From the rough buckboard and covered wagon to the sleek pick-ups and Big Rigs of today, I believe our ancestor’s would be proud of us. Instead of going to Grandmother’s house in a one-horse, open sleigh, we can pack everyone into an extended cab (or full crew cab) pick-up or even deliver Thanksgiving dinner to the store from a trailer attached to a semi-tractor.

The main difference between the old buckboard and the new pick-up is the look. They are still run on horse-power, and can have an open bed or become a covered wagon with the stylish toppers of today. The groceries are still hauled home from the store and the seedlings for the garden make the ride in the bed. We have tailgate parties these days, while the buckboard could serve as an impromptu outdoor buffet. The beds of both serve as your own private planetarium on a deserted hilltop or transport the sick and injured to a medical facility. As far as clothing for the ride, the thing that has changed most is the hat on our heads. These days a gal will pull her hair into a ponytail, pull on a baseball cap instead of pulling a sunbonnet out to shade her eyes.

The lady trucker of today is a special breed of woman. She can be found hauling produce, vintage wine, lumber, tanks, rockets, the mail, and everything between. She puts in long hours driving, getting her 40 winks in the sleeper berth (and if she’s really good, she can do that while bouncing up and down as the truck moves down the washboard roads), showering and doing her laundry at the truck stop, trying to choose healthy food from the restaurant while thinking about how soon she needs to be back in the truck. Remember to thank the next lady trucker you see, after all, you really don’t know what she’s hauling, but it will probably benefit you in some way.

Yes, I do believe our pioneer mothers would be proud. We love trucks and we know it. We aren’t afraid to drive the big vehicles. Think about it, trucks are as near and dear to our hearts as apple pie, and grandma sure knows how good apple pie is.