Dream Come True
William and Diana Ideker
Ceva Ground driver William Ideker has been on the road for going on 40 years, and he doesn’t plan to stop any time soon. “My plans are to be the world’s oldest living, working truck driver,” he says.
Ideker, 56, has been driving since 1971 and says he couldn’t imagine doing anything else. “It’s something I knew I was going to be doing when I was just a little boy. I always loved trucks, and I knew what I was going to be doing for life, as a job and as a career.”
These days Ideker drives a dedicated route from Houston to Columbus, Ohio, with his wife, Diana; they’ve been driving team for the past 16 years. Diana says she’ll likely be on the road with William for as long as he keeps going.
“He wants to drive until he can’t drive anymore,” she says. “That’s not really my desire, but I don’t want him out there without me. … Even though I’m a driver, I’m very much like a copilot. If anything happens, I’ve got to be there for him.”
Driving a truck was also a longtime desire for Diana. “It was my dream to drive a truck since I was about 16 years old.” Her dream has come true. William and Diana share the cab with their two dogs: Shorty, a Pomeranian, and Annie, a rat terrier. William says the years in the cab with his wife have been interesting but good.
“It takes a special marriage for us to do what we do for as long as we’ve done this,” he says.
Q&A (William Ideker)
Q: What is your most memorable moment in your years of trucking?
A: I guess the first time I ever saw Las Vegas at night. I went over the mountain and saw all those beautiful, bright lights and everything. That was a real eye-opener.
Q: What advice would you give younger drivers?
A: Don’t be in a hurry trying to get caught up or, if you’re running behind, try to go faster. It just makes it worse. Bad things always happen. If it would make them happy to get that load there at 8 o’clock, they’ll be thrilled when you get there at 12.
Q: What do you always carry with you on the road?
A: Safety’s a big thing, so we always have a First Aid kit with us. Of course, a coffee cup. Tools, not in the cab, but those are down below. And our XM Radio, so I can hear all my sports … football, baseball and basketball.
