Category: Stories > Semi-Trucks Published: February 20, 2011

New Truck for a Newbie

I seen some of the stories on this site were simply about people and their daily lives so I figured I would share a story of my own. I live in a small town in Indiana.

I retired from the trucking industry a little over 5 years ago. I enjoyed my job and the traveling I did as an OTR trucker. I like retirement quite a bit as well. I feel like I got out of the working industry at the right time since it only seems to have gone down hill since. I was born and raised in this small town and truly enjoy the atmosphere here. I like knowing most of the people I pass in town and them knowing me as well. It’s nice to stop by the local hardware store and be greeted by name. It’s a pretty close-knit community where people look out for one another. The one downside to living here is there are not a whole lot of job opportunities. Most people grow up here and leave to head for “bigger and better” things. Those who stay normally get a job in a factory, restaurant, or in the trucking industry. With the state of the economy lately unemployment has touched quite a few households in my town. Life isn’t always easy here when the economy is doing well, so it goes without saying that times are getting tougher.

We’ve seen some improvement in the past year, but not as much as I would like. I’m always wondering about the people I pass during normal working hours, hoping they are just out for a stroll on their day off. The other day I passed a house on the way to see my grandkids. There was a pretty nice looking Peterbilt in the drive with a For Sale sign on it. I can remember thinking I hope that truck is for sale because they just bought a shinny new one and not because they lost their trucking job due to the economy. It seems so petty, seeing a truck in a driveway for sale and questioning why it’s there. It could be because I remember what it was like getting started in the trucking industry that had that truck stuck in my head, but I really just hoped they bought a new truck. I had actually told my wife about the truck after I got home that night. I guess being retired leaves me nothing else to worry about. Now I realize this story won’t mean much to most, but I just thought I would share my thoughts.