This week we welcome Jonathan Rust to Terminal Exchange. And
you could write at least a 12-chapter book on him. Jonathan starts the episode
by meandering through how he got started in trucking, but the fairytale opening
ends there.
In one of the most real episodes to date of Terminal
Exchange, Jonathan shares the humbling twists and U-turns of his life. Jonathan
steps through the events that have shaped who he is today: meth/cocaine
addiction, wrecks that will leave you shaking, the cornerstone of his son’s
birth, the life of a single father, and the death of his best friend.
But the tragedies cannot outweigh the blessings he has now –
a loving “superwoman” wife, an outstanding teenage son, and a family that he’s determined
to change the narrative for.
He’s cheated death multiple times and is now living life to
its fullest. Press play on this episode of Terminal Exchange with Nussbaum
driver Jonathan Rust.
Quotes
“I learned a lot in that garage. Telford Avenue
– Mount View, California.”
“When you go to a situation where people are
just devastated, you see people working together. It doesn’t matter race,
color, creed, religious background – everybody is human, and everybody is
helping each other.”
“That gives me hope for the human race… It
reassures me and gives me faith in humanity.”
“Everybody survived, but the house took a direct
hit from a 9,000-pound Spanish Oak.”
“He literally was the turning point for my life.
As soon as he was born, I realized that it ain’t about me no more. Time to get
on the grind and make sure I can give this little being the best life I
possibly can.”
“Not a lot of people have Jamaica on their
wedding certificate!”
“I knew I had bigger potential than where I was
at that point. And I was coming to the realization that if something doesn’t
change for me, it’s going to put my son in a very hard path. Because poverty
begets poverty.”
“It was a nightmare. Not only was I on a bus for
4.5 days, but I was also going through detox.”
“I don’t beat myself up for my past. Because it doesn’t
make any difference, all I can do is push forward and try to live a better
future.”
“I missed everything, and I just laid the truck
over and rolled it over in the middle of the road. And I didn’t hurt anybody.
Or destroy anything except for my body and the truck.”
“It’s not just sitting in a seat and driving.
You literally have a battering ram under your control.”
“I don’t hide my past. I share it openly with
people. Because I think it shows people that there’s always hope, and you can
overcome really anything.”
