By Bryan Jones - President at Getloaded.com

Life on the road is tough.  Don’t kid yourself if you think otherwise.  Most people get excited about the notion of doing a road trip only to get two days into it and realize it really isn’t that glamorous after all.  And those folks usually sleep at a hotel, not in the back of the vehicle.  I’ve done several lengthy road trips over the years, most associated with my days moving around while in the Navy.  I’ve driven cross country (Richmond to San Diego) and back.  The first time was with my wife and two dogs and the second time I drove solo.  My wife and two dogs were smart and flew. 

I got through the long trips listening to talk shows, sporting events and music.  When I drove back from San Diego to Richmond it was in October and I listened to college football and the baseball playoffs.  When a game wasn’t on, I usually tuned into a talk show.  I never called in, but by the third day I was ready to.  I quickly realized that a radio show can become your talking buddy during those long stretches.  Time goes by much faster when you are engaged in something. 

Eddie, David, and I just returned from our road trip.  We visited several truck stops, shared some laughs, and managed to not kill each other.  My son saw the video from the first leg and said we were just a bunch of kids.  He’s right, but how can you resist pulling by a tracker trailer and giving the old yank to see if the driver will honk the horn.  Hard to believe no one wanted to converse with Eddie.  David and I think it was “user error” with the CB.

Long drives are definitely easier when you can rotate drivers and carry on a conversation though the talking dwindled as the trip went along.  The final leg home was pretty quiet.  We were still on good speaking terms, but I think we all knew that silence was probably best if we wanted to finish the trip on good note.  My hats off to the spouses that ride along and the drivers who allow them to.  Talk about a great way to test the strength of your relationship.  Perhaps that should be a requirement before you get married.  You must go on a minimum three day road trip with your spouse to be.  I wonder how many relationships would end after the trip.

We met several drivers who had brought their spouses along on trips and were still married.  Those folks were a few of the great people we met along the way.  We met two gentlemen that hauled gold, silver, diamonds, and the paper that money is made on.  Sounds really cool, but they are a prime hijacking target.  Every day, they wake up wondering if today is the day someone is going to try to steal their trailer. They are not alone as countless drivers carrying valuable goods do the same thing every day.  It’s not the movies, it’s real!  That is a stress that most people don’t understand or have to deal with. 

They can’t just release their stress at the local gym, either.  How a trucker can stay healthy out on the road is beyond me.  The best workout comes from parking your truck at the farthest point away from the truck stop and walking.  After driving for hours, would you want to park really far away from the restroom?  I didn’t think so.  And the food is another issue.  Sure there were healthy options on the menus, but they were few and far between.  On the road trips I did, a good meal was something to look forward to.  Personally I don’t get excited about ordering a small garden salad.  I commend David on eating real man food while we were out.  See David’s Italian Sausage hoagie on Twitter (insert link).  He had a funny look on his face after that meal.  The look basically said, “I’m not sure what I just put in my body and I may pay for it later.” 

None of that seemed to bother the truckers we met.  In fact, one thing that really impressed me was the sense of pride each driver had with what he/she was doing and the vehicle he/she was driving.  Almost every trucker that filled up for gas also cleaned his/her truck.  Not just the windshields, he/she wiped off the headlights, polished the chrome, checked the tires, and so forth.  Their truck wasn’t just their “office”, it was their home away from home and they wanted to keep it looking sharp. 

After they filled up with gas, they headed in to pay.  Most of us walk into a truck stop simply with our wallet to pay for gas and buy a snack or something to drink.  The truckers we saw walked in with a duffle bag.  They were headed in to do laundry, take a shower, or brush their teeth.  Things we take for granted because we get to do those things at home. 

The folks we talked with were very proud to be Americans. I think deep down they understand that trucking is a thankless job, but one of tremendous importance to our country.  They take the keys, jump in the rig, and make the long haul so that the biscuits are there in the morning when you pull through the drive-thru and order a bacon, egg and cheese meal.  They recognize that in so many ways, they help keep the country moving.  It reminded me of some proud memories from the Navy.  I remember watching 18-20 year old men and women running as fast as they could to save another when they heard “man down” called over the intercom system.  I walked away from each truck stop very proud to be an American.  We are facing very challenging economic times, but we are in this together and hard work will prevail.      

I was very impressed with how in tune everyone was with the economy.  Most were very opinionated about what needed to change.  They knew the towns that had been hit hard and why.  They knew the companies that were on the bubble and how many drivers might lose their jobs.  They feel the pain that we read about every day.  When their trucks are empty, something isn’t being bought or made, and they know it. 

These are professionals in every sense of the word.  They take their job seriously and know that what they are doing makes a huge difference in our day to day lives and to our country as a whole.  And their job is not as easy one.  The average American, according to WikiAnswers.com, drives 12,000 miles per year (880,000 miles total if that person drove from age 16-90).  We spoke with a man that had driven 3.25 million miles without an accident and he was only 62!  How impressive is that?  He’s not alone, either!  Hats off to everyone else like him! 

I’ve always had a certain admiration for truckers and this road trip only strengthened it.  As a child, I remember traveling with my parents when our transmission caught on fire.  It was just after the toll (that’s gone now) on I-95 in Virginia near the I-85 and I-95 interchange.  My dad pulled over onto the shoulder and my mom rushed my brother and me out of the car, over the guardrail, and onto the grass in the median.  I remember standing in the median, holding the dog, hoping someone would pull over and help us.  It was a truck driver that pulled over, got out, and brought over a fire extinguisher to help.

Our road trip was a real success in so many aspects.  We met so many amazing people with fascinating stories.  We are thankful to all of them for doing this difficult and often thankless job. 

Will we do another truck stop tour?  Absolutely!  When we are out on the road next time, I hope we can meet some more exceptional folks and help them find freight.  More importantly, we can look them in the eye, give them a firm hand shake, and say thank you.