THE STORY ON TRUCKING . . . The reasons why I found myself so passionate about these people and this project.
THE STORY ON TRUCKING . . . By Susanne Spirit
Over nine million truckers every day are sacrificing his or her family, home and any resemblance of a normal life and who in most cities are not allowed to park in our American Malls where his rig has delivered all that glitters. These highway warriors ride the highways of America to deliver most products used in our great country.
These underpaid cowboys of our century: men, women, team drivers, couples driving as teams, families living together on the road to keep the family together while Dad supports them in the best way he knows how, these are the folks that are the very substance and roots of our culture. Cars, food, produce, toys, lumber, steel, dangerous materials, coffins, machinery, and on and on are all delivered across these states of this Nation with tractor-trailers by the sweat and blood of these hard-working truckers. Average salary less than a person working at Wal-Mart or a day laborer . . . and those workers get to go home at night. Some of these drivers get to sleep in the bed in their homes once a month, some not at all. It is a life all of its own. Yet it is the American dream of the little boy as he plays with his little truck given to him growing up.
These folks that do this enduring job live and sleep in a cubicle – most of which have no toilet facilities, our prisoners in jail have TV’s and toilets. Some drivers drive team to try and make a little better money, but the stress and hours with two people, married or not, cramped in a truck day after day, can be frightening and explosive. The truckers are stuck in truck stops sometimes for days on layovers actually trapped in these high-cost entrapments of glitter and neon. What we have found is that these folks respect our music and songs and dreams. And we respect them. We intend to keep the filming simple– not large crews – no blocking traffic and indiscreetly, but always with a release from all drivers involved and making sure we do not include someone who does not want to be seen on national television for a variety of reasons. But, we want “real stories” not “on-camera” tales.
Originally we were going to make a “I Love My truck Driv’in Man” music video to include a short documentary on the truckers in the video since we have a deal to sell the end product – audio and video- at the truck stops. Then make other versions too. The more truckers involved the more sales and word of mouth. We have met hundreds of these drivers in this last year and find ourselves fascinated with each man or woman we encounter. Then the more we thought about the situation, we knew the song, which we have enclosed for you, stands simply as the theme song for a documentary/series that will get to the root of the trucker’s soul – the possibilities are much greater than we originally imagined. The potential of an ongoing TV series is endless and exciting. We now just need to find the right partnership/studio/ and other necessary people to get going. We have contacted you after much consideration of a variety of companies as we feel we can both benefit each other.
As far as a crew goes, we have access to all UCLA film graduates, but have left this category open, as we are sure whatever studio we work with will have wonderful suggestions. But we also come prepared to bring our own “A-List” players to the table in any condition. My association to UCLA’s School of Theatre, Film and TV bring me to the table prepared for all tasks necessary to get “production” accomplished and in on time. The documentary/series will use as many truckers as possible, as stated, for promotion success and also track specific various men and women truckers, married, single, divorced, team drivers, etc. We want the piece to have a high glossy, slick, lots of color, reflections, movement, and choreography of lights, an almost carnival feeling and appeal. And, the sounds of the road and silence of the minds of these folks will be the film’s tone over the soundtrack that is already completed.
A few weeks ago we did a little shooting – with a camera – down at the TA and I have received several phone calls wanting to know if a video can be bought of this documentary, when will the show be released, and telling me of other truckers to talk to regarding various issues. Remember, the over seven million drivers and their extended families have no real life . . . this project gives them a goal and a dream. It gives them excitement, a purpose. Having them or their truck in a film, if only for a second, creates a magic for these lonesome, caring journeymen that they so deserve. They get on their CB and tell about their adventure all night long. A “series” for TV will immediately – have global acceptance and popularity. Foreign countries love country music and the idea of getting to know “real folks”.
The good and bad of the road life will be discussed including the problem issues of tickets, scales, truck stops, big companies vs. owner-operator etc. Many guys are ex-marines, ex-cops, ex-FBI, or DEA Agents, or they may simply be designing another colorful tale to tell all when sitting around a booth at the truck stop café telling of how their life used to be, “Prior” to trucking. Sometimes guys are out on the road after they just went home and found the wife cheating, or a husband left, or a bad fight. Many a night a desperate man is seen trying to call home with no one answering the phone at home. Couples have met and married on the road, living the good life. A forty year old man picks up a 17 year old girl in a rest area who is running away from her family who is living in a car. They marry and are together five years later. These are the interesting people and their stories that arrive at my concerts at these truck stops. And their CB handle, a man’s calling name, may be this guy’s identity in life…..it defines who he is!!! The tales are endless.
I always feel excitement as I see the trucker’s roll in with their big rig, “The thought comes to my mind of a little boy as he opens up a present and finds it to be a big, big, shiny truck. His eyes light up. These guys now drive that shiny truck.” I want to use this concept of the little boy/ the man and his truck as the show’s overall appeal. Some of these guys come from tiny towns in the Deep South or the woods in Minnesota. And here they are in California, land of the dreams. We want to shoot just the rows of license plates from almost every state in America and trailers representing companies from Tyson, Mayflower, Snickers, Packerland, Xerox, Wal-Mart, etc. etc…….from all corners of the world as part of our collages.
This inexpensive documentary/series can change the image and attitude of fellow Americans toward the root of the men and women that bring the food on their tables and the shirt on their backs. Want to get aboard this adventure?? Then let’s get going!!!! Time is passing us by . . . with a story waiting for us to capture to give to you to give to the world.
A passion runs deep within me beyond my greatest reasoning to make a TV series about the experiences I have encountered as I sing my country music at the truck stops of America and do all the other crucial obligations of the gig, including set-up and all other technical needs with Michael Twamley. We have met the most wonderful characters and had so many days where when we get home all we can think is “Wow – Sure wish we could have shared our life today with the world. What a neat experience.” We have met the adventurous Highway warriors and all the elements that surround them. These people enriched our lives, which is what we know this show will do for all its viewers.
I have done a lot of professional theatre and “high-end” performances and things in my life, but when I go home after a concert at a truck stop, I always say, “my soul is satisfied. I feel good!” For over a year I have been performing and doing the concerts at least two days a week and all holidays at the TravelCenter in Ontario, California – which is now the major hub of trucking. And each day never fails to bring new exciting and fulfilling journeys, which I now have to share with the world.
Funny, even when I was little, truckers put peace in my heart, which is why I have continued with this interesting journey. Here is one little story: When I was twelve years old and running away from home, a supper club in the middle of nowhere in southern Minnesota where I lived with my grandparents, I walked to the nearby two-lane highway. A few hours later, not many trucks in the middle of nowhere, finally a big-rig truck came by and stopped for me. The guy let me in and we headed down the road. I am thinking, “I could marry him, he’s kind a cute.” By the way, for a “child” I was pretty well developed. Anyway, he suggested we stop for a bite to eat. He convinced me I should go back home which also meant he had to drive back there which was about a twenty minute ride. That guy could have done anything he wanted with me. I was willing! But he didn’t. We even talked for a long while. He played me a song, Cotton Fields, on his guitar, creating magic for me. I thought he was famous or something. Little did I know!!! But he was special in my mind. I wrote a song about that moment. But he convinced me to stay home, leaving me with dreams he would come back one day when I grew up. That truckin’ man left quite an impression on me. But about a year and a half later, my grandmother took ill and died. And my grandpa sent me to California to my Mom’s. And he died shortly thereafter. That trucker gave me time with these loved ones. I am so grateful to that decent man.
Then on the trip from California to Minnesota to bury my grandpa my Mom and I drove. Well, without truckers we would never had made that journey.They were so good to us in every truck stop.Then coming back, my Mom was driving a car that was to be delivered to California on a certain date. When I say we had no money, I mean it. Anyway, we were somewhere in Wyoming in winter and we were in a blizzard. I think there are other routes, but Mom was driving. So, we are in this truck stop. My Mom is crying. She will not get paid and we will be in trouble. Well, these truckers made a convoy. They put Mom and I in one of their trucks with one guy, they put the car in the middle with a trucker driving it and another big rig in the rear. It was a really bad storm. But they fed us a steak dinner (I was in heaven), had extra blankets in the truck and even a bottle of whiskey, in case, they said, we got stuck we would not freeze to death. And off we went. And, we made it!!!! God bless those men. And they wanted nothing from us. A very special moment for My Mom and Me, especially after what we had just walked through in Minnesota. Those guys were great.These stories gave me the passion to reach out to these people.
And, years later when I would visit my Mom who was now living in Ontario, California and the tension would rise in her home with her new hubby. Mom and I would go get “Pie” down at the truck stop, same one I am now playing, and we would sit, laughing and talking to all the guys for hours. One of the trucker’s would always insist to buy our food and I always went home feeling loved and great.
In 1995, as I was graduating from UCLA’s School of Theatre, Film and Television my Mom died. During that year when she was sick I would be doing a big “Play” production in the city, but Mom would ask if when I was done if I would come out to the Legion Club or even the truck stop and play a few Patsy Cline songs for her.
I did! And, I was being hired everywhere to sing my country music. When she died, I decided to move in her home in Ontario and just find peace. Life creates the path sometimes. I had to follow my heart. I still do plays and I have lots of further projects after we accomplish this one.
I hope these words from my heart help you to understand why we have to complete this project and its richness and importance.
Anyway, America’s two largest truck stops, where we play, and most major trucking companies are in Ontario, California, but the TravelCenters are located all over the USA and welcome us to tour at any of their locations. We have now been performing the USA Road Show Tour for these folks, selling thousands of “Love My Truck Driv’in Man CDs and cassettes of my original songs to them. They have funded events for “neglected” kids for us. Their generosity of spirit and love has carried us high during any dark times or hard work So, in our souls, we know we have to give back to these men and women that have brightened many a day for us and let America know these wonderful people by bringing their world into the homes of viewers along with my sweet southern country music and other artists of our times.
I made films at UCLA that won honors. And, while I was doing her undergraduate work in theatre and film, I was granted the privilege of being in the Graduate Producer’s Program that Peter Guber chairs, Peter Dekom, Jeff Berg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Sherry Lansing and other Hollywood “Movers” participated in her classes and lectures. Now I have chosen to make my professional producing/ directing/ creating and starring in this worthwhile project, putting my Galileo or Proud Breed film on hold. And I believe that this project will change the life of millions of people from the truckers, to the people that surround them to the hearts of viewers.
This show will give many people something to really cherish and look forward to viewing each week and will renew the values of this country, something needed so desperately at this time in our troubled world.
Thank you for your help and sure hope we can get started and create something very special.
Sincerely,
Susanne Spirit
For Further Information Contact WhiteLine Productions, A Greenland Global Entertainment Company.
19430 Dry Gulch Road, The South Forty Estate, Corona South, CA 92881
Phone. 951-279-1134 Fax. 951-737-2717 E.mail: whiteline@greenlandglobal.com