Code Angel: Guardian Angels of the Highway

Substact - Meals in Minutes ^ | 11 Dec 2025 | Gary Boyler

[plsjr]

"I'm Big Joe. 58. Long-haul trucker.

Been driving 18-wheelers for 34 years. Sleep in my cab. Eat at truck stops. Talk on CB radio to stay awake.

Lonely job. But someone's gotta move America's stuff.

Two years ago, I'm driving through Nebraska. 2 a.m. See a car pulled over. Hazards on.

Woman standing outside. Looking scared.

I pulled over. She backed away when she saw me. I'm 6'4", 280 pounds, covered in tattoos. I get it.

"Ma'am, I'm not stopping to hurt you. I'm stopping to help. What's wrong?"

Her car died. Phone dead. She'd been there three hours. Nobody stopped.

"Where you headed?"

"Hospital. Omaha. My daughter's in emergency surgery. I have to get there."

No hesitation. "Get in. I'll take you."

"In your truck?"

"Safest vehicle on this highway."

She hesitated. Then got in.

Drove her 60 miles out of my way. Got her there in time. She hugged me hard.

"Nobody stops anymore," she cried. "Thank you for seeing me."

Got back on the road. Couldn't stop thinking about it.

Got on the CB. Told other truckers. "We see everything out here. We should do something."

Started a code. "Code Angel" we call it. When truckers see someone broken down, stranded, in trouble, we stop. We help.

Word spread. Truckers across the country joined.

Last year, we helped 1,200 people. Dead batteries. Out of gas. Medical emergencies. Domestic violence victims escaping. Runaways needing safe transport to shelters.

We've got a network now. Truckers, CB radio, truck stops. Someone needs help? We mobilize.

Saved six lives last year. People broken down in dangerous spots. Diabetics in crisis. A kidnapping victim we spotted and reported.

But here's my favorite story.

Last month, I'm at a truck stop. Young kid approaches me. Maybe 19. Scared.

[plsjr]

This is what the American Culture is about.

[Jamestown1630]

Very nice.

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

Bookmark

[Buffalo Bob]

Damn blurry monitor again...

[exinnj]

Truckers saved America during Covid.

[Mathews]

I would participate in that in a heart beat.

[Getready]

Excellent.
Congratulations on what you are doing today. Very inspiring.
Hopefully,other professionals can form networks of their own.

[TangoLimaSierra]

Great code, kinda like truckers used to be.
Now we have thousands of truck drivers (I won't call them truckers) who are used to stepping over people in need back home.

[Captain Walker]

Now that our truck drivers can understand English again, maybe there will be more of them like Big Joe.

[Responsibility2nd]

Nice scenario.

But thanks to FJB, today’s trucker may well be a muzzie who cannot read, write or even speak English.

[Bikkuri]

Reminds me of a few songs my dad had on one of his 8 track tapes:


"Teddy Bear"
by Red Sovine:
A tear-jerking trucker ballad that tells the story of a little boy connecting with truck drivers over the CB radio, blending heartwarming and heartbreaking elements into a memorable narrative.

"Phantom 309"
by Red Sovine:
Released in 1967, this haunting ballad tells the tale of a ghostly trucker who helps a stranded man on a lonely highway, only for the man to discover the trucker had died years earlier in a crash while trying to save a bus full of children. "Six Days on the Road"

"Give Me Forty Acres"
by The Willis Brothers:
Released in 1964, this humorous country tune highlights the frustrations of navigating a big rig in tight spots, with the trucker lamenting the need for "forty acres to turn this rig around".

"Six Days on the Road"
by Dave Dudley:
Released in 1963, this definitive trucker song embodies the long-haul lifestyle with its lyrics about endless miles, caffeine, and the urge to get home, resonating with truckers for its raw honesty.



And, of course, everyone knows "Convoy".. 😉

[Bikkuri]

Oh, remembered another: "Giddy Up Go"

[airborne]

Nice story, and perfect for the season.

Merry Christmas!

[KrisKrinkle]

They still use CB radios?

Last time I got my old set out I couldn’t raise anybody.

[dagunk]

Stopped a few times out in the Middle of Nowhere Nevada. Lots of no cell coverage out there.

One broke down. He said he’d ride in the back of the pickup and I told him “F that noise, come on up front”. 20 degrees out that morning. Took him back up to Rachel. He lived there.

Another was some idjit that ignored the “no gas 160 miles” and “no gas 110 miles” signs - he ran out of gas. Drove down to where the cell phone worked & called 911, got the machinery in motion. Law enforcement is used to stupid drivers out there. Hope they charge Good and Painful for delivering gas.

Another one off the side of the road erupting like Old Faithful; insufficient antifreeze mix. Another one of those below 20 degrees mornings. Took him back up to Alamo, he lived there.

Next one was a semi, flat tire and no spare. Carried him down about 60 miles so he could call in and get help from his outfit. Took him back up to his semi when he got the arrangements made. Good kid, low-mid twenties. Carrying hazardous waste so had to stay with his rig.

Last stop was a gal with a semi off the road in a parking area. She didn’t need anything except a break. Told her “Take Care” and continued on home.

Drove that road to and from work every week for 14 years. Not uncommon to not see anyone once I was off the US highway. I enjoyed the drive.