FIXTITLE Terry Belbeck.docx

HAPPY CHANCE

Legend Nominee: Terry Belbeck

Throughout this maze, we call life with you as your own guide, where you are at this very moment has been your doing. This is how your life was meant to be. Nominated Legend, Terry Belbeck’s scenario played out as such; study Dairy Science at Michigan State University and run a dairy farm. Right on schedule and a year later he found an entirely new purpose that involved gravel trains and semi-trucks.

As far back as you may remember, we have all been preparing for our adult lives since childhood. As young children, parents or teachers would quiz us about what we wanted to do or “be” when we grew up. We would write short stories about our dream jobs or have career days, when we welcomed role models to come and speak to us about how important their professions were. I wanted to be a veterinarian, which I guess isn’t too far-fetched being that I love animals, but now as an adult my patience and allergies beg to differ. My kid reached for the stars when she told her third grade teacher that she wanted to work at McDonald’s because they had good fries and milk shakes. That’s my girl! Funny how we base our lives around what we deem priorities. To her, having ice cream available 24-7 is all that mattered. In Terry’s world, farming was the only way to go, until another door opened…

Every opportunity we’re given and the circumstances resulting from our decisions affect all aspects of life: the past, present and future. Are there things from your past that you see now as a wrong move? Of course, who don’t? But you may have missed out on learning things about yourself had you not went that specific route. Have you met people that have dramatically altered your life? Again, of course you have. This group of eminent people appear throughout our lives, sometimes when we least expect them. Some state that their paragon was a parental figure or a close friend, maybe a spouse or co-worker. We favor these individuals for their originality and either connect through similarities or a need to better oneself.

The outcome of finding our own path will prove that we are all blindly following fate in hopes that we are venturing down the correct roads. Even with the best of intentions and years of planning, a person’s entire life can take an unexpected turn by a single choice. There is not a person on this Earth that has made all the right decisions, without owning a few mistakes. It’s during the times of struggle that bear the desire for change. In the process of change we seek answers, maybe a sign or solution. When we find ourselves on track, life finds a way to line everything back in order. You can then build on that harmony and learn what decisions are improving your life. To excel means to surpass; in turn, you have outsmarted yesterday’s you.

“Your life is meant to be an epic story. How you think, perform and live today is part of that script.”

*Robin Sharma/author & leadership speaker

Change of Plans

Born in Ypsilanti, Michigan Terry Belbeck’s family resided on a small dairy farm where they raised Registered Jerseys. Both of his parents worked full-time, his mother tended to him and his older sister along with the farm, while his father worked at Ford Motor Company as a pipe fitter. By the age of ten, Terry was filling in for his father around the farm milking cows and cleaning the barns. At twelve years old, he was running tractors and bailing hay. Also, around that time Terry noticed his uncle’s trucks. Never was he able to ride with him, but seeing the gasoline tankers up close was enough for him to get hooked.

After high school, Terry went on to college with hopes to run a dairy farm of his own. Three semesters in, the cost of tuition was putting their family over budget. There was only one other option he considered, but in secret his new direction was met with excitement from years of curiosity and fascination. Terry set his eyes on attaining a new goal.

He immediately got his chauffeurs license and began hauling grain for a local farmer. The first truck he landed in was an old Ford Louisville 9000, white with red stripes. He stayed on for a year before moving on to a larger grain farm. While working for a company out of Jackson, Michigan he decided that he was ready to take trucking to the next step. Terry explains, “This trucking company had these gorgeous Cabovers and Freightliners they used for over the road. All of them were painted up and everything. I fell in love with the look of them, how fancy and sharp they were. I knew then that I wanted in one of them! So, that’s how I started my career running over the road.” Switching from local work tested Terry’s driving skills in several ways, especially up north. For the following five years, Terry traveled all over, typically out two weeks at a time. “It’s so different today than how it used to be. But having experience driving a truck before going over the road is huge. That’s the one thing I would suggest… make sure you give yourself time to train and learn before you just take off for all 48 states. Do some regional work or plenty of local jobs, so you can adapt to the weather conditions and how they affect the road. I was born and raised in Michigan, the snow doesn’t bother me. When I drove gravel trains, I really had to focus and be patient because I had to pull two trailers with that much weight. They grossed 154,000 pounds combined. That’s where having experience came in handy.” After five years of hauling freight across the nation, then another five pulling gravel trains Terry landed a local job driving for the same Ford Motor Company that his father worked at. That same year was big for him, a job change among other things.

“To have the rewards that very few have, do the things that very few people are willing to do.” *

Great Addition

In 1999, Terry was introduced by a mutual friend to his future bride, Lisa. The following year, the two were wed and Terry gained a son, Jefferey. Though he married into the family when Jefferey was 13, he accepted the role as Jefferey’s father, as he boasts with pride describing how awesome it is having Jefferey as his son. “I know that in our situation he is my stepson, but I call him my son and he calls me dad. I just think the world of him! He is 30 now and I’d love for him to go with me in the truck, but his schedule is busy with work and all,” Terry said. He goes on stating how his life has taken on a whole new meaning, as a father and a husband. With positive role models like his parents, Terry knew that providing for his new family would be a great responsibility, but like his passion for trucking; constantly pursuing it and never letting his devotion come to a halt, he knew that by adding these two new additions to his life could only make it better.

Aside from being an avid hunter during turkey and deer season, he heads straight home every chance he gets. He says, “I’m very much a home person. I try to get as much quality time with them and our two dogs as I can. They’re what is truly important to me and so it’s important that I show them that.”

For eight years Terry stayed on at the Ford Motor Company. He was then requested to transfer to a different location. Not wanting to relocate his family, he and Lisa discussed their options. Together they took a buy out and applied the funds towards Terry’s next business venture. “I bought a tool truck and sold Mac tools for two years. When the economy fell, the tool business dropped too. I lost everything. It was tough and I went back to trucking over the road, but my wife was very understanding. With me being gone a lot, she was used to it because she grew up in the military and learned to deal with her father being gone a good bit. Plus, with me away it worked out for my son. He had his personal time alone with his mom. We made it work by finding the good in it all,” Terry said.

Through a few of his connections made while selling Mac tools, his next job presented itself. It was not the typical trucking gig; also, not an opportunity one could pass up. He landed a position with Kalitta Motorsports, driving semi transporters and working maintenance on the race cars during the events. In 2010, Terry joined a professional drag racing team and hit the road.

“We were gone a month at time. Testing started in January and the races went from February to November, there were 24 races out of the year. When we would do the West Coast swing, we went to Denver to California, then up to Seattle before we came back home. That was the only thing, being gone from my family for that long. It helped that Lisa and Jeff came to a lot of the races. They made it out to Vegas when we raced there. They flew to Washington when we raced in Seattle. I can’t count the times they came to Chicago and Ohio to watch. Pretty much all the local races, they came to. Jeff loved it! It was fun while it lasted.”

Terry knew that being away from home that length of time was not what he wanted. Finding the silver lining allowed him to bring some excitement into his son’s life. His priority was his family, their stability and balance. Their support meant everything to Terry, but not at the expense of being together. So, if leaving the race world meant more home time, Terry knew the obvious needed to be done.

“An extraordinary life is all about daily, continuous improvements in the areas that matter most.” *

The Bigger Picture

Terry went back to doing local work driving gravel trains. When winter arrived, he was laid off. Someone once said, the beautiful thing about setbacks is that they introduce us to our strengths. Every time Terry was faced with an issue, he was never alone. Each obstacle brought his family closer, that’s where he finds his courage. To do well for them, meant finding a way for himself.

It was during his off season when he discovered DB Kustom Trucks, a program created by brothers, Dan and Dave Brown that provide a platform for Owner Operators to grow their own business while driving a custom designed truck. Often drivers assist with the creation of each project, allowing the design of their dream truck to become a reality. Every DB Kustom Truck is fully detailed from the interior doors and seats, to the exterior paint selections and unique murals; making each custom rig the precise style needed to represent the individual owner. Terry’s first step was acknowledging to himself that he was ready to step out on his own. With much research and Lisa’s support, he contacted Dave Brown to move forward.

“I was more than ready to work for myself. I needed a challenge and was tired of making everyone else money. I went in with an open mind, knowing that I wasn’t going to be a millionaire overnight. You must work for what you have. It’s that work ethic that will get you there. I’ve worked like this since I was a kid, I just needed the right opportunity. What Dan and Dave have here IS that opportunity, not just for me, but for other Owner Operators. Never would I have got a truck like this if it weren’t for what Dan and Dave do. You can’t jump in it and think that’s it! You got to go out and do the work in it. And in this business, you have to learn to take the good with the bad and practice lots of patience. Pulling a tanker can be intimidating. It has definitely made me more tolerant. I thought I was a patient person until my first loaded tank and I started shifting gears. I wasn’t as smooth as I thought I was! Just slow down and remember, everybody’s family is out here on the road too. Going that extra 5 or 10 miles faster isn’t safe. Know that! With patience and hard work, together they make you appreciate the beauty of owning your custom designed truck.”

Lisa and Terry picked out one of Dan’s builds, Dark Side of The Moon. They learned to lean on each other during their toughest times, so when it came down to making any decisions, they made them together. The colors of the truck are purple and black. Lisa loved the purple and Terry favored the black. He says, “Lisa was a part of it every step of the way. The whole concept of that truck was perfect for us.” Terry just celebrated his one year anniversary with DB Kustom Trucks. Over his span of 32 years driving professionally, he has a total of 4.5 million lifetime miles. When he came onboard with DB Kustom Trucks, he wanted to build not only his dream truck, but a trucking career that he can continue to expand. Through DB Kustom Truck’s mentor program he has the guidance and resources to ensure his success and the future of his business. His goal is to purchase a couple more trucks and give that same opportunity he was given a year ago, to other drivers.

“See your life as a great adventure. Keep pushing the envelope, and remember that every dream starts off small.” *

Dark Side of The Moon

2007 Peterbilt 379

550 HP Caterpillar Engine 13-Speed Transmission

3.36 Rear Ends

70 IN Sleeper

272 IN Wheel Base

8 IN Straight Pipes

Interior: Purple & Chrome throughout (including dash & carpet)

Kenwood Stereo System: Eight 6x9 IN speakers w/two 12 IN subwoofers underneath the bunk