Camaraderie Isn't Dead.........Entirely

05/26/2012

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To know Lou is to like Lou. He is laid back, and always smiling. He treats everyone fairly, until they push him past his limit. Basically, if you don't like Lou, it's typically because there's something wrong with you.

Lou never knows a stranger, and talks freely with people. One of his favorite activities was to shoot the crud with the other drivers at the truck stop. Although he had me on the road for the longest time, he remembered the lonely days on the road, and what it means to have someone hold a conversation and smile, letting you know you're not alone.
Lou helped in almost every situation he came across. The exception of the rule came on an early morning run (just after midnight) on I-70 in Indiana, right before Illinois. A suicidal woman stepped out and stopped in front of our truck. He knew it was a situation better handled by another woman, and let me handle it, while he watched from the cab, until the situation between her boyfriend and her required back up from him.

He didn't care what company you're with. He'd call out to every truck on the shoulder, to see if they needed help. Once, one did. He walked back a mile to try and help the guy, to no avail. He still had to be towed off. An old man came up to him in negative temps and a snow storm, asking help sliding his tandems. He helped a Werner driver learn where to put coolant in and what the coolant light meant. He re-routed for several drivers who needed help with break downs. To him, a little extra time or miles was worth it if he could help someone. Two of the things he enjoyed most were Wishes on Wheels Midsouth and Trucking Santas, for he could see the help.
The load above changed something on helping matters. Lou severely damaged his back while transloading it from trailer to trailer. He herniated a disc in two different spots, causing nerve root compression, facet hypertrophy, and pressing the disc into his thecal sac (the sac of fluid protecting your spinal cord). He fought the pain for six months. Then, one day, he couldn't even climb into a truck. Within two weeks, his world had been turned upside down. He no longer drives, for he ended up having issues getting the brake pedal to agree to his leg, for he had issues pushing the brake pedal down hard enough to stop. He is awaiting the doctor to pull his medical card and sign off on disability, and has already secured a disability attorney. We are also a month into waiting for a decision from St. Christopher Trucker Fund. He now has me tend to him around the clock, for he can't move very far before his body is ready to quit, but still tries to be hard headed about it.
The hardest part, though, has been to accept that he needed help. Our friends realized that him being done trucking meant that we were in bad shape. They realized this meant that we didn't have the money for the doctors or even for rent, and they weren't taking no for an answer of being there to help. We literally came off the truck, not even having a place to live. Lou tried to refuse their help, not wanting to have it get in the way of Trucking Santas. Finally, Mitchell Stein told me to make a fundraiser on YouCaring. So, that night, while Lou was asleep, I swallowed my pride, and did just that. The turn out was amazing, and humbling. Many times Lou and I were both left speechless and in tears, realizing how blessed we were to have such great friends. We would like to take a few minutes to thank everyone who helped out, including the anonymous people I can't list on here. We would like to thank those that we know will be continuing to help us as we wait for security and for my work to start paying off. We would also like to thank those that couldn't help, but have been there with tremendous moral support. Having all of you there, and knowing you care have made a huge difference in our lives. It has given Lou a new belief in humanity also.

We would like to thank Todd McCann, who couldn't help himself, but ended up relentlessly pursuing others to get involved, with good results. We would also like to thank Evan Lockridge from The Lockridge Report, for raising awareness of the situation online and on the radio.

We would also like to thank Brenny Transportation, Lone Star Large Cars, Jack Goldstein, Michael Goldstein, Christy Kuppler, Thomas Heatherman, Joel Sims, Gracie Berry, Jana Huolt, Jeremiah Adams (especially for hauling all our heavy stuff for us), Shirie Shipp, Lightning Logistics (Bekins), Riggs & Recruits, Sarge Lewis (he's been our transportation, and forced us to eat out), Brian Peters, Jacquie Vincent, Shane ?, David Beem, Jurgen & Tracy Reid, Matt Grigsby, Michelle Sutton, Mike & Tina DiBartolo, Porter Corn, Everett & Melody Appelt, George Baisden, L. Dawn Tait, Mike Laffey, NosillaCast on Twitter, Deuspenny on Twitter, Good Time Charlie, Todd Neva, Steve & Michelle Piatkowski, Yvonne Mansini, Carrie Marrero, Timothy Boswinkle, Danielle Donnelly, Sheri Olson, Ang Anderson, King (who is King?), Dale Buckley, Peter Toft, Hole in the Head (James Hightower), Bartkomt Overal, Mack & Becca Allison, Roadway Safety Store, Jim Johnson, Tess & Ravin Smith, Frog Truck Escort, Tiffany & Allen Parker, MaidenAmerica on Twitter, Eddie Gudino, Marty Hunt, Lisa Yingling, Mitchell Stein, Mark Fornaro, Bear and T Whiterhurst, Deb Swenson, Tim Nichols, the anons, and the person who threatened to kill me if I ever mentioned his name in so many words. I will adjust this list as more people step up, for they deserve full credit.

Thank you again, everyone, for your full support of whatever kind, while we go through such a hard transition, I'd list the names of everyone who reposted, but that would be enough to fill up an entire book. You've touched us to no end, and we will never forget the love and support.

So that I don't have to answer how to help every time that someone would like to help, I'm including an easy donation button at the bottom of this. Thank yall again! We can never repay yall for what your love has done for us.
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Change the Public's Image of Trucking

11/21/2011

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This has been a melting point for as long as I know. "We want to be seen different. We want to be seen for the good hearted, loving, family people that we are." Others are angered over needless legislation being a never-ending fiasco.

How do we fix it? How do we make people take us seriously and realize we aren't womanizing, alcoholic, drug riddled, one-night stand, loving people?

In order to affect change, we must first change how others view us. You can't create change without reversing imagery.

Last year, I took the first steps in making the outside public look at truckers different. I made a program that reaches out to people, and has truckers put in a good light. In the words of Yvonne Mansini:

It has impacted my grandchildren in a very positive way, not just financially but building their confidence up that people do care. Truck drivers care, and now every time we are going down the interstate, they look at the truck drivers and say, I wonder if he is one. We pray for the truckers now and we pray for their loads and safety and families. Yes, it has made us much more aware of the truckers and the dangers in their line of work. Thank you so much!!!

This is a lady who never even realized some restrictions in her area. She called me one day and informed me how unfair she thought they were, and that her grandchildren agreed with this sentiment. Why did she all of a sudden realize and care? Her grandchildren, whom her and her ailing husband are now raising, received school uniforms from truckers, food from truckers, and will have Christmas due to truckers. There's many more like them.

Last year, an organization was born from one text message. That text message read, "Can you adopt my son so he can have Christmas?" In six weeks, 17 families had Christmas due to truckers and trucking supporters. This year, we have taken in 21 families, and a Cerebral palsy facility. With time running out, I'm reaching out to everyone.

WE NEED HELP!!!

Although we aren't a non-profit yet (that is in the works), we have been sponsored by Patriot Outreach and Bring Them Home.

It doesn't matter if you're a trucker or a trucking supporter. Letting these families down further hurts our image. We don't just deal with the basic wants, we also deal with the needs. We try to ensure that every family member receives four outfits, one pair of shoes, and a thing of bedding. If needed, the family receives dishes, pots & pans, towels, etc. The children get five or six toys a piece also. I update wish lists often due to the fact that items run out of stock or are bought, and I clear them out in order to make it easier to order. All wish lists are embedded with an address. If you have issues placing your order, you can always email me, and I will send you the address also. We never ask for a person to get more than they can afford, and an item or two bought is an item or two we didn't have for them before hand. At the end of the year, those that I know contributed to wish lists will be listed as a Santa, unless they wish to remain anonymous.

Here's how to help:
1. Click here and go directly to our paypal button to give the easiest route. (It is, at this time frame, too late to mail things to the address listed this year. However, you can start mailing stuff to there as early as Dec. 26th for next year's families.)
2. Grab a wish list of a family. Every family has a story. For their stories, and more information on the program, please click here.

HERE ARE THE FAMILIES' WISH LISTS:

(Please note! All cerebral palsy patients are just that..............patients. I'm not privy to their last names, so I used Amy Brechbiel, one of the director's, last names.)

Henry family in Thayer, Missouri

Miller family in Cadillac, Michigan

Mansini family in Lanexa, Virginia

Martin family in Thayer, Missouri

Simmons family in Liberty Hill, TX

Mammenga family in Osceola, WI

Moulton family in Powell, WY

DiBartolo family in Alabama

Mason family in Bradford, Arkansas. They also need an old used 53' van or reefer or decent sized shed/storage building for storage. Do you have one to spare?

Cerebral palsy patients Betty, Mickey, Michael, Christina, Tad, Daniel, James, Debbie, Darryl, Tony, Gail, Steven, Joe, John, Barbara, Paul, Stephanie, Steven, Tony, Joe, Jeannie, Jimmy, Shameka, Harold, Amanda, William, Stephanie, and Joyce.

Also, the cerebral palsy facility in Frederick, Maryland will be having a Christmas party. All Santas are invited. If you can make it on December 21, 2011, please RSVP here.

If a child from a Trucking Santa family can rob their piggy bank of $5 to help another family, everyone can give $5. Please, take a few minutes, and help!
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