Winters in Hawaii

A purple Peterbilt is how it started for Alan Winters.

This particular truck regularly visited the Winters family ranch in Kamuela, Hawaii (known locally as Waimea). Alan remembers working on the family ranch and wondering what it would be like to be behind the wheel of such a truck. It was just a wayward moment, as a child’s mind often tends to wander.

As Alan’s education continued, the thought of driving a truck someday crossed his mind often. By the time Alan was studying at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, Calif., the daydreams started to become reality. Alan’s part-time jobs during college began in construction, gravitating toward the trucking side of that industry. Once he got behind the wheel, he realized there was no place else he’d rather be.

The part-time jobs quickly became full time with Alan driving to earn money while in college. After he completed his animal science degree at the University of Hawaii, it wasn’t long before he found himself doing what he loved every day.

“One of the things I really enjoyed when I was younger and first started driving was talking to the more experienced drivers,” said Winters, an OOIDA senior member. “It’s a new experience every day, and the technology has just changed so much over the years. The key is liking what you do.”

“There’s always challenges, but I couldn’t see doing something you don’t like. Driving a truck is my passion.”

Known largely for surf, sun and sand, Hawaii offers its own unique challenges for professional truck drivers.

“On most of the islands, besides Oahu, it’s predominantly two-lane highways,” Winters said. “Multilane highways are very limited and like everywhere else we have to contend with traffic. The speed limits are also slower than what is seen on the mainland. We only have one road that’s 60 mph. A road I typically travel while hauling cattle is a mountain lane so narrow that one wheel is on the white line and the other is on the yellow line. It can take almost eight hours for a 200-mile round trip.”

Truckers also have to contend with rainstorms and active volcanoes.

However, the good far outweighs the bad, Winters said.

“We don’t have the commute that other drivers do, and we get to be home every night,” he said. “We have every climate here in Hawaii, except tundra. In one day you can drive through multiple climates. The variation is nice. Just the other day, I drove over three of the main mountains on the island in one trip. I really appreciate the beautiful scenery we have here in Hawaii.”

Shorter trips and more time at home proved to be an even bigger benefit for Winters and his fleet of trucks, known as Winters Ranch Inc., when COVID-19 began to affect the island.

“I think about the guys who are hauling long distances and couldn’t stop anywhere to eat because restaurants were closed or have different hours,” Winters said. “We wear masks and follow the safety guidelines, but we’re home every night, so it’s not as big of an issue. For the most part, our business hasn’t been hit as hard as other industries.”

Being a diverse company has also helped Winters Ranch Inc. in 2020. Cattle, dump trucks, paving, gravel, equipment, coffee and logs are just some of the business the company does.

As far as the future is concerned, Alan, who’s been an OOIDA member since 2003, expects to continue driving as long as he can.

“We’ll go as long as it’s feasible for the business,” he said. “It’s my passion. I still like to watch the trucks go by just like I did when I was a kid.” LL