THE MUSIC THAT MOVES US (PART 2 OF 4)

In our continuing article about the role of music in travel, for this post, I’d like all my readers out there in cyberspace to meet Richard Skaggs. Richard is an independent owner/operator doing business as Renegade Trucking of Sarasota, FL. Initially I met Richard through posting a full load on a load board. He has since covered several full loads for me with extreme precision and care, in other words, the guy does a great job. So, I posed the question that is the focus of this series to him.
His response, was simple, succinct, and made me smile, and it was this, and I quote,”Skynyrd, Skynyrd, Skynyrd, Skynyrd, and Skynyrd.” You see, Richard, there is only one band that matters, and that is the legendary classic rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. The man is as rabid a fan boy as any Star Trek geek I have ever met. In fact, when I met him last weekend at the Flying J truck stop just north of Tampa, FL, he was wearing his favorite Skynyrd t-shirt, which also parodied his (and mine favorite after work drink, Jack Daniels).
Richard explained to me that ever since he first heard the southern rock sound that LS pioneered, it was all he wanted to listen to. Particularly on the road, he told me. As a driver/roadie for the short lived 80’s hair metal band Axe, LS was all the band heard between gigs. “They used to always [whine] and moan about it, “he laughed,” ‘At least they don’t wear makeup and spandex like little girls,’ I’d tell them.”
Then, later in life, when he became an owner/operator thinking that he could now “listen to them as much as [he] wants without [his] wife complaining.’’
Plus, there is a lot of sentimentality attached to this music. First kisses, and family gatherings, falling in love, and getting laid off. Richard could name a song by the epic group that summed up how he felt at the time; there was something for every memory.
That is the power of the music we listen to on the road. That is something that is truly amazing, knowing that everything in every store, in every home, or warehouse has not only traveled miles and miles, but that it has a soundtrack to get it there. That,I think is something amazing. Until next time…happy shipping.

When you’re on the road, what music moves you?

Ever since childhood, I’ve had a thing for traveling. Especially road trips, I think there is nothing better than packing up the car with a couple of friends to go on an adventure.
I think it’s this sense of adventure that is part of the reason people become transport drivers. There’s that feeling of total freedom that only comes with being on the road. Going from place to place, seeing unusual sights, and, along the way, meeting interesting people.
At the time though, the cab of an eighteen wheeler (or a van, or car, for that matter) can be a bit monotonous between stops. So, of course, many people listen to music.
Personally, music is an essential part of the over the road process. What better way to start a trip out than firing up your engine, turning on the CD player (well, I guess it would be mp3 player these days), cranking the volume WAY up and heading out on the highway.
So, I got to thinking about what the best road songs to listen to on a run. Which are that song that, as a good friend of mine says, “You can sing along with as loudly as you want to, as out of key as you want, and everyone still loves to hear?” You know the music that really moves you when you’re moving.
I decided to ask around a bit to see what people out there on the road listen to. The answers I got were diverse, just as diverse the people I spoke with, and it was a lot of fun.
Here’s how it worked. I gave everyone to lists to fill in. The first list was a list of people’s current top five songs to drive to. The second list was for people’s top five records of all time. Both are in no particular order.
For me they looked like this:
Current Top 5 Songs
*Guns of Brixton – The Clash
*Eastbound and Down – Jerry Reed
*Take 5 – Dave Brubeck
*My Michelle – Guns ‘N Roses
*Going In For The Kill – La Roux
Top 5 Records
*No Control – Bad Religion
*The Chronic – Dr. Dre
*Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, Greatest Hits – Tom Petty
*Trees of Green – Louis Armstrong
*A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out – Panic! At The Disco
But hey, that’s just me.
Over the next few posts, I will be exploring the music that moves us while we’re moving, so feel free to post your top five songs and records along with us. Check back often to see who likes what and to see if maybe someone else’s tastes turns you on to something new!
As always, until next time, happy shipping!