For a couple of people who claim to be "semi"-retired, Stanley and Ann McAfee are on the go now more than ever.
Any given weekday, on an interstate anywhere across the United States or Canada, it is likely the McAfees will be found behind the wheels of their semitrailers.
Stanley McAfee's father taught him to drive a truck at the age of 12 on his family's farm. When he was 17 years old, Stanley McAfee started working for trucking companies. The next year, he married Ann McAfee.
In 1986, Stanley McAfee started farming full-time to produce the corn used for popcorn, popping it and delivering it to customers.
A fire destroyed the couple's popcorn business in 1994. A year later, they were ready for a change.
Ann McAfee was an elementary school teacher and counselor with a desire to travel the country, which she's had since childhood. She decided to make the switch from the classroom to join her husband on the road. Eleven years later, the couple says joining the trucking industry is one of the best decisions they ever made - a sentiment that is uncommon with the state the industry is in today.
The long-haul trucking industry is experiencing a national shortage of 20,000 drivers, according to a May 2005 report by the American Trucking Association. The study predicts the shortage will increase to 111,000 drivers by 2014, if the current trends continue.
The study attributes the shortage to several factors, including wages, cost of driver education and driver retirement. One-fifth of the current drivers are 55 years of age or older, and they are predicted to retire within the next 10 years. It is estimated that 219,000 drivers will be needed to replace those leaving the industry. The stress of erratic work schedules and long periods of separation from home and family are some of the challenges to finding drivers under the age of 55.
The McAfees deal with these challenges by looking to their family and 37-year marriage as the backbone of their lifestyle.
After working together to raise two sons, the McAfees knew they would have no problem using teamwork behind the wheel.
Each of them does what it takes to support the other. Ann McAfee charts routes, makes their sandwiches at truck stops, and calculates the couple's miles, costs and log books, while Stanley handles the loads as well as maintains and fuels the trucks.
To help make the long hours and stress of the road a little easier, the couple purchased a 103-inch bunk that includes all the comforts of home. When their grandchildren are on school breaks, they travel with the couple - making up for the time they spend away from home.
Stanley McAfee plans to drive his burgundy Freightliner semi trailer behind Ann McAfee's Peterbuilt semitrailer for another 10 years before they retire. The occupation allows them to travel freely, as Ann McAfee has enjoyed since childhood. Although the job has its challenges and the industry faces an uncertain future, the couple said the best part of the job is the time they get to spend together.
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