TRUCKING LOSES A KING
Remembering Bobby Lindamood - By Daniel J. Linss
As I sit and watch the elaborate memorial for the “King of Pop” Michael Jackson on the television, I can’t help but to think that trucking has a few “kings” as well. One of them was Bobby Lindamood of Irving, Texas – the King of Demolition. Many of you may not have known him, but he was a “king” nonetheless. Bobby’s generosity, kindness, care and compassion was evident to all who met him. Sadly, Bobby was tragically and suddenly killed on June 22, 2009 in an accident that occurred out in his pasture when he rolled his ATV. Bobby was only 56 years old.
Many of you may have met Bobby at a truck show over the years, and some might remember him when we put his son’s bright orange Peterbilt on our cover back in October of 2007. Although the cover featured Jake Lindamood’s cool heavy haul truck, the article focused more on the accomplishments and relationship between Jake and his father. Bobby and Jake were more than father and son and more than just business partners – they were best friends.
Bobby Lindamood was born on February 3, 1953 in Oklahoma, where his father was a logger and a truck driver. In 1958 the family moved to Texas and formed Lindamood Tree Service. Bobby worked with his father for a while, but when he turned 20 his father pulled him aside and said, “It’s time for you to get out on your own.” His father co-signed for Bobby’s first tractor, and then off he went, doing dirt work and excavation, until one day when someone asked him to tear down a small house. Some other local contractors saw Bobby doing this and asked if he could tear down some of their old houses, and the rest, as they say, is history. In 1977, he founded Lindamood Demolition. Over the years, Bobby went on to build a highly successful and respected demolition and heavy-haul business that included over 20 trucks and trailers and several pieces of heavy equipment.
Bobby was more than just a big business leader – he had an even bigger heart – he held a helping hand out to anyone. A hand shake meant his word. He knew no strangers, and the respect he earned he deserved. A good example of this giving spirit was his generosity toward anyone and everyone before the truck show in Dallas each year. His shop, which sits just outside of Dallas in Irving, Texas, has numerous enclosed bays, including a wash bay. The week before the show, many drivers would congregate in the Lindamood yard to take advantage of the wash bay and finalize their trucks for the show. Everyone always jokes about how the “real” truck show is at the Lindamood yard before the actual show at the convention center ever begins! Of course, every trucker that ends up in the Lindamood yard doesn’t just get to use the wash – they are also given full access to the facility and all it has to offer and are treated like family.
2009 was looking to be a good year for Bobby Lindamood. It started out back in March at the truck show in Louisville, Kentucky, when Bobby’s brown and tan “King Ranch” Peterbilt and matching CPS round-bottom end dump was named as the 2008 NAST/Truck-Lite Trophy Series Champion. Along with a beautiful trophy, this prestigious award also came with a big, fat check for $5,000! The following month, Bobby’s truck, prepared and shown by driver Brad Johnson, won several 1st Place trophies at the 75 Chrome Shop Truck Show in Wildwood, Florida. Then, just days before the accident, both he and Jake’s trucks were selected to be on the next Shell SuperRigs calendar, which was a dream come true for both of them – not only because it was an honor to be selected, but that they got to do it together. Jake was actually in Las Vegas, Nevada, preparing his dad’s truck for the upcoming show there, when he got the news. He immediately flew back to Texas and had two drivers bring his dad’s truck home for the funeral.
The funeral, which was officiated by Pastor John Mark Caton, was held on Friday, June 26 at First Baptist Church in Euless, Texas. During the service, a memorable slideshow was shown featuring many old pictures of Bobby with his family and various drivers and friends. Each one of Bobby’s trucks were shined up and lined up in a parking lot across the street from the church for all to see. Then, Bobby’s casket was strapped onto a step-deck trailer, hooked to his brown truck, which, driven by son Jake, led the procession to the grave site. Jake’s orange truck, driven by Mike Briseno, followed behind hauling Bobby’s first (and favorite) track loader – a 1977 Caterpillar Model 977. After that, all of the trucks in Bobby’s fleet and all of the attendees in their cars followed. The procession was many miles long.
We at 10-4 Magazine have fond memories of hanging out with the “Lindamood crew” on several occasions and at many truck shows, but our best memories were the photo shoots we did after the Dallas truck show each year. For the last three years, we have done photo shoots for upcoming covers on or around the Lindamood property. We would show up on Sunday morning, the day after the show ended, and take pictures of a truck that we had found at the show before flying home later that afternoon. And it was always blazing hot and humid (you can imagine the heat and humidity of Dallas in August).
Our first photo shoot on the Lindamood property was for our October 2006 cover featuring Adrian Rocamontes and his super custom “Sledgehammer” Peterbilt. Bobby, Jake and the rest of the Lindamood guys, especially “Way-to-go Mike” (Mike Briseno), did everything they could to help us out. They fetched ladders, moved around piles of scrap, brought us cold drinks and even found us a sledgehammer and some work gloves to use during the photo shoot – at one point, they even got on their ATVs and herded in a few cows from the pasture to get them in the pictures! “Way-to-go Mike” got his nickname from Pat Eilen several years prior, but 10-4’s Erik Sieben took it to heart. Every time he asked Mike to do something, he did it – to which Erik would say, “Way-to-go, Mike!” Now, that is all we (and many others) ever call him. Mike has been a driver for Bobby for almost eight years and is considered by many to be part of the family (he has been mistakenly referred to as Mike Lindamood on more than one occasion). Mike has always been there to help us, every year, and we’d like to thank him for that.
The following year, we went to the Lindamood yard to shoot Jake’s truck, but Bobby was very involved, too. We had them moving around a large track excavator and several loaders (which we kept calling a crane and dozers, respectively, to the amusement of all the heavy-haul guys), running here and there, all to get the perfect shot, which I think we did. After braving the heat and finishing the pictures, we spent a few hours inside having lunch and getting to know these modern-day demolition men. Their hospitality and humility was incredible. Obviously, Jake is a chip off the old block, because both of these guys were the least bit impressed with themselves or their accomplishments – they were more concerned that everyone was well-taken care of and that everyone had a good time. One of my favorite pictures ever was the one we took of Bobby and Jake, leaning on each side of an old Lindamood sign that we found stuffed in a corner in their shop, with a big excavator in the background – I think it really summed up what Bobby was all about – his family, his company and heavy equipment!
Last year, after the Dallas show, we again headed to the Lindamood yard where we shot pictures of Buck Landry’s silver Peterbilt at a nearby park. As usual, the Lindamood guys brought us cold drinks and helped out when they could. Afterwards, we headed back to the air conditioned office in the yard to interview Buck and again were treated like family. Remember, this was just a day after a big truck show and at least a week of cleaning and preparing – I am sure that most of the guys would have rather been home resting and recuperating, but they chose to come out to the yard and help us. I can’t say enough about Bobby Lindamood and all of the good people that he surrounded himself with.
Bobby is survived by his loving wife of 30 years Kayla Lindamood, mother Eula Faye Lindamood, son and wife, Bobby Jr. and Tami, sons Billy and Jake Lindamood, daughter and husband, Mandy Lindamood Collins and Mike, daughter Misti Lindamood, grandchildren, Harper and Reagan Lindamood, Preston and Carley Collins, sisters Mavis Moody and Fran Stout, and brothers Jerry, Jay and Tim Lindamood. Bobby was laid to rest at Oak Grove Memorial Gardens in Irving, Texas. The guys in the shop built and erected an eight-foot tall cross out in the pasture where the accident occurred, and have future plans to clear the area around it and make it a special place where everyone can hang out from time to time and “spend time with” Bobby.
Bobby Wayne Lindamood, Sr. will be missed by all who knew him, including all of us at 10-4 Magazine. Our deepest condolences go out to Jake and the entire Lindamood family, as well as all of his drivers/friends at the company. Michael Jackson may have been known as the “King of Pop” but Bobby Lindamood, in our humble opinion, was one of trucking’s kings – and he, too, will not be forgotten.