10 Audiobooks to Keep You Entertained on the Road

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truck driver hobbiesWhether you’re already a fan or just need a break from the commercials on the radio, plenty of great audiobooks can help you pass the time on your long or short hauls. Here are 10 audiobooks from a mix of genres with summaries and ratings, thanks to audible.com.

1. Before the Fall

Author: Noah Hawley

Genre: Mystery

Rating (out of 5): 4.2

Length:12 hours, 59 minutes

“On a foggy summer night, 11 people–10 privileged, one down-on-his-luck painter–depart Martha’s Vineyard on a private jet headed for New York. Sixteen minutes later the unthinkable happens: The plane plunges into the ocean. The only survivors are Scott Burroughs–the painter–and a 4-year-old boy who is now the last remaining member of an immensely wealthy and powerful media mogul’s family.”

2. The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine

Author: Michael Lewis

Genre: Nonfiction (Business)

Rating (out of 5): 4.6

Length: 9 hours, 27 minutes

“Who understood the risk inherent in the assumption of ever-rising real-estate prices, a risk compounded daily by the creation of those arcane, artificial securities loosely based on piles of doubtful mortgages? Michael Lewis turns the inquiry on its head to create a fresh, character-driven narrative brimming with indignation and dark humor.”

3. The Boys in the Boat

Author: Daniel James Brown

Genre: History

Rating (out of 5): 4.8

Length: 14 hours, 25 minutes

“Daniel James Brown’s robust book tells the story of the University of Washington’s 1936 eight-oar crew and their epic quest for an Olympic gold medal, a team that transformed the sport and grabbed the attention of millions of Americans. The sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and farmers, the boys defeated elite rivals first from eastern and British universities and finally the German crew rowing for Adolf Hitler in the Olympic Games in Berlin, 1936.”

4. The Girl on the Train: A Novel

Author: Paula Hawkins

Genre: Thriller

Rating (out of 5): 4.3

Length: 10 hours, 59 minutes

“Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. And then she sees something shocking. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved.”

5. The Kind Worth Killing

Author: Peter Swanson

Genre: Thriller

Rating (out of 5): 4.3

Length: 10 hours, 18 minutes

“On a night flight from London to Boston, Ted Severson meets the stunning and mysterious Lily Kintner. Sharing one too many martinis, the strangers begin to play a game of truth, revealing very intimate details about themselves. Ted talks about his marriage that’s going stale and his wife, Miranda, who he’s sure is cheating on him. Ted and his wife were a mismatch from the start–he the rich businessman, she the artistic free spirit–a contrast that once inflamed their passion but has now become a cliché.”

6. The Last Mile

Author: David Baldacci

Genre: Mystery

Rating (out of 5): 4.5

Length: 11 hours, 49 minutes

“In his No. 1 New York Times bestseller Memory Man, David Baldacci introduced the extraordinary detective Amos Decker–the man who can forget nothing. Now, Decker returns in a spectacular new thriller.”

7. Ready Player One

Author: Ernest Cline

Genre: Sci-fi

Rating (out of 5): 4.7

Length: 15 hours, 46 minutes

“At once wildly original and stuffed with irresistible nostalgia, Ready PlayerOne is a spectacularly genre-busting, ambitious, and charming debut–part quest novel, part love story and part virtual space opera set in a universe where spell-slinging mages battle giant Japanese robots, entire planets are inspired by Blade Runner, and flying DeLoreans achieve light speed.”

8. Red Rising

Author: Pierce Brown

Genre: Sci-fi

Rating (out of 5): 4.6

Length: 16 hours, 12 minutes

“Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations. Yet he spends his life willingly, knowing that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children. But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and sprawling parks spread across the planet.”

9. The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge

Author: Michael Punke

Genre: Historical

Rating (out of 5): 4.4

Length: 9 hours, 12 minutes

“The year is 1823, and the trappers of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company live a brutal frontier life. Hugh Glass is among the company’s finest men, an experienced frontiersman, and an expert tracker. But when a scouting mission puts him face to face with a grizzly bear, he is viciously mauled and not expected to survive. Two company men are dispatched to stay behind and tend to Glass before he dies. When the men abandon him instead, Glass is driven to survive by one desire: revenge.”

10. 11/22/63

Author: Stephen King

Genre: Sci-fi

Rating (out of 5): 4.6

Length: 30 hours, 44 minutes

“On November 22, 1963, three shots rang out in Dallas, President Kennedy died, and the world changed. What if you could change it back? In this brilliantly conceived tour de force, Stephen King–who has absorbed the social, political and popular culture of his generation more imaginatively and thoroughly than any other writer—takes listeners on an incredible journey into the past and the possibility of altering it.”

Read the rest of the story here.

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The Great Way Trucker Buddy International Is Transcending Borders

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The Caffees with Stephanie

Trucker Buddy International truly has an international reach. Just ask the group’s president, Linda Caffee. She and her husband, Bob, owner operators with Caffee Enterprises, recently visited France to connect with their Trucker Buddy students in person. It was the experience of a lifetime.

How It Works

Trucker Buddy is a nonprofit organization that helps educate elementary students through a pen pal relationship with truck drivers. In the process, it burnishes the truck driver’s public image.

“Trucker Buddy brings a lot of attention to the trucking industry in a positive way,” Bob Caffee says. “I’ve always been safety conscious, but with Trucker Buddy I’m more conscious about making sure I look nice while I’m driving. I want to give the impression that I’m a professional and that a trucking job is a good job to have.”

Stephanie Derrien-Guivarch teaches sixth, seventh and eighth grade English in Saint-Malo, France, situated off the Normandy coast. One day, an advertisement for Trucker Buddy caught her attention. Corresponding with American truck drivers would be a great way for her students to learn English, she thought.

The Caffees correspond with Derrien-Guivarch’s students for five years now.

In the process, the students have become more proficient in English and have come to appreciate trucking as a profession.

“We send postcards or pictures of things we’ve seen on the road. Then the students do reports on them in English,” Linda explains. “They love reading the postcards. This whole experience has changed their attitude about learning English. It’s made it real for them.”

The Caffees have sent postcards and photos from regions across the United States: the Arizona desert, Chicago, Philadelphia. Through the Caffees, the French students are getting a taste of it all.

The French Life

Two years ago, Linda mentioned to Derrien-Guivarch that she and Bob would like to visit the students in person. They set about finding a way to make that happen. The four-day visit finally took place last spring.

For the Caffees, it was a thrill.

The Caffees talking with students about important sites in the city

With the students and their teacher, the Caffees explored the Channel Islands, visiting landmarks occupied by the Germans in World War II. They went to the zoo with the seventh-grade class and visited Derrien-Guivarch’s house in Saint-Malo, a fortressed city.

Trailed by a local TV crew, the Caffees toured the walled city with students and later visited their inner-city school to meet staff and eat lunch.

At every turn, the students strove to speak English with the Caffees and in exchange teach them a little French.

Most striking of all was the water-surrounded abbey Mont Saint-Michel. The Caffees visited the beautiful landmark on the last day of their visit with the sixth-grade class.

Bob and Linda Caffee at the French school

“Built by hand, the abbey stands at the top of a mountain,” Linda says. “It was the most amazing thing we saw. Monks still live there. It’s fully operational after all these years. You just think, ‘I can’t believe we’re doing this.’ The whole trip was like that.”

Most moving was the parents’ night the school hosted. Over appetizers, wine and hard cider in the school cafeteria, the Caffees mingled with more than 100 of the students’ parents. It was an emotional gathering, especially because the parents were at first reluctant to have their children participate in the Trucker Buddy program.

Since then, much has changed.

“They thanked us over and over and over again for everything we have done for their kids,” Linda says. “It was really emotional. They said it was the biggest parent turnout they’d ever had for anything at that school.”

Parents brought gifts for the Caffees and talked about the pride their children take in their Trucker Buddy projects.

“Trucker Buddy has boosted the kids’ confidence,” Linda says. “Theirs is the only school in the region with a Trucker Buddy program, and it makes them unique.”

Overall, the trip transformed the Caffees.

It gave them a new perspective on the struggles the students face and how they help the students learn.

Says Bob: “I just think any driver would like to get into this program. It really makes you feel good to see that you’re making a difference in these kids’ lives. It opens your eyes to things.”

Sometimes trucking is more than just a job. What eye-opening experiences have you had? Join our community here and share them with us.

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From Sushi to Tattoos, Trucker Kevin Carter Can Do It All

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Trucker Kevin Carter ate sushi one night and figured he could make his own sushi for a fraction of the cost. That was a year-and-a-half ago. Carter, a company driver for Titan Trucking in Canada, has been rolling sushi in his truck ever since.

“The key to making a good sushi roll is patience and perseverance,” Carter says. “You gotta make sure the rice is spread out evenly and it’s a nice, tight roll.”

Carter spreads the rice three-sixteenths of an inch thick and tops it with ahi tuna, salmon, mackerel, even swordfish.

Carter learned to roll sushi through trial and error and by watching online videos. He’s now so skilled that he rolls sushi about once a month.

Carter is self taught in much of what he does. He builds houses from the ground up, inks a great design, and cooks just about anything. At age 7, Carter cooked beef stroganoff for the first time. It sparked in him an interest in cooking that has lasted a lifetime.

He learned to cook from his mom as a youngster growing up in Calgary, Canada. “I’m a mama’s boy,” he says. “She instilled in me a quality set of morals and self esteem. She always wanted me to push myself and make myself better. And she succeeded.”

He Honed His Craft In The School of Hard Knocks

Carter obtained his GED in an unlikely place—the penitentiary. He worked in the kitchen there for three years and became a skilled baker. At 26, after his release, Carter attended culinary school and became a certified “Red Seal” chef, qualifying him to cook in Canadian hotels.

Before becoming a truck driver, the multi-talented Carter also owned a tattoo business for a couple of years. For the record, Carter has 39 tattoos, 34 of which he inked himself. He learned to tattoo in 1991, using himself as a canvas to perfect his skill.

“I was sitting there drawing one day and some guy came up to me and said, ‘I want you to ink that on me,’” Carter recalls. “It was fun, I was good at it, and I just stuck with it. Then, I started doing it for others. And, the more I did it, the more I liked it. The more I liked it, the better I got.”

One of the tattoos Carter has inked

Carter estimates he’s inked upwards of 30,000 tattoos, including 80 memorializing someone.

These days, he’s devoted to his CDL trucking job, but he still inks and does piercings for clients in his free time.

“I like driving,” he says. “It’s a good fit for me. I’m on the road for about three to five weeks at a time. I see so much of the country, so I’m able to scout out places where I’d like to buy land in retirement.”

Recently, Carter did buy land—eight acres on Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton Island. When he retires from his CDL trucking job, Carter plans to build an 850-square-foot house there that runs on solar power. He’ll hunt his own food and live off the grid. It’s a longtime dream of his 15 years in the making.

That’s the thing about Carter—he never stops dreaming.

He puts his dreams into action, too. “I’m constantly striving for knowledge,” he says. “If I’m not learning, I’m not living.”

The dream precedes the goal, drivers. What dreams are you working to make reality? Join our community here and tell us about it!

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3 Great Ways Truckers Help Truckers at the Holidays

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As Santa well knows, it’s nice to receive at the holidays—but it’s even better to give. Truckers, it turns out, give as well as anyone at the holidays. Here are three trucker groups or individuals that go above and beyond during the holiday season, spreading Christmas cheer in big ways and small.

Stockings for Truckers  has delivered more than 4,000 stockings and 3,200 meals to truckers since its inception four years ago.

Founded by trucker wife Heather Bair, Stockings for Truckers is a lifeline for truckers who find themselves on the road at the holidays. Volunteers are truckers’ husbands, wives, mothers and grandmothers.

Volunteers can choose whether they want to cook homemade meals or create stockings filled with personal necessities, treats and gift cards. Volunteers pay for the goods themselves and distribute them at truck stops. Each stocking contains a hand-written Christmas card for truckers as well.

“Truckers don’t get enough recognition,” says volunteer Heather Nelson, who rides along in the truck with her boyfriend. “This is our way of saying thank you.”

As an added treat, Stockings for Truckers distributes stockings to each person in the truck and offers special stockings for diabetics and pets.

“It puts a big smile on everyone’s face,” Nelson says. “Some people get emotional. They break down crying, because truck drivers aren’t used to being recognized in a good way.”

Meals for Truckers

Raised on a farm, Teddi Dunson has been driving trucks since age 14. She’s been giving back to the trucking community for nearly as long. Every year since 1977, Dunson has cooked Christmas dinner for nearby truckers, and she’s still cookin’ in 2016.

Dunson and her husband were team drivers themselves. For years, they hit the local truck stop on Christmas Day and brought truckers back to their home for a holiday feast. “Back then, drivers were more trusting of each other than they are today,” Dunson says.

Now 60, Dunson keeps the tradition alive, though she has changed the format a bit. She prepares a home-cooked Christmas meal for 30, plates it and distributes the meals at two truck stops by her home in Arkansas. “I put my Santa hat on and deliver the meals between noon and 2 p.m. on Christmas Day,” she says.

The plates are piled high with ham or turkey, stuffing, sweet potato casserole, vegetables, pumpkin pie and more.

It’s a lot of work, but Dunson has a good reason for preparing the feast.

“I do it because we’ve got a lot of drivers that don’t have a family to go home to on Christmas,” she says. “Or you have drivers who have families but they can’t make it in for Christmas. It’s depressing. I’ve continued the tradition all these years because it’s five minutes of a bright spot on Christmas Day (and I’m a pretty good cook).”

Truckers Christmas Group

In November 2008, a trucker named “Wonderful” Wayne Hortman had an idea to launch a trucker charity and posted about it on social media. According to the charity’s website, Hortman wrote: “Got to thinkin’ about Christmas. I like to help the needy. Thought maybe my fellow truckers might want to join me in setting up a fund right here on CDL for some trucker families that might be in need of having a good Christmas.”

The rest, as they say, is history. In the eight years since, Truckers Christmas Group has raised monetary donations for trucking families in need across North America. Truckers nominate families who would make good candidates (nomination forms are on the organization’s website), and the organization chooses recipients based on those nominations.

The group’s goal is to raise enough money to make a difference in the families’ lives at Christmastime. In addition to other fundraising measures, Truckers Christmas Group sells products on its website to raise funds. To date, the group has helped 125 trucking families with $73,000 in monetary donations. In 2016 alone, the charity distributed $7,000 in aid to 13 families.

What other great charities are you part of, truck drivers? We want to highlight all the good you’re doing! Connect with us here and tell us how you’re giving back.

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A Moving Day As A Wreaths Across America Volunteer

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Today marked my second consecutive year as a Wreaths Across America volunteer. Last year’s event was unlike any other tradition I experienced, and I wanted to volunteer again this year.

Today I discovered that Wreaths Across America is fast becoming one of my favorite holiday traditions. On a sunny morning in San Diego, Calif., hundreds of volunteers descended upon Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery to pay their respects to military men and women who have gone before us and place wreaths at their graves.

A sense of duty resonates deeply at a military cemetery on any morning, and even more so when thousands of people gather there to pay their respects together.

Something about seeing thousands of graves decorated with wreaths all at once is quite moving. At its core, Wreaths Across America goes beyond simply decorating graves. It resurrects the memories of millions of military servicemen and women. After all, not every grave site sees a visitor in recent years.

The individuals gain renewed prominence by receiving the honor of a wreath placed on the grave.

“Wreaths commemorate our commitment as Americans to honor the fallen,” said Joanne Murphy in her opening remarks at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery. She implored volunteers to “place the wreaths and seek to learn more about these real American heroes.”

I felt gratified to volunteer again and immerse myself in a special tradition.

Placing a wreath on a grave is such a simple thing, and yet its impact is so profound.

For more great photos and video of this special Wreaths Across America ceremony, connect with Drive My Way on Facebook here.

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With Cherie’s Boutique, A Truck Driver’s Talent Looks Built to Last

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Cherie and Taylor Barker

Cherie and Taylor Barker

Cherie Barker always dreamed of having a store where she could refinish furniture. She just never dreamed that her husband, a truck driver, would be the one to make it reality.

But when Cherie set her sights on buying a kitchen island for $2,200, destiny intervened.

“I told her I could build one cheaper than that,” her husband, Taylor Barker, recalls. “She said, ‘Build it then.’ I did build it, and I never stopped.”

Taylor not only built the island, he soon built end tables and a coffee table to match.

“I was surprised he could do it so well,” Cherie says. “But he wasn’t surprised. We saw it as an opportunity.”

A refinished bench Taylor did

Bench refinished by Cherie and Taylor

Taylor’s talent for furniture making flourished so much so fast that four years ago the Barkers established a furniture business in Tennessee. They recently gave it a new name, Cherie’s Boutique, and moved to a new, coveted space on bustling Broad Street in the heart of Kingsport, Tenn. Now Cherie’s longtime dream is becoming reality.

Taylor, an OTR owner operator leased to Heniff Transportation, spends about 3 weeks on the road at a time.

He gets only seven to 10 days of home time a month and spends nearly all of it crafting and repurposing masterpieces in his wood shop.

"Man cave" coolers

“Man cave” coolers

While the Barkers repurpose everything from doors and windows to beds and benches, customers love Taylor’s window-style coffee tables and “man cave” coolers most of all. His coolers have taken off in a big way, thanks to their following among famous country singers such as Daryle Singletary and Joe Diffie. Cherie’s Boutique also sells used furniture and other unique items.

Painting and re-purposing are Cherie’s passions.

The idea of giving new life to old items excites her. “I love recreating something new out of old things, saving something,” she says. “Grandma’s dresser doesn’t go to the trash heap and you make it beautiful again. It’s art with function.”

Taylor, meanwhile, may have begun building as a hobby, but by now he knows building is in his blood. His father was a contractor, and Taylor himself has an innate gift for working angles and numbers. It’s only natural that he took up woodworking. “I like to think of something and create it,” he says.

Generous Spirit

taylor-window-tablesBut for the Barkers, it’s not enough simply to create. “I believe that to be successful you have to give back,” Taylor says.

And boy do the Barkers give back. They do a lot for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital and for military veterans, using their business to support those causes whenever they can.

“I’m a veteran myself. I spent 10 years in the military, so I understand what veterans go through,” Taylor says. “I don’t care if my name is mentioned in any benefit I do to help veterans or kids. I just do it to help. If you can’t help your fellow man when they need help, then you’re really useless.”

Taylor’s band (he’s also a talented musician) performed in 100 benefits and opened for The Band Perry.

“At the end of the day, we’re all people, trying to accomplish the same dream of life,” Taylor reasons.

taylor-after-2The Barkers are living their own dream right now. Taylor loves seeing the smiles on his clients’ faces when they see their heirlooms transformed. And while he’s had a CDL trucking job for 20 years, he hopes his furniture business thrives and he can retire from trucking. Until then, he’ll continue to balance both careers.

Cherie, for her part, embraces the opportunity to re-purpose furniture and at long last live out her dream.

“It’s surreal,” she says. “It’s taken a lot of hard work to get here. Working toward a goal is one thing. To look up one day and know you’re there is a whole other thing. It’s like arriving at Disney Land.”

For creative gift ideas anytime of year, check out Cherie’s Boutique on Facebook and follow Taylor on Instagram. Got a similar story of your own? Connect with Drive My Way on social media here and share your story with us.

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Boise Stage Stop Gives Thanks for Truck Drivers With Free Thanksgiving Feast

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It’s not easy being out on the road for a holiday. It can be lonely out there when you’re miles away from family and friends. And the hunt for a quality meal can be long and arduous.

Fortunately, there’s one place that truck drivers know they can turn to for a home-cooked feast on Thanksgiving Day—the Boise Stage Stop in Boise, Idaho.

For the 15th year, the celebrated Stage Stop is hosting its Truck Driver Appreciation Day, a Thanksgiving feast that’s free for CDL permit holders. All you have to do is show your CDL license to your server and the meal is free for you and a guest.

The celebratory homemade feast includes turkey and all the fixins: mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, desserts and soft drinks. Twenty-year Stage Stop chef Jose Carrera has been cooking up this feast since the beginning. A

nd for Stage Stop event coordinator Kim Curtis, who’s married to a truck driver, planning the feast is a personal privilege.

“Because I’m married to a truck driver, this is special for me,” Curtis says. “It’s a place for truck drivers to come and feel accepted, feel like they’re wanted.” All the food is donated, as are giveaways for a raffle that features everything from TVs to CDs.

“I never get tired of it,” Curtis says. “My favorite thing is the smiles on their faces and the drivers’ comments. The drivers are just so appreciative. I got guys that come here every year. They know they’ll be here and they plan for it.”

Between 400 and 600 people turn out for the driver appreciation dinner annually.

The restaurant starts serving at 10:30 a.m. and keeps going right up until midnight.

“I don’t think there’s anybody out there doing what we’re doing, not for free,” Curtis says. “It’s fun to be part of.”

Non-drivers also are welcome to dine on the feast for $10.99 (adults) or $5.99 (kids).

Gratitude is good for the soul. Thank you for your dedication and loyalty, drivers. If you’ve yet to follow Drive My Way on social media, connect with us here and become part of our community.

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Called to Serve

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kevin-army-photoAs Veterans Day nears, Americans are remembering the men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice, or who went off to war and returned forever changed.

After all, the scars of war run deep.

But not all who serve go to war. Those who serve U.S. interests stateside still feel a tremendous call to duty, however, even without battle scars haunting their days.

Drive My Way’s driver recruiting consultant, Kevin Garner, is among the Army soldiers who never went to war. But the U.S. Army veteran still stands strongly for the U.S. Army motto, “This We’ll Defend,” 12 years after his service ended.

“There’s a lot more to the military than going overseas and fighting,” Garner says. “There are life experiences, traveling, meeting incredible people and developing your skills. The military has the opportunity to teach you just about whatever you want to learn.”

In the eight years Garner served in the Army, he learned a lot. He enlisted as a finance specialist. For more than two years, his key responsibilities centered on finance and human resources. He then spent the last five-and-a-half years of his Army service in recruiting.

“I built rapport with people in the community, focusing a lot on relationship building, whether it was at kevin-photocolleges, the town hall or high schools,” he says. “High schools were big because the majority of people enlisting are doing so right out of high school.”

Take Garner himself, who enlisted in the Army at age 18.

He sought to pay for his college education and see a bit of the world.

And see the world he did, spending two years in South Korea before returning to the United States.

Garner still cherishes his Army experience, despite its challenges.

“The thing about the military is that you have some things you’re incredibly proud of and other things that were really tough,” Garner says. “Whether it’s being lonely or being away from your family for long stretches, it’s a life-changing experience for everyone that joins, no matter how independent you are.”

Yet the Army bestowed on Garner much more than it took from him.

“The Army’s given me many skills,” he says. “It’s given me great friendships that have lasted to this day. And it’s given me leadership skills that set me up for a lifetime of success.”

More than 60 percent of CDL truck drivers are called to serve in the military, just as they’re called to the road. Thank you for your service, veterans. Follow us on Facebook today and become part of our family of truckers who are military vets.

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Veterans Day Campaign Rallies Truckers for Troops

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truckers-for-troopsWith Veterans Day on the horizon, those with owner operator trucking jobs are showing their support for American service men and women overseas. And they’re doing it in the most meaningful of ways.

Truckers for Troops, an initiative led by the Owner Operator Independent Driver Association (OOIDA), raises funds to send care packages to armed forces overseas during the holidays.

This year’s fundraising campaign runs from Nov. 7-11.

“This is a way for our members to actively participate and help troops,” says Norita Taylor, public relations director for OOIDA. “We knew a lot of our members were veterans, and that’s one of the reasons we started Truckers for Troops. About 10 years ago, there was a lot of activity in the Middle East. Members would often ask us if anything could be done for troops overseas. We knew care packages were popular, and we decided we could ask for donations around the holidays and match them.”

During the week of the campaign, new OOIDA memberships and renewal memberships are discounted to $35, a $10 savings.

10 percent of the total membership fees raised during the week benefits Truckers for Troops, and OOIDA matches that amount. Individual donations to the Truckers for Troops fund, no matter how small, also are welcome.

With the funds raised, Truckers for Troops assembles care packages that contain socks, Gold Bond powder, snacks, books, soup, even oddities such as silly string that troops use on the job. The packages also contain cards from schoolchildren and churches, for a personal touch.

The packages impressed the troops, and many of them wrote notes of appreciation.

“We do all the assembling, shipping and purchasing of the items in house,” Taylor says. “Our members have responded enthusiastically and find the process very rewarding.”

Since Truckers for Troops launched in 2007, OOIDA members have raised more than $500,000 for the cause. To contribute during next week’s campaign, call 800-444-5791 or sign up for an Owner Operator Independent Driver Association membership here.

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For One Trucking Couple, Halloween is a Real Treat

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halloween-truckWhile Americans are gearing up for Halloween with jack-o-lanterns on their doorsteps, one truck driving couple has taken Halloween to the highway.

That’s right. Cammy Ann Conway and her husband, Ken, are OTR truck drivers for Quest Global out of Georgia. They run from Atlanta to the Canadian border and from southern California to the East Coast. Sure, they’ve been on the road a lot this October. But that hasn’t stopped them from going all-out with their Halloween décor.

halloween-catThe Conways’ truck is a conspicuous sight on the road, to be sure.

Flanking its grill are a big black cat and fuzzy spider. The decorations get a lot of attention from others on the road.

“The kids love it most,” Cammy Ann says. “We do it to get a reaction from them. They’ll point or make their siblings look. It’s a lot of fun.”

When the Conways make their deliveries, shippers and receivers shout out to them as well, giving them a hearty thumbs-up. The Conways get a thrill from it all.

“We’re out here on the road, so we’re not home to decorate,” Cammy Ann says. “Decorating the truck makes you feel like you’re not on the road every day, like you’re bringing a little bit of home with you.”

Ken Conway, who’s had a CDL trucking job for five years, loves the fall holidays most of all.

Decorating the truck makes his job more enjoyable, he says. The decorations break up monotony even for those who cross their path. “The reaction we get from men is a little surprising,” Ken says. “You would think guys would rip on me for decorating, but even they get into it. It’s pretty neat.”

Ken decorated his truck for Christmas even before Cammy Ann began teaming with him two years ago. When Cammy Ann came on board, the Conways upped the ante, decorating for every major holiday.

halloween-dog-2“Putting something on the front of the truck is always our thing,” Cammy Ann says. “We do shamrocks at St. Patrick’s Day, pumpkins at Thanksgiving. People always honk and wave. To see their reactions is always fun.”

The Conways’ dogs, two mini-schnauzers, even get in on the Halloween action (They’re dressed up like super heroes this year.).

“The animals add to our life on the road,” Ken says.

The Conways plan to decorate their truck at the holidays for as long as they have CDL trucking jobs.

“Definitely, we’ll do it for as long as we’re out here,” Ken says. “Whether it’s Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas. When we retire, we’ll be able to look back on our time together on the road—the experiences, the people—and feel good about it.

“Let me tell you,” he adds. “If you can make a crusty old trucker smile at your decorations at 2 or 3 in the morning, you’re doing something right.”

Sometimes a truck can feel like home. Do you bring home to the highway, too? Connect with us on Facebook here and tell us how.

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