Author Archives: Heartland Patriot

Behind every mile a trucker drives, there’s a family waiting at home. Trucking doesn’t just test your stamina, it tests your relationships — marriages, kids, and even your sense of belonging at home. Balancing the long hours on the road with the love and stability of family isn’t easy. This isn’t the part of truckingContinue reading “Series 5: Trucking and Home Life: Balancing the Road and Relationships”

The road doesn’t just test your driving skills — it tests your patience, your health, and your relationships. Every trucker who’s spent real time out here knows it’s not just about making deliveries; it’s about surviving the unexpected, handling the loneliness, and finding ways to keep going. Here’s how I’ve faced the toughest parts ofContinue reading “Series 4: Life on the Road: Challenges Every Trucker Faces”

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in 47 years, it’s this: trucking isn’t just about driving — it’s about keeping your truck alive. Breakdowns cost money, lost time, and sometimes even your job. The best drivers don’t just drive; they know their equipment, spot problems early, and keep ahead of trouble. It all starts withContinue reading “Series 3: Vehicle Maintenance: Keeping Your Truck (and Career) Rolling”

15.1 How do you plan trips to maximize your time? Time is money in trucking, and poor planning will cost you both. I always started with the basics: route, fuel stops, rest areas, and delivery appointments. A good GPS helps, but nothing replaces reviewing the route on a map and planning around traffic patterns, constructionContinue reading “Series 15: Time Management & Trip Planning”

Being an owner-operator isn’t just about driving — it’s about running a business. The difference between success and failure often comes down to how well you understand the financial side of trucking. If you’re thinking about buying or leasing a truck, these are the questions you need to ask before taking the leap. — 2.1Continue reading “Series 2: The Business Side of Trucking: Money, Expenses, and Big Decisions”

A lot of people look at trucking as a quick way to make good money or as a backup plan when other careers don’t work out. But the truth is, trucking isn’t for everyone. It’s demanding, it’s competitive, and it will test you in ways most jobs never will. If you’re considering trucking, these areContinue reading “Series 1: Getting Started in Trucking: What You Need to Know”

My 5½ years at BESL Transfer brought good friends, steady work, and some of the best-paying loads of my career. But one betrayal — and one accident — brought it all to a sudden end. I spent a total of five and a half years at BESL Transfer, and quite a bit happened during thatContinue reading “Chapter 7: The End of My Time at BESL Transfer”

My first weeks at BESL Transfer were a crash course in flatbed trucking. With Ernie guiding me, I learned fast — but nothing could have prepared us for a snowstorm that nearly buried us alive in Pennsylvania. As I mentioned in the last chapter, I had the benefit of learning flatbed work under the guidanceContinue reading “Chapter 6: The First 3 Weeks at BESL Transfer”

The accident at BESL shook me to my core and left me questioning everything — even whether I should stay in trucking at all. But with Ernie’s support and a new truck, I found a way forward at Precision Strip. After the accident that ended my time with BESL Transfer, I had to take someContinue reading “Chapter 8: Life Goes On After BESL”