COVER FEATURE - OCTOBER 2002
Young Owner Operators Prove That
Trucking Can Be Lucrative And Fun
Back when he was in college studying to be an electrical engineer, David Meadows never would have believed it if you had told him that he was going to be a trucker. Twelve years and six trucks later, David has not only became a dedicated trucker but also a sharp businessman. Along with his wife Kelly, the two have worked hard to get to the top of the trucking heap. But they never forgot how to have fun, and have incorporated much of that attitude into their latest rig.
David was born and raised in Florida. In 1987, after graduating college with a degree in electrical engineering with an emphasis on robotics and automation, David and three of his friends jumped into his 1977 Chevy van and headed west. Shortly after getting hired at a large Southern California aerospace company, deep defense cuts crippled the industry and David got laid off. Not having much experience, David couldn’t get another job in that field so he took a job driving an airport shuttle van around Southern California. He didn’t particularly like it, but the pay was okay and he was having fun.
While working at Super Shuttle, he met a guy who drove a truck for Allied Van Lines. After becoming friends, this guy asked David to help him load and unload the truck (furniture) and be a part-time driver. Looking for a change, David agreed, and shortly thereafter had his own license. Six months later, in 1991, an agent for Allied Van Lines asked David if he was interested in becoming an owner operator. After seeing how his buddy was doing (pretty good) he said, “Sure!”
David’s first truck was a real “starter” unit - a 1980 Kenworth K100 cabover with an old Detroit 6V-71 with about 290 HP (on a good day), no air conditioning, no power steering and spring-ride suspension. Not intending to keep this truck for very long, David ended up running it for four long years. Can you imagine running the west (Las Vegas, Phoenix, Los Angeles, etc.) with no air conditioning! It’s called paying a price.
In 1994 David met Kelly - a beautiful young girl from Phoenix who had moved to California to get involved in the clothing industry. A year later they were married and Kelly opened her own small clothing store in Costa Mesa, California, called Tonya’s Clothing For Brave Women, which sold lingerie and club-wear. Around this time, David bought his second truck, a 1991 Freightliner condo cab-over and began hauling containers from Los Angeles to Phoenix for an outfit called Price Transfer. Although this Freightliner was a step up from the old KW, it was still no luxury ride.
But living in Newport Beach (the War Zone as it is called) was no place for a young married couple to live and raise a family, so they sold the store and moved to Phoenix, Arizona - partly for cheaper real estate and partly to be closer to Kelly’s parents. Kelly worked a few odd jobs in Phoenix until one day she happened to see a photograph of a woman in a big rig. A light came on in her head. “Why not join David in the truck?” she thought. After all, they didn’t get married to be apart. So that’s what they did. David taught her to drive and she joined him.
In the Summer of 1999, David & Kelly purchased a 53’ dry van and signed on with a company called Van Mar. Operating under the company’s authority, they began hauling general freight throughout the country. They also bought their next truck - a 1997 KW T2000. This was a nice conventional with a large sleeper, but still your average fleet unit. Running under someone else’s authority didn’t seem like the smart thing to do so, at the end of 1999, they got their own authority and formed TD Transport (The “TD” stands for Touchdown which incorporates David’s love for football into their trucking business). Always involved with the high-tech side of trucking, they used online services to find their freight and, when they couldn’t find their own, called on the larger brokers to fill in gaps.
Around this time, David spotted a unique International on the road that intrigued him. At the time it was owned by Lon Dolney, but this truck had something that drew David to it. Lon had done a lot of customizing to the truck and had even made a few appearances at truck shows. But he retired the truck in 1999. When David heard this, he made Lon an offer, but Lon refused. David went on his way, bought his next truck (a Volvo 770) and continued to run hard.
David & Kelly ran their nice Volvo until the warranty ended and then purchased a Sterling (Ford) Silver Star. By this time they were doing pretty good. David & Kelly were able to buy these last two trucks with cash. But David still wanted that custom International. Then, last year, he spotted it for sale in a trucking magazine and knew this was his chance. He ended up buying the truck for almost half of what he had offered Lon just one year prior. Now they were in the “Big Leagues”.
At first glance, the truck (featured on this month’s cover) seems pretty simple, but it has a way of drawing you back for a second look. You find yourself wondering what is so different about this rig. Well, for starters, it’s a 1995 International 9300 with a 1999 front end. When Lon ordered this truck, he had a clear plan as to what he was going to do to it. He ordered the sleeper as just an empty shell and the first thing he did was cut off the back and add 30” to it. The entire interior of the sleeper is custom. He then re-skinned both sides of the sleeper. Next, he went to work on the incredible stainless steel side skirts. He mounted sheets of stainless steel, with epoxy, to a rib-cage type of assembly and then bolted those pieces to 2” steel elbows, attached to the truck’s frame, at three-foot intervals. The end result is a set of nearly seamless, boltless, stainless steel skirts that don’t jiggle or vibrate and look great. Although the truck looks long and low, it only has a 266” wheelbase which, in today’s terms, isn’t very long.
In an effort to shift the truck’s balance of weight and allow more freight to be carried, Lon had the truck’s fuel tanks slid as far forward as possible. To accommodate the steps into his stainless side skirts, Lon had to cut holes in the fuel tanks and recess the steps into them. Because of Lon’s infinite wisdom, this setup allows David & Kelly to haul up to 45,000 pounds of freight. Lon also added dual chrome outside breathers (something you’ve probably never seen on a 1995 International) and special headlights that have a “tinted” look. Lon found these DOT-approved but now discontinued lights in an off-road catalog. They feature a black carbon fiber honeycomb mounted to the inside of the glass, giving the lights that blacked-out effect.
Since acquiring the truck, David had it repainted black and had John Mula of Mula Designs in Phoenix add Passion Purple graphics. The cloud-like graphics feature a marbled look that was accomplished by dabbing the wet paint with waded up plastic wrap. David added 8” straight stacks, a stainless steel dash, a hardwood floor and six bullet lights on the back of the sleeper. He then changed out all the lights to LEDs and replaced the rear light bar. David wishes that he could take more credit for the truck’s overall look, but it was really Lon’s vision, and David is the first to admit that.
The truck was then named (after much debate) “Heavy Metal” as a reference to David & Kelly’s musical tastes and the fact that this truck looks, with all of its extensive chrome and stainless, like “heavy metal” literally. The young couple grew up listening to bands like AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Kiss, Led Zeppelin, Metallica and the like, so they surely know how to rock. Even today, Kelly still can’t resist the music and attitude of that rebellious wildman Kidd Rock. I guess you just can’t take the metal out of a true head-banger. One thing is for sure, David & Kelly have a good time wherever they go.
Currently, the couple, along with their dog Macy, run coast-to-coast, hauling general freight, on a weekly basis. Late Friday night they pickup a load in Los Angeles and deliver it to (usually) New Jersey first thing Monday morning. Tuesday morning they pickup another load coming back to Phoenix. They get home late Wednesday night or very early Thursday morning. On Friday, they deliver their load from back east and then head out toward LA to start the whole process over again.
Surrounding themselves with competent people, David & Kelly have some terrific folks taking care of all the “details” of trucking so they can just drive hard. Being home only one to two days a week doesn’t allow much time for maintenance. Thankfully, they have a great mechanic named Mike McRae who takes good care of them - within their tight schedule. They also rely heavily on Janet at JEB Truck Services to handle all their paperwork and licensing concerns. A special “thank you” also goes out to Kelly’s parents who have always supported them. All of these people help David & Kelly stay focused on trucking.
Looking to start a family, David & Kelly are presently trying to get pregnant (tough job David), which means they may have to slow down a bit or hire someone to help them in the future. At this time, it’s still up in air. “Trucking’s not that hard if you stay on top of things and do a good job,” said David. “It sounds cliche, but you have to work hard, be accountable, and don’t be afraid to try something new,” added Kelly.
This young couple, only in their 30’s, have made
smart decisions and many sacrifices, but have had fun all along the way. I’m
sure most would agree they are reaping the benefits of those choices now. The
lesson here: make good choices and sacrifices now and you too will someday reap
the rewards and be at the top of the heap.