FIXTITLE Paul Stallcop.docx
HAPPILY EVER AFTER
The Story
Of
Paul Stallcop
To find your one and only; your soulmate in which you choose to spend the rest of your days with forever happy seems like a scripted fairytale completely out of reach. Make believe or even unfair.
The single word ‘happily’ states: willingly with pleasure; favorably; joyfully; by good fortune. When I asked Sharon Stallcop how she and Paul are able to have such a long and happy marriage for so many years she replied, “We were young when we met, but I knew he was the one. We just hit it off and 54 years later we’re still crazy in love.”
Paul and Sharon both are from small, country towns in Indiana. Paul grew up fascinated by large trucks, promising himself to one day be driving a semi. His passion for trucking came first and the love of his life appeared soon after. Paul gravitated towards the business because of a close cousin, who drove a truck when Paul was a young boy. “He was about 20 years older than me, but I wanted to be just like him,” Paul said. “As a young kid, we lived on a state highway where there was a sharp bend in the road. So the big trucks had to slow down right in front of our house. I would run outside and watch as the trucks drove by. I remember telling my mom, ‘Someday I’m going to drive one of those things.’ I pretty much knew since elementary school that I was going to be a trucker.”
It was during Paul’s freshman year in high school when he befriended a redheaded boy the same age. The kids shared a similar background and became close friends. Two years later, another freshman student with red hair started attending their school. Curious, but not putting two and two together, Paul asked his buddy if he knew of the new girl since the two were from the same township. As luck would have it, the two lookalikes were brother and sister. Paul insisted that his friend introduce them and the rest is history. Paul says, “After we met, we haven’t been apart. We’ve been together ever since.”
Sharon was 16 her junior year and Paul was 19 running a forklift at a factory. Remaining at the plant was not his agenda. It was however a way to become familiar in a seat with a steering wheel. Both sides of their family were aware of their courtship and knew marriage was right around the corner. Sharon’s mother was hesitant. She didn’t object to the two getting married. She simply wanted her daughter to graduate high school and feared once the two were wed, her priorities would change. Paul understood completely and vowed to see Sharon earn her diploma. The mothers discussed their children’s undeniable love for one another and agreed. The summer before Sharon’s senior year on June 2nd, 1961 Paul and Sharon tied the knot. Their families gathered together at Sharon’s childhood church for the ceremony. She went on to graduate the following year, as promised. Later their only son, Kevin Stallcop also graduated from that same high school the last year, before it was tore down.
With everything lining up as a new husband, Paul was eager to jump into a truck and take off on the road. There were a lot of local clay factories in his area. He was hoping that with business as it was, he would be able to get onboard with a trucking company in town. But as expected, his age and lack of experience put a dent in his plans. He remained at the factory for two years.
Paul decided to take a position as a route salesman for a bakery company, delivering bread house to house. The salesman side of the gig didn’t appeal to him. It was the truck carrying all of the baked goods that he had the keys to that kept his attention. He was only interested in driving, nothing else. Almost two years into the job, Paul received a phone call from a guy in the grain business. He had approached the businessman before taking the delivery job at the bakery, but was turned away due to no experience in a truck yet. Paul immediately jumped at the opportunity and began hauling grain back and forth to Indianapolis. When harvest season was over, he switched to pulling a dry van packed with grain down to Florida and bringing produce back. He continued running the route all through winter. Weighing out the cons, Paul realized he was spending more money on the road working for this individual than he was bringing home. Come spring, Paul and Sharon welcomed their newborn son and he never returned to Florida.
In search of a new outfit, one that would allow him to be home more with his family, he found a trucking company based out of Greencastle, Indiana called Schwerman Trucking. The main office was located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They had a terminal less than 20 miles from Paul’s farm house. He had seen the company trucks on the road pulling dry bulk products and tankers. During the spring, there was always a hiring frenzy due to business spiking in need of cement. Paul knew this was his chance. He had gained the experience needed to land a decent trucking job and this company offered all of the incentives he was looking for as a family man. He started driving for Schwerman Trucking on May 12th, 1965. 30 years later, Paul retired from the same trucking company that initially gave him his first shot. Within those 3 decades, he received numerous accolades and awards for safe driving. He was also recognized for displaying a positive attitude and being an essential role model for his fellow drivers. Paul was one of the elite members of the company’s million mile club, with no chargeable accidents. He was a repeat title-holder of the 1 million mile club. Then presented an award for 2 million miles and again when he reached an astounding 4 million miles.
The first truck he drove for Schwerman Trucking back in 1965 was a 1962 International Cabover. That day he didn’t get home until after midnight. Sharon jokes, saying that she thought he had left her. The company covered five states in their region: Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, and Kentucky. He was able to go out and back in the same day. Over all, Paul earned a lifetime of 5 million safe miles before his retirement.
Still 53 years young, by March 1996 Paul took on a part-time job for a school corporation driving school buses. With a more flexible schedule he was able to spend more quality time with Sharon. Putting their marriage first has always been extremely important to Paul. Over the years though Sharon’s health began declining, urging Paul to stay close to home as much as possible. That May, the couple found a loop hole. Sharon knew that her husband’s love of trucks wouldn’t just disappear. Instead of insisting he walk away from trucking, she decided to join him on the road. As owner operators they started up SKS Trucking, LLC. and purchased an International 9400, had Sharon’s name placed on the side, then began pulling containers of rail freight for a company based out of Cleveland. After three years, they leased on with Freight Masters Systems, LLC. Which is an established company located in Indianapolis that offered contract truck hauling of auto parts for a major automobile manufacturer.
The duo managed to land a dedicated route from Indiana to Missouri every day. Over a span of eight years, they racked up around 3,000 miles a week. Three years in, Paul traded their International for a pair of tractors. By 1999, he bought two more. Kevin, their son was working at a trucking company called Loggins Logistics, Inc. and had mentioned that there was good money in the flatbed business. As advised, Kevin’s parents bought a flatbed trailer and leased it on with Loggins. Later that year pulling flatbed was going so well, they purchased two more and completely switched to flatbed with tarping kits. SKS Trucking, LLC. was running over the road, hauling any and everything throughout the east coast. Four trucks ran auto parts and the three flatbeds remained with Loggins Logistics. In 2004, Sharon was named Owner Operator of the Year at Freight Masters. While she managed all of the paperwork and payroll for their drivers, Paul continued to drive a school bus part-time when he could.
After almost an 11 year stretch, the Stallcop’s began noticing the many changes in the trucking economy. With further discussion, in April 2007 together as a team they opted to get out of trucking altogether and focus more on relaxing at home.
The idea of traveling, visiting different parts of the country and best of all, being their own boss were a few of the most rewarding kickbacks of them being owner operators. Since Paul’s early childhood, he limited his options to becoming either a trucker or a farmer. A career in both required a lot of hard work and dedication. Characteristics that came easy for Paul. The perks of trucking far exceeded the life of a farmer. Plus, once he was finally able to drive a truck for a living he became very good at it. He says, “I loved trucking so much that it wasn’t really work for me. On a bad day when I didn’t want to have to deal with certain things, I jumped in my truck any way because the best part for me was driving the truck.”
Paul still praises his wife for her loving patience from the beginning of their marriage. In his line of work, it is very common for the wives and children to live a separate life. Sharon wanted nothing more than to be a good wife, but an even better mother. With a total loss of three babies and three miscarriages, Kevin is their miracle child. Now grown up and married with his own three daughters, Kevin will be welcoming Sharon and Paul’s first great-grandchild soon.
Closing in on retiring again with another 20 years of driving, Paul looks forward to spending each day with Sharon and their growing family. Sharon continues, “Paul deserves some time off from the road. He has provided us with a good life. He has been a great husband, very caring, and kind to people. I guess that’s what made him good at his job because he never wanted to give less than what he could. He always provided his customers with the best service. Constantly wanting to make others happy. I could never have pulled him away from his first love.” She didn’t have to… she is his first love.
Paul, here’s to a lifetime of happiness for the many years dedicated to the trucking industry. May your honesty and hard work never be forgotten.