6 Classic Truckin’ Songs for Summer Road Trips
There’s nothing like a good old-fashioned song about truckin’ to set the mood for your next road trip. Even if you’re stuck behind the wheel of a boring sedan or SUV, you’ll soon be living vicariously through these classic tunes about the romance — and brutal reality — of driving an eighteen-wheeler across the United States.
More Songs for the Road: Neil Young’s best tunes about cars and driving
Dave Dudley — “Six Days on the Road” (1963)
Dave Dudley made an entire career out of singing country trucker songs in a burly baritone voice, but he never topped his first big hit. Backed by a strutting beat and a twanging guitar, Dudley performs this tune from the perspective of a weary driver who’s been out on the road a little too long. His truck is old and his load is too heavy, but he’s “a-gonna make it home tonight.”
Merle Haggard — “White Line Fever” (1969)
This contemplative, melancholy song by country legend Merle Haggard emphasizes the loneliness and boredom of the truck-driving life. “I’ve been from coast to coast a hundred times before,” he sings, but “I ain’t found one single place where I ain’t been before.”
Little Feat — “Willin’” (1972)
The band Little Feat recorded this easygoing rocker for their debut album in 1971, and it turned into a fan favorite when they re-recorded it for their 1972 Sailin’ Shoes follow-up. The song’s narrator has been all over the Southwest in his truck — “from Tucson to Tucumcari/Tehachapi to Tonopah” — and as long as he’s well-supplied with the proper depressants and stimulants, he’s not about to slow down any time soon.
Kathy Mattea — “Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses” (1988)
This poignant, feel-good song was a No. 1 country hit for country/bluegrass legend Kathy Mattea. It’s about a trucker who’s on his final run and heading home to his wife. After 30 years on the job, he’s more than ready to retire and “spend the rest of his life with the one that he loves.”
Jerry Reed — “East Bound and Down” (1977)
A smash-hit truckin’ movie needs a smash-hit truckin’ song, and that’s exactly what Jerry Reed turned in for Smokey and the Bandit. The lyrics concisely encapsulate the movie’s plot, and the song’s stinging guitar licks, down-home banjo, and thumping beat make it a fun listen regardless of whether you’re watching Burt Reynolds’ bootlegging escapades.
Hank Snow — “I’ve Been Everywhere” (1962)
In rapid-fire fashion, this song’s truck-driving narrator recounts the names of all the places he’s visited over the years. His conclusion? “I’ve been everywhere, man.” Fun fact: This song was originally written by Australian country singer Geoff Mack and listed Australian place names. Mack eventually revised it for the North American market, and that’s the version Hank Snow turned it into a hit. In the 1990s, Johnny Cash released a cover of the song that you’ve probably heard in numerous TV commercials over the years.
A longtime editor/writer and recently transplanted Hoosier, Caleb Cook lives in Xenia, Ohio. His favorite activities are reading and listening to music, although he occasionally emerges from the heap of books and vinyl records in his basement to stand blinking in the sunlight. Once fully acclimated to the outside world again, he can be observed hanging out with his wife, attempting a new recipe in the kitchen, attending movies, walking the dog, or wandering into a local brewery to inquire about what’s on tap. See more articles by Caleb.