IC0519

isville, Kentucky, says he went to a truck driving
school in Clarkesville, Indiana, across the Ohio
River from Louisville, and found out “There’s
nothing like sitting behind the wheel” of a big
rig.
He also learned that “you’re supposed to be
in control” of the 80,000-pound machine “at
all times. … At least you’re supposed to be in
control.”
The driver who ended the lives of his family
members obviously wasn’t in control, and Crook
says his family were against his becoming a
truck driver.
Some, he says, are still miffed at him for
making truck driving his lifetime career.
They fail to understand the lure of the open
road, perhaps, or they just can’t get over the
fact that six of their loved ones were killed by
an irresponsible truck driver. Maybe it made
them fear being on the road with CMVs.
Crook said it’s time they moved on, as he has.
For his part, he loves the freedom being a truck
driver affords. There’s nothing like it.
“The fact is, I can go anywhere and see the
whole country for free,” he told a reporter.
The Trucker caught up with him as he was
fueling up at a North Little Rock, Arkansas, truck
stop, and he was only too happy to chat while
he fueled, adjusted his side fairings and took
care of other maintenance tasks.
He powers a dry van for Southern Refrigerated
Transport in Texarkana, Arkansas, and had
been driving with them only three days at the
time of the interview. So far, so good, for this
easy-going Kentucky resident.
Most truckers know Louisville as the place
of the annual Mid-America Trucking Show. In
fact, when we caught up with Crook on a warm
March day, he was looking forward to attending
the 2019 MATs the following week. Since it
takes place in his hometown he usually tries to
swing by to take in the show.
“I plan on going this year,” he said.
Most drivers who have been on the road as
long as Crook have seen a lot of changes, and
he was asked if he knew about a new study by
the American Transportation Research Institute
finding that truckers are facing more drugged
driving by other motorists than ever before —
especially in states that have legalized pot.
That was before Crook had shared about losing
family members to an apparently druggedup
trucker.
Could the driver who caused the deaths of
his family members have done something differently?
In his condition, probably not.
“Drugged drivers are hard to avoid,” Crook
says.
14 INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR 2019 HUNDREDS OF JOBS www.TruckJobSeekers.com