Truck campers can be a budget-friendly way of getting into mobile living, especially if you already own a truck. At the same time, you can also find fully equipped rigs that will break the bank. Today, I'm talking about one such vehicle, an overland truck camper based on the Ford F550.

One of the most renowned brands in the high-end truck camper industry is EarthRoamer. Well, this rig can certainly rival an EarthRoamer. This F550 conversion was made by Rossmonster, a company based in Longmont, Colorado. Its mission is to create products that wow through their precise attention to detail, purpose, and quality. This truck has wowed me, and that's why I want d to share it with you and see whether you'll feel the same.

As soon as you lay eyes on this beast, you'll figure out this isn't your ordinary conversion. With a bumper-to-bumper length of 28 feet (8.5 meters), you certainly can't miss this rig on the road. It's incredibly well-equipped inside out and features a beautiful green finish.

The F550 rides on military-grade three-piece bead lock wheels wrapped in 41-inch Continental MPT81. At the front, you'll find a humongous Buckstop bumper complete with a winch attachment. But one of this truck's best exterior features is the Liquid Spring smart suspension.

This piece of equipment evaluates the speed, steering, braking, and ride height for a whopping 1,000 times per second and automatically optimizes your ride quality and handling characteristics. Of course, this is all offered for an appropriate price: around $15,000 to $20,000 (€13,679 to €18,238).

Photo: Rossmonster

That's the cost of a budget-friendly school bus camper – for instance, this skoolie conversion cost just $10K, including the base vehicle cost. Of course, premium results come with premium price tags, and Liquid Springs is an effective and high-quality solution.

The camper pod boasts a custom-built fiberglass composite shell with many integrated features. On the passenger's side, you'll discover a Fiamma automatic awning and five storage compartments, one of which holds a deployable ladder to get inside the camper. Without it, you'd have a hard time entering the pod. On the opposite side, the builders fitted more storage boxes.

This truck camper's rear comes with a distinctive detail: a giant panoramic window. Under it, you'll notice a spare tire and an enormous storage compartment that serves as a garage. It features a tray, which allows you to store bikes or other bulky gear, and an outdoor shower.

Step inside, and you'll discover a finely-designed, softly-colored interior. It features maple slab door cabinetry paired with oak flooring. The graphite Slate Paperstone countertops and custom upholstered blue seats are other striking details.

Photo: Rossmonster

I'll present the layout from the back to the front. The rearest part of this truck camper is taken up by a lounge, consisting of a U-shaped couch with a large table in the middle. What I like about it is that you can admire the beautiful views through three windows. Moreover, in case you want to accommodate guests, you can transform the lounge into an extra sleeping spot by lowering the table. You don't even have to do it manually; just press a button.

Tucked away near the lounge area is a TinyWood stove with a cubby underneath to store wood. Of course, there are additional ways to heat up the interior. The camper is equipped with a Nomadic cooling A/C and an Espar Airtronic M3 D4L 12 V heater. My favorite part? You get heated floors, too.

Next up, we have the kitchen, located on the driver's side of the interior. Besides the beautiful graphite countertop, you'll notice a deep sink, three overhead cabinets, a propane-powered oven with a stove combo, and a slide-out Vitrifrigo fridge/freezer. While cooking, you can take in the view via an enormous window right in front of you. It can be opened for better ventilation and comes with a bug screen and a black-out shade.

Opposite the kitchen, Rossmonster devised a huge closet space and the bathroom. The closet features a washer/dryer combo and provides plenty of space to store your clothes and gear. What's more, there's even a ski rack.

Photo: Rossmonster

Tight next to the closet door, you'll find the wet bathroom. I'm fond of the brushed aluminum design the builders chose for the walls. The bathroom comes with an OGO composting toilet, a shower, and a stainless steel pan with a custom teak insert.

A massive 150-gallon (568-liter) tank feeds water to the sink and showers, and it ends up in an under-mounted 20-gallon (76-liter) heated grey water tank. Moreover, a Truma Aquago Comfort Plus water heater allows you to enjoy a hot shower. Oh, and there's also a two-stage water filtration system.

While we're on the topic of utilities, let me tell you about the power system in this camper. It's a 48 V system with a 3,000 W inverter and 800 Ah batteries with energy fed by 1,400 W solar panels on the roof. In case these numbers don't tell you much, just know that this setup is more than enough for everything in this camper – you'll probably struggle to run out of power, especially if you plan to travel in sunny places.

And lastly, we have the bedroom. To get into the queen-sized bed, you'll have to use a tiny staircase, which also provides some small storage spots. Once you're up there, you'll find two reading lights, two windows, one on each side, and the Nomadic A/C in the ceiling. But my favorite part is a large skylight which lets you stargaze directly from the comfort of your bed.

Photo: Rossmonster

So far, so good. Rossmonster has created an excellent truck camper that will not only tackle dirt roads with ease but will keep you nice and cozy in all four seasons. There's one last thing you'll want to know: the price.

Are you sitting down? Because this price tag might just blow you away. This converted F550 truck is a custom build, so we don't know its exact price. However, Rossmonster says that these custom rigs tend to fall between $300,000 and $450,000 (€272,406 and €408,609).

That's way more than most people would be willing to pay for a camper, and regardless of the premium experience you get, I'd say it's overpriced. At the same time, I'm surely not the target customer for Rossmonster, and those looking to have their dream rig built by the company are probably not that fazed by high price tags. Anyways, price aside, you can't deny that this is a stunning tiny home on wheels that will keep up with any outdoor adventure.

Credits

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Kodiak Robotics' Peterbilt Model 579EV, on display at ACT Expo in Anaheim, Calif., in May, is equipped with the company's Kodiak Driver self-driving technology. (Kodiak Robotics)

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Progress in 2023 for battery-electric trucks was slower than expected, with demand underwhelming and improvements needed for the underlying infrastructure, executives at original equipment manufacturers say.

“The pace of transformation is slower than what we would expect and hope,” said Rakesh Aneja, Daimler Truck North America head of emobility, noting there is more truck capacity than there is demand, he said.

Aneja, whose company manufactures the Freightliner and Western Star brands, told Transport Topics three things are needed for widespread success for battery-electric trucks: the right technology and products, appropriate refueling infrastructure and a palatable cost of ownership.

It will take longer than anticipated for costs to fall, and more government incentives are needed, an executive at another OEM said.

No legacy truck makers launched Class 8 battery-electric trucks in the U.S. in 2023.

Freightliner, top of the overall Class 8 sales charts, launched its eCascadia model in 2022. But across the Atlantic, DTNA sister company Mercedes-Benz Trucks’ longhaul eActros 600 was unveiled in October with a touted range of 500 kilometers without a charge.

DTNA, citing Polk registrations, says the eCascadia tops 2023 Class 8 battery-electric truck sales charts. Sales grew because by and large the format is familiar, Aneja said, adding: “It is new, yet familiar.”

Green Bay, Wis.-based Schneider said in November it became the first carrier to reach 1 million zero-emission miles carrying customer freight on eCascadias. Schneider, which has 92 BETs, ranks No. 8 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest for-hire carriers in North America.

We’re ringing for green!

Schneider rang the NYSE closing bell to celebrate a massive milestone:

We've hit 1 million zero-emission miles with our Freightliner eCascadias.

That's like going around the earth 40 times without leaving a carbon footprint! pic.twitter.com/8aG76Wq7Zv

— Schneider (@WeAreSchneider) November 22, 2023

Rivals such as Volvo Trucks North America and Paccar Inc.’s Peterbilt Motors Co. unit also focused on existing battery-electric products.

However, 2023 showed output is scalable into the future, said John Moore, VTNA senior product manager for electric vehicles.

“We’re seeing customers putting miles on their trucks,” he said.

ICYMI – Six #VNRElectric trucks have joined the iconic Red Fleet of Coke Canada Bottling. We couldn't be prouder to play a key role in Coke’s #TowardABetterFutureTogether environmental sustainability action plan. pic.twitter.com/WyTPB2yIhN

— Volvo Trucks North America (@VolvoTrucksNA) December 14, 2023

VTNA offers five options in its VNR Electric product line: a 4x2 straight truck, a 6x4 straight truck, a 4x2 tractor, a 6x2 tractor and a 6x4 tractor. The last of those has a range of up to 275 miles when configured with a six-battery setup. Commercial production of the VNR Electric began in 2021.

Peterbilt was focused on execution and improving the battery-electric truck customer experience in 2023, said Patrick Wallace, Peterbilt marketing manager for zero emissions and connected truck. The battery-electric version of its flagship 579 model saw Peterbilt’s first power takeoff deployment in 2023, he said, although the option already was available. Peterbilt offers battery-electric versions for its 579, 520 and 220 models.

Driving into the future, one electric mile at a time. #PeterbiltEV #Peterbilt #PeterbiltTrucks #PeterbiltPride pic.twitter.com/TSlxZ30MMJ

— Peterbilt Motors Co. (@PeterbiltMotors) October 11, 2023

Kodiak Robotics launched an autonomous retrofitted 579 EV in May at the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo, an event that saw the biggest batch of battery-electric truck product launches in 2023.

DTNA premiered the Freightliner eM2, the fourth entry in the brand’s lineup of electric trucks. Freightliner is offering the eM2 in two configurations: a Class 6 single-motor version with a typical range of 180 miles on a single charge; and a Class 7 dual-motor option with a typical range of 250 miles per charge.

All-electric. All the power. But both the @freightlinertrucks #eCascadia and #eM2 have none of the emissions. The secret? Never stop innovating. #ThePowerBehindTheSwitch pic.twitter.com/O5yL5LkTFn

— Daimler Truck NA (@DaimlerTruckNA) November 2, 2023

Buyers also met the products from Daimler Truck’s Rizon brand for the first time at ACT. A few days earlier, the company unveiled Rizon’s Classes 4-5 medium-duty electric trucks.

Volvo Group’s Mack Trucks also did not wait until ACT in Anaheim, Calif., launching its first electric truck for the medium-duty market in March. The Mack MD Electric is available in Classes 6-7 options.

Mack MD Electric truck. (Keiron Greenhalgh/Transport Topics) 

Medium-duty trucks also were introduced by startup players in 2023. Canada’s Lion Electric Co., a manufacturer of all-electric commercial vehicles, launched its Lion5 medium-duty truck at ACT. The cabover model, production of which started in the third quarter, offers a range of up to 200 miles and maximum payload of 12,500 pounds.

But it was a tough year for newcomer OEMs overall.

In November, Lion laid off 150 employees, or 10% of its workforce. Lion said the job cuts will speed its path to profitability, citing increased manufacturing and inventory costs related to the ramp up of production as well as higher commodity costs.

Lion remains in the battery-electric truck sector, though, unlike some of its peers.

 Austin, Texas-based Hyliion Holdings Corp. plans to leave the Class 8 electric powertrain business. (John Sommers II for Transport Topics)

Hyliion Holdings Corp. in November said it plans to exit the Class 8 electric powertrain business, less than a month after beginning a strategic review of its options.

The Austin, Texas-based company’s Class 8 product suite comprised an electric powertrain installed in a Peterbilt 579 sleeper cab and a retrofitted electric hybrid powertrain.

Plans to build a hybrid electric and hydrogen-powered Class 8 truck in Arizona floundered, too, as startup merger partners Tevva Motors Ltd. and ElectraMeccanica Vehicles Corp. parted ways.

Burnaby, British Columbia-based ElectraMeccanica owns a facility in Mesa, Ariz., where CEO Susan Docherty in September told TT that serial production of a 41,888-pound truck would commence in 2027.

ERoad's Craig Marris gives advice on carving out a practical, effective road map to a greener and more efficient fleet. Tune in above or by going to RoadSigns.ttnews.com.  

Battery-electric trucks, and even fuel cell electric vehicles, rely on dependable batteries and reliable supplies of the cells, variables that came into focus more than ever before in 2023.

Both established industry players and disruptors experienced difficulties.

Volvo Group in August recalled nearly all the battery-electric trucks its VTNA and Mack Trucks units made in the U.S. over the previous four years because of an issue that could cause a battery fire.

Some 172 Volvo vehicles and nine Mack Trucks units built between 2019 and 2023 were recalled. The Swedish parent group said it would replace the batteries after a fire involving a battery shipped to its Dublin, Va., assembly plant.

All the trucks had battery packs from Akasol. Mack Trucks still is working with Akasol but also partnered with Sea Electric on the MD Electric.

“With any new technology there’s problems, so we’re proud of the way we worked through our battery problems,” said Scott Barraclough, Mack Trucks senior product manager of e-mobility.

"We're proud of the way we worked through our batter problems," says Mack's Scott Barraclough. (Connor D. Wolf/Transport Topics) 

The MD Electric has lots of potential and a broader appeal, Barraclough told TT in December, adding that Mack Trucks was excited about production ramping up, with full production starting in the first quarter of 2024, he said.

“Being first to the market with the VNR Electric with select pioneering customers, we experienced some of the early issues in the learning, growing and scaling process,” VTNA’s Moore told TT when asked about the battery recall.

Also in August, all 209 of the Class 8 Tre battery-electric trucks Nikola Corp. sold or sent to potential customers for testing were recalled.

A hold on sales was put in place because of a probe of a June 23 fire at Nikola’s Phoenix headquarters. The cause of the fire, which spread from one truck to four others, was a coolant leak. Trucks also caught fire in September.

However, Nikola is receiving orders for its battery-electric truck, even though production will not restart until next year, CEO Steve Girsky told TT.

As a result of the battery problems, Nikola learned the value of responding quickly, of having a Plan B, of communicating with customers clearly and of being able to pivot sharply, Girsky said.

The company is keeping its cards close to its chest on which supplier it chose for the Tre battery electric semi. Batteries for the company’s hydrogen fuel cell electric semi are supplied by bankrupt bus and powertrain manufacturer Proterra.

Volvo Group in November paid $210 million at an auction for the battery business of Proterra.

The truck maker said the acquisition would complement its battery-electric business and accelerate the unit’s future. The Gothenburg-based company wants 35% of the vehicles coming off its global production lines to be electric by 2030.

Burlingame, Calif.-headquartered Proterra filed for court protection Aug. 7.

California remained the epicenter of growth in the deployment of battery-electric trucks, though.

While acknowledging implementation may be tricky, the California Air Resources Board in April unanimously approved its Advanced Clean Fleets regulation. CARB’s goal is to have fleets operating in the state be 100% electric by 2035, 2040 or 2045, depending on size and type of truck.

However, concerns grew as 2023 progressed that the state is falling behind in its ability to provide enough charging options. Under the rule, 157,000 chargers capable of powering medium- and heavy-duty trucks would be installed.

To meet the target, about 300 chargers a week would need to be built, California Trucking Association CEO Eric Sauer told TT in September, which he said is not happening, with a pace that is “just too soon, too fast.”

Part of the problem is the time needed for infrastructure build-out. CTA members said they are hearing of 18-month construction times as best-case scenarios for building larger charging stations, with some forecasts stretching out to seven years, Sauer said.

Advocates, however, believe the charging challenges are overstated.

“We didn’t need a national network for cars, so we don’t need one to be built for trucks in advance of a build-out of fleets,” North American Council for Freight Efficiency Executive Director Mike Roeth told TT in December.

“We went through the same thing with cars,” Roeth said. Between 90% and 95% of charging for electric cars is done at home, not unlike what can work for a daycab tractor, he noted.

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Accused of helping to rip apart a Cheyenne ATM with a stolen truck and driving off with $25,000 in stolen cash, three Texans are facing federal bank robbery charges and up to 10 years in prison each while two others escaped.  

Christopher Parish, 41, Leo Bernard Smith Jr., 20, and London Beaudoin, 19, were arrested Dec. 2, after police reportedly chased them down and found them in a Nissan SUV with $25,240 in cash – mostly $20 bills.  

Parish and Smith are males and Beaudoin is a female, Cheyenne arrest records say.

Two people escaped from the getaway car on foot before police could arrest them, according to an affidavit filed last week in the U.S. District Court for Wyoming.  

At publication time, the Cheyenne Police Department’s spokeswoman was checking for an update on the two who got away. Cowboy State Daily will update this story as more information surfaces.  

A Truck And A Chain 

It started with a bank alarm.  

The UniWYO Credit Union burglary alarm sounded at 2:57 a.m. on Dec. 2 from an ATM location on Yellowstone Road in Cheyenne.  

Police arrived about five minutes later to find the ATM damaged with its door forced open, broken parts on the ground and cash drawers missing, the affidavit says.

A few feet away a white 2000 Ford F-250 sat running in the intersection of Manewal Drive and Education Drive, with its ignition punched out and a large chain hooked to its rear.  

Police found a Harbor Freight receipt for a recent purchase of a chain, though the affidavit doesn’t say where they found that.  

The Ford looked like it was from Bennett Auto Solutions of Cheyenne. When contacted later, the car dealer said someone had stolen the truck, and it had been listed for sale at $15,000, the affidavit says.  

While officers were investigating the truck and ATM, a Nissan Murano with an out-of-state license plate drove south through the intersection of Yellowstone Road and Central Avenue.  

It was driving 5 mph over the 30 mph posted speed limit, says a booking sheet from Beaudoin’s arrest, so Federer tried to pull the Nissan over.  

Before and after photos of the ATM that was recently stolen in Cheyenne (Cowboy State Daily Staff)

Watch Out For That Cheyenne Ice 

But it didn’t stop, and a chase followed. The Nissan reportedly wandered for several blocks making multiple turns, then driving the wrong way on a one-way street.  

At one point, the vehicle stopped briefly and a male identified as Unknown Subject 1 hopped out and fled north on foot. 

In the back seat, Beaudoin threw two ATM drawers from the vehicle while a pursuing police officer watched, the affidavit alleges.  

The chase ended when the Nissan took a left-hand turn onto 28th Street, documents say. That street was icy, and the vehicle slid into the curb and became inoperable. 

An officer commanded everyone to put their hands up. The driver, later identified as Parish, did not listen to the commands and instead got out of the vehicle on his own, circled around it and tried to run, the affidavit says.  

Federer tased Parish and arrested him.  

Police encountered Beaudoin in the back seat and Leo Smith in the front passenger seat, reportedly. They arrested those two as well.  

A large sum of loose money was in the car, mostly $20 bills, says the affidavit. Police figured it was $20,000, and when they counted it up later it totaled $25,240.  

A bank manager later told an investigator that the ATM was only stocked with $20 bills, so there would have been 1,262 paper bills in that vehicle, the evidence indicates.  

Ford … Tough? 

Officers reviewed surveillance footage showing the alleged ATM heist.  

In the video, the black Ford truck backs up to the ATM and Unknown Subject 1 gets out of the driver’s seat, while Unknown Subject 2 gets out of the passenger seat, the affidavit says.  

Unknown Subjects 1 and 2 were both in dark clothes. Unknown Subject 1 had a white vertical stripe on the back of each pant leg, while Unknown Subject 2 had a horizontal stripe across the back of the knee on each pant leg, the affidavit says.  

Unknown Subject 1 used a tool to pry the ATM door open. One of them hooked a chain from the truck’s rear bumper onto the metal panel covering the cash drawers inside the ATM.  

Unknown Subject 2 got into the driver’s seat and tried to tow the panel out. But he or she failed and let Unknown Subject 1 be the driver for a minute.  

Unknown Subject 1 succeeded, yanking the panel off the ATM so they could get the cash drawers, the document says.  

They gathered the drawers and fled, reportedly.  

Not Those 

The people who yanked the ATM apart with the truck were not among the three arrested, the affidavit says. Those two got away. Cheyenne Police Department announced at the time that officers deployed a K9 search dog to find them.

“Based on a review of booking photos and records checks completed on Parish, Smith and Beaudoin, CPD detectives believed (none) of the three arrested were UNUSB1 or UNSUB2,” says the document.  

They scoured more surveillance video and a pursuing officer’s own dash cam, and now believe that Unknown Subject 2 escaped when Unknown Subject 1 did.  

Also, $260 was unaccounted for, based on a bank manager’s statement to investigators that the official amount lost was $24,980.  

The bank manager also told an investigator that the ATM would cost $60,000 to replace.  

Clair McFarland can be reached at [email protected].

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Photo provided
Jen Allman, of SIPS Coffee Truck, launched her business in June after feeling ready for a change that would give her more quality time at home and a deeper sense of community connection. Allman and Eva Bennett of Eva Throws will be hosting their first event, a Winter Solstice Pop-Up, with their new business Simply Kin Market this Thursday in Marietta.

Photo provided
Eva Bennett started pottery a long time ago and left the hobby due to some life changes and circumstances, but this past winter she returned to her craft and it made her remember how alive clay made her feel. From there, in June of this year Eva Throws was born. Bennett and Jen Allman, of SIPS Coffee Truck, will be hosting their first event, a Winter Solstice Pop-Up, with their new business Simply Kin Market this Thursday in Marietta.

Photo provided
Eva Bennett started pottery a long time ago and left the hobby due to some life changes and circumstances, but this past winter she returned to her craft and it made her remember how alive clay made her feel. From there, in June of this year Eva Throws was born. Bennett and Jen Allman, of SIPS Coffee Truck, will be hosting their first event, a Winter Solstice Pop-Up, with their new business Simply Kin Market this Thursday in Marietta.

A local coffee truck owner and a local potter are teaming up to bring a maker’s market and pop-up events to the area just in time for the winter season and new year.

Jen Allman had been working the past 10 years in healthcare and while she did enjoy it, she was ready for a change that would give her more quality time at home and a deeper sense of community connection. That was when the idea of a coffee truck was born. Allman launched SIPS in June and she says it’s been a wild ride.

“Seeing my vision come to life has been an absolutely incredible feeling and to top it off, the support from our community has been so overwhelming,” said Allman. “I’m so thankful. I still can’t believe I get to do this job. I get to spread a little joy, while trying to make our community a little bit brighter, and caffeinated.”

Eva Bennett started pottery a long time ago and left the hobby due to some life changes and circumstances, but this past winter she returned to her craft and it made her remember how alive clay made her feel. From there, in June of this year Eva Throws, @evathrows on social media, was born. In July, Bennett’s husband joined her and created Dahairypotter, @dahairypotter on social media. They’ve been creating in any and all free time they have ever since.

“Jen and I met in May, she was a lot further along in starting her business, but seeing her excitement and pure passion for this project of hers made me think that just maybe I could create my own dream business,” Bennett said. “We became fast friends, have helped each other and supported each other through the ups and downs of business and now I couldn’t imagine life without her.”

Photo provided
Jen Allman, of SIPS Coffee Truck, launched her business in June after feeling ready for a change that would give her more quality time at home and a deeper sense of community connection. Allman and Eva Bennett of Eva Throws will be hosting their first event, a Winter Solstice Pop-Up, with their new business Simply Kin Market this Thursday in Marietta.

Simply Kin Market was sparked by an idea that Allman and Bennett had to create a space for the many maker friends they had made while both were launching their businesses. Those maker friends have not only supported them in the process of getting to know them, but they have also gotten the privilege to see what passions they have and what products, services, or songs they create and inspire the two.

It inspired them to create a market focused on connecting with each other and genuinely sharing themselves and their work with the community. Allman says that the name behind the maker’s market, Simply Kin, has a special meaning.

“Eva and I both have not only a unique background but are part of unique families and communities,” said Allman. “When wanting to describe who we are, what we represent, and what we hope these markets will represent, we landed on Simply Kin, because we’re all ‘simply kin’ you and me and everyone in this community. We just want to connect, by sharing in each other’s strengths and supporting each other’s passions. We hope each of our Simply Kin Markets create an atmosphere to do just that.”

Bennett said both of them started their businesses to bring joy into their lives and their community. They say that their goal with Simply Kin is unconditional support because there is an entire group of makers, doers and providers in the community that want nothing more than to see each other succeed.

“Life has been tough for a lot of people, for a long time,” Bennett said. “We have seen this support from these makers over and over even in just the planning of this market. The way these vendors are supporting each other, promoting each other and genuinely helping each other has been so incredible to witness. We hope the community is ready to do the same!”

Allman and Bennett’s first event with Simply Kin Market will be their Winter Solstice Pop-Up from 3-8 p.m. Thursday on the Armory Lawn in Marietta. They say to imagine a magical winter market with over 20 local makers who are all bringing incredible last minute Christmas gifts that are sure to impress anyone. The pop-up will also include live music throughout the evening, food, and hot cocoa and coffee from SIPS Coffee Truck. The Winter Solstice event will have two photographers joining in the merriment who will be capturing memories and providing unique Polaroid moments for friends and family attending. Many of the stores on Front Street in Marietta will also be open during this time and some are staying open late to join in the festivities.

” We are really hoping that this is an event for all of Front Street, that the community would come and support all of the small businesses in brick and mortar and on the lawn,” said Allman.

Admission to the Simply Kin Market Winter Solstice Pop-Up event is free and parking at the Marietta Armory will also be free of charge. For more information on the event and future events from the maker’s market, visit the Simply Kin Market Facebook page.

Gretchen Dowler can be reached at [email protected]

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MARIETTA — A local coffee truck owner and a local potter are teaming up to bring a maker’s market and pop-up events to the area just in time for the winter season and new year.

Jen Allman had been working the past 10 years in healthcare and while she did enjoy it, she was ready for a change that would give her more quality time at home and a deeper sense of community connection. That was when the idea of a coffee truck was born. Allman launched SIPS in June and she says it’s been a wild ride.

“Seeing my vision come to life has been an absolutely incredible feeling and to top it off, the support from our community has been so overwhelming,” said Allman. “I’m so thankful. I still can’t believe I get to do this job. I get to spread a little joy, while trying to make our community a little bit brighter, and caffeinated.”

Eva Bennett started pottery a long time ago and left the hobby due to some life changes and circumstances, but this past winter she returned to her craft and it made her remember how alive clay made her feel. From there, in June of this year Eva Throws, @evathrows on social media, was born. In July, Bennett’s husband joined her and created Dahairypotter, @dahairypotter on social media. They’ve been creating in any and all free time they have ever since.

“Jen and I met in May, she was a lot further along in starting her business, but seeing her excitement and pure passion for this project of hers made me think that just maybe I could create my own dream business,” Bennett said. “We became fast friends, have helped each other and supported each other through the ups and downs of business and now I couldn’t imagine life without her.”

Eva Bennett started pottery a long time ago and left the hobby, but this past winter she returned to her craft. (Photo Provided)

Simply Kin Market was sparked by an idea that Allman and Bennett had to create a space for the many maker friends they had made while both were launching their businesses. Those maker friends have not only supported them in the process of getting to know them, but they have also gotten the privilege to see what passions they have and what products, services, or songs they create and inspire the two. It inspired them to create a market focused on connecting with each other and genuinely sharing themselves and their work with the community. Allman says that the name behind the maker’s market, Simply Kin, has a special meaning.

“Eva and I both have not only a unique background but are part of unique families and communities,” said Allman. “When wanting to describe who we are, what we represent, and what we hope these markets will represent, we landed on Simply Kin, because we’re all ‘simply kin’ you and me and everyone in this community. We just want to connect, by sharing in each other’s strengths and supporting each other’s passions. We hope each of our Simply Kin Markets create an atmosphere to do just that.”

Bennett said both of them started their businesses to bring joy into their lives and their community. They say that their goal with Simply Kin is unconditional support because there is an entire group of makers, doers and providers in the community that want nothing more than to see each other succeed.

“Life has been tough for a lot of people, for a long time,” Bennett said. “We have seen this support from these makers over and over even in just the planning of this market. The way these vendors are supporting each other, promoting each other and genuinely helping each other has been so incredible to witness. We hope the community is ready to do the same!”

Allman and Bennett’s first event with Simply Kin Market will be their Winter Solstice Pop-Up from 3-8 p.m. Thursday on the Armory Lawn in Marietta. They say to imagine a magical winter market with over 20 local makers who are all bringing incredible last minute Christmas gifts that are sure to impress anyone. The pop-up will also include live music throughout the evening, food, and hot cocoa and coffee from SIPS Coffee Truck. The Winter Solstice event will have two photographers joining in the merriment who will be capturing memories and providing unique Polaroid moments for friends and family attending. Many of the stores on Front Street in Marietta will also be open during this time and some are staying open late to join in the festivities.

” We are really hoping that this is an event for all of Front Street, that the community would come and support all of the small businesses in brick and mortar and on the lawn,” said Allman.

Admission to the Simply Kin Market Winter Solstice Pop-Up event is free and parking at the Marietta Armory will also be free of charge. For more information on the event and future events from the maker’s market, visit the Simply Kin Market Facebook page.

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WASHINGTON — The American Trucking Associations is welcoming two major new federal investments by the U.S. Department of Transportation that will add nearly 400 truck parking spaces along key freight corridors in Wyoming and Iowa.

“These projects in Wyoming and Iowa continue the momentum to alleviate the severe, nationwide shortage of truck parking, which consistently ranks as one of drivers’ top concerns,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “We are grateful that (U.S. Transportation) Secretary (Pete) Buttigieg has continued to make Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding available to expand truck parking, and we applaud Wyoming and Iowa for prioritizing these projects in their transportation planning. More states should step up and follow their example to improve the efficient movement of freight and enhance roadway safety for all motorists.”

The funding is from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and was allocated through the Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program. Combined with previous awards to Florida, Texas, Tennessee, and Louisiana, the announcement brings the total number of truck parking projects supported by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to six, encompassing an additional 797 spaces.

The new awards come on the heels of ATA’s effort urging governors to request Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding for truck parking projects in their states.

“Truck parking continues to be one of the highest priorities for both truck drivers and motor carriers,” said Sheila Foertsch, president and CEO of the Wyoming Trucking Association.  “Safe, well lit, accessible parking makes the nation’s highway system safer.”

“We are very pleased to learn that the Iowa Department of Transportation’s grant application was accepted and additional investments will be made on I-380, a major freight corridor in Iowa,” said Brenda Neville, president & CEO of the Iowa Motor Truck Association. “This investment of over $57 million will not only increase productivity but also enhance safety for all motorists. We are also very happy to hear that a portion of this funding will be dedicated to adding space for truck parking. Any time there is additional truck parking space created, that is a win-win situation for everyone.”

The funding was awarded as follows:

$26.64 million was awarded to the Wyoming Department of Transportation to construct two new parking areas with 368 truck parking spaces along I-80 in the southwest corner of the state. There is a critical need for these amenities because the road is frequently closed due to severe weather and accidents.
$57.3 million was awarded to the Iowa Department of Transportation to facilitate the movement of freight in the eastern part of the state. The project will make multiple upgrades to I-380, including creating an additional 14 truck parking spaces at the southbound rest area.

Last month, ATA sent a letter calling on all 50 state governors to make room for truck parking in their infrastructure spending priorities.  The letter spelled out the numerous new resources provided by the federal government, including new funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to improve and expand truck parking facilities.

The ATA also strongly supports the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act — introduced by U.S. Sens. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming) and Mark Kelly (D-Arizona) and U.S. Reps. Mike Bost (R-Illinois) and Angie Craig (D-Minnesota) — which would create a $755 million federal grant program dedicated to truck parking expansion.

Born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and raised in East Texas, John Worthen returned to his home state to attend college in 1998 and decided to make his life in The Natural State. Worthen is a 20-year veteran of the journalism industry and has covered just about every topic there is. He has a passion for writing and telling stories. He has worked as a beat reporter and bureau chief for a statewide newspaper and as managing editor of a regional newspaper in Arkansas. Additionally, Worthen has been a prolific freelance journalist for two decades, and has been published in several travel magazines and on travel websites.

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KORCZOWA, Poland (AP) — Pickup trucks and tourniquets bound for Ukraine’s battlefield are among items stuck in a miles-long line at the border with Poland. Components to build drones to fight off Russian forces are facing weeks of delays.

Ukrainian charities and companies supplying the war-torn country’s military warn that problems are growing as Polish truck drivers show no sign of ending a border blockade that has stretched past a month. The Polish protesters argue that their livelihoods are at stake after the European Union relaxed some transport rules and Ukrainian truckers undercut their business.

While drones will make it to the front line, they’re delayed by two to three weeks, said Oleksandr Zadorozhnyi, operational director of the KOLO foundation, which helps the Ukrainian army with battlefield tech, including drones and communications equipment.

“This means that the Russian army will have the ability to kill Ukrainian soldiers and terrorize civilians for several weeks longer,” he said.

Truck drivers in Poland have blocked access roads to border crossings since Nov. 6, creating lines that stretch for more than 30 kilometers (19 miles) and last up to three weeks in freezing temperatures. The protesters insist that they’re not stopping military transports or humanitarian aid into Ukraine.

“This is very puzzling to me, even hard to believe because everybody knows — those who order, those who expedite and those who do the transport — that aid for the military passes through without having to wait at all,” said Waldemar Jaszczur, a protest organizer.

The Polish truckers, meanwhile, say their Ukrainian counterparts are offering lower prices to haul everything from fish to luxury goods across the European Union since getting a temporary waiver on the 27-nation bloc’s transport rules after Russia’s invasion in 2022.

Despite Poland and other nearby countries being some of Ukraine’s biggest supporters in the war, resentment has built from truckers and farmers who are losing business to lower-cost Ukrainian goods and services flowing into the world’s biggest trading bloc. It underscores the challenges of integrating Ukraine into the EU if approved.

Now, the commercial clash is spilling over to the battlefield, the Ukrainian charities say.

About 200 pickup trucks needed to transport ammunition and evacuate the wounded from the front line are blocked at the border because “deliveries have practically stopped,” said Ivan Poberzhniak, head of procurement and logistics for Come Back Alive, Ukraine’s largest charitable organization providing the military with equipment.

The pickup trucks are easy targets for Russia, so it’s impossible to deliver enough of them even normally, he said.

When drivers show documents to the Polish truckers saying the vehicles are for Ukraine’s military, “it does not have a significant impact on the protesters,” Poberzhniak said.

“We must understand that during wartime, supply is needed on a daily basis in all directions,” he said.

Come Back Alive says 3,000 tourniquets also are stuck at the border. It’s been able to deliver drones, generators and batteries from what it has in stock, “but that reserve is running out,” Poberzhniak said.

The group is exploring alternative supply routes, he says, but there are few options, and the military’s unfulfilled requests for equipment are building up.

The protesting truckers assert that not all deliveries declared as military aid are really that. They are urging the EU to reinstate the limits on the number of Ukrainian trucks that can enter the bloc.

Jaszczur, the organizer, said Ukrainian truckers have been doing unauthorized transport services across Europe. They are asking “glaringly low prices” — 35% lower than what Polish truckers charge — and are “driving us out of the market,” he said.

The same thing is happening in other countries like Slovakia, Bulgaria and Romania, he said. Some Slovak truckers staged a protest of their own in recent days at the Ukrainian border.

Jaszczur says many Polish transport companies are going under because of the pressure from Ukrainian competition.

While there is no quick resolution in sight, a change of leadership in Warsaw offers hope.

The new government is expected to be in place in the next week and almost certainly will be led by the pro-EU centrist Donald Tusk. He has criticized the outgoing government’s “inaction,” offering hope to businesses hurt by the blockade but also to the protesters.

“We will look for solutions that should satisfy Polish transporters, but we will not tolerate any events that threaten Polish security. Who inspired or initiated them?” Tusk said Friday, stressing that Ukraine is a strategic point for Poland as it fights Russia’s invasion.

Ukrainian truck driver Ivan Itchenko is one of those eagerly awaiting a resolution. He has been waiting in Poland for days with hundreds of others, trying to stay warm at a highway rest stop until he can bring his load of salmon and herring to Ukrainian supermarkets.

“I clean the truck, clear the snow. Polish customs officers come and ask for documents three times a day,” Itchenko said Thursday.

The 61-year-old hoped his turn to drive through the Korczowa-Krakovets crossing would come Saturday.

“I live in Chernihiv (region), near Russia. Every day there are attacks. Now I am stuck at the Polish border. What do they want?”

With temperatures falling, drivers are experiencing difficult conditions, choosing not to heat their trucks to save fuel and facing limited access to food and bathrooms, Ukrainian media say.

Polish and Ukrainian officials are negotiating with help from the European Commission, the EU’s executive branch, but the protest has only expanded.

“We do not see any light in the tunnel, we do not see any authorities, any government or the EU Commission really giving attention to this,” said Dariusz Matulewicz, head of the truckers’ association in Szczecin, a city in western Poland.

Poland’s outgoing government has “nothing against supporting Ukraine” but it “must not allow the aid activity to be done at the expense of Polish firms,” deputy minister for infrastructure, Rafal Weber, said Dec. 4, 2023, in Brussels.

The EU has pressed Warsaw to find a way to end the blockade but stood by its deal with Kyiv. It’s “beneficial to the European market, to Ukraine and to Moldova,” said Adina Valean, EU transport commissioner who also threatened sanctions against Poland.

Ukrainian officials say the truckers’ protest adds more stress to their economy and only serves Russia’s interests.

Ukrainian exports have dropped by 40% through the four blocked border crossings, and the state budget has lost some 9.3 billion hryvnias ($254 million) due to the shortfall in customs payments, said Danylo Hetmantsev, head of the finance and tax committee in Ukraine’s parliament.

“Undoubtedly, this is a powerful blow to our economy and our exports,” Hetmantsev said Dec. 5 on state TV.

By Hanna Arhirova, Karl Ritter and Monika Scislowska, The  Associated Press. AP journalists Vanessa Gera in Warsaw and Volodymyr Yurchuk in Kyiv, Ukraine, contributed to this report.

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. The Trucker Media Group is subscriber of The Associated Press has been granted the license to use this content on TheTrucker.com and The Trucker newspaper in accordance with its Content License Agreement with The Associated Press.

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