I knew I could do this job from the beginning and honestly you don’t need to be a big burly guy to do it. At first, I was a little intimidated by the sheer size of the truck, but I quickly learned it’s not. I meet a lot of women on the road and there are more of us than you might think. My view on trucking is probably different than most too. I’m using this truck to fund the rest of my life. The money I make now is being used to fund my dreams of buying a Tennessee farm in the future. I know exactly what I want to do with my life and this truck is helping make that dream happen.
Cheri
I like my truck and I take good care of it. I’m a big car guy. I grew up in the 50’s and 60’s. My parents had a couple of hamburger stands back in the 50’s in Long Beach— they were drive-ins. Being an 8 or a 9 year-old, guys would come in with their hot rods circling around, and they would pick me up and let me make the cruise with them… and I was just like ‘wow’… just in love. As I got older, I felt like I always saw truck drivers paying for stuff with wads of hundred dollar bills and I thought ‘I need to get me some of that,’ and that’s how I got started.
I always wanted to be a truck driver— my dad was a truck driver. I tried construction, and it wasn’t for me. I was never the type of person to stay in one place, so, that’s how I got into trucking. I started back in ’94, 24 years or so of that has been tankers. Once I started pulling tankers, I knew that was it for me.
Since I was a kid, I always was interested in truck driving. My dad said, ‘You don’t know what you’re talking about’ when I told him. I worked construction for about 10 years and I got tired of getting laid off all the time, no benefits, no health insurance. I was just a number out there. I picked up the paper one day and seen trucking. You get all the benefits, and it’s steady, year-round, so I went for it.
When I was younger, it was either get drafted or volunteer, so I volunteered. I wanted to be a paratrooper. So I did 2 tours of Vietnam as a paratrooper. I got out of the service on a Monday, and I started driving trucks on Tuesday. I had one kid, and another on the way. I had to support my family.
As a young man, before I got into driving, I only traveled maybe 50 miles from where I was born and raised. I had never been anywhere, but then I started driving. I got into it figuring I’d do it for 3 years, make some big money— just long enough to save for a down payment on a house. Well, I got into it and liked it so well… I’m still doing it. My dad called it ‘white line fever,’ and it was. The open road is, for me a sense of freedom. It’s exciting. The scenery, the wildlife. The people. Travelling through different areas, going through the different seasons… I love the snow. You gauge people pretty good watching them drive in snow.
Before I started driving, I was a welder. Then the company went broke. They started paying us less and less, and got to the point where they couldn’t pay us at all. After that, I went to college. I wanted to be a doctor, or a teacher but I had to leave school because my parents couldn’t pay the bills.
This truck here, I bought it in December of 1997. I’ve had her for over 21 years. She’s got roughly 2.5 million miles on her with only one major overhaul. It’s a good truck. They’re built to last if you take care of them. I love this job. There’s nothing like it. You have freedom for one thing. You keep to yourself. Everything’s scheduled. You don’t have to sit around like regular freight. The pay is better. It’s good.
For those not familiar with the trucking industry, look inside somebody’s cab. Attitude and appearance tell me who they are as drivers. If they can’t take care of themselves, they won’t be able to take care of their product. It’s important to me— it’s just important. People tell me ‘you’re just a truck driver.' I say ‘no. It’s escalated. In our industry, most guys just bump a dock and they won’t even get out of the truck because there’s somebody else to unload it. Ours is different. The tanker, the chemicals, the credentials. You can’t spill anything.
I’m a really careful tanker driver. After all of these years of driving— it’s kind of hard to explain, but when I’m on the road, I can tell what’s going to happen before it happens… it just takes a lot of experience. It’s not easy. You need some experience before your become a tanker driver. Driving a tanker is just another level, I love it.
Today is a beautiful day. 40 degrees, the sun is shining. The weather conditions are beautiful. I like nature. There’s nothing like seeing a sunrise or sunset as you’re traveling down the open highway. It’s a beautiful thing. So many people take that for granted. When the weather is right, traffic is flowing, the truck is performing good, and I’m experiencing nature— it feels like that’s where I’m supposed to be. It’s an almost spiritual connection.
I retired from the fire department after 30 years and wanted something to do, so I started driving. I started with a van, but since I had hazmat experience, I got into tankers at First Choice. The whole team is great. I probably talk to 2 to 3 drivers a day just to see how they’re doing, what they’re doing. They call me, I call them. I talk to dispatch. I go into the office and talk to all of them. They’re like family to me.
I’m big on mentorship and talking to other drivers. If you’re just starting out and someone is teaching you— listen to what they are telling you. Observe what they are showing you. No radio, no headsets. Just focus on what the instructor is teaching you. The elders who have been here 15-20 years, they know the routes and know what they’re doing. You can always learn from them and get advice.
I was an aircraft mechanic in the Air Force, and got out in ‘95. I injured my back in the service, but I needed to find a job that I could support my family. I’m not one to sit still, so I got my CDL in 1997. I drove tankers for a number of years, then took a break when my younger brother got brain cancer. I took care of him until his passing. He was 3 years younger than me and we were best friends. It was the toughest thing I’ve ever had to do. So after that it was like ‘Ok, time to go back to driving a truck.’
I drive ISO tanks and have been with First Choice for 9 years now. Today, I’m hauling pyridine. It’s a flammable corrosive. There are so many types of trucking, but tankers are the most dangerous. The people you want to put in your tanker need to be extra attentive— extra responsible. They need to be attentive to your surroundings, other people, the product you’re hauling. There’s nothing like tanking. It’s dangerous, but safe if you know what you’re doing.
If I could describe this job in a song I’d have to say “Old Man” by Neil Young. In it, Neil compares a young man’s life to an old mans. I used to pour concrete and as a young man I saw a lot of the old timers complain about their sore knees and back pain. I decided I didn’t want to head down that path so I signed up for CDL school and driving trucks became my thing.
I’ve been working in the trucking business for about 8 years now. Prior to that I worked in concrete and tore my back up pretty bad which put me out of work. I was off for about a year and that landed me here behind the wheel. After 30 years of concrete, this is like a paid vacation. I no longer have to babysit a crew and I can enjoy the open roads in peace.
I’m not just a truck driver, I’m a pastor too. On occasion, my sermons will involve some stories from the road. For example, one time, I preached about pressing on even when it seems like you’re not going to get to your destination. Sometimes it takes a long time, but if you keep pressing on you’ll get there. Be patient and God will get you there.
I retired from the used car business. After 35 years, I just got bored with it and got into trucking. Since then I’ve always been on tankers. Tanking is a different game, but once you learn it and understand it, you stick with it. I think there’s this fear about driving tanks, but to me, it’s something to be proud of.
I’ve been doing this trucking gig for 37 years. When I first started everyone hauled stone and you worked your way up. Tanking was considered to be top of the line. Now it’s hard to get people wanting to do tanks which I’ll never understand. There is a lot of opportunity in tanking and honestly anyone can do it and can do pretty well with it too.
With 100 trucks in the fleet, you never know what you’re going to find when you pull one of these tires off. It’s my job to inspect, repair, and repeat daily. Trucks and trailers are flying in and out of here every hour, so it’s important that I catch them in the turnarounds to keep them moving safely.
I come from a family of drivers and I still remember riding with my dad more than 75 years ago. Since then, I’ve come to live my life around trucks. I’ve had good ones, bad ones, pretty ones, and ugly ones. As I approach my last haul here at 82, I get anxious, but also sad. It’ll break my heart to walk away from this, but I’m truly thankful for the millions of miles of travel, each accident-free.
The secret to dispatching is patience and listening. It’s about putting yourself in the shoes of the driver and listening to their needs. Most of my drivers have sleeper cabs and are away from their families for days or weeks at a time. It’s my job to listen to what they’re asking and try to meet their requests.
I’m 28 and relatively new to driving. I used to clean tanks, but after 5 years I needed something more. I never liked driving, especially long distances, but once I started driving a truck my view changed. It’s relaxing and relatively stress-free. Sure, it can get tiring at times, but I call my wife and the time flies. My 6-year-old son even thinks it’s cool and that makes me proud.
Two years ago I got rid of my house, most of my belongings, and a lot of headaches. Today, I’m what most people call a nomad, but don’t let that fool you. I live on the open road in complete luxury where every day is an adventure. I'm comfortable and free from the stress of everyday life. This truck behind me is helping me fulfill my dream of living debt free on a piece of land somewhere in the South, off the grid and doing whatever I please. Life is good!
I’ve been a mechanic for over 20 years and I still remember when my Dad told me I needed to go to college if I didn't want to get dirty. It makes me chuckle to this day. Little did he know I wanted to be just like him. He was the cool guy that worked on cars, built dune buggies, and rebuilt motors for fun in the garage. That’s who I wanted to become!
Nine years ago I wanted to give back to the trucking community. Together with a few other drivers, we started a toll-free truck conference call where drivers could call in whenever they want to connect. Today, more than 400 drivers call in regularly throughout the day to talk, laugh, and sometimes cry. We all go by our CB handles and we’re there to support each other when it's needed most!
I get a lot of my work ethic and drive from my grandfather— he always said ‘No one’s going to give you anything, you’ve got to go out there and earn it yourself.’ He was in the Navy, and was always a scheduled man. Me and him had a lot in common. I will go over my trip planning 6, 7, 8 times even when I’m on the road and go ‘Okay, where am I stopping tonight, what am I doing?’ Everything has to be planned.