My Trucker Life

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 the road felt too heavy—you have always been my greatest source of strength.

To my fellow truck drivers, past and present—this is for you. May these stories honor the hard work, sacrifice, and resilience it takes to live life on the road.

And finally, to every reader who picks up this book—thank you for allowing me to share not just my career, but my heart. May you find in these pages not just the story of a trucker, but the spirit of perseverance, faith, and love that guided me through 47 unforgettable years.

— Gerald Lee Jones

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 many miles, challenges, and blessings that made this journey possible. Without His strength, I would not have had the endurance to complete these 47 years behind the wheel—or the courage to share my story.

To my wife and family, your love, patience, and encouragement have carried me through both the long hauls and the long nights of writing. You have been my anchor when the road ahead seemed uncertain.

To the countless coworkers, dispatchers, mechanics, and especially the fellow drivers I met along the way—you are all part of my story. Some of you became lifelong friends, and others taught me lessons I carry to this day.

A very special thank you to the people at Voss Clark and Toyota Tsusho, whose kindness and professionalism made such an impact during my final years on the road. Your support will never be forgotten.

Finally, to you—the reader. Whether you are here out of curiosity, connection, or love for the trucking life, I am humbled that you have chosen to spend your time walking through these memories with me. I hope my story gives you a deeper understanding of not just the struggles, but also the pride and resilience that define a trucker’s life.

Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart.

— Gerald Lee Jones

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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 being an independent contractor. And what a wild ride it was.

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 of work before. I’m the type of person who usually keeps to himself — I don’t speak unless spoken to.

About two months into my contract, I was hooking up to a trailer in the Cincinnati rail yard when another driver approached me. I had no idea that this meeting would change my life.

His name was Ernie Lipperd. People say that God puts the right people in the right places at the right time — and I believe it. I’ve been blessed by it many times, and this friendship was one of those blessings.

Ernie had been an Independent Contractor for nearly 30  years when we met, though he later retired due to job-related injuries. That’s one of the hard truths about this career: the longer you’re in it, the more you pay for it with your health.

Even though our time together at CSX was short, Ernie and I built a friendship that has lasted more than 23 years. We stayed in constant touch and later even worked together at another company. But in these early years at CSX, that bond grew fast.

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Working Side by Side

While I was running loads to various customers across Indiana and the surrounding states, Ernie had a dedicated run: two loads a day from Firestone Building Products on the southeast side of Indianapolis to the Cincinnati rail yard. It was routine but highly lucrative.

I also picked up quite a few loads out of Crawfordsville, Indiana, at Rand McNally Publishing. Some went to Avon, some to Cincinnati. Avon handled east–west rail traffic, while Cincinnati handled north–south.

One particular load gave me my first real introduction to weigh stations and weight laws. I picked up a sealed trailer of aluminum shavings in Cincinnati, headed for Enkei, a production plant in Columbus, Indiana.

At the Indiana state line, I pulled onto the scale. The digital display showed I was overweight on my drive and steering axles. Because the trailer was sealed, it was illegal to break that seal unless it was an emergency.

The scale master insisted I call a recovery company to adjust the load. When I contacted CSX, their response was simple: “The shipper will pay the fine. Wait until the scale closes and then deliver the load.”

So that’s what I did — and it was my first real taste of DOT rules and regulations. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be the last.

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A Favor and a Blessing

Not long after I met Ernie, central dispatch offered me the same Firestone runs that he had been pulling. I don’t know if he recommended me, and I never asked, but I was grateful either way. Those runs became a steady source of revenue.

Meanwhile, my International tractor continued to perform well. It was a dream to drive, comfortable, and well built. Over the four years I drove it, I put another half-million miles on the engine.

During that time, I replaced the turbo, injectors, and the oil/coolant separator. The only time it ever had to be towed was when the turbo blew — and that was an experience that scared the life out of me.

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A Turning Point

By the fourth year, rail freight began to decline and fuel costs were climbing. I started to rethink my career.

I also needed more security when it came to healthcare and retirement benefits. Around that time, a new LTL company was opening in the Indianapolis market. I hated the thought of going back to being a company driver, but it seemed like my only option.

There were two reasons:

1. The cost of a full rebuild on my International wasn’t feasible.

2. Getting in at the start of an LTL terminal meant a shot at being near the top of the seniority board — an attractive opportunity.

After researching their policies, I saw they weren’t as driver-friendly as Overnite’s had been, but they weren’t as brutal as Conway’s either. After much consideration, I sold my International and decided to give company driving one more shot.

Follow me into the next chapter as I begin my time with Pitt-Ohio Express — and see whether it turned out to be a good move or not.

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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 with Pitt-Ohio Express as an employer.

I did make four good friends there — John Latham, Kelly Franklin, Clayton Case, and William Beasley — but most of the rest were just co-workers.

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Getting Hired

My original hope was to hire in at the top of the list and secure a local Indianapolis route. I applied online and expected to land the interview easily. After surviving eight years at Conway, I figured Pitt-Ohio would be a piece of cake.

But the interview notice never came. When I called the personnel department, I learned there had been a glitch in their system. My application was trapped and never moved forward. Of course, mine was the only one affected that day.

After some delay, I did finally get hired and started the week after I canceled my contract with CSX. My terminal manager at Pitt-Ohio was Shawn Morford. He was a pretty good terminal manager in my honest opinion. Pitt-Ohio started me at around $18.00 an hour. Because of the glitch, I missed my chance at an Indianapolis route and was instead assigned to Evansville, Indiana.

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The Evansville Route

That route was brutal. It required three hours down, three hours back, plus six hours of deliveries in Evansville — or sometimes delivering on the way down and picking up freight on the way home.

More than once, I ran out of hours on the way back, and the terminal manager had to send another driver to bring the truck and trailer in. To put it simply, it was exhausting and discouraging.

I stuck it out for about a year before transferring to my favorite run while at Pitt-Ohio: Jeffersonville, Indiana.

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The Jeffersonville & Logansport Routes

The Jeffersonville route was somewhat easier and shorter. Their business model was “cover more area with fewer drivers,” which really boiled down to being overworked.

Pitt-Ohio’s primary contract was in the medical supply field, so much of our freight went to assisted living facilities and nursing homes. That meant automatic inside deliveries. We did have other types of freight, but medical supplies dominated.

I ran the Jeffersonville route for about a year and a half before switching with another driver to cover the Logansport, Indiana route.

While running Jeffersonville, I regularly delivered to a company named Voss Clark. I didn’t know it at the time, but that company would play a key role in the later chapters of this book.

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Missing My Freedom

After only a short time back as a company driver, I realized how much I missed my freedom:

The freedom to start my day when I needed to.

The freedom to choose my loads.

The freedom to be free of company policies.

That loss of independence weighed heavily on me.

My stint at Pitt-Ohio lasted three and a half years. It wasn’t all bad — but it wasn’t the right fit for me. I don’t have any ill feelings about my time at this company. It did, however, open my eyes to the fact that employment freedom from policies and rules was the life I craved.

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Preparing for the Next Step

About three months before leaving Pitt-Ohio, I confided in my best friend, Ernie Lipperd. By that time, he was an Independent Contractor leased on to a flatbed broker. He encouraged me to take the next step.

And that’s exactly what I did.

Follow me into the next chapter as I transition once again — this time back into being an Independent Contractor with BESL Transfer.

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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 planning my transition back to being an Independent Contractor. My best friend, Ernie Lipperd, was already leased on with a flatbed broker, and I leaned heavily on his advice.

Ernie told me something important: “Before you find the right truck, you need to find the right trailer.”

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Finding the Trailer

As luck would have it — and as I’ve learned in trucking, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know — Ernie had a friend selling a 2002 Reitnouer Big Bubba flatbed.

We drove down near Melton, Kentucky, to look it over. It was in good shape, and I decided to buy it. I told the owner I’d return to pick it up as soon as I had my truck.

At this point, I was still working at Pitt-Ohio. We found the trailer around Thanksgiving 2009. By Christmas and New Year, I had found the truck.

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Finding the Truck

I had been so impressed with my 1999 International 9400i during my years at CSX that I wanted another one. Sure enough, International Used Truck Sales had a 2004 International 9400i available.

I resigned from Pitt-Ohio the last Friday in December 2009. By the first Monday after New Year’s Day in 2010, I was officially working for BESL Transfer.

They hired me with the agreement that Ernie would personally give me on-the-job training for hauling steel.

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From “Never” to Flatbed

Here’s the irony: back when Ernie and I were hauling loads out of Firestone Building Products, I swore I would never do flatbed work. Watching flatbed drivers sweating to secure and tarp loads, I told myself it wasn’t for me.

Well… never say never.

I ended up buying that flatbed. And yes, all my loads had to be tarped and covered. But there was one big difference: my trailer had a side kit.

That meant I didn’t have to tarp from scratch. I simply pulled the tarp from one side of the trailer to the other and removed the side panels to load. It was a much easier system than traditional flatbed tarping.

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A New Beginning

So there I was — back as an Independent Contractor, with a new truck, a flatbed trailer, and training from my best friend.

It was the start of another new chapter in my career.

Follow me next into Chapter 6, where I share my first three weeks with BESL Transfer and the unexpected adventure that came with it.

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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’t the last of my bad luck. Precision Strip put me on a 90-day trial period because of the accident, which was fine with me. I completed the 90 days without an issue or offense.

One day, while headed to the plant in Anderson, I had a rash on my chest and the seat belt was irritating it horribly. I unbuckled the seat belt just to get a few minutes of relief. And wouldn’t you know it, just my luck—a State Police officer saw me and pulled me over. I refused to sign the ticket, not that it mattered, and I reported it to the plant manager. He warned me that I had better beat this ticket, or my time with Precision Strip would end very soon.

I made an appointment with my dermatologist, explained the situation, and he wrote a statement for court verifying that I had a rash and was under his care. I went to court, testified, and the judge dismissed the offense. The officer was not a happy camper.

I don’t know if that district of the State Police put out a notice to keep an eye on my truck or not, but before long, I was pulled over three more times within the next three months. Thankfully, all three were only warnings for going slightly over the speed limit—no more than 5 mph over. Still, it was unbelievable and frustrating.

Finally, the last straw came on a load going to Batesville Tool. I had several small thin coils on the trailer, each weighing about 10,000 pounds. One of them worked the chains loose and tipped over inside the trailer. There was no damage to the trailer itself, but the chains scratched the coil. Batesville Tool refused to accept it, and Precision Strip terminated my lease.

Oh well. I figured there were other companies out there that would be glad to work with me—and I was right. Other companies were out there, and one of them was about to change the course of my driving career in ways I never expected.

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#TruckingLife #IndependentContractor #TruckersJourney #BadLuck #PrecisionStrip #TruckDrivingStories #LifeOnTheRoad #OvercomingSetbacks #TruckingIndustry #FaithAndPerseverance

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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 this company.

The first was a load going from Columbus, Ohio to Versailles, Kentucky. The actual route wasn’t the issue—it was the load. I was equipped to haul steel, but this load was bagged wood pellets. Luckily, they fit under my side kit tarp. I reminded the dispatcher again that steel was really all I was equipped to haul. The next week went smoothly enough—until I was assigned a load of steel beams for a bridge under construction.

The pickup was in Muncie, Indiana, with delivery to a work site in Noblesville, Indiana. I asked twice if they were absolutely sure those beams would fit under my tarp, and was assured they would. I arrived at the plant in Muncie around 3 p.m. and was told to uncover the trailer and drop it. The load would be ready by morning, they said, secured with the bills placed on the rear of the trailer.

When I came back, my trailer was loaded all right—but the entire side kit had been stripped off the trailer and stacked in the nose. The load wasn’t secured, and there wasn’t even room for me to work to secure it myself. Furious, I called my dispatcher and told him I forfeited the load and demanded it be taken off my trailer immediately. I hate being lied to. After he contacted the shipping office, they told him it would take two days to off-load the beams—hoping I’d change my mind and deliver it. I said no thank you, just get it off my trailer.

Two days later, I returned, spent the next two hours putting my side kit back together, and left. I wasn’t happy. Once I got back on the road, I called Border Connect’s safety department and resigned.

About two weeks later, after orientation, I began working for Tryon Trucking. Chris Marlette—my dispatcher from the BESL terminal in Campbellsburg, Kentucky—was now with Tryon. I enjoyed working under Chris again, but the loads weren’t steady enough to generate the revenue I needed to pay my bills. I managed to stick it out for six months.

While at Tryon, I reconnected with another former BESL driver named Dana Moore. We kept in close contact after that, and in an upcoming chapter you’ll see how we ended up helping each other out in a very financially beneficial way.

With that, I closed the door on both Tryon Trucking and Border Connect Freight. My friend Chris has since passed away—so rest in peace, Chris.

Coming up next is my time with Kaplan Trucking, which turned out to be 99% good. Please keep reading.

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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, but after Tryon I finally stopped in and filled out an application. I won’t mention the names of any office employees since I don’t have permission to do so—better safe than sorry.

There really wasn’t much of an orientation at Kaplan. I sent in all the necessary paperwork to get the contract, and that was pretty much it. They moved a lot of loads out of Nucor in Ghent, Kentucky, and Voss Clark in Jeffersonville, Indiana.

The Nucor loads predominantly went to Delta Steel in northern Ohio. After delivering there, I would usually deadhead over to Butler, Indiana, and pick up steel at the Steel Dynamics plant. Those loads almost always went to Louisville, Kentucky. I ran that route a lot.

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First Breakdown – Injectors

About a month into my time with Kaplan, my Volvo started losing power. My shop diagnosed it as bad injectors and cups. Thankfully, I had purchased an extended warranty when I bought the truck—lucky move, because injectors are expensive.

I took the truck to Andy Mohr Volvo/Mack in Indianapolis. They had it for about two weeks before I got it back on the road. It was the first of many mechanical issues I’d face during my Kaplan years.

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Trailer Adjustments

Not long after, the terminal manager suggested I move the third axle on my trailer to the very back between the split axles. He explained that this would help the load ride smoother, improve scaling accuracy, and most importantly, reduce tire wear.

Since I was looking to extend tire life, I took the trailer to Apex Trailer Sales and Service, where they moved the axle. They also discovered the wheel bushings were trashed, so those had to be replaced.

Afterward, I picked up a load for La Vergne, Tennessee. It was a standard legal load, so no scaling was necessary. From Nashville, I picked up another load headed back up to Butler, Indiana. The injectors were running beautifully, and the trailer adjustment made the ride noticeably smoother.

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Trouble with the Diesel Particulate System

But, as I’ve said in earlier chapters, bad luck usually comes in threes—and this was no different.

My next issue was with the Diesel Particulate System (DPS). While returning from northern Indiana, the truck suggested a regen cycle. What a regen cycle does is this, the regen chamber is located below the diesel particulate filter and it has a separate injector and igniter for the fueI to burn off all the build up of ash that the filter drops into the chamber. When the chamber fills with ash the a regen or burn off must be performed. I pulled off in Lebanon and ran it, but it didn’t help. The truck had to be towed back to Andy Mohr in Indianapolis.

They diagnosed it as a bad EGR sensor, replaced it, and sent me on my way. Unfortunately, the diagnosis wasn’t fully accurate. Just twenty miles later, the regen cycle started again. This time, I knew it was a deeper problem.

I called Kaplan, explained the situation, and made sure the load I had was covered. I decided to haul the trailer to my shop in Columbus, where another Kaplan driver picked it up and delivered it to Voss Clark in Jeffersonville. I then took the tractor to another Volvo/Mack shop in Seymour, Indiana.

After two days, they called and said the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) needed to be cleaned. It had to be sent out to a specialty shop, which meant more downtime. I’d already lost a week of revenue, but I told them to go ahead and get it done.

Four days later, I finally got the truck back. Kaplan had arranged for the driver who covered my load to leave my trailer at their office in Ghent, so I picked it up there and started fresh with a new week.

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Back on the Road – Briefly

My first load back was from Voss Clark to Michigan City, Indiana. On the way up, the truck’s computer again called for a regen due to rising soot levels. I made it back to my shop and ran the regen, then started fresh the next morning. This time, I made it to Michigan City without complications.

For a moment, I hoped the system was just adjusting to the cleaned filter and that maybe, just maybe, the problems were finally behind me.

Boy, was I wrong.

Stay with me in Chapter 12, where my patience and faith are tested like never before.

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#TruckingLife #KaplanTrucking #OwnerOperator #VolvoTrucks #DieselMechanics #OnTheRoad #TruckBreakdowns #LTLFreight #SteelHauling

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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 of Burns Harbor back to Louisville. On the way back, the computer on the truck’s engine once again required another regen. I was becoming very agitated and very concerned at this point.

After I allowed the regen, I got to Louisville, unloaded, and headed straight to the Kaplan terminal. I told them my issue with the regen system and asked if I could leave the trailer there while I took the tractor somewhere to get this figured out and fixed. They said yes, so I dropped my trailer and headed straight back to Seymour Mack.

I didn’t make it halfway there before the truck shut down and went into derate mode. This is where the ECM — the engine control module — shuts down the motor’s ability to use its turbo power and only allows the truck to travel at around 5 mph. I pulled off in Versailles, Indiana, and Seymour Mack/Volvo had to come get it and wrecker it back to their shop.

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The Battle With Seymour Mack

I specifically told the shop manager not to put a wrench on the truck until they knew exactly what the problem was and to call me with updates so I could figure out how to financially cover this nightmare. I double-stressed that they needed to keep me informed.

I waited four days with no word, so I finally called them. The shop manager then proceeded to tell me that they had pulled the brand-new filter out and sent it down for cleaning.

I said, “Stop everything because I’m coming down there to get to the bottom of this.”

When I got to the shop, I was livid. I asked the manager why he didn’t call me with updates, as I had stressed the importance of getting funding in place before any work was done. He lied to my face and said he had called but no one answered — and yet they proceeded on their own.

I told him, “I’m not going to pay for something I did not authorize.”

He responded, “If you don’t pay, then the truck will not be moved, and storage and late fees will be added.”

This was getting very, very ugly.

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No Real Answers

I asked when my filter would be brought back to the shop. I wanted it back immediately without the expense of it being cleaned. He said it would be there tomorrow.

Then I asked the most important question of all: “Do you know what caused all these regens to happen, even with a brand-new filter?”

He put his head down and said, “No. Even Volvo Corporate has no idea why this happened.”

I was so furious I had to leave before I found myself behind bars.

The next day, I drove back, paid the $2,000 bill I did not have to spare, and made arrangements with another shop in Versailles to come get the truck and truly solve the problem.

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Finally, a Real Fix

I waited for the wrecker and followed it back to the shop in Versailles. I laid out all the facts about the regen system failure with the shop owner. He said, “Okay, I can solve this problem permanently — as in forever.”

I told him, “Do it.”

I won’t go into detail about what was done to my truck, but after I got it back, it ran like a beast. In my opinion — and for those of you who are independent contractors, you probably know the steps that were taken — the fix completely eradicated the problem.

It was expensive, but it was 100% worth the price.

—

Going forward, there would be more and more issues with my Volvo — so many that there were times I thought I was going to lose my mind. The next chapter highlights my change from a side kit to a Conestoga cover for my trailer, so stay with me.

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