Marcus Kurtz: A Legacy on the Road
When asked about his job, Marcus Kurtz would likely mention that he transports fresh and frozen food to the Midwest for Brent Miller Trucking based in Allenwood, Pennsylvania. However, that’s just a fraction of his journey. Along with his cargo, he carries 25 years of industry experience and sometimes his wife and four children, although not all at once. He also upholds a family tradition that dates back to 1884.
It all began when Kurtz’s great-grandfather opened a feed mill in Akron, Pennsylvania, establishing the family’s trucking heritage with loads primarily related to feed. This business was then passed down to his son, who continued the legacy with Kurtz’s father and uncles taking over afterward.
Born in 1979, Kurtz’s father initiated a second mill in upstate New York in 1987, which gained independence by 1991. Now, Kurtz’s brothers manage this mill while also running a farm for dairy cows and cash crops.
“As a child, I always dreamed of farming,” Kurtz recalled. “However, I also had a passion for trucking, so I pursued that path, and it stuck with me.” He was immersed in trucking from an early age, helping out at the mill by driving equipment at around 12 years old and taking his first semi on the road by age 16. He earned his commercial driver’s licenses at 18 and 21.
The family’s trucking operations were local, rarely exceeding three-hour trips. Kurtz reminisced, “Back then, being away all day with my dad was a significant experience. Now, my kids feel the same way.” In 2004, after marrying Julia, he transitioned to driving for her family’s business, Black Bear Trucking. They now have four children: Sharla Joelle, 17; Leslie DeShawn, 15; Sheryl Janae, 13; and Shannon Jewel, 8.
Kurtz typically leaves for work on Sundays and returns on Fridays, a schedule his family has adjusted to. He noted, “It weighs on me when I miss family gatherings, but my kids are always the first to greet me when I get home.” In 2004, he purchased his first truck, a 2000 Kenworth.
After a near-fatal accident in 2007, where he dozed off and rolled his truck down an embankment, Kurtz reflects on the fragility of life. Following that incident, he briefly sought local work but ultimately returned to trucking when opportunities were scarce. Since joining Brent Miller Trucking in 2018, he appreciates the family-oriented culture there. He drives a 1995 Kenworth W900L, a dream truck that the company surprised him with after purchasing it in 2019. He takes pride in maintaining the truck, treating it as if it were his own.
Kurtz shares his love for the truck, which has 3.3 million miles on it, having traveled across multiple states and fulfilling his dream of driving through the Rocky Mountains last winter. He wishes more people understood the life of truckers, emphasizing the essential role they play in society. “We support our families and the country through our work,” he stated. Although he acknowledges the challenges of trucking, he realizes it fulfills his lifelong passion.
Looking to the future, he believes he may have passed his passion for trucking to his son, who hopes to inherit a truck when he turns 21. While Kurtz dreams of eventually transitioning into farming, he acknowledges that trucking remains central to his life. “I keep saying I won’t drive trucks forever, but for now, it seems like that’s the path I’m on,” he explained, expressing a desire to eventually buy a small farm and engage in hobby farming with his kids.
