Better together: Industry coalition working to pave the road to clean energy
Despite political squabbling on both national and international scales, it is becoming increasingly clear that clean energy will play a major role in the future
Kris Rutherford
- About Kris Rutherford
- Since retiring from a career as an outdoor recreation professional from the State of Arkansas, Kris Rutherford has worked as a freelance writer and, with his wife, owns and publishes a small Northeast Texas newspaper, The Roxton Progress. Kris has worked as a ghostwriter and editor and has authored seven books of his own. He became interested in the trucking industry as a child in the 1970s when his family traveled the interstates twice a year between their home in Maine and their native Texas. He has been a classic country music enthusiast since the age of nine when he developed a special interest in trucking songs.
Posts by Kris Rutherford
Statler Brothers thrived on Americana, as reflected in baseball-themed ballad
Now that the new baseball season is under way, it’s time to reflect on the rites of passage for a sport — the millions upon
Career awareness an important first step for aspiring drivers
In 2017, Jim Babson recognized a trend in career development. “I started talking to people about how they got their jobs,” he said. “And I
Simple but ingenious: There’s a history behind those mud flaps on your rig
Have you ever wondered who invented the mud flap? It’s really quite an ingenious solution to a common problem. When I was a tot —
So, you want to be a truck driver — Part 2
In this series, we look at the steps and missteps involved in obtaining and maintaining your CDL. Well, now that you’ve learned a little bit
So, you want to be a truck driver — Part 1
In this series, we look at the steps and missteps involved in obtaining and maintaining your commercial driver’s license (CDL). Here’s the scenario: You’ve planned
Congress to reconsider tax credits to address truck driver shortage
WASHINGTON — According to industry analysts, the U.S. faces a shortage of truck drivers, and steps have already been taken to address the issue. The
Was the Louvin Brothers’ 1959 song ‘Knoxville Girl’ a precursor to modern entertainment?
If one is to look at the television, it seems murder is all the rage these days. You have a choice of “NCIS (insert your
Singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett’s body of work is poetry that offers a lesson to anyone who listens
In last month’s column, Kris Rutherford kicked off the first of a series about Jimmy Buffett. To read the previous piece, click here. Summarizing the
Changing of the guard: Incoming leadership sets priorities for House T&I Committee
When the 118th Congress convened in January, an agreement between Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) created
Despite Billboard charts, Jimmy Buffett is no ‘one-hit wonder’
Truck drivers navigating the interstates aren’t much different than other American workers. Every worker thinks often of reaching the next destination, of finishing the next
The Charlie Daniels Band excelled at toeing the line between Southern rock and classic country
As a caveat to what you’ll read if you continue reading this column, I admit I am no expert on Southern rock music. After all,
‘Double-necked biscuit board’ drives Junior Brown’s ‘semi-crazy’ career
If your musical tastes are confined to Top 40 country radio, chances are you’ve never heard of Junior Brown. Despite a career dating back to
Trucking tunes from Down Under: Nev Nicholls enjoyed popularity with songs of the road
Big rigs, and of course, big rig drivers, are hardly unique to the U.S. Large numbers of Canadian and Mexican trucking firms employ drivers, and
Moore and Napier head for home with ‘Truck Driver’s Queen’
Just a few decades ago folks referred to almost any type of country music as “hillbilly” — a genre known primarily as bluegrass among music
Ricky Skaggs’ ‘Highway 40 Blues’ tells a familiar story of the long journey home
Of the countless miles I spent in the back seat of a Chevy station wagon, traveling along the interstates of America during the 1970s, I
Mickey Gilley leads two country music cultural shifts
By the late 1970s, Mickey Gilley was a bona fide country music headliner. But he couldn’t have imagined what lay in store for him as
Superstar cousins slowed Mickey Gilley’s rise to country music fame, Part 1
Few American performers are as closely associated with nightclubs — or in the case of country music, “honky-tonks” — than Mickey Gilley. The long-time musician,
After 60 years, Gene Watson’s ‘Farewell Party’ is nowhere in sight
It’s been six decades since Gene Watson emerged from his childhood home in Sumner, Texas, with a hobby that would eventually land him a spot
Nonsense syllables are completely clear on Del Reeves’ road to success
Downt-downt-da-downt-downt-downt. Downt downt-downt-downt-da-down. Scrutinizing readers will immediately recognize the above lyrics as those the late country star Roger Miller sang to accompany the guitar licks