Professional drivers and trucking companies give so much to the nation. Without them, the Wreaths Across America mission to remember, honor, and teach would be nearly impossible. Veterans’ wreaths move by planes, trains, ships, and livestock trailers, but trucks and their professional drivers transport the lion’s share of America's respect. In 2023, to be specific, 717 truckloads of wreaths were delivered, representing 332 different carriers and partners.
In November and December, one of the busiest periods of the year for the transportation sector, the Wreaths Across America mission brings drivers together in an effort of unparalleled unity. With a positive, “can-do” work ethic, these professionals make it possible for Americans to honor millions of veterans laid to rest at home and overseas. In 2024, with over 4,300 participating locations, in addition to Arlington National Cemetery, transportation logistics are immense.
Many of these drivers are military veterans and say the truckload of fresh balsam-fir wreaths is the most precious cargo they transport in their careers. Wreaths Across America shares their stories in the “Trucking Tributes” feature online and on Wreaths Across America Radio and Sirius XM, Channel 146, Road Dog Trucking.
When you’re raised around trucks the industry tends to get into your blood and that’s how the story goes for so many professional drivers. Its Bill Prices’ story too albeit in Bill’s case his father really didn’t want him following in his footsteps. “My dad was a little squeamish about me going into trucking,” Bill explained. “Even though he did it all his life he wanted something different for me, but my uncles threw me up in their tractors when I was a young kid and it stuck with me. I’m the oldest out of seven children and all of us went into trucking except one brother who is a design engineer. When other kids were bringing their Camaro’s and 4-wheel drives to school, I was bringing a Kenworth because I had to deliver a load after school. You couldn’t do that today of course, but that’s how it was when I was a kid.”
Like so many before him, it was the freedom of the open road that appealed to Bill. “I liked the different scenery and going to new places and meeting different people along the way.” He liked it so much that he’s been a professional driver for forty years. His wife Kim has been by his side for many of those years but took a break from the road to have their son. She also took the time to become a nurse. Kim and Bill lost their son, William Harlan Price at age 25 to illness in 2020, and because of COVID restrictions at the time, they were separated from their son at the time of his death. “That was really hard you know,” Bill expressed. “He was never alone in his life. One of us was always with him when he was growing up, mostly his mother because they were two peas in a pod. He was a good kid. He wasn’t a trucker. He was good with video game codes and computers, but every May when he was in school, he was in the truck with me for the summer.” Kim added, “He was my best friend.”
Today, Kim also works for Tri-Star Freight Systems as a Logistics Coordinator and Bill’s dispatcher. They may not always agree on a load, but they do admit they make a pretty good team. “She also takes care of the import and export. We do a lot of military and household goods. They come from overseas and she puts loads together and we go all over the country with them, Idaho, Utah, New Mexico, California. She puts all the intricate stuff together you know what I mean?” Both Kim and Bill have nothing but positive things to say about Tri-Star’s owner, Kathleen Garrison Nance. “I know it sounds kind of cliché, but they treat you like family,” Bill shared. “I can walk right into the owner’s office. I’ve got the most respect for her too because you never know the pressure she’s under. She runs it very well. I can’t even imagine. I’ve just got one truck to worry about and she’s got employees spread throughout the country at different terminals. This is one of the best company’s I’ve worked for.”
Bill and Kim go on to describe their involvement with Wreaths Across America with equal gratitude and enthusiasm. “I consider it an honor and a privilege to participate with Wreaths Across America and Kim feels the same way. We’re treated like royalty up there in Maine and we can’t wait for the week after Thanksgiving because we know we’re headed to Maine.”
Bill is a member of the Honor Fleet. He hauls America’s respect in the form of those fresh, handmade balsam fir veterans’ wreaths from Maine to the St. Louis cross dock and then on to Houston. “We’ve been end-to-end, and I have yet to meet anybody with Wreaths Across America that didn’t appreciate and enjoy their experiences, and it’s a lot of work, but you always get the feeling that it’s not something I have to do, it’s something I get to do! There are so many good people across the country involved.”
Bill says it’s a privilege and honor that humbles he and his wife every year. “Our boss gives us two weeks paid to participate with Wreaths Across America on top of the fuel and truck. She likes the way that Kim and I represent Tri Star. It’s an incredible feeling. I just can’t say enough about the whole deal.”
Thank you, Bill and Kim Price and all the folks at Tri Star Freight Systems, for helping support the mission to remember, honor, and teach.
If you’d like to join the Wreaths Across America Honor Fleet, you can get started with a click right here!
You can hear more with Bill and Kim on Trucking Tributes, which can be listened to every Truckin’ Tuesday at 11:00 AM and again at 4:00 PM EST on Wreaths Across America Radio and Wednesday at 8:30 AM EST on Sirius XM Channel 146, Road Dog Trucking Radio.
Sponsor a wreath at the RadioNemo Wreaths Across America Page.
Discover the Trucking Tributes archive playlist on Soundcloud.com