minister. However, he quickly discovered that stopping to worship while on the road was no easy task. “Our truck-stop ministry reaches drivers who didn’t have a place to plug into it,” said Traci Isbell, general assistant and webmaster for Truckstop Ministries. “(Joe) started one Bible study at a truck stop in Atlanta, and for the first five years that’s all there was.” Now, almost 40 years later, the organization operates about 72 locations and has operated as many as 84 active locations. Most of the active locations are in Georgia, Florida and California. The ministry’s founder, “Pastor Joe,” died in 2018, and the ministry is now led by David Owen. Truckstop Ministries provides drivers with New Testament Bibles and CD versions of sermons by Hunter or Owen. Isbell, who has been with the ministry for 14 years, said that when she first started the organization was opening its 64th location. She said it’s exciting to open a new location, to see the reports and see how effective it is. At about 30 different locations, the ministry converts used tractor-trailers into chapels that are parked in the facilities’ truck parking lots. Isbell said some Flying J locations allow the ministry to use the TV room for about an hour each week. She said it really depends on the locations and the dependability of the ministry’s volunteer workforce. The COVID-19 pandemic has had an effect on the ministry, Isbell said, adding that each of the 72 locations has responded differently to the crisis. She said at the height of the lockdown there were only about 19 locations open because most of the volunteers are retirees over the age of 65 who are at high risk. “We mostly left it up to the teams and team leaders and let them decide if they wanted to stay open,” Isbell said. “We worked in conjunction with the guidelines and the truck stops. Some of our trailers did have to close, partly because the truck stops asked us to do so.” The chapel in Kingdom City, Missouri, reopened the first week of May after being closed for about six weeks. A few drivers have trickled in since then, Isbell said, but they have mostly spent one-on-one time with the site’s full-time chaplain. Isbell said that even though some locations may remain closed, the Truckstop Ministries prayer line is always open for drivers. “We are trying to be there for the drivers as much as possible. We have answered emails, phone calls and have meetings when we can,” she said. “God is good, and so we have had surprising large and unexpected donations come through. So financially, we are doing well.” One side of the ministry that has not affected by the pandemic is the missionary driver program. Isbell said the ministry has about 15 drivers who offer one-on-one ministry for OTR drivers, and all 15 have remained active throughout the crisis. “They are regular truck drivers — that’s their job — but they are trained ministers and offer one-on-one ministry,” she said. “We have had really good success with it. They’ll share a meal or a cup of coffee with someone and share the gospel.” Isbell said Truckstop Ministries has been modified over the years as the trucking industry has changed. “We’ve had to change with it, or we will miss out,” Isbell said. “With electronic logs and stricter schedules, it is harder for drivers to stop, so we have been focusing more on our one-on-one ministries. It has been pretty exciting to watch it grow.” She said the ministry is effectively using its Facebook page during the pandemic by recruiting volunteers and offering virtual services, adding that Bill Blackman has organized a virtual tent revival with arranged speakers for two or three weeks and an online message every Sunday. Isbell said they have received a lot of positive feedback from people who have watched the videos. “Under normal circumstances, we have a lot of response from drivers, and we try to push out that we are here for them at least by phone,” Isbell said. For more information, visit www.truckstopministries.org.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Pilot Flying J on Aug. 26 announced the winners of its seventh annual Road Warrior contest as part of the company’s kick off to Driver Appreciation month, which begins Sept. 1. After reviewing more than 3,000 entries, Pilot Flying J selected Eric Britton of Clarksville, Tennessee, as the $10,000 grand prize Road Warrior winner. Zdenko Zalac of Clinton, Ohio, and Mona Beedle of Auburndale, Florida, were named the second- and third-place Road Warrior winners, respectively. “Our annual Road Warrior contest is just one way we celebrate and recognize how much professional drivers mean to the world,” said Shameek Konar, chief strategy officer for Pilot Flying J. “Especially during these challenging times, professional drivers are delivering the goods we depend on while going above and beyond to help people and communities along the way,” Konar continued. “Congratulations to Eric, our finalists and all of the drivers who were nominated. You are changing the world one mile at a time and we truly appreciate your hard work to keep North America moving.” A veteran of the U.S. Army, Grand-prize winner Britton spent much of his 15 years of service as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division before becoming a truck driver for the Army. After retiring from the military in 1999, Britton continued his career as a professional driver, joining the team at FirstFleet. He later became a safety driver trainer in addition to driving. In 2018, Britton was recognized by FirstFleet for 2 million safe miles. To honor Britton as the grand prize winner, Pilot Flying J partnered with his FirstFleet and his family to surprise him with the news of his win in a congratulatory video. To view the video, along with Britton’s reaction to the surprise presentation, click here. “To be named the 2020 Road Warrior means so much, and I’m very thankful,” Britton said. “My advice to other drivers is to slow down, take your time, be aware of what’s around you and always display professionalism. It’s truly an honor to represent my company and be recognized in this way. Thank you for believing in me.” As second-place winner, Zalac was awarded $5,000 from Pilot Flying J. Zalac, a 20-year veteran of the trucking industry, has logged more than 3 million accident-free miles and has traveled throughout the 48 contiguous United States plus Alaska. During his years on the road, Zalac has earned a reputation for helping other drivers by buying meals, donating showers and helping with repairs. He is also active in his Ohio community, feeding and donating tents to the homeless as well as providing clothing to the less fortunate. Third-place winner Beedle, a professional driver since 1989 and an advocate for women drivers across the country, was awarded a $2,500 prize. In addition to writing a monthly column for a trucking blog, Beedle is active in Women In Trucking and is the founder of the Trucking Angels for Christ Inc. ministry. Nominators of the grand, second- and third-place winners also received a $500 prize. New this year, Pilot Flying J randomly selected 400 professional drivers from Road Warrior contest entries and rewarded them each with 5,000 myRewards loyalty points, a $50 in-store value, for drivers’ dedication throughout the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. To find out more about the Road Warriors contest, click here.

Always use caution when answering a “help wanted” ad. That’s the advice of trucking veteran Melissa Metcalfe, who found such an ad years ago on a MySpace page, offering a position of “first mate.” It turns out that Ed Metcalfe, now her husband, wasn’t looking for help sailing his Cheoy Lee Ketch; he wanted a life companion. “He’s a sailor,” Melissa explained. “We were married on his boat on 08/08/08 (Aug. 8, 2008) and spent 18 months cruising the Intercoastal Waterway from Kemah, Texas, to Key West, Florida.” Melissa and Ed are still cruising together, but now it’s in their 2020 Volvo. They haul Department of Defense and Department of Energy loads for Tri-State Motor Transport (TMST) in the carrier’s AA&E (arms, ammunition and explosives) division. “We were originally working with SLT (Secured Land Transport) when they merged with Tri-State,” Melissa said. About the cargo they haul, she said, “When you get to where you’re going, they’re glad to see you and they are very professional,” adding, “We don’t do grocery warehouses.” The couple started as company drivers with SLT (Secured Land Transport), which later merged with TMST. “I love working for Tri-State. Within eight months with Tri-State I had been to all 48 states and a couple of Canadian provinces,” Melissa said. “It’s a great company. When the economy went bad due to COVID, the executives took a pay cut and they gave the drivers a raise.” The couple has high praise for Mike Fisk, TSMT’s director of marketing, hiring and development. “He’s our ‘go-to’ guy. Any little issues, he makes it right,” Melissa said, adding, “We also have a dispatcher who has been doing it for 30-plus years. She makes our job so much easier.” About two years ago, the Metcalfes ran the numbers and decided to become owner-operators. They ordered a new truck from Volvo and then waited a year for it to be delivered. “They were slammed (with orders) and we almost gave up, but we finally got it,” Melissa said. The truck is equipped with a 6X2 axle configuration in which the forward drive axle lifts when not needed to support cargo weight. Metcalfe claims the truck achieves 14 mpg bobtail. Melissa’s decision to become a truck driver was natural for her. “I’ve always had a travel bug,” she said. “My brother served in Vietnam and when he came back, he started driving a truck. It was just something that I think I wanted to do because of my big brother.” Melissa was bitten by the “travel bug” much earlier, however. “My father was a pilot for a company that built an oil pipeline in Iran, back in the ‘Shah’ days,” she explained. “We went to all of the big capitals — Paris, Istanbul, everywhere. I remember being with him, chasing camel herds in a Cessna aircraft.” As an adult, however, Melissa chose a different career path. “In my ‘other life’ I was a hairdresser,” she said. “I owned my own salon in Texas. I started having back issues and couldn’t stand at the shampoo bowl anymore.” Melissa also worked as a crew transport driver for Union Pacific Railroad, shuttling train crews between terminals and hotels. “I got to travel through some really beautiful country,” she said. “I wouldn’t want to do that job in a city, but it was great finding the rail terminals in Texas.” Later, Melissa decided to put her skills to use in a tractor-trailer. She enrolled in a CDL school in Houston and chose Schneider National to complete her training. “I heard they had a good training program, so I went there after school and stayed the full year with them to get the experience,” she explained. When her father became ill and needed round-the-clock care, Melissa left the road and drove school buses because the flexible schedule gave her time to care for her father. After the death of her father, she returned to trucking. The Metcalfes travel with a pair of dogs, Misha and Hop. Misha, now 12 years old, is a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, called a “Toller” by many who know the breed. “My husband read an article in a boating magazine about the five best dog breeds for boats,” Melissa explained. “I did some searching and found Misha. She looks like a small golden retriever, but she’s brown and has green eyes.” Misha is well known around the sailing marina as “the dog who swims with dolphins.” Melissa tells the story of how Misha earned this moniker. “Where we were docked, dolphins would use our anchor rope to scratch themselves and Misha would bark at them,” she explained. “One small female was always the last to leave, but one day she just disappeared. When she came back, she had a beautiful baby with her. Misha got so excited that she jumped off the boat into the water.” From that time, whenever the dolphins swam by, the Metcalfes would tie a line to Misha and let her go swimming with her dolphin friends. Hop is a dachshund who “still has a long way to go,” according to Melissa. “He’s like a jack-in-the-box, always jumping,” Melissa said. Hop was named after her children’s favorite uncle. “If you need something shredded, just leave it on the floor around him,” she laughed. Melissa inherited a house from her father and moved her daughter and family into it when she and Ed began team driving. When they went home, however, they found the house rather crowded. So, the couple bought a Hatteras Trawler that is now their home when they come off the road. “We traded sails for twin diesels,” she quipped. The Metcalfes don’t plan on parking the truck any time soon, but when they do, Melissa plans to keep moving. “I don’t see myself sitting in a cubicle, unless the cubicle has a windshield,” she said. Perhaps the couple will return to the water. “We want to make the ‘Great Loop,’ but since the hurricanes there’s a lot of trash, and we decided to wait,” she explained. America’s Great Loop is a 6,000-mile boat tour of the Eastern U.S. and Canada that incorporates the Intercoastal Waterway, the Great Lakes and a variety of rivers and canals. Melissa finds similarities between sailing and trucking. “There’s a code in sailing that’s like a code in trucking,” she said. “If you see somebody in trouble, you help out.” She added, “we can’t always stop, because of what we haul, but we can use the C.B. and communicate with other drivers. You help when you can.” Until the Metcalfes return to sailing, Melissa plans to keep improving her skills. “I’m tenacious,” she said. “I’ll keep doing it until I get it right. I try to learn something new every day.” Whether she’s at the wheel of a tractor-trailer or on a seagoing vessel, Melissa, along with husband Ed, just keeps sailing along.

ATLANTA — Espyr and Hyperice, an innovator in percussion, vibration, compression and thermal technology and producer of high-tech products used by professional athletes, have teamed up to award Hypervolt devices with Bluetooth connectivity to the two top winners of the Fit to Pass Fittest Driver Contest. The Hypervolt massage devices feature a lightweight, ergonomic design and use percussive technology to helps relieve muscle soreness and stiffness, improve range of motion, promote circulation and accelerate warmup and recover, according to the manufacturer, which was recently named the Official Recovery Technology Partner of the NBA. The top winners of the Fittest Driver Contest will also receive custom-made silver belt buckles. The Fittest Driver Contest, which began Aug. 3 and ends Sept. 12, is designed to test the strength and conditioning of professional drivers and get them on the road to better health. The virtual online event challenges drivers to perform as many push-ups as they can in one uninterrupted set. There are separate divisions for men and women, and prizes will be awarded to the top five finishers in each division. To learn more about the competition and register, click here. “Thank you Hyperice for recognizing one of America’s most valuable resources, the professional CDL driver.” Said Rick Taweel, CEO of Espyr. “We believe these men and women who keep America moving are the true road-athletes,” he continued. “Now the two winners will have access to the same recovery devices NBA players and other professional athletes do. Thank you for your support to professional driver health.” Fit to Pass was developed by Espyr and Bob Perry, who is known as The Trucker Trainer, to bring better health to CDL drivers and help them pass the physical recertification exams required by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). Fit to Pass is a year-round coaching program, but for the 90 days leading up to a driver’s DOT re-certification exam, the program intensifies to help the driver pass the test.

HOUSTON — Drivers from across North America have submitted entries for the 38th annual Shell Rotella SuperRigs truck show, which took a virtual format this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Competitors in this year’s show are vying for awards in three judged categories — Tractor, Tractor-Trailer and Classic — as well as the People’s Choice award, which is decided by the fans. The open voting period for the People’s Choice award began today (Monday, Aug. 24) and continues through Friday, Sept. 4. To view this year’s entries and vote for the People’s Choice award, visit the SuperRigs page of the MyMilesMatter website. Fans can vote for their favorite rig once a day, per email address. Much like a traditional truck show, people are encouraged to browse all of the entries to select the truck they like the best and then cast their vote. Judging for each award category will take place Aug. 24 through Sept. 4, and award winners will be announced daily during National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, Sept. 14-18. The People’s Choice winner, along with the person selected by the judges as the Most Hardworking Trucker will also be announced that week.

FORT SMITH, Ark. — ABF Freight, a less-than-truckload carrier that’s part of the ArcBest family of companies, has chosen 15 professional drivers for its 2020-2021 ABF Freight Road Team. To be eligible for the ABF Freight Road Team, candidates must have at least 10 years of driving experience and an exemplary driving record. Local and regional management nominate eligible drivers, and a steering committee makes the final selections. Membership on the ABF Road Team is one of the highest honors an ABF driver can achieve. While serving a two-year term, members of the ABF Road Team are ambassadors for ABF Freight as well as for the trucking industry at large. Team members are available for speaking engagements at civic and fraternal organizations, school events, career days and other events. When called upon, Road Team members speak on topics such as driving safety, the image of the truck driver and sharing the road with trucks. Members of the 2020-2021 ABF Road Team and their service centers, announced Aug. 17, include: Terry Bennett, Ocala, Florida; Bob Bramwell, Sedalia, Missouri; Teddy Butler, Atlanta, Georgia; Todd Grant, Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Kirk Haggard, Little Rock, Arkansas; Dave Hedicker, Dayton, Ohio; Jon Herman, Kansas City, Missouri; Carl Marquez, Albuquerque, New Mexico; Allen McNeely, Charlotte, North Carolina; Matt Meadows, Charleston, West Virginia; Eric Patterson, Phoenix, Arizona; Lonnie Walker, Jackson, Mississippi; David Wiechers, Kansas City, Missouri; Don Wood, Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Ernie Wood, Brattleboro, Vermont. “This is a great group of drivers who display the highest standards of professionalism, and they are focused on safety while on our roads and highways,” said Tim Thorne, president of ABF Freight. “I’m very proud they are representing ABF and the trucking industry.”

“Really, it’s no different than speed limit laws,” David Heller, vice president of government affairs for the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) said of various state laws governing traveling with firearms. “A truck driver may be cruising along at 65 or 70 miles an hour and cross into a state with a lower speed limit.” In such a case, the driver needs to adjust. When it comes to self-defense, carriers also plan for such changes. In coordinating with a team, carrier-employed drivers can use the same tactics to avoid potentially violent situations and plan routes that decrease the likelihood of drivers being placed in unsafe situations that could require the use of self-defense tactics. Your priority as a truck driver is safety. You are concerned for the safety of your truck and cargo, as well as the safety of everyone on the roads. When parked or otherwise stopped, your concern likely shifts to personal safety — protection from someone wishing to do you harm. In the first two parts of this series, we touched on some problems related to traveling with firearms. With those issues in mind, how can you, the driver, work with your carrier to keep you out of harm’s way while on the road? The first and best option is avoidance — a team effort including carrier employees and drivers. Communication is the first line of defense. Your carrier holds a degree of responsibility when it comes to your personal safety as a driver. The effort begins before you’re assigned a route, and it continues until you return to the point of origin. Before your trucks leaves a terminal, a route planner should work with you to develop a path of travel that takes into account road conditions, construction zones, lane blockages and similar factors. Your personal safety while traveling should be a priority as well. The availability of safe, secure parking areas is important, as is avoiding areas with high crime rates or recent violent acts against truck drivers. Arrival times planned around a destination’s hours of business also come into play. Drivers, dispatchers and customers need to combine knowledge to choose a travel plan as efficient and safe as possible. During the time between your departure and your return, constant communication is vital. “Drivers, customers, dispatchers and route planners need to communicate and pay attention to industry news and information feeds impacted a planned route of travel,” Heller said. Routes may need to be adjusted because of road-blocking accidents, unexpected construction zones or issues you learn from chatter on your CB radio. If you reach your destination before opening hours, you should work with your team to find a safe place to park. As several cases have proven, choosing to park in unsafe locations for even a couple of hours can be a fatal decision. When push comes to shove, unarmed drivers have options for self-defense. Perhaps the most-often considered tool for self-defense is a tire iron, and sleeping with one within arm’s reach is perfectly legal. Another everyday item you likely carry aboard you truck is a broom. While any broom can be used to offer some protection, you should consider purchasing one with a fiberglass or metal handle. A household broom with a wooden handle is likely to break after one swing; a metal or fiberglass handle can knock your attacker out cold. As a driver, you carry various tools on your truck to make repairs or to provide a means of escape in the case of accidents. Pry bars, hammers and even large wrenches are not likely to break, and they can help you escape a potentially dangerous situation. A number of manufacturers design simple tools, such as tire gauges, that play double-duty for self-defense. Tire gauges built into the handles of clubs, special umbrellas and knives are options. Even a jackknife can be enough to deter a potential attacker — but make sure you know how and when to use it. “Pepper spray” or similar gels may be your choice of tools for self-defense. These devices come in sizes and forms ranging from those disguised as pencils or carried on keychains to those the size of small fire extinguishers. When discharged, the liquid or gel can disable an approaching criminal through ingestion or when the substance comes in contact with the eyes. The best sprays have ranges of at least 20 feet and do not require a direct hit to be effective. Take care when selecting a spray device. You need a product strong enough to disable an individual under the influences of alcohol or drugs. While any spray is better than none, law-enforcement-grade sprays are available online or from stores specializing in self-defense products. Some self-defense product vendors sell self-defense packages or kits. Items included in the kits include extendable steel batons that can be used as a striking tool or glass breaker. Some have pointed tips that can inflict pain on an attacker. Other items found in kits include pepper spray and a “ready knife,” a plastic knife you hold in the palm of your hand, ready to be used if an altercation becomes physical. Finally, a flashlight with stun gun capabilities is another choice of self-defense for many drivers. Let’s talk tasers. The TASER, a brand name now used as a common term to describe a self-defense tool producing electric current, has been growing in popularity in the U.S. Similar to stun guns based on technology first developed in 1745, tasers came along about 1970. Stun guns inflict pain and are useful when the device touches an attacker, but tasers are effective from distances up to 30 feet. They come in various shapes and sizes; many are similar to handguns and are carried in holsters. They are becoming a first choice of defense in law-enforcement agencies, with protocols guiding officers as to whether nonlethal or lethal force is needed. While tasers are affordable and, for the most part, reliable, state laws related to tasers differ nationwide. All but five states and districts consider tasers to be legal without a permit. The others — Hawaii, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and Washington, D.C. — have banned tasers. Other states do not ban them, but Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Connecticut, Delaware, New Mexico and North Carolina all have requirements ranging from permits to background checks and specific locations where tasers can be carried. As with firearms, it pays to be familiar with state laws before choosing to carry tasers while traveling. And training is all important. Choose a shield, not a sword. Regardless of the self-defense tool you choose to employ as a truck driver, you should be thoroughly familiar with it and how it can used in self-defense. If necessary, undergo training for specific devices such as pepper spray and tasers. A self-defense course is always a good idea. Keep in mind, by definition a self-defense tool is a “shield” for defense, not a “sword” for offense. While the line between defense and offense can cross in a violent situation, as you plan, remember lethal force is a last resort. As your father may have taught you, a “jab in the eye with a sharp stick” is enough to neutralize most any attacker.

WILMINGTON, N.C. — On Aug. 7, Cape Fear Community College (CFCC) celebrated a milestone for 19 students as they successfully graduated from the school’s truck-driver training program. Truck-driver training, formerly a curriculum program at the college, is now part of the school’s continuing education division, making it a more affordable and accessible option for prospective students. The truck-driver training program prepares students to drive tractor-trailers rigs, teaching them proper driving procedures, safe driver responsibility, commercial motor-vehicle laws and regulations, and the basic principles and practices for operating commercial vehicles. Graduates of the program are qualified to take the commercial driver’s license (CDL) exam and gain employment with commercial trucking companies. They may also choose to become owner-operators and work as private-contract haulers. “You see it everywhere: ‘Truck Drivers Wanted,’” said John Downing, vice president of economic and workforce development at CFCC. “It’s a privilege to train individuals for this in-demand trade, and we take pride in not only training individuals to obtain their CDL, but also building character and confidence in our students.” One of the program’s recent graduates, Arthur Morgan, had a Class B license and was driving box trucks for a Baltimore-based nonprofit when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. He decided to use additional downtime caused by the pandemic to pursue a truck-driver training certificate from CFCC and apply for a Class A CDL. Morgan said he was motivated by the trucking industry’s perpetual job opportunities and flexibility as well as by the CFCC program’s reputation and affordability, and that he was confident in his investment. Through the program’s evening class option, he was able to manage a day job till take classes. In less than 10 weeks’ time, Morgan learned to successfully maneuver a 53-ft tractor-trailer and obtained his Class A CDL. “The first week, you’re like a scared child behind the wheel of a 53-ft tractor-trailer,” he said. “Then, once you graduate — your head’s big now and you’re a confident, grown man!” The next CFCC truck-driver training class with available space begins Sept. 3. For additional class dates, registration information and costs, click here.

PLOVER, Wisc. — Women In Trucking (WIT) has named Rochelle Montes as its August member of the month. Montes is chief import operations officer for Terminal Transfer Inc. in Portland, Oregon, as well as a military wife and the mother of two boys. Montes gained an interest in the logistics industry as a child in Yakutat, a commercial fishing community in southeastern Alaska that was accessible to the outside world only by boat or plane. Because of this, she said, her hometown was frequented mainly by fishermen and locals, and supplies were anxiously awaited by the community. “You grow up to do one of a few things if you are lucky enough — work for the cannery, the K-12 school, logging, the local (Alaskan) native corporation and a few other limited opportunities,” she said, adding that the opportunities seemed slim and her mother wanted more for her at a young age. After relocating to Oregon, a whole new world opened up to Montes, an Alaskan Native who says looking “different” was an obstacle but that she found comfort in being a tomboy, something that she feels was an advantage while pursuing her career in a “man’s industry.” At the age of 17, while still attending high school, Montes began her first logistical job in distribution, where she learned the basics of inventory, discrepancies, shipping, receiving, dock doors and trucks. In 2000, she took an entry-level job at Terminal Transfer, the company to which she ultimately would circle back to years later and discover her lifetime career. Pushing paper, answering phones and checking in drivers were part of her daily tasks as an entry-level worker, and she soon took on additional responsibilities. After moving into the international side of transportation, working hand in hand with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for inspections and compliance on ocean import cargo became Montes’ new-found passion. Montes was recruited by Nike World Headquarters at the age of 21, and it was there she gained a lifetime of experience and appreciation for logistics. Working with nationwide distribution centers, routing guides, transportation providers and retailers provided an incredible insight on the true-behind-the scenes consumer products timeline, she said. “Not only was it a privilege to be a part of the Nike culture and surrounded by top athletes of the world, but Nike also helped me to embrace my heritage and feminism in a way I never had before,” she said. “Something I had often felt ashamed of had now become some of my strongest attributes.” In 2006, Montes had her first child, who was born with several medical complications and required multiple operations. This forced her to leave her dream job at Nike to be with her son during a trying time. Montes said she tried to “find her identity” and a new career path that would be in line with her new lifestyle as a mother of a child with special needs. She became a massage therapist, but struggled to connect with this new industry. Then, Montes was asked to help her father get his trucking company established. Before she knew it, she was running a full trucking operation out of her home in Spokane, Washington, in charge of dispatching four over-the-road trucks, processing oversize permits, accounting, payroll, mileage, taxes —the works. Montes said she “couldn’t get enough,” and was quickly drawn back into trucking. Once she got her father’s operation rolling, he was ready to take over the reins. Shortly after this, in 2011, Montes was contacted by Terminal Transfer. The company needed her to come back and help while one of the company’s owners was ill with breast cancer. Montes relocated her family back to Portland to take the job. “Given this huge new array of knowledge from the many new perspectives I had the blessing to obtain, I brought a significant piece of the puzzle with me and quickly moved up the ladder (at Terminal Transfer),” she said. Montes is now celebrating nine years back with the company and has been an officer since 2017. “I am blessed to have found a company who embraces and celebrates women in the industry,” she said. In addition, Montes has had the privilege of taking part in regular speaking engagements at the Columbia River Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association (CRCBFA), Agriculture Transportation Coalition (AgTC) and Western Cargo Conference (WESCCON) annual conferences. “I have been blessed to help inspire other women, women of minority and women without college education, that you can make something of yourself in the trucking industry. You can be a success if you have the right drive, mindset and willingness to do what it takes to do what others won’t. Be willing to get out on a forklift, lump boxes, ride with drivers, get all the certifications you can,” Montes said. “Soak up every piece, even if you don’t think it would be of value, do it anyway. Get dirty, because that willingness to be a team player and show your integrity may just stand out amongst people who aren’t willing,” she continued. “It is our duty as women to help bring up the next generation of women leaders, coach them, prepare them and most of all change the stigma that this is a man’s industry.”

GLADWIN, Mich. — The phrase “living the dream” is usually spoken as a whimsical answer to the question, “How are you?” In the case of one Michigan trucker, however, the statement rings true. “I knew, when I was in 6th grade, that I wanted to drive a truck,” said owner-operator Jeremy Ward. “I’ve never wanted to do anything else.” Ward lives in Gladwin, Michigan, about 80 miles north of Lansing, with his wife, two daughters and a stepson. When he’s not spending time with the family, he’s driving his 1995 Peterbilt 379, which is equipped with a Caterpillar 3406E engine and an 18-speed transmission. It’s a special truck, but more for its history than its make and model. “I was in high school and I saw this truck going down the highway,” Ward said. “I told my dad about the Kawasaki-green paint job and the checkered flag, and he said he couldn’t picture it. A year later, he ended up buying it.” Ward said his father sold the truck — but not before putting more than a million miles on it. Even then, the company that bought the truck hired Ward’s father to drive it for two more years. The truck became part of the family history. While this was happening, Jeremy was busy with his own trucking company, Wild Ride Express, which he started in 2005. He had built the company to four trucks when the Great Recession hit in late 2007. With loads hard to come by and freight rates too low to operate, Ward sold his equipment and drove for someone else. However, he never lost the desire to operate on his own. In 2014, Ward was presented with the opportunity to buy back his father’s Peterbilt from the company it had been sold to. He ended up with a lease-purchase deal, driving his father’s truck for the company his dad had worked for. Ward now owns two trucks; he drives one and his dad drives the other. Currently, the trucks are leased to Indianapolis-based VTI Specialized, at least until the economy recovers. Pulling flatbeds, the two haul prefabricated building sections out and pick up whatever is available for a backhaul. Ward said he has put a lot of effort into his Peterbilt, repainting everything except the distinctive checkered flags that adorn the sides, which he sanded and clear-coated. He also added lime-green lighting designed by American SuperLite in North Hollywood, California. Diesel Freaks in Gaylord, Michigan, took care of the engine work. The 3406E engine now puts out 800 horsepower, creating enough torque to break the gears in the 13-speed transmission Ward replaced. In fact, the entire drive train, from differentials forward, is new. Although the truck is definitely show quality, Ward hasn’t entered it in any truck shows. “I don’t know,” he said, “I’d rather go see the shows and watch everyone else. I don’t like the attention; I’d rather be a spectator.” At the suggestion of the staff at Diesel Freaks, Ward entered the Great Lakes Big Rig Challenge at Michigan’s Onaway Motor Speedway. Participating in the bobtail drag-racing competition, he won two preliminary rounds before being eliminated. “It was a great experience, and I’m glad I did it,” he said. When he isn’t driving or working on his equipment, Ward spends time with his family. “I’m no different than anyone else,” he explained. “I’m really a homebody.” That home includes 25 acres and a shop he is building to work on his own trucks. He enjoys hunting when time permits, and likes to use his bodywork talents to help out friends and neighbors. With the ups and downs of the trucking economy, Ward has no plans to expand. “I’m in a good place right now,” he explained. “I don’t plan on growing. It creates more headaches.” Ward misses the old days of trucking, particularly the camaraderie between drivers. “It used to be like a brotherhood. Drivers would talk to one another on the C.B. and stop for coffee together. Now, everyone is in a rush,” he said, adding that he blames ELDs for some of the difference. To promote engagement between drivers, Ward started and administers the Facebook group “All-Out Trucking,” dedicated to drivers and people who love the trucking lifestyle. The page currently has more than 2,600 members. The rules are simple: No nudity, racism, politics or “raunchiness.” Members are asked to refrain from criticizing others for what they drive or who they drive for. Ward echoed this sentiment to The Trucker. “We’re all out here doing a job,” he said. “I never cut someone down for what they drive. We’re supposed to be a brotherhood.” Ward said he plans to continue working on his truck but would like to buy a newer one so his current ride can be retired and worked on at leisure. He said may even enter the show circuit.

JOPLIN, Mo. — “We live in a beautiful country, and trucking is a great way to see it.” Those words might sound like a recruiting pitch to some, and in a way, they are. They’re the heartfelt advice of Debra LaBree, a professional driver and business owner, and Women in Trucking’s (WIT’s) July member of the month. LaBree and husband Del own Castle Transport LLC, based in the Joplin, Missouri, area, and drive as a team, partnered with Landstar. LaBree’s trucking career has seen her behind the wheel for 1.4 million safe miles, and she has received multiple awards from Landstar. She also serves on the WIT Board of Directors and is a member of the WIT Image Team. She’s an administrator of the organization’s Facebook page and has represented the group and the industry in the press, on the radio and in an appearance on NBC’s “Today” show. Like many professional drivers, LaBree’s working years started in another field. “I was a cosmetologist for 16 years,” she told The Trucker. “I loved it.” And, like so many drivers, there came a time when a career change was the right decision. “My husband was a heavy equipment operator, and when homebuilding collapsed, we started looking for a new career,” she explained. “He asked me what I’d like to do, and I said, ‘I’ve always wanted to drive a truck.’” Her decision was no surprise to her family. “When I was a child, I couldn’t wait to drive a car. I wanted to drive anything — motorcycles, go-carts — anything that moved,” she said. “When I saw those beautiful big trucks on the highway, I knew I would drive one someday.” So, LaBree and her husband decided to give it a try. She enrolled in the CDL program at a community college in Fort Scott, Kansas — and soon learned about the obstacles women face in the male-dominated industry. “I was the only female student, and the instructors were old-school truckers who assumed that I was only getting a CDL to be a second log book for my husband,” she said. “When I’d ask questions about some subjects, they’d tell me I didn’t need to learn that because my husband would take care of it.” That didn’t sit well with LaBree, who insisted on learning everything about the job. Her husband Del was already driving and she used his truck to supplement what she learned at school. “My father told me that if I was going to own a car, I needed to learn how to change a tire, put gas in it, change wiper blades and take care of it,” she explained. She had the same attitude about trucking. “When I walked away from the testing center with my new CDL, there was no better way to show them that I could do it,” she said. LaBree counsels new drivers to learn as much as possible. “I stress to everyone, learn the entire job. You never know when you’ll need those skills,” she said, giving an example of single mothers who earn their living driving a truck. As a member of WIT’s Image Team, LaBree often has the opportunity to speak to groups of students who are considering careers in trucking. She’s also been interviewed by the New York Times and on Sirius Satellite radio. During Truck Driver Appreciation Week in 2018, she was invited to appear on the “Today” show, where she was interviewed by Megyn Kelly — who had a big surprise in store. Kelly announced that Shell Rotella, a sponsor of the show, had awarded $10,000 to LaBree. “We were hoping for maybe a free oil change,” LaBree said with a laugh. As an administrator for WIT’s 10,000 member Facebook group, LaBree has seen a lot of positive posts, as well as some ugliness. “There’s always a cyber bully or someone to push the limits,” she explained. “Negativity spreads fast.” To crack down on the abusers, she says, WIT had to get tough with some policy changes. “We had to have a zero tolerance in some things. There’s no arguing or conflict; our page is like a ‘safe zone,’” she explained. When she isn’t online or speaking to other truckers, LaBree is content with life on the road. “I married my best friend,” she said. “We joke that we’ve been married 15 years — and that’s 30 TRUCKING years. Most couples don’t see each other nearly as much.” The couple shares their home away from home with a few furry friends. “We have three wiener dogs; they’re truck dogs,” she explained. Lucy, Matti and Snickerdoodle (Snickers for short) make life interesting. “It’s great. It makes us get out of the seat and go outside to walk them,” LaBree said. “That stretching and exercise helps a lot.” Among the causes she supports is a woman’s shelter in Missouri, where she has volunteered in the past. “I love volunteer work. I think it’s very rewarding,” she said, noting that the trucking lifestyle makes it harder to participate. “I miss the hands-on (activity), but we can help financially.” LaBree also supports the Midwest Dachshund Rescue in Illinois along with other animal groups. When they’re not on the road, the couple enjoy camping and fishing, or visiting family. LaBree said she likes to read, usually on her iPad, whenever possible. LaBree has a message for her trucking co-workers during this period of shutdowns and social distancing. “Thank you,” she said. “I know what we’re all going through. We’re fighting the good fight, during this difficult time. For me, it’s still an honor to do that.” LaBree also offered praise for the WIT organization. She’s especially grateful for the relationships she has found through the group. “They have stuck to their mission. Sometimes organizations fall away from their purpose, but WIT has stayed the course,” she said. “I’ve made wonderful friendships through WIT. Their support is so important.” LaBree has no plans to change her lifestyle any time soon. She plans to keep trucking and giving back to the industry she represents.