10-4 Magazine - For Today's Trucker

KID'S PAGE - JUNE 2004

THE TRIP OF MY LIFE
Submitted by Rod & Kim Grimm for Garrett Smith

This story was written back in 1999 after Rod & Kim Grimm’s nephew (Garrett Smith) went along with them on a trip to Seattle, Washington during his Christmas and New Year’s (1998-1999) break. At the time, Garrett was 17 years old and a senior in high school.

First, let me ask you to picture a truck driver. What did you see? I bet more than likely you pictured a middle-aged man with a big belly, a five-o-clock shadow and grease on his hands. Was I close? One thing is for sure, I bet that you didn’t picture a happily married husband and wife, with their slightly portly and slightly spoiled black cocker spaniel, now did you?

Recently I got to go on the trip of my life (so far), getting to ride along with my Uncle Rod, Aunt Kim and (cousin) Jasmine (the dog) in their big rig. In this story, I’d like to clear up some of the stereotypical misconceptions about truck drivers. The ones that I had the good fortune to meet were nice and willing to do just about anything for you.

It would also surprise you how many drivers have a furry friend with them in the truck. One couple that we saw, Bobby and Sammy Bray (also a married trucking couple), had three dogs with them – talk about puppy love!

Let me also clear up another misconception. Most people believe that truck stops serve quick, greasy, gross food. HA, HA, HA! Nothing could be further from the truth. I ate some of the best food in my life at some truck stops. Nothing beats a good country fried steak and eggs, with hash browns smothered in white gravy, along with a huge glass of whole milk.

I should probably tell you that I was on my way to Seattle, WA via a brand new 1999 blue and black Kenworth Studio Sleeper, named Illusion. Wow, what a ride! The front seats in this thing were like riding in an easy chair, air ride and everything. Plus, the whole cab and bunk is air ride so sleeping is no problem either. I could just crawl into the back at any time, close my eyes and slip right into slumber land!

It’s amazing how the weather seemed to know when they (my aunt and uncle) switched drivers. During the day, my Aunt Kim would drive and in the evening, my Uncle Rod would drive. As soon as my Aunt got in the driver’s seat, the weather seemed to go from good to horrible in about seven miles. But with her expert skills and experience, she managed to handle whatever Mother Nature threw at us.

Truck driving is not just a job - it’s a twelve month sight-seeing tour. I was able to see the most beautiful lake that I had ever seen! Lake Coeur d’ Alene in Idaho and the mountains around it were breathtaking to this Iowa cornfield boy. Trust me people, Idaho is NOT just potatoes!

Another thing I got to do is eat at the Space Needle in Seattle. Talk about a gorgeous view of the Seattle skyline. Again, breathtaking - just like the prices on the menu! But my Aunt insisted, and so my Uncle and I (reluctantly) finally gave in to the temptation of food and ordered. Boy was it worth it - the prime rib seemed to melt in your mouth and the plate was set up perfectly. Your water glass never went empty. What a meal!

On the way home, the I-94 was closed outside of Billings, MT forcing us to go down I-25 to I-80, meaning we got to go through Sidney, NE and I was able to stop and see the closest thing to heaven on earth to me - the huge Cabela’s store in Sidney. If I could ever have had a million dollars, then that would have been the time to have it. It was just awesome!!

Another false belief out there is that truck drivers are stupid. There is no such thing as a stupid truck driver. If people could see the computer in my Aunt and Uncle’s truck and the log book’s they have to constantly fill out they would be really surprised. Talk about a pain in the butt! Those things are probably just a short step down from Nuclear Physics. My aunt and uncle were always writing stuff down.

One other thing that many people don’t understand is that truck drivers don’t just listen to music on the road, they listen to books too. That’s right, audio books. I listened to two of the best books I could remember - Sunset Limited and The Loop - both books had my full attention the whole time we were listening.

I guess that if I learned something from this trip, it would be that no matter what happens, don’t give up. I’m sure when my Aunt and Uncle drove old dump trucks for a little Iowa company and told people they would be driving a big rig, on the open road, across highways and byways, people would just nod and chuckle.

Well, I bet they stopped chuckling when they saw their picture in the “Trucker’s News” magazine, and if that was not enough maybe they heard them on the morning radio, calling in and talking about where they were on a weekly basis. If there were still a few stray chuckles out there, maybe they were cleared up when they heard about their Trucker Buddy class in Mississippi. I’m sure that all of the chuckles were put to rest when my Aunt and Uncle’s picture was on the front page of the “Wall Street Journal”. That’s right; two Iowa hillbillies have made it to about the top of the trucking world. And if some disagree, they are still the greatest truckers I will ever know. I learned to never give up, pursue your goals and they will eventually come to you.

I would really like to thank my Aunt and Uncle for everything they did for me on this trip. It was more than just a drive, it was a history lesson, a geography lesson, and a lesson in American culture - and most of all, a lesson in life. Oh yeah, and remember that a dog is man’s best friend.

So next time you see a lonesome semi driving down the road, realize that the person behind the wheel is not just driving a truck but working hard for a living. So give that trucker a wave or honk your horn to say “hello” - it may mean a lot more to him (or her) than you think.

~ Garrett has since graduated from high school and went on to win his Bass Club tournaments for five years straight. For work, he installs satellites and telephones, and last November (2003) he married the catch of his life, Amber. No babies yet, but a man’s best friend - “Moose” a Chesapeake Bay Retriever. He has made us (Rod & Kim) as proud of him as he is of us.