They called him The Southern Shaker, and when Eddie Gantt hit the highway, you felt it in your bones before you saw his rig in the mirror. A long-nose Pete, paint gleaming, stacks howling, and a flatbed dancing behind him like it couldn’t wait to unload. Legend has it, Arizona troopers once clocked him tearing across the desert at 135 MPH—a blur of chrome and diesel thunder. Some said he was crazy, others said he was the best wheel-man they’d ever met. Either way, if you shared the road with Eddie, you had a story to tell.
Who Was the Southern Shaker?
Eddie Gantt wasn’t your average hauler. Before his trucking days, he served in the United States Air Force. After his time in the military, Gantt found himself behind the wheel of an 18-wheeler. Legend has it, Arizona state troopers once clocked his rig screaming down the highway at 135 MPH—not once, but on more than one run. While most truckers keep it between the lines and within the limit, Eddie made his mark by pushing the boundaries, both in speed and in trucking culture.
He hauled on a flatbed, drove a super-extended hood Pete, and carried himself with the kind of confidence that made fellow drivers listen when his voice crackled over the CB. His style inspired a 1981 tribute song by Jim Howard—a nod to a man whose very presence on the road turned heads.
Truck Stops, CB Mics, and the Open Road
At truck stops, he was a story in the making. On the radio, his handle carried weight. On the asphalt, he was a moving landmark. The Southern Shaker wasn’t just about going fast—he was about living loud, proud, and unapologetically in the driver’s seat.
Why the Legend Lives On
Drivers today still swap Eddie Gantt stories because he embodied a truth truckers know well: your reputation rolls ahead of you. His was built on skill, confidence, and a certain rebellious streak that cemented his place in road lore.
Driving Fast vs. Driving Smart
But here’s where the rubber meets the road. Eddie’s story might make us grin and shake our heads—but hitting 135 MPH in a loaded truck is a gamble nobody should take. Today’s highways are busier, rigs are heavier, and the stakes are higher. Speed limits exist for a reason: physics doesn’t cut you any slack at 80, let alone triple digits.
The takeaway: Legends are built on skill and style—but lasting legacies come from making it home safe. Whether you’re hauling coast-to-coast or just a few hundred miles, the best way to keep your name alive is to combine that Southern Shaker pride with a safety-first mindset.