April 2012 - Challenge Magazine

APRIL 2012

Triathlete Trucker Iron man of the Road Ghost Adventures Shivering Mandatory Planning Ahead Driver Retirement Options $1.99 • www.ptcchallenge.com

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kellie pickler COVER PHOTO: courtesy of sony music PHOTO: courtesy of sony music

cover & features

contents april 2012 • volume 8 issue 4

16 18

Colt Ford: Unfiltered

Melding country with hip-hop, Colt Ford’s “what you see is what you get” approach is drawing fans to his unique style of music.

Solar Highways

Picture a future where trucks will travel safely on clear roads even during a snowstorm in Wyoming and where roads will be used to collect energy from the sun to power our homes and cars. The innovators behind Solar Roadways see the future as now.

22 28

100 Proof Country

Kellie Pickler goes back to country music’s roots on her latest album and finds her “voice” fits just fine with some of the legends.

Planning Ahead

32

Shivering Mandatory

The trio behind Ghost Adventures doesn’t shy away from controversy or the occasional apparition. They’re determined to find proof of a ghostly world and they don’t much care if you believe them.

36 40

Triathlete Trucker

Siphiwe Baleka traded in his unhealthy habits for the ultimate physical challenge in sports, and finds time to train while driving his truck.

MAVERICK TRANSPORT

To be a Maverick driver, you have to have integrity, respect and commitment. Do you have what it takes? Find out what sets Maverick drivers apart in this month’s company profile.

Few people have saved enough to have a comfortable retirement and owner-operators are no different. This month we explore the different options that independent drivers have when creating a savings plan for the future.

Challenge Magazine’s QR Code

Download a free QR reader and scan this QR Code to get a direct link to our website where you’ll find a full electronic version of the magazine and links to our Facebook and Twitter pages.

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A P R I L 2 0 1 2 C H A L L E N G E 5

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• No purchase necessary. Must be 21 or older and have a valid driver’s license. Go to www.ptcchallenge.com/giveaway for official rules and information. “10K Cash Giveaway” will end 6:00PM (ET) 04/30/12. Giveaway subject to full official rules. Void where prohibited.

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Fixes Tired Fast

contents in every issue

april 2012 • volume 8 issue 4

™

44

HEALTHY EATING

46

chew on this

50

driving thrU d.c.

52

gettin’ outdoors

54

around the track

Linda looks at food preservation and protecting yourself from food poisoning that afflicts millions every year.

Charles waxes nostalgic about the good old days of radio and extols the virtues of satellite radio.

Mike analyzes the president’s 2013 proposed budget and what it means to the trucking industry.

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A blind can make or break a hunter’s success. Brenda introduces the new TreeBlind™ from Nature Blinds.

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Claire talks about her career around the track and how it feels to be a trailblazer for women in the male-dominated arena of NASCAR.

Look for our new Clint Bowyer racing displays Grab some 5-hour ENERGY today! ✓Sugar free ✓4 calories ®

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5-hour ENERGY® is not a substitute for adequate rest.

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©2012 Innovation Ventures, LLC. All rights reserved.

8 C H A L L E N G E A P R I L 2 0 1 2

10 12 14 48

from the editor Barriers beware.

letters to the editor

Readers share their thoughts and opinions on industry issues and stories from Challenge Magazine.

SHORT RUNS

Broadening the mind with the interesting and inane.

unique united states

Opening day for Major League Baseball is April 4, so we decided to highlight baseball parks across the country that will have you singing “Take Me Out to the Ballpark.”

56 58

truckers’ corner

The creative side of truck drivers. sponsored by:

Games

Sudoku, word search and crossword puzzles - a great way to pass the time and exercise the brain. Some clues for the puzzle come from this issue of Challenge Magazine.

60

garmin gallery

Pictures from the road. Send in your photos and see them published in Challenge Magazine and you may be a winner. sponsored by:

62 63 64

what’s happening

78

LOYALTY

pilot flying j stars

Drivers recognize these STAR employees who make Pilot Flying J a place you can rely on.

Dealer profile and great deli deals.

pilot flying j directory

The comprehensive Pilot Flying J directory lists everything from location addresses to services available.

Find out the latest deals, news and savings available with the MyRewards card.

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All trademarks (TM) and registered logos (速) are the property of their respective owners. Pilot /Flying J Travel Centers is not responsible for typographical or photographic errors.

april 2012 volume 8 issue 4

editorial staff EDITORIAL OFFICE

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EDITOR

Barriers Beware by greg girard

GREG GIRARD - ggirard@ptcchallenge.com

GRAPHICS EDITOR

BRAD BEARD - bbeard@ptcchallenge.com

Assistant Editor

AMANDA JAKL - ajakl@ptcchallenge.com

GRAPHIC DESIGNER JENNIFER FAIRCLOTH

PROOFREADER JENNIFER KIRBY

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

JOHN EGAN, MIKE HOWE, CHARLES POPE, CLAIRE B. LANG, JENNIFER PENCEK, BOB PERRY, BRENDA POTTS, BEN WHITE, JOAN TUPPONCE, Linda McGirr

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SUBSCRIPTION RATES - $25 for one year in the United States. Subscriptions can be started or renewed by calling Challenge Magazine at (910) 695-0077 with your name, mailing address and credit card information; or write to Challenge Magazine: 655 SE Broad Street; Southern Pines, NC 28387, along with a check or credit card information. BACK ISSUES of Challenge Magazine can be purchased for $3 per issue to cover mailing and handling. Follow the same procedures as subscriptions to purchase a back issue of the magazine.

Challenge Magazine is published monthly by Victory Publishing, Inc. Copyright © 2012, all rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Challenge Magazine is a registered trademark of Victory Publishing, Inc. All advertisers for Challenge Magazine are accepted and published by Victory Publishing, Inc. on the representation that the advertiser and/or advertising agency as well as a supplier of editorial content are authorized to publish the entire contents and subject matter thereof. The advertiser and/or advertising agency or supplier of editorial content will defend, indemnify and hold Victory Publishing, Inc. harmless from and against any loss, expenses or other liability resulting from any claims or suits for libel violations of right of privacy or publicity, plagiarism, copyright or trademark, infringement and any other claims or suits that may arise out of publication of such advertisement or editorial.

ast year a friend of mine competed in the Ironman Utah triathlon – an ultimate test of human endurance if there ever was one – that combines a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a full marathon (26.2 miles) into one race. She finished in just over 12 hours. When she told me she was training for the race, I simply asked, “Why?” She smiled and told me it’s the challenge of discovering her limits and then finding the inner strength to smash through them in order to achieve a goal.

She said that more than anything, the training – which involved an insane schedule of running, riding, swimming and weightlifting two to three hours before work and another three to four hours after work for months – helped her develop a strong sense of self-discipline that has now positively impacted all facets of her life. She’s happy, she’s successful at work and she has a loving family.

While this may be an extreme example of going the extra mile to achieve a goal, setting and achieving goals you once thought impossible can change you for the better in so many ways.

Siphiwe Baleka is another great example. Baleka, a professional truck driver, is training for the South Africa Ironman later this month. His story (Page 36) is one many of us can probably relate to. After starting a new driving job, he quickly fell into bad eating habits and just as quickly found himself 20 pounds heavier. His initial goal was to just get back into shape. He discovered that by finding 15 minutes here or there during the day, he could fit in some kind of exercise before heading back on the road.

Of course, once he lost the weight, his confidence led him to strive for more challenging goals. Now, he’ll be joining a very elite club of Ironman triathletes from around the world.

Kellie Pickler also has a goal – staying true to her musical roots – and her new album, “100 Proof,” reflects that commitment to country music’s past. While most of us know her as the spunky blonde from “American Idol,” her story (Page 22) is about strength and the self-discipline she found within herself to smash through any barriers.

And finally, it’s with great pleasure that I extend a Challenge Magazine congratulations to our own Claire B. Lang. During Daytona week in February, Claire was honored with the Russ Moyer Media Award by the Living Legends of Auto Racing organization. If we need examples of people smashing through barriers, than we need to look no further than Claire. Her career personifies breaking barriers in the male-dominated sport of auto racing. With determination, guts and talent, Claire’s story is as trailblazing as those of Amelia Earhart and Rosa Parks. Congratulations, Claire!

Safe driving.

L

welcome to come on in. We were so busy thinking of our dilemmas we forgot to remember the beauty that was all around us.

Thank you Peggy. We are now looking at our trip in a whole new light. Knowing that the road that leads back to family and friends will be filled with stories that are both beautiful and adventurous.

The Hoffmans Auburndale, FL

march madness

Loved the cover story on March Madness.

We have four generations of family that get involved with picking brackets every year and it’s become a tradition for us all to get together, watch the games and give each other a hard time on our losing picks. Always look forward to Challenge Magazine!

Colem Starks Boise, Idaho

MARCH 2012

Tony Stewart

G’day, I picked up Challenge Magazine in February. Wow, Stewart on cover, excellent!

Peter Canning

Then & Now

I read Challenge just about every month and it’s a great magazine. Back when I drove tractor trailer we didn’t have all the modern day toys. If we didn’t know where the business was, our dispatcher or a fellow driver would help us get there. I remember the AM radio, then the FM. Eight-track came out then the C.B. radio. Shortly after it was AM and FM with a cassette player. And now there’s AM and FM with CD player.

Another thing, look at the speed limit back in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Out West it was 55 mph in most states. Now most of the states

12 C H A L L E N G E A P R I L 2 0 1 2

DOT SECR EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEETARY W WITH RAY LAHOOD WI N $10,000 PILOT FLYIN

let a big 18-wheeler go at least 65 mph or 70 mph. What a difference. All the tractor trailers are a lot better nowadays. But one thing never has changed at all, that’s the person who cries and complains all the time.

Well just wanted to say keep up the good work and all the good stories. Hope you have a great day and week. Thank you.

A pleased reader, Yours truly, Jack O’Gilliland, Jr.

Truckers’ Corner

I just got through reading to my husband the article in your February Challenge Magazine titled “My Favorite Road” by Peggy Hegeborn. My husband and I are full time RVers. This last long distance trip we took we were met with all kinds of obstacles.

From the road the best sight was the Pilot Flying J sign looming high in the sky as a

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MADNESS

IT’S TIME TO DANC E

SUBMIT A LETTER: Question, comment or criticism? Drop us a note, email or give us a call at 910-695-0077 with your opinion. We want to hear from you. Note: Letters may be edited for clarity or space. Please also note that although we try to respond to all communications, emails get first priority.

Written letters and voicemails take more time to process and edit. Our normal business hours are 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

EST, Monday-Friday.

MAIL COMMENTS TO Challenge Magazine P.O. Box 2300 Southern Pines, NC 28388

EMAIL editor@ptcchallenge.com

w w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m

SHORT

RUNS April 2012 Tour Dates

By the numbers - Baseball Baseball is the only sport that records every action of every player on every team in every season. Statistics and baseball are like peanut butter and jelly, McCartney and Lennon, Penn and Teller, or Lewis and Clark - they do OK separately but are so much better together. Here are a few stats that should get you ready for the 2012 season. .366

Career batting average record: Ty Cobb. Hitters must have at least 1,000 at-bats. Considered one of the untouchable records in baseball along with pitcher Cy Young’s 511 career wins.

3’7”

Height of shortest person ever to play in the major leagues. Eddie Gaedel played one game for the St. Louis Browns in 1951. He wore the number 1/8 and on his only at-bat he walked on four pitches … his strike zone was measured at 1.5 inches high.

27

World Series championships record: New York Yankees. (Second: St. Louis Cardinals with 11.)

108

Number of stitches in a regulation baseball.

1903

Date

City, State

Store

12-Apr

Catlettsburg, KY

660

13-Apr

Millersport, OH

699

Hebron, OH

285

14-Apr

PM

Columbus, OH

213

PM

Berkshire, OH

696

15-Apr

Findlay, OH

360

16-Apr

Beaverdam, OH

457

Year of the first World Series. (The Boston Americans beat the Pittsburgh Pirates five games to three.)

PM

Beaverdam, OH

695

2,632

Consecutive games streak record: Cal Ripken Jr., Baltimore Orioles. (Second: 2,130, Lou Gehrig,

17-Apr

Lake Township, OH

700

New York Yankees.)

PM

Jeffersonville, OH

698

18-Apr

Walton, KY

664

PM

Sulphur, KY

50

19-Apr

Georgetown, KY

47

PM

12,386,344 Number of plays that are possible in a baseball game.

Sleep is the new weight-loss plan?

New findings from Uppsala University in Sweden reveal “that a specific brain region that contributes to a person’s appetite sensation is more activated in response to food images after one night of sleep loss than after one night of normal sleep.” Which means that if you’re not getting enough sleep every night, you’re increasing your risk for weight gain over the long haul.

“After a night of total sleep loss, males showed a high level of activation in an area of the brain that is involved in a desire to eat,” said researcher Christian Benedict. “Bearing in mind that insufficient sleep is a

14 C H A L L E N G E A P R I L 2 0 1 2

growing problem in modern society, our results may explain why poor sleep habits can affect people’s risk to gain weight in the long run. It may therefore be important to sleep about eight hours every night to maintain a stable and healthy body weight.”

Your body’s response to sleep deprivation could be hunger. So after a night of tossing and turning, your body might be telling you to eat that doughnut, when in actuality, you just need a couple more hours of shuteye. Getting a full night of sleep could help you shed some of those unwanted pounds and keep your overall health stronger.

Georgetown, KY

353

20-Apr

Waddy, KY

663

21-Apr

Franklin, KY

438

PM

Franklin, KY

661

22-Apr

Oak Grove, KY

439

PM

Oak Grove, KY

662

Paducah, KY

358

23-Apr

Dates subject to change.

Check www.facebook.com/DriverAppreciationTour for changes and updates. w w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m

Skydiving from Space?

PHOTO: red bull photos

PHOTO: Don Bok

Living Legends of Auto Racing Living Legends of Auto Racing held their 20th Annual Awards Banquet in February during Daytona week. Mike Helton, president of NASCAR, presented the Russ Moyer Media Award to Challenge Magazine’s own Claire B. Lang.

Other award recipients included: • • • • •

Distinguished Driver Award: Junior Johnson Allison Family Award: Richard Childress Racing Dedicated Service Award: Ken Ragan Pioneer of Racing Award: Buzzie Reutimann Tribute to the Early Years Award: Joe Mihalic

Who’s Driving that Car? Apparently, no one. It may seem at times that some fourwheelers are on the road without a driver, but now technology is making driverless cars a reality.

Beginning last month, Nevada became the first state to enact regulations that allow special permits for robotic, self-driving vehicles.

“These regulations establish requirements compa-

•

•

Saturday Night Hero Award: Eddie MacDonald Sr. Preserving Racing History Award: Racing’s North Turn Beach Bar and Grill

nies must meet to test their vehicles on Nevada’s public roadways as well as requirements for residents to legally operate them in the future,” Bruce Breslow, director of Nevada’s Department of Motor Vehicles, said in a statement.

Google has been testing robotic cars in California and its Prius test vehicles have logged more than 200,000 miles with only one minor accident. Nevada partnered with Google, law enforcement and of course insurance companies to develop the regulations behind the law.

Developers of robotic cars will be able to apply for a

Felix Baumgartner, an Austrian professional thrill-seeker, rejects the notion that the “sky’s the limit.” This year, he hopes to break the record for the highest skydive set by Joe Kittinger in 1960 of 102,800 feet. Baumgartner plans on smashing through that height, falling from 120,000 feet or roughly 23 miles up!

Baumgartner will need more than just a parachute for this outrageous attempt. To reach that altitude, he’ll ride in a pressurized capsule attached to a helium balloon for about three hours and he’ll wear a specially designed pressurized suit, much like a spacesuit, that will protect him from the -50 degree temperatures and provide him with oxygen.

Normally, skydivers jump from 15,000 feet and free fall for about a minute. Baumgartner will have nearly five and a half minutes of free fall before deploying his parachute at 5,000 feet.

Baumgartner and his RedBull Team Stratos are hoping to break four records with this attempt: The altitude record for free fall, the distance record for longest free fall, the speed record for fastest free fall by breaking the speed of sound with the human body and the altitude record for the highest manned balloon flight are all up for grabs.

special robot driver’s license and red license plate designating the vehicle as driverless. Each vehicle will also be required to have up to a $3 million bond to insure against damages.

And get ready for the idea of driverless cars to spread. Hawaii, Florida and Oklahoma also are considering robotic car permits.

So if you’re in Nevada and you get cut off by a car with a red license plate, don’t bother honking, there’s no one behind the wheel.

Get Paid to Stay off that Cell Phone While Driving Leave it to the app people to create some incentive for not talking or texting while driving. The Drive Alive app wants to reward you for staying off the line.

Drive Alive keeps it simple: Activate the app before your trip, stay off the phone and deactivate the app when you reach your destination. While you’re driving, the Drive Alive app will monitor your progress periodically using GPS data – just to make sure you’re actually on the move and not sitting on your couch pretending to be on Interstate 90 – and also check your cell phone activities to make sure you’re not chatting or texting while on the road.

If you successfully contain your impulses to talk behind the wheel, Drive Alive then sends your trip data to a secure database and you begin earning rewards from sponsoring companies or cash.

Statistics show that more than 3,000 people died on the road in 2011 from people distracted by cell phones, so get rewarded for helping reduce that number this year with the Drive Alive app.

Note: The Drive Alive app is available only on the Android market as of this printing. It will be available on the iPhone soon. w w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m

A P R I L 2 0 1 2 C H A L L E N G E 15

PHOTO: average joe’s entertainment

feature

colt ford: unfiltered

by: jennifer pencek

ountry superstars like Keith Urban and Kenny Chesney show off their washboard abs and tight physiques as much as their music. Then there is Colt Ford.

“I’m a 300-pound redneck,” Ford says in a telephone interview from Athens, Ga. In an industry where physical appearance and the “brand” are often considered as important as the music being created, Ford aims to show a person does not have to be a male model to sell records and stay true to fans. In fact, Ford says his fans appreciate his “real man” body and the emphasis on his music, not if he has a flat stomach.

“I’m more relatable,” he says. “They like the songs and they know that I’m real, and they’re attracted to that. Most women want a real man. Just ask my wife of 17 years.”

C

16 C H A L L E N G E A P R I L 2 0 1 2

Ford’s “real man” mentality has worked well for him. The 42-year-old released “Every Chance I Get” last year, his highestselling record. Featuring collaborations with Tim McGraw, Eric Church, Luke Bryan, Charlie Daniels and others, the album sold more than 19,000 units the first week and nabbed the No. 3 spot on the Billboard country albums chart. The latest single off the album is “She Likes to Ride in Trucks,” a ballad about his 16-year-old daughter, Annesly (he also has a son, Reynolds).

In early 2011, Ford reached a milestone of more than 2 million paid digital downloads and more than 800,000 units sold with releases “Ride Through the Country” (2008) and “Chicken and Biscuits” (2010).

With cookie-cutter performers failing to have a style all their own, Ford says he

wants to make sure listeners know it is him singing when they turn on the radio. It’s not difficult to know a Colt Ford song, given his unique style – mixing country with hip-hop and rap.

Ford grew up in Georgia listening to country – his first concert was Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton – along with R&B and hip-hop. When he reached adulthood, he began writing songs, eventually earning co-writing credits with Jamey Johnson, Jeremy Popoff and the alternative-rock band Lit. After a few years, the popular country music duo Montgomery Gentry became clients, then rapper Bone Crusher and urban superstar Jermaine Dupri called on Ford. He went from behind-the-scenes to up front in 2006 when he wrote “Buck ’Em,” the theme for Professional Bull Riders Inc. After releasing “Ride Through the Country,” Ford went on tour with country music up-and-comer Brantley Gilbert.

“I wasn’t trying to revolutionize anything,” Ford says of his musical style. “[The style of music] was around way before me and it will be around long after me. I liked what I liked. I used to listen to Run DMC at the same time as Waylon Jennings.”

Before making a career in music, Ford pursued a professional golf career, a sport he was always passionate about. He dropped out of the University of Georgia in 1991 at the age of 20 to pursue that dream and spent seven years on the golf circuit before music took over his life.

“It doesn’t seem strange to me [excelling at golf and music],” he says. “My mom always said, ‘God never gives you anything he doesn’t intend you to use.’”

Ford has also added “record company founder” to his list of diverse accomplishments. In 2008, he created Atlanta- and Nashville-based Average Joe’s Entertainment with his friend of at least 20 years, Shannon Houchins. Along with “Ride Through the Country,” “Chicken and Biscuits” and “Every Chance I Get,” Average Joe’s has also released Ford’s “Country Is as Country Does” (EP/DVD) and “Live from Suwannee River Jam.” Average Joe’s has grown into a powerhouse independent label with a roster that now includes former major-label artists like Montgomery Gentry, Ira Dean and Josh Gracin, along with major “indie” artists Kevin Fowler and Corey Smith.

A subsidiary of Average Joe’s, AVJ Records, is home to Bizarre (D-12), Rehab, Lindsay Hager, Anamul House and Nappy Roots.

“We felt we could do a record label the right way without compromising ourselves or our artists,” Ford says. “So we just did it the way we wanted to. We want to take care w w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m

of the artists. We live and die together.”

Houchins adds the idea for the record company came at the right time professionally and personally.

“I was looking to do a different kind of business model with a label, and that was a perfect fit,” he says. “We wanted to build virally, and we figured if it didn’t work out, at least we were friends and we would have a two-year road trip.”

colt ford’s latest studio album, “Declaration of Independence,” is scheduled to be released in May.

w w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m

The plan worked, and so have Ford’s other business ventures. He stars in the Outdoor Channel’s “Mudslingers” alongside comedian and co-host Marc Ryan. The show explores off-road culture by showcasing vehicles, campgrounds, music and trails. Ford is also spokesman for The Beast hunting buggies.

Celebrity-endorsed products are nothing new, but Ford says people should not think he would do anything for money or fame.

“I like to do different kinds of things, and you won’t see me doing anything that’s not who I am,” he explains. “I don’t do stuff that ain’t me. Nobody can pay me enough money to do something I don’t want to do.”

He says he has to truly like a product and company before he even considers getting involved in a project.

“I want to know the CEO and he has to know me,” he says. “I’m involved in my business.”

Case in point: Goodtime liquor line.

Ford’s signature line – composed of Goodtime Moonshine (90 proof) and Goodtime Vodka (80 proof) – hit stores in Georgia and Tennessee late last year with plans to expand across the country in the future.

To create the line, Ford aligned himself with Georgia Distilling Co. and United Distributors.

“I wanted to have real moonshine made by real moonshiners, and that is what I got,” Ford says. “This took over a year to get the government to approve, and it is really special.”

Ford says the Georgia-based companies were the perfect match for his vision of the liquor brand.

“As Colt is recognized by his peers and fans as being an authentic country musician and Georgia boy, we wanted to make a product for him that was just as authentic as he is,” says Bill Mauldin, chief executive officer and co-founder of Georgia Distilling Co. “Goodtime Moonshine is an authentic Georgia moonshine recipe using Georgiagrown grains and handcrafted in a Georgiamade moonshine still to make a product as real as he is. We have made sure that every part of this product is 100 percent American because a man like Colt Ford deserves no less.”

“We have some great moonshine and vodka that I will put up against any on the market,” Ford says. “This is going to be a fun ride, and I am going to do everything I can to make the world have a Goodtime.” PCM

A P R I L 2 0 1 2 C H A L L E N G E 17

graphic: Dan Walden

feature

solar highways by: mike howe

ver the past decade or more there has been a significant push to move toward green energy. Any over-theroad trucker has witnessed this firsthand as the scenery has evolved from blowing trees and tumbleweeds to large wind turbines churning out electricity. What once were vast fields now stand ever sprawling wind and solar farms. And, as globalwarming discussions intensify and tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate, there is consistent pressure for the United States to wean itself off foreign fossil fuels and become more clean-energy independent.

While wind power seems to have received much of the renewable-energy attention over the past decade, solar power continues to be a source many look at as the ultimate solution to the nation’s long-term energy needs. One innovative company has identified a unique opportunity for the nation’s highway system and solar energy to unite in conquering the clean-energy challenges facing the country. Imagine, if you will, driving your truck down the highway,

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18 C H A L L E N G E A P R I L 2 0 1 2

but instead of the traditional paved highway it is a solar highway. That’s right, a highway that is basically one large solar energy system. This is what Scott Brusaw of Solar Roadways (www.solarroadways.com) envisions.

Scott and his wife, Julie, had long been concerned about global warming, and one day Julie asked Scott if the vast amount of highways couldn’t be turned into solar roads to solve the energy problems. Scott, who is an electrical engineer with more than 20 years of industry experience, was intrigued by this question and began to research it a little.

“Interestingly, the inspiration and research goes quite a ways back for Julie and I,” says Scott. Julie and Scott have known each other since they were about 4 years old. “Her mom used to babysit me, and I remember playing with those old race tracks with the electric cars. That’s really probably the beginning of the entire story,” says Scott.

Of course, the idea has developed quite a bit since then.

Among the first questions is whether developing solar highways is even feasible. The Solar Roadways website has a number of statistics that suggest it is. The website notes, “In the 48 contiguous states alone, pavements and other impervious surfaces cover 112,610 square kilometers – an area nearly the size of Ohio – according to research published in the 15 June 2004 issue of Eos, the newsletter of the American Geophysical Union. Continuing development adds another quarter of a million acres each year.”

Doing some quick math that eliminates rooftops, that leaves about 29,000 square miles of roads, parking lots, driveways, playgrounds, bike paths and similar paths to use with this project.

Based on current commercially available solar-panel-efficiency data, using an average of only four hours of peak daylight hours per day with a 230-watt solar panel, and covering the entire 29,000 square miles, the amount of electricity generated would be more than 13.8 billion kilowatts.

The amount of energy one can realistically expect to produce on the highway is interesting too. The solar panels are 12 feet by 12 feet and produce 7.6 kilowatts per day based on four hours of good sunshine, with about a 15 percent efficiency rating. A mile of road requires about 440 panels. So, a four-lane highway will produce about 13.376 megawatts per mile. The average home, according to the Energy Information Administration, uses 936 kilowatts per month. Certainly, the energy output is significant.

After researching the concept and putting real numbers to it, Scott and Julie learned that it could be done and there was enough material available to make this a reality. “We then started a website and decided to apply for grant funding in 2009,” says Scott. That year, they received a $100,000 grant from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to test the theories and build a prototype solar road panel. “This enabled us to go down the road of developing a highway that can pay for itself over time,” says Scott.

The initial grant helped fund Phase 1 of the project, and this was completed in 2010.

“Once we completed Phase 1 we submitted our final report to the FHWA,” says Scott.

“We also applied for an additional $750,000 in FHWA grant money for Phase 2.” That phase would be a two-year contract to essentially take the lessons learned from Phase 1 and improve upon them. FHWA awarded them their $750,000 Small Business Innovative Research Phase II grant last July. “The plan with that is to begin retrofitting our own parking lot for testing,” says Scott.

If the idea is to develop a solar highway, why are they retrofitting a parking lot first?

“FHWA told us that they weren’t going to alw w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m

low us to build a highway first; rather, they want us to take it to parking lots first to perfect the technology, and this makes sense,” says Scott.

“Once we prove it works in a parking-lot setting, the next logical step is to take it to residential streets where the traffic is slowmoving,” says Scott. Highways are realistically the last step in the entire development and implementation process, but that is where the vision is leading. How far down the road the next steps – even the residential streets – are remains to be seen, but Scott and Julie are optimistic. “Realistically, if this two-year research project went perfectly, we could be ready for manufacturing in two years,” says Scott. “Most likely, though, we will find some issues that need to be addressed and this will lead to a Phase 3 research project.”

Even without federal funding, there is significant interest in seeing this project move forward. “In fact, [investors] are already knocking at the door. We have about 3,000 emails from potential investors, but we are trying to avoid going public,” says Scott.

Imagine you are behind the wheel of your big rig driving on those 440 panels per mile of glass road. There are a number of questions that come to mind, not the least of which is whether this glass road can withstand the weight of the loaded rig. Re-

member, though, this isn’t your typical window-pane glass. There are varying types of glass, from thin and flexible to bulletproof.

Each panel has a microprocessor and that is a communication device.

Dispatchers could have a map showing where all trucks are at all times.

“There are a lot of things you can do with glass,” says Scott. “Our goal is for our panels to withstand 250,000 pounds and our glass guy estimates that a 3/4-inch sheet will hold 160,000 pounds.” The glass is a tempered treated glass that withstands cracking and chipping.

At an advanced loading facility, a giant truck tire with weights on top of it was used to simulate a truck driving across the panels.

“The hardness of the glass falls between steel and stainless steel and truck tires wear out well before the surface of glass,” says Scott.

Another common question is related to traction. The glass being developed for this

Enrique’s a seasoned vet. Tristan’s earning his stripes.

project is a textured glass designed to prevent slippage. “This does diminish the solar efficiency, but we are looking at how to make a prism pattern work so that when light comes in it will bend it down and make it more efficient.”

Another question that comes to mind is related to natural disasters. How do the panels hold up in floods, earthquakes and other such occurrences? With flooding, the panels are hermetically sealed, so they should remain waterproof. “They won’t be destroyed or short out,” says Scott. And, they are anchored well enough that they won’t move.

During an earthquake, the roadway would likely see damage similar to that of any highway. But power would not be lost throughout the highway system – only the damaged panels would stop producing. Each panel generates power essentially independently of the others.

There are some very real potential benefits if development continues as it is expected to. Early on in the initial research Scott and Julie began looking at other features that would work well with a glass road. They already generate power, so why not add LEDs to the road? LEDs could provide traffic information, light the current painted stripes, warn of dangers and more.

The glass panels could also be kept at an optimal temperature, which would keep

Both have spent their careers driving for us.

Enrique and Tristan. They’re different people, but they’ve got one thing in common: they’re both True to Blue.

They have something else in common: they were both looking for a place to work that felt like home.

Everyone says “we treat our drivers like family,” but at Con-way Truckload it’s more than just talk. We mean it.

It’s one of the many ways we’ve earned one of the highest driver retention rates in the industry. Watch their stories and find out why they stay True to Blue at www.true2blue.com/cm or call 866-787-7845.

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A P R I L 2 0 1 2 C H A L L E N G E 19 30

graphic: Dan Walden

Each individual panel consists of three layers: Road Surface Layer is translucent and high-strength but with a roughness that provides great traction, and collects energy from the sun. This layer is strong enough to handle today’s heaviest loads. Electronics Layer contains a microprocessor board with support circuitry for sensing loads on the surface and controlling a heating element. No more snow and ice removal problems or closed roads due to weather. Base Plate Layer distributes power and data signals (phone, TV, Internet, etc.) to homes and businesses connected to the Solar Roadway. It’s weatherproof and protects the electronics layer above it.

snow and ice from developing. Again, because they generate electricity this would be a rather simple feature to add. Imagine driving across Interstate 80 in Wyoming in the winter – it might even stay open. Scott has even found a self-cleaning glass that will help maintain the solar efficiency.

A system like this could provide a number of other benefits too. For example, especially since Sept. 11, 2001, national security has been of great interest. This system could potentially add a new dimension to that. “We don’t talk about the national-security aspect of this a whole lot. But each panel has a microprocessor and that is a communication device,” says Scott. “Dispatchers could have a map showing where all trucks are at all times.”

Scott and Julie are well aware that they are only in the beginning stages. But their goal of covering all concrete and asphalt surfaces that are exposed to the sun with solar road panels is an idea that, if successfully implemented, could have long-term positive effects on highway safety, national security, the environment and the move toward energy independence.

Want to learn more? Check out this brief video about the solar roadway prototype: http://youtu.be/Ep4L18zOEYI. PCM

20 C H A L L E N G E A P R I L 2 0 1 2

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by: joan tupponce

ellie Pickler’s life took an abrupt turn the day she heard about auditions for “American Idol.” The hopeful 19-year-old planned to audition in Memphis, Tenn., with her Grandpa Pickler at her side until she received word that the auditions were canceled because the Memphis arena was being used to house Hurricane Katrina victims.

Chicago was the next audition city on the list but Pickler couldn’t scrape up the money she needed to get to the Windy City. “I was crushed,” she says. “I thought maybe I wasn’t supposed to do this. I got down on my hands and knees and prayed to God, ‘If you want me to be on “American Idol,” please bring it to me.’”

A few days later Pickler turned on the television and learned the Memphis auditions had been moved to Greensboro, N.C., a short two-hour drive from Pickler’s small hometown of Albemarle, N.C. “My life did a 180 the day I got in line for ‘American Idol,’” she says. “My whole world completely turned.”

Since that day in 2005, Pickler, now

K

25, has made a name for herself in country music. Her 2006 gold debut, “Small Town Girl,” entered Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart at No. 1 and became the best-selling debut by a solo country artist that year, yielding two top-15 hits – “I Wonder” and the goldcertified “Red High Heels.” Her sophomore album, 2008’s “Kellie Pickler,” was her second No. 1 debut on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart and features the hits “Best Days of Your Life,” “Didn’t You Know How Much I Loved You” and “Makin’ Me Fall In Love Again.”

In addition, she has won three songwriter awards from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers and 2008 Country Music Television Music Awards for Breakthrough Video of the Year, Tearjerker Video of the Year and Performance of the Year for the song “I Wonder” at the Country Music Association awards.

Her newest album, “100 Proof,” a collection of songs that capture the traditional sounds of country music, hit store shelves in January.

Country music is the one constant in

Pickler’s chaotic life. “[It] has been my best friend,” says Pickler in her charming North Carolina drawl. “As a kid growing up I was tossed around a lot. Music was always there.”

Pickler’s mother, Cynthia, left home when the young singer was a toddler.

Her father, Clyde, was incarcerated much of her childhood, leaving Pickler to be raised by her grandparents. Her father was serving time in the Florida State Prison when she appeared on “American Idol.” Even though he wasn’t around much of the time, Clyde had a profound effect on his daughter’s life. He was in prison when he gave Pickler, then 8, her first radio. Before deciding on a gift, he asked his daughter whether she would rather have a small television or a radio.

“I said, ‘Daddy, I want a radio,’” she tells. “I lived with that radio. It went everywhere with me.”

Instead of cranking up the latest pop hit, Pickler spent her time listening to country music legends Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn and George Strait. She has fond memories of going to work with her Grandfather

Pickler, an electrician, and listening to the music of Hank Williams Sr. The two would often sing Williams’ hit “My Bucket’s Got A Hole In It.” At home, she would sit with her grandmother on the porch swing and sing songs from the books the two would read. “I always wanted to do what Dolly, Loretta and Tammy did,” she says. “That is why I am so passionate. I know what I like and country music is what I like.”

Pickler’s life was an open book on “American Idol.” Her story was chronicled as she began a journey that took her to sixth place on the show’s fifth season. Her naivety endeared her to audiences. It was the first time Pickler had been to Hollywood and it was a culture shock. “I was 19 and I was green,” she says, looking back on the experience. “I am very street smart. My dad taught me how to survive and make something from nothing but I didn’t have worldly experience. I didn’t know anything out of my small town.”

Playing off of that fish-out-of-water premise, the show’s producers often singled Pickler out for segments outside of the show’s normal competition. “I experienced so many things for the first time on camera,” she says. “People thought I was a complete dumbass, but if you came from where I came from, you would act the same way.”

On one show Pickler was introduced to the food of celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck.

“They told me they were going to bring out food and we were going to have a tasting.

All I knew is that I was going to eat a bunch of [stuff] I had never eaten before,” she says, explaining that she didn’t filter her reactions on the show. “I said the first thing that came to my head.”

Albeit stressful, Pickler had fun on the

24 C H A L L E N G E A P R I L 2 0 1 2

show. “Anything was better than what I had done before,” she says. “I was miserable [before]. I hated my life.”

Songwriting allowed her to create her own world where nothing else mattered. “I

My husband calls me a gypsy redneck and I take that as a compliment. You have to be built for [being on the road all the time]. Not everyone can do that.

Kellie Pickler

could escape from whatever place, situation or problem by humming and singing my own melodies and making up words,” she says.

Her teenage boyfriend didn’t share the same passion for her songwriting. When she tried to sing him a song she had been writing, he laughed. Hurt by his reaction, she took the paper and tossed it in the trash. “I was so upset,” she recalls. “I didn’t want to

write any more.”

Her boyfriend suggested she put her fantasy world behind her and get back to reality. “I was so crushed,” she says. “I needed somebody to believe in me.” She later understood the flaws in that type of thinking when it became clear that she couldn’t depend on others to make her happy. “As long as you believe in you that is all that matters,” she says. “You have to create your own joy and be your own best friend.”

Pickler’s writing talents flourished with the help of husband-and-wife songwriters Chris Lindsey and Aimee Mayo, who have written hits for everyone from Lonestar and Martina McBride to Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. “They helped me start finding myself as a songwriter,” Pickler says, adding that she also has worked with songwriters Karen Rochelle and Leslie Satcher. “I’ve met some incredible songwriters. They have the same passion I have and that is music.”

Pickler co-wrote six of the 11 songs of “100 Proof,” including “Mother’s Day,” written with her husband, songwriter Kyle Jacobs, whom she married on New Year’s Day 2011. “We wrote ‘Mother’s Day’ on Mother’s Day,” she says. The soulful song examines the mother/daughter relationship and wrestles with the feelings Pickler had growing up without her mother at her side. Writing the song brought her closure. “Those in similar situations may find closure too,” she says, adding that she really didn’t want anyone to hear that song or “The Letter,” an emotional note to her father. “I had no intentions of recording them and lo and behold they found their way on the record.”

Grammy Award-winning engineer and producer Luke Wooten teamed with noted publisher and producer Frank Liddell to pro-

w w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m

PHOTO: courtesy of sony music

Kellie’s come a long way, both professionally and personally, since that first “American Idol’ audition in 2005. duce the new album. Wooten has known Pickler for almost two years. “Frank thought that I would love working with her and he was right,” he says, describing the singer as a “ball of energy” in the studio. “It is very rare to be around someone who has the ability to completely light up a room and she does. She’s an extremely lovable whirlwind and I consider myself lucky to know her and make music with her.”

Her sense of humor, he adds, is “completely off the wall. She has a way of saying some of the most unexpected things. There’s actually a song she wrote called ‘I Thought About You’ that I hope can be on her next record that perfectly illustrates what I mean. It’s a song she wrote with Kyle about everything that she had thought about that day (or at least the ones that rhymed) and it covered everything from laughing to angels to little green men.”

Wooten was impressed with Pickler’s ability to really sell the songs she was singing. “That’s probably as much the result of the songs being so autobiographical as it is her convincing you of their truth,” he says.

While it may be difficult for her to share as many details of her life as she does with fans, Pickler doesn’t want to distance herself from her fans. She is proud to follow in the footsteps of her own idols, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette, noting that country music wouldn’t have songs like “Jolene” if Parton had not given that personal glimpse into her life. “We wouldn’t have the connection with them that we have,” she says.

Pickler’s “fierce” determination is a byproduct of her past, w w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m

A P R I L 2 0 1 2 C H A L L E N G E 25

Wooten says. “It would be impossible for this girl from Albemarle, N.C., with the troubled family background she has to have accomplished all she has without an incredible amount of drive.”

He feels she is more grounded now than when they met. “Ever since she got married you get the feel that an emotional weight has been lifted now that she has Kyle there to help her navigate,” he says. “I also think finishing this record lifted a huge weight as well. She put her heart and soul into making this record and she’s really proud of it. When we finished mixing the record she said it’s the first time she felt like she’s heard ‘her’ voice coming out of the speakers. That’s probably one of the highest compliments she could have paid Frank or me. I hope we are getting ‘her’ voice to come out of the speakers for a long time.”

“100 Proof” showcases Pickler’s passion for traditional country music as well as her talent for melding the past with the future.

One of her favorite songs on the record is “Stop Cheating on Me,” a traditional country tune.

She gives a fun but loving nod to Wynette in the album’s opening song, “Where’s Tammy Wynette?” Pickler co-wrote it with critically acclaimed songwriter Leslie Satcher, who also wrote the song “Tough” specifically for Pickler.

During their first meeting, Pickler explained to Satcher that the songs people had written for her didn’t seem to be the right fit.

“I still feel that people really don’t get me yet,” she told Satcher.

They’ve seen glimpses of me on previous records ... but people still don’t really know Kellie.”

After a lengthy conversation about Pickler’s past, Satcher went home to write. “I told her some personal things that I’d never shared with anyone,” Pickler says. “She took what I said, my story, and wrote how she would sum up my story in one word and this was the word: tough. That’s how the song came about and I’m excited about it.”

Another song on the album, “Rockaway,” is about Pickler’s husband. The two had their first date at Cracker Barrel, where they spent time in the rocking chairs on the porch of the restaurant. “We

PHOTO: courtesy of sony music

Pickler’s newest album, ”100 Proof,” features new and traditional country music.

26 C H A L L E N G E A P R I L 2 0 1 2

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UPCOMING TOUR DATES April

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PHOTO: courtesy of sony music

Kellie loves life on the road, saying, “There’s no other lifestyle I want to CHALLENGE_HALF_PG_4.12.pdf 1 3/8/12 10:27 AM live.”

sat out there forever, actually. We didn’t even hear our name called to go eat,” Pickler says.

“We just sat out there and talked and played 20 Questions and got to know one another.”

On Pickler’s birthday, Jacobs went to Cracker Barrel and bought two rocking chairs and had their names carved into the chairs.

“They’re sitting in our front porch at home,” she says. “‘Rockaway’ is our song.”

Jacobs has been very supportive of his wife’s career and her life on the road. “My husband calls me a gypsy redneck and I take that as a compliment,” she says, adding that her life on the road parallels the life of a long-haul truck driver. “You have to be built for [being on the road all the time]. Not everyone can do that.”

She often sits in the front of her tour bus with her driver, Paul, and the two talk about life on the road. “It requires so much of your time,” she says. Touring is a lifestyle and it’s one that she chooses. “There is no other lifestyle I want to live. If my manager called and said that I couldn’t get gigs or I couldn’t tour, I would crawl under a rock and die. I have to be moving.”

Over the last few years, her bus has crossed the path of Loretta Lynn’s tour bus. Pickler is thrilled that one of her idols is still traveling the country, making music. “That is what I want to do when I am Loretta Lynn’s age,” she says. PCM

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A P R I L 2 0 1 2 C H A L L E N G E 27

Luke Thomas, an owner-operator who’s been driving for almost 25 years, half-jokingly replies, “Put it in the back yard in a Mason jar.”

You can’t blame Thomas for his slightly wary attitude; he lost quite a bit of his savings when the market crashed in 2008. He also doesn’t see his fellow drivers able to set aside much money, because their extra cash is wrapped up in their livelihood. “Most of them I talk to, all they’re thinking about is keeping their truck from being repossessed and how they’re going to pay for fuel.” And many of these drivers expect to work well into retirement age because, as Thomas puts it, “They can’t afford to retire.”

feature

“

You really have to advocate for yourself now. You can’t fall back on Social Security.

You have to be the one to advocate and do the footwork for yourself.

”

Noel Synder

planning ahead “H

e who fails to plan, plans to fail,” is an old proverb that seems like it was written specifically about retirement.

Retirement is often treated as an afterthought, especially for those with a couple of decades before they hit that golden age. There is no road map on how to successfully reach retirement. Few people save enough to be comfortable in retirement and too many think that Social Security will be their main source of income. That false hope in a deteriorating system, as well as lack of specific financial goals, is leaving many hardworking Americans in dire straits come retirement.

28 C H A L L E N G E A P R I L 2 0 1 2

by: amanda jakl

Dorrie Nienow, president of Schneider Community Credit Union, has worked in financial services for more than 30 years and has seen her share of customers struggling to make ends meet after retirement. “I’ve seen people retire on their Social Security and aren’t making it because they didn’t plan ahead or think about their future retirement,” she says. “Do we know that Social Security is going to be here in the next year or next five years? We don’t know, so you have to prepare.”

The average savings rate in the U.S. is just 3 percent, nowhere near enough for the average person to retire on. When asked where people should invest their money,

But Nienow points out that there is still hope, regardless of your current age, to educate yourself and plan for a successful retirement.

For those who own their own business, there is no human resource department making sure you have a retirement plan in place. The 401(k), the favorite buzzword in retirement, is usually limited to businesses, so owner-operators have to create their own plan.

“You really have to advocate for yourself now,” says Noel Synder, office manager for Schneider Community Credit Union. “You can’t fall back on Social Security. You have to be the one to advocate and do the footwork for yourself.”

It can be difficult to know what to do in order to fund a comfortable retirement when you’re the one in charge. Thomas, who is about 20 years from retirement, points out that the market is recovering more slowly than he would like. “It’s starting to come up some,” he says, but reluctantly adds, “I have no idea. I’ve been trying to figure out the last year or two what to do because basically right now, most owner-operators will work until we die.”

It’s easy to feel helpless when it comes to the future, but let’s walk through some of the initial steps to starting a retirement plan.

Whether retirement is 10 years away or w w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m

25 years, first you have to figure out how much money you’ll need in retirement, how long you will need it, and whether you’ll collect Social Security. These numbers don’t have to be exact – you can’t predict the future, after all -- but you’ll need a ballpark figure to start planning (see sidebar).

Next you’ll choose your retirement “vehicle,� which is financial lingo for account. Keep in mind you can have more than one vehicle. All major banks and local credit unions offer a variety of retirement accounts. Usually the differences between them are the fees they charge to maintain the account and the variety of accounts offered. No matter if you’re an owner-operator or drive for a company that doesn’t offer a retirement plan, you should be able to find something that fits your situation.

If you’re an independent owner-operator, consider a Simplified Employee Pension Individual Retirement Account

(SEP IRA). SEP IRAs are a good choice for small businesses with few or no employees because they are simple to set up and have very low administrative fees.

These accounts are similar to a traditional 401(k) in that account holders choose where they want to invest their money, such as in stocks, bonds, mutual funds and ETFs. An important aspect of the SEP IRA is you may have to contribute to your employees’ accounts as you do your own. Not an issue, though, if you don’t have any employees.

A husband-and-wife driving team might consider an Individual 401(k), sometimes known as the Indie 401(k) or Self-Employed 401(k). The Individual 401(k) is ideal for a small business (and is considered an employer-sponsored plan) where only the partners will be participating in the retirement plan. Compared to other plans, the Individual 401(k) offers high contribution limits, so if you haven’t started saving, this could offer you a way

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Š 2012 Sweet Leaf Tea Company

A P R I L 2 0 1 2 C H A L L E N G E 29

Choosing the right retirement plan can be daunting but it’s important to begin saving now. Just a small amount each month will begin to add up, keeping you financially secure during your retirement years. to set aside large sums of money to help catch up. Another benefit of this account is the ability to borrow against it; you can borrow 50 percent of the account balance or $50,000, whichever is less. If you make less than $196,000 annually, this might be the plan for you.

If you want to avoid an employersponsored plan, a Roth IRA might be better for you. Thomas chose to open a Roth IRA, rolling over a 401(k) plan he had with a previous employer before he became an independent driver. Roth IRAs are simple to open and usually require only one simple form if you are rolling over money from another retirement account. While other retirement accounts give you the tax break when you deposit money, the Roth IRA allows your withdrawals to be tax-free during retirement.

Your contributions to this kind of account cannot be deducted when filing your taxes.

The Roth IRA does have contribution limits: $5,000 for those 49 or younger, $6,000 for those over the age of 50. Income limits for participation are $179,000 for married couples filing jointly. A benefit to a Roth IRA is that, unlike other tax-

30 C H A L L E N G E A P R I L 2 0 1 2

deferred retirement accounts, where distributions must start at age 70 1/2, you can begin using money in a Roth IRA as early as age 59. Your money can also accumulate and be left to your family if you choose. Plus, you can have this account in addition to a regular tax-deferred account. So if you think taxes are only going to increase, setting up a Roth IRA with tax-free distributions might be the way to go.

These are just a handful of the retirement accounts that are available, so it’s important to find a banking institution you feel comfortable with and make an appointment to discuss your retirement plan options with a financial adviser.

While many banks and credit unions offer online setup, opening an account in person may be the best route. Talking to a financial expert face to face can offer you peace of mind.

Snyder offers this advice: “It’s important to go with someone you know, somebody you can talk to, somebody you trust.”

This is your retirement. Take control of it, and it will take care of you in your golden years. PCM w w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m

on very well,” explains Groff. “We weren’t even trying to make a film going into it. I started telling [Zak] about my fascination, and that we should try to look for ghosts.

We just scooped up some money and bought these little night-vision cameras with super night vision on them.”

“The documentary was about two hours,” says Bagans. “We entered it in film festivals and we won the grand jury prize at the New York International Festival and nominated for Best Feature at the Eerie Horror Film Festival. We started getting a lot of recognition.”

feature

shivering mandatory by: ashley leis

he mysterious, unexplained or downright spooky often provide believers of paranormal activity plenty of fuel to ignite their claims regarding the afterlife. Hollywood blockbuster movies such as “Ghost,” “The Sixth Sense” and the “Paranormal Activity” series have helped build the fascination in the supernatural and the ability to communicate with people beyond the grave.

For the three intrepid explorers on the Travel Channel’s “Ghost Adventures,” investigating the paranormal to find answers to the unexplained is their sole mission, regardless of the precarious and sometimes frightening situations they find themselves in at haunted locations around the world.

“I’ve always had a fascination, since I

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32 C H A L L E N G E A P R I L 2 0 1 2

was a little kid,” says Nick Groff, a “Ghost Adventures” team member. “I’ve had some small experiences. But as I grew older the fascination just grew on me too. I’m more of a logical thinker and I have to see it to believe it kind of thing.”

Groff, Zak Bagans and Aaron Goodwin were already acquaintances before the show’s premiere in 2008. The three film buffs had joined forces in the past when Bagans and Groff went on a ghost hunt across the West, recording and documenting their discoveries. Goodwin joined the team as a camera operator and the team filmed and made their own documentary that explored some of the more infamous haunted sites in the U.S. “I met Zak in Las Vegas and I knew Aar-

You see me standing there...and then I leave the room and right after that you see this figure kind of form transparently... and this apparition just follows me out of the room.

Nick Groff

The documentary aired on the Syfy channel in 2007 and stemming from its popularity and the way it was produced, the team was offered an opportunity to run eight trial episodes on the Travel Channel. It was an instant hit. “Now here we are, in our sixth season,” says Bagans. “It’s going good.”

The premise of the series is straightforward. The investigative team visits locations around the world that are rumored to have paranormal activity. They are literally locked in during their investigation, with the aim of debunking any previous reporting of paranormal activity. “One reason we get locked in is so nothing can get in,” says Goodwin.

“If we see something or hear something, we know no one got in the building and we know it’s a ghost. That keeps us sane so if we see someone’s shadow walk by, we’re not thinking ‘Did someone get in?’”

“The concept of the show is a real [direct] approach to paranormal investigating,” explains Bagans. “People must understand when they’re investigating the paranormal you have to pay attention to detail. When we broadcast our show, a lot of the stuff that we supply you, we call it unexplained. We’re not calling it paranormal. If we hear an unexplained voice and looked out the windows and didn’t see anybody outside, we know we’re the only ones locked in the building.

We can’t explain it, so we present it as unw w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m

explained. We get a lot of unexplained things, sounds and stuff like that. If we’re able to debunk it we won’t present it because we explained it.”

Bagans, Groff and Goodwin also bring an antagonistic approach to investigating. “There’s a big misconception there as well,” says Bagans. “I was bullied as a kid and if I saw the guys who bullied me now … [let’s just say] I didn’t like being bullied. I’ve taken that attitude into how people are being bullied by spirits and those are the only spirits I’ll be provocative towards.”

As an example, if someone was killed with a knife, they’ll bring a knife to try and provoke a response. “We’ll do whatever we can to get under the bad spirit’s skin just to get evidence,” Groff says.

The concept is something that appeals to fans. Avid viewer of “Ghost Adventures” Dakota Laden from Minnesota finds the team’s approach to investigation as one of the draws in watching the show. “They don’t go to houses, not something that is just [apparently] haunted, they go to the worst of the worst. They don’t talk to PHOTO: The Travel Channel the ghosts, they taunt the ghosts and Nick Groff, Zak Bagans and Aaron Goodwin often take an antagonistic approach they basically call them out. They get to draw out the ghosts. attacked sometimes and they’re [hard-

w w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m

A P R I L 2 0 1 2 C H A L L E N G E 33

PHOTO: The Travel Channel

Now in their sixth season, the team has visited some of the world’s most notoriously haunted locations, like the Shanghai Tunnels under Hobo’s Restaurant in Portland, Ore. core] at what they do.”

Skeptics of the paranormal and the show often question the team’s results and Groff says their intent is not to force people to believe.

“I think people need to understand that we’re not here to put stuff in people’s heads,” says Groff. “I’m not going to be like, ‘No, you have to believe.’ I don’t care what you think or will say you have to believe. I think you’re going to believe when you’re ready to believe that there’s something else to just dying. There’s something else beyond just that. Whatever that is, you have to figure that out for yourself in your own personal life.”

The team often comes across unexplainable actions and at times even they have questioned their involvement in certain investigations.

Groff recalls a piece of evidence during the filming of their original documentary that altered his own perspective on what the team is investigating. “It wasn’t until we got to Virginia City, Nev., when we started to get some pretty freaky things happen,” Groff recalls. “We started investigating this place called the Old Washoe Club and that just blew our minds. It didn’t happen in the moment but what creeped us out was when we went home and I’m reviewing all the footage and not until I got to that tape that it blew my mind because of what we captured.”

The team had set up a static night-vision camera in the ball-

34 C H A L L E N G E A P R I L 2 0 1 2

w w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m

room of the club and as Groff explains, “You see me standing there for a second, give a pause and then I leave the room and right after that you see this figure kind of form, transparently, walk across the room and this apparition just follows me out of the room. And it was one of the craziest things that I’ve ever seen.”

For Bagans it was “seeing a brick take flight” at the Goldfield Hotel in Goldfield, Nev., that has stayed with him most.

“That was the most profound,” he says.

“We went back to that location months later and did an event there and all these people seeing these rocks pick up off the ground and being thrown at people. We had about 30 people witness that. That was the most gratifying. Something big happens to you that people don’t believe in, you’re going to get pummeled with controversy. ‘Oh, they must have rigged it, blah, blah.’ But to go back there and have 30 people witness what happened, that’s gratifying.”

Check out the “Ghost Adventures” team on the Travel Channel to investigate your own beliefs. Don’t be scared. PCM

“Ghost Adventures” airs on Fridays at 9/8C on the Travel Channel.

PHOTO: The Travel Channel

Bagans (right) and the team research the haunted locations before getting locked in for the night. They go in skeptical, ready to debunk haunted claims, but often come out believers with proof.

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A P R I L 2 0 1 2 C H A L L E N G E 35

efits of it, in 15 to 20 minutes, and I could squeeze that in anywhere,” he says.

He compiled body-weight exercises and routines that emphasized multi-muscular movements, wrote them on index cards, and began doing them one after another, in 15-minute increments, wherever he could: in his sleeper berth. On fuel islands. In Pilot Flying J travel centers. At rest areas, where he used the pavilions to do pull-ups and the picnic areas to do box jumps.

feature

“

I realized that I can take advantage of the fact that I’m mobile.

You can pretty much stop anywhere and do your workout.

”

Siphiwe Baleka

triathlete trucker

by: jennifer kirby

rofessional truck driver Siphiwe Baleka was on the road with his driver trainer for only a few weeks when he noticed the beginnings of what he calls “trucker’s gut.”

“I adapted to [the trainer’s] habits.

Where he stopped, we ate; what he ate, I ate.

Very quickly I started putting on weight and it scared me. I had never been out of shape before,” says Baleka, who was a world-class swimmer two decades ago at Yale University. “I put on 20 pounds within about four or five weeks. When you’re broke, if you’re going to pay $8 or $9 for an all-you-can-eat

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36 C H A L L E N G E A P R I L 2 0 1 2

buffet, you’re going to overeat.”

His driving schedule kept him busy, and sitting down all day wasn’t doing his metabolism any favors. But Baleka was determined to find a way to stay in shape.

“I had a moment where I realized I didn’t want to be like all the people I saw at truck stops. I thought, there’s no excuse for not finding 15 or 20 minutes for myself,” he recalls.

He began researching options online and soon honed in on the efficiency of working several muscle groups at once. “I realized I could get in a one-hour workout, or the ben-

“I was using the environment around me to get 15 minutes in, and it was working,” he says. He was slimming down, losing the trucker’s gut and gaining muscle definition.

He enjoyed the routine so much that he started doing it twice a day, and began tracking his workouts and what he ate.

“With truck drivers, the farther you have to go from the truck, the less motivated you are to [exercise]. Going to a gym is not always feasible. Equipment setup takes time. Anything that moves us away from the truck or takes time to set up wasn’t going to work so much,” Baleka says. “I would literally open my door, put down a piece of cardboard or an exercise mat, do a workout, pack it up in less than a minute and get back in my truck.

I could do that anywhere, and once I realized that I started investing in lightweight equipment.”

He experimented with various equipment, judging it not only by its effectiveness from a fitness standpoint, but by its compatibility with his truck-side routine. Among the keepers were high-quality resistance bands, the Perfect Pushup tool, a weighted vest and a pull-apart pull-up bar. “There’s all kinds of crazy gear out there,” he says. “Anything you can do in a weight room, I can do on the side of my truck.”

Meanwhile, other drivers couldn’t help but notice the fit guy doing push-ups in the parking lot, and they started asking him questions. Their interest showed Baleka there was a market for the system he was developing. “There’s a workout DVD for every kind of person in the world, but not one for the truck driver,” he says, “so I decided to make one,” which he sent along with a busiw w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m

ness plan to his company, Prime Inc. That set the stage for what has grown into Fitness Trucking (www. fitnesstrucking.com), a program that uses nutrition and exercise videos – 19 to date – to help commercial fleets and individual drivers implement what he’s learned. His ambitious goal is to “reverse the trend of poor health among commercial truck drivers and create a culture of fitness within the industry, increasing profitability and safety by reducing risk factors related to obesity, driver fatigue and accidents.”

Baleka notes that diet plays an important role in health, and it’s an additional hurdle for truck drivers to overcome. “That impulse to eat all the time is a serious problem for us truckers, partly because of boredom and fighting fatigue, but also because our irregular schedules alter the body’s chemistry and ability to regulate hunger,” he says. He tries to snack on healthy foods – berries, cherries, lowfat cheese sticks and protein bars – every few hours.

As Baleka got more creative with his workouts, he began to see how the trucking lifestyle could actually ben-

efit his fitness routine. “I realized that I can take advantage of the fact that I’m mobile. You can pretty much stop anywhere and do your workout,” he says. “I would ride by these lakes and think, hmm ...” He bought a fold-up mountain bike, which fits in his sleeper, and a wet suit, so he could park, ride to a state park, go for a swim or a run, and bike back to the truck.

“After a while I realized, I’m in really good shape,” he says.

As a senior at Yale, Baleka had led the swim team to its first Ivy League championship in 50 years. He decided to enter a swim meet. His performance at that meet qualified him for the U.S. Masters nationals.

It was winter at the time, so he couldn’t train for nationals by swimming in lakes. Instead, he got in the habit of searching on his GPS for a YMCA, whose policy allows members to use facilities nationwide for free. Every couple of days, in whatever town he was in, he’d call the local YMCA and ask if they had a pool, what time lap swimming was, and if he could park a semi truck there. “If I got all the right answers, I would go to the YMCA,” he says. Gradually, he

Baleka started small, fitting in 15-minute workouts where and when he could.

EXCLUDES OVER THE LIMIT 1/3LB HOT DOG

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A P R I L 2 0 1 2 C H A L L E N G E 37

developed a database of truck-accessible YMCAs across America.

At nationals, the extra effort paid off: He won two events. That success inspired him to train for his first triathlon, in May 2011. “I absolutely loved it,” he says. “I kept doing a race a month ... and now I’ve become a seriously competitive triathlete.”

When he learned that Pilot Flying J was partnering with Revolution3 Triathlon to sponsor three triathlons in 2011, he was thrilled. The Revolution3 Triathlon race series is built on the concept that the sport of triathlon is a lifestyle choice that involves not just the athletes but their families. It aims to make triathlons more interactive and fun for spectators by providing activities for children and other supporters during the race.

At the final triathlon of his 2011 season, the Revolution3 event in Anderson, S.C., Baleka won the men’s 40-44 age group Olympic-distance race. “This was by far the most challenging course and the most fun of all the triathlons I’ve done this year,” he said then. “I really wanted to do this race because it is sponsored by Pilot Flying J and I am a truck driver and I wanted to prove that I am the fittest truck driver in America.”

Dave Parmly, manager of employee services for Pilot Flying J, said the triathlons were an ideal opportunity to extend the company’s message of wellness beyond its corporate headquarters in Knoxville, Tenn. There, the company routinely sponsors races,

Baleka is a natural swimmer, having led his college swim team. He recently qualified for the U.S. Masters nationals.

38 C H A L L E N G E A P R I L 2 0 1 2

w w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m

An Ironman triathlon consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike race and a full 26.2-mile marathon. youth sports teams and ball fields, and actively supports other fitness-oriented endeavors; the Pilot name is associated with wellness. They want that same message to come through in other parts of the country where Pilot Flying J has a presence.

“We’re trying to encourage our employees and customers outside of Knoxville to know that we care about their health and wellbeing,” he says. “We want to send the message that health is important and we’ll stand with you to let you get behind that and be a little healthier.”

Truck drivers in particular, Parmly says, tend to be “underserved” when it comes to opportunities for optimal health.

“They get a few minutes to eat and then they’re sitting, and they have more builtin excuses that I have to say are fairly legitimate-sounding to me,” he says. But the challenges aren’t insurmountable.

Baleka’s dedication and accomplishments are all the more inspiring because he is a trucker, succeeding despite the unique demands of that career, Parmly says. “He represents what can be done

if you are committed to health and wellness. It’s not going to happen by accident, it will be inconvenient at times, it will be tough, but it can be done.”

Only a year after his first triathlon, Baleka is focused now on training to compete in Ironman South Africa on April 22.

He plans to bring his family along, and is raising money to help with those expenses by promoting sales of an energy bar his family custom-designed for his 40th birthday. Cases of the Fitness Trucking 140.6 Energy Bar can be ordered online at www.youbars.com.

And he’s doing his part to prepare physically, following a rigorous 25-week training plan while driving about 3,000 miles per week. “I can say emphatically that I am at my best and smack in the middle of the greatest effort of my life,” he says. “I just want to show other truck drivers that you can stay fit even while on the road and compete at a high level if you have the desire to do so. Nothing is gonna stop me from finishing Ironman South Africa.” PCM

Fitness Trucking 140.6 Energy Bars are available at www.youbars.com. Click “Re-order” and enter “i57px” when prompted to provide a re-order code. Use the coupon “Fitness Trucking” for an additional discount on every order. The bars will be sold at this site throughout the year.

Ingredients: almond butter, organic dates, organic brown rice syrup, organic coconut, whey protein isolate, semisweet chocolate chips, cocoa, almonds, pumpkin seeds, granola, organic goji berries, all-one vitamin infusion, vanilla extract and organic ginger

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A P R I L 2 0 1 2 C H A L L E N G E 39

PHOTOs courtesy of: Maverick Transportation

The Maverick Way

feature

maverick transportation by: amanda jakl

or a new driver right out of CDL school, choosing your future employer out of the sea of truck-driving companies can be overwhelming. With so many recruiters looking to fill tractor seats, it’s easy to be swayed by the highest bidder. Those cents-per-mile pay the bills, after all.

But driving a truck is about more than miles driven; it’s a way of life. Choosing the right company can mean the difference between just a paycheck and a satisfying career. Steve Williams, CEO and chairman of

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40 C H A L L E N G E A P R I L 2 0 1 2

Maverick Transportation, understands the difference.

With more than 1,200 trucks on the road, Maverick, and its maroon-colored tractors, is a well-known presence across the country.

Headquartered in Little Rock, Ark., Maverick has terminals in Fort Smith, Ark., Gary, Ind., Madison, Ill., Middletown, Ohio, Green Bay, Wis., and Laurinburg, N.C. While Maverick made its name in flatbed, they also boast one of the largest glass hauling fleets and recently expanded into temperature control.

Williams started Maverick Transportation with just one truck and a dream: to change the face of the trucking industry. Maverick has continued to grow and succeed due to his vision. Williams believes in “doing what you say you will do with integrity, respect and commitment.” Those values and principles are the foundation of “The Maverick Way,” which has allowed the company to grow for more than 30 years. It’s not just a catchphrase. Everybody in the company understands that being a Maverick employee is not simply what you do, it’s your character.

“At Maverick we’re going to treat you like we would want to be treated,” says Brad Vaughn, director of recruiting. “We’ll always be honest and upfront with you. We’re always going to tell you the truth. It may not always be what you want to hear, but it will always be the truth.”

The Maverick Way begins the moment a student is hired. Ed Tillman has been a trainer since 2009 and describes the welcome a new recruit will receive: “A student is a family member within a day or so of being hired at Maverick.”

Vaughn elaborates on the attention each new driver receives. “[Students will] go through extensive hands-on training; they’ll be given a book of pictures of every load we haul and how to secure it.” It’s not just the information that is extensive, it’s the support system from the entire Maverick family that really stands out. All drivers receive a list of people they can contact if they have questions. Those people offer to be available around the clock.

John Wright, a driver for the company for more than four years, sees this Maverick philosophy resonate throughout the trucking community. “Maverick likes the people that are willing to help other drivers,” he says, “be it other Maverick drivers or other companies.”

Vaughn agrees, adding, “Something that we pride ourselves on is that [we] don’t just take care of our own, but take care of the industry as a whole. Maverick wants to be a game changer, one driver at a time.”

Pay Increases

Maverick recently announced a pay raise for current and potential drivers and on April 1, a new pay structure goes into effect. The company has raised starting flatbed pay and introduced longevity raises. Maverick also increased tarp pay, recognizing the challenges drivers face securing loads.

“We more than doubled our tarp pay,” explains Vaughn. “Tarping a load is hard work. It’s not easy when your tarps can weigh anywhere from 80 to 120 pounds and w w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m

At Maverick, drivers new to the industry don’t have to sacrifice pay for top-ofthe-line training.

w w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m

having to pick those up, spread those out. We definitely wanted to reward them for going the extra mile. It’s something we’ve looked at for years and we’re finally in a position to do it.”

Maverick is a great place for new drivers to start. For students or drivers who feel they need a little more hands-on experience, Maverick offers an opportunity to sharpen skills and strengthen confidence without sacrificing pay.

Maverick has increased training pay to $550 per week, up from $450. “Our training is topof-the-line, we don’t shortcut on anything,” Vaughn says. Increased training pay is a strong incentive for those starting out in the business who need more experience.

Maverick wants to be a company that drivers want to stay with. At most trucking companies, drivers receive raises for two to three years, but at Maverick, all drivers receive a yearly increase out to five years. The company wants to reward their loyal drivers with a yearly raise. Vaughn says, “It’s a longevity increase and that’s the aim, to reward the drivers that stick with us.”

Maverick rewards drivers who stay longer than five years with an increase in vacation pay.

Vacation pay starts at a flat amount and changes to an average of what the driver is currently making. Vaughn explains, “You gain more vacation the longer your tenure is and your vacation pay increases as well.”

A P R I L 2 0 1 2 C H A L L E N G E 41

Maverick made its name in flatbedding, but also offers dedicated, temperature control and glass hauling divisions.

Are You a Maverick?

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Tillman, Maverickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2010 Driver of the Year, points out that not everyone is cut out to be a Maverick. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I take pride in the fact that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a professional driver and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the person we want to hire at Maverick. We want professional drivers, we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want truck drivers.â&#x20AC;?

Maverick makes it easy to find out if you have what it takes to be a member of its team. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Give us a call, check us out on the Web, even if you have just one question. If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel like talking to a recruiter, flag a Maverick driver down, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be more than happy to answer your questions,â&#x20AC;? says Vaughn. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d love to talk to drivers. Even if we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t help each other now, maybe we can help each other in the future.â&#x20AC;? PCM

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PAY & BENEFITS

Starting pay: Students: $.33-$.40/mile Experienced: $.41-$.48/mile Yearly pay increases for 5 years $500 orientation pay Earn up to $.065 per mile fuel bonus $500 sign-on bonus $500 driver referral bonus Tarp pay Detention pay Weekend guarantee pay Paid PrePass and tolls

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Maverick Transportation www.drivemaverick.com 1-800-289-1100 w w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m

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ter and soap for 20 seconds before and after handling food.

• Dishes, utensils and preparation surfaces should be washed with hot soapy water after preparing each food item and before starting on the next food.

• Fruits and vegetables should be rinsed under running tap water. Rub, in addition to rinsing, if the produce has a firm skin. This includes items with inedible skins or rinds since your knife can bring dirt and bacteria into these foods while cutting. Blot fruits and vegetables dry with a clean towel.

column

SEPARATE

Better to Be Food Safe than Sorry by: linda mcgirr Linda McGirr is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Dietitian-Nutritionist

rying to improve your eating habits?

Eating healthy can be easier when you plan your meals ahead and pack them with you on a long haul. But another big part of eating healthy is keeping these foods safe to eat. Practicing food safety is a means to ensure that the food you eat won’t make you sick.

Have you ever had a “stomach bug” during a trip? It’s not very convenient, is it? Studies show that some gastrointestinal illnesses are actually food poisoning. Foodborne illness can wreak havoc with your body and your job when you are on the road. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that roughly one in six Americans gets sick from food poisoning each year. This adds up to 48 million people! Many of these cases of illness can be prevented by safe food handling. Whether we’re talking foods packed from home,

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44 C H A L L E N G E A P R I L 2 0 1 2

store-bought foods or leftovers, remembering a few key points will go a long way to keeping you healthy.

There are four core points to being food safe, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Partnership for Food Safety Education: clean, separate, cook and chill. Since these guidelines are geared for home cooking, we must do a little translating for the practices most often used by truck drivers.

CLEAN

The idea is to clean any harmful bacteria off the food before you eat it so it doesn’t enter your body. This goes for anything that will come into contact with your food as well, such as your hands, dishes, cookware, utensils and counter tops.

• Hands should be washed with warm wa-

Always keep raw and cooked foods separate. Keep juices from raw meat, poultry or fish from coming in contact with other foods.

In coolers, raw and cooked foods should be secured in separate, sealed containers to prevent cross-contamination. In refrigerators, store raw foods in containers or on plates to prevent dripping onto other foods.

During food preparation, never place cooked foods on a surface that has been used for raw meats, poultry, fish or eggs.

Always use separate utensils for raw and cooked foods.

COOK

Cooking foods to the proper internal temperature kills harmful bacteria that can make you sick. The best way to know when foods are done is to use an instant-read food thermometer. You can pick one up for about $8 at department or grocery stores. Place the food thermometer into the thickest part of the meat without hitting bone. Use the chart below as a guideline for safe minimum cooking temperatures. Once the food is cooked, transfer it to a clean plate with a clean utensil.

Food Beef, Pork, Lamb, Veal

Safe Internal Temperature 145°F (let rest 3 mins)

Fish

145°F

Poultry

165°F

Ground Meat

165°F

Leftovers & Casseroles

165°F

* For more details, visit www.befoodsafe.org

When microwaving, use containers that boast the words “microwave safe.” Cutting foods into same-size pieces will help foods cook evenly. Cover foods with wax paper or microwave-safe plastic wrap. Stir or rotate foods halfway through cooking and allow for standing time at the end. Check for w w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m

sanitize the grill surface before placing food on it. Whether using charcoal or gas, try to get the grill evenly hot before cooking. This will allow food to cook properly inside and out. Leave some space between the food and the heat to prevent the outside from burning before the inside is done. Be sure to turn meat at least once during cooking.

CHILL

Don’t let food poisoning ruin your grilling season.

Make sure that grill surface is hot before you lay on those T-bone steaks and chicken legs. doneness with your instant-read thermometer.

If using a grill, be sure to remove charred food debris with a grill brush and let the heat

Storing foods at the right temperature helps to keep food safe. The danger zone, as far as food temperatures go, is between 40 and 140 degrees. Keep your refrigerator below 40 degrees to slow spoilage. Whether you have a refrigerator or a cooler in your cab, keep an appliance thermometer in it to make sure that the temperature is in the safe zone. You can buy a refrigerator thermometer for about $5. Coolers should be packed with enough ice to keep this temperature constant. Store drinks separately to avoid frequent opening and closing of coolers.

All perishable foods, including leftovers, should be refrigerated within two hours (one hour if the temperature is above 90 degrees). If you can’t chill them within these timeframes, discard them.

How long can you safely store foods in your refrigerator or cooler? Read and respect expiration and “use by” dates, follow

the guidelines below and remember: When in doubt, throw it out.

Type of Food Cooked foods and leftovers

Suggested Storage Time Below 40° F 3-4 days

Raw meats

3-5 days

Poultry and ground meats

1-2 days

Fresh fish

2-3 days

Prepared salads

3-5 days

* For detailed lists, visit www.fightbac.org

Nonperishable foods, such as dried pasta and canned goods, are convenient and don’t require refrigeration. Following a few easy rules will keep these foods safe in your cab. Make sure cans are free of dents and are not bulging or leaking. Don’t buy any damaged or open packages. Always keep an eye on expiration dates.

Preventing those “stomach bugs” with safe food handling can become second nature with a little practice. Following all these guidelines might be a little tedious, but the benefits definitely outweigh the effort required. If being food safe means keeping you feeling good, then what do you have to lose? PCM

a product ct o off

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A P R I L 2 0 1 2 C H A L L E N G E 45

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where’s my radio?

his month, I have an old complaint. It seems that every radio station plays the same 10 songs on repeat, no matter what state I’m driving through.

Part of this, I know, is due to just a few companies having bought up all the radio stations around the country – one named for a type of cloud comes to mind. I mean, that girl Adele has a great voice and all, but do I have to hear her songs 50 times a day?

The reason I say this is an old complaint is that I broke down and finally got satellite radio. Now I listen to whatever I want, whenever I want to, and I have to tell you it is pretty cool. But that’s also why I’m mad. It’s not that music nowadays is any better or worse than it was a

couple of decades ago, it’s that they used to play a better variety. We weren’t stuck hearing the same dozen songs on a loop because of corporate greed.

When I was a bit younger, you could tell the difference between radio stations.

And it was fun crossing state lines to find out what they were listening to in Texas compared with Mississippi. Individual disc jockeys actually picked the music, so you never knew what would be coming up next. Heck, even the country stations are now sounding a bit too automated. I guess that’s where all the money is.

I miss the countdown with Casey Kasem. When he’d end the countdown with the words “Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars,” I didn’t think he was talking about sat-

by: charles pope

ellite radio. He probably didn’t think so either, although he might get a kick out of the idea of listening to his shows from the ’70s and ’80s (on Channel 7 Saturday nights).

Heck, I never thought we’d get to the point where we have to pay for radio. But here we are, 15 bucks or so a month gets you more than 130 channels of listening pleasure. Now don’t get me wrong; like I said, I think this is great. I’m already hooked to the variety of talk shows, sports coverage and music stations keeping me company in my cab. I even get to listen to our own Claire B. Lang talking about NASCAR. A great radio show can make the miles fly by. I just wish I didn’t have to pay for it. PCM

Do you have an industry issue you would like to gripe about? Send it to editor@ptcchallenge.com.

Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge … wow! Worst: Weather – the sun can be brutally strong in the day and the nights can be frigid. Interesting Fact: The huge fourfingered glove in left field is marked with a “501” sign, making it the farthest outfield measurement sign in baseball.

PHOTO: NEW YORK YANKEES

Wrigley Field (Chicago Cubs):

Ballpark Road Trip he 2012 Major League Baseball season opens April 4 with the unveiling of Marlins Ballpark, the new home of the Miami Marlins. While interest in the MLB’s newest park probably won’t have the nation’s baseball fans racing down Interstate 95 to experience a game just yet, it got us thinking of what ballparks around the country are worth a long-distance road trip.

So what makes a great ballpark? History, architecture, fan base and food come to mind, but it also has to offer an atmosphere that stays with you long after the final inning. Here is our bucket list of ballparks, in no particular order, that all baseball fans should visit once in their lifetime:

T

Yankee Stadium (New York Yankees):

Built just across the street from the “old” Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, this state-ofthe-art ballpark opened in style with the Yankees winning their 27th championship

48 C H A L L E N G E A P R I L 2 0 1 2

in 2009. The new park has the same dimensions as the old one, and visitors can still find Monument Park beyond the outfield fence. Capacity: 52,325 Food Essentials: Steak sandwich, Italian sausage and garlic fries Best: Tradition – the championships, the history, the city. Even if you’re not a fan of the team, it’s the ultimate baseball experience. Worst: Price – $5.50 for a hot dog and $15 for a deli sandwich, really? Interesting Fact: The numbers 2 and 6 are the only numbers between 1 and 10 that have not been retired. And since Derek Jeter wears No. 2, No. 6 will soon be the last number standing.

AT&T Park (San Francisco Giants):

Located alongside the San Francisco Bay, AT&T Park is second to none in beautiful views. Capacity: 41,600 Food Essentials: Calamari, crab cake sandwich and Caribbean Cha-Cha bowl (beans, rice, chicken, salsa and other stuff) Best: View – San

The “Friendly Confines” is probably best known for the ivy that covers the outfield wall. Planted in 1937, the ivy was intended to cushion the impact outfielders would have against the brick wall underneath – not sure the players had much input on that decision.

Capacity: 41,160 Food Essentials: Kosher dog and chicken sandwich Best: History – the place oozes it. Worst: Food – Eat before or after, there’s just nothing special to try. Interesting Fact: As the second oldest park (1914) in the majors, behind Fenway, Wrigley did not install lights until 1988.

Safeco Field (Seattle Mariners):

The retractable roof at Safeco Field guarantees a game no matter the weather, and the views of downtown Seattle and the Puget Sound make visiting this park a distinctly Northwestern experience. Capacity: 47,447 Food Essentials: Salmon sandwich, sushi and crepes Best: Food – so much to choose from in so little time. Worst: Fans – just don’t see the passion like the other parks on the list. Interesting Fact: The roof closes in 15 minutes at a push of a button but the sides of the park stay open, giving an outdoor but protected feel no matter the weather.

Fenway Park (Boston Red Sox):

America’s oldest ballpark, Fenway opened in 1912 and is best known for its 37-foot-tall “Green Monster” in left field. It still has all the charm of an old ballpark, with the manually operated scoreboard, brutally narrow seats and the call of “hot roasted peanuts” outside the stadium. Capacity: 37,000 Food Essentials: Fenway Franks, New England clam chowder and funnel cake Best: Atmosphere – you’ll never forget your visit.

Worst: Seating – anyone above the age of 12 will be aching by the third inning. Interesting Fact: It’s a tradition for opposing players, when visiting Fenway for the first time, to sign their name on the inside wall of the Green Monster.

Rounding out the Top 10:

Camden Yards (Baltimore Orioles); Target Field (Minnesota Twins); PNC Park (Pittsburgh Pirates); Coors Field (Colorado Rockies); Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles Dodgers) PCM

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column

Budget woes

by: mike howe

Follow Mike on Twitter: @TruckingDC • Like Mike on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TruckingPoliticsMore

he early part of a new year is generally a time to be optimistic about the future and to start working on the goals set forth in January. In government, though, the beginning of the year is when our elected officials begin working on the budget for the next year – in this case, for the 2013 fiscal year. It was around Valentine’s Day this year that President Obama released his 2013 budget, and though there is much in the budget that is positive there is still much to be desired.

From a transportation perspective, Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood praised the proposed budget. “President Obama’s budget reflects our commitment to investing in an America that is built to last,” said LaHood. “A strong American economy depends on the roadways, runways, and railways that move people and goods from coast to coast and around the globe. President Obama’s plan will enable us to build the American infrastructure we need for tomorrow while putting people

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50 C H A L L E N G E A P R I L 2 0 1 2

back to work today.”

Of course, what would you expect the secretary to say? After all, the president is his boss. But, giving LaHood the benefit of the doubt and looking only at the transportation budget, what are some of the highlights? The proposed 2013 budget includes an approximately $2 billion increase in funding for the DOT. LaHood points out that the president’s budget proposal does three key things: invests in America’s future, modernizes the transportation system through research and technology, and continues an emphasis on safety.

From a trucking industry-specific perspective we have already seen what these three items mean. “Investing in America’s future” is essentially the same as working on infrastructure. If we are honest about this, what we’re really doing is trying to play catch-up from years of infrastructure neglect. One of the great challenges is how to pay for it. Fuel tax monies are often diverted from their intended purpose, like bike paths,

while public-private partnerships (e.g., tolling) become more and more popular. Congress has been unable and unwilling to pass a long-term highway bill for years now, so realistically, no state or government can truly plan beyond a couple of years.

The safety emphasis is interesting. Certainly everyone associated with the trucking industry is an advocate for safety, yet with the continual evolution of hours of service, electronic on-board recorders (EOBRs), distracted driving, and other regulations it also seems – to some – as though the industry is under constant assault.

The budget documents provide some insight as to what 2013 holds for rulemaking. Per the FMCSA budget document, “The FMCSA anticipates developing and publishing rulemakings on a number of key safety areas in the budget year.” Such rulemakings are specifically listed to include: completion of final rules to establish a controlled substances and alcohol database, unified registration system, national registry of certified medical examiners (medical examiner periodic reporting), and EOBRs/hours-ofservice supporting documents. The latter will establish technical specifications for the devices, mandate their use by certain interstate truck and bus companies, provide a means for ensuring that EOBRs are not used to harass drivers, and specify what supporting documents motor carriers are required to maintain.

The budget document also suggests FMCSA plans to issue rulemaking on vision requirements for truck and bus drivers, ensuring proper oversight of drivers with obstructive sleep apnea, and increased funding for the cross-border trucking program.

The reality is that the president’s budget, which increases the overall deficit by about $3 trillion, is dead on arrival – even Democrats will vote against it. U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has even offered to introduce the president’s budget himself, just as he did last year – that’s how confident he is the budget will fail. The problem with it failing is that now we get to have the same people in Congress, who are running for reelection this year, trying to hash out the details and pass a different budget.

My guess is that this becomes a long political debate full of grandstanding and campaign rhetoric, followed by last-minute negotiations to pass continuing resolutions designed to keep the government operating. That is much easier to do. What I do like about the president’s budget is that it offers insight into what our industry can expect from regulating agencies like the FMCSA. It’s certainly worth keeping an eye on. PCM

w w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m

PHOTO: Nature Blinds

column

blind comfort

by: brenda potts

uring my career as an outdoor writer I have reviewed and written about hundreds of innovative new products in the hunting industry. This year one of my favorite discoveries is the Texas-made TreeBlind™ from Nature Blinds.

“Hidden Hunters Ahead” is their tag line and it is certainly appropriate. The TreeBlind™ ground blind looks just like a giant tree stump from the outside, but offers the ultimate in concealment and comfort inside.

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52 C H A L L E N G E A P R I L 2 0 1 2

It is the most realistic ground blind on the market due to the creativity of its designer, whose background is in Hollywood set design.

Externally the blind’s texture resembles that of a real tree. Attention to detail is evident, right down to the door handle that resembles a short limb extending from the outer bark. A fully enclosed, lockable, polyurethane shell features realistic bark texture, and is designed to keep weather and ani-

mals out, while keeping sound and scent in.

The UV-stabilized hard-surface exterior is hand-painted.

Internally the blind walls are seamless from floor to ceiling. A carpeted floor aids in sound reduction. The insulated walls help keep the cold out. In fact, the blind is so wellinsulated a person’s body heat can raise the internal temperature of the blind to comfortable levels while the outside temps remain low.

Anyone who has hunted from ground blinds knows the window system is critical. This blind offers 360-degree views and patented silent magnetic windows that open and close easily and quietly. Window surfaces are treated for one-way viewing.

Most people will be able to stand up inside the blind because the interior is 68 inches high. It can accommodate two people with ease with an interior diameter of 67 inches.

The exterior height is 88 inches and exterior diameter is 77 inches. The blind weighs 300 pounds.

Hunting in adverse weather conditions makes our favorite activity a difficult chore at times. I have endured 32 mph winds and single-digit wind chills during the Illinois gun season while hunting from a pop-up ground blind. If I left the windows open the blind nearly burst at the seams under the strain of the occasional 40 to 50 mph wind gusts. I closed the windows and tried to periodically peer through small cracks in the window’s zipper system but I know I missed deer that slipped across the field when I was taking a break from the miserable conditions. Even though the blind was made with camouflage material and we had brushed it in, I am sure it did not look natural quivering in the wind. If only I had had a TreeBlind™!

This blind is great for hunters, but can also be used for wildlife observation or photography. The natural-looking exterior also turns the TreeBlind™ into a fantastic child’s playhouse. Look for this and more innovative products from Nature Blinds at www.natureblinds.com. PCM

TREE BLIND SPECS Exterior Height 88” Exterior Diameter 77” Interior Height 78” Interior Diameter 67” Weight 300lbs Average Temperature Differences Winter - +31°F Warmer Summer -16°F Cooler w w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m

PHOTO: Don Bok

column

what matters most

by: claire b. lang

t’s hard to believe that this 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season is my 11th year of covering NASCAR for satellite radio. I was a reporter for years, covering NASCAR on television, radio and as a writer, before satellite radio and the NASCAR Channel even existed.

I honed my skills and got tough in the trenches as a morning news anchor, morning show co-host and news director, working my way up from college radio (no one else wanted to do the early morning shift) to local small-market radio to larger stations until I landed where I am today, host of “Dialed In” on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

To tell you the truth, I can hardly remember when I wasn’t in radio, near a micro-

I

54 C H A L L E N G E A P R I L 2 0 1 2

phone or holding one a great deal of the time in the field.

Last season, I celebrated my 10th anniversary on the NASCAR Channel without any hoopla because I was so busy covering an ever-moving sport and traveling to race tracks from February to November.

What matters most to me is that when I am done with all of this, some little girl, maybe your daughter or granddaughter, will benefit from what it took to kick the door down and gain respect on sports talk radio.

When I began this journey it was assumed that if you were a female in the garage you were there to find and marry a driver.

For many of my years in terrestrial radio the female was the “swizzle stick” and I

wanted to be Anderson Cooper. It’s hard to put into words the support and respect that I got from the team members and drivers and their wives and owners in the sport since I walked into the garage with a microphone and the intent of turning all the attention on them. They have been most giving and are the reason that I’ve been able to make it in my chosen field telling their stories. I can’t thank them enough for the trust they put in me to be fair.

I’m also thankful for the work ethic that my parents instilled in me, because it is true that if you work hard enough for long enough you can achieve your goals. I also believe that learning how to fall and get back up is the one thing that separates those who achieve their goals from those who don’t.

Everyone gets knocked down on life’s journey – sometimes a lot – and forks and pits in the road are part of life ... so you get back up again and again and again until you get where you’re trying to go.

This past Daytona 500 Speed Week I was honored by the Living Legends of Auto Racing, along with a number of legendary drivers and those who have helped to make the sport what it is today. NASCAR President Mike Helton presented me with the Russ Moyer Media Award, and I was humbled to receive it, to be honored in the presence of the living legends that I’ve covered for so many years.

My studio is in my house and above the broadcast unit on my radio board is an engraved silver bar that reads “Be CALM, Be STRONG, Be GRATEFUL.” I am truly grateful today to be in a medium that fits what I do in broadcasting. Satellite radio is like a canvas to paint on as I tell the stories of the truly amazing people in this sport.

Thanks to the listeners on SiriusXM, many who have been loyal since the beginning. You all have seen this medium grow to what it is today, into something that, especially for those of you on that long and lonely highway in the big rig, would be hard to live without.

I’ll keep working hard to do you proud. PCM

For more Claire B. Lang check claireblang.com for regular updates. twitter.com/ClaireBLang Listen to Claire B. Lang’s Radio Show exclusively on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. w w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m

Have an inspiring story from the road?

Maybe a poem or song? We want to share your creativity with our readers. Write down your thoughts and send it to us by mail or email (editor@ptcchallenge.com).

Submissions must be original, unpublished and created by the sender or the sender must have permission to submit. All submissions become the property of Challenge Magazine and will not be returned. Submissions may be edited and may be published or otherwise reused in any medium.

sponsored by:

Born to Truck by: Ernie Sheldon

I was born to truck. Trucks have been a part of my life since my youth. As a child, I had a big indestructible yellow Tonka dump truck. Like most little boys, I moved what seemed like tons of dirt in my back yard with my truck. I remember dreaming of driving a big yellow truck when I grew up.

Big trucks surrounded me in my youth.

I was so excited when my dad would park the huge truck that hauled his racecar at our house. In those times when my dad let me ride in the truck with him, I would watch with amazement as he worked through the gears, thinking of the day I would drive such a big truck.

I grew up across the street from a grain elevator in Fortville, Ind., a one-stoplight town located between Anderson and Indianapolis on Indiana Route 67. During the fall harvest season, the farmers in their big trucks full of grain would line up waiting their turn at the elevator. To add to the excitement was the continuous flow of semi-trucks taking the grain away from the elevator to some faraway place. The big trucks I saw driving through town always fascinated me. I dreamed of driving one someday.

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56 C H A L L E N G E A P R I L 2 0 1 2

I am one of the few fortunate people in the world who has been able to fulfill a lifelong dream. Since the first day I climbed into a tractor, I have looked forward to every day of driving.

”

When I was 10 years old, I would imagine I was a truck driver as I rode my bicycle through Fortville delivering the afternoon newspaper. I was learning one of the tenets of a successful truck driver: delivering my freight (papers) on time and in good condition. There was a trucking company on my paper route. I would see the big trucks lined up waiting to go to some unknown location. My childhood friend’s father drove one of those big trucks. I thought trucking would be the coolest job!

When my family would travel, I would look out the window of the car at the big trucks as they sped by us wondering where they had been and where they were going.

I would give the traditional double-arm pump as I dreamed of driving one of those trucks in the future. Of course today, if a child gives me the double-arm pump, I always try to give them a couple of blasts on the air horn.

At the age of 18, I enlisted in the Army.

When I was talking to the recruiter, I remember seeing a movie about the Red Ball express in World War II. I thought about driving a truck in the Army. I decided instead to try Special Forces and did that for the next 20 years. I retired from the military to attend seminary. One of my classmates and I had a saying, “If this does not work out, we could always drive a truck.”

We said this tongue-in-cheek, not realizing the skill required to drive a big truck.

Nonetheless, my dream of driving a truck remained a part of me.

All the churches I served as a pastor had professional truck drivers as members of the congregation. These professionals could make a better than average income as a truck driver and still live on the family w w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m

land. I would seek out these drivers to hear about their adventures on the open road. I was always in awe of the distances and the amount of time they drove each week. Deep down inside of me, I still dreamed of driving a truck.

When it became apparent that being a parish pastor was not going to work out for me, driving a truck professionally became reality for me after all the years of dreaming about it.

I left the parish and enrolled in truck driving school. I quickly learned that driving a big truck matching speed, rpm and double shifting was harder than I ever imagined. In addition, I never imagined that backing a trailer with a tractor straight into a docking area within six inches of the loading dock would take so much focus and skill. Truck driving school was one of the most stressful, and rewarding, times in my life, as my dream of being a truck driver was becoming a reality.

I am one of the few fortunate people in the world who has been able to fulfill a lifelong dream. Since the first day I climbed into a tractor, I have looked forward to every day of driving. This joy and excitement for my profession has led to me driving over 1,000,000 safe miles. I was born to drive a truck and that is what I do.

ANIMALS ON THE ROAD by: Rick Hardy

Fuzzy long tails And silver white whiskers Are all that are left, From road kill disasters.

You stay in the woods; I’ll stay on the road.

Get in front of me And you will get mowed.

Raccoon and possums, Wood chucks and squirrels.

Make lasting reminders From red-stained swirls.

Deer will do damage, While crossing a curve.

I’ll try to slow down, But I will not swerve.

I mean you no harm, You’re all friends of mine.

But big semi-trucks Can’t stop on a dime.

Stay inside the fence, Sit and be idle.

Some of you critters Are just suicidal.

construction work by: Rick Hardy

Funny-shaped barrels And orange-colored cones Line streets and highways, Through construction zones.

Yellow lights flashing, Signs are everywhere.

It’s got to be huge, To have cop cars there.

Move over, slow down, A merge up ahead.

Fines are all doubled, Jail if workers are dead.

New traffic pattern, Please be alert.

Cute girl holding sign, Not the time to flirt.

Three cars behind me, Now there are fifty.

Wonder what’s ahead, Sure is a mystery.

I see some hard hats, Why all the trouble?

Nine men are watching, The one with a shovel.

Progressive Insurance. We get you back out there fast.

Every minute. That’s what counts if you have an issue with your truck. That’s why Progressive has 24-hour customer service. Whether it’s a claim or access to your policy, we’re here for you when you need it. Plus we offer customized policies, flexible payment plans and discounts. That’s just some of what you get from America’s #1 truck insurer. Keeping you going. Now that’s Progressive.

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United Financial Casualty Company & affiliates. No. 1 truck from Highline Data’s 2009 national written premium data. 11B00314.T2 (02/12)

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MAVERICK PAY INCREASE STUDENT RADIO SATELLITE GHOST HUNTER TRAVEL TRAVEL CHANNEL CHANNEL PARANORMAL PARANORMAL FOOD FOOD SAFETY SAFETY TRIATHLON TRIATHLON GUT GUT WORKOUT WORKOUT BALLPARK BALLPARK STADIUM STADIUM MLB MLB MAJOR MAJOR LEAGUE LEAGUE COLT COLT FORD FORD COUNTRY COUNTRY NATURE NATURE BLINDS BLINDS SOLAR SOLAR HIGHWAY HIGHWAY FEDERAL FEDERAL BUDGET BUDGET

march’s crossword solution O H E B A A H S R O O K I E M E D E R G O R E F I N N O R C R U G E R E D E R L U O R C A C O R D T R E A T E E O T A L I P

O N H G O S P E L D B I S O N A N I E A S E A M I S T S I S A P A N E S K I L O L I T E R A S E D G A L E A A T O crossword N I C R O T October solution A Y L A V E R B E M D A C E U S E B O O T H A B L Y R K R O O T L E S S O M Y G H E E A T E A E L I P A R Y S U P E R H E R O P U S O S I R E N E S I S N T S A G

mar12 solution m19

58 C H A L L E N G E A P R I L 2 0 1 2

w w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m

1

2

3

4

13

14

5

7

8

15 18

20

9

10

11

19

21 23

35

31 36

22

24

30

25 32 38 43

49

39

56

61 65

69

70

76

71

77

47

48

53

62 66

67

72

73

78

81

84

41

58

64

80

46 52

60

63

75

45

57

59

28

40

51

55

68

27 34

44

50

54

26 33

37

42

12

16

17

29

6

79 82

85

74

83 86

The highlighted clues come from editorial content in this issue of Challenge Magazine.

ACROSS 1 “_____ Adventures” on the Travel Channel 5 Pistol 8 Home of the Boston Red Sox 13 Providing 14 Ages 16 Fish eggs 17 Original form of a text 18 Measurement in yards 20 Shelter 21 Part of the verb "to be" 22 Toward the top 23 Nae 26 Therefore 27 Church recess 29 Prefix meaning without 31 Highways 34 Learned 35 Imperfect ear of corn 38 Diving bird 40 Plural of I 42 Move unsteadily 44 Being at the middle 47 Objective case of I 50 Masculine pronoun 51 Toothlike 54 Tree frog 56 Monkey 58 Brassiere 59 Baking chamber 60 Capital of Shaanxi province, China 62 Shut with force 63 Period of human life 64 Mythical sea monster 65 Comrade 67 Neuter singular pronoun 69 Not off 70 Part of the verb to be 72 The ratio between circumference and diameter 73 Jelly 75 Ethereal 77 Entertainment 80 First public performance 82 Metal spike used by mountaineers 84 Palm tree fruit 85 Taverns 86 Unit of energy

DOWN 2 Rent 3 Many times 4 Burdensome charge 5 Depart 6 Some 7 Former Russian ruler 9 Period of history 10 Beverage made with beaten eggs 11 Very small 12 Exclamation to express joy 15 7th letter of the Greek alphabet 17 Hebrew school 19 Arab sailing vessel 22 Objective case of we 24 Hackneyed 25 Room within a harem 27 Similar to 28 Church seat 30 Kernel 32 Single unit 33 Form of wrestling 36 To exist 37 Act properly 39 Abduct 41 State of an emir 43 Knock vigorously 45 Perform 46 Near to 48 Yellow cheese coated with red wax 49 Bashful 52 Negative vote 53 Oblige morally 55 Limb of a felled tree 56 Assumed name 57 Stir to action 61 Soft lambskin leather 66 Speaks with impediment 68 Country Singer Colt ____ 69 Minerals 71 Worn by women in India 74 “Dialed In” host Claire B. ____ 75 Disposed 76 Before 78 Adult males 79 Hello there 81 Prefix meaning not 83 Otherwise

Answers will appear in next month’s issue and on www.ptcchallenge.com w w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m

A P R I L 2 0 1 2 C H A L L E N G E 59

garmingallery

American Flag in Iraq Klark Koharik

How many licks does it take?

Denise Navarre

honorable mention Monkey Driver – Joe Vick

Highway 20 in Oregon

Belinda O’Brien

honorable mention Shasta Lake Aerial Firefighting – Chris Hansen

Boat or Car?

Ben Kolakowski

Texas Sunset Mark Proffitt

Waddling Traffic Dawn DeMoss

• Big and loud, easy to see and hear in a truck cab • Create truck profiles to get truck specific routing • Includes NTTS Breakdown directory • Logs IFTA and hours of service • Free Lifetime Traffic1 updates • Lane assist with junction view shows you the correct lane for the next turn • Grade indicator

Follow the leader.

NASDAQ GRMN

www.garmin.com

©2011 Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries 1

Free Lifetime Traffic Updates may not be transferred to another person or another Garmin product. Lifetime traffic extends for the useful life of your Garmin traffic receiver (as long as you own a compatible Garmin GPS) or as long as Garmin receives traffic data from its traffic supplier, whichever is shorter. Traffic content not available for all areas. See www.navteq.com/rdstraffic for traffic coverage areas and www.garmin.com/traffic/fm/navteq.html for program License Agreement containing complete terms and conditions.

PTC 799

Cassandra, Tina, Sam, Sherree, Terina, Hayden, Ashley, Jennifer and Becky Chilliwack, BC

A customer called to say, “I wanted to call and compliment the great service I get here at this store. I look forward to coming here more often!”

PTC 063

Leroy, Ruby, Byron, Andrew, Charles and Bryan Piedmont, SC

A customer said, “I’m complimenting them on the way they have maintained this facility over the years. It is an older style store but the restrooms, the towels, the floor and under the sink are very clean and nice. This store needs to be on your showcase list. Thank you!”

If you would like to recognize a Pilot Flying J employee

who has made your visit fast, friendly or clean, or if you have any comments, please call our customer line at 1-877-866-7378.

62 C H A L L E N G E A P R I L 2 0 1 2

w w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m

earn

double driver payback points

at stores listed with a yellow tag

Flying j dealer Pilot locations locations locations

showers

auto showers

#

S

showers

auto showers

earn

double driver payback points

at stores listed with a yellow tag

DEF

#

Flying j dealer Pilot locations locations locations

diesel exhaust fluid

parking

DEF diesel exhaust fluid

restaurants outlined in a red box do not accept FFA points

#

restaurants outlined in a red box do not accept FFA points

# parking

alabama

ARIZONA (cont.)

ARKANSAS (cont.)

369 BIRMINGHAM 7 S 100 I-20/59/65 AL 78, Exit 123 901 Bankhead Highway West, 35204 602 BIRMINGHAM DEF 157 15 I-65 & SR 94, Exit 264 224 Daniel Payne Drive North, 35207 603 Dothan DEF 158 9 Ross Clark Hwy/Hwy 231 2190 Ross Clark Circle, 36301 604 Hope Hull 9 S DEF 127 I-65 Exit 158 900 Tyson Road, 36043 497 Lincoln DEF 80 7 I-20, Exit 165 121 Honda Drive, 35096 601 McCalla DEF 150 15 I-20/I-59 Exit 104 6098 MacAshan Dr, 35111 302 MOBILE (THEODORE) 5 65 I-10 & Theodore Dawes Rd, Exit 13 6955 Theodore Dawes Road, 36582 441 PRICEVILLE 7 S DEF 90 I-65, Exit 334 3240 Point Mallard Parkway, 35603 75 SATSUMA 8 S DEF 125 I-65, Exit 19 6109 US 43 South, 36572 76 TUSCALOOSA 8 S 125 I-20/59, Exit 76 4416 Skyland Boulevard East, 35405

609 Eloy DEF 350 11 I-10 Exit 208 16189 S Sunshine Blvd, 85231 610 Kingman DEF 95 11 I-40 Exit 53 3300 East Andy DeVine Ave., 86401 211 LAKE HAVASU CITY 12 S DEF 110 I-40 & AZ 95, Exit 9 14750 South Highway 95, 86404 279 NOGALES (RIO RICO) 11 90 I-19 & SR 289, Exit 12 769 East Frontage Road, 85648 611 Phoenix DEF 185 15 I-10 Exit 137 6700 West Latham, 85043 328 QUARTZSITE 4 100 I-10 & US 95, Exit 17 1201 West Main Street, 85359 612 Winslow DEF 250 15 I-40 Exit 255 400 Transcon Lane, 86047 505 Yuma 6 100 I-8, Exit 12 108000 North Frontage Road, 85367

429 West Memphis Pizza 11 S DEF 150 I-40, Exit 280 p 870-732-1202 1100 Martin Luther King Boulevard, 72301 f 870-732-1340 607 West Memphis DEF 225 15 I-40 Exit 280 & I-55 Exit 4 p 870-735-8200 3400 Service Loop Road, 72301 f 870-735-3300

p 205-324-4532 f 205-324-5897

Pizza p 205-323-2177 f 205-323-7885

p 334-792-5152 f 334-792-5293

p 334-613-0212 f 334-613-0849

p 205-763-2225 f 205-763-2229

p 205-477-9181 f 205-477-6870

p 251-653-8834 f 251-653-9556

p 256-353-5252 f 256-353-5235

f 520-466-9588

p 928-757-7300 f 928-757-1085

Pizza p 928-764-2410 f 928-764-2021

p 520-377-0001 f 520-377-0003

p 623-936-1118 f 623-936-3611

p 928-927-7777 f 928-927-7000

p 928-289-2081 f 928-289-3798

f 928-342-2696

Pizza p 251-679-6260 f 251-679-6235

p 205-553-9710 f 205-553-3089

ARIZONA 459 AVONDALE 13 S DEF 145 I-10, Exit 133A 900 North 99th Avenue, 85323 180 BELLEMONT 7 S DEF 90 I-40, EXIT 185 12500 West I-40, 86015 608 Ehrenberg DEF 300 13 I-10 Exit 1 Box 801, I-10 Exit 1 S. Frontage Road, 85334 458 ELOY 5 S DEF 145 I-10, Exit 208 619 South Sunshine Boulevard, 85231

p 520-466-9204

p 623-936-0900 f 623-936-7376

p 928-773-0180 f 928-773-0205

p 928-923-9600 f 928-923-7735

p 520-466-7550 f 520-466-7575

64 C H A L L E N G E april 2 0 1 2

ARKANSAS 118 BENTON 7 S DEF 70 I-30, Exit 121 7801 Alcoa Road, 72015 332 N. LITTLE ROCK 7 S DEF 100 I-40 & SR391 Galloway Road, Exit 161 3300 Highway 391 North, 72117 430 RUSSELLVILLE 5 S 130 I-40, Exit 84 215 SR 331 North, 72802 605 Russellville DEF 165 15 I-40, Exit 84 42 Bradley Cove Road, 72801 145 SPRINGDALE DEF 75 4 US 412 & 71 Bypass 5660 West Sunset Avenue, 72762 606 Texarkana DEF 157 15 I-30 Exit 7 Rt 12 Box 254B, I30 & Hwy 108, 71854

p 501-794-5900 f 501-794-5904

p 501-945-2226 f 501-945-2282

p 479-967-7414 f 479-964-0112

p 479-890-6161 f 479-890-2639

p 479-872-6100 f 479-872-6103

p 870-774-3595 f 870-772-1006

CALIFORNIA 613 Bakersfield DEF 250 14 Hwy 99 Exit Merced Ave. 17047 Zachary Ave., 93308 282 barstow 5 S 30 I-15/40 & US 58 2591 Commerce Parkway, 92311 614 Bartsow DEF 171 15 I-15 & Lenwood Exit 2611 Fisher Boulevard, 92311 372 CASTAIC 7 S 125 I-5 & Lake Hughes Exit 31642 Castaic Road, 91384 168 DUNNIGAN 11 S DEF 155 I-5, Road 8 Exit 554 30035 County Road 8, 95937 616 Frazier Park 18 285 I-5 Frazier Park Exit 205 42810 Frazier Mtn Park Road, 93243 381 HESPERIA 11 S DEF 300 I-15 & US 395 8701 Highway 395, 92345 200 KRAMER JUNCTION 7 50 US 395/US 58 5725 Highway 58, 93516 617 Lodi DEF 187 15 I-5 & Hwy 12, Exit Fairfield 15100 North Thornton Road, 95242 154 LOST HILLS 7 S 70 I-5 & CA 46 14808 Warren Street, 93249 365 MADERA DEF 150 11 CA-99 at Ave 18.5 22717 Avenue 18 1/2, 93637 307 N. PALM SPRINGS 5 80 I-10 & Garnett & Indian Ave. 6605 N. Indian Canyon Drive, 92258

p 661-392-5300 f 661-392-5307

p 760-253-2861 f 760-253-2863

p 760-253-7043 f 760-253-7051

Pizza p 661-257-2800 f 661-257-2109

p 530-724-3060 f 530-724-3029

Pizza p 661-248-2600 f 661-248-2610

Pizza p 760-956-2844 f 760-956-1198

p 760-762-0041 f 760-762-5231

p 209-339-4066 f 209-339-4287

p 661-797-2122 f 661-797-9772 Pizza

p 559-673-3878 f 559-673-7679

p 760-329-5562 f 760-329-0083

w w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m

earn

double driver payback points at stores listed with a yellow tag

#

S

Flying j dealer showers auto Pilot showers locations locations locations

DEF diesel exhaust fluid

restaurants outlined in a red box do not accept FFA points

# parking

CALIFORNIA (cont.)

FLORIDA (cont.)

FLORIDA (cont.)

343 Otay Mesa 9 S DEF 150 I-905, Exit 1B, CA905 1497 Piper Ranch Rd, 92154 618 Ripon 15 197 Hwy 99 Exit Jack Tone Rd 1501 North Jack Tone Road, 95366 879 Sacramento 49er Travel Plaza 12 275 I-80, Exit 85 (W. El Camino Ave) 2828 El Centro Rd, 95833 237 SALINAS DEF 75 7 US 101 & Sanborn 951 Work Street, 93901 765 Thousand Palms 9 88 I-10 Ramon Exit 72235 Varner Road, 92276 137 weed 7 80 I-5, Exit 745 395 E Vista Drive, 96094

352 FT. MYERS 6 80 I-75, Luckett Rd, Exit 139 6050 Plaza Drive, 33905 90 FT. PIERCE 8 S DEF 100 I-95, Exit 129 7300 West Okeechobee Road, 34945 471 Haines City DEF 80 7 US Hwy 27 North 35647 US Hwy 27 North, 33845 91 JACKSONVILLE 5 30 I-95, Exit 329 1625 County Road 210 West, 32259 374 MARIANNA 7 S 90 I-10 @ FL 71, Exit 142 2209 Highway 71, 32448 873 miami 3 65 Hwy 27 12200 NW South River Road, 33178 874 miami 2 30 US 41 & SR 997 17696 SW 8th Street, 33194 897 Miami Gardens Dades corner Plz 1 10 SR 826, Exit SR 817 16650 NW 27th Avenue, 33054 425 MIDWAY 8 S DEF 90 I-10, Exit 192 33333 Blue Star Highway, 32343 293 OCALA 7 60 I-75 & FL 484, Exit 341 2020 SW 135th Street, 34476 92 OCALA 7 S DEF 130 I-75, Exit 358 4255 NW Highway 326, 34482 424 OCALA 5 S 125 I-75, Exit 358 4032 West Highway 326, 34482 94 PUNTA GORDA DEF 70 5 I-75, Exit 161 26505 Jones Loop Road, 33950 623 Quincy 15 150 I-10 Exit 192 32670 Blue Star Highway, 32343 626 St. Augustine DEF 160 9 I-95 Hwy 206 Exit 305 950 State Road 206 West, 32086 622 St. Lucie 15 156 I-95 Hwy 68 Exit 131 100 North Kings Hwy 625 Tampa 4 30 I-4 & SR 579 Exit 10 11555 East Sligh Ave.

95 WILDWOOD 5 S 10 I-75, Exit 329 493 East State Route 44 96 YEEHAW JUNCTION 0 40 US 60 & FL Turnpike, Exit 193 3050 SR 60 Yeehaw Junction

p 619-661-9558 f 619-661-9814

p 209-599-4141 f 209-599-4265

p 916-927-4774 f 916-923-3677

p 831-775-0380 f 831-775-0360

p 760-343-1500 f 760-343-1330

p 530-938-9600 f 530-938-9700

COLORADO 619 Aurora DEF 149 15 I-70 Exit 285 (South) 16751 East 32nd Ave., 80011 316 DENVER 7 S 100 I-70 & Steele Street, Exit 276A 4640 Steele Street, 80216 621 Limon 2 200 I-70 & Exit 359 2495 Williams Ave., 80828

p 303-366-7600 f 303-367-5657

p 303-292-6303 f 303-292-3647

p 719-775-9286 f 719-775-9306

CONNecticut 255 MILFORD 12 S DEF 150 I-95, EXIT 40 433 Old Gate Lane, 06460 882 N Stonington American Auto Stop 6 119 I-95, Exit 93 273 Clarks Falls Rd, 06359

p 203-876-1266 f 203-876-9473

p 860-599-2020 f 860-599-5771

FLORIDA 87 BALDWIN DEF 50 5 I-10, Exit 343 1050 US 301 South, 32234 88 COCOA 2 I-95, Exit 201 4455 King Street, 32926 624 Dade City DEF 180 15 I-75 Exit 285 & SR52 29933 State Road 52, 33576 89 ELLENTON 2 20 I-75, Exit 224 1526 51st Avenue East, 34222

w w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m

p 904-266-4238 f 904-266-9820

p 321-639-0346 f 321-639-0351

p 352-588-5444 f 352-588-4629

p 941-729-6288 f 941-729-7523

p 239-693-6868 f 239-693-1253

p 772-460-0611 f 772-460-9492

p 863-421-3571 f 863-421-6032

p 904-826-3618 f 904-825-2760

p 850-482-2148 f 850-482-2136

Sunshine Deli p 305-883-1004 f 305-883-1799

p 305-553-6203 f 305-207-7967

Arlineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Big Apple Seafood Restaurant

Wingstop

p 305-623-3434 f 305-623-3439

p 850-576-3200 f 850-576-3213

p 352-347-8555 f 352-347-3082

p 352-402-9081 f 352-622-5233

p 352-867-8300 f 352-867-8448

p 941-637-3974 f 941-637-5729

p 850-574-1299 f 850-574-6546

p 904-794-0426 f 904-794-7582

p 772-461-0091 f 772-461-0291

p 813-612-9438 f 813-612-9297

p 352-748-4486 f 352-748-6095

p 407-436-1224 f 407-436-1919

GEORGIA 260 ALBANY 5 80 Hwy 300 & Clark Ave 310 Cordele Road, 31705 331 ATLANTA (EAST) 8 S 100 I-285 & Bouldercrest Road, Exit 51 2605 Bouldercrest, 30316 344 ATLANTA (WEST) 5 45 I-285 & South Atlanta Road, Exit 16 4600 South Atlanta Road, 30080 65 AUGUSTA 3 30 I-20, Exit 194 4091 Jimmie Dyess Parkway, 30909 144 AUGUSTA DEF 90 6 I-20, Exit 200 2975 Gun Club Road, 30907 66 BRASELTON 6 S 70 I-85, Exit 129 5888 Highway 53, 30517 627 Brunswick DEF 150 15 I-95 Exit 29 2990 US Hwy 17 South, 31523 628 Carnesville DEF 190 15 I-85 Exit 160 10226 Old Federal Road, 30521 67 CARTERSVILLE 8 S DEF 100 I-75, Exit 296 968 Cassville-White Road, 30120 416 CORDELLE 10 60 I-75, Exit 101 2201 East 16 Avenue, 31015 319 DALTON 7 100 I-75/Connector 3, Exit 328 244 Connector 3 SW, 30720 421 DALTON 9 S DEF 210 I-75, Exit 326 142 Carbondale Road, 30721 68 DUBLIN 3 20 I-16, Exit 51 2185 US 441, 31021 630 Jackson DEF 200 14 I-75 Exit 201 I-75 & Exit 66 Bucksnort Road, 30233 69 LAGRANGE 3 60 I-85, Exit 13 1960 Whitesvillle Road, 30240

p 229-878-1355 f 229-878-1302

p 404-212-8733 f 404-212-8568

p 770-434-9949 f 770-434-8341

p 706-860-6677 f 706-869-9074

p 706-667-6557 f 706-481-9940

p 706-654-2820 f 706-654-9326

p 912-280-0006 f 912-280-9555

p 706-335-6656 f 706-335-4432

p 770-607-7835 f 770-607-7873

p 229-271-5775 f 229-271-5774

p 706-277-7934 f 706-277-3337

p 706-370-4060 f 706-370-5769

p 478-275-2143 f 478-275-0070

p 770-775-0138 f 770-775-1134

p 706-884-6318 f 706-884-1872

april 2 0 1 2 C H A L L E N G E 65

earn

double driver payback points at stores listed with a yellow tag

#

S

Flying j dealer showers auto Pilot showers locations locations locations

DEF diesel exhaust fluid

parking

GEORGIA (cont.)

idaho (cont.)

631 Lake Park DEF 200 15 I-75 Exit 2 7001 Lake Park-Bellville Rd., 31636 420 MADISON DEF 110 6 I-20, Exit 114 1881 Eatonton Road, 30650 422 NEWNAN 7 S DEF 95 I-85, Exit 41 1645 South Highway 29, 30263 71 PORT WENTWORTH 8 S DEF 125 I-95, Exit 109 7001 Highway 21, 31407 632 Resaca 15 200 I-75 Exit 320 288 Resaca Beach Blvd. NW, 30735 415 RISING FAWN DEF 150 8 I-59, Exit 4 319 Deer Head Cover Road, 30738 72 SAVANNAH 1 I-16, Exit 160 1504 Dean Forrest Road, 31408 312 TALLAPOOSA 6 S 90 I-20 & GA 100, Exit 5 882 Georgia Highway 100, 30176 417 TEMPLE DEF 140 14 I-20, Exit 19 625 Carrollton Street, 30179 634 TEMPLE 15 164 I-20 & Hwy 113 Exit 19 15 Villa Rosa Road, 30179 192 TIFTON 12 S 200 I-75, Exit 60 4431 Old Union Road, 31794 633 union point 9 189 I-20 & Exit 138 3600 Highway 77 South, 30642 73 VALDOSTA 6 S 90 I-75, Exit 11 3495 Madison Highway, 31601 398 VIENNA 5 100 I-75, Exit 109 39 Victory Lane, 31092 267 WARNER ROBINS (BYRON) 11 S DEF 150 I-75, Exit 146 2965 Highway 247C, 31008 254 WILDWOOD DEF 20 3 I-24 Exit 169 650 Highway 299, 30757

638 Caldwell 9 100 I-84 Exit 29 3512 Franklin Road, 83605 641 McCammon DEF 84 5 I-15 Exit 47 587 E. US Hwy 30, 83250 350 MOUNTAIN HOME 9 100 I-84 & US 20, Exit 95 1050 Highway 20, 83647 639 Post Falls 8 100 I-90 Exit 2 N 400 Idahline Rd, 83854 640 Twin Falls 6 100 I-84 Exit 173 5350 Highway 93, 83338

p 229-559-6500 f 229-559-3008

p 706-343-1455 f 706-343-1033

p 770-252-3551 f 770-252-2197

p 912-964-7006 f 912-964-7808

p 706-629-1541 f 706-629-2003

p 706-462-2455 f 706-462-2702

p 912-964-5280 f 912-964-5098

p 770-574-9922 f 770-574-9697

p 770-562-9773 f 770-562-2269

p 770-562-4009 f 770-562-3571

p 229-382-7295 f 229-382-4910

p 706-486-4835 f 706-486-4845

p 229-244-8034 f 229-244-6020

p 229-268-1414 f 229-268-4880

p 478-956-5316 f 478-956-3726

p 706-820-7353 f 706-820-9539

IDAHO 777 East Boise 6 60 I-84 Exit 54 (Federal Way) 3353 Federal Way, 83705

66 C H A L L E N G E ja n u ar y 2 0 1 2

restaurants outlined in a red box do not accept FFA points

#

p 208-385-9745 f 208-344-3624

p 208-453-9225 f 208-453-9409

p 208-254-9842 f 208-254-9106

p 208-587-4465 f 208-587-3071

p 208-773-0593 f 208-773-0404

p 208-324-3454 f 208-324-4097

ILLINOIS 642 alorton 15 202 I-255 & Exit 17A 140 Racehorse Drive, 62207 299 BLOOMINGTON 6 S DEF 160 I-55/74 & IL 9, Exit 160A 1522 West Market Street 526 Champaign road ranger 3 150 I-57, Exit 240 4910 Market St 473 channahon 0 25 I-55 & Route 6, Exit 248 23841 SE Eams 368 Decatur 7 90 I-72, Exit 144 (SE Quad) 4030 E. Boyd Road 523 Dixon road ranger 2 45 I-88 Exit 54 1801 South Galena Ave. ,61021 313 EAST ST. LOUIS 11 S DEF 200 I 70/55 Exit 4 699 State Route 203 165 EFFINGHAM 7 S DEF 100 I-57/70, Exit 162 2500 North 3rd Street 643 Effingham DEF 180 15 I-70 & I-57, Exit 160 1701 W Evergreen / I-70 & I-57 468 Gilman DEF 80 7 I-57, Exit 283 815 Hwy 24 West, 60938 543 Hampshire road ranger 4 30 I-90, Exit 36 19 N. 681 US Hwy 20 644 LaSalle DEF 186 15 I-80 Exit 77 343 Civic Road

p 618-337-4579 f 618-337-4851

p 309-827-7867 f 309-827-2355

p 815-315-4991 f 847-220-9974

p 815-467-0918 f 815-467-0972

p 217-876-0208 f 217-876-0522

p 815-516-1998

p 618-875-5800 f 618-875-4234

p 217-342-3787 f 217-342-6672

p 217-347-7161 f 217-347-5815

p 815-265-4754 f 815-265-4795

p 815-209-9013 f 847-779-0039

p 815-220-0611 f 815-220-0617

w w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m

earn

double driver payback points at stores listed with a yellow tag

#

S

Flying j dealer showers auto Pilot showers locations locations locations

DEF diesel exhaust fluid

ILLinois (cont.)

ILLinois (cont.)

514 Lincoln Thorntons 6 100 2903 Woodlawn Road I-55, Exit 126 540 Loves Park road ranger 0 I-90 & Riverside Blvd 7500 East Riverside Blvd, 61111 595 marion DEF 43 5 I-57, Exit 54B 2611Vernell Road, 62959 530 mendota road ranger 0 4 I-39, Exit 72 2705 12th Street, 61342 236 MINOOKA 7 S DEF 100 I-80, Exit 122 301 Ridge Road, 60447 39 MONEE 5 90 I-57, Exit 335 6002 Monee-Manhattan Road, 60449 482 MT. VERNON 7 S 100 I-57, Exit 95 4610 Broadway, 62864 534 Okawville road ranger 0 50 I-64, Exit 41 905 Hen House Rd, 62271 515 ottawa DEF 22 2 I-80, Exit 93 3041 North IL Route 71,61350 645 Pontoon Beach DEF 185 15 I-270 & Exit 6B 1310 East Chain of Rocks Road, 62040 541 Princeton road ranger 7 250 I-80, Exit 56 2835 N Main St, 61356 539 Rochelle road ranger DEF 55 2 I-39, Exit 99 890 E Hwy 38, 61068 535 Rockford road ranger 0 US 20 4980 S Main St, 61108 536 South Beloit road ranger 2 75 I-90, Exit 1 6070 Gardner Street, 61080 646 South Beloit DEF 186 15 I-90 & HWY 75 16049 Willowbrook Road, 61080 512 Springfield DEF 25 2 I-55, Exit 90 500 Toronto Road, 62711 525 Springfield road ranger 2 80 I-55, Exit 100-A 3752 Camp Butler Rd, 62707

249 TROY 7 S DEF 135 I-55/70 & IL 162, Exit 18 820 Edwardsville Road, 62294 529 Tuscola road ranger 3 15 I-57, Exit 212 1112 East Southline Dr., 61953 537 Winnebago road ranger 0 US 20, MM8 101 S. Winnebago Rd, 61088 476 woodhull 5 80 I-74, Exit 32 900 Plaza Ave, 61490

w w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m

p 217-732-3915 f 217-732-4875

p 815-580-4221 f 847-232-3058

p 618-993-2697 f 618-993-8100

p 815-315-4210 f 847-232-1184

p 815-467-4416 f 815-467-5409

p 708-534-2483 f 708-534-3980

p 618-244-1216 f 618-244-1262

p 815-656-4143 f 847-495-9926

p 815-516-0946 f 815-434-4081

p 618-931-1580 f 618-931-3587

p 815-315-4951 f 847-232-1450

p 815-209-9038 f 847-232-1451

p 815-315-4974 f 847-232-1183

p 815-264-4311 f 224-513-4182

p 815-389-4760 f 815-389-4793

p 815-516-0863 f 217-585-1883

p 815-209-9059 f 847-232-1459

# parking

restaurants outlined in a red box do not accept FFA points

p 618-667-0946 f 618-667-0966

p 815-315-4988 f 847-232-1156

p 815-957-4049 f 847-897-2600

Hot Deli p 309-334-4550 f 309-334-4556

INDIANA 444 BRAZIL 10 S DEF 55 I-70, Exit 23 4376 North SR 59, 47834 531 BRAZIL road ranger 3 S 30 I-70, Exit 23 990 West State Rd 42, 47834 445 BURNS HARBOR 7 S DEF 115 I-94, Exit 22 243 Melton Road, 46304 247 CRAWFORDSVILLE 5 S 110 I-74 & SR 32, Exit 39 4367 East State Road 32, 47933 28 DALEVILLE 3 35 I-69, Exit 34 15151 Commerce Road, 47334 446 DALEVILLE DEF 125 5 I-69, Exit 34 15876 West Commerce Road, 47334 447 EVANSVILLE (HAUBSTADT) 5 S 145 I-64, Exit 25B 1042 E Warrenton Road, 47639 362 FORTVILLE (PENDLETON) 4 50 I-69, Exit 14 7455 South State Rd. 13, 46064 29 FREMONT 7 S DEF 130 I-80, Exit 144; I-69 N, Exit 157 6900 Old US 27, 46737 881 Ft Wayne Ft Wayne travel plz 6 260 I-69, Exit 109A 3037 Goshen Rd, 46808 271 GARY 9 S DEF 215 I-80/94 & Burr Street, Exit 6 2501 Burr Street, 46406 30 Greenfield 5 150 I-70, Exit 96 2640 North 600 West, 46140 542 Greenwood road ranger 8 65 I-65, Exit 99 1615 East Main Street, 46143

p 812-446-9400 f 812-446-6116

p 815-209-9052 f 847-232-1157

p 219-787-5705 f 219-787-9656

p 765-361-9603 f 765-361-9601

p 765-378-3599 f 765-378-3592

p 765-378-0246 f 765-378-4248

Pizza p 812-868-1048 f 812-868-1050

p 317-485-6211 f 317-485-4527

p 260-833-1987 f 260-833-6794

The Point Restaurant

p 260-482-7814 f 206-482-7780

p 219-844-2661 f 219-844-7957

p 317-894-1910 f 317-894-3499

p 815-315-4987 f 847-232-1452

ja n u ar y 2 0 1 2 C H A L L E N G E 67

earn

double driver payback points at stores listed with a yellow tag

#

S

Flying j dealer showers auto Pilot showers locations locations locations

DEF diesel exhaust fluid

restaurants outlined in a red box do not accept FFA points

# parking

indiana (cont.)

indiana (cont.)

iowa (cont.)

647 Haubstadt DEF 145 9 I-64 & SR 41 Exit 25B Rural Route 1, Box 254A, 47639 448 HEBRON 8 S 135 I-65, Exit 240 18011 Colorado Street, 46341 31 HIGHLAND 2 I-80 & 94, Exit 2 8150 Indianapolis Boulevard, 46322 318 INDIANAPOLIS 7 S 90 I-465 & IN37, Exit 4 4607 South Harding Street, 46217 649 Indianapolis DEF 190 15 I-465 Exit 4 1720 West Thompson Road, 46217 546 Lake staTIon - S â&#x20AC;&#x201C; road ranger 4 25 I-80, Exit 15A 2151 Ripley St., 46405 650 Lake Station DEF 375 14 I-94 & Exit 15B 1401 Ripley Street, 46405 478 LEAVENWORTH 5 65 I-64, Exit 92 6921 South SR 66, 47137 652 Lebanon DEF 150 9 I-65 Exit 139 520 South State Road 39, 46052 653 Lowell DEF 375 15 Rt 2 & I-65 Exit 240 3231 East 181st Street, 46356 152 MEMPHIS 10 70 I-65, Memphis Road, Exit 16 14013 Memphis Blue Lick Road, 47143 198 PLYMOUTH 7 S 110 US 30 & US 31 10619 9A Road, 46563 34 REMINGTON 5 75 I-65, Exit 201 4154 West US Highway 24, 47977 339 RILEYSBURG (COVINGTON) 6 50 I-74 & SR 63, Exit 4 16502 North State Road 63, 47932 242 SHELBYVILLE 7 S 90 I-74, Exit 109 1851 West 400 North 35 SOUTH BEND 5 70 I-80, Exit 72 6424 West Brick Road 655 Spiceland DEF 193 15 I-70 Exit 123 5300 South State Rte. 3

297 TERRE HAUTE 5 70 I-70 & IN46, Exit 11 5555 E. Margaret Avenue 36 VALPARAISO 3 25 US 30 & SR 49 4105 US 30 East 37 WHITELAND 8 S 110 I-65, Exit 95 2962 County Road 500 North 656 WHITELAND DEF 173 50 I-65 & Whiteland Road, Exit 95 4982 North 350 East

969 Williams Flying j/broadway 4 60 I-35 & SR 20, Exit 144 3040 220th Street, 50271

p 812-768-5304 f 812-768-9215

Pizza p 219-696-8265 f 219-696-8281

p 219-923-6405 f 219-972-4134

p 317-783-1033 f 317-783-0851

p 317-783-5543 f 317-783-5648

p 815-239-6205 f 847-897-9548

p 219-962-8502 f 219-962-3259

p 812-739-2002 f 812-739-4034

p 765-483-9755 f 765-483-9762

p 219-696-6446 f 219-696-2456

p 812-294-4233 f 812-294-4237

p 574-936-6525 f 574-936-4348

p 219-261-3786 f 219-261-3986

p 765-793-7307 f 765-793-2155

p 317-392-8771 f 317-392-8721

p 574-272-8212 f 574-272-9914

p 765-987-1833 f 765-987-1836

68 C H A L L E N G E april 2 0 1 2

p 812-877-9977 f 812-877-9978

p 219-464-1644 f 219-464-9019

p 317-535-7656 f 317-535-3058

p 317-535-1124 f 317-535-4123

IOWA 913 ALTOONA BOSSELMAN 18 350 I-80 & US 65, Exit 142 3231 Adventureland Drive, 50009 496 Atalissa 4 45 I-80, Exit 265 2086 Atalissa Rd., 52720 893 avoca wings america 15 225 I-80, Exit 40 7005 N. Chestnut St, 51521 495 brooklyn 4 S 140 I-80, Exit 201 4126 Hwy 21, 52211 407 CLEAR LAKE DEF 125 6 I-35, Exit 194 2411 US Highway 18 East, 50428 329 COUNCIL BLUFFS 7 S 80 I-80/29, Exit 1B 2647 South 24th Street, 51501 636 Davenport 15 146 I-80 Exit 292 8200 N.W. Blvd., 52806 373 DES MOINES 17 S DEF 350 I-35/80 & Douglas Ave, Ext 126 11957 Douglas Avenue, 50322 532 elk run heights road ranger 6 100 I-380, Exit 68 100 Plaza Drive, 50707 637 Evansdale DEF 80 7 I-380 & Evansdale Dr. 445 Evansdale Drive, 50707 131 Osceola DEF 80 5 I-35, Exit 34 2010 West Clay Street, 50213 43 WALCOTT 8 S DEF 160 I-80, Exit 284 3500 North Plainview Road, 52773 268 WALCOTT 3 25 I-80, Exit 284 2975 North Plainview Road, 52773

p 515-967-7878 f 515-967-5726

p 563-946-3761 f 563-946-3871

p 712-343-4007 f 712-343-5026

p 319-685-4221 f 319-685-4574

p 641-357-3124 f 641-357-4939

p 712-322-0088 f 712-322-0236

p 563-386-7710 f 563-386-8243

p 515-276-1509 f 515-276-8599

p 815-315-0271 f 847-232-1182

p 319-291-7714 f 319-291-7720

p 641-342-8658 f 641-342-1782

Hot Deli p 563-284-4100 f 563-284-4103

p 563-284-5074

p 515-854-2238 f 515-854-2239

KANSAS 920 colby bosselman 5 90 I-70, Exit 54 110 East Willow Street, 67701 657 Dodge City 4 62 Hwy 400 & Hwy 283 2524 E. Wyatt Earp Blvd., 67801 658 Emporia DEF 74 4 I-35 & US 50 Exit 127 4245 West Hwy 50, 66801 903 SALINA bosselman 13 140 I-70, Exit 252 1944 North 9th Street, 67401 659 Salina DEF 120 9 I-70 Exit 253 2250 North Ohio Street, 67401

p 785-460-5832 f 785-460-5878

p 620-338-8888 f 602-338-8829

p 620-343-2717 f 620-343-3692

p 785-825-6787 f 785-827-3394

p 785-825-5300 f 785-452-9221

Kentucky 356 BROOKS (SHEPHERDSVILLE) 6 100 I-65 & Brooks Rd, Exit 121 2050 East Blue Lick Road, 40165 660 catlettsburg DEF 155 9 I-64 SR 180 Exit 185 15236 State Route 180, 41129 231 CORBIN DEF 128 5 I-75 & US25E, Exit 29 249 West Cumberland Gap Parkway, 40701 46 FRANKLIN 4 150 I-65, Exit 6 2929 Scottsville Road, 42134 438 FRANKLIN 8 S DEF 80 I-65, Exit 6 Highway 100 & I-65, Exit 6, 42134 661 FRANKLIN DEF 172 15 I-65 US Hwy 31 W. Exit 2 4380 Nashville Road, 42134 47 GEORGETOWN DEF 90 5 I-75, Exit 129 259 Cherry Blossom Way, 40324 353 GEORGETOWN 12 S 175 I-75, Exit 129 110 Triport Road, 40324 48 GLENDALE 8 125 I-65, Exit 86 58 Glendale-Hodgenville Road, 42740 399 LEBANON JUNCTION 7 S DEF 100 I-65, Exit 105 150 Park Plaza Boulevard, 40150

p 502-955-5049 f 502-955-9717

p 606-928-8383 f 606-928-4546

p 606-528-0631 f 606-528-1003

p 270-586-4149 f 270-586-5171

p 270-586-9544 f 270-586-9887

p 270-586-3343 f 270-586-8984

p 502-868-7427 f 502-867-1847

p 502-863-2708 f 502-863-5012

p 270-369-7360 f 270-369-6991

p 502-833-2727 f 502-833-2759

f 563-284-5076

w w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m

earn

double driver payback points at stores listed with a yellow tag

#

S

Flying j dealer showers auto Pilot showers locations locations locations

DEF diesel exhaust fluid

KENTUCKY (cont.)

Louisiana (cont.)

240 MIDDLESBORO DEF 40 2 Rt 2, Hwy 25E 3000 US Highway 25 East, 40965 156 MORTON’S GAP 5 90 Highway 813, Exit 37 Pennyrile Parkway, Exit 37, 42440 41 MT STERLING DEF 7 I-64, Exit 113 3060 Owingsville Road, 40353 49 OAK GROVE 8 S 175 I-24, Exit 89 8190 Pembroke-Oak Grove Road, 42262 439 OAK GROVE 5 S DEF 125 I-24, Exit 86 12900 Fort Campbell Boulevard, 42262 662 OAK GROVE 9 130 I-24 Exit 86 18750 Herndon Oak Grove Road, 42262 358 PADUCAH 8 65 I-24 & KY 305, Exit 3 5353 Cairo Road, 42001 440 PENDLETON 5 100 I-71, Exit 28 205 Pendleton Road, 40055 278 RICHWOOD (WALTON) 5 I-75/71 & KY 338, Exit 175 118 Richwood Road, 41094 321 RICHWOOD (WALTON) 3 I-75/71 & KY 338, Exit 175 11229 Frontage Road, 41094 354 SIMPSONVILLE 7 25 I-64 & Veechdale Rd, Exit 28 819 Buck Creek Road, 40067 50 SULPHUR 8 175 I-71, Exit 28 489 Pendleton Road, 40070 392 SONORA 6 S 200 I-65, Exit 81 450 East Western Avenue, 42776 663 Waddy 9 110 I-64 & HWY 395 Exit 43 1670 Waddy Road, 40076 664 Walton DEF 200 15 I-75 Exit 171 13019 Walton Verona Rd., 41094 437 WILLIAMSBURG 3 80 I-75, Exit 11 481 West Highway 92, 40769

79 DENHAM SPRINGS 3 60 I-12, Exit 10 2601 South Range Avenue, 70726 665 Greenwood DEF 190 15 I-20 Exit 3 9510 Greenwood Road, 71033 300 HAMMOND DEF 60 5 I-12 Exit 40 / I-55/US 51 2111 SW Railroad Avenue, 70403 199 HAUGHTON 7 S 90 I-20, Exit 33 490 North Elm Street, 71037 82 LAPLACE DEF 150 8 I-10/55, Exit 209 4301 South Main Street, 70068 335 RAYVILLE 5 85 I-20 & LA137, Exit 138 103 Grimshaw Street, 71269 428 WEST MONROE 5 100 I-20, Exit 112 300 Well Road, 71292

p 606-248-4057 f 606-248-4674

p 270-258-5213 f 270-258-9830

p 859-497-4041 f 859-497-8709

p 270-439-1776 f 270-439-7624

p 270-439-0153 f 270-439-0765

p 270-640-7000 f 270-640-7060

p 270-443-2044 f 270-442-8538

p 502-743-5222 f 502-743-5123

p 859-485-6100 f 859-485-6113

p 859-485-1327 f 859-485-8519

p 502-722-5636 f 502-722-5630

p 502-743-5496 f 502-743-5228

p 270-369-7300 f 270-369-8596

p 502-829-9100

w w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m

parking

p 225-665-4151 f 225-665-4122

p 318-938-7744 f 318-938-5697

p 985-345-5476 f 985-542-5028

p 318-390-9709 f 318-390-9713

p 985-652-0531 f 985-652-4141

p 318-728-4100 f 318-728-4236

p 318-329-3590 f 318-329-3592

MARYLAND 875 Elkton elkton travel plz 23 225 I-95, Exit 109A 221 Belle Hill Rd, 21921 408 GRANTSVILLE 7 S DEF 65 I-68, Exit 22 3000 Chesnut Ridge Road, 21536 150 HAGERSTOWN 7 S DEF 90 I-70 & MD 63, Exit 24 11633 Greencastle Pike, 21740 179 HAGERSTOWN 9 S DEF 111 I-81, Exit 5B 16921 Halfway Blvd, 21740 784 North East DEF 200 15 I-95, Exit 100 One Center Drive, 21901 290 PERRYVILLE 5 80 I-95 & MD 222, Exit 93 31 Heather Lane, 21903

p 443-245-4229 f 443-485-2048

p 301-895-4536 f 301-895-4548

p 301-582-9004 f 301-582-9008

p 301-582-6111 f 301-582-5004

Pizza p 410-287-7110 f 410-287-7116

p 410-642-2883 f 410-378-4941

f 502-829-5600

MASSachusetts p 859-485-4400 f 859-485-6886

222 STURBRIDGE 6 S DEF 250 I-84 Exit 1 400 Route 15 (Haynes Street), 01566

Deli p 508-347-9104 f 508-347-9165

p 606-549-0162 f 606-549-0166

MICHIGAN 17 BATTLE CREEK 5 S 25 I-94, Exit 104 15901 Eleven Mile Road, 49014

LOUISIANA 274 BREAUX BRIDGE 7 S DEF 105 I-10, Exit 109 2112 Rees Street, 70517

restaurants outlined in a red box do not accept FFA points

#

p 269-968-9949 f 269-968-9610

p 337-332-1253 f 337-332-0618

ja n u ar y 2 0 1 2 C H A L L E N G E 69

earn

double driver payback points at stores listed with a yellow tag

#

S

Flying j dealer showers auto Pilot showers locations locations locations

DEF diesel exhaust fluid

restaurants outlined in a red box do not accept FFA points

# parking

MICHIGAN (cont.)

MISSISSIPPI (cont.)

MISSOURI (cont.)

666 Benton Harbor 6 135 I-94 Exit 30 1860 East Napier Ave., 49022 21 DEXTER DEF 80 3 I-94, Exit 167 750 Baker Road, 48130 296 DEXTER 5 80 I-94, Exit 167 195 Baker Road, 48130 667 Grand Ledge 9 265 I-96 & Exit 90/I-69 & Exit 81 7800 West Grand River Ave., 48837 23 IONIA 4 45 I-96, Exit 67 7205 South State Road, 48846 24 MONROE 3 20 I-75, Exit 15 1100 North Dixie Highway, 48162 284 MONROE 5 60 I-75, Exit 18 1200 Nadeau Road, 48161 26 OTTAWA LAKE DEF 170 8 US 23, Exit 5 6158 US 223, 49267 668 Saginaw 3 50 I-75 & Washington St. Exit 151 3475 East Washington, 48601

677 Olive Branch 9 51 Hwy 78 and Bethel Road 4740 Bethel Road, 38654 678 Pearl DEF 175 15 I-20/I-55 Exit 47 685 Hwy 80 East, 39208 519 Senatobia kangaroo pantry 4 75 I-55, Exit 265 510 E Main Street, 38668 261 WINONA 5 S DEF 110 I-55 & Hwy. 82, Exit 185 403 SW Frontage Road, 38967

208 Pacific 7 90 I-44W, Exit 257; I-44E, Exit 256 1475 Thornton Street, 63069 672 Peculiar 9 165 US Hwy 71 Exit J 700 J Hwy, 64078 547 st. robert road ranger 6 75 I-44, Exit 163 22345 Hwy 28, 65584 673 Sullivan DEF 160 15 I-44/Hwy. 185 Exit 226 1500 AF Highway, 63080 674 Warrenton DEF 200 14 I-70 Exit 188 #1 Camp Branch Rd, 63383 675 Wayland 4 99 Hwy 136 & Hwy 61 102 Fore Drive, 63472

p 269-925-7547 f 269-925-7508

p 734-426-4618 f 734-426-7836

p 734-426-0065 f 734-426-0339

p 517-627-7504 f 517-622-4960

p 616-527-6520 f 616-527-5913

p 734-242-9650 f 734-242-6538

p 734-457-3500 f 734-457-2835

p 734-854-1772 f 734-854-6912

p 989-752-6350 f 989-752-6842

MINNesota 581 Inver Grove Heights 5 43 Hwy 52 & 117 Street 11650 Courthouse Blvd, 55077 576 northfield 6 80 I-35 & Hwy 19, Exit 69 8051 Bagley Avenue, 55057 134 ST. CLOUD DEF 44 4 I-94, Exit 171 (CR 75) 4231 Clearwater Road, 56301

p 651-438-3397 f 651-480-4800 Big Steer Restaurant

p 507-645-6082 f 507-645-6082

p 320-251-8455 f 320-251-7750

MISSISSIPPI 676 Gulfport DEF 165 15 I-10 Exit 31 9351 Canal Road, 39503 77 JACKSON 6 S DEF 120 I-55/I-20, Exit 45 2520 South Gallatin Street, 39204 388 MERIDIAN 7 S DEF 100 I-59, Exit 151 1555 Tommy Webb Drive, 39307 174 NEW ALBANY DEF 90 7 US 78, Exit 64 500 State Highway 15 South, 38652

p 228-868-2711 f 228-868-3711

p 601-968-9491 f 601-968-0699

p 601-484-5106 f 601-484-7370

p 662-539-0222 f 662-539-0212

70 C H A L L E N G E april 2 0 1 2

p 662-895-1001 f 662-895-0008

p 601-936-0190 f 601-936-0196 Huddle House

p 662-560-1973 f 662-560-1992

p 662-283-5985 f 662-283-5906

MISSOURI 44 BOONVILLE 8 S 150 I-70, Exit 101 1701 Ashley Road, 65233 359 CHARLESTON 4 60 I-57 & MO 105, Exit 10 2071 Main Street, 63834 385 collins 3 35 US 54 & Hwy 13 South Hwy 13 South, 64738 533 fenton road ranger 2 25 I-44 W, Exit 275; I-44 E, Exit 274B 205 North Highway Dr., 63026 442 HAYTI 8 S 25 I-55, Exit 19 1701 Highway 84 East, 63851 443 HIGGINSVILLE 5 S DEF 120 I-70, Exit 49 6676 Highway 13, 64037 317 JOPLIN 7 S DEF 90 I-44 & MO 43S, Exit 4 4500 Highway 43 South, 64804 669 JOPLIN DEF 160 15 I-44 U.S. 71 Exit 11A 11570 Hwy FF, 64804 768 Kansas City 6 121 I-435 Front Street 1300 North Corrington Ave., 64120 252 Kearney 7 S DEF 125 I-35, Exit 26 600 West SR 92, 64060 301 MARSTON 6 70 I-55, Exit 40 917 East Elm Street, 63866 671 Matthews DEF 188 15 I-55 Exit 58 703 State Hwy 80, 63867 167 nevada DEF 45 3 US 71 & Camp Clark Road 2424 East Austin Road, 64772

Hot Deli Pizza p 660-882-9120 f 660-882-9710

p 573-683-6056 f 573-683-6016

p 417-275-4796 f 417-275-4796

p 815-566-4043 f 847-460-0119

Pizza p 573-359-2007 f 573-359-2031

p 660-584-8484 f 660-584-8486

p 417-781-0255 f 417-781-0179

p 417-626-7600 f 417-626-8802

p 816-483-7600 f 816-483-1492

p 816-635-4015 f 816-635-4116

p 573-643-2320 f 573-643-2252

p 573-472-3336 f 573-471-1161

p 417-667-32716 f 417-667-48431

p 636-257-4100 f 636-257-4107

p 816-779-8000 f 816-779-4441

p 815-315-4953 f 847-232-3389

p 573-860-8880 f 573-860-8892

p 636-456-2001 f 636-456-2016

p 660-754-1550 f 660-754-1556

MONTANA 968 Belgrade Flying j/broadway 3 125 I-90 Exit 298 6505 Jack Rabit Lane, 59701 915 billings town pump 14 0 I-90, Exit 455 2711 N Frontage Road, 59101 923 Billings town pump 9 125 I-90, Exit 455 2775 Old Hardin Road, 59101 905 BONNER town pump 11 100 Junction of I-90 & Hwy 200 7985 Highway 200 East, 59851 924 Butte town pump 6 0 I-15 Exit 122 & I-90 MM220 122000 Rocker Interchg & I90, 59701 922 COLUMbia falls town pump 1 20 Hwy 2 West 6102 Hwy 2 West, 59912 906 COLUMBUS town pump 7 150 I-90, Exit 408 602 8th Avenue North, 59019 917 GREAT FALLS town pump 5 100 Junction of I-15 & Hwy 87 3700 31st St SW, Suite 1, 59404 925 Great Falls 4 0 I-15 & 31st Street Exit 277 3715 31st St SW, 59404 964 Hardin Flying j/broadway 1 50 I-90 Exit 495 315 E 13th Street, 59034 916 LOLO town pump 1 40 Junction of Hwy 93 & Hwy 12 11822 Highway 93 South, 59847

p 406-488-4124 f 406-388-4231

Hot Deli p 406-238-9823 f 406-238-9825

Hot Deli p 406-256-8826 f 406-256-9256

Hot Deli p 406-258-6588 f 406-258-6693

Hot Deli

Full Service Restaurant

p 406-723-4325 f 406-723-8956

Hot Deli p 406-892-0747

Hot Deli p 406-322-4833 f 406-322-5273

Hot Deli p 406-452-0342 f 406-452-0547

Hot Deli p 406-727-7945 f 406-761-2599

p 406-665-1237 f 406-665-3123

Hot Deli p 406-273-6666 f 406-273-3018

w w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m

earn

double driver payback points at stores listed with a yellow tag

#

S

Flying j dealer showers auto Pilot showers locations locations locations

montana (cont.)

907 MILES CITY town pump 4 100 I-94, Exit 138 1210 South Haynes Street, 59301 914 MIssoula town pump 14 125 I-90 & MT Hwy 93, Exit 96 8475 Hwy 93 N Suite B, 59808 908 ROCKER/BUTTE town pump 10 195 I-90, Exit 122 1000 Grizzly Trail, 59701 909 SHELBY town pump 6 70 I-15, Exit 363 1350 West Roosevelt, 59474 911 SUPERIOR town pump 2 8 I-90, Exit 47 403 Diamond Road, 59872 910 THREE FORKS town pump 5 90 Junction of I-90 & US 287, Exit 274 10800 Highway 287, 59751

DEF diesel exhaust fluid

# parking

restaurants outlined in a red box do not accept FFA points

NEVADA (cont.)

Hot Deli p 406-232-2582 f 406-232-2582

Hot Deli p 406-542-0400 f 406-327-0802

Hot Deli p 406-723-0088 f 406-723-4940

Country Skillet p 406-434-5221 f 406-434-7019

Super Deli p 406-822-4444 f 406-822-4444

Hot Deli p 406-285-3807

692 Wells 9 200 I-80 & HWY 93, Exit 352 (South) 156 Hwy 93 South, 89835 147 WEST WENDOVER DEF 250 11 I-80 @ Peppermill Casino, Exit 410 1200 West Wendover Boulevard, 89883 485 Winnemucca 5 S DEF 140 I-80 & West Interchange, Exit 173 5625 I-80 W Winnemucca Exchange, 89445 770 Winnemucca 10 105 I-80 Exit 176 1880 West Winnemucca Blvd., 89445

p 775-752-2400 f 775-752-2406

p 775-664-3400 f 775-664-3347

p 775-625-2800 f 775-625-2814

p 775-623-0111 f 775-523-0120

NEW HAMPSHIRE 896 bow 3 60 I-93, Exit 11/12C 728 SR 3A, 03304

p 603-223-6885 f 603-223-5204

f 406-285-6976

NEW JERSEY NEBRASKA 904 BIG SPRINGS bosselman 16 500 I-80, Exit 107 I-80 and Big Springs Road, 69122 901 ELM CREEK bosselman 6 75 I-80, Exit 257 5085 Buffalo Creek Road, 68836 902 GRAND ISLAND bosselman 21 400 I-80, Exit 312N 3335 West Woodriver Road, 68803 686 Gretna DEF 150 15 I-80 Exit 432 15010 South State Hwy 31, 68028 687 North Platte DEF 123 9 I-80 Exit 179 3400 S. Newberry Road, 69101 912 WOOD RIVER bosselman 6 65 I-80 & Hwy 11, Exit 300 I-80 and Highway 11 and Exit 300, 68883

p 308-889-3686 f 308-889-3352

p 308-856-4330 f 308-856-4330

p 308-382-2288 f 308-381-7464

p 402-332-4483 f 402-332-4576

p 308-532-4555 f 308-532-8077

p 308-583-2493

280 BLOOMSBURY 5 S DEF 30 I-78 & NJ 173, Exit 7 979 Route 173, 08804 253 CARNEYS POINT 2 I-295 at Jersey Turnpike, Exit 2B 600 Pennsville-Auburn Road, 08069 688 Carneys Point DEF 360 16 I-295 Exit 2C 326 Slapes Corner Road, 08069 190 CLINTON 6 95 I-78, Exit 12 68 Rt. 173, 08827 210 mahwah 0 8 230 Route 17 South, 07430 880 Port Jervis Lukoil 0 I-84, Exit 1 15 Route 23 S, 07827

p 908-479-6443 f 908-479-6394

p 856-299-5700 f 856-299-8563

p 856-351-0080 f 856-351-0293

p 908-735-7711 f 908-735-8153

p 201-529-2704 f 201-529-1784

p 973-293-3477 f 973-293-3677

f 308-583-2115

NEW MEXICO NEVADA 966 Battle MTN. Flying j/broadway 9 70 I-80 Exit 231 650 W Front St., 89820 387 CARLIN 5 60 I-80/NV 278, Exit 280 791 Tenth Street, 89822 340 FERNLEY 7 S DEF 100 I-80 & US 95, Exit 46 465 Pilot Road, 89408 341 LAS VEGAS 7 S 80 I-15 & Craig Rd, Exit 48 3812 East Craig Road, 89031

w w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m

p 702-635-5424 f 775-635-0371

p 775-754-6384 f 775-754-6025

p 775-575-5115 f 775-575-4619

p 702-644-1600

689 Albuquerque DEF 165 15 I-40 Exit 153 9911 Avalon Road NW, 87105 305 JAMESTOWN 16 S DEF 450 I-40, Exit 39 I-40, Exit 39, 87347 266 LAS CRUCES 5 40 I-10 & NM 292, Exit 139 2681 West Amador, 88005 163 LORDSBURG 7 S DEF 95 I-10 & East Motel Dr, Exit 24 1050 East Motel Drive, 88045

p 505-831-2001 f 505-833-0464

Pizza p 505-722-6655 f 505-722-2674

p 575-523-2700 f 575-525-6727

p 575-542-3100 f 575-542-3111

f 702-644-8432

ja n u ar y 2 0 1 2 C H A L L E N G E 71

earn

double driver payback points at stores listed with a yellow tag

#

S

Flying j dealer showers auto Pilot showers locations locations locations

DEF diesel exhaust fluid

restaurants outlined in a red box do not accept FFA points

# parking

new mexico (cont.)

new Carolina (cont.)

ohio (cont.)

690 Lordsburg 9 285 I-10 Exit 24 11 Old Highway 70, 88045 691 Tucumcari DEF 136 9 I-40 & Exit 333 2021 S. Mountain Road, 88401

393 WAYNESVILLE 4 60 I-40 & NC 209, Exit 24 3712 Crabtree Road, 28786

360 FINDLAY 5 80 I-75 & OH 613, Exit 164 11471 State Route 613W, 45840 9 FRANKLIN 7 S DEF 200 I-75, Exit 36 6830 Franklin-Lebanon Road, 45005 285 HEBRON 9 S DEF 90 I-70 & OH 37, Exit 126 10258 Lancaster Road SW, 43025 697 Hubbard DEF 150 15 I-80 & Hwy 62, Exit 234B (Eastbound) 2226 North Main, 44425 698 Jeffersonville DEF 148 9 I-71 Exit 69 9935 SR 41, 43128 700 Lake Township DEF 150 15 I-280 Exit 1B; I-80/90, Exit 71 26415 Warns Dr., 43551 287 LODI (BURBANK) 7 105 I-71 & OH 83, Exit 204 10048 Avon Lake Road, 44214 454 LONDON 9 S DEF 125 I-70, Exit 79 1365 SR 42 NE, 43140 455 MARENGO 5 65 I-71, Exit 140 488 State Route 61, 43334 699 Millersport 15 152 I-70 St Rd 158 Exit 122 10480 Baltimore, 43046 11 N. LIMA 5 S 50 I-76, Exit 232 10920 Market Street, 44452 303 NAPOLEON 7 75 Rt. 24 905 American Road, 43545 130 RICHFIELD 7 80 I-77S, Exit 146; I-77N, Exit 145; I-80, Exit 173 5219 Brecksville Road, 44286 13 SEVILLE 10 S DEF 190 I-71, Exit 209 8924 Lake Road, 44273 12 STONEY RIDGE (PERRYSBURG) 5 S 50 I-80/90, Exit 71 3430 Libbey Road, 43551 14 SUNBURY 5 115 I-71, Exit 131 7680 East State Route 36, 43074 15 TOLEDO 5 70 I-75, Exit 210 5820 Hagman Road, 43612

p 505-542-3320 f 505-542-3324

p 575-461-6590 f 575-461-3879

NEW YORK 322 KANONA 4 70 I-86, Exit 37 7767 State Rt 53, 14810 394 NEWBURGH 6 S DEF 110 I-84, Exit 6 239 Route 17K, 12550 693 Pembroke DEF 150 9 I-90 Exit 48A 8484 Allegheny Road, 14036 494 Rotterdam 4 95 I-88, Exit 25 1128 Duanesburg Road, 12306 146 SCHODACK LANDING DEF 15 4 I-90, Exit 12 995 US Route 9, 12033 380 SYRACUSE (LIVERPOOL) DEF 85 5 I-81, Exit 25; I-90, Exit 36 107 Seventh North Street, 13088

Pizza p 607-776-2012 f 607-776-4179

p 845-567-1722 f 845-567-1773

p 585-599-4430 f 585-599-4436

p 518-356-5616 f 518-356-5634

p 518-732-7272 f 518-732-7228

p 315-424-0124 f 315-424-0126

North Carolina 275 CHARLOTTE DEF 60 5 I-85, Exit 39; I-77, Exit 13 3807 Statesville Avenue, 28206 885 dunn Kangaroo Pantry 3 40 I-95, Exit 71 873 Longbranch, 28334 900 dunn Saddler bros.

9 350 I-95, Exit 75 65 Sadler Rd, 28334 682 Graham 4 251 I-85 & I-40 Exit 150 1043 Jimmie Kerr Road, 27258 56 KANNAPOLIS 7 55 I-85, Exit 63 2825 Lane Street, 28083 683 Kenly DEF 145 14 I-95 & Exit 106 1800 Princeton-Kenly Road, 27542 57 MEBANE 8 S DEF 140 I-40/85, Exit 152 1342 Trollingwood Road, 27302 58 PLEASANT HILL 4 25 I-95, Exit 180 Route 1 - Box 202, 27866

p 704-358-1006 f 704-358-1506

p 910-892-3642 f 910-980-2364

p 910-892-0106 f 910-892-2084

p 336-578-2427 f 336-578-0804

p 704-938-6800 f 704-938-6900

p 919-284-4548 f 919-284-4214

p 919-563-4999 f 919-563-4929

p 252-537-4476 f 252-537-3666

72 C H A L L E N G E april 2 0 1 2

p 828-627-8611 f 828-627-9499

North dakota 684 Beach 9 89 I-94 & Hwy 16 I-94 & Hwy 16, 58621 685 Fargo DEF 168 12 I-29, Exit 62 3150 39th St SW, Suite A, 58104 489 grand forks 10 141 I-29, Exit 138 4401 32nd Avenue South, 58201

p 701-872-4737 f 701-872-4985

p 701-282-7766 f 701-282-7259

p 701-746-8145 f 701-746-4342

ohio 2 AUSTINBURG 7 S 150 I-90, Exit 223 2246 State Route 45, 44010 694 AUSTINBURG DEF 164 15 I-90 & State Rd 45, Exit 223 2349 Center Road, 44010 3 AUSTINTOWN 8 S 200 I-80, Exit 223 1150 North Canfield-Niles Road, 44515 4 AVON 3 55 I-90, Exit 151 39115 Colorado Road, 44011 457 BEAVER DAM 10 S DEF 105 I-75, Exit 135 427 East Main Street, 45808 695 BEAVER DAM DEF 150 15 I-75 Exit 135 420 East Main Street, 45808 696 Berkshire DEF 150 15 I-71 Exit 131 7735 State Route 37, 43074 309 CALDWELL 5 50 I-77, Exit 25 44133 Fairground Road, 43724 6 CAMBRIDGE 3 35 I-70, Exit 178 61700 Southgate Road, 43725 8 CIRCLEVILLE 3 55 US 23 and Pittsburgh Road 25600 US 23, 43113 213 COLUMBUS 7 100 I-70 & Wilson Road Exit 94 3600 Interchange Road, 43204 286 EATON 5 S DEF 50 I-70 & OH 127, Exit 10 6141 US 127 North, 45320

Pizza p 440-275-3303 f 440-275-3311

p 440-275-1515 f 440-275-3289

p 330-505-3532 f 330-505-3548

p 440-934-0110 f 440-934-1168

p 419-643-6023 f 419-643-6085

p 419-643-8001 f 419-643-8106

p 740-965-9835 f 740-965-9770

p 740-732-5656 f 740-732-1404

p 740-439-0989 f 740-432-9607

p 740-420-8942 f 740-420-3972

p 614-308-9195 f 614-308-9673

p 937-456-6303

p 419-299-3381 f 419-299-3096

p 937-746-4488 f 937-743-3006

p 740-928-5588 f 740-928-6032

p 330-534-3774 f 330-534-4372

p 740-426-9136 f 740-426-9156

p 419-837-2100 f 419-837-2199

p 330-948-4571 f 330-948-4575

p 614-879-4128 f 614-879-4137

p 419-253-1400 f 419-253-1402

p 740-964-9601 f 740-964-9611

p 330-549-9203 f 330-549-1930

p 419-599-0043 f 419-599-0051

p 330-659-2020 f 330-659-2021

p 330-769-4220 f 330-769-2202

p 419-837-5091 f 419-837-5658

p 740-965-5540 f 740-965-5641

p 419-729-3985 f 419-729-0905

f 937-456-6497

w w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m

earn

double driver payback points at stores listed with a yellow tag

#

S

Flying j dealer showers auto Pilot showers locations locations locations

DEF diesel exhaust fluid

restaurants outlined in a red box do not accept FFA points

# parking

ohio (cont.)

oregon (cont.)

Pennsylvania (cont.)

239 UPPER SANDUSKY 5 70 St. Hwy 23 & 30 1600 W. Wyandot Avenue, 43351 16 WILMINGTON 3 20 I-71, Exit 50 5772 US 68 North, 45177 281 YOUNGSTOWN (GIRARD) 7 S 80 I-80 & Salt Springs Rd., Exit 226 2786 Salt Springs Road, 44420

934 LaGrande Flying j/broadway 4 50 I-84 Exit 265 I-84 & Exit 265, 97850 232 ONTARIO 7 105 I-84, Exit 376A 653 East Idaho Avenue, 97914 233 RICE HILL 10 S 160 I-5, Exit 148 800 John Long Road, 97462 390 STANFIELD DEF 90 9 I-84/82 & Hwy 395, Exit 188 2115 Highway 395, 97875

710 New Milford DEF 125 9 I-81 Exit 219 1623 Oliver Road, 18834 522 Pine Grove 3 160 I-81, Exit 100 482 Suedberg Rd, 17963 370 SCRANTON (PITTSTON) 7 S 80 I-81N, Exit 175; I-81 S, Exit 175B; I-476, RT 315 417 Route 315, 18640 620 Smithton DEF 110 7 I-70 & Exit 49 122 Fitzhenry Road, 15479

p 419-294-2971 f 419-294-3101

p 937-382-0464 f 937-382-3069

p 330-530-8500 f 330-530-8318

Oklahoma 701 Ardmore DEF 136 9 I-35 & Exit 33 2450 Cooper Drive, 73401 702 Checotah 9 150 U.S. Hwy 69 & U.S. Hwy 266 1255 W. Gentry, 74426 704 Edmond DEF 73 15 I-35 & N.E. 122nd Street 4801 NE 122 Street, 73013 259 muskogee 7 S DEF 125 US 69 3006 N. 32nd Street, 74401 460 OKLAHOMA CITY 7 S DEF 145 I-40, Exit 140 400 South Morgan Road, 73128 703 OKLAHOMA CITY DEF 172 9 I-40, Exit 140 701 South Morgan Road, 73128 196 ROLAND 7 125 I-40 & US 64, Exit 325 123 West Ray Fine Boulevard 705 Sayre DEF 150 4 I-40 & US 283 2400 South 4th Route, 73662 706 Tulsa DEF 185 9 I-44 & Exit 236 121 North 129 E/I-44 Exit 236, 74116

p 580-226-3833 f 580-226-3546

p 918-473-1243 f 918-473-1957

p 405-475-9440 f 405-475-9435

Pizza p 918-686-7856 f 918-686-0597

p 405-440-1048 f 405-440-1093

p 405-324-5000 f 405-324-7181

p 918-427-0895 f 918-427-0862

p 580-928-2216 f 580-928-2354

p 918-437-5477 f 918-437-5660

oregon 195 BIGGS JUNCTION 5 55 I-84 & US Hwy 97, Exit 104 91485 Biggs Rufus Highway, 97065 386 BROOKS 7 S DEF 110 I-5, Exit 263 4220 Brooklake Road, 97305 391 CENTRAL POINT DEF 100 7 I-5, Exit 33 1600 East Pine Street, 97502 133 CHEMULT 4 60 US 97 341 Damon Street, 97731

w w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m

p 541-739-2174 f 541-739-2479

p 503-463-1114 f 503-463-0409

p 541-664-7001 f 541-664-7006

p 541-365-0991 f 541-365-0995

p 541-963-9762 f 541-663-9822

p 541-889-9070 f 541-889-4117

p 541-849-2133 f 541-849-2137

p 541-449-1403 f 541-449-1430

Pennsylvania

south carolina

348 BENTLEYVILLE 7 S 90 I-70 Exit 32-B 205 Wilson Road, 15314 516 breezewood all american 12 280 I-76, Exit 161; I-70, Exit 147 167 Post House Road, 15533 707 Brookville 15 140 I-80 Exit 78 246 Allegheny Blvd., 15825 708 Carlisle DEF 278 22 I-81 Exit 52/I-76 & Exit 226 1501 Harrisburg Pike, 17013 336 DUBOIS 7 100 I-80, Hwy 219, Exit 97 1742 Rich Highway, 15801 517 Duncannon 8 125 US 22 & 322 30 Benvenue Ave, 17020 311 ERIE 5 85 I-90 & PA97, Exit 27 8035 Perry Highway, 16509 518 Frystown 9 220 I-78, Exit 10 (PA 645) 2210 Camp Swatara Road, 17067 245 HARRISBURG 3 30 I-81 & PA39, Exit 77 7961 Linglestown Road, 17112 298 HAZLETON (DRUMS) 5 60 I-80, Exit 256 Route 2, Box 301, 18222 1 MILL HALL 5 S 70 I-80, Exit 173 5868 Nittany Valley Drive, 17751 709 MILL HALL (Lamar) DEF 155 15 I-80 and Exit 173 5609 Nittany Valley Drive, 17751 81 NEW CASTLE 7 S DEF 90 I-79, Exit 99 2010 New Castle Road, 16051

711 Blacksburg 15 200 I-85 Exit 102 1011 North Mountain Street, 29702 60 BOWMAN 8 S DEF 100 I-26, Exit 159 2064 Homestead Road, 29018 346 CAMDEN (LUGOFF) 3 S 60 I-20 & US 601 Exit 92 522 Highway 601 South, 29078 884 Campobello Kangaroo Pantry 2 35 I-26, Exit 5 8998 SC Hwy 11, 29322 338 CAYCE (COLUMBIA) DEF 90 5 I-26/77 & US321, Exit 115 3008 Highway 321, 29033 61 CLINTON 3 40 I-26, Exit 52 12818 Highway 56 North, 29325 712 Columbia DEF 178 15 I-20 Exit 70 5901 Fairfield Road, 29203 310 DUNCAN 8 70 I-85 & SC290, Exit 63 1405 East Main Street, 29334 62 FLORENCE 6 75 I-95, Exit 170 3006 North Williston Road, 29506 337 FLORENCE 5 90 I-95 & US 52, Exit 164 2015 West Lucas St., 29501 878 FLORENCE florence travel plz 19 23 I-95, Exit 169 3001 TV Road, 29501 453 GAFFNEY 5 S DEF 100 I-85, Exit 90 909 Hyatt Street, 29341 713 Latta DEF 200 15 I-95 Exit 181A 111 Mill Branch Road, 29565

p 724-239-5855 f 724-239-5801

p 814-735-4076 f 814-735-4823

p 814-849-2992 f 814-849-2440

p 717-243-6659 f 717-243-2510

p 814-375-6046 f 814-375-6047

p 717-834-3174 f 717-834-5118

p 814-864-8536 f 814-866-0332

p 717-933-4171 f 717-933-5008

p 717-545-5507 f 717-545-6768

p 570-788-3262 f 570-788-2163

Pizza p 570-726-7618 f 570-726-5092

p 570-726-4080 f 570-726-4363

p 724-368-3028 f 724-368-3059

p 570-465-2974 f 570-465-2979

p 570-345-8800 f 570-345-3707

p 570-655-4116 f 570-655-2479

p 724-872-4050 f 724-872-9471

p 864-839-5934 f 864-839-5942

p 803-829-3541 f 803-829-3352

p 803-438-5175 f 803-438-3947 Grill

Aunt M Depo

p 864-472-2128 f 864-472-2280

p 803-739-2921 f 803-739-4521

p 864-833-4555 f 864-833-3765

p 803-735-9006 f 803-735-0917

p 864-433-1221 f 864-433-1210

p 843-662-6972 f 843-662-7013

p 843-662-2646 f 843-662-2893

p 843-669-5736 f 843-269-2079

p 864-206-0050 f 864-206-0052

p 843-752-5047 f 843-752-7265

april 2 0 1 2 C H A L L E N G E 73

earn

double driver payback points at stores listed with a yellow tag

#

S

Flying j dealer showers auto Pilot showers locations locations locations

DEF diesel exhaust fluid

restaurants outlined in a red box do not accept FFA points

# parking

south carolina (cont.)

tennessee (cont.)

texas (cont.)

63 PIEDMONT 5 S DEF 90 I-85, Exit 35 110 Frontage Road, 29673 714 Rock Hill DEF 141 9 I-77 & Hwy 901, Exit 73 2435 Mount Holly Road, 29730 493 St. George DEF 118 8 I-95, Exit 77 113 Motel Drive, 29477 64 SUMMERVILLE 3 S 40 I-26, Exit 199 1521 North Main Street, 29483

403 HEISKELL 2 25 I-75, Exit 117 1915 East Raccoon Valley Road, 37754 53 HURRICANE MILLS 8 S 180 I-40, Exit 143 15559 Highway 13 South, 37078 366 Jackson 7 S DEF 95 I-40, Exit 85 32 Sand Pebble Rd., 38305 241 KNOXVILLE 0 80 I-40, Exit 398; @ John Sevier 2801 East Govenor John Sevier Highway, 37914 722 Knoxville DEF 187 15 I-40 & I-75 Exit 369 800 Watt Road, 37932 270 KNOXVILLE (LOVELL ROAD) 5 S 80 I-40/75, Exit 374 314 Lovell Road, 37922 219 KNOXVILLE (STRAW PLAINS) 9 S DEF 115 I-40, Exit 398 7210 Straw Plains Pike, 37914 52 LAVERGNE 4 25 I-24, Exit 64 535 Waldron Road, 37086 411 LEBANON 8 S DEF 150 I-40, Exit 238 921 Murfreesboro, 37090 363 MEMPHIS 5 70 US 78 @ Pleasant Hill 5021 Highway 78, 38118 405 MEMPHIS 5 S DEF 100 I-240, Hwy 78S 4949 Lamar Ave, 38118 404 Murfreesboro 7 S DEF 90 I-24, Exit 81 2441 S. Church St, 37127 413 nashville 2 25 Briley Pkwy, Hwy 155N, Exit 26A, Hwy 155S, Exit 26 6418 Centennial Blvd., 37209 224 ONeiDA (PIONEER) 4 85 I-75, Exit 141 304 Howard Baker Highway, 37847 149 STANTON 7 50 I-40 Exit 42 7720 Highway 222, 38069 412 WHITE PINE 9 S DEF 130 I-81, Exit 4 3624 Roy Messer Highway, 37890

723 AMARILLO DEF 200 13 I-40 Exit 76 9601 I-40 East Exit 76, 79118 435 ANTHONY 5 S DEF 100 I-10, Exit 0 2015 Antonio Street, 79821 724 ANTHONY DEF 176 15 I-10 Exit 0 3001 Mountain Pass Blvd., 79821 725 Baytown DEF 200 15 I-10 & Exit 789 Thompson Road 1876 East Freeway, 77521 367 CADDO MILLS 6 80 I-30 & FM1903, Exit 87 & 88 2725 FM 1903, 75135 433 DALLAS 8 S DEF 150 I-20, Exit 470 8787 South Lancaster Road, 75241 726 DALLAS DEF 150 15 I-20 Exit 472 7425 Bonnie View Road, 75241 727 Edinburg DEF 200 15 Hwy 281 & FM 1925 1305 East Monte Cristo, 78539 728 El Paso DEF 120 9 I-10 and Exit 37 1301 North Horizon Blvd., 79927 434 FORT WORTH 8 S DEF 185 I-35, Exit 65 2400 Alliance Gateway, 76178 375 HOUSTON 7 S DEF 90 I-610, Exit 24A US 90 E 4440 N. McCarty Street, 77013 729 Houston DEF 233 15 I-45 Richie Rd, Exit 64 15919 North Freeway, 77090 234 HUNTSVILLE 6 S 90 I-45, Exit 118 639 State Highway 75 North, 77320 507 Jarrell 8 140 I-35 & Exit 275 11710 North Interstate 35, 76537 377 LAREDO 12 S DEF 300 I-35 S, Exit 13; I-35 N, Exit 12B 1101 Uniroyal Drive, 78045 730 LAREDO DEF 191 13 I-35 S, Exit 13; I-35 N, Exit 12B 1011 Beltway Parkway, 78045 733 Lubbock 4 50 I-27 & 4th Street Exit 602 4th Street, 79401

p 864-845-8177 f 864-845-8178

p 803-328-5700 f 803-909-5800

p 843-563-8989 f 843-563-8986

p 843-486-5770 f 843-486-5702

south dakota 932 Hermosa Flying j/broadway 2 # 25 Heartland Express Hwy 79 25 Heartland Express Hwy 79, 57744 919 Mitchell 90 Fuel Services 4 250 I-90, Exit 332 1821 S. Burr, 57301 918 Rapid City Bosselman 5 100 I-90, Exit 55 2783 Deadwood Ave., 57702 931 Rapid City Flying j/broadway 8 150 I-90 Exit 61 4200 N I-90 Service Rd Exit 61, 57701 716 Sioux Falls DEF 158 9 I-29 Exit 83 5201 Granite Lane, 57107

p 605-255-4555 f 605-255-4522

p 605-996-3371 f 605-996-3910

p 605-348-7070 f 605-348-3438

p 605-342-5450 f 605-342-3011

p 605-977-1438 f 605-977-1538

tennessee 265 COOKEVILLE 1 10 I-40, Exit 287 1111 South Jefferson, 38501 406 CORNERSVILLE 2 20 I-65, Exit 22 9211 Lewisburg Highway, 37047 114 CROSSVILLE 7 S 80 I-40, Exit 320 2449 Genesis Road, 38571 226 DANDRIDGE 6 80 I-40, Exit 417 505 Patriot Drive, 37725 409 DICKSON 11 S 90 I-40, Exit 172 2320 Highway 46 South, 37055 720 Fairview DEF 150 9 I-40 & Hwy 96, Exit 182 1420 Hwy 96 North, 37062 51 GREENEVILLE 3 25 I-81 Exit 36 11190 Baileyton Road, 37745

p 931-528-7100 f 931-528-3893

p 931-363-3290 f 931-363-8248

p 931-787-1901 f 931-787-1905

p 865-397-3547 f 865-397-3699

Pizza p 615-446-4600 f 615-446-0763

p 615-799-4116 f 615-799-4120

p 423-234-0414 f 423-234-0641

74 C H A L L E N G E april 2 0 1 2

p 865-938-1439 f 865-938-1146

Pizza p 931-296-7180 f 931-296-7719

Pizza p 731-422-5545 f 731-422-5780

p 865-546-6776 f 865-546-7475

p 865-531-7400 f 865-531-7982

p 865-966-0445 f 865-966-2918

p 865-544-1067 f 865-544-1138

p 615-793-9856 f 615-793-9085

p 615-453-8866 f 615-453-8860

p 901-366-0337 f 901-366-1712

p 901-202-5520 f 901-202-5522

p 615-907-9595 f 615-907-3982

p 615-350-7225 f 615-350-7318

p 423-562-5000 f 423-566-1335

p 901-466-3535 f 901-465-6704

p 865-674-8570 f 865-674-8572

texas 436 AMARILLO 5 S DEF 90 I-40, Exit 75 715 South Lakeside Drive, 79118

p 806-335-1475 f 806-335-1058

p 915-886-3090 f 915-886-3404

p 915-886-2737 f 915-886-3522

p 281-424-7706 f 281-424-7730

p 903-527-2150 f 903-527-2103

p 972-228-2467 f 972-228-4386

p 972-225-3566 f 972-225-3681

p 956-316-0149 f 956-316-3732

Pizza p 915-852-4141 f 915-852-4101

p 817-337-5324 f 817-337-5137

p 713-675-3375 f 713-670-7629

p 281-893-0423 f 281-893-9368

p 936-291-1125 f 936-291-2421

p 512-746-4341

p 956-717-5006 f 956-725-0156

p 956-712-3265 f 956-791-3057

p 806-744-0539 f 806-744-7423

p 806-335-3323 f 806-335-2868

w w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m

earn

double driver payback points at stores listed with a yellow tag

#

S

Flying j dealer showers auto Pilot showers locations locations locations

DEF diesel exhaust fluid

texas (cont.)

texas (cont.)

257 MIDLAND 7 S DEF 84 I-20, Exit 126 4015 S. FM 1788, 79706 982 MIDLAND 0 0 7700 W. I-20 7500 W. Hwy 80, 79706 983 MIDLAND 0 0 I-20, Exit 138 7800 Interstate 20 Frontage, 79706 330 New Braunfels 7 S DEF 80 I-35, Exit 184 4142 Loop 337, 78132 734 New Caney 9 150 US 59 & Exit 242 23412 Hwy 242, 77357 431 ORANGE 8 S 110 I-10, Exit 873 2205 North Highway 62, 77630 735 ORANGE DEF 150 15 I-10 Exit 873 7112 I-10 West, 77630 736 Pecos 15 200 I-20 Exit 42 100 East Pinehurst, 79772 432 ROBINSON 7 S DEF 285 I-35, Exit 328 8055 South I-35, 76706 306 SAN ANTONIO 5 S 50 I-10 E.bound, Exit 581; I-10 W.bound, Exit 582 5619 I-10 East, 78219 737 SAN ANTONIO DEF 200 15 I-10 Exit 583 1815 North Foster Road, 78244 157 SULPHER SPRINGS 7 S DEF 85 I-30, Exit 122 1200 South Hillcrest, 75482 738 Tye DEF 200 15 I-20 & FM 707 Exit 277 101 North FM 707, 79563 486 Tyler 7 S DEF 85 I-20 & FM 14 12881 FM 14A, 75706 209 VAN HORN 7 S DEF 75 I-10, Exit 140 501 Van Horn Drive, 79855 740 w. houston 9 117 I-10, Exit 732 204 South Waller Ave., 77423 739 Waco DEF 200 9 I-35 & New Road 2409 South New Road, 76711

206 WEATHERFORD 7 S DEF 110 I-20, Exit 406 1201 I-20 West, 76087 741 Wichita Falls DEF 50 3 US 287 & Jacksboro Highway 2311 Jacksboro Highway, 76301

w w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m

p 432-563-1683 f 432-563-1748

p 877-561-8432

p 432-563-1365

p 830-629-1424 f 830-629-1254

p 281-689-8466 f 281-689-8271

p 409-745-1124 f 409-745-3336

p 409-883-9465 f 409-886-8224

p 432-445-9436 f 432-445-7171

p 254-662-4771 f 254-662-4951

p 210-661-5353 f 210-661-4732

p 210-666-2266 f 210-666-2280

p 903-885-0020 f 903-885-1580

p 325-691-9974 f 325-691-5365

p 903-593-5466 f 903-593-3204

Pizza p 432-283-8067 f 432-283-8071

p 281-934-4133 f 281-934-4153

p 254-714-0313 f 254-714-1798

parking

virginia Pizza p 817-341-4600 f 817-341-4602

p 940-720-0598 f 940-720-0725

utah 509 Beaver 6 150 I-15, Exit 112 653 West 1400 North, 84713 742 Lake Point DEF 130 9 I-80 Exit 99 1605 East Saddleback Blvd., 84074 743 Nephi 9 100 I-15 Exit 222 1597 South Main, 84648 772 N. Salt Lake 4 42 I-215 & Redwood Rd, Exit 27 885 W. North Point Circle, 84054 294 OGDEN 5 60 I-15 & UT 39, Exit 344 1670 West 12th Street, 84404 744 OGDEN DEF 100 9 I-15 Exit 343 1172 West 21st Street, 84401 508 Perry 2 25 I-15 Exit 362 1674 W. 1100 S., 84302 773 Richfield 4 50 I-70 Exit 40 35 East Flying J Drive, 84701 746 Salt Lake City DEF 110 9 I-15 & I-80 SR201, Exit 17 2025 South 900 West, 84119 510 Scipio 4 100 I-15, Exit 188 810 North 800 West, 84656 774 Snowville 3 50 I-84 Exit 7 90 South Stone Road, 84336 747 Springville DEF 80 8 I-15 Exit 261 1460 North 1750 West, 84663 775 St. George DEF 60 4 I-15 Exit 4 2841 South 60 East, 84790 748 Willard Bay 4 52 I-15 Exit 357 600 West 750 North, 84340

restaurants outlined in a red box do not accept FFA points

#

p 435-438-5191

p 801-508-7400 f 801-508-7404

p 435-623-2400 f 435-623-2421

p 801-936-1408 f 801-936-1457

p 801-731-2900 f 801-731-2380

p 801-399-5577 f 801-399-9353

p 435-723-9999

p 435-896-5050 f 435-896-4044

p 801-972-3711 f 801-972-6174

p 435-758-2345

p 435-872-8181 f 435-872-8171

p 801-489-3622 f 801-489-3059

p 435-674-7104 f 435-652-3627

p 435-723-1010 f 435-723-1044

749 Carmel Church DEF 239 15 I-95 Exit 104 24279 Roger Clark Blvd., 22546 256 DANVILLE 3 45 Hwy 58 & 29, Exit 104 110 River Point Drive, 24541 898 Emporia Sadler’s Truck Stop 10 250 I-95, Exit 11B 918 West Atlantic Street, 23847 750 Ft. Chiswell DEF 270 14 I-81 & I-77 Exit 80 I-81, I-77 & VA Route 52, 24360 396 Greenville 11 S DEF 100 I-81S, Exit 213A;I-81 N, Exit 213 3541 Lee Jackson Highway, 24401 384 RICHMOND 9 S DEF 110 I-95 N, Exit 58; I-95 S, Exit 58B 2126 Ruffin Mill Road, 23834 876 Ruther Glen Ruther Glen Trvl plz DEF 250 22 I-95, Exit 104 23866 Rogers Clark Blvd, 22546 899 South hill (Bracy) Sadler’s trk. Stp. 0 20 I-85, Exit 12A 1011 East Atlantic Street, 23970 159 TALLYSVILLE 4 60 I-64, Exit 211 6721 Emmaus Church Road 23140 258 TROUTVILLE 3 # I-81, Exit 150A or B 2966 Lee Highway South, 24175 752 Winchester DEF 144 15 I-81 Exit 323 1530 Rest Church Road, 22624 754 Wytheville 15 177 I-77 & I-81 Exit 77 3249 Chapman Rd, 24382

p 804-448-9047 f 804-448-9805

p 434-792-1180 f 434-792-7894

p 434-634-4312 f 434-634-5397

p 276-637-4115 f 276-637-6968

Pizza p 540-324-0714 f 540-324-0718

p 804-524-9556 f 804-524-9522

p 804-448-8419 f 804-448-5592

p 434-447-4528 f 434-447-4582

p 804-966-1880

f (804) 966-1986

p 540-992-2805 f 540-992-1534

p 540-678-3641 f 540-678-3651

p 276-228-7110 f 276-228-9010

Washington 965 Ellensburg Flying j/broadway 7 100 I-90 Exit 109 2300 Canyon Rd., 98926 970 Pasco (spokane) Flying j/broadway 2 75 U.S. Hwy 395 2216 E Hillsboro Road, 99301 963 Spokane Flying j/broadway 2 2 I-90 Exit 276 3709 S. Geiger Blvd., 99224 967 Spokane Flying j/broadway 7 80 I-90 Exit 286 6606 E. Broadway Ave., 99212 151 TUMWATER DEF 100 7 I-5, Exit 99 2430 93rd Avenue SW, 98512

p 509-925-6161 f 509-925-5748

p 509-547-5561 f 509-547-4570

p 509-456-8843

p 509-535-3028 f 509-535-7589

p 360-754-0151 f 360-754-0159

april 2 0 1 2 C H A L L E N G E 75

earn

double driver payback points at stores listed with a yellow tag

#

S

Flying j dealer showers auto Pilot showers locations locations locations

DEF diesel exhaust fluid

restaurants outlined in a red box do not accept FFA points

# parking

west virginia

wyoming (cont.)

canada (cont.)

243 NITRO 6 60 I-64 & SR 25, Exit 45 4304 First Avenue, 25143 503 morgantown DEF 50 5 I-79, Exit 146 2309 Smithton Rd, 26508

762 Gillette 4 50 I-90 & Hwy 59 1810 South Douglas Hwy, 82718 308 LARAMIE 8 100 I-80 & Curtis St., Exit 310 1564 McCue Street, 82072 763 Rawlins DEF 200 11 I-80 Exit 209 I-80 Johnson Rd., 82301 764 Rock Springs 8 84 I-80 Exit 104 650 Stage Coach Drive, 82901

846 ab-Hanna 2 100

p 304-755-8654 f 304-755-8655

Hot Deli Pizza p 304-284-8518 f 304-284-8509

wisconsin 289 BELOIT 5 55 I-43/90 & WI 81, Exit 185A 3001 Milwaukee Road, 53511 756 Black River Falls DEF 150 14 I-94 & Exit 116 780 State Hwy 54, 54615 528 Cottage Grove road ranger 2 50 I-90, Exit 147 2762 County Hwy N, 53527 544 East troy road ranger 0 5 I-43, Exit 38 1946 A. Energy Drive, 53120 164 MAUSTON 7 S 95 I-90/94 & WI 82, Exit 69 1101 State Road 82 East, 53948 40 OAK CREEK 8 S DEF 150 I-94, Exit 322 2031 West Ryan Road, 53154 538 Oakdale road ranger 5 100 I-90, Exit 48 102 E Woody, 54660 324 RACINE (FRANKSVILLE) 5 80 I-94 & CR K, Exit 329 13712 Northwestern Avenue, 53126

p 608-364-3644 f 608-364-3643

p 715-284-4341 f 715-284-1551

p 815-580-4842 f 847-905-6054

p 815-315-4979 f 847-232-1186

p 608-847-3321 f 608-847-3316

p 414-761-0939 f 414-761-0165

p 815-209-9040 f 847-232-1449

p 262-835-2292 f 262-835-2564

wyoming 758 Casper 4 45 I-25 Exit 185 41 SE Wyoming Blvd., 82609 402 CHEYENNE DEF 120 10 I-80, Exit 367 8020 Campstool Road, 82007 759 CHEYENNE DEF 180 16 I-25 Exit 7 2250 Etchepare Drive, 82007 760 Cokeville 4 90 US Hwy 30/SR 232 10501 US Hwy 30, 83114 141 EVANSTON 7 S DEF 75 I-80, Exit 6 289 Bear River Drive, 82930 761 Evanston 9 80 I-80 Exit 3 1920 Harrison Drive, 82930

813 ab-Airdrie 0 10 85 East Lake Cres., T4B 2B5 792 AB-BROOKS 2 20 1260 Cassils Road East, T1R 1B7 785 AB-Calgary 9 128 11511 40th Street SE, T2H 1L4 793 AB-Calgary 2 15 4216 72 Ave SE, T2C 2C1 814 AB-Calgary 0 0 2525 23 ST N. E., T2E 7M1 848 AB-Calgary 9 80 4949 Barlow Trail Se, T2B3B5 815 ab-Drayton Valley 0 0

p 307-473-1750

p 307-635-5744

15609 121 A. Ave, T5V 1B1 850 ab-Edmonton 8 100

p 307-635-2918

16806 118 Avenue, T5V1M8 818 ab-Edson Motco 0 0

f 307-635-5746

f 307-634-2794

Pizza p 307-279-3050 f 307-279-3041

2520 - 2 Ave., T7E 1T9 819 ab-Fort McMurray 0 0

p 307-783-5930

345 Sakitawaw Trail, T9H 4E4 820 ab-Grande Prairie 0 0

p 307-789-9129

9212 - 108 St., T8V 4C9 845 ab-Grassland 2 75

Pizza f 307-783-5916

f 307-789-5461

1st Ave. 1st Street, TOA 1V0

76 C H A L L E N G E april 2 0 1 2

f 307-682-5038

p 307-742-6443 f 307-742-2576

p 307-328-0158 f 307-328-1668

p 307-362-4231 f 307-362-9710

canada

5505 Jubilee Ave., T7A 1S3 816 ab-Edmonton 0 0

f 307-473-1759

p 307-682-3562

p 780-926-2066

10529 96 St., T0H 1Z0 817 ab-Hinton 0 0

p 801-725-1370

294 Kelly Road, T7V 1H2 821 ab-Lethbridge 0 0

p 403-328-4735

1005 43 St, T1K 7B8 822 ab-Lloydminster 2 12

p 403-948-4193

5109 63 St Ave, T9V 2E7 795 Ab-Nisku 2 8

p 403-362-5594

302 20th Avenue, T9E 7T8 796 AB-Red Deer 4 26

p 403-720-0904

67th Ave. & 67 Street, T4P 1A4 826 ab-Redcliff 0 0

f 403-720-4937

p 403-854-5000

Hwy 9 & Hwy 36 South, T0J 1P0 794 AB-High Level 0 25

p 780-875-2990

Pizza p 780-955-3535

Pizza p 403-346-2842 f 403-346-2852

p 403-569-6250

115 Lockwood St, T1A 7T9 797 Ab-Rycroft 0 8 Hwy #49 & Hwy #2 Hwy #49 & 2, Box 73, T0H 3A0 786 AB-Sherwood Park 9 142 Yellowhead Hwy 16/ Broadmoor Blvd.

50 Pembina Rd., T8H 2G9 824 ab-Whitecourt 0 0

p 801-725-1370

Hwy #43 & West Mtn. Road, T7N 1S9 827 bc-Abbotsford 1 0

p 708-413-9116

929 Coutts Way & Sumas Way, V2S 4N2 798 BC-Annacis Island 1 4

p 780-455-1111

1291 Cliveden Ave, V5M 6G4 799 BC-Chilliwack 2 21

p 780-723-4744

7970 Lickman Road, V2R 1A9 828 bc-Cranbrook 0 0

p 780-743-3545

2209 Theatre Road, V1C 4H4 829 bc-Creston 0 0

p 780-532-2378

1411 Northwest Blvd, V0B 1G6 830 bc-Dawson Creek 2 0

p 403-236-2404

p 403-250-3835

f 403-235-5095

f 780-482-4448

1725 Alaska Ave, V1G 1P5

p 403-526-2669

Pizza p 780-765-3740 f 780-765-3748

p 780-416-2035 f 780-416-2084

p 780-778-3073

p 604-850-1594

p 604-521-4445

p 604-795-7265

p 250-426-3763

p 250-428-7131

p 250-782-3111

p 780-525-2295 f 780-525-2299

w w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m

earn

double driver payback points at stores listed with a yellow tag

#

DEF

S

diesel exhaust fluid

Flying j dealer showers auto Pilot showers locations locations locations

restaurants outlined in a red box do not accept FFA points

# parking

canada (cont.)

canada (cont.)

canada (cont.)

800 bc-Fort St John 0 0 Alaska Hwy & 109 St. 9407 109th Street, V1J 6K6 847 bc-Kamloops 5 125

835 MB-Winnipeg 0 0

461 ON-TILBURY DEF 150 6 Rural Route #5, Highway 401, Exit 56 19325 Essex County Road 42, N0P 2L0 840 QC-Bernieres 0 0

p 250-785-3052

175 Kokanee Way, V2C 6Z2 831 bc-Merritt 0 0 1885 Cold Water Ave. 2190 Douglas Street North, V0K 2B0 832 bc-New Westminster 0 0 24 Braid St, V3L 3P3 801 BC-Prince George 3 0 4869 Continental Way, V2N 5S5 802 BC-Vancouver 0 0 8655 Boundary Rd & Marine Way, V5S 4H3 834 bc-Vernon 0 0 Hwy #97 (1/2 mile from Scales) 7156 Meadowlark, V1T 6N2 788 MB-Headingley 9 150 Hwy #1 & Camp Manitou Rd., R4H 1C5 803 MB-Portage La Prairie 0 40 Hwy #1 East, R1N 3B2 804 MB-Winnipeg 2 0 1747 Brookside Blvd., R2C 2E8

have

you

p 250-573-3027 f 205-573-7828

p 250-280-1555

p 604-522-6511

p 250-563-1677

p 604-454-9578

p 250-542-1343

Pizza p 204-832-8952 f 204-832-9104

p 204-857-9997

p 204-633-0663

131 Warman Road & HWY. #59, R2J 3R3 805 ON-Etobicoke 0 0 1765 Albion Rd & Hwy 27, M9W 5S7 806 ON-Kapuskasing 4 40 410 Government Road E, P5N 2X7 852 ON-lancaster DEF 71 7 Hwy 401, Exit 814 20382 Old Hwy #2, K0C 1N0 789 ON-London DEF 200 17 Hwy 401 & Highbury Ave. Exit 189 3700 Highbury Ave. South, N6N 1P3 807 ON-Mississauga 3 80 1400 Britannia Rd, L4W 1C8 790 ON-Napanee DEF 165 15 401 & Cnty Rd 41 Exit 579 628 County Road #41 RR6, K7R 3L1 838 on-Sault Ste Marie 0 0 987 Great Northern Road, P6A 5K7 836 on-Schreiber 0 0 Hwy # 17, P0T 2S0 837 on-Sudbury 0 0

p 204-231-5485

p 416-674-8665

p 705-337-1333 f 705-337-1208

p 613-347-2221 f 613-347-1970

Pizza p 519-681-6859 f 519-686-8629

p 905-564-6216

Pizza p 613-354-7044 f 613-354-3796

p 705-759-8280

p 807-824-2383

p 705-692-5447

17 Duhamel Road, P3E 4N1

p 519-682-1140 f 519-682-9221

p 418-831-3772

1196 Chemin Des Olivieres, G7A 2M6 808 QC-Berthierville 10

p 450-836-6581

1181 Ave Gilles Villeneuve, J0K 1A0 809 QC-Napierville 10 Hwy 15 Exit 21 1 Rang St-Andre, J0J 1L0 810 QC-Ste Helene 10 152 Highway 20 569 Rue Principale, J0H 1M0 787 QC-Vaudreuil-Dorion DEF 109 Hwy 540, Exit 3 2900 Felix-Leclerc, J7V 9J5 811 SK-Moose Jaw 10

p 450-245-3539

p 450-791-2232 f 450-791-2495

p 450-424-1610 f 450-424-0368

370 North Service Rd. Hwy #11, S6H 4N9 842 sk-Regina 3 12 1511 Ross Ave. East, S4R 1J2 791 SK-Saskatoon 4 85 3850 Idylwylde Drive North, S7P 0A1 844 sk-Yorkton 2 0 Hwy #16A Bypass on York 1910 York Road West Box 794, S3N 2W8

p 306-693-5858

p 306-721-0070

p 306-955-6840 f 306-955-6846

p 801-726-8288

newestlocations

visited

our

Location

opening date

showers

parking

restaurants

Northfield, MN • I-35 & Hwy 19, Exit 69

3/6/12

6

80

Big Steer Restaurant

Miami Gardens, FL • SR 826, Exit SR 817

2/27/12

1

10

St. George, SC • I-95, Exit 77

2/27/12

8

118

Lancaster, ON • Hwy 401, Exit 814

2/20/12

7

71

Inver Grove Heights, MN • Hwy 52 & 117 St

2/7/12

5

43

*Opening dates are subject to change.

w w w. p t c c h a l l e n g e . c o m

Arline’s Big Apple Seafood Restaurant

Wingstop

©2012 The Pilot Logo is a registered trademark of Pilot Travel Centers LLC. All rights reserved.

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