The lives of long-haul truckers are documented in Jason Dailey’s portrait series “American Truckers.” He began the project during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when his commercial and editorial work came to a halt. He grew tired of making still lifes and craved human connection.
“The inspiration for this was seeing all the goods we still had available at the grocery store and all the items we were having shipped to us,” says Dailey. “I wanted to better understand these essential workers who stayed out on the roads day and night to deliver it all.”
To find subjects, he began by approaching drivers at his nearest truck stop. “Most people I approached were either in their trucks or just getting out. I heard no a lot,” he admits. But even with those rejections Dailey saw gratitude by truckers that someone was showcasing their work.
To keep his photography fresh, he ventures out at different times of the day and the year, just as the truckers do, and moves around to various locations, even bringing along his Mamiya RB67 on family trips in case he has the opportunity to connect with a trucker.
“I have learned so much about what they do, how they do it, and how important their job is,” he says. “They see more of the country than just about anyone, and more road accidents. My main takeaway is that they are all people like us behind those wheels and all different, just trying to get by.”
Amanda Arnold is a senior editor.