Show On The Road - October 2010
FROM JACK STANDS
TO GREENER LANDS
BY TRUCK DRIVER & WRITER BRYAN WELSH
Kevin Kramer (39) of Monticello, Minnesota spent the majority of his early years riding around in the passenger seat of his dad’s truck. Spending anywhere from one to three weeks at a time running to the west coast and back, Kevin imagined what it would be like to someday follow in his dad’s footsteps, while at the same time, Kevin’s dad (Dennis Kramer) was wondering how long it would take for Kevin’s mom (Dennis’ ex-wife) to figure out that he and Kevin hadn’t just went down to the “local” hardware store, but instead to some hardware store in Seattle! Their welcoming committee upon returning home often included the local Sheriff and Kevin’s mom standing at their front door! Ah, memories!!
By the age of 14, Kevin was already slip-seating with his dad and learning how to drive. A few years later, at 17, Kevin found himself parked outside of an old closed-down meat packing plant, staring through the chain link fence at a 1973 Freightliner small bunk cabover, and charting out his master plan. He knew a few people with freight and figured that he could surely round up a trailer – maybe he could even run under his dad’s authority. He had it all planned out. Oh, did I mention that this 1973 Freightshaker didn’t even have any tires or wheels? It was just sitting there, cool as can be, on jack stands! Needless to say, job one would be to get some tires and wheels on the truck quick, and to get them on the cheap.
Hauling dirt in a belly dump locally was Kevin’s first gig, but it didn’t last long – not because he wasn’t old enough or good enough, but because he wasn’t willing to destroy his truck just to make some time clock punchin’ job site foreman happy. So, back to the closed meat packing plant Kevin went, but this time he made a deal with the owner’s grandson on a Timpte 42’ x 96” reefer trailer – which was also sitting up on jack stands. Eight tires and wheels later, Kevin was hauling potatoes for Frito-Lay around the Midwest, mainly to Topeka, Kansas. In the winter months, he hauled beef. Kevin figured that as long as he had healthy equipment and tons of drive and motivation – and as long as nobody found out he wasn’t old enough to haul freight outside the state of Minnesota – that things would be just fine.
Kevin managed to truck wherever the heck he wanted until about a month before his 21st birthday. He was on I-80 at a chicken coop just east of Des Moines, Iowa, when a weighmaster finally did the math on Kevin’s age. Needless to say, Kevin ran locally for the next few months. But after he turned 21, the sky was the limit for Kevin – again! Kevin spent the next several years flatbedding around several states in the Midwest, and occasionally taking a few loads over to the West Coast, all the while buying and selling his way up to newer and nicer equipment along the way.
By the time the early 2000’s came along, Kevin had begun hauling local multi-drop loads for a lumber products company around town, and was really enjoying truckin’ closer to home. Only months after starting this great new haul, the lumber company decided to simplify their freight logistics by finding only one contractor that could take care of all their transportation needs. Luckily for Kevin, they chose him to do it. Kevin quickly added leasers to his one-man operation and established a small fleet of nine trucks, now known as Kevin Kramer Trucking. These days, Kevin can be seen backing one of his two beautiful Petes up beside the shop at his house most every night, and usually just in time for dinner with his family, which includes his wife Jessica and their three kids – Alex (19), Maddie (9), and Colby (almost 8).
Over the years Kevin has had many rides worthy of pictures, like his two current trucks, a maroon 1979 Peterbilt 359 long hood setup with a Double Eagle bunk, and an awesome 1980 Pete 352 small bunk cabover. But, I like his first truck the most. It is a prime example of what kind of man Kevin is. Kevin’s trucking years literally started from a set of jack stands, and through a ton of hard work, motivation and honesty, Kevin found the “greener lands” he always dreamed of while riding with his dad. And by the way, Kevin will be turning 40 this year, and believe it or not, his birthday will be on October 4th, 2010 (that’s 10-4 Day)! So, happy “10-4 Day” Kevin, and from all of us at 10-4 Magazine, happy 40th birthday, too!!