In the heart of Peoria, IL, veteran truck driver Rich Rukstalis keeps a small, weathered box tucked above his sleeper door. Inside, among the keepsakes that have traveled millions of miles with him, is a faded 1978 “Driver of the Month” belt buckle engraved with the name Dennis L. Darling, his stepdad, mentor, and hero.
For Rukstalis, that buckle is more than metal. It is a reminder that Dennis still rides with him every day.
A Legacy Born in the Oilfields
Dennis L. Darling’s story began long before Rukstalis ever hit the road. After serving in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War, Dennis returned home in the early 1960s and started trucking in the oilfield. He worked hard and hauled for J. B. Roden Trucking Co. and later LL Smith, where his dedication earned him Wyoming Trucking Association’s Driver of the Month in 1978.
By the early 1980s, Dennis had become more than just a driver. He was a leader. In 1981, he managed the Casper, Wyoming, terminal for LL Smith, and the following year he bought his own trucks and launched Darling Enterprises.
It became a true family business. Dennis owned nine trucks himself, while his brothers—Ted and Roger—each owned five, and Leonard owned three. Before long, their crew was running dozens of rigs in the oilfield, with a couple more out on the open road.
But Dennis’s success was not just measured in trucks or contracts. It was measured in loyalty.
“When the oilfield went through a bad bust,” Rukstalis recalls, “Dad never laid anyone off. He made sure they always had a paycheck. He always put others first.”
From Son to Successor
Rukstalis, the youngest of nine siblings, grew up watching Dennis live by the code of hard work and kindness.
“He was always a jokester,” Rukstalis says with a laugh. “He took the time to make somebody’s day better. Didn’t matter if they were competition. He was always there for everyone else.”
In 1986, Dennis was involved in a devastating truck accident that left him pinned for six hours. Doctors told him he would never walk or drive again.
“But by God, he did,” Rukstalis says proudly. “Whenever he put his mind to something, he never doubted himself.”
After serving in the U.S. Navy himself, Rukstalis came home in 1996 and joined his stepdad in the family business.
“That first year, I just followed him around. He was my mentor. He was just starting to show me the business side,” Rukstalis recalls.
When Dennis unexpectedly passed away in 1997, Rukstalis took over Darling Enterprises until selling it in 2002. But the lessons his stepdad taught him never left. “I wish I could’ve kept things going longer, but I was young then.”
Nearly 30 Years and Millions of Miles Later
Today, Rukstalis is still behind the wheel, approaching his 30th year on the road and millions of miles logged with Landstar. He is known for his precision, professionalism and heart.
“Every day you go down the road, someone is always watching,” he says. “Could be a customer, DOT or corporate. You’ve got to represent yourself and your company well.”
Rukstalis has hauled everything from slot machines to government payloads, and even satellite transporters. One of his proudest hauls was for Microsoft, moving displays for the company’s 50th anniversary celebration and the famed Target Wonderland project.
He is also deeply loyal to his truck of choice.
“We’re a Kenworth family,” he says. “My dad had Kenworths, and so do I. You can order them custom, single-framed. They’ve never let us down.”
That loyalty earned Rukstalis an invitation to Kenworth’s first-ever truck parade, which he helped organize in 2022.
“We had a few Wyoming people represented. Kenworth loved it,” he says, beaming.
A Life on the Road, a Heart at Home
Rukstalis’s story winds through Wyoming, Pennsylvania, California and back to Illinois, where he now lives with his wife and their dogs. His wife occasionally joins him on the road, and together they honor the legacy of family, service and love for the open road.
“I love what I do,” Rukstalis says. “Does it have its days? Of course. But every morning, I wake up with a smile. I’m blessed to have my health, a beautiful wife and the people I meet to share my story with.”
The trucking life is not easy, between unpredictable weather, distracted drivers and aging highways, but for Rukstalis, it is about purpose.
“I provide a service to make other people’s lives easier,” he explains. “Whether it’s hauling groceries, building materials or specialized freight, it’s all connected. Without trucking, people wouldn’t have anything. We’re part of the piece of the pie.”
The Road Ahead
Nearly 30 years in, Rukstalis shows no signs of slowing down.
“Every year I say I’m going to,” he laughs, “but I still end up putting in 100,000 miles.” He continues carrying the values Dennis instilled in him: integrity, generosity and grit.
“Dad always said, help others, whether they’ve been trucking three days or 40 years,” Rukstalis says. “That’s what I live by.”
When Dennis passed, more than 500 people came to his funeral. “We had to turn people away,” Rukstalis remembers. “That’s the kind of man he was. People still to this day say, ‘I remember him.’”
And on every haul, across every mile, that memory rides with Rukstalis — etched in metal, framed in his home and carried in the way he treats everyone he meets on the road.
The Wyoming Trucking Association extends our sincere thanks to Rich Rukstalis for sharing the inspiring story of his stepfather, Dennis Darling, and his remarkable journey in the trucking industry. We appreciate the time, heart, and history he brought to this conversation. Wishing you safe travels and open roads ahead, Rich!
Carrying the Legacy: A Conversation with Truck Driver Rich Rukstalis
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