DRIVERS' STORIES * USA - "I really like the freedom from having someone stare over my shoulder all the time.”

Malvern,ARK,USA -The Trucker, by JERRY BREEDEN -25 June 2007: -- Local resident Stan Ramey doesn’t dance around the issue when asked what he likes most about driving big rigs for a living... “I’m in it for the money,” he said. “I’ve got a mortgage and some other bills I’ve got to pay and trucking makes it possible.” Ramey admits, however, that driving “is just something I’ve always liked to do, ever since I was a kid"... Something else Ramey doesn’t care much for is the Hours of Service regulations. “They bother me because they’re so messed up nowadays. It’s hard for drivers to be right, or in compliance, all the time. You just have to do the best you can"... ”It would help a lot,” he added, “if the infrastructure in this country was in better shape. We desperately need better roads. They need a lot of attention”... What Ramey does like about the business is that it allows him to “run both ends of the country. I like going north and I like the South, too. I especially like the British Columbia run. It’s quiet compared to most of the others because there’s a lot less traffic up that way. I really like the freedom from having someone stare over my shoulder all the time”...

* Ya gotta like trucker Ted Meredith’s approach to life.
Springfield,Mo,USA -The Trucker -25 June 2007: -- Meredith has been driving big rigs since his stint in the U.S. Army, which dates back to 1979... "Why did I stop driving for myself?... If you can manage your money, you can make it. That’s all I can say about that. Why do I like trucking? It’s what I know best. It’s what I do best. I choose to do it. It’s what I want to do. I don’t do it just for the money"... Asked if he is married, Meredith replied, “Not at the moment. That doesn’t mean I won’t be sometime in the future. I’m still looking for the right lady, but I ain’t holding my breath"... Meredith continued. “In the beginning, most women marry truckers because of the security, the money. Then as time goes by and the love keeps growing, they start wanting you to stay home more, and pretty soon, when you ain’t home every night, the relationship takes a nose dive... To be honest,” he said, “I love women. I really do. It’s just that it’s so hard to find one who really understands this business and is willing to allow me to make a living the best way I know how."...