FAMILY: Fiancee, Sandie Abernathy; children, Dereck, 23, Deeann, 26; two grandchildren
RIG: 1997 Freightliner FLD
DRIVING CAREER: 20 years as a trucker, 10 years owner-operator
FREIGHT: General, but lots of cars for GM and Ford
ACCIDENT-FREE: 20 years
INCOME: $35,000
LEASED TO: Triple Crown Services
A young Elvis Presley was once advised, “Stick to driving a truck, because you’ll never make it as a singer.”
Maybe James Buckner was told the same thing. Thing is, Buckner one-upped the King. He made it as both.
Buckner, 45, of Douglasville, Ga., got into the music business well before he jumped into trucking in 1985.
“I played drums in a band from 1973 until the late ’80s,” Buckner says. “We were called Atlanta’s Choice. We played a variety of music.”
Buckner’s been hitting the skins since he was 13. He had just bought a new drum set to learn on, and after lending a cymbal one night to a friend’s father’s band mate, he began hanging around the band more and more.
“I started messing around playing, and next thing I knew I was in the band,” Buckner says. “I wasn’t old enough to be in the bar, so my mom had to come with me to the shows.”
