This appeared in April 2020 10-4 Magazine. Who would think we would end up like this… There is connection between us being lazy and blind and the current state of affair….
—–
We have been told that manufacturing is out of style. We have been told we can import produce from abroad. We have been told our trucks are bad for the air we breathe. We have been told diesel fumes will bring the end of the human race. We have been told that professional drivers, with their blood-shot eyes, are misfits and undesirables. We have been told automated trucks are the only way to go. We have been told all these lies. The truth is this – if it weren’t for this tired and humiliated truck driver (and so many others) that people flip the bird at for staying in the left lane just a little longer so he doesn’t cut off someone’s mother or wife messaging about empty shelves, we would be living in apocalyptic hell already now. But we are not – yet – because his old school (banned) diesel engine relentlessly pulls that cool box back and forth across the country, bringing the Midwest fresh produce from California and then meat back in a 28-hour straight shot. And, that dedicated driver is not even asking for a raise on the rate (even though all truckers deserve it) – he is just asking you to stay positive and strong and watch out for your elderly neighbors. We will be okay if we stick together and do the right thing. We will git ‘er dun because THAT is the Spirit of the American Trucker! God Bless.”