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Pennsylvania owner-operator says he owes everything to his wife

At a time when others in the trucking industry — hard-hit by out-of-control diesel prices, low freight rates and a glut of government regulations — are teetering on the edge of economic disaster, owner-operator Don Goodrich of Milan, Pa., has a secret weapon that keeps him going.

“My wife, Karen, is a tremendous help in keeping me on the road, and I don’t mean that in a derogatory way,” said the 62-year-old Goodrich during a stop-over interview at the I-40 Pilot Travel Center in North Little Rock, Ark., in mid-May.

“You hear some guys out here say they stay out because they just don’t want to go home and argue and fuss with their wife, but, to tell you the God-honest truth, I can hardly wait to get home to be with Karen, our kids and grandkids,” Goodrich added.

In addition to keeping up with her husband’s work records and receipts, Karen Goodrich holds down a full-time position with a company that manufactures, of all things, lightbulbs and bullets for the U.S. government.

“She’s worked there for 34 years,” said Don Goodrich. “I’ve been in trucking for 39 years and we’ve been married for 38. Karen was going to retire this year, but she can’t right now, because of the increased cost of diesel, insurance coverage and just about everything else you care to name that affects trucking.”

Goodrich said there have been numerous times over the past couple of years that he didn’t think he was going to be able to last much longer.

“But Karen keeps my head screwed on straight and we always manage to pull through somehow,” he said. “I have about 18 months left to pay on my truck and there have been a few times when I thought I’d lose it, but we haven’t had to cut short on any payments yet. I know that if I don’t stay with it, though, losing the truck and everything else we’ve worked for over the years is just around the next corner.

“It’s a battle most of the time, but when you win one battle, then another, pretty soon you realize you’re winning the war and that’s what counts,” Goodrich noted.

When he’s home, Goodrich and his wife spend a lot of time with their children and grandchildren.

“Our son, Jerry, has one child, Joselyn, 13,” he said. “Our daughter, Shannon, has four kids, Sarah, 16; Jacob, 9; Jordan, 6, and Zachary, who’s 4. They all live within 12 miles of where my wife and I live and those grandkids have a way of sensing it every time I go home. They know within 10 minutes after I get there and one of them is on the phone wanting to know when we’re going to go do something.

“It’s great,” he said. “They’re into things like BMX racing, baseball, wrestling and small-fry football. I like what some ol’ boy once said about if he had known grandkids could be so much fun, he would’ve had them first. He knew exactly what he was talking about.”

At the time of his interview with The Trucker, Goodrich was leased to Towaway Express Inc. of Mechanicsburg, Pa.

According to the company’s Web site, “Towaway Express has been serving the transportation industry by supplying power units throughout the 48 contiguous states and Canada since 1985.  Our contractors have transported tens of thousands of new and used trailers, rock crushers, chassis, batch plants, intermodal containers and an array of other assorted commodities.

“With power units strategically located throughout the country, we can offer quick response to your transportation needs with a safety record second to none.  You and your customers can be assured your commodity will arrive safe and secure.”

Goodrich said he can vouch for the company’s reputation.

“They’re a good bunch to work for,” he said. “They’ve been straight with me so far and you can’t ask for much more than that.”

Asked if there are parts of the country where he doesn’t like to drive, Goodrich, without hesitating, replied: “I don’t like the West Coast, especially California.  I go out there a lot, but I’m going to put an end to it pretty soon.

“Why? The cost of fuel, mainly, and the attitude of the people out there leaves a lot to be desired. If I spent all my time driving on the West Coast, I would be working for nothing, simply because of the price of diesel. Besides that, they’ve got about 19 different formulas for fuel out there and none of it burns right. Any hopes of decent mileage go right out the tailpipes.

“If you want my honest opinion, I think all truckers should just boycott California and let the people out there fend for themselves.”

He said he prefers driving “just about anywhere in the East. Fuel is cheaper and better-burning. And the people in the eastern part of the country don’t act like jerks all the time.”

Goodrich has been in the industry for nearly 40 years, but trucking has been a big part of his life since he was a baby.

“My dad [the late Vern Goodrich] was a log hauler,” he said. “He used to take me with him when I was still an infant. He always liked to tell the story about how he would hand-wash my diapers then hang them on the side-view mirror to dry them out in the wind.

“My memory doesn’t go back quite that far, but I do remember riding along with my dad from the time I was about 4 and up,” Goodrich said. “Those were great times. Lots of good memories.”

Asked what he thinks his father might think of the industry today, Goodrich paused momentarily to ponder the possibilities.

After a moment or two, he replied that “If my dad could see this new breed of truckers we have out here today, he’d probably turn over in his grave. That’s just how much it’s changed over the years.”

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