My name is Patrick Truitt.

If you live around Barnwell, Williston, or Denmark, you’ve probably seen me. I’m the shaven-headed guy in a black handkerchief forehead sweatband, a dark blue polo shirt, unbuttoned blue colored tropical themed Hawaiian shirt, gray sweatpants, and a pair of gray San Antonio Shoemakers sneakers that look older than they are (they're a year old, but they are the only shoes I had left the day I lost my housing). I'm the guy navigating our local roads at all hours of the day and night in a vintage silver 2004 Lincoln Towncar that is loud because the catalytic converter “went missing” and a front driver’s side that met an unsuspecting buck crossing the road in the middle of the night a month ago, dropping off your Walmart Spark orders and DoorDash deliveries.

Lately, the grind hasn't just been tough; it's been a cinematic trial by fire.

In the last few weeks alone, I’ve fought a failing engine idle through torrential downpours and ended up stuck in ditches after late-night shop and deliver runs, or mid-afternoon general merchandise deliveries to the outskirts of Norway, South Carolina, a place where locals will tell you that to survive out there, you need an intimate knowledge of the roads as well as going to the likes of Brunson and Gifford in Hampton County or even into the edge of Orangeburg County.

I’ve been pushed through that intersection with the "no turn on red" at the Hagood Ave light all the way down Patterson Street to the Bi-Rite Foods at the angled intersection going to SC-64 and Marlboro Rd/US-278 by a kind stranger in an old white Malibu after the Lincoln gave me that terrifying "absolute fumes" hiccup that ended up with the stalled “hey, you idiot, you’re out of fuel” full stall just as I was making a last second turn to quickly head to that gas station. He even blessed me with $20 out of his own pocket while I was drowning in a near-constant OnePay Advance cycle—a cycle I have to constantly draw from just to stay afloat and pay toward the hotel room I'm currently staying in.

And just when I thought I'd seen it all, I was rescued near the only Sunoco fuel stop, the Country Corner convenience store which had closed just as I arrived off SC-70 near Reedy Branch Road. It was a little after 10:15 PM, I had just finished the final delivery for the evening in Denmark and pulled into that gas stop and was met with "pump stopped" message after I saw the clerk leave in his car so I gambled on thinking I could make it all the way to Barnwell. A few yards from the station, the "out of gas" stall occured for a second time that week. Thankfully I was able to wave down a retired cop from Charleston by the name of Clinton Zimmer, who joked he was leaving a paper trail in case I was a murderer.

This isn't just a job for me; it's a daily battle for survival.

Right now, I am living out of the Winton Inn & Suites in Barnwell after losing my housing. That old Lincoln isn't just a classic land-yacht; it is my absolute lifeline. It is the only tool I have to pull myself out of this hole. But right now, the machine is winning. I am facing an immediate $256 emergency to prevent a title loan repossession. If they take the keys, the engine stops, the income stops, and the floor drops out from under me completely.

My total goal of $2,500 is designed to completely break the cycle. It will:

- Save the car from repossession immediately (now $512, behind 3 months but they need 2 months payment to stop any repossession efforts. In continuous communication with title pawn company)

- I am also dealing with a ~$150 administrative fine from the SCDMV because of an insurance lapse. Apparently my old policy went into a non-pay state back in mid-May, but the company kept a window open until June 22nd to put it back in force. I had absolutely no clue the insurance had even lapsed while I was out there driving... I was completely blind to it while just trying to survive the daily grind. The second I dug into the records and realized what happened with the timeline, I went right out and locked down a new legal policy with GEICO. But since the state clock ran for those missed days in between, the DMV is charging this standard daily fee to keep my registration clear.

- Secure my room at the inn so I have a safe place to rest between shifts (daily rate is $59.99, have an outstanding balance I would like to zero out completely)

- Provide a small fuel and maintenance buffer so I don't have to face the empty-tank lottery on a dark country highway again. (Still need this because of the new policy being secured which has set me back significantly.)

- And repay outstanding loan borrowed from a lender on /r/BorrowNew ($110 plus interest. Loan was $75 for a repayment of $110 on 05/09/2026. Have been in constant communication with lender on Reddit.)

I am not asking for a handout while sitting back. I am out on the blacktop right now, pushing this car and my own grit to the absolute limit to cover every cent I can on my own. But the margins in the gig economy are razor-thin, and the unexpected hits have caught up to me.

I am in the works on securing a more permanent residence but I only have leads, not follow-ups but I'm actively looking for something more permanent. On top of it all, after the 4th of July holiday, I hit a brick wall with severe exhaustion and dehydration. From Tuesday, July the 7th to Friday, July the 10th, 2026, I could not physically work because of endangering other drivers and my life trying to drive while at that level of exhaustion so that has set me back even further.

If you have a few dollars to spare to help keep a local driver on the road and shelter for rest and recovery between shifts, it will help keep me going and provide gas in my tank. If you can’t donate, sharing this with folks in the CSRA or local South Carolina groups means more than you know.

I’ll keep this page updated like a daily log from the front lines of the delivery route.

Thank you for standing by a neighbor who is doing everything he can to keep moving forward.

As always, have a blessed day, afternoon or evening.

Very kind regards,

Patrick Truitt

Added updates: pictures of my Towncar in its current state, added updated request because of insurance lapse fine, refined my appearance description for locals who may have seen me around town and "defective equipment" warning with redactions on sensitive or private information.

I'm providing these as evidence of my promise of utmost transparency.