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Vietnam Veteran is thankful for his benefits, especially during the recession

Fiser File:
 
How long trucking: 17 years
Birthday: Oct. 26, 1945
Lives in: Little Rock
Home vehicle: GMC PU
Drives: 2009 Freightliner Classic
Hauls: hazmat
Company Driver for FSTI

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Jim Fiser, a Vietnam veteran, went from selling real estate to trucking; from being home every night to not being home much at all while driving over-the-road; and now he’s home most nights thanks to natural gas drilling in Arkansas.

Fiser’s been a truck driver for about 17 years. He currently works as a company driver for FSTI, where he’s been for about nine months hauling hydrochloric acid used in the natural gas drilling process.

“It’s pretty bad,” Fiser said. “If you have a wreck, you’re dead. If the tank breaks — you can’t breathe it. It would eat the finish off of your car if it spilled.”

Fiser used to haul general freight, but since he started with hazmat nine months ago that’s all he hauls now. Because of the danger he says you have to be extra careful and avoid getting stopped by law enforcement.

“They watch your book a lot closer,” Fiser said. “You get a ticket with this stuff; it’s bad.”

His real estate career — which spanned many years and consisted of both commercial and residential — came to a halt when interest rates were high, and he was also getting a divorce at the time so he got out of the business and into trucking. And he’s mostly content with his new career.

“It’s not a bad life,” Fiser said. “It’s a lonely life because you’re never home. That’s why I took this job, so I can be home most nights. I like the income, but I don’t like the hours. It’s like working two jobs for one small paycheck. The way we’re in a depression nowadays. But we aren’t the only ones hurting; it’s everyone.”

“I’m glad I was able to go in the service and have some benefits,” Fiser said, “I can go to the V.A. [U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs]. Insurance is too expensive. That’s my only salvation right now.” He was drafted into the Army and served in Vietnam in 1966 and 1967.

Divorced with two grown sons, ages 39 and 28, Fiser said neither child had been interested in trucking as a career. The oldest is a technician with AT&T and the youngest is a journeyman electrician.

When he’s home, which is most nights now, Fiser watches TV or visits with his sons. He’s also got “step-grandchildren” from one of his previous marriages and he spends time with his step-daughter and her children.

“I just enjoy being at home,” Fiser said. “We all went out to eat yesterday and I got to play with the two grandbabies.”

Fiser, who’s been married three times, joked that “[marriage] is a good hobby; it’s just too darn expensive.”

On the most recent Hours of Service rules, Fiser said they aren’t a major problem for him.

“HOS affects everybody; you just have to deal with it,” he said. “It’s the law. It’s just what you have to do. I don’t think we should be punished with the high fines we have. Other people can work long hours and they cause more accidents than we do, really. And that’s a statistic, too.”

Fiser said he used to drive the whole U.S. and before he began hauling hazmat he pulled loads of mostly plastics that are used as building materials and supplies.

“Now that the building industry is so far down they aren’t running,” Fiser said. “I’m glad I’m doing what I’m doing. This is the only state that I know of that’s progressing right now with the natural gas industry.”

Fiser told The Trucker about a wreck he was in on his way home one night. A woman lost control of her vehicle on a wet road and slid into Fiser’s lane on a rainy night. He saw the wreck about to happen and slowed his truck and got over as far to the right as he could. Once he passed her in his tractor he was relieved that they had not crashed; however, her car ended up under the wheels of his trailer.

Fiser said he didn’t hit the brakes immediately for fear of damaging her vehicle worse, but eventually did stop. When he saw how badly her vehicle was damaged, Fiser though surely nobody could have survived until he heard a child crying and what sounded like a woman.

The driver told Fiser the wreck was her fault and through tears told Fiser she needed to find her baby. He had run to the wreckage without grabbing a flashlight and couldn’t see anything. Someone stopped with a flashlight and they were able to find the baby and a toddler. Amazingly, Fiser said, nobody was injured.

When law enforcement arrived, Fiser said it was a good thing his logbook was correct because while the four-wheeler driver, the mother with two children, repeatedly told them it was her fault, Fiser said officers continued to try to blame him, although they were unsuccessful in their attempts.

Barb Kampbell of The Trucker staff can be reached for comment at [email protected] .