ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Born and raised in California, Jerry Aaron moved to Nevada in 1957 when his father’s occupation required they reside in Reno during the summer months. The teenager soon developed a kinship with other young people he met in Nevada and enjoyed the next few summers in the Silver State. It was the summer of 1964 when the young man returned to Nevada. Here he began a love affair with the open spaces and the open lifestyle of the hardworking people in his adopted state.
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As a truck driver during the late 1960s and 1970s, the author traveled many miles throughout Nevada and other western states. Being somewhat of a history buff, he developed a respect for those early travelers that ventured into the vastness of Nevada and the west and the hardships they faced. How strong and determined they must have been to tackle such a barren and challenging land. Through the truck’s windshield he tried to attain an understanding of how hard it must have been for the muleskinners and early day truckers as they traversed this desolate and often harsh land.
What of the solitude and hostilities the caretakers who manned the early way stations faced? Those strong willed individuals were followed by operators of remote cafés scattered alongside barren stretches of highway across the West. They were and are a special breed of rugged people who adapted to a way of life few could enjoy.
For this reason, he decided to write and self- publish his first book Diesel Smoke Over Asphalt Ribbons. He wanted to show his appreciation for the old school truckers who were a part of his finding his way into an industry that has been the biggest part of his life. His writings come from the heart and are intended to give insight for both truckers and non-truckers on how trucking developed over the years and what it takes to be a real trucker. His first book was well received by many in the trucking industry which lead him to write a second book.
Nevada’s Teamsters, Truckers and Truck Stops is a chronicle written to show admiration for those who preceded the author along the trails and roads of Nevada. Included are muleskinners, truck drivers, and builders of trucking companies as well as people who chose to provide food and fuel for those on the road. The author brings to light the history of the movement of goods from the days of the tough bullwhackers forward to the rugged truck drivers that drove before luxuries were added to the truck cabs and safety introduced to the overall units. The State of Nevada, and its association with California to the west, is the basis for this description of trucking’s early years. However the principles of building a trucking company and operating under government guidelines could apply to most any state in the union.
From the middle- to late-1800s, scattered across the vast Nevada desert, were prospectors, promoters, prostitutes, and purveyors of provisions, all risk takers in their own way. As the automotive age presented itself to the remote areas of Nevada these adventurers were ready to take a chance on this new mode of horseless transportation. Nevada, with it's rough terrain and sometimes harsh weather, became the ideal proving grounds for those willing to experiment with these newfangled machines. The environment and topography of the landscape in Nevada’s Great Basin has been a challenge for travelers since the early 1800s. Even with today’s modern conveyances it remains an area that can provide harrowing experiences for travelers and truckers unfamiliar with the vastness and weather of the West.
What of the solitude and hostilities the caretakers who manned the early way stations faced? Those strong willed individuals were followed by operators of remote cafés scattered alongside barren stretches of highway across the West. They were and are a special breed of rugged people who adapted to a way of life few could enjoy.
For this reason, he decided to write and self- publish his first book Diesel Smoke Over Asphalt Ribbons. He wanted to show his appreciation for the old school truckers who were a part of his finding his way into an industry that has been the biggest part of his life. His writings come from the heart and are intended to give insight for both truckers and non-truckers on how trucking developed over the years and what it takes to be a real trucker. His first book was well received by many in the trucking industry which lead him to write a second book.
Nevada’s Teamsters, Truckers and Truck Stops is a chronicle written to show admiration for those who preceded the author along the trails and roads of Nevada. Included are muleskinners, truck drivers, and builders of trucking companies as well as people who chose to provide food and fuel for those on the road. The author brings to light the history of the movement of goods from the days of the tough bullwhackers forward to the rugged truck drivers that drove before luxuries were added to the truck cabs and safety introduced to the overall units. The State of Nevada, and its association with California to the west, is the basis for this description of trucking’s early years. However the principles of building a trucking company and operating under government guidelines could apply to most any state in the union.
From the middle- to late-1800s, scattered across the vast Nevada desert, were prospectors, promoters, prostitutes, and purveyors of provisions, all risk takers in their own way. As the automotive age presented itself to the remote areas of Nevada these adventurers were ready to take a chance on this new mode of horseless transportation. Nevada, with it's rough terrain and sometimes harsh weather, became the ideal proving grounds for those willing to experiment with these newfangled machines. The environment and topography of the landscape in Nevada’s Great Basin has been a challenge for travelers since the early 1800s. Even with today’s modern conveyances it remains an area that can provide harrowing experiences for travelers and truckers unfamiliar with the vastness and weather of the West.