Look at and listen to John A. Perfetti and you can see and hear the past, the present and the future of trucking.
Michael James - Transport Topics
John A. Perfetti
Born Giovanni Perfetti, the owner of Perfetti Trucking in Blairsville, Pa., is the almost 70-year-old patriarch of a family trucking dynasty that spans three generations. On July 3, the first of the fourth generation of Perfettis came into the world — his great-grandchild, Andrew John.
A short, stocky man with a ponytail and twinkling eyes hidden behind tinted glasses, Perfetti can sit you down and tell stories about the trucking business going way back. For instance, he will tell you how he got into the business in 1951 — a pure fluke. And then he will bring you right up to the day a few months ago when he went down to Washington, D.C., and testified — off the cuff — at a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration hearing on proposed changes to the hours-of-service rules for truck drivers.
In his slightly raspy voice, Perfetti relates stories of how he used to put “lanterns” on the back of his trucks because there were “no lights back there in those days.” He also tells about when he used to drive a chain-driven truck.
For the full story, see the Aug. 14 print edition of Transport Topics. .
