For Trucker Don Handy, Serving His Community Is Second Nature
Story and photos by Dianna Troyer
A big screen monitor, covering nearly half the office wall at Handy Truck Line headquarters, shows precisely where 153 of the company’s semitrucks are at every minute.
On the monitor, tiny moving markers represent trucks delivering loads throughout the West.
“When I was driving, it was a good thing no one knew where I was at times—my family would have worried,” Don Handy, 94, says of his 50-plus years of driving for his 4th-generation family business based in Paul.
Don reflects on how technology has changed since his father, Leo, founded it in 1928.
“When I started, we just had phones and paper,” he says. “There were many times God must have been watching over me, especially in winter. I don’t know how I survived certain situations.”
1 winter day, after picking up a load of lumber in the Stanley Basin, he was navigating Galena Summit.
“All of a sudden, I hit an icy patch, and the truck started rolling backward down the road,” Don says. “I couldn’t control it. Finally, it stopped. I had to sit for a few minutes to calm down, then delivered the load just fine.”
Don is known for his commitment to service, not only to his customers but also to the community and the church.
After serving 6 years as a Minidoka County commissioner, in 2003, he and his wife, Jackie, served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Malacca, Malaysia, for 18 months. After returning home, Don worked in the truck shop for several years, then retired.
Don and Jackie were known for their community involvement. In 2005, the Mini-Cassia Chamber of Commerce chose them as the Minidoka County Businessman and Businesswoman of the Year. “During our retirement, I helped Jackie tie the quilts she made for our 34 grandchildren,” Don says. “After she passed in 2019, I did that for the Humanitarian Center in Rupert for several years until my fingertips started going numb.”
The center’s director, Becky Schow, called Don “Mr. Incredible!” After he started, she kept an electronic log of volunteers’ service hours.
“He had 316 hours, but if we had started keeping track at the beginning of his service, it is probably closer to 1,000 hours,” Becky says. “He was averaging 2 quilts every 2 weeks.”
Don’s home is next to the company’s office, and he drops in occasionally to visit. He is pleased that a 4th-generation family member works there. His great-grandson, Dylan Despain, oversees the truck wash, assists with dispatch, and drives when necessary.
“The company treats employees like family and offers great benefits,” Safety Director Jason Sorensen says. “I’m glad Don’s house is right next door because it’s interesting to hear about the company’s history.” In the early years of the company, employees were asked if they wanted health insurance or higher wages. “It was a time when people had a family physician who did everything for them,” Don says. “They opted for the wages. Now, with health care costs, they need insurance.”
The company’s generous benefits package keeps employee turnover low, says Brett Wilkinson, who drives alongside his wife, Maegan.
“We have several couples who work for the company,” Maegan says. “Our son drives, too.”
Don points out framed photos on the walls showing the company’s nearly 100-year history. His father started with only 1 truck and hauled milk and later farm commodities.
“When I was about 15, I started driving when needed,” Don says. “Back then, you didn’t need a driver’s license.”
To expand his business after World War II, Leo bought another company that had 3 trucks and drivers for each.
Don’s newfound time allowed him to enroll at a nearby teaching college, the Albion State Normal School, where he met his future wife, Jackie. Jackie was a stay-at-home mom until their children were school-age, then she became a substitute teacher for the Minidoka School District. Much of her substitute teaching was with children with special needs.
As the trucking business grew, Leo, Don, and other drivers hauled mainly cement, lumber, and brick between Stanley Basin, Salt Lake City, and Boise.
State Highway 25 in front of Don’s house was the main road to Boise.
“The road was so busy, I could never back out,” he says. “We had 5 acres, so I built our office, garages, and shops, and a big turning area in back so we’d have room to maneuver. I’d leave here at 4 a.m. to unload by 8 a.m. when businesses opened in Boise.”
Eventually, Interstate 84 replaced the highway as the main road to Boise, speeding up delivery times.
1 of Don’s most memorable contracts was hauling cement to build the Teton Dam north of Rexburg. 1 of his trucks was at the base of the dam when the earthen structure collapsed in 1976.
“The water swept it 9 miles downstream, even though it had a half load of cement still in it,” he says.
The company now has 10 locations and delivery permits for 11 Western states. Don’s son, Clay, and Clay’s son-in-law lead the business.
“Dad would be just as amazed as I am to see how high tech it has become,” Don says. “Taking care of employees and customers hasn’t changed, though, and is still the priority.”