Truck Drivers Deliver the Goods

Truck driver Val Gudmundson delivered the goods across the U.S. and locally off and on for about 50 years. Val’s first experiences in trucking came when, as a boy, he joined his father in the cab as his dad hauled milk in Rushford. From then on, Val wanted to be a truck driver.

Val mostly drove regionally in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa, but he also did long haul stints driving to both the east coast and west coast when his kids were small. He didn’t like being gone from home nights and missed his children; the shorter hauls suited him better.

Val mostly hauled hazardous materials. Propane, ammonia and CO2  made up over 95% of his loads. Val shared that the oddest load he had was a blasting agent. When asked if he was ever scared hauling those materials, Val responded that he was never scared – he knew his limitations, how to handle the materials and didn’t put himself in jeopardy. He declared he would absolutely do it all over again.

Over the years there were many changes in the trucking business. Trucks are so much better now. When Val started trucking, the trucks didn’t have power steering or air conditioning. Laws have changed (and not always for the better according to Gudmundson). He felt the ELDs (electronic logging devices) were definitely not an improvement. ELDs leave no room for variances; although they are designed to improve driver safety, they force drivers to hurry which sometimes leads to accidents.

Val most enjoyed just how big the trucks are. He liked having the ability to drive them and get good at it. He enjoyed meeting all the good people when he was driving.

Gudmundson owned his own semi to haul propane and ammonia although he wouldn’t recommend  drivers to do that today. Semis get around 5-6 miles a gallon; with current fuel prices, it would cost around $1 a mile for fuel.

He also owned a dump truck for about 25 years and hauled sand, rock and anything else you could put in a dump truck. In addition, Val did roll offs for about 15 years.

In 2019, Val got a call from the department head at Minnesota State College Southeast, an acquaintance of his. He was asked to try teaching truck driving part time. With a chuckle, Vall shared that it had gradually turned into all the time.

Gudmundson enjoys the interaction with his students. Most of them are willing to learn and work hard. He called the staff at the college really amazing people and noted that his supervisors are excellent. More women are getting into trucking. Gudmundson said he’d take girls over guys anytime.They are motivated, listen well and are focused.

Between 120 and 140 students graduate from the truck driving programs at the school each year. The good students usually have jobs lined up before they even finish the course. The college offers two truck driving courses; the KwikTrip course is a six-week course, and the off-the-street course is an eight-week course. KwikTrip approached the college about 10 years ago asking them to teach their drivers. The school has trained well over 500 KwikTrip drivers since then. Students from North Carolina, Mississippi and Pennsylvania have come to the college based on its reputation.

Students receive a completion certificate for the 20-credit course; they then take their driving test for a Class A license from the state. The instructors encourage the new drivers to take their tests with a manual transmission so they will be unrestricted and able to drive both automatic and manual trucks. Since a mandate in 2022, drivers wanting to get a Class A or B license must take classes at a school.

Val very gratefully thanked local businesses RTP,  Caledonia Haulers and KwikTrip for their generous donations of trucks to be used for instruction at the college. He shared that his class had just that day made a video at the request of Caledonia Haulers to thank their drivers for Truck Drivers’ Appreciation Week.

Gudmundson is that dedicated truck driver who truly deserves appreciation. He shared that if he was 20 years old again, he’d do it all over.Thank you, Val and all the other truck drivers, who deliver the goods across the nation!