‘Over the road’ episode 5: Back home

Apr 16, 2020

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Previously on Over the Road:

The stresses of family life are well-known to many in trucking. In this week’s episode of the Over the Road podcast, a coproduction of Overdrive and PRX’s Radiotopia podcast network, contributing producer Lacy Roberts heads home to Montana to explore her own family’s three-generation history in trucking, including interviews with her once-trucking grandmother, her mother and still-hauling father, and her brother Zane.

The visit, and subsequent wide-ranging talk with Over the Road host and Overdrive contributing writer Paul Marhoefer, offers an exploration of how the stresses and peculiarities of trucking have shaped those who run the roads, and those back home. Take a listen:

Keep tuned for “Our Punjabi brothers,” episode 6 in the series, debuting April 30. The episode tells the unlikely story of how the Punjabi-American community in California came to be, and came together in 2017 for what amounted to one of the biggest protest demonstrations ever, in the process changing more than a few hearts and minds about the presence of immigrants in the business. Trucker Binda Atwal takes the Over the Road team on a tour through the Punjabi-dominated trucking world around his home base in California’s Central Valley, anchoring the related story of the 2017 electronic logging device mandate protests and their complicated fallout.

The trucker cap in teacher Amy Watson’s selfie from the day she was tested for COVID-19 later inspired her choice of “long-haulers” to describe COVID survivors with persistent symptoms. “My school’s mascot is a squirrel,” she said, which she finds appropriate, given that her pre-school students, with their short bursts of activity, are “very squirrel-like.”

Trucking’s bit part in the 'COVID long-haulers’ name

A teacher's trucker cap provides inspiration for her to borrow trucking's "long-hauler" designation for COVID-19 survivors who discover they're facing an indefinite period of further suffering.

Small-fleet owner Jesse McGinness was going for originality with the look of this 2021 Peterbilt 389, spec'ing the black Alcoa rims from the factory. After his maiden voyage in a Class 8 tractor years ago, in a Peterbilt 379, he fell in love with the classic square-hood series. He plans to modify the stacks, the grille and more to all-black finish -- committing sacrilege, says the operator who took him on that first 379 run. McGinness'll maintain plenty in chrome/stainless accents, not to worry. The flattop with lift-axle is powered by the X15 Cummins at 605 hp, with an 18-speed transmission. 'I wanted this truck to be a truck that I thought was cool,' McGinness said, in addition to doing the tough over-dimensional/heavy hauling he'll require of it.

'WTF' stresses service for long-term success

The glider market grew from a few hundred sales a year in 2010 to upwards of 10,000 as recently as 2017. Gliders sported pre-emissions-regs engines -- no exhaust gas recirculation or selective catalytic reduction components and, thus, no need for DEF. With simpler technology and refurbished engines, the products were much cheaper than new trucks with new engines, making them attractive buys for small-business truckers.

Glider kit market hits fatal nosedive with latest emissions regs

After weakened demand in 2020, diesel prices jump back to pre-pandemic levels

Junior Elmore’s Marmon caught Christner's eye right off for a very simple reason: 'I’d never seen a Marmon cabover in the flesh before,' he wrote. 'Up close, it’s easy to see why a Marmon cabover was used in the movie 'Transformers: Age of Extinction' as the Autobot Optimus Prime. Elmore’s Marmon COE #31 HDT-BC-86 was Manufactured 03/1977 in Garland, Texas. This is a complete truck with no parts taken off. Still running when parked in 1999. A good honest work truck that’s nicely spec’d out.' Find more details, and history, via this link.

Look back at Junior Elmore's classic 1970s rigs

Beware: Human smugglers luring truckers along the border

More episodes »

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