Overcoming Challenges

[Show slideshow]

We all experience some level of hardship in our lives, and how we handle those times often determines how we move forward from what we have gone through.  Mark Harter (49), one of our valued contributors since 2022, brings his own perspective to our beloved magazine with a passion for big rigs and capturing them through a lens.  Even though he is legally blind due to a severe motorcycle accident, his lack of sight doesn’t limit his ability to photograph.  As a little boy, all he wanted to be when he grew up was B.J. McKay and drive a truck.  He has lived in Wisconsin, Ohio, Missouri and his current home state of Indiana, moving around because his father was an executive with Sears, Roebuck and Co.  His parents were encouraging when it came to what Mark aspired to do in life and his dad even took him to truck shows, even though he didn’t really enjoy them.  Out of high school, Mark owned a landscaping company and then learned to drive from a friend, then went to work at PGT.  In the late 90s, at an ATHS show, he met the owner of Horseless Carriage and was offered a spot to come on board with them hauling cars which was a job he dreamed of having.  He did that for several years before returning to PGT and hauling steel again.  Around 2000 was when he first came across an issue of 10-4 Magazine at Little Sisters in Barstow, CA while trucking out west.  Unfortunately, that previously mentioned motorcycle accident ended his driving career.  After a break from the trucking industry, he returned as a photographer and photojournalist.  This new horizon had him networking with even more people, and in 2021, he met our very own Daniel Linss at the Walcott Truckers Jamboree where they talked cameras.  Later, Mark made his first contribution to the magazine in the June 2022 issue titled “Not A Mack!”  Mark is very knowledgeable, so some started calling him a trucking encyclopedia, earning him the nickname “Truckapedia” (which became the name of his column).  I asked Mark how he feels about the magazine, and he said, “I love the magazine and enjoy reading the articles from everyone’s different point of view.  There is a great variety within the magazine that keeps it well-rounded, with everyone sharing a common interest and passion.”  Mark went on to say that it is a dream come true to be a part of the team.  Having the opportunity to tell stories and to be able to share his truck photos is an amazing feeling, and he feels welcome in the 10-4 family.  Along with his love of trucks and trucking, Mark is also a huge IndyCar fan, and he loves attending the Indianapolis 500.  Thank you Mark for your continued contributions and bringing positive to the industry we are all so passionate about!