‘Not stayin still’

Gordon alkire
1939: Born Dec. 30 in Cheyenne, Wyo.
1957-59: Entered the U.S. Army. Served 13 months in South Korea.
1967: Launched trucking career, drove locally for Chicago-based Freeport Fast Freight. Also worked for Consolidated Freightways.
1968: Daughter, Beth, born.
1974: Bought first truck, a 1968 Peterbilt cabover.
1976: Moved to Glens Fork, Ky., drove for a saw mill.
1986: Grandson, Gordon, born.
1985-1991: Drove for Pacific States Transportation of Lindon, Utah, and received several safe driving awards.
1994: Met significant other, Dona Cameron.
1996: Moved to Riley, Kan.
1998: Received 200,000-mile safe driving award from Tri-State Motor Co.
2000: Bought a 1997 Freightliner Century Class.
2005: Started driving for NEI Transport.

After driving close to 1 million miles without an accident, Gordon Alkire of Riley, Kan., can confidently say he has found his ideal job. “I always dreamed of owning my own business, and trucking is basically that,” says the 40-year trucking veteran. “My office is 81/2 feet off the ground at 70 miles an hour.”

The spry, talkative 67-year-old travels the country with his codriver and “better half,” Dona Cameron, hauling military freight.

“Trucking is good for somebody who doesn’t like to stay still,” he says. I meet many different people, hear many different accents, get to see a much broader spectrum of life than the average worker.

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