PRESTON – Truckers stick together. They are kind of a family, and when you put out the word, they respond, said Karson Beckstead of Preston who has been driving truck for about 5 years.
A procession of trucks follow Cardon Beckstead to the Franklin to the Franklin Cemetery on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025.
Last Saturday, Jan. 11, 42 truckers honored their truck-driving brother and his wife, Brandon and Carol Beckstead, after losing their son. Cardon passed away at age 25 on January 1, 2025.
When Cardon was just 10 years old he was diagnosed with MELAS Syndrome, a condition that affects the muscles and nervous system. He passed away after fighting the disease for years.
Karson remembers playing with his cousin Cardon when they were kids.
“We would play with trucks together and he loved to watch trucks go by as a kid,” he said. “He also loved to go to monster truck and car shows.”
Karson had seen processions to support truckdrivers before and he thought if he put out the word, they might get 15 or so tucks to participate.
“I wanted to put something together, so I put it on Facebook,” he said. “I thought Cardon would have liked it because he loved trucks, and I thought my aunt and uncle would appreciate a small convoy of trucks to show them some love and support.”
Webb Funeral Home is on Hwy 91 and Karson wanted to arrive early and lead the procession. But when he got there, there was already about 20 trucks lined up on the road adjacent to the funeral home. He got in line and trucks kept coming.
“I couldn’t believe all the trucks lined up and ready to go after the funeral,” he said. “They kept coming and coming. It was quite a site when we started to roll down the highway.”
As the trucks were coming up the hill to the Franklin city cemetery people were lining up along the highway and getting the different trucks to honk. Some people were recording the procession on their phones and others were there just witnessing the trucks as they passed by.
When the trucks got to the Franklin Cemetery, they lined up along the highway just outside the fence.
“It was awesome,” Karson said. “Truckers, they show up when you need them, and they certainly showed Saturday.”