"christian Truckers In A Changing World"

SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES

(Psalm 126:6) “He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”

(Proverbs 11:30) “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.”

(Daniel 12:3) “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.”

(Luke 14:23) “And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.”

(Luke 19:10) “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

(John 4:35-36) (35) “Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest." (36) " And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.”

PREFACE SUMMARY

Dear readers, as the world rapidly changes, staying grounded in one's beliefs can be challenging, especially for Christian truckers. Christian truckers must unite and support one another as they navigate the ever-changing world. We must remember that our values and faith can be a source of strength and comfort in times of uncertainty and unrest as we strive to positively impact the world around us.

Did you know that trucks transport most of the freight from the shipper to the receiver, usually a distribution center that uses smaller trucks to transport the received goods to stores? Trucks are vital tools in the manufacturing, transportation, and warehousing industries. Therefore, drivers of large trucks and buses require a specific commercial driver's license to operate their vehicles legally on our nation's highways.

Drivers must follow particular rules and regulations set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association that govern their service hours. Recent technological developments have contributed to many improvements within the industry. For example, board qual-comm communication systems operated by satellite communication allow companies to monitor and send information to their drivers, including their pickups and deliveries.

The on-board communication system replaces the paper logs that drivers were required to keep current with their last change of duty status. These logs, along with their completed trips, were to be mailed to their company to be placed in their file as a record in case an agent from the Department of Transportation decided to visit and do an audit concerning the operation of the company to verify that they complied with the law governing the transportation industry.

Satellite communication can now be programmed to allow the company to record the location and movements, including hard braking of their trucks, thus allowing electronic logs to monitor and record the driver's hours of service, eliminating the need for paper logs. This technology can also be used as a tracking device to monitor trailers, contributing to many improvements within the transportation industry.

"BREAKER ONE-NINE-THIS IS THE RUBBER DUCK"

Dear readers, I grew up working on trucks in my dad's shop, where I specialized in engine rebuilds. Most of the trucks I worked on belonged to a large trucking company where my dad was an A-class certified mechanic. In the late 1970s,

I started driving part-time for this company, hauling a drop deck trailer that transported out-of-service trucks from one terminal to another across multiple states. This valuable experience helped me land a job as a driver for a larger company.

"Calling all truckers, listen up! This is the Rubber Duck on channel 19 which in truckers language would be, one nine instead of channel 19. They would say, "Come back with your ears on, and let's get this convoy rolling!"

I remember when the song "Convoy" by C.W. McCall was popular on the radio, which prompted many people, including teenagers, to buy a CB radio. Trucker favorite Red Sovine also had a hit with "Teddy Bear." Other artists soon joined the movement. Hollywood even made a movie called "Smokey and the Bandit," starring Burt Reynolds and Jerry Reed, centered around a semi-truck transporting Coors beer from Colorado to the East Coast. The movie became a hit with people of all ages, thanks to the trucker song "East Bound and Down."

When the movie was released, citizen band radios gained popularity among the public. However, these radios were strictly regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and one had to obtain a license to own them. With the increasing number of radio buyers, the FCC eventually eased its rules, allowing more people to own and use them. This was fueled by the excitement surrounding the trucker culture.

The popularity of Citizen Band (C.B.) radios increased among young people, who enjoyed talking to each other using them. It was not long till the latest trend was to purchase a C.B. radio, which resulted in the airways being flooded with the youth trying to talk like the truckers. This trend replaced the practice of cruising the streets in cars all night, causing traffic jams and disturbing the peace. With C.B. radios, they could communicate from their homes and listen to their friends' conversations while cruising.