Having lived in the Midwest I don't think my European frens quite get the scale of America, the distances involved, the terrain in the way, and the extremity of the weather you can encounter. It's all a bit too "temperate maritime" over here, and closely packed. As such, the cultural significance of truckers and trucks doesn't quite translate. We have a somewhat different relationship to roads and road travel. We have tomatoes and strawberries from southern Spain going to Finland, for sure, but it's not quite the same as Florida to Wyoming.

Where in the Midwest did you live, Martin?