'She's the rock': Owner-operator Patrick White leans on solid partner in tough times

In this week’s edition of Overdrive Radio, drop in with our first Trucker of the Month for the year, West-Virginia-headquarterd Top Notch Transport and its owner-operator Patrick White. White trucks today in a beautiful 2001 Peterbilt 379 hauling a variety of equipment on a step deck, and here tells a story of perseverance through accidents and injuries, and building a team around him to excel despite the barriers fate’s thrown at him.

It’s in response to a question from Overdrive Senior Editor Matt Cole that White emphasized the gratitude he felt to his own team, most notably his wife, Ashlyn, now managing many aspects of the business.

Cole asked White for his best piece of advice for new and/or aspiring owner-operators.

White duly came with this -- no-nonsense, to the point: "Don't give up, don't listen to negative people, and learn everything you can from the old guys" who've done it all before, owner-operator White said. 

But he didn't leave it there.  

"Have a supportive wife, or somebody that is there for you, even if it's just a friend," he said, adding of Ashlyn White, who nominated him for the 2026 Trucker of the Year award: "She's the rock, she's the foundation of the business. She really is." 

Business

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Howes sponsors Overdrive Radio. The longtime trusted provider of fuel treatments like its Howes Diesel Defender all-weather mileage booster and winter Diesel Treat anti-gel / Lifeline rescue treatments to get you through the coldest temps. Find more information about all of Howes' products at the company website. As with so many of our Trucker of the Year contenders through the years, Trucker should well be plural in this case for the team behind the Whites’ Top Notch Transport, trucking with authority now for getting on a decade. Ashlyn not only handled tarping and more for Patrick while he was recovering a broken leg last year, more routinely she can and does do pretty much "everything but drive," White noted, from dispatching to handling "all the paperwork and compliance for the business." 

Hear contending Truckers of the Year Patrick and Ashlyn White's story in this week's Overdrive Radio podcast: 

Overdrive's 2026 Trucker of the Year competition recognizes business acumen and unique or time-honored recipes for success among owner-operators. Nominations are open for exceptional owners, whether leased or independent (up to three trucks). Enter your own or another owner-operator business you admire via the links.