In ‘07 Lavern Cross saw churches blessing motorcycles, and he thought, “Why not do the same thing with trucks?” That was the humble beginning of the “Blessing of the Trucks” which is now held annually. That first year, eleven drivers attended the Griner Mennonite Church and brought nine trucks to Lavern’s yard where he has his home and shop (two in the group were company drivers and were unable to bring their trucks). The trucks and drivers were blessed, and they ended the day with a potluck supper.
This is not a “show” but an event that has grown into more of a family reunion with all the family wanting to be there. There are no judges and no trophies. It is a gathering of drivers sharing fellowship, storytelling, and good food. All the trucks and drivers are blessed which, in my mind, is worth so much more than any trophy. After the third year, they started printing and sending out about 200 fliers promoting the event, and Lavern began creating Facebook events, which also helped to get the word out about the event.
The second year they could not all agree on a date that would work for everyone, so they just picked a date, and 14 trucks participated. The third year the gathering grew to 45 trucks. With the growth, one of the drivers that attended the church, offered a big pasture he had to hold the event. It worked well there for several years, and the biggest year boasted 123 trucks, which pretty much filled the pasture. Today, the average turnout is around 80-100 trucks, with 80 attending the event this year.
The event was moved to Elkhart County 4H Fairgrounds in Goshen, IN in 2019. This venue offered full camper hook ups, bathrooms, showers, and a place to park the trucks all together, along with a building big enough to set up the tables and provide a covered place in case of rain. The county fair here is a really big deal – at one time it was the second largest county fair in the nation, and to this day, it is still one of the largest county fairs in the nation.
Over the years I have heard about the Blessing of the Trucks and just how awesome it is. This year, I had to load on Saturday, so I missed those festivities, but I was able to take my truck to church on Sunday, and it was everything I had heard, and so much more! For those who roll in on Friday (this year there were about 30), you are recruited to help set up tables to seat the 400 people who are expected to attend. After the work is done, the grill is fired up and there are hamburgers, brats, chips, fries, and soda, all served up along with a large helping of great conversation for dessert.
On Saturday, another 50 trucks rolled in and got set up to be blessed. For the kids they had a barrel train and two bounce houses. Mark Yoder, who is a truck driver with a hobby of doing blacksmith work, brought his John Deere tractor and pulled around his wobbly hay wagon (he made the wheels offset on purpose and it’s kind of like riding a bucking bronco). The kids love it!
At noon lunch is served. Thank you to three women who prepare most of the food – Rosalyn Cross, Shanna Bontrager, and Melinda Mast. A special thank you to Jake Coblentz for the best pulled pork you will ever eat. King’s BBQ from Shipshewana, IN provided the BBQ chicken. Buns are donated by the local Bimbo bakery in Elkhart, IN. This event is funded totally by donations and Lavern said that every year these donations have covered (or nearly cover) all the costs for food. There are some local businesses that donate different items, and every participating CDL driver is given a raffle ticket, and those donated items are door prizes.
After lunch there is a speaker and this year it was our friend Gary Straight. He shared his experience with beating cancer. Hauling a variety of cool freight over the years, he often refers to “divine dispatch” as the way that freight came to be on his trailer. Many people were moved by his words. After the speech, the participants got into groups of five or six and the trucks and drivers were blessed. At that point, the “official” festivities were over. Like Friday night, the drivers who are left on Saturday help take the tables down and clean up.
A friend of Lavern’s, who attends the Middlebury Community Church of the Nazarene in Middlebury, IN, got Lavern and Pastor Gary Sheets together when there was a need for a bigger church parking lot to accommodate the growing number of trucks for the Bobtail Cruise In, which happens on Sunday, the day after the trucks are blessed, and is an optional and separate event. I think it was a “match made in heaven” and Pastor Gary was a perfect match for a church and truck/trucker event.
I have never been to a service where the Pastor was sporting a Peterbilt shirt with a Kenworth emblem sticker on his back! Pastor Gary spoke of the similarities between the church family and the trucking family. If you have been trucking for very long, I think you understand how truckers become friends and, ultimately, family, after a few years. This still happens today, but sadly it probably is not as common as it used to be. If someone in the family church or trucking is having a crisis it is common for others in the family to step up and help in any way they can.
Pastor Gary truly understands the trucking life. His great grandpa started Sheets Trucking, which was located next to the stockyards in Indianapolis, IN. As a kid, he grew up riding in trucks. His love for Peterbilt trucks came from his grandpa, who owned 13 Peterbilt COEs and 13 bull racks. Gary remembers how hard those 13 drivers ran back then. Hauling livestock has been and still is a special niche in our industry.
As a kid, Gary thought we wanted to become a trucker, but God guided him into the family business of being a pastor (his father and two brothers are all pastors). They have heard stories of churches who will not allow trucks in their parking lots, but this is not the case in Middlebury. Investing $44,000, they created three special spots for trucks and trailers to park and be welcomed to worship. This congregation loves and welcomes the trucks and their drivers!
This year, on June 30, my truck was one of 32 trucks parked in the church lot, with the cars parked on the grass. Saturday was hot, but Sunday was picture perfect, with blue skies and fluffy white clouds. After the service downstairs there was a very tasty lunch served. They rented a trailer that had soft serve ice cream, and it was divine! I was sorry I missed the actual Blessing of the Trucks the day before, but this was a special church service I thoroughly enjoyed. This is a non-alcoholic family event with everyone welcome to come out and support the truckers – and maybe learn more about what we do.
Lavern told me that being an owner operator, there was never a company Christmas party, so drivers began getting together at a restaurant to celebrate with one another. Now, in the middle of December, there’s a Trucker’s Christmas Dinner at the church. If you find yourself in Middlebury, IN on a Sunday morning or in the middle of December, take the opportunity to worship with people who will make you feel welcome and at home, even if you come in a tractor-trailer!
Mark your calendars now for next year’s “truck blessing” event, as it will be held June 28, 2025, at Elkhart County 4H Fairgrounds in Goshen, IN. The Bobtail Cruise In will be held the next morning, June 29th, at the Middlebury Community Church of the Nazarene. Let’s fill up the parking lot! Services are broadcast live at 10:30 AM Eastern time on their Facebook page (Middlebury Community Church of the Nazarene). If you scroll down a bit, you can enjoy the Blessing of the Trucks sermon that was on June 30, 2024. We hope to see you at this amazing event next year.
