10-4 Magazine May 2022

32 10-4 Magazine / May 2022 Most cattle haulers have an air of confidence about them, and it can be seen in not only the presentation of what they drive, but also by the man or woman that steps out of that truck. Cattle drives still exist today, but the transport to town has changed a bit from how it was back in the old west days. Today we hear names thrown around like cattle pot, fat girl taxi, bull hauler, bull rack, or cow truck. Whatever you know these trucks or trailers as, just like 37-year-old Rory Cook’s 379 with a Merritt trailer, they haul cattle and hold a place in this industry like no other. Fourth generation livestock hauler Rory Cook of St. Joseph, MO has many years of guidance that has been passed down to him from the three generations that came before. His great-grandfather was a local cattle hauler at a time when over-the-road cattle hauling wasn’t even a thing yet. Then, along came Lloyd “Buster” Cook, Rory’s grandfather, and he went on the road to see the country. Those trucking stories Buster told had always stuck with Rory, and even though his father Rex “Smiley” Cook was more of a local and regional driver, Rory was aiming to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps to see the United States. Trucking, as most probably know, is hard – it’s hard on a driver and hard on the family the driver sees in the rearview mirror when he or she is leaving out. Rory’s dad knew the lifestyle and did all he could to prevent Rory from making a career out of trucking. Even though Rex didn’t want this lifestyle for his son, Rory still rode along in the truck with him more times than not. Rory grew up on a farm raising cattle and hauling cattle in the King City, MO area. With fond memories that date back to his teenage years, Rory remembers when his grandfather “Buster” would come home off the road, sit down with a glass of sweet tea, and tell Rory stories of trucking back in the 50s. At that time, The Diesel Addict: By Stephanie Haas LIKE NO OTHER