Truckers Union came to be during the counterculture revolution of the late 60’s and early 70’s.

There was such a fervor for new ideas, new experiences, and new ways of doing things. In the spirit of the revolution, Steve Reuter started the store in 1970 with $5K, a plywood bench, and an idea. A no hassle store for hippies and all sorts of anti-establishmentarians. He wanted it to be more than your typical head shop. A counterculture general store, sort of. Seeking all sorts of culture and fun items to bring in to town has been a constant goal of ours. Having unique merchandise and presenting it in a complementary display is part of our history.

In the early days we were a headshop, leather shop, and record store.  We handmade many items, having more time than money. Split off the leather shop in ‘75 and the record store in ’85. We have grown leaps and bounds since then, striving to turn our community on to cool and unique items with as much local flavor as we can get. It’s the place to find that totally unique gift, such as costume jewelry, clothing, T-shirts, posters, tapestries, books, greeting cards, stickers, incense, perfume oils, candles, home décor, all sorts of counterculture stuff, and so much more!

And the smell of “Truckers”, the aroma of incense and candles that greets customers at the door. It stays with us and the regulars, it’s one of the best parts. The comment, “Oh, you smell like “Truckers” has a certain townie ring to it for over 45 years now. Another comment is, “The ambiance of “Truckers” hasn’t changed, and it’s still the same after all these years.” Isn’t it wonderful when some things don’t change!

Another thing about “Truckers” is the staff/family. Steve likes to hire staff that is a bit eccentric. Lindz has wanted to work here since she was a kid. She told everyone, she was going to work at “Truckers” someday. She loves it here!  Alex said, “The first time I walked in here, I wanted to work here.” He wanted to work in a store that is locally owned and operated. He was a straightedge at the time and knew nothing about paraphernalia. Now he is the expert. How times have changed. George and Keira were rehired twice. Rose was an actress and a manager. Zenn cried when she got the job. Quite a history of staff who have said, “This is the best job ever” and “You were the best boss ever”.

Incense, candles, and pipes, Oh my!

And yes, we sell pipes, all sorts of smoking paraphernalia. From wood pipes to water pipes, glass pipes of all sorts, acrylic pipes, hookahs, bubblers, oil rigs, vaporizers and all the modern toys you may want. Except, we don’t sell crack pipes. We are known around town for giving our customers excellent advice and customer service in this department, and throughout the store.

We like our community and our interaction with it. We support progressive community action of all kinds and give to many local charities. We are proud to be a fixture of our community.

To build a better and better retail environment for people to come and shop has and will continue to be our goal. Stop in, you might run into someone you know, or want to know.

Enjoying the ride, and what a long strange trip it’s been! 

Keep on truckin’!