Life As A Trucker

Trucker: F-15 haul to Chico drew excitement, patriotism across the country

It turned out he'd have the time of his life.

"He didn't tell me what kind of wings," said Walker in an interview Friday in Oroville. "He just told me airplane wings."

Three days into his journey east, the boss told Walker he'd be hauling an F-15 fighter jet from Langley Air Force Base in Virginia to Chico.

Walker's first thought was "Wow!"

"I had no idea," he said. "Then it became very exciting from then on."

Walker drove one of two farm semis carrying the wings, nose, burn cans and a huge green box filled with parts and panels to put the F-15 back together.

Another trucker hauled the aircraft's main fuselage.

Besides the two trucks hauling the plane, the convoy included two pilot vehicles and a film crew.

Although they were ready to roll July 22, the group had to wait because they couldn't travel during the weekend through the Virginia city of Hampton, where Langley's located.

The group finally left around the base around 2 p.m. EDT July 25, but they only traveled about 240 miles the first day, partly due to permits.

The trip became known as the Freedom Eagle project and took five days through eight states. They arrived in Chico July 31.

Walker said the best part of the trip was seeing the reactions of people along the way. Some motorists whizzed past and slowed down once they realized what he was hauling, or they would ride up beside Walker's truck and make gestures or point.

"You could see them getting excited, and scrambling for phones, taking pictures," he said.

The truckers had to take certain routes because of permits, due to the size and height of their load.

The aircraft also drew people when the truckers stopped. At times, the convoy was able to stop at empty parking lots, but within minutes, the lots would have 15 or more cars "with people taking pictures, talking to us, and wanting their pictures taken with (the plane)."

People they talked to were very excited to see the plane.

"They'd say, 'Wow, this is so cool. I've never seen an F-15 on the highway before,'" said Walker, with a wide smile.

At one stop in Arkansas, the excitement of two kids who saw the plane and wanted their pictures taken "made our day," Walker said.

People were also patriotic across the country.

The Life of a Truckers Wife

The Life of a Truckers Wife

by Shannon Jennings
(McCool, MS)

Well let me start off by saying Trucking is our source of income. With five children ranging from age seventeen to age five, I am a stay at home mom and truckers wife.

I have the responsibility of raising honorary teenagers to "wild child" syndrome children. I am now researching the owner operator truck industry for my husband, for several different reasons:

I married him to be with him not away for 3 weeks out of 4,

WE NEED MORE MONEY, and for his personal happiness!!! If he is happy, he is making money and he is back tracking to the house by the weekend... I love my husband dearly and support him in anything he sets out to do.

He says, " Owning my own truck has always been a dream for me since I was a small child, but dreams are not real." Well I beg to differ, "I believe you can turn dreams into reality and that's what I set out to do and if it is God willing I believe it will work out.

I cope with the support of my husband, even if he is away. I am a very positive person and try my hardest to stay that way, I mean with five children you have to be, right? Otherwise, I would be in a resort called the crazy house by now !!!

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