10-4 Magazine October 2020

10-4 Magazine / October 2020 13 family name and reputation, but nothing this young buck can’t handle. He knows that being “the boss’ son” could change the way people look at him, but Tyler is committed to proving them all wrong by outworking everyone! He’s earned all he’s got and works his butt off – and has since the day he got his CDL at age 18. Mickey is an amazing dad, and he has done a great job of raising Tyler on his own, but he didn’t do it all alone. Growing up in the trucking business, attending and hosting truck shows, building show-quality working trucks, and being entrenched in the world of trucking, Tyler was exposed to many great truck drivers that had a major impact on who he is today – guys like Vinnie Diorio, Arlyn Workman, Dustin Pope, Bill Warner Jr., Curtis Christians, Rich Stark, David “Beerman” Brewer, Billy Carter, Lavern Cross, Jeff Botelho, John Silva, Randy Humphrey, Neil Dykman, Dustin Foster, John Stolzfus, Truett Novosad, Matt Canagy, “Tanker Dave” Marcotte, Larry Dyck, Adrian Al-Amin and so many others all had a big hand in raising Tyler and teaching him how to not only be a good trucker, but a good man, as well. Since completing the build, which he literally (basically) did the day we showed up to do the photo shoot, Tyler has been getting the rig ready to go to work full time. Taking its maiden voyage on September 15, hooked to his 2015 Timpte polished stainless-steel hopper, Mickey shot and posted a video of him rolling by the house, hammer down, headed for a load. He was so proud you could hear the smile on his face. He later said, “I’ve waited 22 years to see my boy roll by the house in his own truck, pulling his own trailer, going to work. It was a surreal sight to finally see, and I couldn’t be prouder.” Typically running fairly local, Tyler will be pulling reefer trailers for Prairie Farms, mostly moving packaged milk and milk products, along with his hopper, hauling grain, corn, beans, and other ag products, within a 100-mile radius of Carlinville, except for a few runs that take him out a little further, on occasion. Although Gwillim