A Tribute to Our Trucker Buddy - John Boyles!

Welcome back to our show “Truckers Have Feelings" - this is Episode 7. Last week we talked about my time with a trucking company in Eastern Canada and how there were certain truckers who made my time in that, not so friendly office, a good time. Today I want to honour one of those truckers who did just that , made my time in Eastern Canada tolerable and when interacting with guys like John , I had some good laughs and great memories. John Boyles was a great guy who was kind and cared about his fellow truckers. He wasn’t an aggressive type of guy to anyone in the office where I worked, when things bothered him he would lean on his trucker Buddys to help him navigate through the crap thrown his way. From what I have learned since knowing John and from what his family and friends have told me, he had a love for cooking, not canned soups or prepared meals but creating a good meal especially when using a barbecue - he was what you would call …a skilled barbecue chef. Now there was one place in particular where he enjoyed helping to cook pancakes and preparing sausages and that was at the church suppers throughout the year when they had special supper events for the public. He loved working around the old folks and helping out - he was very respectful in these crowds. Now I am not saying John was perfect, flawless nope not at all …but he was kind, he would help if he could, he would tell you right the way it was if he didn’t agree or was tired of your bullshit but he certainly wasn’t mean or disrespectful. Now during Johns time in trucking he was known for his kindness, delivering on time and picking up on time. There is a saying that John should of had tattooed on his forehead, well maybe not really, but it described him to the letter … “slow and steady wins the race!" Now in no way am I saying he was lazy, non caring … nope not at all - in fact just the opposite - he cared about safety, he cared about others on the road. Now I am sure there were times he had no patience for some of the drivers on the public highways that caused him grieve but he was still a kind, caring fella. Dispatch wasn’t always kind to John though, sometimes they took advantage of him but he still plugged along doing the best he could do and he was upfront and honest from day one - he would say “Do not put a load on me that needs to be rushed” - it’s simple that was not his thing - slow and steady was who John was because he cared about public safety. He never faulted on a load - when a load was on Johns truck you could rely on the fact it would be there as promised and in great condition. One thing I learned about John Boyles after his passing in 2019 was he had a large network of friends and he was loved by so many and he left us all with good memories, laughs and lasting impressions that we can carry to our end. For most it takes time to earn peoples trust however John was one of those guys if you made a good impression on him from the beginning he was a good friend for the rest of your life BUT if you took advantage of his kindness and did him wrong …. Well he wasn’t the kind of guy, to get people back in an evil way, but you weren’t getting back in his circle of trust - and I am here to tell you that was your loss not his. He really didn’t have a lot of patience for bullshit - but he did have lots of patience for a good joke and some good laughs. I will say this, my friend John well he was a kinda of stubborn kind of guy lol, and I mean this with a ton of respect to him but when he was right … well … lets just say he was right! Lol Even if he was completely off the mark, he was still right but that was just who he was and he was loved for who he was …. John Boyles was the real deal! Now I realize people aren’t always stupid and they do realize there are human beings behind the wheels of the Big Rigs but a lot of times you hear people making ignorant remarks or assumptions about what they think Truckers are. I am here to tell you John and Lloyd, who I spoke of last week are the type of guys that are the real deal, the type of human beings that we were proud to know and now we miss them a whole bunch. These are the type of truckers you would want on the highways! You know John had his canine partner,Bear, with him in his truck a lot - most times you can always tell the type of character a person has by the way they treat an animal - his partner, Bear, passed and it broke his heart as they were inseparable - but now they get to hang out together up yonder and look after each other. There is not a lot of time that passes that John is not thought of or talked about in a good way and even now we can have a laugh, not at Johns expense but in his honour and keeping his memory alive! To sum this up: - John loved his Mom, Dad and sister and all of his family. - John was very particular of his steak on the Barbecue though and he didn’t let the reins go when it came to cooking - He was strong as an ox but yet so gentle with everyone. - John loved to go 4 wheeling, spending time with the farm boys: - he had many aliases and all were given out of respect and fun … here is a quick list of some of his names - JB, The Reverend, Johnny, The Bull, Johnny Cab, Farm Security and Bouncer Johnny. - he had a great sense of humour and a big heart. - One thing a lot of people didn’t know about John was that he was a good dancer and for being a big man he was quite light on his feet I’ve been told. Anyone who knew John can take comfort in knowing that he made a positive mark in so many peoples lives and that he leaves so many fond memories behind - he has left his mark on all of us one way or another. I would like just to take a second and share a poem which seems fitting in this case: Those we love don’t go away, They walk beside us each and every day. Unseen, unheard, but always near to us So loved, so missed my trucker friend Your engine has been shut down for an eternal rest Don’t worry we will not let your memory die and fall into the dust on any given day - its been a pleasure to have known you In every single way! Rest easy my friend, until we meet again! Thank you for listening to this show Truckers Have Feelings - if you would like to keep up to date when new shows are published click subscribe and we will keep these episodes coming. Take care and keep safe - Over and Out!