10-4 Magazine / August 2026 29 Today, Willie operates under the name GWD8 – which stands for God, Willie, Daphne (his wife of 20 years), and the 8 stands for eight acres of land at his home in Dayton, Oregon. The saying under his logo “GOD’S Got This” was supposed to go on the truck when he first got it, but it never did. So, after the truck was wrecked and then rebuilt, he got it dedicated at their church and then finally put it on the door. His wife told him he couldn’t drive it until the phrase was put on it, so he made sure to get it done this time. Regarding his faith, Willie said, “Without God I wouldn’t even have this truck. As a Seventh Day Adventist, I am a Christian all week, not just for a few hours, and that’s how I try to run my business. Not only is my truck different, but I am, too!” While many of the other companies around Willie are always expanding and trying to grow their fleets, he prefers to keep it small – just one truck, one driver, and a commitment to doing the job right. The work itself requires skill, patience, and attention to detail. While hauling logs most of the time, Willie also moves poles. Pole hauling isn’t like general freight – every load is different in its own way. Depending on the length of the pole, Willie adjusts the trailer by moving the reach and making sure the bunks are in the right position to safely transport everything from short logs to poles that are over 100 feet long. Growing up around trucking helped shape Willie’s future. Both his brother and sister were in the industry long before Willie found himself behind the wheel of a truck. His opportunity came when a man named Ken Montgomery was putting together a Powerliner with a flatbed, powered by a V12 Detroit, that needed a driver. Ken was told about Willie by a mutual friend, and what began as a small opportunity quickly became a lifelong career. Over the years Willie has been in the trucking industry, he’s seen it change dramatically. Trucks have become way more sophisticated, the regulations have increased, and traffic has become a big issue. If you ask Willie what he dislikes most about his job, he will quickly say,
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