Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/933951
VOICES 10 | Overdrive | February 2018 Longtime Owner-Oper- ator Independent Drivers Association President Jim Johnston, who died Jan. 8, "looked like sunshine and smelled like Old Spice and Marlboro cigarettes, and he was a big deal to me," wrote Overdrive blogger Wendy Parker. Johnson was 78. "He was tall and slim and wore his jeans creased. He had a tattoo of a lady on his arm, and he exuded confi dence and experience that was palpable in the air around him. He spent most of his adult life fi ghting for the rights of the indepen- dent owner-operator." Parker told how John- ston, a former trucker, drove home the "impor- tance of phone calls, letters and messages to our reps in D.C., and how much power a cohesive grassroots eff ort really does have. His willful determination inspired me to take more personal responsibility in my govern- ment and led many others to the same inspiration during his 40 years at the helm of OOIDA." Johnston was succeeded by executive vice president Todd Spencer as acting president before future deliberation and votes on a new head. Tom Puckett, comment- ing on Overdrive's Face- book page, remembered the time he stopped by OOIDA headquarters "and took the 25-cent tour and got to meet [Johnston]. He was an excellent advocate for truckers and a nice guy. R.I.P., Mr. Johnston." "May Jesus comfort his family and friends," wrote Michael Shell, also via Face- book. "Jim stood up against anyone, and everyone, and stood up for drivers." "Thank you for all you have done for the American trucker," said Andy Blinness. And Patrick Matich "will miss a good man in the trucking industry," he wrote. "Rest in peace." Via OverdriveOnline.com: Ben Nuttz: A trucker's trucker, no doubt. The same kind of guy that many of us cut our teeth with. You would be hard- pressed to fi nd a guy who has done more for truckers. Godspeed, Jim. JMW: My sincere con- dolences to Jim's family and the entire OOIDA team. And I would like to personally thank Jim and his family for his services in the trucking industry. A man who truly made a diff erence. … They say the measure of a man is what he stands for and his accomplishments. In that respect, he was a giant, and he will be missed. John S: I was with OOIDA all my 20-year career as an owner-oper- ator. This story made me sad. Even though I never met Jim, I know from reading his columns how dedicated he was about making trucking better for the driver. May he rest in peace. A legacy of fighting for truckers OOIDA cofounder and longtime President Jim Johnston (left), pictured with owner-operator George Parker, "exuded confidence and experience that was palpable in the air around him," wrote Parker's wife, Wendy Parker. Who says truckers don't have a sense of humor on the subject of the electronic logging device mandate? When Jimmy Jordan enthusiastically endorsed a comment on Overdrive's Facebook page as the mandate went into eff ect, nominating it for "best post" ever, agreement was near universal. Jordan was nominating Richard Miller's comment under a story about the rash of ELD "panic buying" that preceded the mandate. Miller off ered this helpful workaround to procrastinators: Glue an electrical cord with a cigarette plug-in to a paper log book. Then put it on your dash. When the trooper wants to see your ELD, point to it. If the trooper has a sense of humor, you won't need bail money. Ingenuity at work. Homemade ELD + sense of humor = Free walk! 's comment book. Then put it on your dash. When the trooper wants to see Homemade ELD + sense of humor = Free walk!