While it was great road tripping across the Midwest, we're sure glad to be back home!

We do want to say thanks to all the great people at the Petro's in OKC, Joplin and Effingham for making us feel welcome, and for providing us the opportunity to visit with a lot of really great folks these past few weeks.

All of that hospitality and fun made us feel like we were on vacation. And, speaking of vacation, here are the results of the TruckDriver.com Summer Vacation Survey.

While we usually like to editorialize or comment on the results of the surveys, we thought we'd let the numbers speak for themselves this time. Besides, we're too tired to come up with anything clever to say.

Here's what you had to say:

Are you going on vacation this summer?
* Yes 31%
* No 39%
* Undecided 30%

Will you leave your home state for your vacation this year?
* Yes 38%
* No 42%
* Undecided 20%

Have your vacation plans changed this year because of fuel prices?
* Yes 50%
* No 50%

How much will you spend for your vacation this year?
* Under $500 39%
* $500 to $1000 25%
* More than $1000 36%

Did you remember that we performed a very similar survey last year at this time?
* Yes 08%
* No 62%
* Huh? 30%

If you have anything clever to say about the TruckDriver.com Summer Vacation Survey, please let us know at jobs@TruckDriver.com.

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There's no doubt the Internet has changed the way we interact with one another. The type of activities we engage in on the Internet are constantly changing and expanding. With so many options available online, we thought we would ask you what kind of things you do on the Internet. Take the TruckDriver.com Online Activity Survey.

We'll post the results next month. We might even comment on them.

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Trucker Buddy Driver of the Month
Gary Ninivirta

ACS MultiMedia's May Trucker Buddy Driver of the Month honor goes to Canadian driver Gary 'The Viking' Ninivirta because he went above and beyond to fill a very special need for Gregg Jochimsen's 120 eighth-graders in Wisconsin.

Better known as Underdog and the Roadrangers, Jochimsen and his five Chippewa Falls Middle School classes said Ninivirta should, in fact, be Driver of the Year!

"As my eighth-grade students were preparing to kick off a new school year, which included our initial contacts with a Trucker Buddy, we received some very sad news. The Trucker Buddy who was corresponding with us had died." Jochimsen related. "What a tough situation for the students and me. Many were looking forward to the contact and hearing from someone traveling through the United States and they were heartbroken with the news."

Along came Ninivirta, a self-described rookie to the program, facing a big job with his first Trucker Buddy class.

"I thought it was cool they were still interested," he said, "But then I went, who! Big shoes to fill."

Fill them he did, though. Jochimsen said Ninivirta went out of his way for the program and the students.

"Not only has Gary visited our classroom on three different occasions, he keeps in contact with us on a weekly basis by phone and postcard. Gary has sent us great postcards that connect with the history we are learning from places all over the United States and Canada." Jochimsen related. "Although he is from Canada, it seems as though he lives among us here in Chippewa Falls."

Ninivirta, a Trucker Buddy since 2004, lives in Thunder Bay, Ontario. A driver of 25-plus years, he currently drives for Winnipeg Moving, an agent for Allied Van Lines, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He joined Trucker Buddy as a way to continue working with children, because he had to give up being a Cub Leader to drive long-haul. When he saw information on Trucker Buddy in Over The Road Canada, he decided to come on board.

The Viking, as he is better known to his kids, swears the pleasure is all his.

"They're a blast, and they've taught me a lot," he said. "And, I love working with Mr. J. Teachers are definitely my heroes, and I give full credit to my own children's teachers along with my wife, Susan for their moving through the grades and graduating. I want to be a teacher when I grow up!"

This sense of humor is part of his popularity with the students, Jochimsen noted. "The students have all enjoyed his sense of humor and how he truly seems to care about them. He was kind enough to send us a class mascot and even purchased 120 Christmas gifts for all of the students. Gary even gave each of these students a CB handle that was unique to them."

"He could qualify for Trucker of the Year in our book!" Jochimsen added. "He has gone far above the call of duty to connect with my students and has made this a great experience for all of us."

Ninivirta was like a kid himself upon learning of the goodies he will receive as Trucker Buddy Driver of the Month.

"I didn't think I would be rewarded for being a Trucker Buddy," he said, "but I sure am going to have fun spending all that money on the kids!"

Each Trucker Buddy Driver of the Month receives a personalized jacket, along with a check for $300 to spend on the class and $200 in Trucker Buddy merchandise, compliments of ACS MultiMedia Advertising ( www.tmi-multimedia.com ), the advertising agency of choice for the trucking industry. They also receive an IdleAire adaptor ( www.IdleAire.com ), a Koolatron cooler, Donde Publishing's For the Long Haul reference guide for drivers, an Accident Photo pack and a complete set of Airtabs for their tractor or trailer ( www.airtab.com ). The class will receive a CrossCountry USA game from Ingenuity Works ( www.ingenuityworks.com ), which will help them learn more about how trucks move freight across the continent.

Ninivirta is one of nearly 4,000 other professional drivers who share their time with elementary classes throughout the world. The only criteria to be a Trucker Buddy is to be a truck driver and willing to send a postcard each week to a class in grades two through eight. Drivers and teachers can find out more about the program by visiting www.truckerbuddy.org or calling 1-800-MY BUDDY.

Trucker Buddy is dependent on corporate sponsors such as ACS MultiMedia Advertising and TruckDriver.com to fund the program.