In The News
Partially paralyzed Tennessee trucker determined to be top-drawer
Owner-operator Barry Owens of Moscow, Tenn., is not your typical trucker.
By the same token, his truck is not your ordinary big rig.
Owens is paralyzed below the waist. On Nov. 19, 1981, he was about five miles from home when he had an accident that altered his life forever.
A half-mile in the distance at the bottom of a hill, he saw a school bus had stopped. Its driver was signaling a turn.
Owens began slowing down. He recalls that he “wasn’t going fast at all,’ when, suddenly, the brakes on his tractor locked up and his rig ran off the road. As it turned out, the bus wasn’t a factor in the mishap at all. But when it was all over, Owens found himself alone and stranded in a cotton field.
His tractor had overturned one and a half times and was much worse for the wear. But more devastating was the fact that Owens had no feeling from his waist down.
Some four years after the accident, following months of medical care and a grueling rehabilitation regimen, Owens was ready to return to the profession he loves.
“Since then, I have logged close to 2 million miles from a wheelchair, by myself,†Owens said, rather of matter-of-factly.
He is now on his third rig, a 1998 Freightliner 120 Condo that’s been completely reconfigured to accommodate his special needs. The tractor is eye-catching, to say the least, both inside and out.
Basically, the top of the tractor is white with gold and turquoise thunderbolts. The rig’s red midsection is separated from the blue bottom by still more bolts of thunder. And, of course, there are the customized chrome accessories — lots of them — all around.
Tucked away securely inside the 70-inch cab is the hand-operated wheelchair lift that allows Owens to enter and exit his rig at will. Once inside the cab, visitors — and there is always a line of them, no matter where Owens stops his rig — will see dash-mounted instruments galore, including a monitor for several exterior security cameras; a night-vision screen; and all the required gauges.
In the sleeper compartment itself, you’ll find a huge overhead television screen and remote control; cabinets for storage; and a full-size bed that’s stored upright against the back of the sleeper wall.
It is, in short, totally unlike your average, dealership showroom rig.
“I am looking for companies that will help me by sponsoring my truck,†he added. “I want to show the world what trucking has to offer. I also want to show that, with determination, there are no limits. I am not asking for a handout, just a chance to show the world what trucking is and can be.â€
Prospective sponsors and other interested parties who might want to see the progression Owens’ truck has undergone to date may do so by visiting his Web site at http://www.determinationtransportation.com/.