Page 30 - Arkanas Trucking Report Volume 22 Issue 5

Looking back, Thompson says he’s By high school, Josh was spend- has coached a baseball team for the
always enjoyed trucking. “I’ve always ing his weekends washing trucks and last five years, though he notes that in
had a fascination with trucking from his afternoons after school as a yard the summer, the family’s real love is
the time I was a little kid. At one time spotter. For the first year the company going to nearby Beaver Lake, where they
I wanted to drive a truck, and then I offered that service, Josh was the only keep a boat they visit nearly every other
decided against that. I’ve always liked man on the job, but the company weekend.
being around them. Of course part of quickly hired another two people as
that may have been because that’s all I need increased. Thompson’s entire first “EVERY DAY IS AN ADVENTURE.”
know,” he explains, given that his dad year of wages from working for his dad After going to work in the office at
had been in the vehicle business since earned him enough to purchase his 18, Thompson began by filling the role
Thompson was a small boy. first vehicle when he was 15: a 1968 of dispatcher before eventually moving
When Thompson was 3 or 4 years Camaro. “It was three-fourths of the into a management role. He became
old, his father Lew Thompson, opened way complete when I got it, but I had vice president and then president, step-
a tire shop, which he operated until to spend some money on it and do a ping into the role when his father semi-
Josh was 14. At that point, Lew began lot of work to it,” Thompson says with retired about a year and a half ago. Over
driving with just one truck. According a smile. He sits comfortably at his desk the course of his career, he says he’s
to Josh, his father saw not just a busi- as he continues, “[Today] I’ve got a ’39 done a little bit of everything.
ness opportunity, but the opportunity Ford pickup, a ’32 Ford Roadster and Originally, Thompson says he imag-
to tackle a new challenge. of course the ’70 Chevelle.” Though ined he would drive for a living, but as
Lew began hauling for Butterball Thompson still considers himself a car he grew older, he realized he wanted to
Turkey. After six months of hauling guy, most of his free time now is spent be home every night. “It’s a tough life
three loads a week to Dallas, the distri- with his wife Kendra and two sons Jace, being a driver, being away from home
bution manager for Butterball, Lowell 6, and Jagger, 10. for a week or two at a time,” Thompson
Johnson, asked Lew to put on a second Pictures of the family sit on a says. This firsthand understanding of
truck. He did so, and continued adding sideboard, along with baseball and that difficulty reinforces his belief in
trucks as customers’ needs increased. t-ball team photographs. Thompson doing all he can to attract and retain

30 Issue 5 2017 | ARKANSAS TRUCKING REPORT