Pioneer Press, Fort Jones, CA
Vol. 30, No. 7 Wednesday, January 2, 2002, Page A1, Column 2

He's simply a shy truck driver. He built one of the nation's most revered trucking companies on the road, by doing unto others what one man did for him.

For this reason, the Pioneer Press names Larry Stidham its Person of the Year.

His fleet is the most gorgeous on the highway. When encountered, a traveler discovers his drivers are the most courteous on the road. The nation trusts Stidham Trucking to transport its most fragile.

But it didn't start out that way. It is the result of hard work, tremendously hard work.

"He worked hard for everything he has," his daughter Mary said. "What he has accomplished is amazing."

Larry didn't grow up poor - he grew up poorer than poor. The son of a Siskiyou County ranch hand and one of seven children, Larry didn't have much as a child. He lived in a sparse home without electricity. It was typical for a boss in those days to provide a milk cow, chickens and a calf or pig for the family to butcher.

When he handed his father his dilapidated shoes, that were beyond repair, asking for them to be fixed, he was told "No." He asked if they could be replaced, he was again told "No." His father threw the shoes back at him and said, if you think you can do it better, do it yourself.

During the summer, Larry drove a tractor on a ranch. He envied the more experienced drivers who were actually able to take their trucks out onto the open road.

It was his graduation night from Yreka High School in 1956 when he and his wife Frances first met. His wife Frances describes her 63 year old husband as shy on his graduation night.

A dream was realized when a spud farmer in Tulelake sold him his first truck, with no money down. It didn't matter what his past was at this point, it now all depended on how hard and smart he worked.

Stidham Trucking was born in 1963, with one truck and one driver. He now has 141 trucks working on the West Coast and seven in the east.

Hauling a load down a highway in a big rig is a "vacation with a lot of work involved," Larry said.

His goal was to finance his first truck for five years. When that was paid off, buy another one, shortening the payments to four years. Finally one day he hoped to buy one with cash. The Tulelake spud farmer's financing plan, from years ago - sprung forth into a most revolutionary program in the trucking industry in the early 1970s.

Larry's pioneer program began giving the pride of ownership to men and women by financing a $150,000 truck and trailer with no money down. For many, it is an investment bigger than their home. He gives them 30 days to get up on their feet and running in their new business. His daughter Teresa, who overseas operations in Kentucky, said that the drivers are so grateful to have this opportunity that they wouldn't have otherwise.

Upon becoming an independent business person, a driver's focus will change.

"They don't have to satisfy me. They have to satisfy the customer," Larry said. "Then, I'm satisfied."

A driver can make quite a bit more money with this program, plus they own the truck. It's not a convenient life for a family. If a driver asked if Larry could get him home on certain days, or have the weekend off, the answer is emphatically "No."

"The customer's load goes where the buyer is," Larry says. Not by your house.

The life of a truck driver is not any easy one on a young family. Teresa remembers not seeing her father much, as he worked hard to build the business. She does, however, remember fondly her first ride alone with her dad, as it was so special to enjoy the quality time together.

For those whom the life of a truck driver is well suited, Larry helps them in any way he can. P.J. Husebo was 24 when his father Don, himself a Stidham owner/operator, approached Larry about giving P.J. a chance at driving. Larry believed in the young man and not only got him into a truck, but personally vouched for him to his insurance company, so that P.J. was able to follow his dream as well.

Don wouldn't work for anyone else, because, as he sees it, he could never find a finer human being than Larry. He has driven for Stidham since 1990. He feels as though working for Stidham is working for a family.



Walking into Stidham's Yreka headquarters, one finds a rarity in the trucking industry: a president with an open door. Larry's office is always open, especially for his drivers. It's his way of staying on the road with them, now that he is no longer driving.

It's not necessarily easy working for Larry; he's a very demanding boss. He expects as much from those who work for him as he gives.

When it comes to his three children telling their father that they want to do things differently than he does, his philosophy is simple: "Do it my way or better." He does quickly add that he has no problems stopping something that isn't better.

"Larry likes people to get their work done," said Barbara Manley.

Barbara has worked for Stidham for 20 years. She helps them with their bookkeeping and has found Larry to be an upright, honest man.

For Larry, work is his hobby. And his hobby brings him joy. He loves to wheel and deal, according to Frances. He won't buy anything unless he is getting a deal. When asked, if the price he pays is always a win-win situation between he and the seller, he smiles and responded "No."

"I have to sell at a very competitive price," he said. He expects those he buys from to do the same.

He is an exceptional businessman. His level headed approach, doesn't allow him to jump too quickly into something that wouldn't be prudent.

He's turned down deals, leaving everyone thinking he's crazy for doing it. It is then later learned that his foresight knew at the time what was best, his son Richard said.

Larry is very generous and has a heart of gold. Most of his giving is done anonymously and will not be publicly divulged. There are several things you can't miss, though, including his sponsorship of Little League from day one in Yreka. When traveling through an impoverished area, Larry has been known to pull cash out of his pocket and hand someone a $100 bill or actually go to the grocery store and buy them food. The other is his love for animals.

Walking in the front door of Stidham Trucking, you are greeted by Larry and Frances' dogs. The are the ones who instantly bring warmth and a touch of attitude to the office. The dogs all come from various backgrounds, but they all have one thing in common: they were all abandoned or abused by their previous masters. Larry and Frances don't just give these dogs a loving home, they give them a life of luxury.

His wife has enjoyed collecting burros. For their anniversary one year, he gave her a real burro. They then found a few more that were starving and in need of a new home and a few others that had been neglected. They now have 26 burros. A vet goes out every quarter and they have their hooves trimmed every six weeks. When asked if they are working burros, he smiled and said "No." They too are living a fabulous life.

What is around the corner for Stidham Trucking? More hard work. Larry will not retire. After all, what would he do for fun? You can still find him out in his lot helping tie down a load. His focus is to take care of his current customer base.

He doesn't expect that his company will have as many trucks on the road as Schneider or Swift, but he will continue to make sure that Stidham has the best reputation on the road.