Illinois trooper and her three daughters have the sweetest interaction with a truck driver

An Illinois State Police (ISP) trooper took a moment to shout out a truck driver who demonstrated being “safe, alert, defensive, compassionate, and caring behind the wheel.”

ISP’s “Trooper Tracy” took to Facebook on Monday to share an open letter to a truck driver who showed her family some behind-the-wheel courtesy.

Trooper Tracy wrote:

Dear Truck Driver,

I want you to know I had my three girls in the truck with me. We were on our way to run errands, get groceries, and buy chicken and goat feed.

I saw your turn signal to move into the left lane. I figured something must have been up ahead on the right shoulder for you to want to move into the passing lane. I was going to pass you, but I backed off as soon as I saw your signal.

I flashed my lights at you. You slowly moved over in front of me and I said to my girls “Watch, I bet he blinks his lights back at me!”

And you did. Just as sure as I said, you flipped your lights on and off a few times at me.

You safely passed the motorist and I told my daughters that was just like you gave us all a warm hug. (One of them has her driver’s learners permit but she is chilling in the passenger seat instead of the driver’s seat due to in an immobilizer leg brace from a volleyball/ kneecap disaster but that’s a story for another day……)

Flashing your lights was your way of saying thank you to us for giving you room to move over.

They smiled. Then, as we passed you I told my oldest in the front seat, “He will probably wave, so give him a wave as we go by.”

You waved.

She waved.

I saw your arm go up and it made me smile.

Thank you Sir.

Thanks for showing my girls that there are still truck drivers out there that are safe, alert, defensive, compassionate, and caring behind the wheel.

I watched as you slowed in the northbound construction zone too. Don’t worry, I paid attention to that too.

I hope you had a safe trip. If she was driving I would have jotted down your plate numbers. I only got your company name of your power unit. Transportation Group Inc out of Texas I believe.

I had her snap a picture from the passenger seat as we exited the ramp at Olympian Ave in Champaign. Again, I would have written down your truck number and trailer info but she doesn’t know how to look for all that as she is only 15. This is the best picture she got.

Either way, if you were the one cruising along Friday morning on I-57 between Pesotum and Champaign in this semi….Sir, you rock.

Thanks again, Mama Bear (and her three cubs)

Trooper Tracy comes from a trucking/farming family and regularly goes out of her way to recognize truck drivers for their safety and professionalism. Check out some more stories from her below.