Griselda Lucero

March 6, 2019

Instructor: Joseph FurlongENG 21002

Reading reflections

1. Ricks source of data was first hand encounters, he visited Iowa 80 which is a famous truck stop. He conducted interviews with many truck drivers as well as employees at the facilities offered in this location. He did a good job observing and describing the environment in which Iowa 80 is located and the envoirnent the truck drivers have created.2. Rick did not go into this culture with an idea of what truck drivers should be perceived as but instead he approaches this community with an open mind and an attitude of understanding truck drivers daily routines. What he learned was incredible, and I believe it was something he did not expect. For example he observed how the truck business isn’t as it once was. The money in the business isn’t as good as it was before and many drivers and facing financial difficulties. They are separated from their homes for long periods of times and while on the road the drivers even face life threatening challenges such as robbery.3. He shows that there are different races in this culure and that is has changed over time. He also acknowledges that women have also risen to become a new “norm” in this culture and that the community is changing but that there is still a tradition of having a drivers “code”4. The culture is describes is the truck drivers that pass the Iowa 80 truck stop on their job for a place to rest, get nutrition and even look for entertainment from the locals or other truck drivers. He observes the difficulties and advantages of being a truck driver and even the form of language they use with one another. He notices that this culture does not target a set of people but a broad audience for example, majority is men and white but black men aand women are taking over the new job wave.5. I do believe the writing of the author convinces me because he gives direct names and locations of the people and environment being described. He gives face to face interviews that make his observation compelling. I feel as if the author put himself in the shoes of a truck driver or atleast tried to, to become part of the culture.6. I do understand at a certain extent what it is to be part of the culture, I know they face hard hours and days away from their loved one to provide a living. I do understand that they have a language of their own that has been created over the years to help communicate with one another. But I also understand that this truck stop is one of many that make up a culture because it is a part of their daily routine of truck drivers. They depend of truck stops to get a source of food, entertainment and rest.