22 Years Of Talking Truck

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47 years in the trucking industry is an accomplishment in itself, but when you add 22 years of contributing to our beloved magazine, it is a mere part of what makes Kim Jaikes (Grimm) who she is.  Kim (66) has made a name for herself with her passion, not only for the industry, but in highlighting truckers and their stories.  Originally from Iowa, she and her partner in the Trucker Talk column John Jaikes (57), became husband and wife on July 9, 2021 during the Walcott Truckers Jamboree.  This is the same show where they met six years earlier.  Once they were married, John (our January 2018 cover) came on board with Kim and together they help each other formulate an informative, inspirational, and educational article each month (Kim was also on the cover with her then husband Rod in November 2005).  Kim currently drives for Brian Dreher Trucking out of Campbellsport, WI (our September 2019 cover).  At age 19, Kim got her license after spending $250 for a five-week course at a truck driving school in Cedar Rapids, IA in 1978.  She started out driving a dump truck until she got the opportunity to run over the road in 1986.  In the mid-1990s, Kim came across 10-4 Magazine and began picking it up.  The first truck show she attended was the Walcott Truckers Jamboree in 1990.  Kim had an early appreciation for photography which started with her daughter’s birthday parties and continued when her over-the-road trucking took her through beautiful places like Provo Canyon in Utah.  Suzanne Stempinski was the original Trucker Talk columnist, and when she and her husband Bob got off the road, she suggested that Kim take it over in October 2003.  The woman that paved the way for other woman to navigate in truck photography and photojournalism within the trucking industry was Bette Garber.  As one of Kim’s best friends and someone that the trucking industry lost too soon, Bette always encouraged Kim’s photography and writing.  These days, Kim credits John for his role in assisting in story ideas and bringing up questions to ask that Kim wouldn’t have thought of during the interviews.  Regarding 10-4 Magazine, Kim stated, “We are the only magazine that has so many drivers as writers and contributors.  People love getting featured in the magazine because it is a big deal!”  John and Kim enjoy contributing and having the ability to tell people’s stories and sharing places some people have never been before.  Together, they said that being a part of the 10-4 family is something they are very proud of and appreciate the inclusion it involves.  Thank you, John and Kim, for your continued contributions to the magazine!