Truck Drivers Road Music... Favorite Songs For Favorite Stretches Of Highway

I-90 rollin' through Montana always goes good with either Skynard's Free Bird or Bob Seger's Still the Same. Actually, Seger goes great anywhere.

Coming out of Jersey City, NJ - Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen on the radio, they also play a ton of Bon Jovi ... go figure. Of course, this is at the mercy of a NJ radio station. I wouldn't pick Bon Jovi, but YES to Billy Joel.

I remember one time I had my flat-bed loaded down with about 48,000 pounds of American made structural steel headed for some construction project where good old hardworking American steel workers were putting it all out to build some great project. As I turned off of I-81 in Virginia in a North Westerly direction onto I-77, I began winding my way up into the mountains through the snow that was lying heavy on the ground, and bending the branches of the trees downward under it's weight. I was commandeering my rig up through this beautiful stretch of highway and feeling proud to be out here overcoming the odds and doing a job that a select few get to enjoy, when on the radio began the familiar strands of Tom Petty singing "I Won't Back Down". I know the song has nothing to do with driving truck, but I've got to tell you, I just sat up in my seat all the more straight with my head held high, proud to be out here making something happen positive in this world. I wasn't backing down from the weather, or any of the other adversity that came my way - I was making my way through the mountains and I was delivering the "good stuff" that my fellow citizens needed to "get er done".

Just last week I delivered some 53 foot long aluminum extrusions that are used to fabricate the floor decking in the trailers at a Great Dane trailer manufacturing facility in Statesboro, Georgia. When I got there early for my appointment they actually let me in and were going to unload me early until the fork lift operator discovered what it was that I had, and they sent me back out of the gate to wait until they could get me inside the building underneath an overhead crane. Man, was I disappointed - So I cranked up the Allman Brothers wailing out "Statesboro Blues" and I felt a little better about the whole situation.

And I agree with Gunner about Bob Seeger. So much of his music has a travelling theme to it that it just sits well on truck drivers ear as he's rolling out the miles.

My east coast start the drive anthem Ship them back to Boston by the Drop Kick Murphys

Just arrived in Twin Falls, ID and got a chance to check out all the responses. Some great selections in there, Seger definitely travels well, and Tom Petty has that common man thing going.

The great thing about this is that there is no wrong answer, in fact the answer can even change depending on mood. I have an example from my first week of training.

Driving east through New Mexico we passed through Albuquerque, NM one night (awesome view). It was week 1 for me and the weather in the area had been bad recently. Marginally icy roads and I was heading to the mountain pass on the other side. Of course as soon as we get in there...fog. lots and lots of fog. Satan (my trainer) was in the jump seat attempting to talk me through it.

I don't remember exactly what I said, but it was something like "if sounds don't stop coming out of your face hole, I'm going to stab you in the neck with a pen...I'm trying to concentrate here!" So, not my finest moment. After molding my fingers into his steering wheel, we came out the other side.

Satan was gracious and just laughed a little and called me a pansy (which, I explained to him are very tough and hardy flowers actually. It's true, look it up) and went back to his bunk.

I turned on the radio and heard Kylie Minogue, can't get you out of my head. I couldn't help but do a little chair dance and I now associate her with that stretch of highway heading east.

For some reason, that same stretch of road heading west gets the Spotify treatment with Fall Out Boy, my songs know what you did last summer.

Go figure.

Great thread! Agree with Bob Segar at anytime. Against The Wind is my personal favorite. Don't Look Back by Boston and Jackson Browne's Running On Empty are hard to beat. I've got such a diverse list of music on my phone (from Dream Theater to Yanni to Carrie Underwood to Gordon Lightfoot, etc etc) plus the mandatory Sirius XM Satellite that music constantly plays in the Weatherman's KW.

My east coast start the drive anthem Ship them back to Boston by the Drop Kick Murphys

I'm a huge Murphys fan and can always drive and listen to barroom heroes, nutty and the dirty glass

Oh I forget one.......always Bruce Springsteen when I'm headin to Jersey!

Oh I forget one.......always Bruce Springsteen when I'm headin to Jersey!

New Jersey reminds me of the song "I hate everything about you" by Ugly Kid Joe. Maybe it's because I grew up there and despise everything about that state. Not sure. Either way......NJ doesn't warrant anything pleasant to listen to. JMO

Anywhere in New England I like to cruise to metallica or disturbed. Nothing gets me better prepared to drive through the madness that is the northeast quite like some metal!