White Line Fever: The Enduring Power of Trucker Songs

There’s something timeless about a trucker song—the rumble of an engine under a wide-open sky, the lonely hum of tires on pavement, and the steady voice of a singer who knows the road like the back of their hand. Whether it's classic country, outlaw anthems, or modern highway hymns, trucker songs have carved out a place in the hearts of drivers and dreamers alike.

From CB radio hits to back-of-the-truck Spotify playlists, these songs reflect the grit, humor, heartbreak, and pride of life on the road.

The 1960s and ’70s gave birth to the golden era of trucker music. America was in love with the open road, and the trucker was a working-class hero—independent, strong-willed, and essential. Songwriters tapped into that image and created a booming genre that spoke directly to the men and women who kept the country moving.

These songs weren’t just background noise—they were survival tools. They kept drivers awake, connected, and comforted on endless hauls across the continent.

Here are some of the most iconic trucker songs that helped define the genre:

• “Six Days on the Road” – Dave Dudley
  A trucker anthem if there ever was one. This song captured the relentless push to get home after a week behind the wheel.
• “Convoy” – C.W. McCall
  A CB-radio-fueled anthem that turned trucker lingo into a cultural phenomenon.
• “Teddy Bear” – Red Sovine
  A tearjerker of a story-song about kindness, loneliness, and connection on the highway.
• “East Bound and Down” – Jerry Reed
  Immortalized in Smokey and the Bandit, it’s a rollicking, fast-paced jam that became a southern trucker anthem.
• “Phantom 309” – Red Sovine
  A ghost story-meets-truckers’ tale with eerie storytelling and gravel-road charm.
• “Roll On (Eighteen Wheeler)” – Alabama
  A tribute to the families of truckers and the emotional weight that travels with them.
• “Diesel on My Tail” – Jim & Jesse
  A fun, slightly frantic bluegrass ode to a big rig hot on your heels.
• “Truck Drivin’ Man” – Red Simpson
  A honky-tonk tribute to the pride and grit of the working trucker.

• “Brothers of the Highway” – Tony Justice
  A real trucker writing and singing about real trucking. Justice has become a new voice for the old-school road warrior.
• “18 Wheels and a Dozen Roses” – Kathy Mattea
  A sentimental tune about retirement and love that hits deep for long-time drivers.
• “I’m a Truck” – Red Simpson
  A clever song told from the point of view of the truck itself.
• “White Line Fever” – Merle Haggard
  The weariness and commitment of a man living life on the road.
• “Prisoner of the Highway” – Ronnie Milsap
  A soaring ballad about being chained to the rhythm of the open road.
• “Big Wheels in the Moonlight” – Dan Seals
  A nostalgic look at childhood dreams of life behind the wheel.
• “Girl on the Billboard” – Del Reeves
  A humorous and catchy tune about distractions along the route.

In a world of streaming and satellite radio, trucker songs are still out there doing what they’ve always done—keeping drivers company, telling their stories, and turning long miles into memorable moments. These songs are love letters to the lifestyle, filled with sweat, steel, sacrifice, and a stubborn kind of freedom.

They remind us that even when you're riding solo, you’re never really alone if you’ve got a song that understands the road you're on.

• “Looking at the World Through a Windshield” – Del Reeves
• “Highway Junkie” – Gary Allan
• “The Ballad of Thunder Road” – Robert Mitchum
• “Born to Truck” – Dale Watson
• “Drive” – Alan Jackson
• “Papa Loved Mama” – Garth Brooks
• “The Road Goes on Forever” – Robert Earl Keen
• “Truckin’” – Grateful Dead (for the hippie truckers out there)