Welcome to a new feature that will spotlight some awesome and enterprising young entrepreneurs of trucking every few months based on an award created to honor my son, Kameron Wilken, who was passionate about trucking, eager to learn and hardworking. Sadly, we all lost him too soon at the young age of 23 when he passed away in his truck in Joplin, MO due to a heart condition. Although only with us for a short time, Kameron left a lasting impression on so many in the trucking industry.
Born into the trucking world on March 27 during the weekend of the 1998 MATS truck show, Kameron Wilken arrived at a whopping 10 pounds 4 ounces (10-4)! From the very beginning, it seemed his path was already written. Raised in a hardworking farming and trucking family, Kameron spent his childhood riding in the passenger seat of a semi with his dad, Reed Wilken, and working long days on the grain farm in Illinois. Those times with his dad in a truck and on the farm taught him the value of hard work, honesty, and to never give up – all qualities the “next generation” of truckers will need to embody to keep this industry respected and admired and a solid career choice in the future.
By 15, Kameron was already hauling grain in an 18-wheeler, learning the grit and responsibility that comes with life on the road. When he wasn’t in the field, he spent his nights and weekends in the shop repairing trucks, planters, and combines alongside his dad. Mechanics and trucking weren’t just work to him, they were his passion. At 18, Kameron earned his CDL and began hauling loads throughout Illinois, and at just 19 years old, he started his own company, K. Wilken Trucking, Inc., showing the drive and determination of an entrepreneur.
By the age of 21, Kameron hit the open road, and at 22 he secured his own trucking authority. Kameron also loved building trucks and showing them at truck shows. That passion started when he was a young boy rebuilding his toy semi-trucks, and it continued as he worked side-by-side with his dad rebuilding real semis in the shop.
Over his six years or so of trucking, Kameron had some nice trucks including a red Peterbilt 379 with a flattop sleeper, a gold 2001 Peterbilt 379 with a standup sleeper and a matching reefer trailer (which he called Gold Digger), and a newer white and blue Peterbilt 379 with a big flattop sleeper, which he had purchased from a man named Warren Hartman. Years later, this truck would unknowingly bring me, Kameron’s mom Shelly, and Warren together.
One of 10-4 Magazine’s associates and contributors, Eric Hill, met Kameron at the AMCAN truck show in Union Grove, WI in June 2021. Eric was very impressed at Kam’s accomplishments at such a young age and really liked his “Gold Digger” Peterbilt combination (a photo of it even appeared in the show report in the magazine from that event in the August 2021 edition). The two of them continued talking after the show, and plans were beginning to be made to shoot that truck and do a feature in the magazine about him and his rig. However, unfortunately, that never happened.
While out on the road, doing what he loved, in that white and blue Peterbilt, which he only ran for three weeks, Kameron passed away on January 16, 2022, in Joplin, MO, from complications due to having A-Fib (an ongoing heart condition) and sleep apnea. To honor his life, passion, and dedication to trucking, the Kameron Wilken Young Entrepreneur Award was established to recognize young truckers and builders who share the same drive, pride, and love for the road that Kameron carried every day. The trophy exists to keep his story alive and to inspire the next generation of young entrepreneurs to work hard, dream big, and build something of their own – just like Kameron did.
This award was created by me, Kameron’s mom, along with his three older sisters and several of his nieces and nephews (who often come along to help present the trophy). The entire family is dedicated to honoring a handful of enterprising and hard working young drivers, at various truck shows across the country, each year. The trophy is more about the person than the truck they drive. Every few months we will feature the latest trophy winners here, including some of the past winners (this trophy has been presented to others since 2022). These dedicated younger truckers are the ones carrying the flag for the next generation of truckers doing it right and inspiring their generation to keep “old school” trucking alive and well. This month, we are featuring Erin Barrick (23) of Lincoln, Illinois.
For as long as Erin can remember, trucks have been part of her life. She grew up in her family’s trucking company, Barrick Transfer, of Lincoln, Illinois. Some of her earliest memories are of playing with nuts and bolts and helping with whatever projects were passing through their shop. As she grew up, she spent more and more time working with her dad, learning all that she could and getting involved in everything from routine maintenance to their yearly full restorations. She enjoyed this work so much that, after graduating high school in 2020, she attended Southern Illinois University Edwardsville to pursue a business degree with a goal of becoming the fourth generation to run her family business. While still attending SIUE, she also completed the Truck Driver Training program at Lincoln Land Community College and earned her CDL.
In 2023, during her final semester of business school, Erin began the Diesel Technologies program at Lincoln Land Community College, too. The program taught her more than she ever could have imagined and gave her lots of hands-on experience in everything diesel related. As part of her training, she interned at Cummins in Normal, Illinois, where she worked on a variety of machines like semis, tugboats, fire trucks, rail units, rock crushers, road mills, and massive Komatsu mining trucks. After graduating from the Diesel Technologies program in May of 2025 at age 22, Erin began driving full time for her family’s trucking company. That summer, she hauled asphalt on the night shift, delivering loads to major road projects throughout Springfield, Illinois, and along Interstate 55 while working alongside her dad.
When asphalt season ended, it was time for the shop’s annual winter project. This year, Erin was next in line with her project truck – a 1986 Peterbilt 359. “We tore it down, sanded for what felt like years, and painted every square inch of the truck. Just laying out the tape to paint the stripes took four days, but seeing the truck come together made all the hard work worth it,” said Erin proudly. Finishing the truck just in time to debut it at the Mid-West Truck & Trailer Show in Peoria, Illinois in February 2026, it earned 1st place in the 1980-1995 class, along with the Drivers’ Choice award, and, of course, Erin was also chosen to receive the Kameron Wilken Young Entrepreneur Award.
Today, Erin feels fortunate to split her time between the road and the shop, and she plans to continue expanding her skills as a driver and a diesel technician. One of the things she enjoys most about the industry is the variety it offers – from long nights hauling asphalt during the busy season to winter months spent rebuilding and restoring classic trucks like the 359. As the 4th generation in a family business rooted in traditional trucking values, Erin Barrick is proud to carry on that legacy by upholding the work ethic, pride, and respect that built the industry. Like Kameron said in an interview, “Keep your head in the game, stay motivated, and make each day better than the day before.” Sage advice from a young man gone too soon!
As a final note this month, me and Warren got married on June 22, 2024, and after a short 3-hour search, we found Kam’s old “Gold Digger” truck in Iowa and bought it. Today, we run this truck together and take it to truck shows as a tribute to Kameron. God works his miracles in mysterious ways, for sure, and whether we understand them or not, we are thankful that He is always in control.