Transylvania Driver Escapes to United States
A colorful life would be an understatement when referring to Tiber Roczo. “Even as a kid, I wanted to live in the United States,” Roczo said. Born in Arad, Transylvania in Romania, Roczo grew up resenting communist rule and the decision to defect to the United States.
He escaped from closed borders of his homeland on a bus with 16 passengers and a driver. When the bus stopped for what seemed like a routine shopping trip “Everyone disappeared, even the bus driver! “Roczo said while laughing. He said that he was very fortunate to meet a catholic priest who was also from Transylvania. The priest helped Roczo get to a refugee camp. After a strange interview with an unidentified American to make sure he wasn’t a spy, The World Council of Churches helped bring him to the states in 1978.
In 1980, Roczo met and married his wife, Helen in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Helen is also from Romania. They soon had a beautiful baby girl and named her, Eva. The voice of a proud father is evident as he described Eva, now 34 years old, working for the TSA and stationed in Alaska.
Roczo embraced the entrepreneurial spirit that defines the American dream and started a small oyster harvesting business in New Orleans. “I made a lot of money, but work was too seasonal,” he said.
In 1985, Roczo and his wife decided to get their US citizenship together. “She sat in the seat right next to me,” Roczo said.
After leaving the oyster business, Roczo started a lucrative logging company in White Sulfur Springs, Montana. According to Roczo, the movement to save the spotted owl had serious and devastating effects on the logging industry. He decided that he did not want to be in the middle of the political standoff between loggers and the environmentalists, so he moved on.
After working a short time at National Beef in Liberal, KS, Roczo chose to attend Seward County Community College / Area Technical School to earn his CDL certification. He has been driving for National Carriers ever since. After a couple years of driving with National Carriers, Roczo laughs as he describes a disagreement he had with a steer while unloading it from the truck. “The steer won! “Roczo laughed as he recounted the event of the steer plowing him over. Roczo was hospitalized as a result of the bovine encounter with a torn ACL in his knee. “It is all better now,” Roczo chuckles. “I think the steer was just annoyed with me.”
Roczo spoke highly of Jim Dana who took him under his wing and trained him from the beginning. Roczo left the livestock division and now drives in the refrigerated division. He said that he finally found the perfect job at National Carriers. “I will tell you this from experience,” he said, “some drivers look at this as just a job, but not me. If I could, I could drive forever and that would be fine with me!”
