A Winnipeg truck driver has been named a Highway Angel for stopping to help others in need. Dawna Jacobsen, who drives with Erb Transport Ltd out of New Hamburg, Ontario was recently recognized by the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) after she leapt into action while driving along an area highway one winter day—spying a 12-year-old boy whose snowmobile had crossed into traffic and was struck by another vehicle.

On a cold December evening in Northern Ontario, Jacobsen encountered something unexpected while driving down Highway 11 just west of Kapuskasing around 6PM.

“I saw something coming toward me, I saw lights that were not from the cars, and I just knew something wasn’t right,” she said. “I slowed down, put my flashers on and pulled over to not get hit by what I thought was a large box — it turned out to be a Ski-doo (snowmobile) coming at me.”

Jacobsen happened to be the first on the scene. She noticed not only the strange lights in the distance, but also a pickup truck suddenly stopping, and she immediately took action to slow her vehicle and stop. Her quick thinking was able to protect the boy from further harm by signaling to other motorists that something had happened – alerting a southbound truck in time to stop before running the injured boy over.

Upon exiting her vehicle and approaching the scene she discovered a 12-year-old boy who had been seriously injured. She noticed his legs were “mangled, and immediately called 911. Two additional motorists stopped to assist while they waited for medical personnel who arrived on the scene within 15 minutes.

It turned out that the boy had been with a group of his friends traveling on Ski-doo snowmobiles. The others had crossed the highway without incident, but this boy didn’t make it in time. He was struck by an unknown vehicle and sustained serious injuries. Jacobsen eventually provided officers with the video footage from her truck to help.

Tom Boehler, TCA’s senior director of safety and compliance reviewed the footage captured on Jacobsen’s dash cam and noted that by all counts if she had not taken the maneuver to the right, the oncoming truck would have driven over the boy. When that vehicle saw her stop, he stopped as well on the busy road. Her quick thinking prevented a bad situation from getting any worse. Her ability to leap into action likely saved that boy’s life.

“We are grateful and honored to have a professional and alert driver like Dawna on our team,” said Sheldon Wheeler, a spokesperson for Erb Transport. “Her ability to recognize potential danger and to react appropriately helped save a young boy’s life.”

Source: Highway Angel

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On December 9, 2022, Gubert was heading north on State Route 99 in Galt, California at around 5:20 am when he witnessed the crash unfold in front of him.

“One guy decided to go faster than everybody else,” Gubert said. “He cut in and out of traffic and clipped a guy — he hit the left guard rail, then the right guard rail and flipped.”

The vehicle flipped end-over-end before coming to rest in a field.

Gubert immediately pulled over, noting that no one else stopped to help.

“He flipped right in front of me, so I knew he was gonna be hurt,” Gubert said. “You gotta stop.”

The trucker then made his way to the vehicle to see how he could help.

“I pulled the door open, I stabbed the (activated) airbag, I cut the seatbelt and got him out of the car,” Gubert said. “He was talking but disoriented.”

Gubert stepped up in a time of need upon witnessing the accident and his courageous efforts saved the victim from further harm. He stayed with the injured driver until emergency personnel arrived and transported the victim from the scene via ambulance. Gubert reported that the man seemed to have sustained injuries to his neck, collar bone, and hip.

Source: Highway Angel

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Thaddeus Paulson, a Halvor Lines truck driver from Duluth, MN, was recently recognized with the prestigious Highway Angel award by the Truckload Carriers Association. The heroic honor came after he helped save a man and his grandfather when their Chevy Silverado veered into a ditch during snowy road conditions. It’s yet another example of how one person can make an immense difference to those in need on our nation’s highways.

On the morning of December 23, 2022, Paulson was driving down Highway 20 near Iowa Falls when a dramatic scene unfolded in front of him – an out-of-control Chevy Silverado spinning on a patch of black ice before sliding into a ditch.

“The only thing that probably saved their lives, probably, was how deep the snow was,” Paulson said. “Or they would’ve been crushed.”

Paulson’s quick thinking and kind heart saved the day. He pulled to the side of the road and approached the scene ready to assist. Upon investigation, he discovered that the vehicle was occupied by two passengers, a man and his grandfather. The elderly man was in frail condition and was unable to exit the vehicle and walk to the roadway.

“The old man couldn’t walk — he had injuries,” Paulson said. “He was covered in blood.”

The driver of the vehicle explained to Paulson that his grandfather had been experiencing heart issues and they were on the way to the hospital when the accident occurred. Together, the two men worked to help the elderly man out.

“I helped carry the 80-year-old man out of the vehicle that was flipped over,” Paulson said, “and up the hill through waist-deep snow to a heated vehicle and waited for responders to arrive.”

When emergency responders arrived, Paulson informed the officer on scene that his dash cam had captured the accident and that the footage would be made available to authorities if it was needed. Emergency personnel tended to the injured victim, and Paulson continued on his route.

Source: Highway Angel

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As the solemn convoy passed TA Truck Stop near the I-10 interchange, mournful blasts of air horns filled the air. The powerful sound, created by truckers in tribute of those lost, honored their memory with an unforgettable moment of remembrance.

This brotherhood of road warriors showed up to support the family and say goodbye to James “Bo” Duck who passed at the age of 58, having made his mark on this world by loving his family and living life behind the wheel of a big rig.  The casket was part of the procession, secured to the bed of his son Brett’s Peterbilt.

“He started driving back in the ’80s and that’s all he did as long as I can remember,” said son Brett, who followed in his dad’s footsteps, taking to the road and the trucking way of life himself.

“That’s what he was doing when I was born. I was around it my whole life. The truck that I carried him on — that’s the one that I drive.”

After noticing that his dad hadn’t been feeling well, Brett Duck tells how the family finally convinced Bo to see a doctor on December 22.

“I noticed his skin color was starting to change and his legs were really swollen,” Brett Duck said. “But he’s just like me — he don’t like doctors.”

The family’s lives were forever changed when doctors found eight masses in Bo’s liver and some suspicious spots on his lungs. By December 23, he had a diagnosis – Stage 4 cancer.

“Thirty-one days later, he took his last breath,” Brett Duck said.

In the time between, all available options were examined. There were some consultations for chemotherapy and discussions on the likelihood of prolonging his life. In the end, it was clear that not much could be done to prolong his dad’s life and that quality of life should be prioritized for the time he had left.

“He was miserable; he was in pain. He said, ‘There’s no way I can go through treatment’.”

On a Monday night, while Brett was in South Texas, he called his mom to check in and it was clear that the time had come.

“He wasn’t doing good,” he said. “My mom said he wanted to call hospice.”

Brett headed for home, covering seven hours of roads to reunite with his loved ones in an emotional farewell at the bedside of their beloved father. His mother, Donna, twin brother, Tyree, and sister, Sarah had rallied around Bo during his final moments.

“He was ready,” Brett Duck said. “He had made peace with it.”

Brett honored his father’s memory in a unique way, giving him the farewell he deserved. Celebrating the life of an unconventional man, Brett organized a send-off that was far removed from tradition – honoring his dad with all of their favorite things and creating lasting memories for those closest to him.

“Back in 2015, the guy I drive for, who was like another dad to me, his brother passed away from cancer. He had a white metal plate built specifically to secure a casket to the back of a truck and that’s how he drove his brother to his funeral,” Brett Duck said. “Ever since that day, I knew that’s exactly how I wanted to send off my dad.”

Brett spread the word to friends and family, including many truckers he and his dad had bonded with over their years on the road.

“It’s like one big brotherhood, one big family,” he said. “Whenever you need something, you can always rely on one of them. They got your back no matter what.”

Knowing this, Brett was still in awe of how many showed up to say goodbye to Bo, and give him the send off he deserved.

“I was speechless when I saw all the trucks,” Brett said. One came from northern California, another from Savannah and another from Florida.

“I couldn’t believe that many came together for my dad, myself and the family,” he said. “All of them taking time out of their busy schedules, especially with the price of diesel these days. To do this for one person — it really meant a lot.”

While their hearts were heavy as they mourned the premature loss of Bo, the procession felt right to those who loved him.

“He gave me my first ride in a truck. It was only right that I give him his last ride.”

Source: The Acadiana Advocate

The post Uniting Through Grief: A Family’s Tragic Loss and The Unshakeable Brotherhood of Truckers appeared first on Truck Drivers USA.

“To most people, owning your own business is a way to become successful. For me, it was a mission – a lifeline to a brighter future for myself and my daughters,” she wrote.

She goes on to tell her story of how after a lot of hard work and dedication, she was living her version of the American dream.

“That journey began in California more than three decades ago, when I dropped my nursing studies to get a commercial driver’s license. As a woman, the thought of working in a male-dominated field was intimidating at first. But those initial fears soon gave way to the rewarding opportunities that a career in trucking offers.”

In trucking, she found everything she needed to make an honest living and provide for her daughters.

“The change was unexpected. As a single parent raising four daughters, I needed both flexibility and the opportunity to provide for them. Which is why, in 2015, I partnered with Prime Inc. to become an independent contractor.”

Being an independent contractor gave her the ability and flexibility to run her business and her life the way she saw fit.

“Being an independent truck driver empowered me to run my truck as my own small business. I loved traveling on the job, the freedom to be my own boss, and the option to take my children with me on long hauls when I could.”

She was living her dream until a policy change came into effect that had the potential to change the lifestyle she’d worked so hard to achieve and had become accustomed to.

“Making good money while seeing the country, I built a wonderful life back in California – a place I was proud to call home. I was living my version of the American Dream. But lawmakers in Sacramento soon had a very different plan for me.”

She went on to talk about why Assembly Bill 5 was a scary concept for her to learn of as it could potentially affect her business and life.

“When the state legislature began debating Assembly Bill 5 – a law effectively banning independent contractors in trucking – my dream was put in jeopardy. AB5 would have demoted me from small business owner to company employee – affecting my hours, benefits, flexibility and overall ability to earn on my own terms. It would effectively kill the dream I worked so hard to build over so many years.”

Sova knew it was time to make a change.

“So, for the second time in my professional life, I knew it was time to change gears. I packed up and left California. I could not afford to lose my business and the livelihood it provided my family. In 2020, I moved to Springfield, Missouri, where I continued as an independent contractor with Prime Inc.”

She reflects on the decision she made, on leaving the place that she called home for so long, and knowing that this was the right decision for her family.

“I often reflect on where my dream started and what could have been. As a Black woman, I built a successful business and created a profitable path in an industry that had once belonged almost exclusively to men. Then the California legislature stepped in and took that all away from me. They forced me to say goodbye to the place I once called home for decades.”

Despite it all, she’s counting her blessing and moving forward in this new adventure.

“I’m blessed to have successfully moved to a more business-friendly state, but not everyone has the resources to do so. Since AB5 has gone into effect, thousands of more independent truckers in California have been thrust into legal limbo. Lawmakers have given other industries a carveout from AB5, but they continue to deny truck drivers that same opportunity.”

Since AB5 has gone into effect, it has meant that many independent contractors and carriers alike in the state of California are having to find new paths forward that work both for employers and drivers under the new law.

Source: Fox News

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In the early morning hours of December 16, 2022, Haywood faced a shocking scene while traveling on I-95 near Emporia. He noticed two tractor trailers had been involved in an accident and no one was to be found. As it turned out, the first truck blew a steer tire, which pulled him into the median and made his truck bounce into the guard rail.

“I saw the second truck hit the back of his trailer,” said Haywood. The crash knocked the first trailer into oncoming traffic.

Haywood immediately pulled to the side of the road and called the authorities. He then sprung into action to help the drivers.

“We got out and helped the first driver out of his truck,” he said. “We broke his window out and got him out of his window; he was okay.”

Haywood then ran to the other truck, which sustained severe damage.

“His cab looked like somebody dropped a bomb on his tractor,” he said. “It was just splintered — you couldn’t tell where the actual tractor was.”

Fearing the worst, the two men called out to the trapped trucker and to their surprise and relief, they heard a faint voice respond from within the wreckage.

“Somehow that guy survived,” Haywood said, adding that the man had been knocked into the floor and the dashboard curved back on him and pinned him to the floor.

“I held his hand until the fire department got there,” he said. “I didn’t know if that was going to be his last moment; I didn’t want him to be alone.”

Emergency personnel descended upon the crash scene, and Haywood was glad to have been of assistance. His quick thinking and courageous spirit were instrumental in navigating through a difficult situation that night.

“If that was me, I would hope somebody helps me,” he said.

Source: HighwayAngel

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“Behind the Chutes” is a fascinating and lighthearted autobiography featuring an insider’s unique perspective of ranching and trucking life in the Pacific Northwest.

Raised in a Northern California town, Greg was brought up with the spirit of ranching. He quickly learned how to ride and as soon as he entered high school, joined his local High School Rodeo Association which led him down an exciting path. After graduating from high school, Greg took up driving semi-trucks across America – proudly hauling livestock for rodeos everywhere.

Now retired, Greg is telling the stories of a life well-lived from a kid on a ranch to a cowboy, learning to drive a truck from his father and uncle, life behind the wheel of a big rig, and beyond! This long-time trucker is sharing his life along with some wisdom on how a person becomes who and what they are.

Published by Page Publishing, Greg McCaffrey’s engrossing book is the entertaining true story of a young cowboy-turned-trucker and his life behind the rodeo chutes and the semi wheel and is now available for purchase at bookstores everywhere.

Source: Cision/PRWeb

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“I was between Thunder Bay and Upsala,” said the 24-year-old trucker who has been working with Big Freight Systems Inc. of Steinbach, Man, since September.

“The truck in front of me hit his brakes,” Berto told SooToday in an interview.

“Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a moose pulling itself off the highway, with its front legs.”

“It couldn’t move its back legs at all. It was right on the edge of the highway. Once it got to the snow bank, it couldn’t get past that.”

“I hit the brakes, stopped, and called the police.”

He then popped on the truck’s lights so passing vehicles would slow down.  Next, he stepped down from the cab to see how he could help the animal.

“I backed up and pulled [the moose’s] legs off the highway because people were actually running over its legs.”

After getting the moose off the road, he sat himself down in the snow next to the animal and attempted to comfort it until police arrived.

“I just sat in the snowbank with it. It let me get right up to it. I was petting it and it put its head right on my lap.”

“I just sat there until the police showed up and they were able to put it down.”

“MNR [Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry] were not far behind to take it away.”

Those who know Berto best will tell you the 24-year-old trucker has a unique gift for animals and birds since childhood. As his father tells it, he was always approaching animals without fear from his earliest years.

And therein lies the key to his unique connection as Berto would tell it. According to the trucker, the difference is fear.

“They don’t really scare me,” he says. “They’re more scared of us than we are of them.”

“I was raised in Havilland, raised to not be afraid of animals, because growing up out there, there were animals all around and you had to learn to just live with them.”

“And doing this job, a lot of my friends have never even seen a moose, and I’m constantly seeing them everywhere.”

“Just show comfort and relate to an animal when you want to get close to it.”

“But don’t show fear. Don’t show aggression.”

“Just try to relate to it, like we’re all just here.”

Berto has a long history of interacting and even talking to animals.

So, what did he say to the moose dying in his lap?

“I just kept saying: ‘It’s okay. It’s okay. Everything’s going to be okay. It’s okay to let go. You’re not alone.’ It was just looking at me in the eyes and that was it.”

Sources: One Green Planet, SooToday

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“He’s an example for everybody, because so many of us we are Ed. His story is our story,” said employee Todd Jones.

Hennings is a Milwaukee native who took the wrong path in life. He’s now on a mission to help others learn from his mistakes and overcome their own. If you ask Ed, he’ll proudly tell you he’s in the “inspiration” business.

“I said, ‘Who am I fooling trying to go to school to do all these good things. I really belong back with guys in the neighborhood just making the fast money,’” Hennings said. “Once you go one way down that road, change is the hardest thing for any human being on earth.”

In 1996, Hennings was sentenced to 20 years in prison for a first-degree reckless homicide conviction. But this dark moment became an opportunity and within his two decade stint of incarceration he achieved greater heights than ever before – building momentum and making remarkable changes to propel himself forward.

“Your struggle is actually a blessing,” he said.

After his release from prison in 2016, Hennings achieved success on his own terms. He made a successful transition into entrepreneurship, launching a barbershop, creating his own shoe line, and founding Go Time Trucking. His hard work turned adversity into opportunity, and he strives to lead by example and be a continued source of inspiration to others.

“You just keep chugging away,” Hennings said. “People see ‘Ed did it. Ed was gone for this length of time, so I think I can do it.’”

Now, he uses what he’s built and what he’s learned along the way to put employees like Jones back in the driver’s seat as they reroute their lives.

“Me myself, I was in prison for 25 years. I went in when I was 15 years old,” Jones said.

Hennings’ other employees have similar backgrounds and are now plotting a new course.

“We see Ed, it’s like a walking example of a billboard of what we can be, but it’s also an accountability thing because there’s no excuses,” said Jones.

“Whether it be in prison or out here in the free world, there’s a lot of brokenness, so people need some inspiration and to know they can do it,” Hennings said.

Every Saturday, Hennings holds Zoom classes for those who are interested in getting into the business or into a truck of their own.

Source: FoxNews6

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Despite the traditionally male-dominated trucking industry, a wave of determined women are driving change and taking their rightful place on the roads across America. These female forces behind the wheel ensure that essential supplies keep travelling from coast to coast keeping our nation going.

Jamie Vance, a student at National Tractor Trailer School in Buffalo, NY shows off her skills in a virtual driving simulation at the school.

“I love pulling the brakes. I love operating the huge vehicle. A semi is nothing to play with,” she said as she hit the virtual road.

Vance is a few months into her CDL training and ready to get on the road of her new career.

“Put me in the real truck, please,” she laughed.

What’s her primary motivation for this career path?

“I have a one-year-old daughter,” she said. “And now that I’m a mom, I need mom money.”

Vance is part of a growing trend of women entering this profession.

“I was like, ‘it’s a truck. If someone else can do it, I can do it,’” she said. “Women are just as good.”

The number of women in truck transportation has been on the rise hitting a record high of 1.6 million last October according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. They now make up 18% of the industry, mostly in driving roles.

Rosemarie De Jesus, a current truck driver who was in Vance’s shows not that long ago, was a certified nursing assistant before shifting gears into trucking and essentially doubling her pay.

“Money was a big factor in it,” De Jesus “Then the amount of time for schooling [played a big role too].”

She admits the job is hard, but for her, the payoff was worth it.

“It’s not easy,” she said. “But everything comes with its challenges, everything comes with pros and cons. Just give it a shot.”

In her class, she was one of just two women.

“They kind of just think that oh, you know, ‘here comes a woman,’ ” said De Jesus. “I think they think that you’re gonna mess up, so they’re on you about certain things and it’s just like, ‘give me a chance and I’ll show you what I can do.’ ”

De Jesus admits she would like to eventually go back to school to get her nursing degree one day; however, for Vance, this is her long-term chosen career path. She plans to drive locally to start before going any further.

“That will make it able so I can drop my kid to school, I can be home to her every day, I can still make my money, and make everybody happy,” Vance said.

She hopes to see more women like herself and De Jesus stepping up and getting behind the wheel.

“Women are starting to be the go-getters, the motivated ones,” she said. “I feel like truck driving is something a woman can do if they put their mind to it.”

Source: Spectrum News 1

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