Twelve Years Ago, We Took the Leap

As we’re coming up on our 12th anniversary as owner-operators, I found myself thinking back to the day we told our closest friends we were going to buy our first truck.

If you’d seen the look on their faces, you would have thought we announced we were committing a crime.

The wife stayed quiet, but her expression said it all.

The husband gave us every negative thought he had about going into business as truckers. We could lose everything. Trucking was too unpredictable. The risk was too high.

My husband was hurt by their reaction.

Me? I was fueled by it.

At that point, we had already been trucking for eight years. We had lived through enough freight cycles to know trucking has seasons. Some good. Some rough.

Our fleet owner at the time had slowly started mentoring us and encouraging us to think bigger.

Truthfully, Del wanted to become an owner-operator a lot sooner than I did.

I was the cautious one.

I saw how expensive downtime could become. A breakdown isn’t just the repair bill. It’s hotel rooms. Rental cars. Food. Missed loads. Lost income. Stress.

I saw the cost of preventative maintenance.
Major repairs.
Insurance.
Taxes.
All the things that come with ownership.

I wondered if we’d ever really get time off again or if the truck would demand everything from us.

Those worries were real.

But they were also the beginning of a new adventure.

The Call That Changed Everything

I had just started my drive shift when we got the call that our carrier was closing the doors.

They did everything they could to do right by us. They were good people, and hearing that news was heartbreaking.

What came next was something many OTR drivers understand all too well.

The search for a new carrier.

That alone feels like a full-time job.

Phone calls.
Applications.
Emails.
Waiting.
Promises that go nowhere.

After four exhausting weeks of searching, I finally looked at Del and said:

“I think we can buy a truck.”

By then, I had entered full research mode while he was already in excitement mode.

Honestly, isn’t that how marriage and business partnerships work sometimes?

As I caught up in my research, I slowly started catching his excitement too.

We found a used truck.
A carrier to partner with.
And a plan.

Picking Up Our First Truck

I remember the day we picked up our first truck like it was yesterday.

It was exciting and overwhelming all at once.

Paperwork.
Insurance.
Inspections.
Permits.
More paperwork.

It felt like stepping into an entirely different world overnight.

And even though nobody around us supported the decision, we knew deep down this was where we belonged.

That first truck became the beginning of something much bigger than we realized.

After our first year, we sold it and bought brand new.

When that truck reached one million miles, we sold it and for the first time spec’d a truck built just for us.

That moment felt surreal.

Not because we “made it,” but because we had survived enough seasons to still be standing.

Trucking Will Test You

Over the years, we’ve seen the highs and lows of trucking.

We’ve watched people enter the industry and leave it just as quickly.

Some seasons feel smooth.
Some cost you sleep.

Some years you feel confident.
Some years you wonder what in the world freight is doing.

But you stay the course.

That’s what trucking teaches you.

Keep going.
Adjust when needed.
Stay disciplined.
Trust the process.

Twelve years later, we’re still here.

Still trucking.
Still learning.
Still thankful.

And still serving our country one mile at a time.

Be encouraged.