16 most memorable stories from 2016

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Come midnight Saturday, 2016 will have officially passed into history and we’ll be presented with a freshly minted new year.

But, before we start filling the next 365 days with news about the U.S. trucking industry, let’s revisit some of the stories from the past year.

These are the most memorable stories from 2016; not necessarily the most important or most popular, but ones that will still stick with us even as 2017 unfolds

Our 16 Most Memorable Stories from 2016 include:

‘Ice Road truckers’ star Darrell Ward who died in 2016‘Ice Road truckers’ star Darrell Ward who died in 2016

Ice Road Truckers’ star Darrell Ward dies in small plane crash: In August, Ice Road Truckers star Darrell Ward was a passenger in a small aircraft that crashed near a small airstrip in Montana. His IRT co-stars, fans and the trucking industry mourned his passing.  Revisit the story.

‘Miles of Memories’ Pays Tribute to driver’s friends and family: Robert Errthum showed off his 2013 Peterbilt 389 at Iowa 80’s Walcott Truckers Jamboree last July. The custom paint job on the Iowa owner/operator’s truck included remembrances of some special people. Revisit the story.

Investigation continues into truck stop stabbing: Last March,Piotr Pietrzykowski, a driver for Top Line Express in Chicago, was stabbed to death at the Mustardseed Truck Stop in Sumner, Washington. As the year ends, police continue to search for his killer. Revisit the story.

Allie Knight with Dmitry Kotlavsky at GATSAllie Knight with Dmitry Kotlavsky at GATS

Allie Knight: Behind the Wheel and In Front of the Camera: If you love trucking and watch YouTube videos online, then most likely you know this woman truck driver. We spoke with Allie at the Great American Trucking Show and found out about her new job responsibilities. Revisit the story.

Top Rookie finalist, Army veteran has eye on management career: Christopher Crowell spent time in the military before becoming a truck driver. His success behind the wheel for Werner Enterprises helped him become Trucking’s Top Rookie for 2016. Revisit the story.

We’re not making this up: Plane hits truck, which drives on: A truck that was southbound on I-94 in Wisconsin was struck by a small plane making a landing at an airport close to the highway … and continued on its trip. Revisit the story.

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Video aims at explaining truck parking problem: Parking was a persistent problem for truck drivers in 2016, and that’s not expected to change in the year ahead. One video was produced to shed some light on the nature of the problem. Revisit the story.

Richard Hughes’ tanker truck in Tulsa

Truck driver sacrifices his safety to save others at accident scene: Richard Hughes crashed his tanker truck on Tulsa’s Inner Dispersal Loop on purpose in May. He came upon a multi-vehicle accident he knew he could not stop for, so instead of slamming into it, Hughes drove off the highway. Revisit the story.

Podcast: Meet the mad geniuses behind this vintage Star: Take two ambitious brothers from New York, add a vintage Western Star truck and you wind up with a head-turning COE … and a memorable story. Revisit the story.

Trucking first: Autonomous Volvo makes delivery of beer. In October, a truck hauled a trailer loaded with Budweiser beer across Colorado. What made this story memorable, was that for most of the trip, the driver was not at the wheel. Revisit the story.

Lisa Kelly talks about her life on and off the ice roads: The First Lady of the Ice Roads, Lisa Kelly, met hundreds of fans at the Great American Trucking Show in Dallas last August. She also had time to chat with us about what it’s like to drive the ice roads and what she does when she’s at home. Revisit the story.

Wreaths arrive at Alabama cemeteryWreaths arrive at Alabama cemetery

Wreaths Across America: From Alabama to New York to Arlington National Cemetery, this effort to place remembrance wreaths on the graves of veterans had an outstanding year in 2016 in large measure due to the efforts of trucking organizations, companies and individual drivers.

Tamera and Todd Sturgis say ‘Trucking is Glamorous’: You most likely remember this couple from the reality TV show, Shipping Wars. They talked about their lives together as team drivers, and how they deal with the challenges of life on the road.  Revisit the story.

Northern NY truckstop closes after 50 years: Longways, a modest local truck stop off I-81 in northern New York closed in 2016 after serving drivers for 50 years. Revisit the story.

Fleet owner Don Daseke

For owner of flatbed fleets Don Daseke, ‘People make a difference’: For a man who once had little knowledge of the trucking industry, Don Daseke has amassed an impressive collection of successful companies. We chatted with him at the Truckload Carriers Association convention in Las Vegas. Revisit the story.

Driver drunk, changing pants and rolls his truck: As impossible as it sounds, a truck driver traveling through Maine rolled his truck when he put it on cruise control and decided to change his pants while driving down the interstate. He was charged with, among other things, drunk driving. Revisit the story.