Article Photos

WASHINGTON, W.Va. - Parkersburg native Brent Darnold grew up playing with toy trucks and watching his father, Danny Darnold, compete in state and national truck driving competitions.

"I was just always fascinated by big trucks and seeing my dad drive one. Naturally, you want to follow in your dad's footsteps," Darnold said.

Both father and son have spent more than 20 years in the truck driving industry, hauling essential products throughout West Virginia and across state lines, and both men have won the National Truck Driving Championships. Darnold and his dad are the only father and son in West Virginia who have both won the prestigious award.

"For me, I always wanted to be a truck driver," said Darnold. "I feel like this is what I'm supposed to be doing. I'm not tied down to an office, and I get to see a lot of new places when I travel."

During the first week of November, the U.S. observes National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. Darnold said he hopes people realize how much commitment and hard work go into the trucking industry.

"I feel like sometimes truck drivers are not seen in a positive way, and most people have never even heard of the National Truck Driving Championships," he said. "Eighty percent of all communities rely exclusively on truck drivers to deliver their products. There's a lot of responsibility that comes with the profession."

Darnold has worked for Airgas Mid-America for 20 years, hauling industrial gases to factories and medical oxygen to hospitals and nursing homes. When he first started out in 1983 he drove long distances, spending days on the road. Today, Darnold drives locally.

"It was difficult driving long distances. You have constant deadlines, and sometimes it could get lonely," he said. "And there is the responsibility that comes with driving an 80,000-pound vehicle. A true professional driver has to look out for himself and other drivers on the road."

In 1968 and 1974, Darnold watched his father take home the gold belt buckle, the coveted prize awarded to national truck driving champions. In 2005, Darnold won his own gold belt buckle after winning the national 3-axle championship.

His achievement at the national level came after winning several awards at the state level. Darnold is a five-time state champion, with five silver belt buckles to show for it.

"The whole idea behind the National Truck Driving Championships is to promote safety," he said. "The drivers who compete are the best of the best, basically all the first-place winners from every state. It felt really good to get that gold buckle and be able to call home and tell my family I finally won."

Competitors at the national level are judged on a personal interview, a driving skills test, a written exam and a pre-trip inspection test. There are around 400 truck drivers competing in eight classes. To qualify for the national championship, the driver must be accident-free in the year leading up to the competition.

Even though Darnold is both a state and national champion, he continues to compete on the state level every year, with his wife, Charlotte, and sons Wade and Nash cheering him on.

Darnold has driven more than one million miles in his career, with more to come.

"Truck driving has changed a lot since I started out in the '80s. The equipment is more sophisticated, laws have changed and there are stricter penalties for violations," he said. "But being a truck driver is still about safety and responsibility, and I'm proud of what I do."