32 Oregon Trucking Association, Inc. Oregon Truck Dispatch McCracken Motor Freight When Myke Lake was 29 years old, her dad called her and asked if she knew any guys around her age who would be interested in working in trucking. She replied, “Why does it have to be a guy?” and two weeks later, she was the fourth generation of her family working at McCracken Motor Freight. McCracken’s history goes back to 1914 when Myke’s great-great-grandfather started driving a stagecoach buggy from Portland to Sacramento. In 1929, Myke’s Grandpa Earl and his brother Bill started McCracken Brothers. Grandpa Earl drove stagecoach and buggies from Portland to Corvallis, while Uncle Bill was based out of Eugene. Today, the company still has terminals in Portland and Eugene. Myke’s father eventually took over the company and when his daughter joined the team, he made sure she trained in every position until she could do them all herself. “I knew a little about the trucking industry before I started but not a ton,” said Myke. Today, she oversees everything from billing to safety to operations. After 19 years in the business, Myke still relies on her father’s expertise when it comes to certain things. “I’ve always used him for his wealth of knowledge in the industry—over 59 years!” said Myke. “I still call him and ask for advice on stuff. Even though you can’t stay in the past, you have to use those tools to be successful, and know the thought process behind it. We have over a 30-year age difference, so I look at things differently than he does, but you always have to be learning from each other.” While Myke has earned her stripes in her 19 years in the industry, she admits that being a woman in a male-dominated industry isn’t always easy. “Not very many owners in the trucking industry are women,” said Myke. “It’s difficult, but I also did the hard knocks and learned everyone’s job and made sure that when I’m talking, I can speak the truth of what I need to know to make every position successful. For example, when it’s snowing, I’m right there alongside the guys chaining up trucks in the shop or shoveling snow to get them on the road.” Myke is very proud of the business her great-great-grandfather built and how her family has helped the company stand the test of time. “I have a lot of pride that we’re still around,” said Myke. “Our motor carrier number is 941. Today, motor carrier numbers are eight digits long. We’ve made it through all the trials and tribulations and bumps and bruises. You go up and down and have to change with the times.” Even with all the changes the company has seen since its horse and buggy days, Myke’s commitment to the work they do remains the same. “I just want to haul things and make people happy.” Multi-Generational Trucking, cont.
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