Driver Lifestyles
Team Focus: Jack and Tiffaney Ricks
Jack and Tiffaney Ricks are newcomers to expedited trucking but they're veterans of the road. Since 1999, Jack has been in the RV transport industry, working as an owner-operator in a dually pickup pulling travel trailers from Indiana to dealerships nationwide.
He says it was a profitable vocation at first, but he adds, "With RV transport being so slow now, there's no money in it. It's not a bad business if you're retired and have another income. That's the way the travel trailer industry started, with older couples who want to see the world. There's not enough revenue in it now for a young man to support his family. With my last company, half of my miles were deadhead miles."
He explains that in RV transport, he would pick his runs from as many as thirty trips on the company's board and, "we wouldn't take anything less than 700 miles. We ran from Indiana to California and Washington state several times and all over the country. But, 99% of the time, we would have to deadhead back to Indiana."
The couple's last truck was a 2005 Dodge one-ton dually pickup equipped with a gooseneck, fifth wheel and bumper pull gear. Pulling 26' to 37' trailers weighing between 8,000 to 17,000 lbs, Jack says that his Dodge would only average 9-10 mpg, "because of the wind drag more than the weight."
"We bought it in February of '05 and now it has 300,000 miles on it. When I left the business, I was pulling FEMA trailers from Baton Rouge to Hope, Arkansas. I have 800,000 miles behind me and Tiffaney, who started driving with me in '05, already has 200,000 miles." The couple celebrated their first wedding anniversary in June.
Roots
Born in Louisiana and raised in Arkansas, Jack has called Texas home for the last 20 of his 34 years. He began riding motorcycles at the age of 6 and before long, his motocross riding skills attracted factory attention.
"I started when I was 7 and eventually rode both 125cc and 250cc Expert for Kawasaki Team Green from 1983 until 1988. Ironically, I had just signed my sixth contract with the team 13 days before I got hurt when I was 15."
He relates the details of that life-changing event: "I was trying to clear a double jump that measured 96 feet and the bike landed on the frame (on the crown of the hill). I hit the seat and compressed the lumbar 2 which "exploded" and severed 3/4 of my spinal cord. It resulted in what they call an "incomplete" paralysis. I spent 3 months in the hospital. In 1988, they didn't have the ability to deal with spinal cord injuries like they do now."
Due to those injuries, Jack tells us, "I only have use of my right leg, and very little use of my left leg." Although confined to a wheelchair, he says that through the use of his right leg and upper body strength, "I don't have a problem getting into a truck cab."
Tiffaney Ricks, 35, is from Escondido, California. The mother of 4 children, her work history includes time in sales and working on a ranch. While in her twenties, she even tried rodeo work, competing in barrel racing. She says that since she joined Jack in RV transport, "My kids have gotten used to me being on the road."
Jack tells us, "My stepfather was a truck driver for 25 years, pulling grain trailers out of Arkansas. My mother got her CDL and drove OTR in a team for 5 years. I've been around truck driving my whole life, but never had the opportunity to get into it until now. I've been wanting to get into trucking for the last four or five years, but I had difficulty finding a fully automatic Class 8 truck."
Jack attended the Mid America Trucking Show in Louisville this year and talked to carrier representatives and truck dealers. It was there that he met Jerry and Susan Medlin, friends and past co-driver of Clayton King, a wheelchair-bound expediter from Tennessee.
Jerry was familiar with the equipment requirements for a physically challenged driver and he recommended Larry Miller of AA Truck Sleepers in Ft. Worth.
The design
"It's my design but Larry Miller had it built," Jack explains. "I went to Larry with the exact plans of how I wanted the sleeper built and he put it together exactly the way I wanted it. From the time we rolled up to his place, he was excited to be part of the project. "This is the first 96" sleeper that Larry has built with a shower and a toilet. "
Jack says that getting the sleeper built was the least of his problems. "It was difficult to find a truck dealer that wanted to work with a disabled buyer. "Financing was never a problem, but other dealers just didn't seem to be interested. Larry Miller suggested that I call Bobby Snyder with Fyda Freightliner of Columbus."
"When I called Fyda, they told me that Bobby was on a family vacation in Virginia Beach. I left a message and he returned my call from there. When I explained that I was in a wheelchair, he told me he was interested in the project and was always available to answer questions. Needless to say, I was very impressed!"
Bobby Snyder adds, "Jack and I hit it off real well from our first conversation. He was glad to find a dealer who seemed to take an interest in his situation and we had the truck available. After all, he wasn't asking for the world, just a couple of changes - in the sleeper and the truck. Larry Miller and I were able to accomodate him with no problem."
"Jack made this project as easy as could be; he and Tiffaney were fantastic to deal with. Jack and I both hope that with his entry into this business, it will open some doors for other disabled drivers."
The truck
Jack says, "I was only interested in a Class 8 truck because of their strength and capacity. In addition, I wanted to get a 5 year, 700,000 mile extended warranty and that's only available on this size truck."
The Ricks' new ride is a 2007 Freightliner Columbia on a 307"wheelbase and powered by a 375HP Cat C-11 coupled to an Eaton Fuller fully automatic transmission.
The truck's spec's include a 22' cargo box by ABC of Columbus along with a Carrier rooftop A/C unit, Powertech generator, dual 100-gallon tanks and polished aluminum wheels. Jack says that the addition of a pusher axle might be a possibility in the future.
The 96" AA sleeper features a bathroom (shower and toilet), a full-size refrigerator/freezer, microwave, 17" flat screen TV and a DVD player. The couple chose to go with a single bunk with cabinets on back wall and the sleeper is finished in oak trim. The vehicle's empty weight comes in at 23,000 lbs.
Just behind the fuel tank on the passenger side is a custom-built wheelchair storage box. Jack says, "The door of the box comes down, I set the chair on the door and it slides right in. We mounted the box on the passenger side so I'm not in my chair close to traffic. My original design for the sleeper included a chair lift but we couldn't do it at the present time - maybe later."
When it came time to find a carrier to lease with, a friend of Jack and Tiffaney's recommended Bolt Express of Toledo. Jack says of Bolt, "They're really nice people with a family feel to the company. It's more personal and we don't feel like we're just a number with them."
"Most importantly, my disability was never an issue with Bolt. It's like I told them, I have 800,000 commercial miles behind me - I can do the job."
The Ricks began their expedited trucking career in early October, and so far, so good. They are no strangers to the road, but they're seeing it now from a more luxurious vantage point in their new truck.
Says Tiffaney, "I was scared of driving a 40' long truck at first, but I'm getting used to it. We figure on staying out for a month to six weeks or until I need to go home.
I like to travel, I've been in 46 of the 48 states so far."
The Ricks' are devoted NASCAR fanatics - Jack is a Junior fan and Tiffaney roots for Kasey Kahne. They have met both of their driving heroes and have been to a number of Nextel Cup races. "If I could go to every race, I would," Tiffaney declares.
So, how does the new truck run?
"It's great! On one of our first runs, we only had about 2,000 pounds in the back, but the truck pulled Jellico mountain at 65 and never had to drop a gear. It's a long ways from broken in and we're getting roughly 8-10 mpg. I expect to better that before long," says Jack.
The only complaint Jack expresses is, "some of the truck stops are still not handicapped accessible. They have narrow fuel islands and it's tough in a wheelchair sometimes."
"However, if we can raise the awareness of the needs of the disabled, maybe more will consider this industry."
From their carrier
Emily Saunders with Bolt Express says of her company's newest team, "Jack and Tiffaney are great people; when they were here for orientation, we were impressed with how likeable and personable they were. Jack's disability was, for us, a non-issue because he passed any DOT regulations as far as physical requirements and he can get around very well."
"It's great to have a new team out there, especially one with the road experience that the Ricks possess. We look forward to a long business relationship with them."
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