Zak Baughman of New Market, TN just began driving big trucks eight years ago. Starting his career at infamous Werner, a big fleet where you are “just a number” and your skills don’t matter since everything else is also just a number, he stayed there just long enough for better opportunities to come along. Today, as you can see, Zak drives a beautiful classic Peterbilt and pulls a Timpte-walled spread-axle reefer for Travis Shimon, a small fleet owner out of Rolfe, IA. When asked about this transformation and how it all happened, he said that he simply refuses to fail and tries to learn new things every day to be a better trucker. He also said that he stands for his friends, and would go to war for them, if necessary, which his friends obviously appreciate. So, when one of his friends, Mike Davidson, stood up for him and let him know there was an opening on a truck at Shimon, Zak started driving this cool rig – and he loves it! Being just 29 years old and single, Zak is making the most of every moment and having some fun while building his life. Sounds like the American dream, to me, and “The Spirit of the (true) American Trucker” for sure!
