{"id":7940,"date":"2025-01-30T07:52:53","date_gmt":"2025-01-30T07:52:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/?p=7940"},"modified":"2025-01-30T07:52:56","modified_gmt":"2025-01-30T07:52:56","slug":"i-work-as-a-truck-driver-picked-up-a-boy-on-a-lonely-road-after-hearing-his-story-i-turned-back-and-it-changed-my-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/archives\/7940","title":{"rendered":"I Work as a Truck Driver & Picked Up a Boy on a Lonely Road \u2013 After Hearing His Story, I Turned Back and It Changed My Life\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

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After 20 years as a truck driver, I thought I\u2019d seen it all on those long, empty highways. But I never imagined that picking up a hitchhiker would lead to a tearful reunion, a viral thank you, and the end of my days on the road..\n

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I\u2019ve been a truck driver for years. Being a woman in this profession isn\u2019t common, but I chose this path, knowing the challenges it would bring.\n
\n
\n
$\"Woman$ \n\n
\n\n
Life has a way of pushing you down roads you never expected to travel. For me, that road opened up when my husband walked out on me and our four-year-old twins, Gia and Vinnie.\n
My dad drove trucks until he was 55. I grew up watching him leave for days at a time, always coming back with stories from his routes. And despite what most believe, this job comes with a nice enough salary. It kept food on the table while I was growing up.\n
\n
\n
$\"A$ \n\n
A big truck driving through a beautiful road\n\n
\n
So, when I needed to support my kids alone, I knew this would be the best option. I got my commercial license and started driving. The company was even better than my dad\u2019s because it included insurance and other benefits.\n
The downside was that it put me on the road for weeks at a time. I was lucky that my mother stepped up to care for my kids while I was away, but I missed too much. Many birthday parties were planned around my schedule.\n
\n
\n
$\"A$ \n\n
A little boy and girl, twins, looking up with curious expressions in a living room\n\n
Other things couldn\u2019t be moved, like school plays. In many cases, I was left to watch shaky video recordings of my kids\u2019 milestones. But this paid the bills, and they never went hungry. In fact, they had even more than I did.\n
Unfortunately, they\u2019re now adults and out of the house. They still call, and they\u2019re grateful, but my mother was more of a mother to them than I was. And the guilt of missing their childhood still rides shotgun with me most nights.\n
\n
\n
\n
$\"Woman$ \n\n
Woman in her 60s smiling and cooking in a kitchen with two kids in the background\n\n
But everything changed on a particularly gray evening on my way through a quiet stretch of highway.\n
I saw a boy, maybe 16, standing by the roadside. His clothes were wrinkled. He looked exhausted, but there was something else in his eyes like he didn\u2019t know where to go.\n
I slowed down and pulled over. My company\u2019s policy strictly forbade me from picking up hitchhikers, but something told me I should.\n
\u201cHey, there, kid. Do you need a ride?\u201d I asked through the open window. My voice came out firm but kind, like I was talking to one of my own children.\n
\n
\n
$\"Woman$ \n\n
Woman driving a truck stops on the side of the road and leans out the window\n\n
\n
He hesitated, looking up and down the empty road.\n
\u201cListen, I ain\u2019t got all day to wait, kid,\u201d I said, trying to keep my voice light. \u201cIt\u2019s getting pretty dark, and this ain\u2019t exactly the safest place to be standing around.\u201d\n
Finally, he nodded and climbed in, struggling a bit with the height of the cab.\n
\u201cIs this your first time in a big rig?\u201d I asked, watching him fumble with the seatbelt.\n
\u201cYeah,\u201d he mumbled, finally clicking it in place.\n
\n
\n
$\"Teenager$ \n\n
Teenager sitting on the passenger side of a big truck looking sad | Source: Midjourney\n\n
\u201cMy name\u2019s Julianne,\u201d I said, pulling back onto the highway. \u201cMost folks call me Jules.\u201d\n
\n
He stared out the window, shoulders hunched. \u201cAlex.\u201d\n
I nodded and got back on the road. We drove in silence, the truck\u2019s engine filling the void. After a while, I asked, \u201cWhere are you headed?\u201d\n
\u201cI don\u2019t really know,\u201d he mumbled, still staring out the window.\n
\u201cYou running away from something?\u201d\n
He nodded but didn\u2019t elaborate.\n
\n
\n
$\"A$ \n\n
A teenage boy looking out the window from the passenger seat of a truck\n\n
\u201cLook, kid,\u201d I said, \u201cI\u2019ve been driving these roads for 20 years. Seen all sorts of people trying to escape all sorts of things. Most times, running just makes everything worse.\u201d\n
\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t know anything about me,\u201d he snapped, but his voice cracked at the end.\n
\u201cYou\u2019re right,\u201d I said calmly. \u201cBut I know that look in your eyes.\u201d\n
The kid stared out the window again, and I let him be.\n
Up ahead, I saw a gas station and my gaze landed on the fuel gauge. It was low. So I pulled in next to a pump and got out of the rig.\n
\n
\n
$\"A$ \n\n
A gas station at night\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m going inside to pay,\u201d I told him. \u201cDo you want anything?\u201d\n
He shook his head, but his stomach growled loudly enough for both of us to hear.\n
\u201cRight,\u201d I said with a small smile. \u201cNothing it is.\u201d\n
\n
Inside the store, I grabbed a couple of sodas, some chips, and two turkey sandwiches and paid for them as well as the diesel.\n
\n
\n
$\"A$ \n\n
A fridge in a convenience store with several food items\n\n
When I returned, he still wouldn\u2019t meet my eyes, so I pumped the diesel and climbed into the truck to wait while it fueled up.\n
\u201cHere,\u201d I said, tossing him a sandwich. \u201cI can\u2019t have you starving on my watch.\u201d\n
He caught it reflexively. \u201cThanks,\u201d he whispered.\n
\u201cDo you want to talk?\u201d I asked softly after he\u2019d taken a few bites. \u201cYou seem like you\u2019ve got a lot on your mind.\u201d\n
\n
\n
$\"A$ \n\n
A teenage boy holding a sandwich in a wrapper\n\n
\n
He fiddled with the sandwich wrapper. \u201cFought with my mom,\u201d he finally mumbled. \u201cI ran away.\u201d\n
\u201cIt must\u2019ve been some fight,\u201d I said, keeping my voice neutral.\n
\u201cShe wouldn\u2019t let me go to France with my class,\u201d he burst out. \u201cEveryone else is going, but she said we can\u2019t afford it.\u201d His voice cracked again. \u201cI hate being the poorest kid in class. She always says no to everything. It\u2019s like she doesn\u2019t even try to understand how much this means to me.\u201d\n
\n
\n
$\"A$ \n\n
A striking view of Paris\n\n
\u201cHold on to that thought for a second,\u201d I said, getting out and putting the pump hose back in place since the tank was full.\n
I climbed back in and pulled onto the highway. \u201cOkay, now. Tell me about your mom.\u201d\n
\n
\u201cShe works at a supermarket,\u201d he muttered, his words heavy with resentment. \u201cMy dad left when I was little. She\u2019s always working, always tired. Always saying we can\u2019t afford things.\u201d\n
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\n
$\"A$ \n\n
A supermarket\n\n
\u201cIt sounds rough,\u201d I said. \u201cThings must be hard on both of you.\u201d\n
\u201cWhatever,\u201d he muttered, but I could hear the hurt behind the attitude.\n
\u201cMy husband left when my twins were four,\u201d I said. \u201cIt was a long time ago, but I had to figure out how to keep food on the table real quick.\u201d\n
That got his attention. He glanced at me sidewise with a hint of amusement. \u201cIs that why you\u2019re a truck driver? I\u2019ve never seen a woman doing this before.\u201d\n
\n
\n
\n
$\"A$ \n\n
A teenage boy smiling while sitting in the passenger seat of a truck\n\n
\u201cYeah,\u201d I said. \u201cI missed a lot of moments with my kids. It still hurts thinking about it. But you know what? They never went hungry or wanted for anything.\u201d\n
\u201cBut didn\u2019t they hate you for never being there?\u201d he asked, and I could hear his real question underneath:\u00a0Would it be better if my mom worked this job?\n
\u201cSometimes,\u201d I admitted. \u201cWe had some pretty spectacular fights about it when they were teenagers. But now they understand. Your mom\u2019s there for you in ways money can\u2019t buy\u2026 with her time and her love. I think if you ask my kids, they\u2019ll say that they would\u2019ve preferred that.\u201d\n
\n
\n
$\"A$ \n\n
A teenage boy and girl, twins, upset in a living room\n\n
\n
Alex looked away from me, and I sensed he needed the quiet time to think while he picked on the rest of his sandwich.\n
The highway stretched ahead, now fully dark except for my headlights. I was used to the loneliness of the road, but it was nice having a companion, even if we weren\u2019t speaking.\n
\u201cShe cries sometimes,\u201d he said suddenly. \u201cWhen she thinks I\u2019m asleep. I hear her on the phone with my aunt, talking about bills and stuff.\u201d\n
\n
\n
$\"A$ \n\n
A woman using a calculator while dealing with bills\n\n
\u201cThat must be hard to hear,\u201d I said softly.\n
\u201cI just wanted to go on one stupid trip,\u201d he said, swallowing thickly. \u201cEveryone\u2019s gonna come back with all these stories and pictures, and I\u2019ll be the loser who stayed home.\u201d\n
\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not a loser, Alex,\u201d I said firmly. \u201cAnd neither is your mom. You\u2019re both just doing the best you can with what you\u2019ve been given. You have more already than many.\u201d\n
From the corner of my eye, I saw him nodding. After another long silence, Alex asked, \u201cCan you take me to the bus stop?\u201d\n
\n
\n
$\"A$ \n\n
A bus stop at night\n\n
I looked at his face, noticed his lost expression had changed to something much different, and smiled, turning my eyes back to the road.\n
\u201cNo,\u201d I said. \u201cI\u2019m taking you home. I\u2019m ahead of schedule, so I\u2019ve got time to make sure you get there safely. You need to talk to your mom.\u201d\n
\u201cShe\u2019s gonna kill me,\u201d he groaned.\n
\n
\u201cNah,\u201d I said. \u201cShe\u2019s gonna hug you so hard you won\u2019t be able to breathe for a minute. Then maybe she\u2019ll kill you.\u201d\n
That got a small laugh out of him.\n
He gave me directions to a modest house. As soon as Alex stepped out of the truck, the front door flew open.\n
\n
\n
$\"A$ \n\n
A modest house at night\n\n
\u201cAlex!\u201d a woman cried, running out. \u201cOh my God, Alex!\u201d\n
She wrapped him in a tight hug as tears streamed down her face.\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry, Mom,\u201d he sobbed into her shoulder. \u201cI was being stupid. I\u2019m so sorry.\u201d\n
His mother\u2014Mary\u2014turned to me, still holding her child. \u201cThank you,\u201d she said shakily. \u201cThank you for bringing him back. I didn\u2019t know what to think when I found his note. I\u2019ve been calling everyone, driving around looking for him\u2026\u201d\n
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\n
\u201cIt\u2019s okay,\u201d I said. \u201cI had teenagers once, too.\u201d\n
\u201cPlease,\u201d Mary said, \u201cat least let me make you a cup of coffee before you go.\u201d\n
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\n
$\"Woman$ \n\n
Woman in her 40s, wearing a uniform and smiling, stands in front of a modest house with a teenage boy in the background\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ll take a rain check,\u201d I said with a smile. \u201cI\u2019ve got deliveries to make. But how about a picture instead? Something to remind this young man to think twice before running away AND hitching rides with strangers again.\u201d\n
Alex actually smiled at that. Mary took a picture of him and me on her phone, then insisted on writing down my name and company information.\n
I stupidly forgot to tell her that my company had a strict no-hitchhikers policy, and unfortunately, Mary made a Facebook post later that night thanking me, which went viral.\n
\n
\n
\n
$\"Woman$ \n\n
Woman in uniform smiling while using a phone inside a bedroom\n\n
So, a week later, when my boss, Mr. Luther, called me into his office, I was sure I was sacked. I walked in there, feeling the sweat down my back.\n
But he was smiling from ear to ear. \u201cJules, our viral star!\u201d he exclaimed and congratulated me on raising the profile of the company.\n
When he invited me to sit, I remained quiet. This was not what I expected.\n
\u201cHonestly, Jules,\u201d he said, getting serious but still grinning. \u201cYou\u2019ve been one of our best drivers for years. This story just proves what we already knew about you. That is why I\u2019d like to offer you a promotion. I think you have a leader potential, so I believe the position of logistics manager is perfect for you. You\u2019ll have to relocate or commute to the city, but it\u2019s more than double the pay and much better hours.\u201d\n
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\n
\n
$\"Man$ \n\n
Man in his 60s sitting in an office and smiling\n\n
I couldn\u2019t believe it. After all these years of long, lonely highways and missed moments, I finally got the chance to have normal hours.\n
Even if this opportunity came slightly late in my life, it meant that I would be able to see my kids graduating from college, get married, help with my grandbabies (or grand-furbabies if needed), and more.\n
Sometimes the best turns in life come from following your heart instead of the rules.\n
That night, I helped one boy get back to his mom, and maybe altered his perspective of life. But they had unknowingly helped me much more.\n
\n
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$\"Woman$ \n\n\n
Here\u2019s\u00a0another story:\u00a0A heavily pregnant taxi driver offers a homeless and injured stranger a free ride to the hospital on a rainy night. The next morning, she wakes up to a parade of SUVs outside her house. Suited men knock on her door with a truth that alters her life forever.\n
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This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.\n
The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided \u201cas is,\u201d and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
After 20 years as a truck driver, I thought I\u2019d seen it all on those long, empty highways. But I never imagined that picking up a hitchhiker would lead to a tearful reunion, a viral thank you, and the end of my days on the road.. I\u2019ve been a truck driver for years. Being a […]\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7941,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7940","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7940","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7940"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7940\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7942,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7940\/revisions\/7942"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7941"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7940"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7940"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7940"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}