Truck Driver Songs are part of the CDL Life culture. We love them, we constantly try and bring you more that you may not have heard, and we hope that our Facebook community continues to suggest more for us to look into.
This week, it’s a classic country duo that did the truck driver song early and did it right. It’s from Jim & Jesse, an acoustic classic country duo who had several hits on the Grand Ole Opry circuit for years.
In 1952, Jim & Jesse were signed to their first major label, Capitol Records. They have also recorded for Columbia Records, Epic Records and Opryland USA. They also released under their own Old Dominion record label. In 1960, their first single for Columbia, “The Flame of Love” backed by “Gosh I Miss You All The Time” spent weeks climbing the top 100 national charts. Their other classic songs include “Cotton Mill Man”, “Diesel On My Tail”, “Are You Missing Me”, and “Paradise”.
“Ballad of Thunder Road” wasn’t their marquee hit by any means, but they were one of the first country bluegrass acts to embrace the trucking industry as food for thought about lyrics, outlaw culture and mythos. They loved the North American truck driver as inspiration for stories of the great American can-do attitude and blue collar contribution to the largest economy in the world.
How long has it been since you’ve heard this? Either way, enjoy your listen, truck drivers!