Dashboard Confidential – November 2022

Ever since I was a little kid, I remember truck drivers were considered “knights of the road.” If a car had a flat, a trucker would stop to help. I heard countless stories of how important and dedicated truck drivers were.

I’m not sure how and why much of that changed, but it has. I don’t like it. And for as long as I have been a driver, I have worked to make the image of truck drivers better. But, also, to give back to the industry I love and that has fed my family and me for more than 50 years. It is not always an easy task.

Why do I care, some would ask? Does anyone else really care? I do, and, as corny as it sounds, I have tried to improve the world’s view of how we do our jobs. Consider that most people do not know how goods get to market, where potatoes come from, or anything related to the supply chain. Until the store shelves become empty.

In the mid-’90s, I met a driver at a show named Gary King. He had just formed an organization called Trucker Buddy that paired drivers with classrooms of school children in a pen pal program. The idea was to teach children, as well as their teachers, geography, math and many of the skills we use as we travel the roads delivering what we do. I became Trucker Buddy No. 17. It quickly became what I thought was the best media and image booster you could imagine. I served on the board of directors and as vice chairman of the board for many years until health issues made me step back.

About the same time, about a dozen of us who showed and competed in truck beauty contests were not happy with the treatment (or lack of) of the entrants. We formed an organization called the National Association of Show Trucks. We wrote some new rules and started our own shows and got some major sponsorships. We made sure the competitors were well-fed and had showers and restroom facilities. It grew and expanded, and membership soared. We used police, DOT and highway patrol officers for judges to improve our image and theirs. Our Stars and Stripes series awarded major prize money to the winners. I served on the board of directors, as vice president and later as president. I stopped competing to be fair. My friend, Bob Guy, said I had the world’s largest collection of second-place trophies anyways.

I was also fortunate to be featured on Chevron’s Share the Road safety campaign, crafted by Kenworth’s media folks to teach motorists how to behave around big rigs. My ugly mug was on a series of pamphlets included with your monthly Chevron bill. Over the years, I have tried to use my truck to improve our image and how the public sees truckers. I never asked for a return on the investment and hoped that some of the messages got across. But at the same time, I’ve helped set up food banks for relief during the pandemic. I have moved generators for the Miami Police Department when they lost power during the last hurricane, portable showers for first responders and mobile water treatment units in the Florida Keys. And, of course, a few FEMA moves. Yes, I got paid for it, but it was to answer a higher calling that needed to be done. Many folks were scared to leave the house. I was not.

In September, during Driver Appreciation Week, I asked to be dispatched to one of our Midwest terminals, figuring I could get a burger and a T-shirt. Instead, I was told to be at Bennett Family of Companies corporate headquarters in McDonough, Ga., for the safety meeting and live broadcast. No one would tell me why. I made notes, figuring they wanted me to be on the safety panel and talk about how “Dave stays safe.” I was totally wrong and blindsided.

I was escorted into the conference room and introduced to Marcia Taylor, Bennett’s owner, and several of the big guns and several gentlemen I did not know. I’m thinking, “Am I about to be terminated?” After watching a video my operations folks put together about how I run my business, two gentlemen handed me a 3-foot-long check from Pilot Flying J for $15,000 and awarded me their Road Warrior Champion Award for 2022. They also gave another $15,000 check to Trucker Buddy International. I was and am completely humbled. I truly never saw any of that coming. Did I mention being blindsided?

My dear Lady Karen had asked me a lot of questions on some of my past several weeks prior, without telling me why. Perhaps it was to be put on my tombstone when I check out. I had no clue I had been entered until an e-mail from the nice lady at Pilot Flying J sent me a W-9 tax form to sign and model releases to use my image. I was amazed but figured at best, a third place. That would have been more than wonderful. The winner was probably some guy who washes his hands three times a day and has a cute dog. I was wrong again.

I am truly honored and extremely humbled by the kindness. I have again exceeded my Andy Warhol 15 minutes of fame.

Happy trails. LL

Check out more of Diesel Dave Sweetman’s Dashboard Confidential.