Behind the wheel with violin-playing truck driver

While it’s a well-known fact that truck drivers are the backbone of our country, the public doesn’t always stop to consider the lives of drivers when they aren’t behind the wheel. Truckloads of Talent, a newly created YouTube series, looks farther into the talent of truck drivers.

And it started with Brian Lips, a Crete Carrier long-haul truck driver, who is also a classical music aficionado and has a passion for the violin, as reported by FleetOwner.

Lips first began playing the violin on his 52^nd birthday, proving that you can start pursuing your passions at any stage of life. He had always known that he a desire to master the violin so when his friend Kaitlyn gifted him a Cecilio violin, the learning started.

“It gives me peace,” said Lips in the Truckloads of Talent YouTube video. “It gives me [a] sense of doing something that a lot of other people don’t do.”

After being featured on the Truckloads of Talent channel, Lips gained a Twitter following. He connects with his audience daily by posting videos of him practicing his instrument. Some of the videos are shot right from the front seat of his truck. Lips plays while parked at truck stops along his route, rolling down the windows and drawing curious listeners in.

“In a little 6-foot by 6-foot box, you can imagine the reverb,” Lips said.

Sometimes the listeners are other truck drivers who share in Lips’ passion for classic music. All from Lips deciding to follow one of his passions, he can connect with people he otherwise may not have.

“There’s a lot more classical music people out there that drive trucks than you would think,” Lips said.

He has a dream of starting a quartet – where all the members are truck drivers.