As any truck driver knows, the length of time away from home, while hard on the driver, can be even more difficult on the family members that are left behind. Over the years we have done various articles on the wives or significant others – but what about the kids? 

Last year to celebrate Father’s Day we profiled a driver named Lamar Buckwalter who was inspired by his father Mark to get into the trucking business. Over this past year we had the opportunity to work with Lamar on several projects and in that time came to know his 13-year-old son Lane. During a recent conversation with Lane we started to talk about his Dad and how he feels about him being away from home for long periods of time. “Even though he’s 500 miles away he is still here” said Lane “Whenever I call him, he makes sure to answer my call and talk about whatever is on my mind.” Lane went on to say that his dad always makes sure to be home for every football game or activity that he is involved in and rarely misses anything when it comes to what is important to him and his sister Leslie. If they have a bad day at school, or if something else is going on at home, Lamar always makes himself available no matter what time of day or where he is in the country. He will always talk for as long as it takes and constantly reminds them both that although he is on the road, he is still available to them 24/7. Lane knows that his dad is there to coach him through the challenging times of being a teenager and said that his advice has often gotten him through tough times with friends. “Dad always tells me that good friends will always stick with you no matter what,” commented Lane “And that those that don’t are not really your friends anyway.” When I asked Lane if he too would follow his father and grandfather into the business, he said he thinks his passions are elsewhere. While he loves everything to do with trucks, he doesn’t think he is cut out to wake up at 3:00 a.m. to go do an early pick or be an over the road driver. He works on the trucks regularly with his dad, grandfather and uncle and thinks that he would like to be a diesel mechanic or a heavy machine operator one day. Interesting, Lamar too was an equipment operator early in his career before he became a truck driver.

Lane has taken several trips with his dad when he wasn’t in school and says the experience was unbelievable. He witnessed how hard his dad works and his willingness to help others without so much of a thought. He recalled a time when they came upon an accident and his Dad didn’t even hesitate to pull over and jump out of his truck to help. Lane thinks that his Dad is one of the coolest people he knows and that if everyone had a Dad like his, the world would be a better place.  

“My dad is my hero,” said Lane “I think it’s pretty amazing how he has grown his business and how he gives back to his community and everyone around him.” Lane hopes to be just like his dad when he is older and have the same impact in the lives of his family and others.