Transportation Library News

Bette S. Garber: Photographer and Advocate for Truckers

Bette S. Garber has passed away at the age of 65. Garber was best known for her photography of big rigs. Beyond her creative work in photographing the exterior of trucks, Garber documented the interiors of her beloved trucks, which led to a deep understanding of the lives of truckers, and by extension their families, and the social aspects of trucking. Garber was a licensed truck driver herself and spent much time on the road with drivers.

Garber will perhaps be remembered by the community for her artistic work, but she contributed numerous thoughtful articles on trucker health and safety to industry magazines, with the intent of having them read by truckers themselves, for more than a decade.

Her 2002 article referred to in a New York Times obituary was titled Wake up call to fleets: the sleep that kills. As the cover story in the January 2002 issue of Heavy Duty Trucking, the article was widely read by truckers themselves and can be credited for raising attention to the issue and treatment for sleep-related illnesses in the profession.

Wake up call to fleets:
http://www.heavydutytrucking.com/2002/01/022a0201.asp
New York Times obituary:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/23/arts/design/23garber.html