10-4 Magazine September 2024

Cover Feature: By Stephanie Haas Over time, Chris moved onto hauling grain, then ran a refrigerated trailer for about nine months, but missed being with his kids, so he went back to hauling grain, which he made even more money doing. By this time, Dalton started getting the bug when he was able to ride along with his dad. Chris stayed at this company for 12-13 years, able to run different types of loads, as the truck he drove would get leased out to pull trailers for other companies. Chris found his first truck (Dalton’s current truck) located just two miles down the road, and Chris knew the guy that owned it. The truck, which hadn’t run for 10 years, was in sad shape. The frame was rotted out underneath the fifth wheel, it was missing belts and batteries, the headliner was out of it, and it smelled like mice. This guy, named Steve Gordon, knew Chris and knew how It is thought that you learn from your parents, good or bad, and that includes who you are as a person, your work ethic, and what you believe in. I think this holds true for all walks of life, and even more so within the trucking industry. Chris Gebhardt (46) of Gebhardt Enterprises, a trucker, a good-timer, and most importantly, a father, instilled work ethic and a love for old trucks into his son Dalton (28), with the continued traditions of keeping old school alive with the love of their nearly matching 1986 Peterbilt 359s. Ever since he was a kid, Chris knew he wanted to drive a truck from as far back as he can remember, and he can rattle off the specs of every truck he ever drove. He learned a lot about trucking watching his stepdad, who he spent a lot of time riding with, going out to the west coast. His dad and stepmom lived in California, so there were trips Chris was even able to visit with them, when riding along with his stepdad. His stepdad worked for Larry Johns, and there was a time Chris rode out with Larry to Denver, CO. The truck was a teal blue 1986 Pete 359 extended hood with a 425 CAT, 15-over transmission, 3.70 rears, and a 265” wheelbase. With painted breathers and painted tanks, this was a super nice truck back then. During that trip, at age 13, Chris was behind the wheel quite a bit, and this one particular time Larry was taking a nap – or trying to. The interstate they were running on was being paved, and there wasn’t any topcoat of asphalt leading to the bridge approaches. Even though the truck rode good at 55 mph, they definitely felt those bumps, and he remembers (with a laugh) Larry kept yelling at him to slow down. With his CDL fresh in hand at age 18, the first trucking job Chris got was for a company hauling hopper bottom loads during the day and washing out the bulk pneumatic tankers at night. After about eight months of trucking three days a week and doing the trailer washouts, the company had him in a truck full time. From 18 years old to 21 years old, Chris was basically on a dedicated run to Chicago. By then he was also married and had two infant children, Dalton and his younger sister Tayler. When Chris turned 21, he hit the road with a load to California. He remembers the older generation of truckers saying that if you’re trucking, you’d better be driving. He definitely drove on that trip with a delivery in Missouri, a wash out, then dropped down to Tucumcari, NM, spent the night with minimal sleep, then drove straight through to Sacramento, CA. 10 10-4 Magazine / September 2024 CONT INUED T RADI T IONS