Third-generation truck driver Bryan Edwards has been driving OTR now for about 36 years after starting at 21. He followed in the footsteps, or tailwinds, of his grandfather and father, likewise four uncles who were also truckers. He and his two brothers, along with several cousins, are now in the trucking business.
Illinois-headquartered Edwards was a company driver up to 2014, when he bought his first truck and became an owner-operator, leasing on with another fleet at the time. He’s since owned a total of three trucks, the most recent of which is the 2022 Peterbilt 389 pictured up top. The accompanying 2025 Utility van is the second trailer he’s owned.
His current truck is powered by a Cummins X15 backed by an 18-speed transmission.
Edwards’ first truck was this 2006 Peterbilt 379.
He got his own authority in 2025 as Edwards Trucking when opportunity struck with a contract hauling for agricultural supplier Corteva, whose products he’d been hauling while leased prior.
“Corteva keeps me busy pretty much year-round, and when they don’t,” Edwards said, he “usually just finds something to put on the trailer to stay busy.”
The second truck Edwards purchased was this 2022 Peterbilt 389 that he ordered brand-new, “but Mother Nature took it out June 29, 2023,” which led to him buying his current 389.
The long line of truckers in Edwards’ family doesn’t stop with him, however. He said his 36-year-old son is the fourth generation in the business, and all his 7-year-old grandson “talks about is driving truck,” so a potential fifth generation could be on the way.
Edwards credits his wife, Amy, for much of his success, as “she handles all the paperwork side of the business, plus her full-time job,” he said. “All I have to do is drive.”
Rear view of Edwards' "Phase III" 2022 Peterbilt 389
[Related: 1976 Peterbilt 359 day cab gets road-worthy for dump trailer work]
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