My History.
I was born February 2, 1961. My parents are Hank and Clara Thompson.
I was born in Caldwell County, North Carolina. I have lived within 50 miles of that area most of my life, but my heart is in the mountains of North Carolina.
That is where I really call home and some day I plan to retire there.
I was born with a natural talent. I have been called a child prodigy, but I
simply call it a talent. When I was 3 years old I picked out my first tune on
an organ, Silent Night. My father decided to test me so he taught me my first
song, East Side, West Side. By the time I was 5, I was an accomplished musician. I played by "ear." My parents tried to get me into music lessons but no one would touch me. They said I couldn't be taught because I wasn't in school yet. By the time I was finally accepted into music my teachers said
I already knew too much and was not teachable. I was playing in both public
and in church.  I was doing tours with Gospel music groups and traveling with evangelists. I advanced onto the piano, in fact, anything with a keyboard. Then I decided to move to strings, but I have never done as well as I have with keyboards. The 2 instruments I love the most though, I was never able to learn to play. The Saxophone and the Steel Guitar.
What music I learned was all self-taught. Finally, out of college I tried to make a career out of my music. I have worked for Baldwin and several Gospel Groups, but I could never break into where I wanted to be. My dream was to be the Liberace of Gospel but Dino had already done that and I could never sell. So finally I quit trying and decided to go onto my next love.

Aviation.
I will not name names here, but if you are interested look up airline history between March and September of 1992.
When I went through college and decided to major in Electronics, I really don't know what I was thinking. One of my biggest regrets was I didn't major in computer programming or science. But then again, who would have ever thought computers would be where they are today?  It never crossed my mind. All I knew was, I always had a insatiable curiosity with how things worked and I wanted to understand more. When I was small, I would take the amps out of old tube type radios and make record players out of close-&-plays, tinker toys and radios. (You younger generations don't even know what I'm talking about.) So I did what I enjoyed and studied electronics. I also started taking flying lessons at Cannon Aviation when I was a teenager. I thought the two would at least land me a job as a Avionics  Technician. Right? Wrong. I found out real quick that most airlines sent their avionics out to the vendors for repair cheaper, but I didn't give up. I took the only position available, Janitor. Not a glamorous job, but I was in the door. I made friends rather quickly and was willing to work all hours asked. Every time a job came open, I bid. I moved to courier, then finally got a position as a mechanics apprentice. Thirty months later I tested and received my A&P. (Airframe and Power plant license.) I flew every chance I got on test flights, usually in the right seat, trying to build 1500 hr.'s and continued to work until I received my IA, (Inspectors Authorization) I then moved into parts where I finished my career as a parts inspector. It was there I got my first real experience with computers. The long and short of the story is, the computer had a bad habit of going down of a night. We would have to wait until morning to enter our work orders and we wouldn't get out of there until lunch time then I would have to drive 60 miles home, get a few hours sleep and drive back by 8:00 that night. So I got sneaky and started watching the programmer put in his passwords and watched what he did to reboot the system, which is a little harder than a home computer because every terminal in maintenance was networked into one computer, then that computer was linked into the rest of the system by a modem to the home office. I watched everything. Taking all the terminals off line, rebooting, relinking, everything. Finally, I was doing it myself. After I knew how to get into the system, I learned all kinds of things. Things I wasn't supposed to know. When I finally got caught, I thought it was the end of my career, but I was surprised when my superiors came to my defense. I had saved the company untold thousands in over time costs. It was recommended that I be taught everything about the computer by the head programmer and that I be responsible for back-ups and all night time data entry. I jumped at it. I never realized that was the beginning of the end.
In 1989 we were bought out and I am not going to display name's. The buy out was a joke. It almost put us into bankruptcy several times. Then in 1992, another airline decided to run a promotion called "Parents fly free." Buy a child a ticket at full fare and parents fly free. Well, another airline decided they were going to put a few smaller airlines out of business. They cut rates so low that you could fly from the East coast to the West for under $200.
This started the fare wars of 1992. Buy the time the smoke cleared in August, we were 80 million dollars in debt and even Delta, who had not had a lay off since the 1950's was laying off. When I took a reclassification, I received a new seniority date and I was slated for layoff on Sept. 25, 1992.
Having grown accustomed to a good income and living at my means, layoff was almost devastating. I knew I had to get back to work fast. The Airline was offering to pay for retraining since there were no jobs anywhere in the industry, everyone was laying off. I did not have the luxury of 18 months of college to get updated in digital electronics. I was outdated. I loved to travel, I loved making good money. I knew of only one profession I could get into  that provided both fast, TRUCKING!
Trucking!
The following is a summary of my views on trucking, the life of a trucker, the trucking industry and the public's perception of THE AMERICAN TRUCKER!
Trucking is a profession I have come to Love while at the same time becoming bitter about it. My thought's may be, at times, disjointed and I apologize for that. But trucking has many faces and to try and place them all in order is next to impossible.
I would imagine the best place to start would be trucking in the past, present and the media. I warned you!
Many in my family have driven trucks in the past, but all are either retired or deceased. Since I was young I have heard many truck drivers talk about how their profession was respected. They were considered "White Knights" of the highway. They were the one's who stopped and helped you when you were broke down. They flashed their light's at you when you were headed for a speed trap. And all the girls wanted to be married to a trucker about as much as a doctor or a man in uniform. People realized who we were and what we did. But that was to change in the 70's and 80"s.
America has digressed to the point that nothing sells unless it is sensational. To say that television brought this on first is like asking which came first, the chicken or the egg? I believe it was a number of things too many to list here but television and the American news media had its place in the change. The "Liberal Media" I might add! News is no longer reported, its manufactured to sell now. And that's what happened in the late 70's and early 80's. This effort, if I may give credit where credit is due, was also financed largely in part by the railroad trying to promote inter-modal transportation! So the Media decides to get a few ratings at the expense of truck drivers. A program called 20/20 went out on the road and found the worst of all truck drivers, and did a whole show portraying that all truck drivers were like them. Studies, ordered by the congressional transportation committee at that time showed less than 2% of truckers were like the one's portrayed on 20/20. The drivers on 20/20 showed the camera men how to forge Log Books, buy and use drugs, get prostitutes and run cars off the road. Almost immediately after the show aired, the railroad released it's commercials showing a little girl in the back seat of a car playing with a doll, she looks out her back window and sees a truck driver coming up on the car, she waves at him but he is tired and high!  The truck keeps coming up on her and you see her scream, fade to black with a sign that says, "This little girl would still be alive if this freight had been shipped by rail."
The public was outraged  and demanded that congress do something. Here comes all the special interest groups that smell political money and the biggest of all, the AARP jumps on the band wagon, works up the senior citizens and IT'S on. Congress finally enacts the CDL legislation.  The CDL did more harm than anyone in the public will ever realize. Thousands of trucker's who were safe and courteous lost their license because they couldn't read. Many could not qualify because of a physical impairment that they had been driving with for 30 years and never had a accident. The CDL left a great shortage of experienced drivers. Then we did have problems. Did you happen to notice how the quality of your produce went down and your supermarket bill went sky high?
If I were to tell you there were no bad truck drivers out there I would be a liar. But please tell me of a profession you know where there are no bad people. Even the Ministry has it's bad apples. Is there someone you work with who you believe your work environment would be better off without?
You know there are! So why is trucking so different? Look at the Media!

The Truth About
Trucking
Truck Driving takes a special breed of MAN. Most truck drivers are very lonely people who have given up their life, seeing their children grow up,
all their social life, their health and almost everything you take for granted just to serve you. Think about it! Name me one thing you have a trucker
didn't have a hand in at some point. From the raw material to the finished product a trucker moved it for you. From vegetables grown in California, taken to Tennessee where they were processed, to your grocery store shelf, how do you think they got there? By truck. Remember that when you turn up your nose at a truck driver or jerk your child around because you are passing a truck and the baby wants to wave. We are people just like you. And yes, there are good and bad, but we good one's are trying as hard as we can to weed out the bad one's.

Truck Driving and Me!
I am an owner operator and I am leased on with a company called
USXpress Enterprises Inc.  It is the best company I have ever worked for and as for as I am concerned, it is the best company in the industry.
I was a company driver for many years there. When it came time for my truck to be traded in, I bought it and leased it back with the company.
It is my dream to someday own about 10 trucks, all leased on to US then go into computers and computer design full time. This is a dream and a goal I am working for.
My truck is a Freightliner FLD120. It is powered by a Cummins N-14 diesel engine, a 9 speed Rockwell Transmission and rears. She's not real fancy but she's all mine!!! She has a 72" sleeper and a 242" wheelbase. Roomy!
And yes, I love her! She is Home! Home Sweet Home!
I have been blessed by trucking in more ways than I can count. I have seen all 48 States, Canada and Mexico. The Airlines gave me a opportunity to see a few other countries but trucking gave me the opportunity to see almost all of the greatest nation on the face of the earth. The United States of America. I have seen almost all the major studios in Hollywood with the exception of Paramount which I hope to visit soon, vacation in Las Vegas, see Hoover Dam, the Grand Canyon, Most of the National parks except Yosemite which is still on my list. Run all over the Rocky's. Tour Temple Square in Salt Lake City. Stroll through the deserts of Mojave and Death Valley.
Ride many different Steam Locomotives all over the nation. See the great North West. The Midwest. New England. New England has a beauty all it's own. It's old. I think every part of this country has something to offer in the way of beauty all it's own, But I will always love the hills of North Carolina the most. It is and will always be Home to me.  Yes, I'm Blessed. I have traveled and seen more than 99.9% of the people in the world will ever do in a lifetime. And I did it My Way!
So I hope now you can understand a little about why someone can love and
be bitter at the same time. I am blessed for all the above reasons, yet I gave up a normal life to achieve it. But what hurts the most is, I'm a nice guy. But I am viewed as a sub-human individual because of the profession I choose. I am no more or less than any one else. I'm just me and I'm happy with that.

My Views on Politics!
Most people are afraid to discuss women, politics and religion. Not me!
I'll tell anyone who asks. But I never force feed my views on anyone.
I am very conservative. I vote conservative regardless of party. I loved Ronald Regan and I love Jesse Helms. I believe in God, Freedom, Truth, Justice and the American Dream. I believe in the Constitution. I believe in Voting. It tears me apart when I see American's so complacent and they just don't care anymore. To believe that so much Blood was shed for their freedom yet they won't get out once a year and vote. Then all they do is sit back and complain about the country. My motto is, if you voted I'll listen all day. If you didn't, SHUT UP!!!!!!
I can't think of to much left to say on this subject.

WOMEN!
Let it be stated for the record that these are my views and My views alone!
I believe that if there was ever a mistake in the interpretation of the Bible, it's when God called women the weaker vessel. I do not believe women are misunderstood, I believe they are ignored. I do not believe that women and men speak two different languages, I believe that is a cop out. If Men would take the time to put their ego's aside and listen for a change, they would find women speak with unmistakable clarity. Now having said that I shall put fact with beliefs.
Fact No. 1) Women are what we men have made them. I am not a clairvoyant nor do I claim to be a prophet or psychic. But I saw this current trend coming when I was in High School. If there are two languages, it's with sex and that's it. Women feel with their heads and hearts. A great majorityof men,not all, Well, we all know what they think with. But I can prove, with this simple illustration, that men and women do not speak two different languages. When a woman falls in love with a man, she thinks of security, Love, Children and home. MOST men however, especially when they are young seek to put another notch on their belt. They know what the women are thinking and they play on it until they get their instant gratification. Then the woman is left used and heart broken. I did everything I knew to do to stop my friends and classmates from taking advantage of women in this manor because I knew that you can only walk on a person so long and then they rebel! Look at our society and you see the effects of what men have created. Now they are crying, wondering why they can find a mate that trusts and is willing to give 100% of themselves to a committed relationship.
If you engaged in these self-serving activities, then you are now reaping exactly what you sowed. The sad part is, the ones who did not take advantage are also paying. The two language theory is bunk. Men understand women enough to destroy traditional, loving, caring, trusting relationships. Don't cop out now and cry you'll never understand women.
You understood them well enough to destroy them!
Now women don't trust and they have learned to take care of themselves.
This is where I said that women are no longer the weaker vessel. When women were in the traditional roll of mothers and wives, they depended on men to protect them and provide for them. Those days are gone. If you find a lady who still feels that way she is a child and way to young to marry.
The divorce rate is high, marriages fall apart after only a couple of years, and moral values are gone. How do we rectify this problem? We never will. It pains me to say this. I believe I will die alone and lonely because the day of the happy romantic relationship is over. It can not be changed in this generation. I pray that someday soon young men all over the US will get tired of the way relationships are going and decide to join Promise Keepers and stop using women for their own personal gain. Then as generations pass, you will see the trend going back to the old ways. "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church." Christ gave his life for the church. The attitude today is, " so what if she's gone, I'll find another."
Makes me sick. What ever happened to till death do us part?
I'll tell you what happened. It became to easy to throw away a marriage than to maintain and build one. WE ALL BECAME LAZY!
It takes the Love of Christ to hold a marriage together. It also takes serious work. It takes trust, belief in one another, compromise, determination to make it work regardless of what comes along, a willingness to listen and keep your mouth shut, not be determined to have the last word, suck it up and get over it, but most of all, it takes the ability to put someone else before yourself. If you can't do that, you have failed before you ever started. Funny, I never mentioned Love or Chemistry. Please allow me to address this. I love my truck, I loved my cat, I love my mother and father, but I don't plan to marry any of these. Love is a important part of any relationship but I have met people I loved and could never live with. Love is not the foundation of a relationship. Christ is. You build from the foundation with all the above. Chemistry. That is a joke. Some of the best looking "Hunks" out there beat on their wives ever day to stay in shape. Is that what you are looking for? If looks determine who you date etc. you are in trouble. Some of the nerdiest ugliest people in the world make the best mates and that's all I have to say on that subject!!!
Fact No. 2) Women speak with unmistakable clarity!  I have found once again in the self serving tradition of man, that women know how to express their feelings, they simply are never listened too. Women enjoy expressing themselves, but men never have the time to listen. They simply want to cure the problem and go on with life. Women would rather talk about it. It's real easy to pick up on things when a woman talks. Listen to how she say's things. Meet a lady and want to know if she is seeing someone. Strike up a non-threating conversation and see if she say's "I" or "WE." Real hard ain't it? If she says "I" all the time, either she is not seeing anyone or she is not happy with the person she is seeing and doesn't see her future with that person. Either way, IF SHE'S NOT MARRIED, she's open to suggestions. Ask her out. If she is married for Gods sake please leave her alone! Encourage her to work out her problems.
Don't try and take advantage of her.
This is just one of hundred's of examples I could give you. The funny part is, it works just as well on MEN! What a wonderful two language system we have!

I hope that you have enjoyed reading this and I hope it gives you some insight into me.

Bradley K. Thompson