* Queensland - Trucks have long been an obsession for Annie Alexander
--- It's been a life-long love affair with trucks for Annie Alexander... When she set up her own training company, Queensland Regional Training and in between training assignments took on some casual driving jobs... Her hands-on approach allowed her to constantly upgrade her own skills and qualifications so she is better able to teach others the same skills...Through her role as a trainer Annie has constant contact and involvement with the trucking industry...She took that 'involvement' one step further in 2012 when she married Bones, the operations manager of a Lockyer Valley-based trucking company... Needless to say it was a truck-themed wedding... (Photo: Annie in play mode at her trucking wedding) -- Townsville, QLD, Australia - Big Rigs, by Bob Riley - 27th Feb 2017
* North Queensland - Women driving the business in
--- Barbara Anderson has made a major contribution to the road transport industry in the far north... Barbara and her husband, Steve, are directors of Anderson Transport Service NQ Pty Ltd which is based on the outskirts of Townsville...The company has 11 trucks - eight Kenworths and three Freightliners - which carry cement powder in tankers, general freight on flat-top trailers, half-height containers, iso's , copper on flat top trailers, and also have end tippers...They have eight drivers employed driving from road trains to single local work as well as three workshop staff along with one administration staff member... Barbara and Steve are ably assisted by astute operations manager Vidonna Lewis... Barbara pinpoints the positive role of many women and their importance in transport, particularly in family-run businesses... (Photo: Mixed Company: (From left) Steve Anderson , Barb Anderson, Vidonna Lewis, Taki Mason and Riki Mason) -- Townsville, North QLD, Australia - Big Rigs, by Alf Wilson - 27th Feb 2017
* Tasmania - More Tassie' women in trucking: Allison Morgan
--- It was great to catch up with Allison Morgan from New Norfolk the other day, driving an SRT 2006 FLX Freightliner with a C-12 Cat, a nice truck which she said goes well. She happily found time for a quick chat about her life on the road and here it is in her own words! ... "So just briefly, I'm a Huon girl, my dad drove trucks carting apples from the Huon to Hobart in the early 50s around the old Huon Rd (literally around the side of Mt Wellington) through fog, ice and snow, then during off season freight from Hobart to Scottsdale - a big return trip back then... "It's a wonderful industry to be involved in, and I have no regrets at all!” conclude Allison... (Photo: Allison Morgan on board) -- New Norkfold, Tasmania, Australia - Big Rigs - 3rd Mar 2017
The Australian trucking "girls": Women In transport
* Queensland - First female manager for family business
--- Melissa Taylor is the first female manager in four generations of the Taylor family business, Taylor's Removals and Storage...After a very successful career in retail, Ms Taylorjoined the Toowoomba-basedTaylor's Removal and Storage in 2004, a moment she holds as one of the proudest of her life... She started INFOstor, the records management arm of the company and in 2010 was appointed managing director of the entire company. Her business acumen is credited for transforming Taylor's Removals from a furniture removal business to a multi-faceted transport and logistics business... In 2015 she was recognised by the Queensland Trucking Association who named her their 2015 Trucking Woman of the Year... GenR8aims to introduce the next generation of employees to the transport, logistics and supply chain industry through collaboration between the industry and schools... She has also been involved with the Count Me In program which highlights career opportunities for local women and has also worked with the Queensland Government and TAFE to offer all employees the opportunity to complete a qualification in their chosen role... Through her involvement in those initiatives Ms Taylor said their company had instigated a program for both male and female year 12 students which showcased career choices and opportunities in the transport industry to them through a 20-week work experience program which included work in the field, admin work, sales and warehousing... (Photo by Kevin Farmer - Melissa Taylor with her father Ray Taylor) -- Toowoomba City, QLD, Australia - Big Rig - 24th Feb 2017
* Northern Territory - Liz Martin a leading light in heritage
--- Liz Martin is a leading light in road transport heritage and has driven the National Road Transport Hall of Fame for what feels like forever... But Liz had a life before the Hall of Fame always involved with trucks and running a spare parts business out of Alice Springs... Growing up on a cattle and buffalo station in the Top End meant that Liz was driving trucks long before it was legal to do so... She has made the national road transport Hall of Fame the centre of her life for quarter of a century and the complex now houses the largest collection of commercial vehicles in the southern hemisphere. Liz has attracted a string of awards including the national road transport personality of the year, national transport woman of the year, Northern Territory achiever of the year, the Brolga Award for excellence in tourism and an Order of Australia medal... Quite an achievement for a woman from the bush... (Photo: Liz Martin gets the keys to another piece of trucking history from Big Rigs) -- Alice Springs, NT, Australia - Big Rigs, by Neil Bromley
* Tasmania - Tassie women in trucking: Sarah Brosnan
--- Sarah happily found time in her busy day to tell us:"I work for Matt & Trish Ryanof Thirlstaneand am driving their 2010 Sterling. They are an agricultural family with much diversity, and variety and are great people to work with..."I absolutely love my job, every day is different and the work provides me with new challenges from carting vegetables from the paddocks to the factory, containers to wharfs for export, contract work for various companies, general freight and tipper work..."I am so lucky to be in a region that has some of the best truck drivers in the world and the more time I spend with the drivers learning about the trade the more I pick up on the 'tricks of the trade' that they willingly share with me..."I feel greatly privileged to be driving among them, taking notice of their skills and listening to their always constructive advice and then putting it into practice..."The highest respect for Sarah, and indeed for all the ladies driving trucks in Tasmania, with their high level of professionalism and driving skills. We concur... Deloraine, Tasmania - Big Rigs - 4 March 2017
* Tasmania - Another Tassie women in truckin': Kerri Connors
--- We recently caught up with Kerri Connors from Devonport, driving an eye catching 2016 FM Volvo 500hp with the i-shift fuel tanker for Caltas. She was on her way from Devonport to Launceston at the time, and said they always keep her happily busy... She tells us she has been driving for Caltas for nearly nine years so far and "I am still loving it!! And I have been driving here in Tasmania for 11 years now and really enjoy that too!" ...Kerri started driving in the army 20 years ago when she lived in Oakey in Queensland. It was a good start to a career driving, but she has fitted a lot into her life, including a stint with Toll and Linfox on the Mainland...She moved to Tasmania 11 years ago and reckons it was the best move. She loves Tasmania with its amazing scenery and gentle climate... (Photo: Kerri Connors and her VOLVO truck) -- Devonport, Tasmania, Australia - Big Rigs - 4 March 2017
* Tasmania - ... and Jane Beswick, another trucker women
--- We enjoyed a good chat with Jane Beswick from Boat Harbour in the North West of Tasmania the other day. She told us her truck is a three-year-old Mack Trident with a 535 hp MP8 engine. She filled us in on some details of her life and her experiences driving which are best put in her own words:
"I have been driving trucks for about 30 years and I am still loving it. Sometimes I tow single trailers, sometimes B doubles, carting mostly vegetables or machinery but lately also carting cattle. Most work is in North West Tasmania but I also did a couple of seasons carting potatoes from NSW to Melbourne. It's great being part of this industry; I have variety in my job and meet a lot of great people"... Boat Harbour, Tasmania, Australia - Big Rigs - 4th Mar 2017
* Oklahoma - Truckers for Truckers helps drivers deal with depression during the holidays
---A Lawton residents'Facebook page, created by a truck driver to help other drivers battling depression and the risk of suicide, is taking off and thriving worldwide... That creator says, his efforts have sparked other pages and he's hoping to expand his efforts further, especially during the holidays... Since Michael Susoncreated the Facebook page in July over 2,000 people have followed and three additional pages have formed because of it. Suson, a trucker of over 22 years has dealt with and overcome depression himself. He says the page has virtually begun to run itself with people who have dealt with the same issues stepping up to help others. This ultimately saving the lives of two drivers across the country...Michael saysit's harder for truck drivers around the holiday season without a family or who come from a broken home. He's working on a program for those who are a part of his group to visit drivers by themselves and have dinner with them to keep them from feeling alone... Lawton, OK, USA -- KSWO, by Rhiannon Poolaw - November 23rd 2016
TRUCKERS' DOUBT * USA: Should I stay or should I go?
* Ohio - In the immortal words of The Clash … If I go there will be trouble...If I stay it will be double !!!
--- Every single owner-operator out here is asking themselves these questions right now... Trucking life is the life of a gambler. You gamble that you’re going to make enough money to cover the expense, which seems pretty straightforward when you’re negotiating rates, until you walk outside to start the truck and find a puddle of oil-tinged antifreeze underneath it. A money-making 5,000-pound load can quickly turn into a black, money-sucking hole that makes you want to walk off into the woods and never return... Then there are the good days, when all the planets align and you roll into a job site, on time, engine purring like a kitten, and are treated like a hero for bringing the equipment or supplies people need to complete their project. You walk away counting your money and think, “This ain’t so bad” ... Here’s a little tip for the “powers that be,” if you want to grow cucumbers, you don’t plant chicken turds. You plant cucumber seeds and you learn to spread the chicken poo thinly enough over the topsoil to encourage those seeds to grow. You don’t heap piles of poo on top and expect a bumper crop of cucumbers, it just doesn’t work that way...
Fairborn, Ohio, USA - Overdrive, by Wendy Parker - November 21, 2016
(*) Wendy Parkerrides with her husband, owner-operator George Parker. After years leased to carriers, the couple's business today runs under its own authority, booking loads on the spot market via TruckItSmart's load board.
TRUCKERS´ LIFE * USA: 10 best cities for truck drivers
* Tennessee - What are the best cities for truck drivers to live?
--- The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports there are 1.79 million “heavy and tractor-trailer” truckers working today, and another 1.3 million delivery truck drivers.The median salary for a tractor-trailer driver is about $40,200 a year... Considering that being a trucker is a leading a job in almost every state, we started wondering what are the best cities for truck drivers to live? ... We then ranked those cities by the following factors, and combined the rankings (giving double weight to job availability) to determine an overall ranking: ° Job availability
° Average annual salary
° Median home price
° Median annual rent... Finally: * 1. Atlanta, GA: Average annual salary: $64,000 (Ranked 1st) * 2. Charlotte, NC: Average annual salary: $55,000 (Ranked 4th) * 3. Columbus, OH: Average annual salary: $49,000 (Ranked 6th) * 4. Indianapolis, IN: Average annual salary: $44,000 (Ranked 9th) * 5. Chicago, IL: Average annual salary: $61,000 (Ranked 2nd) * 6. Houston, TX: Average annual salary: $58,000 (Ranked 3rd) * 7. Kansas City, MO: Average annual salary: $47,000 (Ranked 8th) * 8. Dallas, TX: Average annual salary: $52,000 (Ranked 5th) * 9. Louisville, KY: Average annual salary: $40,000 (Ranked 10th) * 10. Nashville, TN: Average annual salary: $48,000 (Ranked 7th) (PN: We only show the AAS, as an example item)... (Photo: Dallas, TXS, city entrance aerial view) -- Nashville, TENN, USA - Nashville News, by Calli Cline - 9 july 2016
* Georgia - 73-year-old trains with GNTC to be a commercial truck driver
-- If things go her way, 73-year-oldVeronica Longwith fromSummerville, Georgiawill be working on the open road by the second week of May... With two children, four grandchildren, and one great-grandchild, 73-year-old Veronica Longwith has made the decision to take to the open road as she pursues a commercial truck driving career at Georgia Northwestern Technical College... Currently from Summerville, Longwith is originally from a military family and doesn’t really claim a hometown. However, the soon-to-be long-haul trucker was born in Brooklyn, New Yorkon March 20, 1943...Longwithhas already been pre-hired with Dart Transit Company.Provided she passes her testing, she would take part in the company’s next orientation program beginning May 9. From there, she would go toIndianafor on-the-road training with the company as soon as the very next week... (Photo - Georgia Northwestern Technical College Commercial Truck Driving Director, Robert Browder, stands alongside one of the tractor-trailers Longwith used to train Veronica Longwith, 73 year-old, for the road) -- Summerville, GA, USA - Rome News Tribune - May 4, 2016
TRUCKERS DIAPER-WEARING ? * Why they'ld be doing this ?
* Really: I’ve yet to meet a diaper-wearing trucker. But ... How can I be sure?
(Photo: Can you imagine these macho truckers wearing diapers?)
... There’s an article making the rounds this month, as much for its unusual source as for what it contains. Cosmopolitan, the women’s magazine that’s better known for its ‘10 Great Ways to Improve Your Sex Life’-type articles, featured the perspective of Arielle Pardes, a former professional driver...There in the article that caused me to do a double take. None more so than this one:“You learn to get by on a shower a few times a week (or less) and hold your bladder for as long as possible, because every minute you’re stopped at a rest stop is lost income. Some truck drivers even wear diapers to avoid stopping at bathrooms – not kidding” ... That far-fetched line alone probably chased off many more potential recruits from this industry than the rest of it could have drawn in... But did they really do that? ... In 15 years of covering this industry and interacting daily with professional drivers, I’ve yet to meet a diaper-wearing trucker... How can I be sure? Well, true, I’ve never asked, but let’s call it a pretty good hunch... Yes, bathrooms are few and far between and stopping for breaks will cost you a couple bucks when paid by the mile, but if you need to wear a diaper to make money in this business then you probably need to ask yourself some questions about who you’re working for and why you’re doing this... Hey, there has never been more information and resources available for professional drivers who want to lead a healthy lifestyle!... -- CAN, USA - Truck News (CAN), by James Menzies - February 23, 2016
TRUCKERS' LIFE * USA: These are the people who haul our food across America
* Texas - "Trucking is not a 9 to 5 job. It's really a 24-hour operation"
(Photo courtesy of overdriveonline.com - "Trucking is not a 9 to 5 job. It's really a 24-hour operation," says Cody Blankenship, owner of 4BTrucking, which operates out of Waco, Texas. He logs about 100,000 miles a year on the road. A planned run during harvest time this year will keep him away from home, and his young daughters, for a five-week stretch)
-- Says Cody Blankenship, owner of 4BTrucking, which operates out of Waco, Texas. He logs about 100,000 miles a year on the road. A planned run during harvest time this year will keep him away from home, and his young daughters, for a five-week stretch... Chefs may now be celebrities, farmers our food heroes, and small-batch producers worthy of culinary canonization. Yet the workers who make up one of the largest groups in the American food system rarely get a mention: truckers... Many of the drivers who haul produce and livestock across the country every day are small-scale owner-operators. The model dates back to the 1930s, when farmers would haul their own product... These days, even the most orthodox locavores depend on farmers who depend on truckers to bring them seeds, tools, and machinery... Truckers like Cody Blankenship, owner of 4BTrucking, who operates out of Waco, Texas. He grew up in a cattle family and started off hauling animals destined for steaks and burgers...
(Photo courtesy Cody Blankenship - Blankenship says truckers like him who move food and livestock spend a lot of time "out in the country, and out in the middle of nowhere, so you've got to be prepared and a little self-sufficient.")
... The Salt caught up with Frick just after he'd finished a drop in Ohio. When I ask about his day, he begins by saying, "It started last night." He left Wausau, Wis., where his company, L&S Trucking, is based, and drove 300 miles to Chicago for two pick-ups. As we talk, he's on his way to New York, then up to Vermont, where he'll reload with cargo headed back to Wisconsin before going south just over the Massachusetts border, where he'll pick up loads to drop in New York, Ohio and Michigan... This kind of schedule means time is a problem for a long-distance trucker. Not the hours sitting alone in the cab, but the hours wasted while waiting on unprepared clients... Because owner-operators are typically paid based on a percentage or by the mile, not by the hour, "there is no financial incentive for those who ship or receive a truck to make efficient use of that driver's time," saysNorita Taylorof the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association. So truckers, she says, "are treated like rolling warehouses" and are often kept waiting hours on end at loading docks... As a safety measure, federal regulations require drivers to work no more than 14 hours in a 24-hours period before taking a 10-hour break. And once the clock starts ticking, it doesn't stop, so sitting and waiting eats into the drive time, and that eats into the profits... For Blankenship, "Trucking is not a 9-to-5 job. It's really a 24-hour operation" ... Waco, TXS, USA - WGBH News, by ANNE BRAMLEY - 5 Sept 2015
TRUCKING INDUSTRY & TRUCKERS' LIFE, IN THE MIDDLE EAST
* ‘Truckers without borders’ sustain Syria
(Photo by REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail - A truck carries goods along a street in Aleppo, Syria, July 29, 2015)
-- Syrian truck drivers are the only ones who maintain good relations with commanders of the regime, the Free Syrian Army (FSA), Islamic State (IS) and Democratic Union Party (PYD) forces, all while constantly monitoring the clashes... An interview with a truck driver working in Syria shows how truck drivers are the only parties permitted to pass freely through the country's violent internal borders... In the four-year Syrian civil war, 250,000 people have been killed and 4 million of them have become refugees in neighboring countries. Millions of them are struggling to survive in a country divided four ways between the Bashar al-Assad regime, the opposition, IS and the PYD. Wherever they live, these Syrians meet their daily needs of flour, medicine, baby food, fuel and clothing through merchants and truck drivers who are the only ones who can cross the internal borders... It is lethal trade for the drivers. They navigate essential, fine points of survival: Without distinction, they maintain good relations with the entire gamut of factions and religiously keep track of daily clashes and events on the ground. Their biggest advantage is the constant need of all fighting parties...
-- Salim is one of millions of Syrians who is a victim of civil war. His family lives in Aleppo. He doesn’t have a permanent living place because he makes his living trucking through a country whose economy has collapsed. Like many of his colleagues, he has faced death many times. Salim’s story is the story of how people remaining in Syria obtain their survival needs like food, fuel and other basics and the trade relations between enemy groups. Syrians who have decided to stay obtain their flour, medicine and fuel thanks to truckers like Salim who can enter any zone, no matter who controls it. Syrian truckers are probably the only group who can cross the internal borders of different groups... Truckers are not very talkative. They don’t want to attract attention. Only Salim and a businessman who goes by MU shared the details of the “lethal commerce” on condition we don’t use their full names. Their biggest advantage is that all fighters, wherever they operate, have one thing in common: They have to take bread home. MU explained, “Trade routes are never closed fully in any area. At the end, we carry flour, pasta and oil. When we take goods to one area, families of people fighting there also benefit” ... There are other fine points to keep in mind when shuttling through internal borders controlled by enemy groups. For example, truckers constantly monitor the safety of their routes through people they know. To find goods and to carry them, they have to maintain good relations with commanders in every zone. MU said, “They inform us when they seize commercial commodities. That way, they make money and we get goods to sell” ...A security guard in a Mercedes escorts trucks that carry valuable goods from Esselame to the Kurdish Afrin region. This Mercedes is the ticket that allows the trucks to pass unhindered through areas controlled by various groups. When fighting groups see the Mercedes, they know that the trucks carry goods that won’t be touched and let them pass... Although production has slowed down enormously because of the civil war, it hasn’t fully come to a standstill in main cities like Aleppo and Damascus. Still, there is no electricity in most parts of the country. Small workshops produce goods, from textiles to car generators. As they can’t be exported to Turkey, Iraq or other countries, they are sold inside the country. Telephone networks are not working. Merchants and truckers learn what is produced through word of mouth from local commanders. MU said, “This is commerce with the conditions of 100 years ago” ... The regime supporters, IS and the PYD have set up their own taxation systems in the areas they control. This tax is a kind of life insurance for merchants and truckers. For example, in the PYD area, if you are carrying tea and sugar, you pay $200 for each truck... Truckers say the system is different in the IS area: “If you are transiting through [IS] area, you pay small amounts. But if you are delivering to their area, they determine a tax based on the type of good, its value and identity of the merchant. Assad, [IS] and PYD have established systems, but not the FSA. The FSA has too many factions, and there is no established taxation system [there.]” ... Aleppo, Syria - YAZIYI TÜRKÇE OKUYABİLİRSİNİZ/All Monitor, by Mehmet Akif Ersoy - September 4, 2015
* Ohio - He's a 6-ft-.7-in. (2 m) height, and a 350-lb. (159 kgs) weight, truck driver – And yes, he's dancing
(Video by John Drury - Aug 5, 2012: Class Dance by the trucking Big Johns)
-- Not all it's to drive a truck, as you can see in the above video... "Big John" Drury is dancing his way to health, and doesn't care who knows it. He's on a mission to help other drivers lose weight and get healthy by dancing anywhere he can, even in the middle of truck stops... "There's no shame in my game," he says. "I'm on a mission. I'm not afraid to get out there and dance and be an inspiration to other truck drivers who want to lose weight." Although he encourages other drivers to join in at truck stops, he rarely gets any takers willing to strut their stuff in public. "Truck drivers are very nice people. They’ll talk to me all day and we get along, but they don't want to dance in public… but I keep trying" ... He posts many of his truck stop dance sessions on social media where they were spotted by representatives of Progressive Commercial Lines who asked him to be the campaign spokesperson for their Health Awareness Program that debuted at The Great American Trucking Show in Dallas. Drury and back-up dancers performed his unique steps for the crowd... He adds that when he lost the 100 pounds he was working for an LTL that kept him out two or three nights at a time. One of his tricks was to walk while he was backed at a dock... And he's happy !!! Mayfield Village, OH, USA - Fleet Owner, by by Larry Kahaner - Sep 4, 2015
-- Burnt out from years of driving interstate up the east coast, Robbie Caldwell headed for the forests... He has spent more years than he cares to remember driving up and down the east coast... More to the point, most of the 22 years of his married life were spent out on the highway... He drove for Iannelli Transport for 16 of those years, including a stint behind the wheel of a gold Kenworth T604 hauling a fridge van... Things went slowly downhill forRobbie, and he ended up in hospital. Once out of hospital he decided it was time for a change, so he went for his B-double licence... He scored a job with Monaro Logging, which harvests and hauls timber for the Forestry Corporation of New South Wales (FCNSW) in Bombala, as well as harvesting for PF Olsen in Tumut... Robbiehas been with Monaro Loggingfor six years now. His current steed is a new Kenworth T909, one of six in the Monaro Logging fleet... Robbie says when he first started with Monaro Logging, he wasn’t sure if the job would suit him... "But I do like a bit of a challenge," he says...
(Photography by Peter Schlenk: The Monaro trucks are kept in tip-top condition) ... "Anyone can drive around with a single freezer van. It was good, but some of the places you go in the bush are just spectacular. When you are out near Tumut, you can look out and see forever" ... Bombala, NSW, Australia - Owner Driver, by Peter Schlenk - 23 July 2015
* Tennessee - Western Express putting EpicVue satellite TV system in 1,600 trucks
-- Western Express said Friday it is making a significant investment to install premium, in-cab satellite TV systems in more than 1,600 trucks that the company operates for its truckload dry van and flatbeds operations... Each system Western Express is installing in its truckload dry van and flatbed fleet includes a satellite dome and local area antenna mounted and aligned outside of the cab, a DIRECTV receiver connected and powered inside the cab with more than 100 channels of premium entertainment and DRV capabilities, and a 24-inch flat screen TV... By outfitting its fleet with EpicVue’s premium satellite TV systems, Western Express is taking a leading role in the industry by adopting a technology that allows drivers to enjoy some of the comforts and conveniences of home while traveling on the road, according to Robert Stachura, chief operating officer... According to company officials, the quality of life for truck drivers remains a driving factor in the high turnover rates and ongoing workforce shortages facing the industry today issue reaches a climax point for the industry... (Photo, by Charles Danko/ Hankstruckpictures ) -- Nashville, TENN, USA - The Trucker News Services - 17 July 2015
TRUCKERS' LIFE & SHOW * USA - Trucking reality shows
Give drivers a chance to show off their skills
(Photo - Trucker: Wayne Pelletier)
Millinocket,MN,USA -The Road King, by Katie Neal -28 Oct 2010: -- “In my wildest dreams, I never thought I’d ever be on TV,” says Wayne Pelletier.From an early age, he knew he would drive for the family logging business, Gerard Pelletier, Inc., in Millinocket, Maine, just as his six older brothers had... But nearly 20 years after he went to work with his family, a local TV producer approached the Pelletiers about filming them for a reality show.Soon, viewers were tuning in tothe Discovery Channel’s "American Loggers" to watch Wayneand his brothers do a job that is regularly classified by the Bureau of Labor Statistics as among the most dangerous... The stars of TV’s trucking shows were trained to do a very specialized job — not perform for the camera. So it wasn’t easy to adjust to having a crew filming their every move... Pelletier has also relaxed as American Loggers prepares to enter its third season, though it can still be nerve-wracking to do a dangerous job with the cameras trained on him...
* Earning the public’s respect
Pelletier, Rowland, Locklear and their castmates present a markedly different image of truckers in pop culture than the last time the profession captured the public’s attention... While the trucking TV shows of today certainly capture a spirit of adventure, it’s not exactly romantic to watch Rowland narrowly avoid spinning out or Pelletier handle a double trailer... The challenges of the job have surprised and impressed even friends and family of drivers on the show... For an industry that has battled negative stereotypes for years, it’s refreshing to see the public perception start to change... “People see a truck going up and down the road and think it looks easy, but there’s a lot of work behind it, a lot of testing your nerves and your skills,”Pelletier says.“They respect us more now. I’ve done this all my life and it’s finally being recognized.”
* Looking ahead
(Video from YouTube, by historychannel -7 Aug 2009: Miss Ice Road Truckers last week? Catch up on what happened)
The idea of seeing truckers at work has attracted so many viewers that the genre continues to grow... But the success of the shows doesn’t mean you’ll find their stars ditching the driver’s seat anytime soon.“I think more than other industries, trucking isn’t just a job,” Locklear says. “It’s a passion and a way of life” ...The Pelletiers are grateful for the small boost in business, but their on- and off-camera days are pretty similar... “We’re not actors — I don’t have any lines,” he says, laughing. “I don’t change my ways at all. I just go and do my job” ...
Truckers' fitness * Canada - Breaker! Breaker! Haul your rig over and we'll bust some lunges
Toronto,ONT,Can -The Globe and Mail, by Hayley Mick-8 July 2009: -- Truckers have long been perceived as the unhealthiest members of the modern work force: a pill-popping, chain-smoking lot who only unbuckle for a plate of steak and eggs at truck stops... You'd think they'd be the last to grasp the latest fitness trend, or swap a Burger King menu for the Canada Food Guide... But a growing number of health nuts have infiltrated the 18-wheeler set. And their bosses – concerned by the added costs and dangers of having unhealthy employees on the road – are encouraging more drivers to follow suit... Take Jeff Beckta. At 5 feet 11 inches, the 44-year-old Winnipegger is 200 pounds of solid muscle... On a good day, he can bench press 500 pounds, which comes in handy when manoeuvring lumber and steel on the flatbed truck he drives for up to three weeks at a stretch... Five days a week,Mr. Beckta fuels up on protein shakes and works out by visiting various gyms along his triangular route from Manitoba down to North Dakota, to Iowa, Ohio and back around through Southern Ontario... He judges a place not by its scenery, but by the workout facilities he locates by Googling on his laptop... “Just last week I found one in Wisconsin,” he says. “A small American town, out-of-the-way gym. It wasn't too bad”... Mr. Beckta's zeal for healthy living sets him apart from many of his comrades. But on highways crisscrossing North America, there are others like him... Some hang punching bags from their cabs. Others trade fast food for portable mini-refrigerators stuffed with tuna and cottage cheese. On any given night, you might find them doing crunches in their bunks, or lunges in the parking lot... (Photo: Trucker Jeff Beckta of Winnipeg is 200 pounds of solid muscle. Some truck drivers are turning away from the greasy truck-stop lifestyle, eating healthier and working out while on the road)
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