Dennis "Kazoo" Shipman

by Dennis Shipman
(Newburgh, NY)

Slick, hip and full of wit... 'member that character back in the day from the Flintstones named "Kazoo" now you see him, now you don't. Well that's me. Got over 30 years in trucking and transportation at virtually every level from driver helper to owner.

Started off humping freight in a straight job as a kid for distribution companies servicing JFK Airport. This was when the Airports were still mobbed up in and 'round NYC before the big Lufthansa heist in 1979, which infamy still has its legacy in being the bigger thief to this day. It was profiled in the movie, "Goodfellas" starring Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, and Joe Pesci. Trust me, I 'member those slick talking cats coming through the warehouses with their Gucci suits, bulging waistbands with the distinct outlines, and greased back hair. Nothing to be played with, if you wanted another day on top of the ground.

This Italian guy saw I was crazy 'bout trucks, and he taught me how to drive an old single axle Jimmy. It had a screaming 6-71 Detroit V-8 with 13 forward, 2 back, and no power steering. What you want luxury? Why'd he do that?

I would say that rest is history but I am still evolving, and trying to figure out what I wanna do when I grow up. The trucking industry has gone through some significant changes since I started out as a teenager back in the late '70s, not all good. Too many rascals out here on the big road.

So, I don't do the 14 and 2, or 21 and 3 any longer. I already paid those dues, and gave at the office as well. I stick mostly around the way... I'm not adverse to pull a load out of town if its going my way, but mostly I just share my wisdom, hustle a trip every now and then, and see what next adventure will pull me out of my lethargy and back on the big road.

I love this trucking industry. But its a hardscrabble life except for the most persistent, hard headed son of a gun out there. At the end of the day, 99.9% of every in our homes got to at least the store by a weary trucker driving overnight in most cases to get it there. So, recognize. I be Zazoo, and I be gone, doggnit. 10-4?