FIXTITLE Troy French.docx

ALWAYS ON THE MOVE

The Story

Of

Troy French

As the middle child of a family living on a ranch of horses and cattle, Troy French took to the cowboy life shadowing his father’s every move. His mother worked full time as a chemist at a local oil company in California and his dad spent every day before sun up until sun down managing the ranch. Together they raised their three children all the same, each with their share of farm chores; living the real life-style of ranching. However, only one of the kids expressed true interest in the traditions of a being a cowboy. Tending to cattle all of his life, Troy’s father quickly noticed his son’s natural abilities were very similar to his, but at a much younger age. Troy was a natural. He can recall being on a horse with his mom, riding bareback as a small child. By four years old, he had his own horse. The first of many.

Growing up Troy’s grandparents operated a successful rodeo company in the same area of California. With more exposure to horses, Troy became comfortable riding and began competing. He entered his first rodeo at age 12, on the junior level. Then, continuing to advance until 18. About that time he started to favor another hobby.

When Troy was only five years old and his parents traveled to various rodeos, he would curl up and go to sleep in the floorboard of their pickup. At the truck stops they frequented, his mom and dad would wake him up to look at all of the big trucks with their bright lights turned on parked around him. As a young boy, amazed and intrigued by the large tractors he would lay down at night in his bed with his window open so he could hear the semi-trucks drive by his house until he drifted off to sleep. Often times he would turn on the radio and listen to the late night discussions of trucking on the local dial. The old school conversations of trucks, from drivers and about drivers continued to pull Troy in.

His grandparents that owned the rodeo company also had a hot-shot business on the side. Over time, the rodeo slowed down and his family relied more on trucking. Being proud of his agriculture based background, he wanted a career tapping into either his cowboy roots and remaining in that field or driving a truck. Troy always knew that those were his two main options. Troy stayed involved in both aspects until he was forced to pick a priority. The ranch was embedded into his entire childhood. His list of responsibilities with the livestock and participating in rodeos all shaped and help develop his character. Trucking however, had a stronghold around his heart. The more he learned about trucks and where that life could take him, there was never a doubt that his life journey was going to led him to the big road.

Troy had never crossed the lines of California until he reached 13 on a trip out to Oklahoma for a show. That was all the confirmation he needed. After returning home, he told his parents that as soon as he was 18 his plans were to leave California and move to Oklahoma. With Troy’s words influencing his parents, a year later they all relocated to a ranch in his new favorite state. A couple of years passed and in 1999 his grandparents sold their company after 14 years of business to join the rest of the family. In his mid-teens, Troy was still a diehard agriculturist and continued doing rodeos and 4H activities. At 18, immediately after graduating high school that following Saturday he left out on his first load. He had gained plenty of experience and a world of confidence from trucking for his family’s business. For what may have seemed like decades to Troy, the day had finally arrived. He was able to jump in his truck and take off.

The career choice he made proved to be exactly what he needed. In order to be a cowboy you must possess self-discipline, patience, and a work ethic unafraid of physical labor. To make a living as a professional trucker weeks at a time, unloading and reloading again on and off the truck can be demanding, as well. The highlight to his decision is the fact that Troy is talented enough to do both, but trucking provides him with a satisfaction that can’t be found within a job that does not entail traveling. Staying put in one place for too long is not a preference for his spontaneity. His wife Jenny, refers to Troy as a gypsy. Which in turn, ended up being the name of his current truck, Gypsy Soul. Like any trucker at heart, they have to keep moving.

Troy stayed gone a week at a time, only returning home long enough to do laundry and maybe go out on a date, then back out on the road again. At 22, he was ready to get in a big truck, so he quit running hot-shot altogether. In order to land a position to drive a commercial truck he needed to obtain his CDL first. He enrolled in trucking school and found a company through the program that was in need of new drivers. Even though Troy was familiar with trucking, his résumé said otherwise. There were only a few companies willing to place drivers with little to no experience of driving over the road behind the wheel. He knew that once he got in with that one trucking company, then he would be able to prove himself. The company was based in Iowa. They placed him in a blue, flat top Peterbilt 379 pulling flatbed all over the country. This time he was out two months each trip. For four years, Troy remained with the company living his dream and doing what he loved. He switched companies running more regional areas, but stayed on the same route hauling structural steel in order to be closer to home. After two years, he found himself needing to get back to driving over the road.

During this time, Jenny was pregnant with their oldest child, Eli. Troy took a job hauling big horse trailers for a trailer company that his grandparents were once a dealer for back when they owned their company in California. Being one-way freight, Troy was able to be home every week. A couple of years later, he went to work for Jenny’s family doing local work at their feed mill delivering grain. He enjoyed being home more with his growing family, but Jenny was aware that her husband was miserable not being able to truck. Troy explains, “I absolutely hated it. I can’t stay in one place. I got to be movin’!” With that said, the couple agreed on what he had to do.

In February of 2010 Troy purchased a blue 2005 Peterbilt 379. Immediately, they had it repainted, the whole nine yards before they even brought it home. Gypsy Soul was painted black, the blue interior was replaced with American Class interior, and given a 475 Caterpillar engine, 18-speed with 336 rears. He found an outfit out of Little Rock, Arkansas to lease on to. The following year he entered his first truck show, spur of the moment. A few friends had mentioned doing the Dallas show and he signed up too. Troy took home the trophy for third place in the Working Class Combo category. Not too shabby for his first time competing and not knowing exactly how to prepare or what to expect. Two months later, he entered another truck show in Fort Worth, Texas and won third place again. In hopes of taking another trophy home, Troy planned to enter the GATS in 2012. A turn of events took place and made it impossible to do so. Troy was hit head on causing major damage to his truck. Luckily, nobody involved in the accident was seriously injured. It took over two and a half months and $30,000 to get Gypsy Soul back up and running. Three days before the Fort Worth truck event after missing the deadline for GATS, Troy entered the truck show and won second place for the Working Class Bobtail division.

In 2013, Troy got his authority and started his own business. In honor of his wife and son, they branded the company Jet Logistics after Jenny, Eli, and himself. He leased two more drivers on and states that he would be comfortable bringing one or two more onboard. “Five is a good, odd number. I would like to be able to drive when I want to, instead of when I have to so that I can be home more. But I’m okay with doing what I have to for now. I want to keep building something to offer my family. Something to give to my kids.” Considering their household grew by two when their set of twin girls came into the picture. Charlie and Jolie are now two and Eli is eight. I can see why Troy’s home-time is extremely valuable. Over his span of 22 years, he has earned close to 2 million miles. Seeing the country, especially the beautiful, open parts throughout Montana is one of Troy’s favorite benefits of trucking. He says, “People pay good money to vacation out there. I get paid to see it, so it’s like I get a vacation every week!”

When Troy is home he enjoys spending all of his free time with his family. They still reside in Oklahoma on 20 acres of land with their horses. Down the road they have another 250 acres for their cattle. His kids have fun too helping feed all of the animals. He admits there are days when the business runs into their family time, but explains how understanding Jenny is. “Sometimes it is hard to separate the trucking side from our quality time, but she is very accepting.” After all, the two have known each other over half their lives. She knows his heart and that his intentions are pure. Both are from the same small county and dated briefly in high school. The two instantly hit it off, but were headed in opposite directions. Troy was in his prime competing in rodeos and hanging out at the drag races on the weekends. Jenny knew that they were looking for different things at the time. She left to attend Stillwater College about three hours away, but they remained friends. She didn’t leave without planting a seed. “Jenny told me that when I was ready to grow up, to come back and see her,” Troy said with a laugh. Almost five years went by before Troy called her up. The two agreed to meet for dinner and things took off from there. They dated for a year, got engaged, and were married in 2003.

Jenny describes her husband as a compassionate man that is dedicated and driven. He takes pride in his work and his family; in which both receive nothing less than 110%. His loyalty to his customers and providing them with the best service possible is how he has given his company a respectable name, as well as built a reputation of honesty through his actions. In doing business with his clients, there is absolutely no paperwork. “My customers are a blessing! I have a one-on-one relationship with each one. I’ll call them two or three times a week and we interact on Facebook all of the time. I’m a family oriented guy, many companies value that just like I do. I handle everything with a handshake, not on paper. They know when I say I’m going to be there, I’m going to be there. Just like I know that their money will be in my bank account when it’s all said and done.” He adds, “Jenny jokes around saying that I trust too much.” His faith in people and the integrity he pours into his work is exactly how he sees the world and how it should be. As Jenny stated, “Trucking is his passion and it shows through his work. Troy has taken that love and passion for the industry and slowly built our trucking company. He has shown our children that with enough hard work and dedication that anything is within reach. He is a role model for them and for that I am very grateful.”

PEOPLE HELPING PEOPLE

In 2011, Troy became a member of the Chi-Town Large Cars trucking club. He serves as the South Chapter Sergeant of Arms, assisting new members in getting acquainted with other members. He helps answer questions or concerns regarding the club’s guidelines. Any issues that may arise from prospects interested in joining the internationally-known club is also in his wheelhouse. All matters that he can’t answer alone, he gets help from his fellow members to resolve. The trucking club is a brotherhood consisting of over 150 members throughout three countries that band together for the greater good of less fortunate people. CTLC is a non-profit organization, originally established in Chicago that raises money for families in need, children fighting cancer, and police officers that have laid down their lives for our nation. All proceeds collected at the many CTLC’s truck shows and fundraisers go directly to each benefit held on their behalf. The two original founders are Mario Terzo Jr. and his closest friend, Kris Santoianni (Kut), both from the Chicago area.

The two were brought together by trucking, grew as family, and have impacted the realm of trucking like the sun to a flower. They take people that have been affected in life, who are wilted with pain and shower them with love and appreciation. These men ignited a fire in the hearts of many men and women in trucking. They showed them a way to use their love and shine a light into the darkest of places. As a whole, they give hope to people that feel as if all they have left is sorrow. If only for a day or through a donation, the club members of CTLC join in complete unity and set aside all personal matters in order to lift up those that are overcome with tragedy.

Shortly after CTLC was originated, Mario passed away shattering the heart of his best friend left behind. Kris took his grief and sadness and used it to build CTLC into the honorable trucking club it is today. With the support and effort from his large club family, every charity event is for the memory of Mario to live on.

Troy’s proudest moment as a club member came at this year’s 11th Annual Chi-Town Large Cars truck show in August. The honorees were the Wonder family. Seth, their son was born with an astounding number of health issues. CTLC raised over $10,000 and presented the family with their check at the truck event. Little Seth was given a special gift from Troy, but in return Troy received a memory that continues to tug at his heart. A straw hat that Troy wore back when he was a young teenager riding horses became like his own personal hero’s cape. That straw hat may appear old and a bit dusty, but it carries with it many years of surviving life’s good days and bad days. While standing next to Seth during the presentation, Troy looked own at Seth only to catch Seth’s eyes looking back at his straw hat. In one split second Troy knew… he reached up above his head and removed the straw hat and placed it upon Seth’s little head, both exchanging a smile as if they had a secret understanding. In that special moment Seth’s mother asked Troy if he was sure and he responded through tears with, “This hat has done me good, it will treat him well too. He needs this hat.” They were all brought to tears in accepting Troy’s gift, knowing how much that straw hat must have meant to him, unaware of the gift they imprinted on his heart forever. In those few minutes, Troy realized what the meaning behind being a club member of Chi-Town Large Cars was all about.

“Troy, I would like to thank you for providing a positive role model for our kids. Thank you for showing them that if there is a will, there is a way and that if you work hard nothing is impossible. Thank you for building our dream of owning our own company and turning it into a reality for us. A reality that I love. Most of all, I am very proud of you!”

-Jenny French