Welcome back to the Trucking Music Review series, where I’m reviewing truck-driving country music that I’ve never heard before. 

Last week I listened to “Eighteen wheels and a dozen roses” by Kathy Mattea, which was pleasant to listen to. This week, I’ll be reviewing “Six Days on the Road” by Dave Dudley.

Dave Dudley is a bit of a trucking music legend, as he created a handful of well-known songs such as “Truck Drivin’ Son of a Gun” and “Me and ol’ C.B.”

“Six Day on the Road” was his most popular song, as it sold over one million copies upon its release in the ’60s. 

In what I’ll assume is a common theme in truck-driving country music, Dudley is so ecstatic to get home from being on the road that he takes some drugs and starts speeding down the highways. What a legend. 

I do not condone such behavior, as it is likely detrimental to the driver’s health and those they share the road with. Nonetheless, I can see how riding dirty in the open road can be seen as badass and relatable by fellow truckers.

The lyrics in this song are hilarious and the upbeat tempo allows for some quick-hitting knee slappers from Dudley, which I found amusing. 

“I got my diesel wound up and she's a runnin' like a never before. There's a speed zone ahead, well alright I don't see a cop in sight,” is pretty darn funny, especially when you take into account Dudley’s playful voice as he sings the lyrics. 

While the song itself is pretty funny, I didn’t really enjoy the instrumentals. There are too many sounds that are clashing with one another, and overall it doesn’t improve the song in any way. 

In addition, the cadence of Dudley’s voice doesn’t do the song any justice, and he’s is pretty off-beat at times too. The pace of the instrumental doesn’t match the speed of his singing, which makes the song sound clunky. 

Specifically, the first line of the song “Well I pulled outta Pittsburgh, a rollin’ down the Eastern Seaboard,” is particularly off-putting.

The song is a mixed bag sonically, but the overall messaging of wanting to be home from work after six days on the road is something I can see connecting very well with truckers. I can’t really imagine the feeling of wanting to be home as soon as possible when your workweek is coming to a close as a truck driver.

I’ll go ahead and give this song a 6/10. It was alright, not the best, but alright. 

So what you think about this song? Have you listened to it? If so, tell me your thoughts in the comments or on social media!