I use the hashtag #truckingisthebestjobever quite a bit on Twitter, because most of the time I really believe it. Needless to say, there are times when I’d like to use the hashtag #truckingsucks, but that’s not really the image we like to promote about the industry. Yes, there are some deeply sucky things about it, but seriously, being paid to go cool places and do cool things is kind of a dream job. We don’t always have the time or ability to take advantage of the cool places we see, but when we do, it’s pretty incredible.
We spent the weekend hauling luggage for the Bike MS: PGA TOUR Cycle to the Shore 2015, which was cool enough. Getting to go to Daytona Beach in October is awesome, but the added perk of having Landstar pick up the tab for our room at the Daytona Beach Hilton for the night made it a no-brainer to volunteer for. We donated our time and truck, and they took care of everything else. Once again, much love for Landstar from the Parkers.
But wait. There’s more.
The event required two trucks, and our buddy Thomas Liegel and his wife Billie are the ones who suggested we come down and run it with them. The Leigels are neat people, and their Liberty and Justice tribute truck, which they unveiled at the Guilty By Association truck show this year, is something else.
The truck is wrapped with depictions of ten wars, beginning with the Revolutionary War, and covering the War of 1812, The Civil War, WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom and the Iraq war. There are images of soldiers from every branch of the military, and the layout is just awesome.
Thomas and Billie spent six months researching and collecting images for the wrap, and they are proud to have a rolling tribute to the men and women who have given their lives for our freedom: “We wanted to give back to the people who gave the most. Our truck gives them a rolling tribute we can take all over the United States, so veterans and active duty service members can enjoy it, and other people will be reminded of the sacrifice made for their freedoms.”
They expected to have a lot of pictures taken of it, but they never expected the heartfelt gratitude and raw emotion military families feel when they see the huge display of American pride. During the two days we rolled with them, we saw so many people who have served, or have family serving, who had tears in their eyes when they thanked the Leigels for their patriotic truck.So yeah, sometimes, #truckingisthebestjobever. This weekend was one of those times. Next week, it’s back to dodging four-wheelers between Elizabethtown and Detroit on the chassis run, where I’m sure a big ol’ dose of suck will be waiting for us somewhere in the 400 construction zones that lie in Ohio. It’s a constant give and take in this business, and this weekend, we took time to enjoy ourselves and have fun.
