Born into it

For Lane Buckwalter, to say “trucking is in his blood” might be an understatement. At 17 years old, he’s spent his entire life surrounded by the industry. As soon as he could walk, he wanted to climb into the passenger seat next to his dad.

“It’s all I’ve ever known, that’s for sure,” he said. “I was sort of born into it. Ever since I was maybe 4 years old, I started polishing my dad’s trucks for him.”

Nowadays, you can find him helping however he can around the lot of Buckwalter Trucking, the Lititz, Pa.-based trucking company his father started.

He’s collected a pretty impressive resume up to this point. On top of being handy around the garage, he’s also worked as a truck painter and has used his skills as a metal fabricator to make truck parts.

Staying busy isn’t an issue for the young Buckwalter, who says he struggles to sit still, joking that he was born seven weeks early. When it comes to this trait, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.

Lane’s father is OOIDA senior member Lamar Buckwalter. With over 26 years behind the wheel, the owner-operator from Leola, Pa., was recently honored by TravelCenters of America as a TA Citizen Driver during the 2023 Mid-America Trucking Show.

OOIDA, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2023, has many member families that go back generations. The Buckwalters are no exception.

Lamar has found success outside of trucking as well, working as a firefighter with the Lincoln Fire Company Station 16 in Ephrata, Pa.

Beginning as a junior firefighter, he would go on to become a lieutenant, captain and eventually deputy chief. His passion for public service doesn’t end there. He’s been an EMT for the last 21 years and a rescue technician for 28 years.

The inability to remain idle isn’t the only thing the 46-year-old Buckwalter has in common with his son. Like Lane, he too was raised around trucking.

“I knew every truck on the road before I knew my ABCs and 1-2-3s,” Lamar said. “I was so good at it that I could actually tell what the make of the truck was in the dark just by the contour to the headlight design.”

Just like his son, Lamar was introduced to the industry by his truck-driving father, Mark Buckwalter, an OOIDA life member from Ronks, Pa.

The eldest Buckwalter has been in the industry for 45 years. He began his trucking career in 1977, hauling farm equipment. Once the agriculture recession hit, he made the move to over-the-road work, and the rest is history. While the 71 year-old says he’s “partially retired,” he still works as a driver alongside his son at Buckwalter Trucking.

An “Old School” Education

Lamar’s introduction to trucking is a story similar to many others his age. He says that it was his father – along with his now father-in-law – who taught him to drive.

“They’re the ones that put me in a truck and said, ‘OK, here’s the shift pattern. Now let’s go.’”

Drawing upon two generations of experience, the Buckwalters have carved out success in an often difficult industry. However, that success wasn’t immediate. Mark says that Lamar has a better understanding for the business than he did and he is proud of what he’s accomplished.

“He’s done a lot more than I ever did when I had my own truck,” he said.

Lamar’s hard work is certainly one of the big reasons for the success of Buckwalter Trucking. However, he says there’s one very important thing he learned from his father that has been key to that success – respect.

“From respecting the customer to other drivers,” he said. “The same comes with the truck and trailer. That too requires a level of respect.”

Hope for the future

While the future appears to be in good hands for Buckwalter Trucking, there is a part of trucking’s past that Mark and Lamar say the current generation could use a lesson in.

“I’m hoping the new generation wakes up and sees how they’re acting and how they’re performing going up and down the highway,” the eldest Buckwalter said. “I’d really like to see us get back together as trucking friends and neighbors.”

It’s a sentiment many longtime truckers share. However, the spirit of community is something that hasn’t been lost on the Buckwalters, and it’s something Lane says he hopes to help keep alive.

“It’s not completely withered away. I still see it when I’m out on the road with my dad, but it is definitely dying off,” he said. “I really do hope people like me bring that back.”

After high school, Lane says he plans to work with his father, driving truck and helping to grow the business.

It’s a day Mark is looking forward to as well. He says his grandson told him he can’t fully retire until he earns his CDL and is ready to take over his truck.

“Driving his last truck as my first truck would be an honor,” Lane said. “He has driven for a very long time, and now I get to carry on the tradition.”

As for words of encouragement for others looking to join the ranks, the youngest Buckwalter acknowledges that while trucking may not be for everybody, those who have success in the industry know the value of hard work and perseverance.

“Hard work goes a long way,” Lane said. “Trucking is a very competitive industry with its up-and-downs as Buckwalter Trucking sure has seen. When it gets tough, don’t slow down. If anything, use the hardships as motivation to keep trucking.” LL