And Now for Something Completely Different Print

I took a look around my office last week and discovered something I hadn’t realized – not only do I write about trucking and the business of trucking for a living, but apparently I also read about trucking.

You wouldn’t believe how many books between those four walls involve that particular subject.

But I thought I’d mention some of the first group I came to, and share a bit about them. Disclaimer: some of them I had a hand in publishing. But if you want to take a ‘busman’s holiday,’ well, grab a few (search Amazon for the titles and ISBN numbers – hopefully they’re not out of print) and relax in your bunk for a while. You’ve earned it.

The first book I noticed was an oversized one, Roadshow. It’s about truckers and trucks in some of the most rugged terrain on earth, Australia and South Africa. Alexander Babic wrote the brief text and took the photos, which are thought-provoking. The faces and trucks are tough – but not as tough as the lives they lead. The photos will give you something o look at for a long time. Here’s a quote: “Similar to sailors or pilots, the trucker embodies the idealized image of the modern nomad who has managed to turn wanderlust into his job.” Published by daab, ISBN: 3-937718-96-6 www.daab-online.com

Next was Roadcookin’ A long haul driver’s guide to healthy eating
Just don’t read it if you’re parked somewhere with no grocery store nearby or a café that’s still open – you’ll starve to death. Written by Pam Whitfield and Don Jacobsen, you’ve heard them on Sirius/XM Radio and read their articles. But have you actually tried their 28 Day Meal Plan? It’ll make a difference in your weight and how you feel. ISBN -13: 9781439220771; www.roadcookin.com

You Know You’re Married To A Trucker When … is a bunch of one-liners about the truckin’ life. Written by a couple who had an ‘easy run’ from the east coast to Dallas that turned into One of Those Trips, some of the jokes are just painfully funny. ISBN: 0-9724026-1-6; Miles & Nadine Wheeler, Write Up The Road Publishing.

Fantastic Trucks Customized Kings of the Road
Is it truck art, or the art of the truck? Some real beauties are in these pages by author/photographer Francis Reyes. The trucks and drivers portrayed are from France, the U.S. and Japan – and there are cabs that any trucker would give his eyeteeth to have. Longmeadow Press (800) 322-2000 Dept. 708 to order.

Reflections Thru My Windshield
Part 1, 2 and 3
For someone who doesn’t read much poetry, yep, I do have the entire set. And they’re all enjoyable. Dave Madill, award-winning poet, was a long-haul Canadian trucker for 25 years. He helped deliver babies, assisted accident victims, and watched more sunrises and sunsets than most astronauts. Here’s what the back cover of Part 1 says: “His words have the power of a diesel engine and the touch of an Angel’s wing, causing people to stop and take another look at the world we live in and the people around us.”

Part 1 ISBN: 0-9766872-1-6; Part 2 ISBN: 978-0-9766872-9-0; Part 3 ISBN: 978-0-9766872-8-3; Write Up The Road Publishing.

Adventures of a Lady Trucker They Called Me “Briteyes”
Dorothy Bishop started her trucking adventures in 1983, figuring she could make money driving a truck in a bad economy. Her book is kind of a chronicle of Murphy’s Law – whatever can go wrong, will – as applied to the trucking life. ISBN: 1-59971-481-7

Three Arm Truckin’ and other Tales from the Highway
Gary Bricken has a unique perspective. First he drove for a living and then he wrote for a living. These tales are mostly set in another era, the gritty, mean, nonpolitically-correct America of another time. The book shows the dark side of trucking, you might say (and if you want some tales for Halloween to read aloud and scare people, this book has some doozies) but there’s also a very funny “Cowboy Bob Rides Again.”
Write Up The Road Publishing. ISBN: 0-9766872-6-7

That’s Truckdrivin’ and Other Stuff n.o.s.*
*not otherwise specified
The scary part is that I think I may know Prudence and Deacon, who star in many of these short stories. You can tell Mary Blie was actually on the road driving before she wrote her book. It’s all too real.
ISBN: 1-4107-5831-1 (paperback) ISBN: (ebook) 1-4107-5832-x 1st Books Library

Me and You and a Truck Named Blue
That’s ‘Lady Blue,’ actually, and well – you think driving team would make things easier for you? Maybe. Maybe not. Robin Stears’ novel is true to the trucking life and a witty look at female truck drivers. Write Up The Road Publishing ISBN: 0-9766872-0-8

Truck Dogs Australian Graeme Base is a New York Times best-selling author/illustrator of children’s picture books, but this book is definitely for older kids. Actually, it’s a book for every trucker’s kid – and for the kid in every trucker. Are the heroes of the book trucks or are they dogs? Well, you’ll have to read it to find out. Amulet Books/Harry N. Abrams, Inc. ISBN: 0-8109-5031-6