Steve Hilker Trucking, Inc.

05/26/2026

Back to the grind for our crew after the Memorial Day holiday. The fellas were rolling through Beaver Stockyards today and had all but a couple chutes covered.

We’ve got to give credit where it’s due — the sale barn rolled through cattle and got buyers and trucks in and out at top speed. That kind of efficiency makes for a smooth, enjoyable day for everybody involved.

05/23/2026

Behind every trucker… ❤️

Behind every truck driver…
there’s usually a family making sacrifices too.

Missed birthdays.
Late night phone calls.
Holidays spent waiting for dad or mom to finally pull back in the driveway.

People talk about the miles drivers put on trucks…
but nobody talks enough about the miles put on families.

Because trucking isn’t just one person carrying the load.

It’s the wife holding things together at home.
The kids counting down the days until the truck comes back.
The family learning to live with goodbyes and short visits.

That truck on the highway feeds more than freight.

It feeds a family.

05/19/2026

The last few weeks have been especially trying for our part of the world and down into the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles. We recently received an urgent call to move several loads of cattle off grass that had been burned. It’s hard to imagine there’s anything left to burn in some of these fire-ravaged areas, and yet…

We’re praying for much-needed rain — rain to help knock back the fires, replenish ground and soil that have so little left, and give our exhausted firefighters a well-deserved break. So many of them are weary and ready to be home with their families.

We pray for an end to the drought, for healing across these communities, and for continued opportunities to care for the agricultural world we all depend on… and for one another.

Hear us, oh Lord. And until then, lift our spirits so we can continue pouring into those around us who need it most.

05/14/2026

We’ve had a few monster weeks here, and the crew has been picking them up and putting them down every step of the way. We’re grateful for the opportunity to stay busy, keep the wheels turning, and continue finding ways to improve our service for the people who trust us to get the job done.

Long days, mornings that turn into late nights that flow right into another day — and a team that keeps showing up ready to work. We don’t take any of this for granted.

05/10/2026

Today we celebrate all the moms who help keep this business and our crew going day after day. Whether they’re home with the kids, keeping the fridge stocked, running errands, holding everything together behind the scenes, or playing both mom and dad while we keep rolling down the road — the women in our corner of the world are truly a cut above.

Some days they carry it all for days at a time, and they do it with grit, love, and very little recognition.

We see you. We appreciate you. And we’re thankful for the way you pour into your families so they can show up here every day.

Y’all are the real MVPs. ❤️

Happy Mother’s Day from all of us at Steve Hilker Trucking Inc.

05/04/2026

This weekend may have been a new date, but it’s not a new event.

We spent Saturday at King of the Ring at Winter Livestock in Dodge City—always an exciting day inside, with cattle moving through the ring at an efficient clip and buyers working hard to fill orders and take care of their customers. We’re fortunate to work alongside some of the best in the business.

Behind the scenes, it’s just as busy. The crew out back kept everything flowing—moving cattle from the ring to pens and then onto our trucks. We shipped an impressive number of cattle last night and into this morning without a single mistake. That doesn’t happen by accident—it takes a full team working together and getting it done right.

We were moving so fast we didn’t grab a picture until we were pulling away.

This is one of our favorite times of year. Cheers to Winter Livestock Inc. and all of our customers—both consigners and buyers—for keeping us rolling. Our guys put in the time and effort to make this a truly seamless event for everyone on our end of the sale.

04/16/2026

How cool is this…!?

Through KMCA's partnership with the Nebraska Trucking Association, members have access to FMCSA-compliant Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) at some of the lowest prices in the country:

🚛 Theory-Only ELDT — starting at $349 for KMCA members
⚠️ HazMat Endorsement Training — starting at $149 for KMCA members

Both programs are completed online at your convenience. Behind-the-Wheel training can be arranged at your location or through the KMCA network.

Register at kmca.org/safety-training

04/02/2026

This Lenten season, we offered a Pray40 Challenge through the Hallow app to our team. No pressure. No expectations. Just an invitation—to spend 40 days in prayer and in God’s Word, together.

For those who may not know, I’m Alleah, and I have the privilege of serving as owner of Steve Hilker Trucking Inc. and voice behind this page. My faith journey hasn’t been a straight line—it’s been full of peaks and valleys. I’ve wrestled, questioned, turned away, and, by grace, found my way back home.

When I felt called to share this opportunity with our team, I hesitated. Stepping into that kind of vulnerability isn’t easy for me, especially in a professional setting. And underneath it all was a quiet fear: what if no one joined me?

But they did.

Several members of our team stepped in. Along the way, conversations opened up—about what we were hearing, what we were learning, and where we were being challenged. We’ve prayed for one another. We’ve grown. And in the midst of busy days, we’ve made space for something deeper.

On this Holy Thursday, I wanted to share this small piece of our story as a gentle nudge to anyone who might need it.

If you’ve been thinking about coming home—to church, to faith, to God—He is already waiting for you. Not with hesitation or judgement, but with joy. There is nothing you’ve done that would make Him turn away. He’s standing on the front porch, looking for you.

If you’d like us to pray for you during these sacred days, we would be honored. Drop a comment or send us a message.

And if you’re looking for a simple place to begin again, the Pray40 Challenge on the Hallow app is a beautiful way to start. It’s rooted in the Catholic tradition, but open to anyone seeking to reconnect.

We’re grateful for a team willing to show up—not just for the work, but for each other. ❤️

04/01/2026

Well, folks, this is something we hear about every year—and today, we experienced it firsthand.

After years of operating under what’s commonly called the “MAP-21 agricultural exemption” (49 CFR §395), one of our trucks was issued two logbook violations this morning in Mineral Wells, TX by the Texas Highway Patrol, Texas Department of Public Safety - Northwest Texas Region.

Here’s what happened:

Our driver loaded in Jonesboro, TX and was stopped approximately 90 miles from the origin of the load. Under federal Hours of Service (HOS) regulations, that places him well within the 150 air-mile radius of the agricultural exemption.

However, the trooper insisted that the driver was required to produce a complete logbook with 7 days of records.

For those in the industry, and those who may need a refresher, here are a few important clarifications—supported by federal guidance:

1. Agricultural (MAP-21) Exemption & HOS

Drivers transporting agricultural commodities (including livestock) are exempt from HOS requirements while operating within a 150 air-mile radius from the ORIGIN and from the DESTINATION of the load. Within that radius, drivers are not required to maintain or produce standard logbooks/RODS for that time. Once outside the 150 air-mile radius, HOS rules apply.

FMCSA guidance:
https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/sites/fmcsa.dot.gov/files/2023-12/ELD%20and%20Ag.%20Commodity%20Factsheet.pdf

2. ELD Requirements for Livestock Haulers

Livestock and insect haulers currently remain exempt from Electronic Logging Device (ELD) requirements, even when HOS rules apply outside the exemption radius. In those cases, paper logs may still be used.

FMCSA reference:
https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/hours-service/elds/livestock-and-insect-haulers

Situations like this highlight an ongoing need for clarity and education—for both drivers and enforcement.

As always, know the regulations, know where to find them, and keep your documentation straight. And remember: roadside is not the place to argue interpretations—but understanding the law matters when it comes time to stand on it.

03/29/2026

We’re grateful for the many partners who make it possible for us to do what we love every day.

Recently, thanks to one of those relationships, we had several of our trucks lined up loading fat cattle headed to Dodge City. When you’ve got multiple trucks with multiple lots loading at once, communication is everything—making sure the right cattle go to the right place and every detail is handled along the way.

Our crew takes pride in keeping things running smoothly from start to finish. It’s days like this that remind us how strong partnerships and good people make successful ex*****on possible.

📸: Cody Jones

03/23/2026

“If you leave today, I'll just stare at the way the orange touches all things around…” 🎶🔥

There’s something about a Texas Saturday morning this time of year. The sky lights up in every shade of orange, the road stretches out ahead, and the day starts with a load of feeder cattle and a whole lot of gratitude.

We don’t take these moments for granted—early mornings, late nights, and the kind of sunrises and sunsets that stop you in your tracks.

We’d love to see it from your side of the windshield—drop your best trucking shot in the comments, whether it’s chasing a sunrise or rolling into a sunset. 🌅🚛

Owner operator: Nathen Philbern
Photographer and owner operator: Francisco Alcala