Convoys of Commerce: A Front-Row Seat on I-81
When Terri and I start our road trips by driving south, we almost always take I-84 west out of Connecticut to I-81 south out of Scranton Pennsylvania. We prefer this route to I-95 through the New Jersey / Maryland corridor (that's hell on wheels). I-81 feels like slipping into the bloodstream of America. This stretch, from Scranton down to Bristol, TN passes countless, large distribution centers, meaning truck traffic is crazy and you find yourself in a front-row seat to the quiet, relentless engine of American commerce. Truck after truck. Convoys of commerce.
We know them all by brand name; Werner Enterprises, J.B. Hunt, Crete Carrier, Old Dominion, Schneider. Somewhere in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania, it hits you, this isn’t just traffic. This is livelihood. Every truck represents a delivery to be made, a shelf to be stocked, a deadline to meet. It’s easy to forget how things get from point A to point B until you’re surrounded by the people making it happen.
Most truckers watch out for RV'ers like SkyDog, as we travel conservatively in the right lane at 62 mph. I watch them approach in my side mirror, watch them change lanes and pass. Then, when they're clear, it's two taps on the high beams to signal they're free to move over. It's a language we share and many will give me the "love" with a few flashes of their rear lights.
Lost in Taste, Christianburg, VA
Our route south is often all the way from Scranton to Bristol, where we will fan out further south, or west. The truck traffic doesn't necessarily slow down, but by then we're used to it and we settle into the drive and our destination. By the time we cross into Tennessee or South Carolina, the takeaway is clear; American commerce isn’t some abstract concept. It’s alive, it’s visible, and it’s rolling right beside you on I-81.
So if you find yourself heading south from Scranton to Bristol, don’t just watch the road. Watch the story unfolding all around you. It will tell you a lot about the health of the American economy. And it’s very much alive.
