Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/14162
‘My No. 1 idol’ Ron Boudreaux 1952 Born Oct. 3 in Lafayette, La. 1970 Daughter, Karen, was born Aug. 26 1973 Daughter, Casandra, was born July 15 1978 Started as a company driver for Joe. D Hughes 1980 Daughter, Tondelaya, was born Dec. 20 1992 Daughter, Ashley, was born Oct. 12 1998 Bought first truck 1999 Married Marcella Pradier Oct. 3 2007 Reached 1 million accident-free miles in March 2010 Named finalist for Truckload Carriers Association Owner-Operator of the Year As a company driver for Joe D. Hughes in the early 1980s, Boudreax hauled equipment to oil fields on flatbed in an International cabover. to have a big pretty truck,’” Boudreaux says. “I never gave up. Every day out here it’s like a dream come true.” Boudreaux traded his Freightliner in 2006 for a 2007 Coronado. The next year, he netted $60,000 and reached 1 million accident-free miles. He says it’s hard to succeed as a one- Boudreaux, Raider’s first owner-operator, stands with Mike Eggleton, center, and his sons, Dan, left, and Michael Jr., right. Trucker trivia BARBECUE RIBS and family go hand-in-hand when he’s not on the road, Boudreaux says. He has a special recipe for his ribs and cooks them in the barbecue pit at his house, usually for 10 to 15 people. “When the people in my neighborhood see me out by the barbecue pit, we get a lot of pass- ersby,” he says. ZYDECO DANCING used to bring Boudreaux and his wife Marcella back to Louisiana when they lived in Houston. Boudreaux says they visited Louisiana on his days off to find places to dance to the accordion-based music. truck operation. “Prices keep going up and up and up,” he says. “Your wages don’t.” To counteract that, Boudreaux says he strives to keep overhead down, manage fixed costs, be diligent with preventive maintenance and occasion- ally work extra days. Boudreaux practices what he preaches, says Raider Express Presi- dent Mike Eggleton Sr. Boudreaux has worked with him his entire trucking career, following him from Joe D. Hughes to two other companies and eventually Raider. “He’s the hardest working man I know. He’s never late on a load,” Eggleton says. “You can absolutely depend on him being where he says he’s going to be when he says he’s go- ing to be there.” Boudreaux is the company’s “go-to guy,” says dispatcher Nick Nordquist. “You can call on him when you need something to get done, and he makes it happen. He’s top notch with every- thing he does.” Boudreaux says he has persevered through the ups and downs of the trucking industry. “I’m at the peak of it right now,” he says. “But there’s bad times and good times. You just have to stick with it through both.” His brother didn’t get to see the peak of the career he introduced to Boudreaux years ago. In 2005, Charles died after a heart attack. “He was my No. 1 idol,” Boudreaux says of his brother. “I went to him in my young days to get to know whatever I needed to know. He took me by the hand and showed me everything he knew about trucking. “We enjoyed life together, traveled to- gether, partied together. He was always right there – there for me at all times.” Boudreaux says he’s not sure if he’ll ever step away from over-the-road truck- ing. “I don’t know if it’s the smell of the diesel or the highway – it’s addicting. It’s very addicting. The more you do it, the more you like it. I can’t see that I ever will retire myself. I’ll save money, but as long as I’m physically healthy, I’m going to be driving a truck.” n Nominations for 2011 Owner-Operator of the Year, hosted by Overdrive and the Truckload Carriers Association, are due by Aug. 15. Visit Truckload.org to apply. For more information, see Page 72. 36 OVERDRIVE AUGUST 2010 Courtesy of Michael Eggleton Jr. Courtesy of Dan Heister Courtesy of Tondelaya Elder