Author Archives: Heartland Patriot

This book is dedicated to my wife, whose love, faith, and patience have carried me through every mile of this journey. You stood beside me through the long nights, the endless miles, and the painful struggles, and for that, I am forever grateful. To my family, who gave me reasons to keep going when theContinue reading “Dedication”

As I bring Book Two: The Independent Contractor Years to a close, I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude. Writing this book has been as much about the people in my life as it has been about the roads I’ve traveled. First, I thank God for guiding me through the manyContinue reading “Acknowledgements”

In my first book, I wrote 25 short stories in reference to the first 24 of the 47 years of my professional career as a commercial truck driver. In this follow-up book of short stories, I will draw a conclusion to my career, but the majority of those chapters will shed light on my beingContinue reading “Book Preview: My Experiences of Being A Professional Truck Driver As a Business Owner and Independent Contractor”

Sometimes the right person walks into your life at just the right moment. For me, that person was Ernie Lipperd — a fellow CSX driver whose friendship would shape my trucking journey for decades to come. CSX had its share of surprises in those early days, especially since I had never done this kind ofContinue reading “Chapter 3: My New Best Friend”

After leaving CSX, I thought Pitt-Ohio Express might be the stable LTL job I needed. Instead, I found myself trapped in long routes, strict policies, and missing the freedom I had just walked away from. Unfortunately, this will probably be one of the briefest chapters in this book, simply because I was not impressed withContinue reading “Chapter 4: Pitt-Ohio Express — Not At All What I Had Hoped For”

Leaving Pitt-Ohio behind, I set my sights on becoming an independent contractor again. With Ernie’s help and a little luck, I found the right trailer, the right truck, and a new start at BESL Transfer. As I mentioned in the last chapter, about three months before my employment with Pitt-Ohio Express ended, I began planningContinue reading “Chapter 5: My Transition Between Company Driver and Independent Contractor Again”

Just when I thought I was past the worst of it, bad luck seemed to follow me everywhere at Precision Strip — from a seat belt ticket to a scratched coil that cost me my lease. That accident I had with BESL was the first truly bad problem in my driving career. Unfortunately, it wasn’tContinue reading “Chapter 9: If It Weren’t For Bad Luck, I Would Have No Luck At All”

Border Connect and Tryon promised opportunity, but instead gave me lies, wasted time, and empty miles. These two missteps nearly derailed me, but they also pushed me toward something much better. Border Connect Freight was a horrible choice. But I lived and learned, I guess. There were two absolutely unforgettable experiences I had with thisContinue reading “Chapter 10: Border Connect Freight & Tryon Trucking — My Road to Nowhere”

After leaving Tryon, I finally landed a stable contract with Kaplan Trucking. The freight was steady, but almost immediately my truck began throwing challenges at me that tested my patience and determination. The Kaplan Trucking terminal is off US 42 in Ghent, Kentucky. I had passed it many times while contracted with other brokers, butContinue reading “Chapter 11: Kaplan Trucking – Finally on a Positive Road”

Regen after regen, breakdown after breakdown — my Volvo was testing every ounce of patience I had. What came next was a battle with shops, a $2,000 bill I couldn’t spare, and a decision that finally ended the nightmare once and for all. I delivered the load up in Michigan City and reloaded out ofContinue reading “Chapter 12: More Regen Nightmares”