april 2013 - challenge magazine

www.ptcchallenge.com

APRIL 2013

SECURITYPRoTECTIng CaRgo

JUlIE RobERTSSTREngTh In advERSITY

Road dog TRUCkIngvoICES of ThE hIghwaY

CalRIPkEn JR.

afTER baSEball

w w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m A P R I L 2 0 1 3 C H A L L E N G E 5

contents24 Cal RIPkEn JR.

It goes without saying the “Iron Man” of baseball has a hard time

calling it quits. So it’s not surprising Cal Ripken Jr.’s life after baseball keeps him on the go and in the game.

16 TEST TRaCk dISnEY Walt Disney Imagineers are always thinking of the next big attraction

for Disney theme parks. This time around, they’ve decided to bring the world of cars to life.

32 goIng ThE dISTanCE When famed Mount Everest climber George Mallory was asked

why he wanted to climb the tallest mountain in the world, he famously answered, “Because it’s there.” If you were to ask Mike Morton why he would run for 24 hours straight he’d probably answer, “Because I can.”

40 CaRgo SECURITY Cargo theft is a multimillion-dollar business, and believe it or not food

is stolen more than any other type of freight. Pre-vention of thefts is an ongoing challenge and drivers play a big role.

36 JUlIE RobERTSWhat would country music be with-out tales of tragedy and triumph?

It wouldn’t be country music. Country singer Julie Roberts shares her story of life imitating art.

april 2013 • volume 9 issue 4 cover & features

COVER PHOTO: RIPKEN BASEBALLPHOTO: RIPKEN BASEBALL

ChallEngE MagazInE’S QR CodE Download a free QR reader and scan this QR Code to get a direct link to our website where you’ll find a full electronic version of the magazine and links to our Facebook and Twitter pages.

48 Rv JoURnEYMac and the Big Cheese wonder why they’re still friends but find

time to offer a spicy Cajun dish recipe straight from the Bayou, and Chad checks out the Bronze Age of dinosaurs.

45 Road dog TRUCkIngWhen out on the road, a truck driv-er’s main source of entertainment

and information is the radio. SiriusXM offers a host of shows devoted to the knights of the highways.

sponsored by:

8 C H A L L E N G E A P R I L 2 0 1 3 w w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m

54 aRoUnd ThE TRaCkClaire dishes up a buffet of NASCAR stories that take you behind the

scenes.

57 ChEw on ThISCharles is tired, hungry and a bit muddy.

51 hEalThY ChoICESLinda offers a plethora of options for smart, healthy snacking while on

the road.

contents

12 lETTERS To ThE EdIToRReaders share their thoughts and opin-

ions on industry issues and stories from Challenge Magazine.

april 2013 • volume 9 issue 4 in every issue

66 PIloT flYIng J STaRSDrivers recognize these STAR employees

who make Pilot Flying J a place you can rely on.

67 whaT’S haPPEnIngPFJ gives thanks from MATS and it’s not

too early to register for October’s Truck Driver Social Media Convention.

68 PIloT flYIng J dIRECToRYThe comprehensive Pilot Flying J direc-

tory lists everything from location addresses to ser-vices available.

10 fRoM ThE EdIToRReliability. 62 gaMES

Sudoku, word search and crossword puz-zles. Some clues for the puzzle come from this issue of Challenge Magazine.

53 gETTIn’ oUTdooRSBrenda warns of a “ticking” time bomb.

64 gaRMIn gallERYPictures from the road. Send in your pho-

tos and see them published in Challenge Magazine and you may be a winner.

sponsored by:

60 TRUCkERS’ CoRnERThe creative side of truck drivers.

sponsored by: 82 loYalTYThe $10,000 sweepstakes winner; wan-

dering Wi-Fi; and a loyal customer.

14 ShoRT RUnSBroadening the mind with the interesting

and inane.

56 dRIvIng ThRU d.C.Mike feels encouraged but realistic about the new National Freight Ad-

visory Committee.

58 ThE UnIQUE U.S.Spring is here, so it’s time to get out of

the house (and the cab) and check out this country’s national scenic and historic pathways.

23 TRUCk dRIvERChallEngE

Jeff Seaberg, winner of the 2006 and 2010 TDC, shares his thoughts about working in racing and how his prize winnings led him to a new career.

Are you reliable? Can I trust you? I’m surprised these questions aren’t asked more. They seem pretty relevant to most aspects of life. Granted, it’s probably not the best thing to ask a new friend or loved one, and even unreliable people would probably answer

yes – they can’t be trusted, after all. But if we did ask those questions, we’d probably be much better off in life and avoid those nasty betrayals of trust most of us have experienced at some point along the way. I normally don’t choose to hang around unreliable people. I know, a real shock, but every so often a wolf in sheep’s clothing will sneak into my sphere of life. But I don’t ask and often I won’t know a person’s re-liability until it becomes necessary that I do. The Roman philosopher Cicero said, “The shifts of fortune test the reliability of friends.” Cicero should know, having lived during one of the more infamous betrayals in history, when Brutus, a senator of Rome, killed the dictator of Rome, Julius Caesar. Cicero himself was eventually assassinated – tests of reli-ability to the extreme. But relying on others is essential. Try doing your job without relying on someone – for most of us it’s virtually impossible. Soldiers rely on each other to stay alive. Children rely on parents to help them grow in life and stature. Families rely on each other to cope with loss. Co-workers rely on each other to get work done. And many of us rely on God to see us through our lives. Trust and reliance evolve into friendships, respect, love – all those human experiences we can’t live well without. This month, we have several stories that touch on the question of reli-ability. Companies in the U.S. lose billions of dollars in stolen cargo each year and the vast majority of the thefts come from stolen trailers and con-tainers. Our story on cargo security (Page 40) looks at what the industry has done to stem the flow of cargo theft and touches on more that could be done if only we had a bit more trust. Cal Ripken Jr. can certainly be described as reliable (Page 24). Start-ing 2,632 straight games in Major League Baseball will earn you that. His teammates trusted him and, now out of the league for more than a decade, Ripken is still his old self, proving reliability is a sustaining trait. Can I trust you or not? Well, I’m not going to ask you, so I guess I’ll just have to wait and find out. Safe driving.

reliabilityeditorial staff

advertising staff

victory 500 publishing

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SUBSCRIPTION RATES - $25 for one year in the United States. Subscriptions can be started or renewed by calling Challenge Magazine at (910) 695-0077 with your name, mailing address and credit card information; or write to Chal-lenge Magazine: 655 SE Broad Street, Southern Pines, NC 28387, along with a check or credit card information. BACK ISSUES of Challenge Magazine can be purchased for $3 per issue to cover mailing and handling. Follow the same procedures as subscriptions to purchase a back issue of the magazine.

Challenge Magazine is published monthly by Victory Publishing, Inc. Copyright © 2013, all rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without writ-ten permission is prohibited. Challenge Magazine is a registered trademark of Victory Publishing, Inc. All advertisers for Challenge Magazine are accepted and published by Victory Publishing, Inc. on the representation that the ad-vertiser and/or advertising agency as well as a supplier of editorial content are authorized to publish the entire contents and subject matter thereof. The advertiser and/or advertising agency or supplier of editorial content will de-fend, indemnify and hold Victory Publishing, Inc. harmless from and against any loss, expenses or other liability resulting from any claims or suits for libel violations of right of privacy or publicity, plagiarism, copyright or trademark, infringement and any other claims or suits that may arise out of publication of such advertisement or editorial.

april 2013volume 9 issue 4

by greg girard

PIloT flYIng JCUSTOMER SERVICE1-877-866-7378

w w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m


Women in TruckingGreat article on women in trucking. Grace Beals is part of my extended family. She’s tough just like my wife, who is a nurse turned president of a hospital. Never ever tell her she can’t do something. Keep up the good work.

Dan ShawNew Hampton, Iowa

Your story on women in trucking was a good read. I’ve worked with some great women drivers over the years and also with some pretty bad ones. Seems those with a thicker skin tend to survive and those that act like a victim move on pretty quick. Like it or not, truck driving is still a male-domi-nated job. Things are changing but it won’t be overnight, so women looking to drive need to understand what they’re getting into. Hold your own and the chauvinists will back down.

Tom WillerbyPhoenix

I want to thank you personally for the wonderful article you wrote for Challenge Magazine in February. My daughter read the article and thanks you for a well-written piece. Also, as a founding member of Wom-en Truckers Network, I thank you for the great coverage of our group.

Sandi TalbottAvery, Texas

[Sandi], you don’t look a day over 40 – you go, girl! What a great inspiration for all of us. God bless you.

Tina Shadden Via Facebook

HemingWay HouseThe real life “Most Interesting Man in the World.”

Mike Singleton Via Facebook

Now I want to go to Key West and see the house. I love Hemingway. Thanks for the article.

Long Haul Magazine Via Facebook

sWamp people“Swamp People” is one of my favorite shows. Love watching the teams as they hunt down them gators, especially Troy Landry when he says “Choot ’em.” Makes me laugh every time. Life on the bayou has to be pretty interesting. I wouldn’t mind spending some time on a boat with one of these teams. Wonder if they do fish-alongs? Thanks for the great article.

George LasatarPhiladelphia

Question, comment or criticism? Drop us a note or email us with your opinion. We want to hear from you. Note: Letters may be edited for clarity or space. Although we try to respond to all communications, emails get first priority. Written letters take more time to process and edit.

MAIL COMMENTS TO Challenge Magazine P.O. Box 2300 Southern Pines, NC 28388 EMAIL [email protected]

SUBMIT A LETTER:


This year marks the 117th running of the Boston Marathon, the oldest annual marathon in the world. The race is held the third Monday in April, which in Massachusetts is also Patriots’ Day, a day honoring two of the first battles of the Revolutionary War. Let’s take a closer look:

A Closer Look: The Boston Marathon

Regular Contributor to Truckers’ Corner Honored

RUNSSHOR

T

Qwhat can’t you be without while on the road?

Qwhat is your biggest on-the-road pet peeve?

Post your answers on our Facebook page or send them to [email protected] by April 30, 2013. All answers are subject to edits.

We Asked, You Answered!

Food, fuel and clean showers. - Steve Van Dine

My iPhone! - Tina Shadden

Music. - Cindy Cosce Sorensen

Water! - Doug Thompson

My daily dose of mocha/Pilot house coffee, and a blueberry Chobani or Flying J’s biscuits and gravy. - Tina Lakin-Wheeler

My electronics. GPS (not relied upon, but help-ful in planning), laptop with WiFi hot spot and XM radio! - Todd Ray

Poet Sanchez Gardner (right) got the shock of his life in February when he was honored for his work published in Challenge Magazine. Gardner was presented with a certificate from the South Carolina State House of Representatives lauding his literary accomplishments.

The certificate said, in part, “We, the members of the House of Representatives, are proud to honor Sanchez M. Gardner during Black History Month for his many contributions to the literary world through his writings and poetry.” Congrats to Sanchez!

27,000 runners participate and 500,000 people show up to watch, making it New England’s most viewed sporting event.

Although the race started in 1897, prize money for top finishers wasn’t awarded until 1986, when John Hancock Financial Services came onboard as a sponsor.

Runners from every U.S. state and more than 90 countries are represented.

Women were not officially allowed to run until 1972, although Katherine Switzer, who registered as K.V. Switzer, ran in 1967.

Beer maker Samuel Adams created a special “Boston 26.2 Brew” for the famous race and makes it available for a limited time at race-related events, as well as taverns and bars along the race route.

At mile 13, the students of Wellesley College create what’s called the “scream tunnel,” to encourage the runners, especially amateurs and first-timers.

A tradition since 1903, the Boston Red Sox play a game at Fenway Park at 11:05 and after the game ends, the baseball fans converge on Kenmore Square to cheer on the runners for the final mile.

My map. - Crystal Lace

Good, non-greasy, healthy food. - Letha L. Martin

My photography gear. - Eric Blacker

My best friend, my dog. - J.D. Hanadarko


April Tour Dates

Date City, State Type Store22-Apr Gulfport, MS FJ 676PM Mobile, AL P 30223-Apr Hope Hull, AL FJ 604PM LaGrange, GA P 6924-Apr Newnan, GA P 422PM Atlanta, GA P 33125-Apr Cartersville, GA P 67PM Resaca, GA FJ 63226-Apr Dalton, GA P 421PM Dalton, GA P 319

Dates subject to change. Check www.facebook.com/DriverAppreciationTour

for changes and updates.

It’s National Stress Awareness Month and if any-body knows about stress, it’s truck drivers, who constantly deal with rush-hour traffic, frustrating dispatchers, strict delivery deadlines and miss-ing important home time. Long-term stress has been linked to an increase in heart disease, sleep disorders, obesity and depression. That’s why it’s important to keep the stressors in check – and when you can’t avoid the stress, learn to manage it. Here are some tips from the Mayo Clinic.

ExErCisEIt’s not just good for your body, it’s good for your mind too. Exercise can help refocus your mind from the day’s problems. Even a brisk 20-minute walk can help.

MEDiTATEMeditation isn’t just for new-age hippies. It’s all about tuning out the outside world and tuning in to your inner calm. Your inner calm exists, but it’s usually drowned out by negative voices. Next time you feel yourself getting aggravated, close your eyes and imagine yourself with a cool drink in your hand, on a beach surrounded by palm trees. Always makes us feel better.

LAughThey say laughter is the best medicine and that’s true when it comes to stress. Laughing produces good feelings in the body, overriding the stress response. So pop in an Adam Sandler

(or any other comedian you like) movie and let the chuckles loose.

ConnECTDon’t retreat from the world when you’re grumpy. Reach out to your friends and family. With today’s social networks and technology, it’s easier than ever to connect with loved ones. Send your spouse an email or a text that you’re thinking of him or her, meet up for coffee with an old friend or pick up the phone and have a good chat with someone.

sLEEpWe’ve talked about the importance of sleep in regard to health in several issues. That’s because lack of sleep is tied to so many health problems. We’re not just talking about quantity either; we all need to catch good, quality ZZZs. When you’re tempted to stay up and solve the world’s prob-lems, remind yourself they’ll be there in the morn-ing. You can play Superman tomorrow; tonight you need to get some sleep.

GET HEALTHY

PILOT FLYING J DRIVER MICHAEL ANNETT hangs out with DAT director Charles Pope.

ANNETT JOINED THE DAT IN ST. AUGUSTINE in February to sign autographs and chat with fans.


From the lovable world of the animated Disney/Pixar “Cars” films to the de-sign showrooms of Test Track Present-ed by Chevrolet, Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resort are bringing the

world of cars to life. In 2012, both resorts de-buted attractions that focus on the country’s love affair with cars. Disneyland made the first splash this past summer when it opened its highly imaginative Cars Land at Disney California Adventure Park. Bringing that 12-acre at-traction to life was no easy feat. Not only did Walt Disney Imagineers need to be loyal to the beloved “Cars” films but they also had to bring realism to the landscapes that are often seen along the famous Route 66. Disney began brainstorming the idea of expanding Disney California Adventure Park in 2004. One of their early concepts was

to feature California’s love of cars. That idea took an abrupt turn in 2006 when Imagi-neers heard that their partners at Disney/Pixar were working on the original animated “Cars” film featuring the voices of a variety of stars, including Owen Wilson, Paul New-man and Larry the Cable Guy. After seeing the film and the lively town of Radiator Springs, they felt it was the perfect fit for the new attraction. “We had been struggling with what the land would look like,” recalls Frank Reifsny-der, communications manager for Walt Dis-ney Imagineering. “Cars Land is a faithful duplication of the land in the film.” The Disney Imagineering team that spearheads these types of projects is made up of more than 140 disciplines, everything from painters to rocket scientists. “The Cars Land team had someone from all the disci-

plines we have,” Reifsnyder says. “As Imag-ineers we have to work on a team and come together to tell a great story.” To create the authenticity needed, eight Imagineers and two of their Pixar colleagues set off for a road trip along Route 66, follow-ing in the footsteps of the animators that de-veloped the film. “They went to the places that inspired the film,” Reifsnyder says, adding that Imagineers looked at everything from rock samples to roadside diners. “We had landscape architects that would take pictures of plants and interior designers who went into restaurants and stores. We wanted to include the feel [of Route 66] in the interi-ors.” The trip included a stop at the aptly named Mid Point Cafe in Adrian, Texas, which sits mid-point on Route 66. “They talked with the owners and a lot of their personality is reflected in the characters in the film,” Reifsnyder says, noting that Cars Land also reflects some of those same per-sonalities. One of the tasks before the Imagineers was duplicating Cadillac Range, which sur-rounds Radiator Springs in the film. Their end result is so realistic that photos of the mountain range are often mistaken for real mountain terrain in the western states. “There are certain places where you stand on the mountain range and you can’t see the park,” Reifsnyder says. “You forget you are in the middle of Anaheim. It really is awe-inspiring when you see it.” The rockwork that created the mountain range is the second largest rockwork created by Disney – the first can be found in Tokyo Disney. At 280,000 square feet with more than 4,000 tons of steel, it is Disney’s largest rockwork in the U.S. In the design phase of the mountain range, Imagineers took digital files of the rockwork created for the “Cars” films. They carved a series of models, including a ware-house-size model that took up to 10 months to build. The model was scanned piece by piece by a laser scanner and then sent to a steel manufacturer that cut the steel beams. “It was like a 3-D puzzle,” Reifsnyder says. “Each [piece] was numbered and welded to-gether to make a cage.” Imagineers devoted more than 28,000 hours to designing the structural steel sys-tem for the rockwork and the Radiator Springs Racers show building. After it was built, the cage was covered with a base coat of cement and plaster. “Everything was hand sculpted,” Reifsnyder says of the intri-cate design. The range, which is approximately 125 feet at its highest point, has six peaks that include fins of classic cars from 1957 to 1962. Buttes in the formation resemble hood orna-

test trackdisney

by: joan tupponce

PHOTO: PAUL HIFFMEYER/DISNEYLAND RESORT


ments. Construction on Cadillac Range and Cars Land began in 2009 and took about two and a half years to complete. “Most of that time was spent on building the mountain range,” Reifsnyder says. Radiator Springs Racers, the main ride in Cars Land, travels through the mountains of Ornament Valley, stopping at either Luigi’s Casa Della Tires with its leaning tower of tires or Ramone’s House of Body Art, home to car artist Ramone. After getting racing tips from Doc Hudson (a retired race car voiced by Paul Newman in the film), cars resembling the characters in the film zoom off for a nose-to-nose race through hairpin turns and twists. Other rides and attractions include Lu-igi’s Flying Tires with floating bumper cars that ride on air, a ride reminiscent of Dis-neyland’s Flying Saucers attraction from the 1960s, and Flo’s V8 Cafe, a recreation of a classic diner along Route 66 with a view of Cadillac Mountain Range and the vehicles zooming by in Radiator Springs Racers. “It was fun putting it together,” Reifsnyder says, noting that Imagineers created Flo’s story. “She was a Motorama girl.” Her gold records and touring posters are displayed on one side of the restaurant. While Cars Land was a massive project for the Imagineers, it wasn’t the only project

in the works. This past December Walt Dis-ney World Resort in Florida debuted its re-imagined Test Track Presented by Chevrolet. On this project Imagineers collaborated with the folks at Chevrolet. “As storytellers, to be able to tell Chev-rolet’s design story was fun for our Imagi-neers,” says Eric Jacobson, senior vice president of Walt Disney Imagineering. “Chevrolet designers come from the same creative roots as Imagineers.” Test Track continues a 30-year relation-ship between General Motors and Disney at Epcot dating back to the opening of the park in 1982 with World of Motion. Imagineers from Disney traveled to GM’s Tech Center in Warren, Mich., before starting the process. Jeff Mylenek, design manager for global industrial design at General Motors, and his team wanted to give the Imagineers a good understanding of what goes on in a pro-fessional design studio. “That is where the collaboration began,” he says. “We talked about our vision. Everyone was focused and energized.” The revamped Test Track was to focus on design. “We shared our vision for Chev-rolet,” Mylenek says. “Disney had to figure out how to tell the story. It was a beautiful collaborative back-and-forth effort.” Test Track gives each rider the chance

ORNAMENT VALLEY is the set-ting for Radiator Springs Racers, an

adventure ride through the town of Radiator Springs.

PHOTO: PAUL HIFFMEYER/DISNEYLAND RESORT


to design his or her own virtual car, truck or crossover and learn how those choices perform against the four performance attributes – capa-bility, efficiency, responsiveness and power – that guide Chevrolet de-signers. Riders get to see how their car handles the roughest roads and ex-treme weather conditions, how it saves on fuel and how it maneuvers through the tightest turns. The touch screens at the design kiosks in the ride’s pre-show area al-low riders to virtually draw – stretch and shape their vehicle design by length, width, height and engine size – and decide which perfor-mance attribute is most important to them. They also can design every-thing from an expressive front grille to tailored wheels. “The pre-show tells the story of what a professional designer does during the day,” Myl-enek says. “It was meant to spark creativity.” Images of the designs are stored on a radio frequency identification card, which is taken into the ride. “Your vehicle gets tested virtually on the ride track against the four

design attributes,” Mylenek says. “Each of these four sectors has test courses within the ride experience.” Riders experience challenging hills, switchbacks and straight-aways on the Test Track circuit at speeds of up to 65 mph. Each rider’s design results are posted after the ride. “That is a more personalized moment,” says Melissa Jaselnick, assistant project manager for Walt Disney Imagineering, adding, “An important part of our process was to make sure it was true to automo-tive design enthusiasts and to add some whimsical elements as well. We wanted to return to the original vision of Epcot – to bring in industry and tell the story.” All of the elements of the design center are updatable. “We didn’t want to design it for now and in five years be dated,” Mylenek says. “We wanted to keep it fresh and current so we built that into this attraction.” The partnership was a success, says Erin Youngs, vice president of Epcot. “The Chevrolet team learned about storytelling and we had a blast learning about car design.”

TEST TRACk PRESENTED BY CHEVROLET invites guests to create their own virtual custom-concept vehicle.

PHOTO: ALI NASSER, PHOTOGRAPHER

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF RIPkEN BASEBALL

Baseball Hall of Famer Cal Rip-ken Jr. surveyed the crowd as he stood alongside Gov. John Baldacci of Maine in September 2007 to announce the start of

the Badges for Baseball program with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Waterville. Part of the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation, the program pairs police officers with at-risk kids in a baseball setting. Even though it was only Septem-ber, the day was bitterly cold and the drenching rain made it even more un-bearable. “It was miserable,” recalls the foundation’s president and execu-tive director, Steve Salem. “The entire town of 2,000 in Oakland, Maine, was there in the pouring rain.” After the ceremonies, most attend-ees were eager to find refuge from the rain, but not Ripken. The kids from the Boys & Girls Clubs had come to play ball with the former Baltimore Orioles star and he was eager to accommodate them. “Everyone wanted to leave but didn’t because Cal said, ‘As long as the kids stay I will stay,’” Salem says, add-ing that Ripken played ball in the rain

for about an hour. “The kids stayed, Cal stayed and it made their day. It’s something I will never forget about commitment.” Cal Ripken Jr. may be a little grayer around the temples than he was 12 years ago when he retired from Ma-jor League Baseball, but he’s still as active and as dedicated to the game as he was when he took the field for the Orioles. “Who he is today is very consistent with who he was when he played the game,” says Glenn Tilley, president and CEO of Ripken Baseball. “It’s about values and the commitment to whatever he does. He’s transferred that to his role in business. When he retired he didn’t stop, he took the next step.” Ripken retired from baseball in October 2001 after 21 seasons with the Orioles. His history with the sport is legendary. In 1995, he was labeled the “Iron Man” after breaking Lou Geh-rig’s Major League record for consecu-tive games played (2,130), a record that many thought would remain intact forever. He is a World Series cham-

pion (1983) and a two-time American League Most Valuable Player as well as a 19-time All Star, a two-time Gold Glove Award recipient and an eight-time Silver Slugger Award winner. In 2007, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Ripken’s life today is even busier than it was when he was playing the sport. He is the chairman and found-er of Ripken Baseball Inc., one of the family founders of the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation, a special public diploma-cy envoy to the U. S. State Department, a sought-after speaker, a spokesman, a radio personality, a member of the TBS broadcast team during baseball’s postseason and a best-selling author. And, if that wasn’t enough, he is a devoted family man, dedicated to his wife, Kelly, and their children, Rachel and Ryan. He finds time to serve as as-sistant baseball coach at Gilman High School in Maryland where Ryan, who is now in college, played baseball. The move from the field to the boardroom was a natural progression, says John Maroon, president of Ma-

by: joan tupponce


roon PR in Columbia, Md., and former public relations director of the Orioles. “Baseball is in Cal’s blood,” he says. “I knew whatever he did would be baseball-related and something with kids. That is something his dad instilled.” Ripken’s professional baseball career got its start in 1978 af-ter the young rookie graduated from high school. He took the field with the Orioles in 1981, playing third base before moving to shortstop in 1983. At the time his 6-foot-4-inch frame was an anomaly in the shortstop position but it paved the way for the larger shortstops of today. His father, Cal Ripken Sr., had been involved in the game since 1957, serving as a player, coach and manager in the Orioles orga-nization. The elder Ripken was a strong, decisive man and the les-sons Ripken learned from him went far beyond the baseball field. “They come back stronger now than when he was here,” Ripken says. Ripken’s father was a problem solver and that “sort of inspired me to figure things out and to find solutions,” Ripken says. His father also showed him the importance of the old adage “actions speak louder than words.” “I learned just by him being a doer. That is how you teach work ethic. You show your kids. In the end it’s the doing, not the saying, that matters most.” In 1987 the Ripken family made history when Cal Sr., who was coaching the Orioles, managed his two sons – Cal Jr. and Bill – at the same time. “It was very special,” Ripken says. “We only re-alized that in hindsight. When we went through it that was our normal environment. We didn’t see it so much as a family thing at the time.” His father often downplayed the family aspect when he talked to the media by saying that he looked at all of the players on the team as his sons. Those candid comments bothered Ripken. “I would want to stand up and scream, ‘They are not your sons, we are your sons,’” he says. “A lot of my motivation was to please my dad and make him proud of me.” The work ethic that was ingrained in Ripken was evident on Sept. 6, 1995, when he broke Lou Gehrig’s Major League record in a game against the California Angels and capped the night with a home run in the sixth inning. The more than 45,000 fans in the stadium were on their feet, clapping and cheering when they saw the number 2,131 flash on the stadium screens. Off the field, Rip-ken looked at the moment in a different way from most. In many people’s eyes, it was a “great accomplishment of perseverance,” he says. “I was a player looking at the challenge of each day.” Ripken never played for the purpose of beating the streak. He likens his accomplishment to someone who hasn’t missed a day of work on the job, “which is far more great than I was able to accom-plish,” he says. “Because of that I didn’t know how to celebrate it. I was hoping we would be in a pennant race and the focus would be on wins and losses.” Maroon remembers the intense media attention that breaking the record garnered. “It was one of those things that gained mo-mentum over the season,” he says. “As it got close, it took a toll on Cal.” The night Ripken broke the record, President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore came into the locker room before the game. Maroon noticed that Ripken was sweating when he was signing autographs. “People thought he was nervous, but he was sick. He had a fever,” Maroon says, referencing Ripken’s dedica-tion to his commitments. Having his family, especially his father, at the game that night was special for Ripken. His father’s history with the team ended on a sour note when the elder Ripken was fired from his coaching job in 1988. “Cal took it hard for a while,” Maroon says. “He felt like his dad didn’t get a fair shake. Had it been later in the year he


probably would not have been an Oriole. He was that upset, but it was early in the year and he ended up being an Oriole for the rest of his career.” Ripken’s record-breaking streak came just a few months after the end of the 1994-1995 baseball strike, which had frus-trated and angered fans. “A lot of people were looking for something good in base-ball,” Ripken says. “It was the only time in the whole streak that I felt pressure to get to a number.” The outpouring of love when he took a celebratory lap around the field was surreal, he adds. “I saw people I knew and faces I knew but didn’t know the name. That was my best hu-man moment on the baseball field.” His best “moment” in baseball, he adds, was

catching the last out of the 1983 World Se-ries. “There was a sense of fulfillment, a completion of that goal.” The night of Sept. 20, 1998, when Rip-ken decided to end the streak at 2,632 con-secutive games, was memorable, as well. Maroon got a call to come to the locker room before the game. “That was a little unusual,” he says. “When the door closed [manager] Ray Miller looked like he had seen a ghost. Cal was sitting next to him smiling and he said, ‘This is it.’ He want-ed to make sure it unfolded as naturally as possible.” The same sentiment holds true for the next chapter in his life. Ripken started Ripken Baseball in 2001 with the goal “to be an ambassador to the sport, to talk

RiPken’S BADGeS foR BASeBALL PRoGRAM has built 13 ball fields in disad-vantaged areas around the country. They hope to reach 50 fields by 2016.


about how great the game is and to get kids to play the game,” Ripken says. The Baltimore-based company, which Rip-ken runs with his brother, Bill, encompasses four different businesses – youth baseball; professional baseball, with two minor league teams, The Aberdeen IronBirds and The Char-lotte Stone Crabs; field design and endorse-ment; and public speaking. Ripken’s first business endeavor was the construction of a baseball complex in his hometown of Aberdeen, Md. “I was commit-ted to building a stadium,” he says. “I didn’t think about it, I just went to work.” Later, the company built a second complex, the Ripken Experience, in Myrtle Beach, S.C. “Moving forward, our focus is to expand our youth business across the country,” Tilley says. “We are launching large-scale tournament complexes similar to Aberdeen and Myrtle Beach.” The company is looking at areas in Texas as well as San Diego, Pigeon Forge, Tenn., and the Chicago area. Each August, Ripken carves out time from his schedule to take an active role in the Cal Ripken World Series, featuring elite 12-year-old players. Cal Ripken Baseball is a subdivi-sion of Babe Ruth League, Inc. The competi-tion features both national and international teams – last year’s winner was Japan. “It’s a great event,” Ripken says. “The kids get a

THe “iRon MAn” of BASeBALL iS veRy HAnDS-on with his organizations and hopes to instill the love of the game in the next generation.


cultural experience and a competitive expe-rience.” Ripken’s efforts with youth around the world include serving as a special public diplomacy envoy to the U.S. State Depart-ment. He has traveled to China, Nicaragua and Japan since he was tapped for that role in 2007. “The whole idea is to spread good will through baseball,” Ripken says, adding that it was very special to visit Japan after the tsunami. “Because of what happened we wanted to bring attention to areas in need of help. Their community loves baseball al-most more than the U.S. By going in there and using baseball as a distraction we could put smiles on their faces and give them a glimpse of our hearts. It was a moving trip.” Because they are so young, many of the baseball players in other countries are un-aware of Ripken’s baseball legacy. When they ask him, he’s very humble, Maroon says. “He’ll say ‘Yeah, I played baseball for a while.’” Youth also are the focus of the Cal Rip-ken Sr. Foundation, started by the Ripken family after Cal Sr.’s death in 1999. “We tried to figure out how to capture the legacy of Dad helping kids,” Ripken says. “His real secret was that he reached out to kids that didn’t have the same advantages by doing baseball clinics. … He wanted to show them

a different side of life and he used baseball as the hook.” The foundation project that Ripken is most proud of is the Badges for Baseball program, a juvenile crime prevention effort in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Justice. “Law enforcement officers are often seen as the bad guys,” Ripken says. The program gives police officers the chance to form relationships with kids through baseball. The foundation has built 13 baseball fields in disadvantaged areas from Baltimore to Florida and west to Hous-ton. It plans to build another 10 around the country this year with a total goal of 50 by 2016. “We realized that kids need safe places to play,” Ripken says. “We are building parks in communities and helping transform those communities and create a safe place where kids have a chance.” Salem is impressed by Ripken’s thought-ful approach to business. “He thinks ev-erything through,” he says. “He analyzes it carefully.” Both Ripkin brothers are actively in-volved in the foundation. “They are so pas-sionate about helping kids,” Salem says. “They use baseball to help build kids to be whatever they want to become.” Baseball is, in Ripken’s eyes, “an exten-sion of life” that offers a great many lessons.

“I was a beneficiary of that and I got to enjoy the game,” he says. “I want to expose kids to the feeling I had and the principles I learned through baseball so they can enjoy baseball and have the meaningful life we have.” Ripken’s life became more challenging last year after his 74-year-old mother, Vio-let, was abducted from her home during the summer and released. Her captor has yet to be caught. “It was odd,” Maroon says. “It was bizarre and scary and it rattled Cal. The family is grateful that [her captor] didn’t hurt her.” At 52, Ripken is shy about being labeled a baseball star, even among friends. That be-came obvious to Tilley when his son, Matt, had knee surgery and couldn’t play base-ball. The teen was feeling low and Ripken wanted to help cheer him up. “I told him to give Matt an autograph, but he didn’t think that was special enough,” Tilley says. “He said it wasn’t worthy.” Ripken visited Matt and gave him a bat with a special message on it. “That energized my son,” Tilley says. “Cal doesn’t realize the impact he has.” Ripken is still the same humble person he was when he started playing baseball, Maroon says. “He has never changed. He’s kept his perspective. He is just a kid from Aberdeen that likes crabs and beer. He’s a regular kind of guy.”


Ultramarathoners are like NASCAR drivers. They have pit crews that monitor them, making sure the run-ners eat at the right times, change shoes, take a quick nap, receive up-

dates on where they are in the race. They race on tracks for incredibly long distances and they rely on keeping their motor in op-timum shape. In Mike Morton’s case, the motor is every muscle and vital organ in his body. Morton is the International Association of Ultrarun-ners’ ninth annual 24-hour world champi-on, running an incredible 172.4 miles in 24 hours, and setting the American record in the process. Even more impressive is that he won it in his first attempt. Part of the 24-hour U.S. national team, Morton took the men’s individual gold as well as the bronze in the men’s team division.

Morton is no stranger to records. A mere two months before the 24-Hour World Run, he took first place at the Badwater Ultramar-athon, a grueling, nonstop 135-mile race that starts in Death Valley and ends at Mount Whitney, Calif. – the equivalent of climbing 13,000 feet – and nabbing the fastest Ameri-can time (just over 22 hours) and the second fastest time ever. An ultramarathon is any race or run longer than a standard 26.2-mile marathon. Common distance events include 50 and 100 kilometers as well as 50 and 100 miles. Time-based events include six-, 12- and 24-hour races as well as multi-day events that cover three, six and even 10 days of running. Courses vary from paved roads to forest trails to mountain paths. For timed races, the venues can be sur-prising. “A lot of people hit me up and say,

‘Hey, what’s the course like when you do something like [a 24-hour run]?’ They react funny when you tell them it was less than a mile loop,” Morton explains. “Most people would hate that, but ironically, it lends itself to making the task at hand easier because there’s no logistics. Anything you’re going to need is seven or eight minutes away at the worst case.” Essential things like a portapo-tty and aid station. Each race, no matter the distance, offers aid stations that provide services and food to support the runners. Sports therapist Denise Martin has served the ultra community for the last three years, using massage and acu-pressure techniques to help runners achieve their best times. “Because I am usually at a longer race, like an overnight or a 24-hour race, I’ve developed what I call ‘shake ’em out, stretch ’em out and get ’em back out there,’” she says. “I do a technique called Traeger, which is a rocking motion. That helps because it’s not what their bodies have been doing for the last several hours. It helps break those muscle patterns that they’ve been using and lets things loosen up and then I stretch them and get them back out there.” Since ultramarathoners, also known as ultrarunners, are incredible athletes, most people would expect the food at an ultra event to only be healthy. Not so, says Martin. “There’s a lot of junk food,” like soda pop, chips and candy. One staple at these long-distance runs, oddly enough, is boiled pota-toes, which help prevent cramping. She adds that runners crave “either something sweet or something salty.” All food is in bite-sized pieces for easy eating, like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches cut in quarters and bananas cut in thirds. Getting runners back on the course is the main idea behind the aid sta-tions. After a runner has stopped at an aid sta-tion and maybe the bathroom, the next im-portant stop is his or her own pit crew. The team, which can number from a couple to more than a dozen depending on the ath-lete, manages all the logistics for the runner, including checking hydration and carbohy-drate levels, providing anti-chafing products and even deciding how long a nap should be. For multi-day events, some runners might sleep in 45- to 90-minute increments. For a 24-hour race, a couple of five- or 10-minute naps can help battle mid-race drowsiness. Morton relies on Mike Spinnler, director of the JFK 50 Mile, for his pit crew. “I kept Mike apprised during the [run] as to where he was in relation to the other top contend-ers,” Spinnler says. “Constantly letting him know who was close – Mike led from the first mile – and what the time-gaps were be-hind him.” He also helps Morton by moni-

going the distance

by: amanda jakl

PHOTOS: MIkE MORTON


toring the competition, telling Morton “who looked good and who didn’t.” When Morton runs he thinks of every-thing but the other runners. “I think about everything under the sun,” he says. “I’m not thinking about running. I’m not think-ing about where I’m at, but I go to weird places mentally. It’s like I’m not even [there]. You have out-of-body experiences; you actually feel like you’re somewhere else.” He’s not making playlists for an iPod either. “I’ve tried to use headphones in training,” he says. “But I felt like I was giv-ing up 50 percent of my situational aware-ness. And then it became annoying. I wore them in one 24-hour run. I found the music to be annoying my thoughts so I quit wear-ing them. I haven’t worn them in years.” As imagined, running 172.4 miles takes some planning. Morton started training in December 2011 to prepare for the Septem-ber 2012 24-hour race in Poland. His daily regimen included two 12- to 15-mile runs,

one at lunch and one after work. On week-ends, he’d aim for one longer 20-mile run each day. Beyond his daily short runs, Morton ran 100-mile races in January, March and May as well as the Badwater 135-mile ul-tramarathon in July. Even though he ran several 100-mile races in advance of the 24-hour race, Morton insists that excessive distance and time training isn’t necessary. “You’re going to break yourself if once a month you’re running 24 hours in prepa-ration,” he says. “There’s no need to do it. Quality training with good quality mile-age builds that base, gets the body efficient where it needs to be. Most of it’s mental and having confidence.” Morton credits his age with the amaz-ing strides he’s made in his running career. “In the ’90s, when I was really competitive, I had speed and talent on my side, but I was weak mentally,” he says. Inclement weather or an off day could cause him to quit. Now, at the age of 41, he knows it’s

THe 2012 24-HouR WoRLD CHAMPionSHiP WAS HeLD in PoLAnD. The 2013 race will be in the Netherlands where Morton hopes to defend his title.


mind over matter. “I’m older. I don’t have speed, but I have matu-rity and stronger mental perseverance.” That perseverance showed in his performance at the 24-hour race. “I had a lot of confidence going in,” he says. “I knew I had the fitness, all I had to do was have good weather and not make any mental errors.” Even with sky-high confidence, Morton’s goal wasn’t to take the championship – he was after a different record. “Winning the world championships for the year was the cake,” he says. “I would have been content coming in third in the world com-petition if I still had the American record. To be the first American ever to win an international 24-hour run was icing on the cake.” In addition to the IAU World 24-Hour Run and Badwater re-cords, Morton won and set course records at all three of the 100-mile races he ran in 2012. After so many records set, what goals does he have for this year? He’d like to clinch a second individual gold at the 24-Hour World Championships as well as a team gold. “I think I can do more,” he says. “Last year I think I ran conserva-tive because my goal was to set the American record. So I think now that I have the record, I can run a little more reckless and get 178 [miles], 180 even.”

MORTON FOLLOWS AN ATYPICAL DIET HIGH IN SATU-RATED FAT called Nutritional Keytosis, which consists

mainly of“quality cuts of meat and good dairy.”

Julie Roberts is a traditionalist, at least in the musical sense. Accompa-nied by a steel guitar and stand-up bass, her “blues soaked” voice takes center stage and doesn’t disappoint

on songs that take listeners back in time. She’s a traditionalist and she’s proud of it. “I was raised listening to Patsy Cline and Dolly Parton,” Roberts says with a clear sense of admiration. “And that’s what I love. The more traditional country just always spoke to me – telling stories about life. They were stories about my mom, about people I knew. I’ve just always been drawn to that.” Roberts can relate to those old-time stories of heartbreak and struggle. Her life offers a tale of tragedy and triumph, pain and strength – a story of life imitating art, and one that would have given Tammy Wynette another chart-topping ballad. Roberts grew up in Lancaster, S.C., and has been singing for as long as she can re-member. She honed her classic voice at beau-

ty pageants, school musicals, summer festi-vals and theme parks – any place that would let her get on stage. In college she studied business at Belmont University in Nash-ville and performed at local clubs and res-taurants. She was focused and driven with the singular goal of landing a record deal. Her start in the music business could have come straight from a movie script. Working as an assistant for Luke Lewis, then chairman of Universal Music Group in Nashville, Roberts was answering phones for a music executive by day and singing at local clubs by night. She was also work-ing with producer Brent Rowan on a demo. But when Rowan wanted to bring the demo to Lewis, Roberts was hesitant to say yes. “I was always against Brent taking it to [Lewis] because when I was hired they said if you sing don’t tell us because we don’t want to know. You’re here to work,” Roberts recalls. But Rowan kept asking and finally Roberts relented but not before say-

ing, “Just don’t tell him it’s me unless he likes it.” So a few days later, with Rob-erts sitting outside Lewis’ office listen-ing to the muffled sounds of her demo through the walls, Rowan made his pitch. When Lewis stopped the CD half-way through the first song, Roberts could feel her heart sinking. “I knew Luke well enough that when he stops it right in the middle of a song he might not like it,” Roberts remembers. “I couldn’t hear what they were saying [through the walls] but then they started playing it again and they went through a few songs.” Rowan then left, simply telling Roberts to call him. Bursting at the seams, Rob-

erts had enough willpower to wait until Lewis left his office and then she called. “Brent said, ‘Well, he loved it,’” Roberts recalls. “He stopped [the demo] to ask, ‘Who is this girl, I want to meet her.’ And Brent said, ‘It’s the girl sitting right outside your office.’” From there, Roberts’ career resembled a Texas tornado, starting with a develop-ment deal and radio tour, moving to the release of her 2004 self-titled debut album with hits “Break Down Here” and “Wake Up Older” and culminating in a flurry of award nominations, including two Hori-zon Award nominations from the Country Music Association, top new artist and top new female vocalists nominations from the Academy of Country Music and a break-through artist nomination from the CMT Awards. Suddenly she was singing her songs on “The Tonight Show” and “Good Morning America,” and performing at the Grand Ole Opry and the White House. “It was just so much, so many oppor-tunities I was able to do,” she says. “I’ve had a lot of those [special] moments. I re-member taking a napkin from the bath-room in the White House for my mom.” Riding a wave of success off her debut, Roberts was quickly ushered back into the studio to record her sophomore effort. But even before she laid down her first track, she felt something wasn’t quite right. “I’d be in the middle of a show and couldn’t hold my microphone anymore,”

by: greg girard

Julie Roberts

The more traditional country

just always spoke to me - telling stories

about life.

“”


PHOTO: COURTESY OF CONWAY ENTERTAINMENT GROUP

Roberts wrote in a revealing 2011 blog. “I’d have to switch the microphone be-tween my hands, back and forth, to get through the song.” After shows, she would be signing autographs but couldn’t see what she was writing, and she was suffering from daily headaches. So instead of focusing all of her energy on her next album, she found herself jug-gling studio time and doctors’ appoint-ments. Then “one day, all of the executives of the label were going to come listen to what I had recorded so far,” she recalled in her blog. “I was so excited to see what they thought but I got called away by a neurolo-gist to speak with me about my brain scan. So as my label listened to my new music, I listened to this doctor tell me I have 11 le-sions on my brain and that I have MS.” Rob-erts was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Fearful of stigma and the unknown, Rob-erts struggled to keep her career in focus while working hard to manage her health. She changed her diet, steadied her sleep-ing habits and kept up with routine doc-tors’ appointments. She admitted later that one of the most difficult parts of learning about her illness was keeping it hidden. “It was kind of a darker time period,” she says. “There was so much going on in my life and that was something that I was holding inside. And it’s hard to do when

ROBERTS PLANS SEVERAL PERFORMANCES IN 2013. For her schedule, visit www.julieroberts.com.


PHOTO: COURTESY OF CONWAY ENTERTAINMENT GROUP


you’re naturally so open and honest.” For long periods, she couldn’t even lis-ten to or perform songs from her second album, “Men and Mascara,” because it re-minded her too much of that time in her life. From recording songs that she initially felt weren’t really her style to worrying about her health, Roberts was a candle burning at both ends. “All I remember is watching my phone for a call from my doctor,” she wrote. “It was a time of my life that I think I was trying to forget. Because it wasn’t fun.” But with time comes perspective and on a drive from Nashville to Charlotte, N.C., five years after her second album was re-leased, Roberts listened and, as she put it, “a huge wall came down.” She realized no matter the hardship, it was part of her life and something she could not hide anymore. “At first you just don’t know what your life is going to end up like,” she says. “But there’s a misconception that if you have MS, you can’t do this and you can’t do that. And I’m ready to prove that you can. I’m ready to move forward.” And move forward she has, even after facing more adversity when her home was destroyed during the Nashville flood in 2010. Her third album, “Alive,” was released in 2011 and it was her first as an independent artist. She’s working with Tom Rickman, the award-winning screenwriter of “Coal Miner’s Daugh-ter,” on a screenplay about her life and she

plans to release her next album this summer. In her song “Stronger” Roberts sings “I fall sometimes, I crawl sometimes, I lose it all sometimes, and it makes me stronger.” Her strength defines her spirit. “I came from a small town and I always knew I wanted to sing country music and my goal was to figure

out how to get to Nashville. I figured it out,” she says. “Then I got a record deal and I sang at the Grand Ole Opry and I’ve done all these things. That’s really what my mission has be-come. To prove that just because you have whatever diagnosis you have, you can live your life.”

A DiAGnoSiS of MS iSn’T SLoWinG RoBeRTS DoWn - she’s working on a movie about her life and plans to release her next album later this year.

PHOTO: DAVID J. GRIFFIN/ICON SMI 953/DAVID J. GRIFFIN/ICON SMI/NEWSCOM


It’s a hot, humid day on the outskirts of Miami and no one at the distribution cen-ter notices the car with the dark-tinted windows on the street. The car is parked at a point with a clear view of the loading

dock and it’s been there for a few days now but has seemingly melted into the concrete landscape. Trucks pull in, bump the docks and after being loaded with millions of dol-lars’ worth of flat-screen TVs and other elec-tronics, hit the road for destinations across the Southeast. Those inside the car have been patient, learning the flow and patterns of traffic in and out of the warehouse. And this day is much the same – trucks arriving empty and leaving with a full load. Just before noon, an-other truck pulls out, packed with high-end cargo, but this time the car on the street fol-lows. It’s a guessing game for the men inside

the car, as they don’t know the truck’s des-tination or when it will next stop. But it’s a game they’ve played many times before, and they don’t care what the load’s final destina-tion is because they know it will never ar-rive. “They don’t care if it goes 20 miles, 200 miles or 400 miles,” says JJ Coughlin, vice president of the Supply Chain Information Sharing and Analysis Center (SC-ISAC). “At some point in time [the truck] has to stop. And when it does, they’ll steal the whole rig within 90 seconds and are gone.” Cargo crime accounts for an estimated $20 billion a year in losses in the United States. It is big business for organized crime. Anything that can be sold or “fenced” is a potential target, including electronics, met-als, beverages, food and clothing. Food, on average, is the most stolen commodity on

the road. “Food is easy to fence. There are no se-rial numbers and no way to track or trace it,” Coughlin says. “And a lot of times [the thieves] have buyers ahead of time that are willing to take the product. Anything people can consume.” Cargo in hand, the thieves have one more step before fencing the merchandise. “Be-cause of covert tracking we do in the trailer, what they’ll do is steal it, move it 10 or 20 miles to an area where it’s not out of place – behind a mall, at a truck stop – and they’ll set it there and do surveillance on it to see if the police come,” says Coughlin. “Then if the police don’t come, they’ll put [their own] tractor on the trailer and take off. And every moment that ticks by, the likelihood increases the cargo will never be found. “If you don’t get that cargo recovered in 16 hours of the theft, you’ll probably nev-er see it again,” adds Coughlin. Inherently, the supply chain – the path a product takes from production to the con-sumer – is rife with opportunities for crimi-nals. The television in most of America’s homes has potentially crossed an ocean on a ship, made stops at several warehouses and transfer yards managed by several different companies, been pulled by three or four trac-tors owned by different carriers, and taken a train ride before anyone pushes the “On” button. It only takes one wrong move some-where during those exchanges for a vul-nerability to present itself to opportunistic thieves. “So when you think about the complex-ity of that and all the opportunity or gaps in that supply chain, and those gaps being tak-en advantage of by thieves, your first reac-tion is to let your eyes roll in the back of your head,” says Walt Fountain, director of secu-rity at Schneider National. “But your second reaction is to say we need to get coordinated and synchronized to make sure that cargo is safe.” For the past eight years, Fountain has been working with Schneider’s customers in finding proactive solutions to cargo theft. And he says it simply comes down to com-munication and understanding. “It’s about how do we create better se-curity in the supply chain, which is good for everybody,” he says. “We’re not talking about whiz-bang technology and additions to people’s equipment. We’re generally not talking about hard dollar investments either. We really find that 85 to 90 percent of what needs to get done is no- or low-cost proce-dural changes and adjustments.” So before a load gets moved, Schneider brings together the driver, the driver’s lead-er and the customer service representative for a five-minute talk about the load, what

cargosecurity

by: greg girard


the customer expects and any details that can mitigate unexpected problems. Fountain says they simply “have conversations upfront. It’s no big deal and everyone gets on the same page.” Then the cus-tomer is notified of who the driver is and when the load will arrive. An essential element of this process, of course, is providing the driver with as much information as he or she needs to safely de-liver the cargo, something Fountain says is not the norm for the industry yet. “We provide our drivers with the information we believe they need to be able to operate safely and securely,” he says. “I know some in our industry like to hold back information and they don’t tell their drivers what they’re hauling because there’s some concern about collusion or inside job. [But] if I can’t trust my driver with that information, then I need to find a different driver.” According to FreightWatch International’s annual cargo theft report, there are a number of ways thieves steal cargo, from hijack-ings to deceptive pickups (where thieves pose as drivers for legiti-mate companies) to drivers stealing the load. But the most common type of theft, by an overwhelming 85 percent, is the theft of vulner-able loaded trailers and containers. It makes sense, then, to give drivers the necessary information to protect the load. “Having the awareness of what the targets are gives you a much better chance of knowing if you’re going to be a target,” explains Coughlin. “If you’re carrying hay in Texas and there’s no drought, you probably don’t have to worry, but if you’re carrying flat-screen TVs, you probably need to have a better idea about leaving your stuff unattended.” Along with having the proper information, drivers also need to be aware of their surroundings. “The main thing is if you’re car-rying high-value loads and you’re going to leave your rig unat-

ACCORDING TO THE SUPPLY CHAIN ISAC, California, Texas, Illinois, New Jersey and Florida are the states that

consistently report the most theft each year.

tended, put your immobilization and security devices in place,” Coughlin says. “Have the awareness of how thieves operate and what to do.” Running in to go to the bathroom and grab something to drink provides all the time thieves need to steal the cargo. “I’ve seen them do it in less than 30 seconds,” he adds. There’s an understanding by the industry that completely eliminating cargo theft is virtually impossible with 3 million trucks on the road, but the idea is to work as an industry to make it as difficult as possible for thieves to take the cargo. Communication within the supply chain, situational awareness of the drivers and following security procedures will go a long way toward that ef-fort.

HigH Value load securiTy Tips

personal safeTy and proTecTion:

• Arrive fully fueled and plan to drive at least 200 miles before stopping.• Always padlock the trailer.• Stay with the truck at all times where feasible. in all cases, avoid extended times away from the truck and trailer.• Loads moving with team drivers must have one driver in the truck with the load at all times.• Park load up against a wall or other stationary object. When intending to be away from load for more than 30 minutes, disconnect from the trailer, park tractor in front of trailer, and use king pin lock.• Toll routes may be used on high value loads following coordination and approval from your leader/dispatcher.• Relay the load only at approved high value locations.• no high value load may be taken through the house.• Check trailer doors for intact seal and padlock before you depart any location where you made a stop (for any reason).• immediately report any load issues, break of seal, missing seal, or loss.• Report any suspicious behavior (loiterers, tailing, etc.) to police.

• When visiting a travel center, lock your doors when leaving your tractor. When in your truck, weave seat belt through inside door handles and lock your doors.• Always use your mirrors to check inside and outside your tractor before exiting.• Look out your windows to make sure there are no surprises waiting for you when you leave.• Avoid walking between parked trucks, which provide ample hiding space for those wishing to prey on the unsuspecting.• Carry a flashlight to light your way.• Always have your keys out when returning to your truck.• Watch out for potential hijacking risks. if you think you are being followed, call 911.• Don’t share information about your load or destination with strangers. Be careful to not be overheard on the phone or talking to your teammate.• Pay attention to surroundings. if it doesn’t feel right, don’t do it – report to your leader.• Trust your instincts!• Trip plan all your stops in advance, avoid theft hot spots, and keep your leader informed.

Courtesy of Schneider National



Listeners tuning in to Road Dog Truck-ing, a talk radio channel on SiriusXM Radio, are getting an education about what life on the road is really like. Even the channel’s hosts admit being a

part of the channel has opened their eyes to the life of the professional truck driver. “I really got into trucking when I real-ized how much economic news is reflected in trucking,” says Meredith Ochs, co-host of “Freewheelin’ with Meredith Ochs and Chris T.,” a Road Dog Trucking show airing weekdays at 11 a.m. EST. “Then I got into the stories of truckers themselves. I recently did a man-on-the-street piece where I went out-side our studio and asked people what the first thing they thought of was when it came to truck drivers. People said hardworking, loyal and honest. I want to show how the image of truck driving is changing.”

And that’s what “Freewheelin’” is about – a show that looks at truck driving as a life-style and culture, as well as one of the most important jobs in the country. Celebrity guests – from actors and politicians to major recording artists and authors – visit the New York City studio often, but truck drivers are always the focus. Hosts of the nine shows on Road Dog Trucking cover the plethora of subjects rel-evant to the trucking community, whether it’s politics, economics, social issues or funny situations from the road. While geared to-ward the professional driver, hosts encoun-ter people with no ties to the trucking com-munity who are nevertheless drawn to the channel. “We get a lot of calls from people who have become regular listeners and follow us on Facebook and Twitter,” says Chris Tsakis,

co-host with Ochs. “People stay with us the entire three hours. Some people still have the idea of the truck driver being from a small Midwestern town, but the show opens their eyes that everything they’re into has ties to trucking and it’s not a small-town thing.” Before becoming on-air partners, Tsakis and Ochs admit they never really took the time to think about issues impacting truck drivers. In fact, they sometimes considered professional drivers annoying, with those big rigs taking up space on the road and passing cars. That all changed when they were given the chance to host the show after years in professional radio. While Ochs and Tsakis cover serious top-ics, they also have a lot of fun and try to give listeners some light-hearted entertainment. Part of that involves interviews with people some would not think had ties to truck driv-ing, including “Jersey Shore’s” own Snooki. “A lot of our guests know more about truck-ing than you’d think,” Ochs says. “Snooki’s dad was a truck driver.” Attracting both celebrities and “regu-lar folk” is part of the appeal of Road Dog Trucking. In 2003, Sirius launched its dedi-cated truckers channel Sirius Trucking Net-work, which retained its name until March 2006, when the channel was renamed Road Dog Trucking. In 2009, the Sirius channel’s programming merged with the programs heard on XM Radio’s Open Road to offer lis-teners one-stop shopping for trucking-relat-ed news and issues. Because the channel is part of a subscriber service, there is no break-down of listeners or ratings per channel or show. However, Sirius is the world’s largest radio broadcaster measured by revenue and has 23.9 million subscribers. One of the radio personalities on the channel credited with drawing in a diverse set of listeners is Dave Nemo, who hosts his own live call-in program from his Nashville studio weekdays at 7 a.m. EST. Featured segments include financial and business ad-vice, equipment issues and health. Practical advice aside, what listeners hear when they tune into Nemo’s show is a man passionate about truck driving, a love he developed in the 1960s. It was then that Nemo and his high school friend Sydney Schraeder were on a road trip in Nemo’s 1958 VW Beetle from New Orleans to visit Schraeder’s home in Beaumont, Texas, and they found them-selves stranded. “We were a couple of high school kids out on the road for the first time so naturally we ran out of gas,” Nemo recalls. “The very first trucker to come down the road stopped and gave me a lift to the nearest gas station. It was impressive climbing up into that cab and I don’t think he or I realized that his

road dogtrucking

by: jennifer pencek

PHOTO: DAVE NEMO/COURTESY OF ROAD DOG TRUCkING


kindness would make such an impression in my life.” In his senior year in college, Nemo landed a part-time job at WWL radio in New Orleans. After graduation, Nemo enlisted in the Army and was stationed in Seoul, South Korea, assigned to the Armed Forces Korea Network at Radio Gypsy. “It was incredible,” Nemo recalls. “My show was on from 6 p.m. to midnight. We called it ‘Nemo’s Nitebeat.’ The guys work-ing at Radio Gypsy were all seasoned radio disc jockeys and we ate, drank, and slept radio, radio, radio. I learned so much there that I’m still using bits of knowledge that I picked up in the Army.” While Nemo was in the Army, Charlie Douglas, with the help of WWL program director John Pela, started the “Road Gang,” the first radio program aimed directly and solely to the over-the-road professional truck driver. When Nemo returned to WWL, he and Douglas hit it off. “This was the early 1970s, and country music was almost non-existent at that time in New Orleans,” Nemo says. “I had listened to country music as a kid and played drums in a local band playing both rock and country. Charlie needed a second host for the show and as they say, the rest is history.” Thirty years later, Nemo continues the same tradition of service, friendship and camaraderie. “Like everyone and everything else, we’ve had our ups and downs,” he says. “The drivers have always been there for us.” Now Road Dog Trucking hosts are trying to return the favor. Take Tim Ridley, for example. He says his father first piqued his interest in truck driving when he accompanied his father on trips and got a glimpse of what life as a truck driver really entailed.

TIM RIDLEY RELIES ON HIS PROFESSIONAL TRUCk DRIVING BACkGROUND and his doctorate in Christian

education to connect with drivers.

PHOTO: TIM RIDLEY


Now many years later, Ridley, a former trucking professional, aims to “bring back the unity and ca-maraderie” of truck driving. “The Tim Ridley Show” – featuring both fun tidbits and newsworthy topics – airs from Nashville weekdays at 5 a.m. EST. “My goal is to bring people together and to moti-vate,” he says. Ridley is not your typical radio host. Since the 1980s, when he received his chauffeur’s license and started driving a truck professionally, he has worked as a company driver, an owner-operator, a small fleet owner, a recruiter and a terminal manager. His back-ground also includes studies in Christian education. He has a bachelor of science degree in biblical science, a master’s degree in divinity, and recently earned his doctorate in Christian education. “The two go hand-in-hand,” Ridley says of his Christian and trucking-related interests. “With my Christian education, it helps me to be able to go fur-ther with motivating and people feel no matter what they’re going through, it’s going to be all right, and there is a sense of peace just because of the calmness in my voice.” While the show is not about Christianity, Ridley says his background helps give him the ability to counsel and help people cope with various situations. “Sometimes people don’t realize what drivers deal with on a day-to-day basis,” he says. “I feel my education helps me to help them cope with what they’re going through.” Tune in yourself on SiriusXM, channel 106. www.siriusxm.com/roadogtrucking.

MEREDITH OCHS AND CHRIS TSAkIS address the serious issues of trucking on their show while still trying to have a little fun.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF ROAD DOG TRUCkING

OutdOOr cOOking

Mike: Sweet and spicy, kinda like the relationship I have with my cooking partner, Mac.

MaC: More like sweet and sour!

Mike: This cinnamon apple Cajun pork recipe is savory and delicious, like our live shows with a little touch of class and sophis-tication.

MaC: There is nothing sophisticated about you. In fact, you are a filthy animal and should be caged next to the orangutans.

Mike: The one thing that we can agree on is the sweetness and the spiciness complement each other perfectly in this great Dutch oven outdoor recipe for any tailgate or campfire meal with friends and family. Make sure to save the sauce that is created when these two ingredients cook evenly with each oth-

er, because it’s the perfect glaze to top this recipe off with as you plate it for feasting.

MaC: Feasting? You shovel this food in your mouth like it’s going out of style. I’m surprised that you don’t just tie the plate to your face and use it like a feedbag.

Mike: I’m trying to be elegant here, with a touch of class. Why do you ruin everything?

MaC: You’re not fooling anyone. Folks, make this meal and find some new friends, because sometimes you have to get rid of the old ones.

Mike: We were never friends.

MaC: See what I mean? Try this recipe; you will love it.

BY: Mac and the Big cheese

Cajun apple pork

2 3/4-inch boneless pork chops

1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning

1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning

1 tablespoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon ground pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 apple, thinly sliced

Mix together Old Bay Seasoning, Cajun seasoning, garlic salt and pep-per. Mix sliced apples with lemon juice.

Coat boneless pork with olive oil and rub with seasoning mix on both sides, completely covering the pork chop. In a saute pan, sear both sides of the pork chop on a high heat, about 2 minutes each side, and remove.

Lay apple slices on the bottom of the pie tin and lay pork chops on top of apples. Place pie tin inside the Dutch oven. Place 8 coals on the bottom of the Dutch oven and 16 coals on top and bake for 30 minutes.

If you are baking at home, prepare in a glass baking dish and bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes.

iNGReDieNTS:

DiReCTiONS:

cajun Apple Pork

RV travel offers up so many pleasant experiences and exciting places to visit that they are almost too numer-

ous to write about. The key word there is of course “almost.” In our travels over the years, Cassie and I have found so many unique destinations and one in particular we discovered quite by accident in Tucumcari, N.M. – a name that just seems to roll off the tongue. Tucumcari is located on the old Main Street of America, Route 66, and has the rich history of this country oozing from its asphalt streets. We were looking for a local mom-and-pop restaurant for lunch when Cassie, our scout, said, “I wonder what that is,” pointing to a small green sign that read “Dinosaur Museum.” Just a block off Main Street, we figured anything dino-saur-related trumps food, so we found a nice place to park the RV and headed to the museum. Having seen fossils around the country, usually through glass or oth-erwise untouchable, I was expecting the same in Tucumcari. One step into this museum and I knew it was different. The museum is a part of Mesalands Community College, which has the mission of promoting the paleontologi-cal history of the area. What is remarkable about this museum, and what hits you the moment you enter, is the skeletons and fossils are entirely bronzed. Yep, full-size replicas of everyone’s favorite dinosaurs, every bone, rib, joint, tooth and claw, all

done in bronze. This is so neat for kids be-cause they can touch and feel the skeletons without damaging the fossils. And it’s pretty neat for us big kids too. The college has its own foundry and they teach students how to use the “lost wax process” to create the molds used to cast the bronze replicas from bones dug out of the nearby mountains. The process involves pouring molten metal into a wax mold of the bones. The wax mold then melts away, leaving an exact shape of the object in metal. And let me tell you, this method of preservation makes the skeletons look eerily alive. One look at those shiny teeth

and claws, and I guarantee there will be hair moving along the nape of your neck. The fact that you can touch these skel-etons adds a whole new dimension to the viewing experience. You are no longer just walking by and reading the description of the animal, but also rubbing your hands over the bones, giving you a much more intimate connection with the natural his-tory of our country. There is only one way to feel this con-nection, though, so be sure to put Tucum-cari on your bucket list of towns and visit the Mesalands Community College Dino-saur Museum. The Tucumcari Chamber of Commerce will give you a warm welcome to the neighborhood.The Bronzing

of T-rex

EvErywhErE, u.s.A. Column

BY: chad BLaKe

APR.

PM

2013

EV

ERYWHERE, USA

Bronze cast of Pos-tosuchus, which lived

210-215 million years ago, and was named for the area in which

it was originally found, around Post, Texas.

A bronze cast of a Triceratops horridus skull from South Dakota.


Vowing to quit snacking between meals is common among dieters and resolution makers. On the surface it makes sense to cut out those snack-ing calories, which can really add up

throughout the day. But is simply cutting out snacks realistic? And does it make healthy sense? Dieters often make the mistake of cutting out snacks only to overeat at mealtime. And the ashes of failed New Year’s resolutions to give up snacking often occur right around football playoff time. Who can resist those buffalo wings and nachos? Is snacking really such a bad habit? It doesn’t have to be. With a little effort, it can actually become a good thing. A good rule is to snack only when you are hungry. Since

you may not always get a chance to include a wide variety of foods at your meals, snack-ing can be a way to supplement your meals to ensure that you get all the healthy foods that your body needs. So why do people think of snacking as taboo? Probably be-cause of some of the myths that exist about eating between meals. Let’s disband a few of these.

MYTH - Snacking ruins your appetite.FACT - As long as your snack is a healthy por-tion and is eaten two or three hours before your meal, it should have no negative effect on your appetite.

MYTH - Snacking makes you gain weight.

FACT - There does not have to be a negative link between snacking and your weight. Weight is af-fected by calories in versus calories out. Snacking sensibly can actually help you to avoid weight gain by curbing overeating at meals.

MYTH - To snack healthfully, you have to give up the foods you like to snack on.FACT - Most foods can be incorporated into a healthy snack. If chips or sweets are your thing, make sure to combine them with nutritious foods and keep portion sizes in check.

Healthy snacksHere’s a simple definition: A healthy snack has some nutritional value but is not too high in calories and fat. A good guideline for keeping snacks healthy is to limit them to one to two snacks per day and to 200 calo-ries or less per snack. Portion sizes are im-portant. Including two food groups in your snacks is a good way to ensure that you will get some nutritional benefit. Here’s how to use the food groups to plan healthy snacks: • Whole grains. Choose low-fat, whole-grain crackers, whole-grain pretzels or unbuttered popcorn. Follow the guidelines on the pack- age to keep the serving to one portion. One serving is usually about 80 calories.• Dairy foods. Choose low-fat versions of cheese, yogurt and milk. Stay away from yo- gurts with lots of added sugar by choosing the “light” variety. Limit cheese to a one-ounce serving, and milk and yogurt to a one-cup portion per snack. One serving has about 100 calories.• fruit. You can choose from fresh, frozen or canned fruits. Purchase the light or “packed in its own juice” variety of canned fruits. A typical serving of fruit contains about 60 calories. • vegetables. Always keep some raw veggies on hand for a snack attack. Because they are high in fiber, they make you feel full. A single serving of veggies contains only about 25 calories. Eat with salsa or low-fat dips for added flavor.• Proteins. Nuts and seeds are good sources of protein, but remember that they are high in calories. Limiting your portion to 15 nuts or 1 tablespoon of seeds is a good guideline for a snack. Either of these provides about 100 calories. • fats. Fat is high in calories. When choosing a snack, try to stay under 3 grams of fat per serving.

portable Two-food group snacks Snacks that contain two food groups are more likely to satisfy the need for flavor and ease your hunger at the same time. With a lit-tle planning and preparation, you can have

healthysnack attacks

by: linda mcgirr

Linda McGirr is a Registered Dietitian and certified Dietitian-Nutritionist

SnACkinG DoeSn’T HAve To Be unHeALTHy. The right snack foods can help keep your body and mind running strong throughout the day.

healthy snacks ready when the temptation strikes. Here are ex-amples of healthy snacks that you can keep with you while on the road:• 1/4 cup dried cranberries and 10 peanuts with a few choco- late chips – 200 calories• 1 tablespoon peanut butter and five whole-grain crackers – 180 calories• 20 baked tortilla chips and 1 cup salsa – 105 calories• 1 ounce low-fat cheese and an apple – 160 calories• 3 cups low-fat, plain microwav able popcorn and 1/2 cup orange juice – 140 calories• 1 cup of whole-grain cereal and 1 cup of low-fat milk – 180 calories• 1 cup of raw vegetables with 1 cup low-fat yogurt dip – 125 calories• Half of a 6-inch pita bread pocket with 2 1/2 tablespoons hummus – 170 calories• Microwaved baked potato with 1 ounce shredded low-fat cheese – 180 calories

Healthy snacks on the flyIf you find yourself unprepared when hunger strikes you don’t have to let that lead you to poor snack choices. Vending machines

and convenience stores may car-ry a lot of junk food, but there are usually some healthier choices as well. The labels will tell you how many portions each pack-age contains. Remember the two-food-group guideline and pay attention to labels to help keep your snack below 200 calories. Look for some of these healthy food items in the machines or on the shelves.• Peanuts or peanut butter• Granola bars • Baked chips• fresh fruit• 100 percent fruit juice • Trail mix• Raisins• Pretzels• Whole-wheat crackers• Plain popcorn• Soy nuts• fruit smoothies• Bagels• instant oatmeal• Low-fat milk• Small cans of water packed tuna Snacking doesn’t have to be eliminated when you’re watch-ing what you eat. And now that spring has arrived, and fresh foods will be plentiful, continue to follow a healthy eating plan and let the healthy snacking con-tinue.


If you spend any time outdoors, you probably encounter ticks. Inside some of these tiny creatures is a ticking time bomb. Often called “the great imitator”

because its symptoms can mimic more than 300 other afflictions, Lyme disease is becoming more prevalent as awareness grows. What may begin as flu-like symp-toms can manifest over time, into a dan-gerous, often misdiagnosed, and some-times debilitating illness. Not all ticks carry disease, but those carrying the bacteria that causes Lyme disease are relatively easy to encounter. Hiking, camping, hunting, fishing or just walking in your back yard may expose you to these ticks. The primary culprit is the black-legged tick, often called deer ticks. Most people believe deer are the pri-mary host of these ticks but rodents, espe-cially mice, are the main source of blood meals for these ticks. When ticks are in the larval stage, feeding on rodents and other animals carrying the bacteria can infect them. When the tick enters the next phase, the nymph stage, it is no bigger than a freckle and often goes unnoticed when feeding on a human host. We sometimes call them seed ticks at this stage of their life cycle. Generally occurring in spring and summer, this is the time when most humans are infected. The tick needs to feed on a host for a few hours to transfer the bacteria. Since the nymphs are so tiny, they may go unnoticed for several hours to a few days. This increases the odds of passing along a tick-borne disease to hu-mans. Adult ticks also carry the infection, but because of their larger size, are more often found before they are able to feed long enough to pass the bacteria. Initial signs of infection are the tick bite surrounded by a red circular rash. This rash may appear at the bite site or

elsewhere on the body. But in some cases, no rash is found. Early symptoms mimic the flu. Fatigue, fever, chills, headache, muscle and joint pain and swollen lymph nodes are early indicators. Late Lyme disease symptoms may ap-pear weeks, months or even years after a bite. These include arthritis-like pain and swelling, most often in the knees or large joints, and nervous system symptoms such as numbness, pain, nerve paralysis, stiff neck, severe headaches, sleep distur-bances and memory problems. Some pa-tients describe it as a mental fog. Different people exhibit different symptoms. In ex-treme, advanced cases, Lyme disease can mimic lupus, celiac disease, Lou Gehrig’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, viral infec-tions and neurological diseases – even HIV. Diagnosis can be tricky and requires a history of possible exposure to ticks, signs and symptoms and the results of blood tests used to detect antibodies to the Lyme disease bacterium. Some in the medi-cal community disagree on the reality of chronic Lyme disease. Other medical pro-fessionals even refuse to diagnose or treat the condition. And opinions vary widely on the proper course of treatment when a diagnosis has been made. If you have gone misdiagnosed, con-sult a Lyme-literate doctor for testing. But, of course, the best way to avoid Lyme dis-ease is prevention. Treat clothing and gear with products containing permethrin; spray yourself with products containing DEET; shower or bathe as soon as pos-sible upon coming indoors; conduct tick checks; remove ticks quickly and prop-erly; and avoid tick-infested areas. These are your best defenses against this ticking time bomb. For more info visit www.cdc.gov/Lyme.

by: brenda potts

tickingtime bomb



Every month I take you on a magic carpet ride behind the scenes on the road with the traveling show we call the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series sea-son. This month, I thought I’d give

you a good old truck stop buffet of tidbits for your reading pleasure. Strap in and hang on! Burning the midnight oil in 2013: no rest for the weary on the No. 48 teamJimmie Johnson’s No. 48 crew chief, Chad Knaus, said his team worked at least 35 days straight on his superspeedway car. “I know I put in personally 38 hours straight,” he told us. “I actually sent Jim-mie a text saying ‘I’ve seen 6:48 three times today and haven’t been to bed yet.’” Would you spin to win in 2013? Carl Edwards wants it badWould the Fastenal driver do like some we saw early in the season and spin another driver to win? Never say never when it comes to these Sprint Cup Series racers. “You can’t put guys like me or like these other guys out here in that race, you can’t put us in race cars and expect us to play nice all the time,” Edwards says with a chuckle. “I mean, there are gonna be times when you just say, ‘Hell with it. I’m going to win this race,’ or ‘I’m going to get that guy back.’ That is just the way this sport is. It shows that this sport is real and that we’ve all got some serious motivation.”Jimmie Johnson’s teammate Chandra: The woman behind the 5-time winnerJimmie Johnson credits his wife, Chandra, for his sense of stability. Recently, I had a rare chance to interview her about what it was like for her to watch her husband pull off his second Daytona 500 win. “I was in a pretzel in our motor home (watching the race),” she says. Their daughter Genevieve Marie was napping. “I had to wake her up with like five to go,” Chandra recalls. “I was shaking. Really, I mean I couldn’t even put her shoes on I was shaking so bad. She started yelling, ‘Go, Daddy, go,’

on the last lap. I was in a knot ... I wish I had that on video.” The crew guys are used to this waif-like tiny girl nicknamed “Evie” getting under the car or playing with lug nuts. “A little mechanic, I think,” says Chandra, smiling proudly. And yes, her initials are GM!My 2013 NASCAR Celeb Diary: Rapper 50 Cent and Ray Lewis talk NASCAR.I was starting a live interview with rapper 50 Cent at Daytona when former Baltimore Raven Ray Lewis walked straight into the interview to say hi to the rapper. “You can’t miss it on television,” 50 Cent says of NASCAR, adding, “Everybody, I think, would like to be able to control an actual vehicle at that pace and speed. There is a lot of skill involved in (NASCAR) so I re-spect it and I wanted to come check it out. There’s so many rules involved and just the technical portion of controlling your-self at those actual points is amazing.” As for Lewis, he was there taking in “all there is to see. Just the excitement of the actual race.” Michael Waltrip Racing driver Mark Martin’s Twitter handle, @55markmartin, jumped 3,000 followers after 50 Cent, who sat on his pit box during the race, tweeted a picture and referred to Martin as the “OG” (Original Gangster) of the Daytona 500.

Jitters, anyone? Do drivers get nervous before big races?Ryan Newman isn’t easily rattled. “I wouldn’t say jitters. There’s an emotion to it, but I wouldn’t say jitters. Not like I’m nervous. Not like I have the butterflies. Part of me is excited, but I have to control that excitement. Part of me is anticipating but I have to control that anticipation,” he explains. That’s a wrap on some tidbits so far this season and we’re only three months in. I hope you liked the buffet. Come along with me as I travel the circuit following the NASCAR 2013 season and I’ll see you out on the road.

by: claire b. lang

NASCAR buffet

column

PHOTO: JARED C. TILTON/NASCAR

Listen to Claire B. Lang’s radio show on Sirius XM

NASCAR Radio, Channel 90.


It was back in January when U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood announced that he would not serve a second term in the Obama administration. It was only a few weeks later, on Valentine’s Day, that he

announced the establishment of the National Freight Advisory Committee. In doing so, he elevated the importance of freight movement, and therefore infrastructure improvements. Whether this will be a fruitful effort remains to be seen, but it is an intriguing start. The purpose of the committee is to provide recommendations aimed at improving the na-tional freight transportation system. LaHood recognized that a strong freight transporta-tion system is critical to the nation’s economy and essential for helping meet Obama’s goal of doubling U.S. exports by 2015. “Our freight system is the lifeblood of the American econo-my,” LaHood said in announcing the commit-tee. “We must ensure that our freight system is stronger and better connected.” Interestingly, this committee comes as a re-sult of the passage of the recent transportation bill, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21). That bill established a na-tional freight policy and called for the creation of a national freight strategic plan. In a March 2012 Challenge Magazine ex-clusive, LaHood commented on the need for a long-term funding bill, saying “There’s no doubt that America needs a long-term high-way-funding bill. Without funding certainty, communities across the country can’t plan for their long-term transportation needs and crit-ical infrastructure projects remain undone.” At the time, LaHood was optimistic Congress and the White House could come up with a long-term bill. “This is an area that’s tradi-tionally had bipartisan support in Congress,” he said, “and I’m hopeful we can reach an agreement ….” Despite the wishes of LaHood, Congress must still continue efforts to move forward, especially after Obama called for a doubling of U.S. exports by 2015. The committee will ultimately provide recommendations to the secretary of transportation on how DOT can improve its freight transportation policies and programs. It’s unlikely all committee members will agree, so developing a comprehensive freight policy will be a challenge. This is especially

true given the size – 25 voting members – of the committee. Each will have their unique perspective on freight transportation and will be tasked with accomplishing their goals with only three meetings a year. According to the DOT announcement, “The collaboration of stakeholders will serve to promote involvement and compliance with proposed plans and performance measures. The effort will support the implementation of larger freight policy initiatives, including the department’s Freight Policy Council, an internal body of DOT leadership created by LaHood to facilitate cross-modal implementa-tion of MAP-21 freight provisions.” In addition, the DOT is proposing to begin a process to designate national freight net-works. The idea, according to the DOT state-ment, is “to better focus attention on the high-ways most critical to the movement of goods. The secretary will designate the most critical existing interstates and roads as the primary freight network. This network will consist of up to 27,000 miles of existing interstate and other roadways. It will also include the pos-sible addition of 3,000 miles of existing and planned roadways necessary for the efficient movement of goods in the future.” The movement of freight is not a new concern for LaHood. In the same Chal-lenge Magazine feature referenced earlier, LaHood addressed TIGER grants saying, “These investments aren’t just helping to create livable and sustainable com-munities – they’re also improving freight movement, reducing congestion on our roadways, and building connections between multiple forms of transportation.” But will this National Freight Advisory Committee accomplish what it is expected to? The committee should ultimately reach consensus on a variety of issues and make their recommendations to the secretary. What becomes of those recommendations is where things become interesting. We have all heard of advisory committees, policy committees and ad hoc commissions that have developed recommendations and policies, yet the pages filled with the recom-mendations and policies simply collect dust on a bookshelf. Just ask the Simpson-Bowles Commission how well their deficit reduction recommendations were received.

by: mike howefollow Mike on Twitter: @TruckingDC • Like Mike on facebook: www.facebook.com/TruckingPoliticsMore

as I was lying under my trailer last month, with the rain pour-ing down and a steady stream of wet Georgia clay seeping onto every part of my body

while I worked to fix an axle, all I could think of was sleep. I just felt exhausted. It wasn’t Georgia on my mind, it was my bed. Now maybe it was because I had been un-der the trailer for hours along a particularly unwelcome stretch of highway and I just didn’t want to do it anymore. Or it could have been the weather and that I was starting to look like some B movie mud monster emerging from a swamp. But really I knew it was my sched-ule catching up to me. Long days and nights, and grabbing a few hours of sleep here and there. I just wasn’t feeling healthy anymore. Anyone who has ever driven a truck knows the challenges of staying healthy. It’s an uphill

climb. We sit most of the day and when we do get a break to grab something to eat or visit the restroom, it has to be fast. Truck drivers live in a bizzaro world – constantly in motion while sitting still most of the time. It’s not sur-prising, then, that many of us struggle to stay healthy. At times even sleeping feels like an afterthought to managing our schedules. And apparently sleep is as important to healthy living, if not more so, than diet and exercise. A study at UC Berkeley found that when people don’t sleep enough it impairs their ability to decide what foods are best to eat. Really, we needed a study for this? They could have saved a lot of time and money just by asking a few truck drivers. I can’t count how many times I’ve stopped to get some food and was too tired to think about what I was grabbing, let alone look at calo-ries or trans fat levels. My only thought

was to get something easy and quick. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Adminis-tration commissioned a study comparing split sleep schedules to consolidated sleep sched-ules for truck drivers. The FMCSA wanted to know if a certain sleep schedule impacts a driver’s overall well-being and ability to op-erate a truck safely. They found that drivers who get consolidated sleep during the day are sleepier and often get less sleep than those that either split sleep or sleep at night. Again, drivers could have told the FMCSA this. A couple of years ago I ran a schedule where I was sleeping during the day. It was a two-month stretch of limited daylight and by the end of it I was staggering around like some kind of zombie. I barely knew what day of the week it was. And my eating habits during that time? Well, what do you think?

gIvE ME SlEEP

Do you have an industry issue you would like to gripe about? Send it to [email protected].

by: charles pope


No matter where you are in the United States, there’s a good chance you’re not far from a national trail. In 1968, Congress enacted the National Trails System Act, ensuring the creation of

trails that showcase our country’s unique beauty and the preservation of historic trails that shaped our way of life. We’ve put togeth-er a list of national scenic and historic path-ways that play an important part of preserv-ing our country’s past and future. Since all the trails cover multiple states and traverse through national parks and forests, admis-sion fees vary. Check online before visiting.

The pony express national Historic Trail Covering almost 2,000 miles and eight states, the Pony Express National Historic Trail honors an 18-month period in our post-al service history. The unofficial post office tagline “Neither snow nor rain nor heat …” was probably written for the Pony Express riders, who could carry mail from St. Joseph, Mo., to Sacramento, Calif., in a mere 10 days – a trip that normally took months for wag-ons in 1860. Changing horses and riders ev-ery 15 miles at relay stations along the route, these riders truly provided the most efficient means of communication (before the tele-graph) between the east and west, and some say they are responsible for aligning Cali-fornia with the Union before the Civil War. Visit some of the relay stations along the

trail and marvel at the dedication and stam-ina of some of our earliest postal carriers. http://www.nps.gov/poex

The continental divide national scenic Trail Established in 1978, the Continental Di-vide Trail follows the division of the Pacific Ocean watersheds from the Arctic and At-lantic watersheds. Following parts of the Rocky Mountains, the trail covers more than 3,000 miles between Montana and New Mexico. Considered a moderate to strenu-ous hike – and with all those mountains, “strenuous” is understandable – the CDNS trail is ideal for long-distance hikers look-ing for a challenge. Don’t forget to adjust for the altitude change. Lots of horseback riding opportunities abound on this trail as well. While it is open year-round, visitors head-ing north on the trail should check it out in the springtime. http://www.fs.fed.us/cdt/

The oregon national Historic Trail At the turn of the 19th century, the west-ern border of the U.S. extended only to the Mississippi River. After the Louisiana Purchase a few years later, that border was pushed to the Rocky Mountains, but left Or-egon, Washington and Idaho in the hands of the British. Unhappy with the grip the old country still held, thousands of Ameri-can families, mostly new emigrants, made

their way via the Oregon Trail in pursuit of the American dream, a piece of land to call their own. Because of the number of Ameri-can settlements, the British ceded the terri-tory to the United States in 1846. The 2,170 miles of trail tell a fascinating story of the early American families that gave up every-thing for the promise of a better future. Fol-low their footsteps by car, bike, horseback and of course by foot. Wagons optional. http://www.nps.gov/oreg/

by: marion kelly

National trails

THE PONY ExPRESS MONUMENT, at Julesburg, Colo.

PHOTOS: COURTESY NATIONAL PARk SERVICE

SIMPSON SPRINGS STATION, TOOELE COUNTY, UTAH


north country nationalscenic Trail Journeying through the Adirondack Mountains in New York through the 10,000 lakes of Minnesota and the expansive plains of North Dakota, the North Country Na-tional Scenic Trail offers a medley of land-scapes for nature enthusiasts. According to the website, the more than 2,000 miles of completed trails (once finished, it will span 4,500 miles) covering seven states is within a day’s drive for 40 percent of the population. The NCST passes through 12 national forests and is currently the longest scenic trail in the National Trail System. Not up for a hike? Check out the “trail towns” along the way. These small commu-nities offer resources and support for hik-ers, and many are little destination gems in their own right. http://northcountrytrail.org.

The appalachian national scenic Trail Completed in 1937 by private citizens and brought into the National Trail Sys-tem in 1968, the ANST is truly the people’s path. The trail has more than 30 trail clubs

and partnerships taking care of it with over-sight provided by the National Park Service and the nonprofit Appalachian Trail Con-servancy. The trail is well known for hikers attempting to trek the 2,184-mile path in a single season; only a quarter of them suc-ceed. According to the website, the total elevation gain of hiking the entire trail is

equivalent to climbing Mount Everest 16 times. Just as truck drivers use CB handles, hikers on the trail adopt a trail name. So be on the lookout for “Eternal Optimist,” “Thunder Chicken” and “Crumb-snatch-er” while on your hike. Unlike other trails, no biking or horseback riding is allowed. http://www.appalachiantrail.org/

BEAVERHEAD ROCk IN MONTANA, on the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.


SPONSORED BY:

HAve An inSPiRinG SToRy fRoM THe RoAD? Maybe a poem or song? We want to share your creativ-ity with our readers. Write down your thoughts and send

it to us by mail or email ([email protected]).

Submissions must be original, unpublished and created by the sender or the sender must have

permission to submit. All submissions become the property of Challenge Magazine and will not be returned. Submissions may be edited

and may be published or otherwise reused in any medium.

So God Made A TruckerOn the ninth day, after God finished with the farmer, he looked down on his planned paradise and said, “I need the goods to move.”

So God made a trucker.

God said, “I need somebody willing to get up before dawn, inspect his equipment, fuel his truck, review the regulations, get a coffee to go, drive half the day, stop to eat supper, gaze at the menu for 15 min-utes then always order a burger and cof-fee, drive till night, inspect his equipment again, stay up till midnight helping fellow truckers back into tight spots, help new drivers with their repairs and paperwork, then finish his own.”


God said, “I need somebody willing to sit up at night holding the head of an in-jured motorist still until EMS arrives only to pronounce him deceased, dry his eyes and say, Maybe next time. Repair a leaking hose with old rubber, clamps, and few tools just to get off the road, change a plugged fuel filter, prime his pump, change a wiper

blade just to save his company money.

“To sit patiently for endless unpaid hours when picking up or delivering a load, finish his 40-hour week by Tuesday noon, paining from tractor back, then put in another 72 hours just trying to be on time while find-ing a way to comply with the regulations and keep his log book legal.”


God said, “I need somebody strong enough to get the job done even if it means he can’t be home for anniversaries, children’s birthdays or major holidays, all while sleeping on a small thin mattress in the heat of summer and the cold of winter due to anti-idling laws, yet gentle enough to pull over and change a tire for a broken

down elderly couple.”


It had to be somebody who’d drive straight, slow down, be safe, not cut corners.

Somebody willing to drive through all ma-jor cities, New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles, somebody willing to drive all 48 states, drive across the Appalachians, the Great Plains, Tornado Alley, scale and de-scend the Rockies, drive overpasses named Cabbage, Grapevine, Mount Eagle, Jelico, Saluda, Wolf Creek and Deadman. Some-body willing to chain up 18 wheels, then help a fellow driver chain his, then unchain down the road, then drive across 120-de-gree deserts all so the goods can be on time. Somebody who, when time allows, would pass through his hometown and who’d bale his family together with the soft, strong bonds of sharing. Who would laugh, and then sigh, and reply with smiling eyes when his son said that he wanted to spend his life doing what his dad does.


BY: DEAN PARKER

It had to be somebody who’d

drive straight, slow down, be safe, not

cut corners.


The Roads I Roam Tomorrow’s Another DayBY MARK HOAG

BY RACHEL ROBERTSONMorning again, I’m up at dawnGray clouds above, dew on the lawn.

Rig starts with a jump, eager to pleaseOne last prayer, down on my knees.

Road pointing west, away from the sunTwo hundred miles in before the day has begun.

Storms brewing ahead, chatter on the boxCaution, slow down, watch for falling rocks.

Roll in right on time, leave customer with a smileGrab a bite to eat before another mile.

Wiper blades working hard, traffic slowing downOnly thinking of home, just in the next town.

Warm lights glow from the windows of my homeNever saw a better sight, away from the roads I roam.

Just got off the phone With that trucker of mineArguing about his absence,Missed piano recitalsDoesn’t he know my heart breaksWithout him in my armsThat my anger is a signOf my love and devotionBut tomorrow is another dayA day for the words to come out rightTell him I love him, I’m proud of him.And that I’ll be right here,Waiting for him.


WorD sEArCh Name ______________________________________

Word Search

Created with the help of Wordsheets - www.Qualint.com

CALRIPKENAFTERBASEBALLPITCHERROADDOGTRUCKINGRADIOCHANNELWALTDISNEYIMAGINEERSCARSLANDJULIEROBERTSCOUNTRYSINGERADVERSITYLYMEDISEASETICKSHEALTHYSNACKSMIKEMORTONULTRAMARATHONRUNNER

Y H Y E K I M Z Z Z U G L Y M E W O J G P Z RR H E A L T H Y I B R P G R W R I T W X V T LD M P L M A R A T H O N F U O C M N I C I Y ON N I G B C C K B P M A M B M J A N H C Q D DA L O R V N B S X R C I E P Y A G E C O K J GL C V W M P K D L Q J R L U B H I R X T Y S KL G B A S E B A L L T V E W A D N O X Y G G VE X K J W Y W B B S U C A D V A E R H D V K EN O N C Q P C N A F A L V R D J E D E F B H CN T I K X A A N Y R T E O U U O R D Q G L X YA S U D L C A F S P R I S R B N S O Y G N Q IH T H Y A S X N T S I D Z Y T X N G R J X I LC Q C G L R E X I E X X X A J L N E S K I A SJ C W S P A A T Y M R C J E T Q E Q R C P M FA M U I T I Y R X R A Y J Z U Y K A S F C Z MZ Q O B G T T T T W T D R C W E P O K K D A CB E K R E D R C O L F N F M D D I Y C P V S LP G Y I T A D U H E U W U I K I R H A Z R L PI T E D U O R V C E I Q Y O K F S Q N H L Q AR G N M J R N P P K R L D B C U P E S Y G Q GO A S D I X U M B Q I F U J U C O D A X T A EJ U I G K Q N W I R G N C J X P H V Z S E L AG U D Y L A K J H I R K G P T P U X A H E W L

hoW To pLAY: The Japanese puzzle “Sudoku” tests reason-ing and logic. To solve the puzzle, fill in the grid above so every row, every column and every 3-block by 3-block box contains the digits 1 through 9. That means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box. No math is needed. The grid has numbers, but nothing has to equal anything else. Answers are published in the next issue of Challenge Magazine.

Name ______________________________________

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Word Search




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Name ______________________________________

Word Search




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5 4 9 84 5 1 9

5 23 7 5 69 2 6 75 7 9 4 2 8 1

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# 24 7 6 4 3 1 8 5 9 22 8 9 6 7 5 3 1 41 3 5 4 2 9 6 7 84 5 7 1 6 3 8 2 96 9 8 5 4 2 1 3 73 2 1 8 9 7 4 5 69 1 3 2 8 6 7 4 55 7 6 9 3 4 2 8 18 4 2 7 5 1 9 6 3

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(c) Puzzles by PappocomSolution, tips and computer program at www.sudoku.com.

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9

10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

30 31 32 33 34 35

36 37 38 39 40 41

42 43 44 45 46

47 48 49 50 51 52

53 54 55 56

57 58 59 60 61

62 63 64 65 66 67

68 69 70 71 72

73 74 75 76 77

78 79 80

G U L L I B L E S H I E L DL E A A H I A T

U N H A N D S C R E W U P IL A I R G E E E I N N MT N E E T W O I D OI V E R E D O B O T A

M N A E T E M P E R B R AA D D C A M I S B A N

I S E A I S L E E M M YD E B T R A T I O P A MU R O A S T T S A R L I DL O O P L E A E L E C T SS N A P A I F O F R H OE D A M N R O S E A T E N

P G I D D Y A P C O A S TB I P E D O L Y M E T O O

ACROSS 1 Credulous 6 Protect 10 Let go 12 Foul-up 14 Den 15 Command to a horse 16 Prefix meaning not 17 *NM 18 Born 19 Twain 21 Revised form of Esperanto 23 I have 25 Repeat 28 Goatskin bag for holding

wine 30 Not 31 Heat of mind 33 Brassiere 36 Find the sum of 38 Eccentric shaft 39 Part of the verb to be 41 Prefix meaning without 42 Ocean 43 Small island 45 TV award 47 Something that is owed 49 Rate

52 Part of the verb "to be" 53 Heat excessively 54 Former Russian ruler 56 Cover 57 Coil 59 Meadow 61 Chooses 62 Crack 63 Providing 65 Belonging to 66 17th letter of the Greek

alphabet 68 Ruin 70 Rosy 74 Command to a horse 76 Seashore 78 Having two feet 79 *LYME 80 Also

DOWN 2 Bone of the forearm 3 Get to know 4 Burrowing, carnivorous

mammal 5 Relaxation 6 Termagant 7 Hawaiian honeycreeper

8 One circuit 9 *TIM 10 Last syllable of a word 11 Hello there 13 Single entity 17 Negative vote 19 Male cat 20 Corpulent 22 Tap gently 24 Conclusion 26 7th letter of the Greek

alphabet 27 Relinquish 29 Otherwise 32 Furry 34 Resembling a ram 35 Some 37 Decease 38 *CARSLAND 40 To exist 42 Strike 44 Be seated 46 Abuse 47 Edible red seaweed 48 Of great breadth 50 Consumed 51 Preliminary statement 55 Drug-yielding plant 58 Not off 60 Breezy 64 Young horse 67 Upon 69 Being at the middle 71 Engage in espionage 72 In the direction of 73 The ratio between

circumference and diameter

75 Perform 77 Therefore

The highlighted clues come from editorial content in this issue of Challenge Magazine.

Answers will appear in next month’s issue and on www.ptcchallenge.com

1 Credulous6 Protect10 Let go12 Foul-up14 Den15 Command to a horse16 Pre�x meaning not17 Dinosaur Museum state18 Born19 Twain21 Revised form of Esperanto23 I have25 Repeat28 Goatskin bag for holding wine30 Not31 Heat of mind33 Brassiere36 Find the sum of38 Eccentric shaft39 Part of the verb to be41 Pre�x meaning without42 Ocean43 Small island45 TV award47 Something that is owed49 Rate52 Part of the verb “to be”53 Heat excessively54 Former Russian ruler56 Cover57 Coil59 Meadow61 Chooses62 Crack63 Providing65 Belonging to66 17th letter of the Greek alphabet68 Ruin70 Rosy74 Command to a horse76 Seashore78 Having two feet79 Disease spread by ticks80 Also

8 One circuit9 RDT host _____ Ridley10 Last syllable of a word11 Hello there13 Single entity17 Negative vote19 Male cat20 Corpulent22 Tap gently24 Conclusion26 7th letter of the Greek alphabet27 Relinquish29 Otherwise32 Furry34 Resembling a ram35 Some37 Decease38 New Disney attraction40 To exist42 Strike44 Be seated46 Abuse47 Edible red seaweed48 Of great breadth50 Consumed51 Preliminary statement55 Drug-yielding plant58 Not o�60 Breezy64 Young horse67 Upon69 Being at the middle71 Engage in espionage72 In the direction of73 The ratio between circumference and diameter75 Perform77 Therefore

2 Bone of the forearm3 Get to know4 Burrowing, carnivorous mammal5 Relaxation6 Termagant7 Hawaiian honeycreeper M

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A C A D I A I M P R E S A VW A N D L O G L N O M EA Y E T M E T A N YK E A O B I E R A K EE N U B A R M P I T W A YN E T R U G A H E S B E

G M A N Q U O D O A R SS O D A F L I R T A D OA A R R A Y B I D S V A TL O R Z S E C C R I T I CA N T I T U S I N S H ED S P A E R E S P I T E D

I A N N U L E T N O R G ES T A N D P D Y N E S O N

garmingallery

HONORABLE MENTIONA Lil’ Bit Of Snow – Kristine Molmen

Millersylvania State ParkAudrey Stowers

Northern MichiganYvonne Donnelly

Holding PostJerry Woodard

Guardian of the Lone TreeDennis Stock

Trying For the Big OneRob and Jenni Kebler

Pier-spectiveGene Renaker

These are the faces of Pilot Flying Jwho have excelled in customer service

A customer wrote in, “At a recent visit to your Frystown, Pa., location we had trouble with our rewards card. Nicole, an employee

at the fuel desk, took the time to fix the problem even though the store was extremely busy. We have had this problem before, but no

one took the time to fix it. I wanted to let you know what an exemplary employee you have in her and say thank you.”

NICOLE WILLIAMSFRYSTOWN, PA

A customer wrote in, “I came through about three weeks ago and my daughter lost a very valuable ring. Zackita was happy to help, she was so easy to get along with and she even dug through the trash to find the ring. We finally found it in the deli area by the

coffee, between the carpet and the wall.”

ZACkITA POWELLMERIDIAN, MS

if you would like to recognize a Pilot flying J employee

who has made your visit fast, friendly or clean, or if you have any comments, please call our customer line at 1-877-866-7378

pTc518

pTc388

The Pilot logo is a registered trademark of Pilot Travel Centers LLC.cashier must scan item before scanning barcode

Pilot offers user-friendly and convenient faxing services atmany of our 300 Travel Center Locations. Stop in today!

Fax 1 page FREE! SAVE $2 with couponon the roadand need tosend a fax?

www.facebook.com/pilottravelcenters

www.twitter.com/pilottravel

Pilot flying J signs on for 3rd annual Trucking Social Media Convention Attention truck drivers! Mark your calendars for oct. 11-13, 2013, for the 3rd Annual Truck Driver social Media Convention, which will be held at Harrah’s Resort & Convention Center in Kansas City, Mo. Pilot Flying J is proud to be a presenting sponsor for this event that brings professional drivers and the trucking industry together by encouraging knowledge, wisdom, insight, networking, and communication. For more information please visit the TDSMC website, www.truckingsocialmedia.com.

We would like to thank all the truck drivers who stopped by our booth at the Mid-America Trucking show in March!

Thanks fromMaTS!

Coupon is valid at participating PTC, L.L.C. Travel Center locations except in Canada. Void where prohibited. Not valid with any other offer. No cash value. One coupon per customer/per transaction only. Coupon valid 4/1/13 through 4/30/13.

chaLLenge coupon

PFJ’s Social Media Marketing Manager Lynsay Russell and convention organizer Allen Smith.

MyRewards.pilotflyingj.comThe Pilot logo is a registered trademark of Pilot Travel Centers LLC.

You can use your points to pay for Wandering Wi-Fi wireless Internet

service.

knoW?youdid

A self-described “good ol’ country boy,” Larry Bolin has been driving for 16 years and frequenting Pilot store #353 for just as long. Current general manager Myron Lewis has

known Bolin for about half that time. “I have been around this location since October 2004

and Larry was fueling, eating, and shopping here then,” he says. “He has never left us and still purchases his convenience items from us to this day.” Truck drivers may recognize Bolin from the October 2012 cover of Driving Force magazine, where he was recognized for 10 years of safety. Husband to Imogene and father to Larry, William and Railyn, Bolin has been a loyalty member since the program’s inception. He likes purchasing truck accessories with his accumulated points. More than a loyal customer, Bolin, who drives for Super Service, is a part of the Pilot family. “The cashiers and staff love him here and he has always been extremely courteous for us to cater to,” says Lewis.

MEMBER PROFILE:Larry BoLin

$10,000 SweepStakeS winner R

eid Snow and his girlfriend were looking at new cars just the week before he got the news that he won the $10,000 sweepstakes sponsored by the loyalty program at Pilot Flying J. It was perfect timing. Having recently

moved back to his home state of Ohio, after almost two decades on the East Coast, Reid, Joy and their 5-year-old son are settling in to Midwest living again. Reid picked up his MyRewards card last fall when he stopped in for a cup of cof-fee. “I didn’t like the coffee I was getting at the other place, so I went to Pilot to get my coffee,” Snow says. And getting a card was simple. “The rewards card was right there, [signing up] didn’t involve much.” Because of that simple sign-up process, he’s $10,000 richer, which should be a nice down payment on a new car.

Interested in being our Customer Profile of the Month? If you’re a MyRewards card member who loves the Pilot Flying J loyalty program, we want to hear from you! Contact us at [email protected] with Customer Profile in the subject line.

You could be our next featured driver!

Reid Snow and his son Izaiah holding the winning check.

april 2013 - challenge magazine

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