Truckers Not Welcome at $20 Million NY Welcome Center

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long-island-expressway-welcome-center-renderingThe $20.2 million NY welcome center on the Long Island Expressway in New York between exits 51 and 52 is set to open as early as this week, state officials said, providing a stop for motorists—but not for drivers with CDL trucking jobs.

Residents remain upset at the thought of having trucks near the center, Transport Topics wrote.

Residents opposed expanding what had been a pullout area with no services. They shared concerns of pollution from idling trucks and quality-of-life issues, such as noise and crime. However, as a compromise with residents and local officials, New York Department of Transportation officials banned tractor-trailers and buses at the welcome center. This exchanged for the community agreeing not to sue or impede sewer and water district approvals for the project.

Alternate rest areas for trucks and buses exist farther east.

One on the westbound side of Exit 56 and another eastbound between exits 65 and 66. Those stops have been renovated with improved lighting and portable restroom facilities, DOT officials said.

On a recent afternoon at the Exit 56 rest area, longhaul truck drivers said they had mixed feelings about the new setup, which requires them to turn around from the eastbound side to get to the rest stop on the westbound side or drive another 20 minutes east — longer in traffic.

Bruce Maze of Lewisburg, PA avoided driving to Long Island during his 36-year career.

His reasoning is it’s not very accommodating for truckers. He said the new stops show improvement, but give and take from residents must exist to make it work. “I understand residents’ concerns,” Maze said. “But at the same time, businesses need supplies, and truckers need and want a safe, well-lit area to pull over.”

Rick Caetano, who has been driving for more than 20 years, called the need to turn back west to use the rest area a “hassle” and said he would prefer to be able to use the new welcome center.

Caetano also shared his opinion on how the lack of truck parking impacts the new welcome center.

It’s not always easy when you have a CDL trucking job. Join the Drive My Way community here to keep up with all the latest industry news and make your voice heard.

Welcome center rendering by New York Governor’s Press Office.

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A Trip Through the Blue Ridge Mountains

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Blue Ridge Mountains

Many CDL permit holders know full well the beauty that blooms along the East Coast every fall. As drivers, you probably have your favorite spots to espy vibrant colors along your trucking routes. But there’s perhaps no better place than the Blue Ridge Mountains or the Shanandoah Valley to absorb the beauty of the season.

One Los Angeles Times reporter put fall colors to the test when he drove all 105 miles of Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park, Va., then all 469 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia and North Carolina.

In beautiful prose, reporter Christopher Reynolds captured the majesty of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the fall.

For four days I could almost hear the swelling violins as I zoomed under leafy canopies of red, orange and gold; hiked along creeks, lakes and ridge lines; listened to plenty of bluegrass and blues; and gave thanks to the National Park Service for bringing together so much beauty and so much blacktop.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is America’s most popular national park, with good reason.

The Blue Ridge Parkway, authorized in 1936, has been all about the automobile from Day One.

Both the parkway and Shenandoah National Park were Depression era projects intended to create jobs in a desperately poor region. For the parkway, the idea was to sculpt an epic country road, a black ribbon that would unfurl seamlessly amid the knobs, hollows, notches and gaps of Virginia and North Carolina.

The work took decades, but now the road’s shoulders are graced with overlooks, its straightaways unsullied by billboards or service stations. (There are also plenty of hiking trails along the route, including the 2,180-mile Appalachian Trail.)

The parkway speed limit is 45 mph, Reynolds notes.

Which means drivers move slowly enough to notice the region’s nuances and beauty.

For most of the last 50 years, including 2015, the parkway has been the most-visited unit in the park system. Last year its rangers counted 15 million visitors, who spent an estimated $950 million.

The parkway rises, falls, bends and straightens, following the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains with no commercial buildings or truck traffic, cushioned by a buffer zone of landscaping that alternates between narrow and wide, semi-wild and manicured.

The scenes I glided through were not quite natural.

They were more orderly than that. But they were unfailingly pretty.

Now I was heading into the busiest stretch of the parkway, the area around Asheville, N.C., where rangers counted 42,520 vehicles passing through in October, the month of my visit — almost three times the traffic tallied at the Peaks of Otter.

It was easy to see why. I happened to hit this stretch within a few days of peak color. In the hour before sunset, about Milepost 360, the scene turned surreal as the road carried me through tree tunnels of flowing orange and flaming red, then luminous yellow-green.

As CDL permit holders, what are your favorite roads to drive in the fall? We’d love to hear!

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Sharpshooters: The Truck Drivers with a Talent for Photography

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photography for truck drivers

Robert Moody has worked as a truck driver since 1976, most recently as a company driver for Lincoln, Neb.-based Crete-Shaffer. He’s on medical leave now due to a heart ailment that nearly killed him. While he’s on leave from his CDL trucking job, Moody has delved deeper into another one of his passions—photography.

Moody estimates he’s taken 500 photos from his truck over the years, all on the Nikon D2X camera he bought 10 years ago. We asked Moody to share with us his favorite photos and the backstory behind them. His insights are as captivating as his photographs.

Sharpshooters: The Truck Drivers with a Talent for Photography

This photo taken in Grand Teton National Park is your favorite. Why?

It was one of the first I took when I started taking photos seriously. I got there early in the morning before the sun rose. I set up my tripod. There were other people there, but with the clouds, they all left. They didn’t think it would be any good. It ended up being really good. The sun peeked out a little bit through the clouds. It lit everything up. Nobody was there but me.

What caught your eye with it?

The barn itself has a lot of character. That barn is a statement to its durability. You build something right, it lasts.

robert-rainbowWhere was this taken?

Cave of the Winds, Niagara Falls, on the U.S. side. There’s so much mist and wind there, you can’t use a tripod or your camera gets soaked. I had to hold the camera under my raincoat and take it out to shoot. This was the first big picture I ever sold. I sold it at an art show in Rochester, N.Y. It’s one of my favorite photos. The dark blue sky, the power of the water, the rainbow. All of it together is calming.

How has photography impacted your medical leave?

I use photography as a therapy while I’m going through this. There’s a park here in New York called Glenn Park. It’s really beautiful. I go there a lot. If you position your camera right you wouldn’t have a clue you’re in a city.

robert-fall-trees-by-waterWhat is it about this picture?

This is Oxbow Bend, Wyoming. I probably get more comments on this picture than any other. People like this photo. I live in Williamsville, N.Y., where you don’t see stuff like this. This picture makes me think that no matter how dark and gloomy life might get, there’s still light, there’s still something beautiful out there.

What motivates you?

I like national park landscape. I think I got my desire to shoot from my uncle. He used to take us to the zoo. He was really into photography. Ever since I was a boy, I wanted to take pictures.

robert-yosemite

Yosemite is my favorite national park

It’s massive, the sheer cliffs, the waterfalls coming off them. It’s so incredibly beautiful. I can imagine people crossing in their covered wagons and asking, “How are we getting through this one?” It’s an incredible place. This photo was taken in May at Tunnel View on Hwy. 41. I’m pretty religious, so I see God all over this picture.

Have a passion for photography on the road? Follow Drive My Way on Facebook here for more information. For more of Robert Moody’s photos, check out moodyimaging.com.

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A Very Special Drive

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CDL trucking jobs and Special Olympics

The scene is jubilant as athletes in cities nationwide gather to play games, have picnics, ride in convoys and dance to live music.

But these aren’t just any athletes, and it’s not just any cause.

It’s the Special Olympics Truck Convoy.

It’s called “the World’s Largest Truck Convoy” because it used to happen in cities nationwide on the same day every year. Now it happens in various cities every September, though not always on the same day.

And perhaps no Special Olympics Truck Convoy is bigger than Nebraska’s, annually drawing about 50 truck drivers, 25 law enforcement officers and 200 Special Olympians.

“I was born and raised around a lot of (Special Olympics) athletes,” says Roger Duering, Nebraska’s Special Olympics Truck Convoy coordinator. “I used to help an athlete do his stretches when I was younger. For me, this is a way to give back to the state of Nebraska.”

Special Olympics Truck ConvoyDuering has been behind the event since it launched in the state 13 years ago.

He had a CDL trucking job until he retired for medical reasons, so he feels he has a personal stake in this weekend year after year.

This year, the two-day fundraiser will be held Sept. 16 and 17 in Hastings, Neb. and Grand Island, Neb. As always, it will be replete with good vibes. On tap are games for the athletes, a Friday night picnic, the convoy (9:45 a.m. Saturday) and a post-convoy barbecue and auction.

“The World’s Largest Truck Convoy has a great impact on the athletes and programs of Special OlympicsSpecial Olympics Truck Convoy Nebraska,” says Katie Kellar, director of development for Special Olympics Nebraska. “The funds raised from the event help to provide sports and leadership opportunities for athletes throughout the state.”

Earl Deterding, an owner operator leased to Fremont Contract Carriers, has participated in the Nebraska Special Olympics Truck Convoy every year since it launched.

“The best part is to see the look on the athletes’ faces when they’re in the trucks,” Deterding says. “It’s a fun deal. Some athletes come out every year, and every year you can see them getting more confidence. I think this event empowers them.”

Athletes begin asking about the event as early as January, Duering says. “They’re always asking, ‘What are we going to do? What games are we going to play?’”

For their part, organizers ensure the games remain a surprise for athletes. In past years, softball, an egg pass and scavenger hunts have been huge hits.

Special Olympics Truck ConvoyIn the contests, truck drivers and athletes go head-to-head. “The athletes always win, we make sure of that,” Duering says.

Because for athletes, the Special Olympics is more than fun and games. By participating in the Nebraska competitions, such as broad jump, running and long jump, athletes can qualify to compete in the state Special Olympics contests held in Omaha. From there, they go on to compete in Nationals.

The money raised at the Nebraska convoy helps pay for athletes’ travel expenses to future competitions. “One year this convoy sent 15 athletes to the national games,” Duering says.

Last year, the Nebraska convoy raised $13,000 for the Special Olympics, and organizers hope to top that this year. Truck drivers each pay $100 to participate in the convoy, driving from as far as New York and Florida. Other funds are raised through the Saturday auction, always popular with athletes.

Truck drivers donate items for the auction then engage in bidding wars to raise more funds for the Special Olympics Truck ConvoySpecial Olympics. Truck driver Reuben Dupsky donated a toy truck with a $45 value for the auction one year, then ended up paying $90 for it in the auction. In the end, he gave it to one of the athletes, who beamed upon receiving it.

“The athletes are thrilled by it. No matter what they get, they’re excited that they got something,” says Dupsky, a local driver for Fremont Contract Carriers who’s participated in the convoy for 12 years.

“It’s just awesome seeing the smiles on their faces,” he continues. “It keeps me coming back every year.”

Special Olympics Truck ConvoyIndeed, for those with CDL trucking jobs, seeing the smiles on the athletes’ faces is always the highlight of the event. Drivers engage the athletes at every turn, whether they’re playing softball with them or letting them honk the horn during the convoy. In fact, many drive with the same athletes year after year, forming a long-term bond.

“Participating gives me a good feeling,” Deterding says. “These athletes need a little pick-me-up once in a while, something that says ‘everything’s OK.’ It’s a great event. I’ll keep doing this for as long as I keep driving.”

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Photos courtesy Special Olympics Nebraska and Roger Duering

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When It Comes to Barbecue, This Trucker Is Smokin’

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trucker barbecue

Part of our ‘Big Rigs and Barbecue’ Series

John Fitzpatrick is a country boy, even now, at 58.

The oldest of five kids, Fitzpatrick learned to barbecue from his father, his scout leader in Boy Scouts.

From his dad, Fitzpatrick learned how to cook over an open flame, clean fish and build snow caves in the frigid Canadian winter.

“We always barbecued growing up. When my parents started camping, that’s when I got really into grilling,” he says.

John chicken wings 2Fitzpatrick, a company driver for Canadian American Transport, is a long-haul trucker who spends up to four weeks at a time on the road. But he still grills out every chance he gets.

Among friends, Fitzpatrick is called “The Barbecue King,” with good reason.

The die-hard griller has two grills and three smokers at home in Kingston, Ontario.

“I do love my grilling,” he says. On the truck, Fitzpatrick grills out on an 18-inch gas grill he travels with, using mesquite, cherry or apple wood chips to enhance his barbecue. But at home, he cooks for others.

“We invite family and friends over and we all get together,” Fitzpatrick says. “There’s camaraderie. We have a good time.”

At gatherings, Fitzpatrick cooks up beef ribs on the smoker.

“My friends like the flavor and how tender and moist my meat is,” he says. “The juice just pours out.”

Fitzpatrick’s friends savor his ribs most of all. That’s probably because he makes a homemade rub that John bbq ribs and wingsgives his ribs an extra kick. He calls it Bone Dust. It’s a mix of cumin, chipotle powder and other seasonings. “I can take any type of rub and change it to give it my own flavor,” Fitzpatrick says.

Fitzpatrick has tried to cook brisket on the road, but it’s never the same.

So he saves his brisket for home time and does it right—smoking it at 210 degrees for 18 hours. The result is delicious, says.

“Patience is the key, and keeping a close on eye it,” he says. “You never want to rush it, whether you’re cooking on the grill or the smoker. If you rush, you’ll end up with tough meats. It takes a lot of practice.”

Fitzpatrick has been smoking his own meats for 25 years and grilling for 40 years. He enjoys cooking for his wife, Evelyn, most of all.

“I wish she was with me on the road,” he says. “When I retired after working 25 years at DuPont, we traveled in a camper together for a year. I loved driving with her.”

Evelyn loves her husband’s lemon chicken.

Fitzpatrick rubs it with salt and pepper, stuffs it with halved lemons and smokes it on his vertical smoker for about two-and-a-half hours. “It’s her favorite,” he says.

When Fitzpatrick retires from his CDL trucking job, he and Evelyn will drive Route 66. “We’ll hook up the camper and just stop wherever we stop,” he says. “We’ll go fishing and enjoy the journey.”

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Featured photos from Pixabay.com; other photos courtesy John Fitzpatrick.

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Trucking Company Pulls Together for the United Way

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Truck Pull 2

Carter Express long has made a habit of giving back to the local community. It routinely gives to charity through Wreaths Across America, food drives, fundraising dinners and the United Way.

On Aug. 27, Carter Express will be pitching in for the United Way again.

That’s when the Anderson, Ind.-based trucking company participate in the 3rd Annual United Way Human Truck Pull.

As the event’s chief sponsor, about 55 Carter employees typically partake in the truck pull every year, from truck drivers to in-house staff, says Jessica Warnke, director of marketing and communications for Carter.

Guns and buns“We’ve always been big supporters of the United Way, so when the United Way came to us a few years ago and asked us to support the event, we thought it sounded like a good way to get the community involved,” she says.

As a company, Carter Express donated $5,000 annually to the cause.

That’s in addition to the contributions its staff and drivers donated individually for participating in the pull.

“It’s just a fun event,” says Warnke, who organizes volunteers and helps plan the event. “Personally, I like the idea of bringing the community together to support an organization like the United Way. I always have a blast at the event, and it’s been personally gratifying.”

Pitching In for a Cause

Teams of 10 men or 12 men and women compete in the truck pull. Two teams at a time go head to head against each other, trying to pull the 30,000-pound truck-and-trailer combination 125 feet for a chance to win prizes. To participate, each team must donate at least $500 to the United Way.

Susan and Lowell Mitchell

Susan and Lowell Mitchell

Carter Express team drivers Lowell and Susan Mitchell, a married couple who have driven together for 10 years, have participated in the United Way truck pull every year, steering the trucks that competitors pull.

“I’m always happy to do something for a good cause,” Susan Mitchell says. “I hope the truck pull brings awareness about what United Way does for people. People at the event give great testimonies about what United Way has done for them. You don’t always think about that. They are definitely a help to people.”

When steering the truck for the truck pull, the Mitchells must be aware of people’s safety, just as they would be on the road. But the event is entertaining and full of levity, Lowell Mitchell adds.

“It’s a fun day,” he says. “We enjoy doing it. As truck drivers, we try to be givers more than receivers.”

Truck pull 1

Kim Williams, vice president, resource development for the United Way of Madison County, says the organization has set a fundraising goal of $40,000 for this year’s truck pull. Last year’s event brought in $13,000 for Madison County, but for the first time this year, the truck pull also will benefit nearby Delaware County. “We would love for each chapter to walk away with $20,000,” Williams says.

The fundraiser features food trucks, vendors and a kids cab pull.

People who benefited from the United Way share their stories, too. In that regard, “the truck pull helps put a face to what we do,” Williams says. While the United Way always focuses on income, education or health, the organization’s aims differ from community to community, depending on residents’ needs. In Madison County, the United Way alleviates poverty. In Delaware County, it focuses on youth education.

“One of the goals of this event is to connect with folks that we normally don’t connect with during the year,” Williams says. “This helps us better connect with the community and invite them to join with us. We bring people and organizations together to inspire change.”

The 3rd Annual United Way Truck Pull takes place at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 27, at the Anderson Airport in Anderson, Ind. All proceeds benefit the United Way of Madison and Delaware Counties. For more information, visit http://www.unitedwaymadisonco.org/truckpull2016.

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All photos courtesy of United Way except the one courtesy of Susan and Lowell Mitchell.

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Truck driver recalls 50-year career on Alaska’s Dalton Highway

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newsminer.comJack Binder has braved Alaska’s famed Dalton Highway since it opened in 1974.

Now 68, Binder, a 50-year truck driver, recently retired from his CDL driver job. As he looks back on his driving achievements, he relishes the opportunity he’s had to master Alaska’s harsh conditions.

Newsminer.com captured the highlights of Binder’s career in a nice feature story.

“It’s a career that’s paid me well and given me a lot of independence,” Binder told the publication.

Originally from Bemidji, Minnesota, he first came to Fairbanks at age 18 to drive a cement mixing truck during the summer construction season.

“I came up here in ’68 and Alaska got in my blood,” Binder said. “It’s sort of hard to explain. It was a frontier atmosphere and it was an adventure coming up here.”

During the Vietnam War, Binder worked as a translator.

He missed Alaska, so in 1972 he returned there to drive a cement mixer in the summer months. It was the start of a long career in Alaska.

Binder’s father was a truck driver, too, and when the Alyeska Pipeline and the Dalton Highway opened in 1974, the father-son duo moved to Fairbanks to drive for the now-defunct Weaver Brothers truck company and deliver supplies to the camps in the North Slope oil fields.

“I fell in love with trucks at an early age. He and I were really close. I suppose I was following in his footsteps,” Binder said of his father. “I grew up with this idea that truck drivers were kings of the road and they’d stop and help everyone.”

The Dalton Highway was different then.

It was only open to commercial vehicles, the road wasn’t as straight and there was no bridge spanning the Yukon.

It was in hauling bridge beam pipes for the construction of the E.L. Patton Yukon Bridge that he fell in love with trucking.

“It just got in the blood,” he said. “Trucking is something that is easy to get into and difficult to get away from.”

However, Binder, now retired from his trucking job, has gotten away from it. But he hasn’t gone far. He decided to become a mentor and trainer at Alaska West Express, where he’s worked the last 13 years.

“It’s been a rewarding career and I guess I’m ready to be off the road,” Binder said. “It’s nice to be home every night.”

Read the rest of the story here.

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When It Comes to Barbecue, Truck Driver Marty Wickliff is a True Grillmaster

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Marty steaks

Part of Drive My Way’s ‘Big Rigs and Barbecue’ Series

Marty Wickliff can grill anything. The company driver for TMC out of Des Moines, Iowa, learned to cook from his mom when he was a boy. He only improved from there.

Wickliff’s cooking skills were refined all the more at 16, when he got a job as a short-order cook at a navy base in Florida.

Marty Wickliff

Marty Wickliff

By the time Wickliff was 18, he was managing a Waffle House in Alabama. That’s where he honed his culinary chops most.

“The waitress would call out the order, and you had to remember it,” Wickliff recalls. “That job taught me how to time food preparation and get food out hot all at once.”

With the high volume at Waffle House, Wickliff learned to work quickly and memorize orders. It unleashed in him a passion for cooking on the fly. All these years later, that passion is still with him.

Wickliff’s culinary experience is diverse. In the years after Waffle House, he cooked at a five-star resort and attended culinary school for a time. While his dreams of becoming a chef weren’t to last, “I retained a lot of what I learned,” he says.

Wickliff took up truck driving nearly 6 years ago, after getting laid off from a factory job he had. His grandfather and former stepfather were both drivers, and Wickliff grew up observing them. “I always wanted to drive a truck, so I finally decided to do it,” he says.

Marty

Wickliff’s grilled London broil with bacon-wrapped cabbage

While he sharpened his cooking skills as a mere teen, today, at 49, Wickliff is a true grillmaster. He’s read up a lot on the technique and learned even more from doing it himself. Wickliff drives with a little gas grill he bought at Wal-Mart. It allows him to eat healthy while on the road.

Wickliff grills steaks, ribs, hamburgers, vegetables, fish, you name it. “My go-to is steak, but if it goes on the grill without falling through the grates, it’s pretty much fair game,” he says.

Wickliff likes his steaks rare. He seasons them, then marinates them for 24 hours in Worcestershire sauce. When it’s time to cook his steak, he grills it for about three minutes, then flips it and cooks it for five minutes more. As an accompaniment, he often grills up vegetables on the side.

Wickliff

Wickliff’s barbecued pork ribs with grilled vegetables

But Wickliff doesn’t stop at steaks. He also loves making boneless pork country-style ribs. Marinating them in 6 Pepper seasoning from Sam’s Club for 24 hours “gives the ribs a sweet and spicy bite,” Wickliff says. He also adds garlic powder and lemon pepper to the mix.

Wickliff sears his ribs on high heat, then turns the heat down to about 225 degrees and lets the ribs grill for a half hour. He tops them off with Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce and lets them cook with the sauce for 15 minutes more. To him, it’s all perfection.

“Mainly, I go back to what I learned in the restaurant business,” Wickliff says of his technique. “I’m pretty good at picking out meats. I drive solo, so I have to do all my prep work myself. To me, grilling is relaxing. Just to sit out here in my lawn chair and grill out and unwind, it’s a great way to end the day.”

All food images by Marty Wickliff; image of Marty Wickliff by Rachel Torres

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Sharpshooters: The Truck Drivers with a Talent for Photography

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Truck driver takes amazing photosIt’s not every day that people think of truck drivers as great photographers. But perhaps it’s time for that to change. From what we’ve seen at Drive My Way, many people with CDL driver jobs have quite an eye for the angles, scenes and life streaming through their windshields every day. It’s inspired us to launch this new monthly series, “Sharpshooters,” where we’ll highlight truck drivers who happen to be great photographers.

To get “Sharpshooters” started, we interviewed one of the best truck drivin’ photographers we know, Tempie Davie. Davie, who teams with her soul mate and best friend, Frank Tucker, is leased to Gulick Trucking out of Vancouver, Wash. In this exclusive Drive My Way interview, she discusses why she shoots, her inspiration, and how others with CDL trucking jobs can take quality shots.

Truck driver takes amazing picturesWhy do you shoot?

Because I love it. Time passes so quickly, I want to remember it all. The sun may never hit that barn the same way again. You may never see a rainbow that big and bright again.

It allows me to hold onto the things that will never happen again. It also allows my friends and family to travel with me, to hopefully feel the excitement of the moment.

What inspires you?

Everything! I love finding beauty in the ordinary. For example, some people see an old barn. However, I see the lines, the light, the stories of generations long gone.

Others see an old pair of doll shoes. However, I see a little girl trying to remember where she left them and crying because her baby’s feet are cold. Furthermore, some people see just a flower. However, I see the elderly widow, wishing for just one more bouquet. Overall, it’s the story, real or imagined, that inspires me.

Truck driver takes amazing pictures

Springtime in the Gorge

What is your favorite subject to shoot?

Oh, how would I ever choose? There is beauty wherever I look. If I have to pick just one, I’d have to say the Columbia River Gorge.

It’s my home, and the beauty is ever changing. Just a shift in the light or a change in season and everything looks different. You have to experience it for yourself.

Truck driver takes amazing picturesHow did you get into photography?

My parents bought me my first camera, a Kodak Instamatic, when I was 8 years old. I was hooked! At 10, I got a Polaroid.

How fun was that to see the pictures instantly! My next camera was a Ricoh 35 millimeter, I was in heaven. I took pictures of everything. Then life happened, two kids, an alcoholic husband, work and a drug addiction. Photography took a back seat. I got my life together, raised my children and started thinking about pictures again. Before, I lost my camera to the disease of addiction, so I started taking pictures with my phone. Instantly, I was hooked again. I got my first DSLR camera for Christmas. I’m enjoying learning how to use it!

What worthy tips can you give other drivers who like shooting from the road?

If you are shooting on the fly, a fast shutter speed is your best bet. If you use a cell phone, find the manual settings for the camera on it and play with them. Learn what they do. Learn to read the light and adjust the exposure accordingly. Most importantly, just have fun. Shoot what moves you.

Truck driver takes amazing picturesWhat should a picture do?

A picture should transport the viewers to another place and time. It should convey a feeling, tell a story, record a memory. I want people to feel what I felt, wonder what I wondered and imagine the stories of the people who lived in that old house. I want my pictures to make you smile, cry, think and most of all, experience life through my eyes.

All photos by Tempie Davie. See her photos on Facebook here.

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How to Protect Yourself from the Sun When You Have a Trucking Job

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How to Protect Yourself from the Sun When You Have a Trucking Job

It’s summer. That means a lot more fun in the sun. But frolicking in the summer sun is full of hidden dangers. If you’re someone with a CDL trucking job, you have to be even more mindful of them, too. The sun may feel nice beaming on your face, but when it blazes through the windshield, it brings added risks. Real Women in Trucking Inc. and Drive My Way share some truck driver sun protection tips for reducing sunburn and protecting yourself from harmful UV rays.

Candace Marley, a friend to Real Women in Trucking, knows the risks of sun exposure well. Her husband, Michael Marley, got the deadliest form of skin cancer, melanoma, on his face. He had it removed in 2003 and went on with his life, serving in the Army then living out his boyhood dream of becoming a truck driver.

But it wasn’t meant to last. Six years later, Michael’s cancer returned. Only this time, the melanoma had spread to his chest cavity. Within seven months of the cancer’s return, he died at age 37.

“Mike got skin cancer from long-term sun exposure,” says Candace, who got a CDL trucking job herself when Mike became too ill to work. “He was a mechanic in the Army and a truck driver, so every single day he was being exposed to the sun’s rays. And let me tell you, melanoma is a very fast killer.”

Sandi Talbott, vice president of Real Women in Trucking, is a skin cancer survivor. She and her RWIT colleague Idella Hansen urge drivers to take these 5 simple truck driver sun protection tips. It’s great advice that may just save your life.

1. Wear high-quality sunscreen

All sunscreens are not created equal. Chemical UV filters such as octinoxate and oxybenzone reportedly cause hormonal changes in animals, and one significant animal study found that the inactive ingredient retinyl palmitate may become cancer-causing when exposed to light. Beware of these ingredients on labels when shopping for sunscreen.

Warnings aside, finding the right sunscreen will set you on a strong path of sun protection this summer. In 2016, the Environmental Working Group, which monitors all sunscreens for safety and effectiveness, recommends Burt’s Bees Baby Bee Sunscreen Stick, SPF 30; All Good Sunscreen Butter, SPF 50+; and True Natural Ultra Protect 50 Antioxidant Sunscreen, Natural Coconut, SPF 50.

2. Apply enough sunscreen

Consumer Reports magazine recommends applying sunscreen 15 to 30 minutes before going outside. For liquid sunscreens, it recommends using 1 teaspoon of sunscreen for each part of your body.

Another Tip

Reapply sunscreen every two hours and after sweating or swimming. Spray sunscreens are less recommended than liquid sunscreens because of their risks for inhalation, flammability and uneven application.

3. Wear clothes that will protect you from the sun.

While others have the option of staying in the shade, people with CDL trucking jobs do not. What’s more, sun is magnified when it shines through the window, notes Real Women in Trucking’s Hansen, 66, who’s held a trucking job for 47 years.

“The left side of my body looks like it belongs to an 80-year-old woman, the right side of my body looks like it belongs to a 66-year-old woman,” she says. “It’s skin damage, very definitely.” Drivers should protect themselves by wearing long sleeves and long pants made from tightly woven fabric. Outdoors, add a hat to the mix.

4. Use a UV shield on the driver’s side window.

Fortunately, UVA-filtering window film can prevent skin damage, filtering out more than 99 percent of UVA and UVB rays while maintaining visibility.

Another Tip

Tinted window film is illegal in some states, so opt for a shield that is not tinted.

5. Wear a sun-protective sleeve over your driving arm.

Sandi Talbott of Real Women in Trucking picked up a sleeve at the Mid-America Trucking Show one year. It helps protect her driving arm against sun damage.

“Keep in mind, the sun shines year-round, even on cloudy days,” Talbott says. “If there’s snow on the ground, that reflection is magnified, too. As truck drivers, we are exposed to UV rays all day long.” This sleeve from UV Skinz (pictured) is made of stretch knit and costs $19.95 per pair.

Drive My Way is proud to partner with the membership organization REAL Women in Trucking, Inc. to help drivers match with prospective employers. Registration on Drive My Way is free for all drivers, but if you heard about us from REAL Women in Trucking, Inc., please take the time to note it in your registration.

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