What's in the Water in Midland, Texas?

Written by John McElligott

Click the arrow to listen to “The Truck Song” by Lyle Lovett

I am known to truckers across the country as “Dr. John”. I always admired, and was at many of the Truck Stops  with my medical clinics (PDMD) where Chaplain Joe’s Chapels were also located. Often we were next to each other. Truck Stops of America (TA/Petro) supported both our causes. Bill Godwin (WG) was the brainchild for my PDMD (Professional Drivers Medical Depot). WG was a trucker before he became a Minister. Too bad Billy Wayne and Chaplin Joe never met since they could have started the Billy and Joe Chapels. 

Chaplin Joe and I were in Vietnam at the same time. Except he was a PVT in the Army and I was a Navy Corpsman with the Marines. We met at a truck stop back in 2006 and became good friends. Later, I started doing radio shows for Nemo Radio Sirius XM 146 once  a year on the Power of Prayer. WG was on with us a time or two, as was Jimmy McClendon.  So when us doctors would run out of tricks to save a life, we would call Chaplin Joe. He saved many a trucker and opened hundreds of Chapels (made out of truck trailers) across the country. He has saved more souls in his life than any doctor will ever do!

Rev. Joseph H. HunterFounder (President 1981-2018) Trucker Stop Ministries Inc.
 America moves by truck, and without trucks, America stops!

I am told that there are over 5 million over-the-road truck Drivers, and nearly 8 million C.D.L. drivers total! We, along with other trucking ministries, are attempting to reach those who spend most of their time living on the road, bringing us everything we have. 

There is a saying, “The only thing you can have that a truck Driver hasn’t handled is a baby.” But, everything that the baby needs is handled by one or more truck Drivers.

I was an over-the-road truck Driver for approximately 20 years. I learned to drive a truck shortly before going into the U.S. Army. During my two years in the Military, I drove truck in Vietnam for one year then back to Ft. Bragg, N.C. driving there my last 6 months in the Army. After the Army I became a commercial truck driver. During the next 20 years I was in many cities across the U.S. on Sunday morning wanting to worship, but no way to get to a church. When I reduced my trucking to regional running in 1979, God began to deal with me about ministering to the drivers who were stuck in Atlanta for the weekend. In March 1981, I went to the (then) Truck Stops of America in Conley (Atlanta), GA on I-285 and Moreland Avenue and was given permission to conduct a Bible study and see what would happen. Thirty-three years later, to the glory of God, and by His grace, we are still trying, and are now in over 82 truck stops in 29 states.