MOUNT PLEASANT - Married for 33 years, Peter and Crystal Pahira have always done everything together.
Living two blocks away from each other growing up, the couple got together as co-workers at Anthony's Market in Ashland, and later opened a business together.
"I kept bugging him for a ride on his bike," Crystal Pahira said of his motorcycle, recalling how they first got together.
Today, the couple spend even more time together as owners and operators of a trucking business, taking turns driving as they haul freight about 5,600 miles each week across the country.
"Truck driving is special because it keeps the world turning," Pahira said. "Truck drivers transport goods everywhere."
Subcontracted with Werner Enterprises, their weekly schedule starts about noon Thursday when they depart from Milton and head toward Los Angeles to pick up their freight. The couple said they usually arrive in Los Angeles about 3 or 4 a.m. Saturday and make it to their destination in Carlstadt, N.J., about 3 or 4 a.m. Monday. They said they return home to Frackville later Monday morning.
"At times it can be stressful but it can also be enjoyable," Pahira said. "It's an office with a view."
"It can be a pain at sometimes but we love it," Crystal said. "I really don't think I could do anything else. After being able to look out the window and feel the breeze, I don't think I would be able to sit in an office."
As owners and operators of Pahira Transport Inc., they are also able to accept additional deliveries for other companies.
With team drivers being in high demand, Al Gurka, Schuylkill Technology Center site manager and the Pahiras' instructor, said team drivers are able to earn more than individual drivers.
"The purpose of a team is to keep the wheels going," Gurka said. "When companies want their freight delivered as quickly as possible, it is usually done by a team."
The couple said they are responsible for their own maintenance and fuel. They said either a new truck or engine is needed after so many miles, and they are currently on their third truck.
"Two people together can do so much better financially, especially if they are husband and wife," Gurka said.
The Pahiras bought their first truck about 2 1/2 years after graduating from STC.
Before attending the school, they had to sell their previous business, Chris' Pet Grooming in Lower William Penn.
"We actually had more injuries dog grooming than truck driving," Peter Pahira said.
In addition to developing allergies from the dog hair, Crystal Pahira said she had to be hospitalized for a blood infection after she was bitten by one of the dogs.
"It was either get a new profession or get the surgery," Pahira said. "We wanted to find a new profession that we could do together, so in 1998 we started at the Schuylkill Technology Center and went through the program together."
The couple said they chose the school for its in-depth training program and more hours. Gurka said their program is 10 weeks as opposed to most schools using a three-week program.
"Other schools just don't offer what this school does," Crystal Pahira said. "If you're serious about starting a driving career, this is place to get your education."
Both drivers were recently awarded plaques individually for driving a million miles without an accident for Werner Enterprises.
"As an instructor and former truck driver, it is a great achievement to receive this type of an award," Gurka said. "That is some commitment, it is not luck. It's being professional and doing the necessary things to avoid accidents."
Additionally, the couple were never late for a delivery since starting their business.
The Pahiras said they actually see less of each other while on the road as they take turns driving while the other sleeps. Crystal usually drives at night while Peter usually drives during the day. The couple said that was just the way their initial driving schedule worked out and they soon became conditioned to the time they were driving.
"You have to trust the person that is driving," Crystal said. "It is hard to sleep until you get used to it. You're trying to stay awake when your body is telling you to sleep. It took a couple of years to condition the body to sleep in the afternoon."
The Pahiras have been in all 48 mainland states but have never left the country. Some of most memorable things they recall seeing during their travels included the Grand Canyon, the Northern Lights in Washington state and the Twin Towers on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001.
On their days off, the Pahiras said they just pick up and go for long trips on their motorcycles. One of their favorite destinations is Mystic Pizza in Mystic, Conn. They said they also enjoy riding to Cape May and Wildwood, N.J.
"That's what we do on vacation, we drive," Peter Pahira said. "You just can't sit still once you get that mindset."
Home only three days a week, the couple said they had at least 10,000 miles on each of their bikes last year.
"It's just something that gets in your blood," Crystal Pahira said. "I don't know where I got it from but I love it."
Despite all their travels, the Pahiras said their favorite place to return to is the Coal Region.