One of the benefits of trucking I feel, is meeting new people that have the same love for trucking that I do. Unfortunately, the industry has changed a lot in the last few years and more than not, most people keep to themselves and don’t converse like they use to. Years back you would talk to people for information, knowledge, and companionship because another trucker was all that you had out here, miles from home. Sadly, I feel the new breed of truckers coming into the industry are missing out on what I have known, and grown up with. Qual-com, cell phones, and computers are keeping people in touch with family and friends at home, and most depend on that rather than making new friends within the industry.
Luckily though, my last couple runs have been full of new people and I have been able to spend time with people that are worth their weight in gold. I consider them friends, and I know if they saw Rosie sitting somewhere they would stop to visit or if I was sitting on the side of the road in trouble they would help me in a heart beat and I would do the same for them. I learned a lot, they made me laugh, and hopefully I did the same for them.
I met these two guys in Barstow California a few weeks ago. We spent a good part of the first day we met standing in a parking lot bullshitting, and since we were staying at the same hotel the next day we run into each other and spent a majority of the day talking trucks by the pool. These guys live just 70 miles south of me (small world ha?) and being we were all from Minnesota we really enjoyed the warm weather, even slightly feeling bad for our families sitting back in cold Minnesota.
You can find more truck pictures in the photo section!
I spent yesterday afternoon with this family (sorry I didn’t get you into this photo Ruth). First off, this cool 1979 International that was looking oh, so sweet is what got me over to the truck in the first place to take pictures. You don’t see too much old iron on the road these days. The cool thing was that there was a family of four in it, and they were younger than me… Now days it seems most people don’t even know a truck unless it’s a Volvo or Freightliner with an automatic… Needless to say, I was really impressed.
The family was top notch good people and we spend a good part of the afternoon talking trucks, watching the kids play, and taking pictures of trucks. I was also invited to have supper with them which I thoroughly enjoyed. Thank you!
By the end of the day we ended up with 3 flat top Peterbilts, one very bad International and a ton of good people!
To me, this is what trucking is all about!
Bethany, this is probably what I miss most about trucking. Now that I am pulling LTL deliveries, I rarely have time to sit and enjoy meeting new people. Running in the North East, I have noticed 2 types. As you say, the new breed which are using technology to keep in touch, but at the same time, they seem to have a grievance with the industry. The most you hear out of them is complaints…But if you look harder, you will still find the courteous friendly heroes of the highway. I too, love to chat with these people, it brings back a much needed sense of harmony. Love your blog!! And especially your attitude!!
The Cabover Transtar is wicked cool. It has character that you just don’t see anymore in any transportation genre. “They don’t make em like they used to” is appropriate even for the big rigs.
Bethany, I am typing from my phone since J is hogging the laptop. We are in the dock waiting to load, looking at your website and talking about how glad we are to have met you! All of us look forward to keeping in touch, and enjoying your website. Your pictures are AMAZING, and your wit and humor really put a fun spin on things. Keep up the wonderful work of letting the world know what trucking is REALLY about!
Well, after reading Heather Rose’s blog and following the two of you, Bethany and Terry, I see I am just a babe in the woods.
I do know of the nostalgia and comardarie of which you speak, the good ol’ days. While ya’ll were learning to drive, making your history in the industry I was on my own path. The comardarie and nostalgia I developed in the military from 1974-1994; and then from 1994 -2006 I found the same as a Firefighter/Paramedic. Now, here I am searching for the same as a driver.
I want you both to know, that to me, you both represent what is good in America, in the blue collar worker, in the Transportation Industry. You both have openly befriended me on Twitter. You both show me I have made the right decision in joining your ranks.
I only hope I can find more people like you.
Kind Regards
Tanker Yanker
joe
Awesome, I like to meet new people when I’m out on the road. Enjoy your stories and the pictures, too.
Bonnie
@blczz999 (on Twitter)
Wow, loved the pics taken at night with all the lighting on. I am not a driver, but I have noticed that you rarely see cabovers` anymore. Just the conventionals.
Keep on truckin` people. You all do such a wonderful job on the road, you are family to each other.
Glad you’re back! Love reading your adventures.
We love meeting people too! It keeps is real and makes our life so full. Too often you say good morning to another driver and they don’t even aknowledge that you said anything. Then there’s times when a bunch if drivers get together for a cookout and someone will allways come up and say how nice it is to see that kinda thing cause they don’t see it much anymore. We has a cookout in a micigan truckstop last summer that lasted the entire weekend. We had 8 drivers involved! It was great. We had a nice supper, breakfast the next morning and more grill cooking that night. We set up a canopy with lawn chairs and a 36″ flatscreen on a cooler wIth an extention chord and watched movies all day. We even had popcorn. Times like that are golden. You seem like a real sweetheart and o hope to run into you someday!