An Act of Kindness on Pandemic Road""

Editor's Note:  This is the third in our series "Life on Pandemic Road."  In the first one, Glen Rice discusses how his four-legged buddies are missing human contact at truck stops. Chris Hanna, owner of Palmetto Yacht Management, talked about safety measures and how their business is booming. In this one, owner operator James Thirsk shares a story about an act of random kindness.

Owner operator James “Moovah” Thirsk of Great Falls, MT, says life on “Pandemic Road” has been “a bit difficult but, more-so, just different.”

He was encouraged recently, however, by an act of kindness. Here’s his story:

"I pulled into a McDonalds with truck parking in North Dakota. As soon as I pulled my brakes, a police officer pulled in front of me. He walks up to my truck and advises me that I can't walk up to drive thru and the lobby was closed.

A little frustrated, I told him I'd go elsewhere. Surprisingly, he grabbed his pad and asked me what I wanted to eat! He went to the drive thru and brought the food back to me. 

I sat and ate and watched this officer do the same for every truck that came in. Come to find out, he was off duty and doing this on his own time.

So, that small gesture made the everyday stress of change from the pandemic a bit more bearable.”

Thirsk, who hauls household goods for Bekins Van Lines, says overall:

• It gets old eating on my steering wheel.
• Traffic is less which is always nice.
• The staff in truckstops seems stressed. Hours of operation have changed a bit, and it has been hard to schedule meals and breaks.
• I've taken less loads and slowed down a bit but mostly by choice.

Love my COINS!
One thing that has remained tried and true for Thirsk is Double Coin. He runs Double Coin RLB400 closed shoulder drive tires on his 2007 Freightliner Coronado with a 144" sleeper. He says “I love my Coins” for their traction, durability and long tread wear.

 “Been running the RLB400s for over 2 years now,” he says. “I've noticed a much-appreciated difference in the brutal Montana winters on icy highways. I’ll be a repeat customer, if they ever wear out....lol!”

Thirsk has been hauling household goods for “celebrities, executives and just plain good folks” for 37 years now. He has logged 2.75 million miles without an accident.

We sincerely appreciate his business and wish him many more safe miles on “Pandemic Road.”