Truck polishing work tends to get political

“Since I lost my last job, it’s been a little rough. It’s kind of hard to make ends meet.”

“I’ve had all sorts of jobs and lived all over the country. The last five years before I came here, I went around to truck stops and polished trucks. I could polish four wheels and make $30.

“Truck stops usually have regular polishers, though, and you can get into a hassle if you move onto their turf. One of my buddies got jumped and hit over the head with a bat. I got into fights with other polishers. A lot of them are dope addicts and alcoholics. They think because they got there first, they have the right to do all the trucks that come through that truck stop. Like most things, it’s political.”