In 2001, Don Hoyt was putting his two years of vocational school carpentry training to good use, making a living by building houses and pole barns around his hometown of Ottawa, Ohio. One day that year, he had a life-changing accident while working on a job in a rundown factory. Don entered a darkened elevator shaft, unaware that the carriage was missing. His eleven-foot fall resulted in a broken back.

Don spent the next four months in a body cast while waiting for his injuries to heal—and countless additional months undergoing physical rehabilitation.

Unable to work as a carpenter, Don turned to another of his skills: truck driving. His father, Tom, worked as a truck driver for over four decades, and driving was essentially the family business. Don obtained a commercial driver’s license at 18 and had truck driving experience. So he and his wife, Annissa, began traversing the country, delivering campers and trucks.

Don began hauling asphalt for Bluffton Paving, Inc. in the spring of 2016. Today, he drives for Bluffton Paving and The Bluffton Stone Company seven months a year. He delivers propane during the winter.

“In addition to being easier on the body, the best part of driving a dump truck is the cabins are air-conditioned,” quips Don before turning thoughtful and mentioning that he most likes working with his great colleagues.

Back In Time

Born and raised in Ottawa, Don attended Ottawa-Glandorf High School before studying carpentry in a vocational school. Today, he and Annissa reside in Columbus Grove.

The couple have three thirty-something-aged sons and six grandchildren (with a seventh on the way). They enjoy camping, hunting, gardening, being on the water, and watching NASCAR and dirt track racing.

“People would probably be surprised to know that I am really into pre-1840s reenactments,” says Don.

Don has been reenacting the pre-1840s period (sometimes called the ‘mountain man era’) since turning 18. Together, the couple participates in living history encampments around Ohio in cities such as Defiance, Perrysburg, Tiffin, Van Wert, and Xenia. Reenactors dress in historically accurate clothing and demonstrate frontier skills such as establishing camps, open-fire cooking, and shooting.

“Reenactments provide a sense of what pre-1840s life was like while paying tribute to that part of our history,” says Don.

When asked whether he would recommend driving dump trucks as a career to future high school graduates, Don says he would indeed.

“Every day is a distinct adventure,” he explains. “There are always different places and new challenges. And, if you are self-motivated, you will strive in the role.”

Don knows all about self-motivation. One unfortunate step altered his life, but determination kept it from getting the best of him.