52 10-4 Magazine / September 2025 and dad didn’t buy them one to take to school, or maybe they aren’t responsible enough to buy their own. Just a thought, but could it be that they, the ones who are burning torch gas, grinder blades, and spreading gallons of fiberglass repair filler, are not only going places, but they are piloting their own ship. Many of these young people have skills and hands-on experience that have value in the workforce. It’s one thing to study theory and talk in the abstract, but when the boss hands you an idea and says, “Draw up a blueprint and let’s make it happen,” can you do it? I am encouraged by many of the new custom fab shops for commercial trucks. These shops, like the speed shops of yesteryear, see value in new ideas and pushing the limits, all while enlisting the help of the next generation. They are hiring some of these young people and letting them work on very high end projects. If you are an employer and are interested in potential returns from your employees, have you considered job placement or financial aid for anyone who successfully completes additional advanced training with certification programs? This has become a great recruiting tool for small and mid-sized companies. This also builds loyalty through leadership. When an employee feels secure in their position, they are more likely to step up and volunteer for those risky special projects. Also, your business will benefit by having a stable, well-rounded, and local workforce. Earlier this year, we truckers were delighted to see a project truck designed and constructed by a very young man who built his first working show truck. In fact, he did such a great job, it was selected as this year’s Big Rig Build Off winner at MATS in Louisville, KY. Not only did he complete the assignment, but he is intending to put it to work, as well. The proof is in the pudding, or so the adage goes. I have to be honest, not many experienced builders can compare in his realm of usability. I believe he has years of following his father and mentor around asking questions like, “Why did that break?” or “How can we make it stronger?” Not necessarily, “How do we make it look cool for less money?” Luke is just one example, but I could name many, and in the future, my fondest expectation is there will be lots more. They will have come from working class families like ours and continue to carry the torch that lights the future. How many of us have hobbies we share with others? Things like riding side by sides in the desert, snowmobile racing or motocross. Personally, I have an old truck I tinker with, but the activity is not what’s important, it’s the time spent working with and teaching another generation. Getting them interested in how things work and, when they don’t work, finding ways to solve the trouble. A psychology degree won’t fix a busted axle, but your Lincoln welder will (that and a good understanding of physics, engineering, and metallurgy). Some of our readers don’t hold themselves in high regard or consider themselves smart since they don’t have a fancy degree. I’m just a truck driver who is self-taught and often tested. Oh, hog wash! Those sheepskins don’t hold a candle to the busted knuckles, burned fingers, and long nights spent fixing an engineer’s great idea that didn’t work. What we need are better engineers, more reliable materials, and a strong willed and well educated design/work staff. All of this starts with smarter, better trained students, in an environment conducive to productive learning. Many of the best ideas start with a flashlight and a poncho, standing in the rain, helping find the trouble when your truck won’t start. We need more highly motivated, get-it-done people who don’t look for excuses, but rather find solutions. Education starts at home, and the sooner they start, the more time they will have to learn. All of us have qualities we can and should pass on to the next generation. Who would have thought the kid who learned to read by thumbing through the Midwest Truck Trader would grow up to build those same trucks for our magazine. Or the girl who loved to read would build her own printing press. Anything is possible if we believe in ourselves. The next generation needs that same confidence to push their own limits to create opportunities, without drowning themselves in personal debt. Take the time to explain the real world of “financial responsibility” to the young ones in your life before the money grubbing “recruiters” find them. Be honest with these newly minted adults at a time when glamor, excitement, or social status can blind them to the hidden dangers. They have options other than jumping out of the nest just for the thrill. Crashing and burning is a very serious possibility, with long term consequences, that could affect their options in life. Take a lesson from the young eaglet – a slow and steady advancement with purpose will achieve the same result as a high flying daredevil stunt, without the thrill. Let your accomplishments speak for themselves, and then few will ask where you learned to fly, 10-4! n
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