At a Flying J in Kansas, the phrase “truck stop conversation” has taken a wildly intellectual turn – thanks to one driver with a CDL, a PhD, and an existential itch.
Dr. Hank Lark, formerly Professor of Philosophy at Purdue, now hauls reefer freight cross-country and hosts spontaneous philosophical debates at pump #7.
“I figured if Socrates could teach in the marketplace, I could do it at Love’s,” said Lark, sipping lukewarm coffee and wearing a vest that says “Cogito Ergo Truck.”
Debate topics range from “Is dispatch free will or determinism?” to “Does the PrePass beep confirm our existence?”
Other drivers are mostly intrigued. “He asked me if brake checks are metaphors for self-reflection,” said tanker hauler Tony Brinks. “I said no, but then I started questioning everything.”
Lark’s discussions have drawn a loyal crowd, with some drivers parking early just to attend. “It’s like TED Talks with diesel,” said one carrier rep. “Except the PowerPoint is a grease-stained logbook.”
Fuel attendants aren’t sure what to make of it. “People leave without snacks, but with a sense of purpose,” said cashier Kendra Watts. “Weirdly uplifting.”
FMCSA issued no official comment, though one inspector reportedly joined a recent discussion on whether truck scales are tools of moral judgment.
Lark, who writes papers between deliveries, hopes to publish a collection titled Tautologies and Tarp Straps: A Rigdriver’s Inquiry by year’s end.
When asked if he misses academia, Lark shrugged. “This is better. On the road, every mile is a thought experiment. And you can’t beat the CB chatter – pure dialectics.”
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