Cypress Orientation: What They See and What It Takes

1 00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:05,800 You know, there's a reason trucking has one of the highest turnover rates in America. It's not 2 00:00:05,800 --> 00:00:10,720 because drivers can't drive. It's not because the money isn't there, and it's not because companies 3 00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:17,000 aren't willing to train you up. It's because most people have no idea what they actually signed up 4 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:23,959 for. They think big truck, open road, good paycheck, be home for dinner, and then reality shows up and 5 00:00:23,959 --> 00:00:28,440 says, you're going to be gone. You're going to be sore. You're going to miss things, and nobody's 6 00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:35,250 holding your hand anymore. Here's a stat for you. Depending on the segment of the industry, up to 80 7 00:00:35,250 --> 00:00:42,000 to 90% of new drivers don't make it through their first year. Not because they failed the job, but 8 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:48,000 because they weren't ready for the lifestyle. And that's where today's episode comes in, because the 9 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:53,440 two guys you're about to hear from, they're not just part of orientation. They're the ones who see 10 00:00:53,480 --> 00:00:59,120 drivers right before the dream meets reality. They're the ones who can tell sometimes in a 11 00:00:59,150 --> 00:01:03,869 matter of hours. Who's going to make it and who's going to be gone before the ink dries on their 12 00:01:03,869 --> 00:01:08,830 CDL? So if you're thinking about getting into a truck, if you're thinking about getting into 13 00:01:08,830 --> 00:01:14,589 trucking, if you're sitting in orientation right now, or if you've been out here a few months 14 00:01:14,589 --> 00:01:19,789 wondering why this feels harder than you expected, you might want to listen real close to this 15 00:01:19,790 --> 00:01:26,749 episode of. Countdown to the 16 00:01:26,750 --> 00:01:33,629 Cypress Truck Lines podcast starts now. Your number one 17 00:01:33,629 --> 00:01:40,589 professional flatbed podcast here to deliver stories, safety updates and company news directly 18 00:01:40,589 --> 00:01:44,349 to your ears. Let's get down to business. 19 00:01:50,190 --> 00:01:55,230 How's the weather out there? Cypress and Sunbelt. Welcome into the Cypress Truck Lines podcast. This 20 00:01:55,230 --> 00:02:01,849 is episode 17. It's crazy. We're creeping on 20 already. That is, uh, that's some that's some good 21 00:02:01,889 --> 00:02:07,969 backlog of stuff to listen to. Now, um, if you haven't listened to all the episodes yet, some 22 00:02:07,969 --> 00:02:13,689 people like to what I call batch, their podcast listening. So maybe you only listen to the Cypress 23 00:02:13,689 --> 00:02:19,009 Truck Lines podcast once a month, but you come in for four hours of content rather than listening 24 00:02:19,009 --> 00:02:24,929 every single week for one hour of content. I'm totally fine with it. I'll say. Just make sure you 25 00:02:24,969 --> 00:02:29,129 catch up, listen to all the episodes. There's a lot of good info there, and a lot of really cool 26 00:02:29,130 --> 00:02:35,289 people that we get to talk to and learn about. Uh, Cypress Truck Lines from. Today is 27 00:02:35,289 --> 00:02:40,649 absolutely no exception to that rule, and we'll get into that in just a minute. Uh, first comes 28 00:02:40,649 --> 00:02:46,529 first. You know, it's the homework we gotta get to. It's podcast.cypresstruck.com is the website. 29 00:02:46,570 --> 00:02:52,169 Uh, pretty simple. Bookmark that thing. You'll have all your podcast episodes, all the information, uh, 30 00:02:52,169 --> 00:02:55,689 any types of photo galleries or anything that we're going to put together for you will be up 31 00:02:55,720 --> 00:03:01,200 there. Basically, it's your one stop shop for everything Cypress Truck Lines podcast, so head on 32 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:06,079 over there once again. podcast.cypresstruck.com and that is where you can email me 33 00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:11,000 directly. I've gotten plenty of emails from you guys suggesting episodes tell me that you want to 34 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:16,480 be on the show. Keep those coming. I take notes, man. I've got every single one of them. I know that you 35 00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:20,880 want to be on the show. I want to involve you on the show. So head on over to podcast.cypresstruck.com 36 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:26,280 right now and send me a message. Or at least just bookmark page so that you can listen 37 00:03:26,280 --> 00:03:33,240 to all of the new content that we're cranking out now. Today's episode is an interesting one. We've 38 00:03:33,240 --> 00:03:38,800 got joining us here in just a few Randy Wells, your orientation supervisor, and Blaine Carver, 39 00:03:38,839 --> 00:03:45,839 your orientation clerk. And I got to sit down with Randy for a long time on both of my trips out to 40 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:51,079 Jacksonville. And what a great guy. First and foremost, just one of the dudes that if he starts 41 00:03:51,080 --> 00:03:55,749 talking to you, you just want to sit down and listen. Because Randy has lived an amazing life 42 00:03:55,749 --> 00:04:00,749 and he's got a lot of experience in truck driving. Uh, Blaine, I didn't get a chance to meet Blaine 43 00:04:00,750 --> 00:04:04,190 before this, but what? I'll tell you, because I've already done the interview with these two 44 00:04:04,190 --> 00:04:10,749 gentlemen. Blaine is is just as knowledgeable. And what a great piece to have in the orientation. Uh, 45 00:04:10,750 --> 00:04:16,869 I guess the the orientation process and what you'll hear from Randy and Blaine is how well 46 00:04:16,869 --> 00:04:21,629 they work together. They bounce things off. They're they're chatting back and forth. You know, they're 47 00:04:21,630 --> 00:04:25,910 adding thoughts to the other guys thing. And that just means, man, they've been doing this for so 48 00:04:25,910 --> 00:04:31,309 long. They're so damn good at it. They will get you trained up the way that you need to be trained up 49 00:04:31,310 --> 00:04:36,389 in orientation. Um, and, and we're going to talk to them about exactly what the philosophy behind 50 00:04:36,390 --> 00:04:42,429 that is, what drivers know and don't know. Um, get their advice on, on just, uh. Hey, what what do you 51 00:04:42,430 --> 00:04:47,149 want these first time drivers to know if they're listening right now? It's a phenomenal interview. 52 00:04:47,189 --> 00:04:52,969 We'll get to it here in just a couple of seconds. But the first thing that I wanted to get to Here 53 00:04:53,249 --> 00:04:58,529 were some stats. And and these kind of are understand that these are dependent upon the 54 00:04:58,529 --> 00:05:03,929 segment okay. Not every single stat that I give you right here is going to pertain to flat 55 00:05:03,929 --> 00:05:09,169 bedding in general. It these are more trucking stats in general. If you take all of the different 56 00:05:09,209 --> 00:05:14,049 types of freight and kind of lump them together, that's where you'll hear some of these stats. Now, 57 00:05:14,049 --> 00:05:20,489 I did bring up one off the top in the cold open there that the the trucking industry or 58 00:05:20,489 --> 00:05:26,929 carriers can often see turnover rates of 80 to 90% plus. Now, the industry estimates 59 00:05:26,970 --> 00:05:33,929 suggest a significant portion of new CDL holders leave within the first two years. And that stat 60 00:05:33,929 --> 00:05:40,609 is actually especially OTR drivers one and flatbed drivers two. So interesting stuff. The 61 00:05:40,609 --> 00:05:47,289 translation there out of ten people who start, maybe 7 to 9 of them are not still working that 62 00:05:47,290 --> 00:05:53,559 job in a year. That's pretty crazy when you think about it. Now. why do they leave? Well, the top 63 00:05:53,559 --> 00:05:59,519 reason cited across industry studies are time away from home, lifestyle mismatch, physical 64 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:06,400 demands and unrealistic expectations going in, which is exactly what Randy and Blaine are going 65 00:06:06,400 --> 00:06:11,439 to talk about for the entire episode. So make sure you stay tuned there. Uh, the money versus 66 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:17,359 expectation gap is another thing that shows up in a lot of these industry studies. Many new drivers 67 00:06:17,359 --> 00:06:22,679 expect quick high earnings. Uh, and the reality is income ramps up with experience routes, 68 00:06:22,679 --> 00:06:27,919 consistency miles, all of those things. Is it possible for you to earn a lot of money trucking? 69 00:06:27,959 --> 00:06:33,280 Yeah, absolutely. Is it going to happen in the first 6 to 8 weeks? Probably not. So have a little 70 00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:38,399 bit of patience there. Um, pay your dues first, then you get the better routes. You heard Blaine say it, 71 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:44,320 man. Like, I got lucky. I got on a local route right away, and so I never had to deal with a lot of the 72 00:06:44,320 --> 00:06:51,070 trappings of being OTR. Um, he said that in a way that you heard it probably, and thought, oh, well, 73 00:06:51,230 --> 00:06:57,350 uh, you know, he got lucky. Yeah, he said it. You heard it. He got lucky. He got that that, uh, that 74 00:06:57,350 --> 00:07:01,349 local gig right off the bat. That doesn't always happen, man. Those are highly sought after. 75 00:07:01,350 --> 00:07:07,070 Everybody wants to be home every night. Um, so, you know, make sure, like, you'll hear, pay your dues, get 76 00:07:07,070 --> 00:07:11,029 your name on the list. Uh, because it's not out of the realm of possibility. You might end up being 77 00:07:11,030 --> 00:07:16,109 one of the lucky guys with the local gigs. Who knows? Uh, but again, pay your dues first. Then you 78 00:07:16,109 --> 00:07:21,869 get the better routes. This episode works, I think, because it's honest without being negative. Uh, 79 00:07:21,869 --> 00:07:26,670 it's a warning without being discouraging. What you hear from Randy and Blaine here in a few 80 00:07:26,670 --> 00:07:30,909 minutes is. Listen, there's a lot of guys that don't know what they're signing up for. A lot of 81 00:07:30,910 --> 00:07:37,549 those guys, we shape them up like Play-Doh. Uh, get them into the right mindset, get them trained up, 82 00:07:37,590 --> 00:07:42,549 get them to understand the Cypress way, get them to trust the process, and then bang, they become 83 00:07:42,549 --> 00:07:49,289 successful drivers. Um, we're going to tell you the truth and help you succeed if you're built for it. 84 00:07:49,289 --> 00:07:55,250 I think that's the best way to put it. And I don't need to, you know, go off for for very much longer 85 00:07:55,250 --> 00:08:00,690 on this whole thing. But I really think that if you're a new driver to Cypress and you're already 86 00:08:00,690 --> 00:08:04,569 employed there, maybe you're in your first six weeks, maybe you're in your first six months. This 87 00:08:04,570 --> 00:08:10,489 episode is really going to resonate with you. But I also think that if you are a driver that is 88 00:08:10,490 --> 00:08:16,369 looking at Cypress, maybe somebody in recruiting has directed you to this podcast so that you can 89 00:08:16,369 --> 00:08:21,329 figure out a little bit about what Cypress is about before you take the plunge. Uh, maybe you've 90 00:08:21,329 --> 00:08:26,729 already listened to our CTC episode with Ken and Lawrence, and you know what that's all about. What 91 00:08:26,730 --> 00:08:32,929 happens after that? Well, orientation happens after that if you end up as an employee. So, uh, we're 92 00:08:32,929 --> 00:08:37,770 going to take you through it right now. And, and once again, I want you to understand you're 93 00:08:37,770 --> 00:08:43,609 talking to two of the most experienced guys that you can have here. I don't want to spoil it with 94 00:08:43,610 --> 00:08:50,439 how much experience, exactly, but it's a lot more than you might think. So without further ado, 95 00:08:50,439 --> 00:08:54,159 let's get Randy and Blaine in here and talk orientation. 96 00:09:02,159 --> 00:09:07,199 All right, welcome back into the Cypress Truck Lines podcast. Now, I'm very excited about this 97 00:09:07,200 --> 00:09:13,719 next couple of gentlemen joining me here to talk about orientation, because I had such an awesome, 98 00:09:13,719 --> 00:09:20,159 insightful conversation with half of our troop here when I was out in Jacksonville for discovery, 99 00:09:20,159 --> 00:09:25,439 and also when I was out in Jacksonville for the launch. Now, the guy I spent considerable amount of 100 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:31,000 time talking to, uh, joining us is our orientation supervisor, Randy Wells, and want to welcome him to 101 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:35,959 the show. Now, Randy. Thank you so much for the time and for being here today, man. I'm really excited 102 00:09:35,960 --> 00:09:42,239 about this. I hope you are too. Thank you Marcus. Glad to have you here. Also joining us is our 103 00:09:42,280 --> 00:09:47,308 orientation clerk, Blaine Carver. Blaine, we really appreciate the time from you as well. My friend, 104 00:09:47,309 --> 00:09:53,469 welcome to the show. Thank you. Glad to be here. Of course. Now. Um, one thing that I took away, Randy, 105 00:09:53,469 --> 00:09:57,468 I'm just going to jump right into this. You know, sometimes I set these up with a lot of context, 106 00:09:57,469 --> 00:10:03,550 but you and I talked for so long when I was out there in Jacksonville that I want to just throw 107 00:10:03,550 --> 00:10:08,669 out something here and tell you. Have you tell me true or false real quick before we jump in. Okay. 108 00:10:09,229 --> 00:10:14,269 Okay. Most drivers don't fail because they can't drive. They fail because they weren't prepared for 109 00:10:14,270 --> 00:10:19,789 the lifestyle. True or false? Exactly true. All right, let's expand on that. Let's start the 110 00:10:19,789 --> 00:10:24,709 conversation right there, Randy. Because that was what really was I think some of the most 111 00:10:24,710 --> 00:10:29,869 impactful things that you told me when we sat down is that drivers don't have a clue what 112 00:10:29,869 --> 00:10:36,670 they're getting into. A lot of the times when you guys see them. Yes. So basically, you know, when they 113 00:10:36,670 --> 00:10:42,309 come to orientation, you know, they're this is their first time they come to Cypress or wherever 114 00:10:42,309 --> 00:10:48,209 they come to? And they they're not prepared to come and see what's going on in the real world. 115 00:10:48,250 --> 00:10:52,449 You know, everybody wants to be a truck driver. So, hey, I'm going to go to orientation and see what's 116 00:10:52,449 --> 00:10:58,969 going on. But they really haven't discussed to be a truck driver, you know, be away from their family 117 00:10:58,969 --> 00:11:05,729 and knowing what's going on out there in the real world. So would you say that what do they think 118 00:11:05,729 --> 00:11:10,530 they signed up for before they actually realize it? And you guys really present it to them? Do they 119 00:11:10,530 --> 00:11:16,809 think they just signed up for a big paycheck? Easy days, that type of thing? Yes. So basically they 120 00:11:16,809 --> 00:11:23,249 think that, you know, hey, I can work 9 to 5, I can be home, you know, every night. And like you say, you 121 00:11:23,250 --> 00:11:30,169 know, make $1,500 a week, you know, and, you know, they think that, uh, you know, I can be home 122 00:11:30,169 --> 00:11:35,489 with my wife and have a hot meal, and that doesn't work. You know, they're not used to being out there 123 00:11:35,489 --> 00:11:42,119 sleeping in the truck and and being in the truck stop and have that lifestyle, for sure. 124 00:11:42,159 --> 00:11:47,239 Blaine, what would you say the biggest misconception you see and hear over and over 125 00:11:47,239 --> 00:11:54,119 again, doing the job that you do is. Uh, basically, you know, the same thing. They think it's a 9 to 126 00:11:54,119 --> 00:11:58,798 5 job. You know, we tell them, you know, being a truck driver is a lifestyle. You know, you just 127 00:11:58,799 --> 00:12:04,079 gotta find that happy medium where you're getting, uh, making the money you need to make out there, 128 00:12:04,080 --> 00:12:10,079 and you're getting the home time that you need to survive, you know? Sure. And now, uh, let me just kind 129 00:12:10,080 --> 00:12:16,719 of dig into that a little bit, because obviously we know about Cypress 500 drivers, 1500 trailers. 130 00:12:16,719 --> 00:12:20,639 You guys are actually really good about getting drivers home when they want to be home, letting 131 00:12:20,640 --> 00:12:24,760 them stay out for as long as they want to stay out. But it seems like there's still a little bit 132 00:12:24,760 --> 00:12:29,799 of a disconnect there. Uh, do do a lot of the drivers that come to orientation here that you 133 00:12:29,799 --> 00:12:33,959 guys have that many trailers and that you're pretty good and think that they can literally 134 00:12:33,960 --> 00:12:40,909 just turn this into a 9 to 5 home every night job day one. A lot of them are. Yeah, they like to. 135 00:12:40,950 --> 00:12:44,468 Especially the ones who not live here in the state of Florida. You know, they want to get on 136 00:12:44,469 --> 00:12:51,150 runs like Florida, only, you know, 250 turn around jacks, local things like that. Uh, but pretty 137 00:12:51,150 --> 00:12:58,149 much, uh, you know, when they come in to us, usually they're, they're new or, uh, you know, most of 138 00:12:58,150 --> 00:13:03,269 them are get put out running regional work, you know, southeast regional. Right. So they have to pay 139 00:13:03,270 --> 00:13:09,229 their dues, you know, at least be with us, uh, six months to a year and then they can sign up, you 140 00:13:09,229 --> 00:13:13,669 know, to do something else. But we pretty much, you know, straight up front with them. You tell them, 141 00:13:13,710 --> 00:13:19,349 you know, they gotta do the time and then they can sign up, you know, for some other, uh, you know, 142 00:13:19,390 --> 00:13:25,149 shorter runs and a possibility they can get on, you know, every night if they want to. Right. 143 00:13:25,150 --> 00:13:29,989 Because those shorter runs and those home every night, uh, jobs, those ones are pretty highly sought 144 00:13:29,989 --> 00:13:33,430 after. And you might have to you might have to prove yourself a little bit before you can just 145 00:13:33,469 --> 00:13:39,968 waltz right into one of those. Right? Right. Absolutely. Now, Randy, when you say this isn't a 146 00:13:39,969 --> 00:13:45,168 job change, it's a lifestyle change. You hammered that point home so many times when you and I were 147 00:13:45,169 --> 00:13:50,049 chatting. Uh, talk to me a little bit about it, because what I'm expecting here, just to just to 148 00:13:50,049 --> 00:13:55,090 give you guys a little context before you go on. Randy, is it I'm expecting not only Cypress 149 00:13:55,090 --> 00:14:00,849 drivers to hear this episode, but I'm expecting drivers that might be thinking about coming to 150 00:14:00,890 --> 00:14:07,288 CTC and then going to work for Cypress listening to this episode. So, Randy, let's talk about that. 151 00:14:07,289 --> 00:14:13,010 It's not a job change. It's a lifestyle change. What do you mean when you say that? Well, you know, 152 00:14:13,050 --> 00:14:18,809 basically, you know, if they work at another job, you know, it's 8 to 5, you know, um, Monday through 153 00:14:18,810 --> 00:14:23,929 Friday and sure, we're Monday through Friday or, you know, whenever they gotta get in and get out, 154 00:14:23,969 --> 00:14:29,608 you know, with their, their hours, but they're not used to being away from the family. They're not 155 00:14:29,609 --> 00:14:34,129 used to being, you know, when it's time to eat supper, momma's got supper ready to eat. And it 156 00:14:34,130 --> 00:14:38,679 doesn't happen. You know, they sleep in the truck. They have to take the shower at the truck stop. 157 00:14:38,720 --> 00:14:43,000 You know they can't get to baseball games or football games. You know, the wife's got to do 158 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:47,879 everything, so they're not used to that. You know, their mom is raising Cain and Adam and saying, hey, 159 00:14:47,920 --> 00:14:53,359 you know, I need to get Johnny to the ballgame and Susie at the cheerleading, and, you know, mama's on 160 00:14:53,360 --> 00:14:58,799 their barney about, uh. Hey, I need some help. I need some help. And then, you know, there they just say, 161 00:14:58,800 --> 00:15:02,919 well, you know, I'll just throw in the towel, you know, because it ain't working out for us. So they 162 00:15:02,919 --> 00:15:08,080 gotta have that lifestyle to say, hey, we're going to do this as a team. It's not going to be me 163 00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:13,238 fighting you. Yeah. No, it's something that, you know, we've talked to a couple of drivers that are just 164 00:15:13,239 --> 00:15:17,400 kind of getting their feet wet with you guys right now with Cypress, they're out in the truck. 165 00:15:17,440 --> 00:15:21,760 They've been trained. They've been through orientation. Uh, but one of the drivers told me 166 00:15:21,760 --> 00:15:25,760 that that was something after I think it was about four months he'd been out on the road, maybe 167 00:15:25,760 --> 00:15:32,400 three months. I said, what's the biggest, uh, the most impactful thing that you didn't realize was 168 00:15:32,400 --> 00:15:37,590 the way it was. And that's exactly what he told me, Randy, after only three months, he said. I did not 169 00:15:37,590 --> 00:15:43,389 know that I was going to be away this long. And I really want to use this episode to sort of frame 170 00:15:43,390 --> 00:15:49,590 that for people that might not understand it. It's it really is a big difference, especially if 171 00:15:49,590 --> 00:15:56,469 you're just coming from working a desk job. Yes, exactly. You know, like I say, yeah, nobody 172 00:15:56,469 --> 00:16:02,709 is prepared, um, to be away from the family all week. You know, they they think that they're going 173 00:16:02,710 --> 00:16:06,509 to be home every night. And I tell them, hey, guys, you leave Jacksonville, you got to be in North 174 00:16:06,509 --> 00:16:12,268 Carolina. Do you think that you can get back home? You know, and they just don't prepare themselves 175 00:16:12,269 --> 00:16:19,150 enough to realize that's what I gotta do to have this job? Sure. Now, we noticed when we 176 00:16:19,150 --> 00:16:22,949 were out there talking to some of the newer trainees, some guys that were in orientation, we 177 00:16:22,949 --> 00:16:28,829 also got to talk to some guys that were in CTC at the time. We noticed a little bit of a theme where 178 00:16:28,870 --> 00:16:35,248 some of these guys, I won't say a vast majority of them, but I'll say maybe 40 to 50% of them led us 179 00:16:35,249 --> 00:16:40,729 to believe that they hadn't really left the state of Florida. They're kind of homebodies. They hadn't 180 00:16:40,770 --> 00:16:46,128 traveled a lot. They haven't been out there. Do you think, Randy, that maybe just kind of in ignorance 181 00:16:46,129 --> 00:16:51,569 to how many miles apart these different places really are kind of plays into that a little bit? 182 00:16:51,889 --> 00:16:56,689 Sure. Because like I said before, they think that they're going to be home every night. They don't 183 00:16:56,689 --> 00:17:03,570 realize, I mean, they're going to drive 5 or 600 miles and stop. And, you know, I'm out of 184 00:17:03,570 --> 00:17:08,249 hour so I can't get back home. So they don't know. Oh, I didn't know that I couldn't get back home 185 00:17:08,250 --> 00:17:15,009 tonight. Exactly. And look, take it from me. I live now, currently 7.5 hours from where I 186 00:17:15,050 --> 00:17:20,849 grew up. And I go back to see my parents multiple times a year. It's a little over 500 miles, I think, 187 00:17:20,850 --> 00:17:27,649 right at 500 miles. And I will tell you that when I do 80, in the places that I can do 80 and 188 00:17:27,649 --> 00:17:34,359 75, in the places where I'm supposed to do 65, it still takes me seven hours to make that trip. And 189 00:17:34,359 --> 00:17:39,880 even if I'm I've got my ears pinned back. My wife knows Randy. She only buys salty snacks now 190 00:17:39,880 --> 00:17:44,559 because she knows I won't pull over at the rest stop. I'm trying to put miles behind me and it 191 00:17:44,560 --> 00:17:49,879 still takes me that long. The reason I say that is that yeah, like a lot of these regional jobs, five, 192 00:17:49,920 --> 00:17:55,079 600 miles in a day, that's that's not really anything out of the ordinary, right? No, that's 193 00:17:55,079 --> 00:17:59,519 that's a good day. You know, 5 or 600 miles a day. That's a good day, you know, and that we're doing 194 00:17:59,520 --> 00:18:06,519 that every day. You know, um, um, not just 100 miles down the road at or 25 miles down the road to go 195 00:18:06,520 --> 00:18:13,279 to work. You know, our work is, um, states to states, right? Right now. Uh, 196 00:18:13,280 --> 00:18:18,519 something that really, uh, I thought resonated with me when we were having a talk is that we talked 197 00:18:18,520 --> 00:18:23,560 about moving into the truck and sort of that being a big part of the job. Uh, Blaine, I'm going 198 00:18:23,560 --> 00:18:29,160 to come to you here first. Um, one thing that we kind of realized when we were talking to you, 199 00:18:29,160 --> 00:18:34,349 Randy, is that sometimes it's a little bit shocking how unprepared guys are to move into the 200 00:18:34,349 --> 00:18:40,390 truck. And, Blaine, I want to know what's something basic that shocks you that trainees don't bring. 201 00:18:40,470 --> 00:18:45,390 Once it's time to kind of move into the truck and start driving, is there anything that kind of 202 00:18:45,430 --> 00:18:51,949 sticks out to you is like, wow, you didn't bring that like a toothbrush? Yeah, mainly it's probably 203 00:18:51,949 --> 00:18:58,629 they're just sleeping items, you know, uh, pillows, uh, blankets. You know, we tell a lot of them, you 204 00:18:58,630 --> 00:19:03,670 know, get you a sleeping bag. You know, that's one of the best things to have. You can sleep on it. 205 00:19:03,670 --> 00:19:09,949 But again, if you get too cold, you know, you can crawl, you know, inside the tank. So how many guys 206 00:19:09,949 --> 00:19:13,989 show up thinking that truck stop food is just going to be their meal and they're just going to 207 00:19:14,030 --> 00:19:19,989 they're going to live off of that for the rest of their days as a truck driver. Uh, probably a quite 208 00:19:19,989 --> 00:19:24,870 a few of them, but, uh, they realize how much it costs out there, you know, to buy your meal every 209 00:19:24,910 --> 00:19:30,089 day at a truck stop. And we try to preach to them, too, two about, you know, staying healthy, you know. 210 00:19:30,130 --> 00:19:36,289 Oh, yeah. So a lot of them do pack their own, uh, meals, you know, whether their wife might pick for 211 00:19:36,289 --> 00:19:40,370 them for the week and they've got them already laid out or, you know, they bring stuff that they 212 00:19:40,370 --> 00:19:46,689 can they can actually fix in the truck. Sure. Uh, what are some of the little things that become 213 00:19:46,689 --> 00:19:51,089 big problems out on the road that maybe drivers aren't prepared for? Can you. Can you tell me any, 214 00:19:51,130 --> 00:19:56,049 maybe any anecdotal stories about, uh, stuff that drivers didn't realize are going to be a big pain 215 00:19:56,050 --> 00:20:02,769 in the ass once they actually got out there that they didn't bring. Microwaves, refrigerators. 216 00:20:02,770 --> 00:20:07,049 That's the biggest thing. You know, they don't realize that they need a microwave. They need a 217 00:20:07,050 --> 00:20:12,490 refrigerator. Uh, you know, they need a crock pot. They need a coffee maker. That's things that they 218 00:20:12,490 --> 00:20:17,729 gotta have. Uh, if you're going to stay out there, you're just like Blaine said, you know, um, you try 219 00:20:17,769 --> 00:20:24,249 to buy food at the truck stop. You know, you're spending 150, $200 a week just in food. Wow. That's 220 00:20:24,249 --> 00:20:30,559 crazy. But you're right. It's 100% true. And it's only getting worse every single day. Um, it just 221 00:20:30,560 --> 00:20:36,639 keeps getting more expensive. Randy, I wonder you you were a driver for quite some time, correct? Yes. 222 00:20:36,640 --> 00:20:43,160 Now, uh, what was what was something that you would not leave home without, like, a must have item on 223 00:20:43,160 --> 00:20:49,119 the truck all the time that you pass down to your orientation classes nowadays? Wow. 224 00:20:49,640 --> 00:20:55,079 Just I don't really have one thing that I, you know, had to have, but I think the biggest thing 225 00:20:55,079 --> 00:21:01,079 that I always wanted to make sure that I had enough clothes for me to stay out there and 226 00:21:01,079 --> 00:21:07,280 enough clothes to stay warm or to take them off and wear shorts or something like that. But I 227 00:21:07,280 --> 00:21:12,240 think just making sure that I had enough clothes out there with me was the biggest thing. Sure you 228 00:21:12,240 --> 00:21:18,039 don't want to drive around stinking, right? You got to have something to put on. Yeah, yeah. Uh, you know. 229 00:21:18,800 --> 00:21:24,988 No. Go ahead. Please. I wasn't one of these people that wore clothes. You know, I took, you know one 230 00:21:24,989 --> 00:21:30,030 thing I try to tell these guys. You know, this is a hard job, and you got to try to get a shower every 231 00:21:30,069 --> 00:21:34,789 day, and you got to change clothes every day. Because I'm telling you, we've seen people in 232 00:21:34,790 --> 00:21:39,149 truck stops, and I try to tell them you're going to see people in truck stops that really just 233 00:21:39,150 --> 00:21:43,749 really rank. And, you know, you don't want to do that. You go to a customer and they ask you to go 234 00:21:43,750 --> 00:21:48,709 outside and wait until the guy gets up there to get you unloaded. Maybe you need to look at your 235 00:21:48,709 --> 00:21:53,349 hygiene because you're probably stinking. Hey, that's a really good piece of advice there, 236 00:21:53,349 --> 00:21:57,589 because people can be polite about that, right? That's the whole rather than saying, hey, your 237 00:21:57,590 --> 00:22:02,429 breath stinks. Hey, would you like a piece of gum? Right. That's exactly. It's kind of the nice 238 00:22:02,430 --> 00:22:08,708 passive aggressive way to say you stink, bro. You need to go outside. I didn't even think about that. 239 00:22:08,749 --> 00:22:13,829 What's the most. Oh, sorry. Go ahead, Randy, go ahead. When I when I was training out there, you know, I 240 00:22:14,030 --> 00:22:18,109 always told, you know, when I picked my guys up Sunday night or Monday, whenever it was, I told 241 00:22:18,109 --> 00:22:23,208 them a couple of things. You know, I told them, uh, one thing is, we're going to eat every day. And the 242 00:22:23,209 --> 00:22:28,009 second thing is we're going to take a shower every day. You know, uh, sometimes we if we're just 243 00:22:28,009 --> 00:22:32,130 going to ride all day, you know, if we've got a load and going to Texas, you know, we didn't really 244 00:22:32,170 --> 00:22:36,929 able to take a shower because we wasn't stinky. But, you know, the next day we would get a shower, 245 00:22:36,969 --> 00:22:42,249 you know, and, uh, making sure that we our hygiene was good. You know, I mean, I want to get out and 246 00:22:42,290 --> 00:22:49,050 wash. Wash. And, you know, they do too. Sure, sure. What would you say is the most. And this is again, 247 00:22:49,089 --> 00:22:52,809 this these kind of questions are going to be for guys that, hey, maybe they're listening to this 248 00:22:52,810 --> 00:22:58,249 podcast thinking CTCs the way to go. And they might end up working for Cypress later. So think 249 00:22:58,250 --> 00:23:02,449 about that when I ask you this next one, and I want to hear it from both of you if there's a 250 00:23:02,449 --> 00:23:08,489 different story to tell. But what's the most unprepared you've ever seen somebody show up? Is 251 00:23:08,490 --> 00:23:15,009 there one that sticks out in your mind? Where are you going, man? That guy showed up for a, uh, for a 252 00:23:15,449 --> 00:23:20,849 gunfight with a pickle. Uh, just did not have anything ready that he needed anything like that 253 00:23:20,850 --> 00:23:26,279 that sticks out in your head. Hey, you know, so when they come to CTC, you know that that Monday when 254 00:23:26,319 --> 00:23:31,800 me and Blaine get to talk to them, they come here looking like sometimes they're going to the beach. 255 00:23:31,800 --> 00:23:37,839 I'm talking about shorts, t shirts, flip flops and they don't have no ideas that you've got to be 256 00:23:37,839 --> 00:23:43,199 prepared, you know, you gotta have work clothes. Work boots. Yeah, man, I couldn't imagine dropping 257 00:23:43,199 --> 00:23:47,879 one of those straps on your foot wearing flip flop or something like that, or, you know, anything. 258 00:23:47,920 --> 00:23:51,239 There's a lot of heavier stuff that you guys deal with than a strap, but I just think about 259 00:23:51,239 --> 00:23:57,199 something chunky and metal hitting my big toe and, uh. Yeah. No. Thank you. Uh, how about you, Blaine? You 260 00:23:57,199 --> 00:24:03,439 got an example of somebody that showed up just incredibly unprepared? Yeah. Really? The same thing 261 00:24:03,479 --> 00:24:10,039 showing up, you know, just not having the proper, uh, clothing, you know, uh, wearing 262 00:24:10,199 --> 00:24:16,959 sandals, flip flops, stuff like that. You know, we've had to actually give them a chance to to go to 263 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:21,550 Walmart or whatever and buy, you know, long pants because they had to have them. Or buy a pair of 264 00:24:21,550 --> 00:24:28,430 shoes, you know. Boots? Sure, sure. Is there anything? And again, this question is for both of you. 265 00:24:28,430 --> 00:24:35,029 Is there any one thing that instantly tells you that this guy is not cut out for the gig? Well, you 266 00:24:35,030 --> 00:24:41,189 know, a lot of times when they come in here and I know people think, no, but they'll come in here and 267 00:24:41,389 --> 00:24:47,030 they'll just be really soft talking. And and when they start talking about mommy, help me fill out 268 00:24:47,030 --> 00:24:52,869 the application. And mommy did this and mommy did this. We know that this is not the job for them, 269 00:24:52,870 --> 00:24:59,789 but mommy wants them to get off the couch and try to get a career where they can start making 270 00:24:59,790 --> 00:25:06,509 money and getting off her couch and getting off her paycheck. Right. How about you, Blaine? Any any 271 00:25:06,550 --> 00:25:12,509 examples of of one thing that might tell you this guy's going to struggle? Yeah. It's usually 272 00:25:12,670 --> 00:25:17,989 physically not being able to handle the job of, you know, usually the new ones coming in their 273 00:25:18,010 --> 00:25:24,649 first week of training is actually here on the yard doing five days of load securement. So that does, 274 00:25:24,689 --> 00:25:29,449 you know, every now and then weed out some of the ones you know, that can't, uh, physically, you know, 275 00:25:29,490 --> 00:25:35,769 handle the job as far as picking up, moving the tarps, you know, and all that stuff. Absolutely. Well, 276 00:25:35,770 --> 00:25:40,489 we've covered a little bit of the preparation. Um, I want to talk about kind of the frame of 277 00:25:40,490 --> 00:25:45,049 reference here because, uh, Randy, we did touch on this a little bit, but this is something else that 278 00:25:45,050 --> 00:25:50,729 you hit on quite a bit when we were talking out there in Jacksonville. Um, this is kind of an 279 00:25:50,729 --> 00:25:56,449 interesting question. How different would you say is a trainee with trucking in the family? Maybe 280 00:25:56,449 --> 00:26:03,449 not them specifically, but dad or mom or grandpa versus someone with zero exposure to the industry 281 00:26:03,449 --> 00:26:10,129 at all? Well, somebody that that has family members in the trucking, they kind of know what they 282 00:26:10,130 --> 00:26:16,129 expect. They know that daddy or grandpa, whoever is gone, you know, a week, two weeks or whatever. So 283 00:26:16,160 --> 00:26:21,280 they're they're prepared to be out there. But you get a brand new guy that no family member or 284 00:26:21,319 --> 00:26:27,799 nothing that's not in this at all. They don't really know what to look for. They're not 285 00:26:27,800 --> 00:26:33,999 prepared to do this job, you know, until they get here, until they find out what's going on. We had 286 00:26:33,999 --> 00:26:39,839 people just this week came here in orientation and seeing what was going on. They was just here 287 00:26:39,839 --> 00:26:45,279 for one day and they said, this is not for them. They're not prepared to be away from their family. 288 00:26:45,280 --> 00:26:52,199 They're not, uh, physically able to do this job. Mhm. And those are two that just two huge 289 00:26:52,239 --> 00:26:56,399 aspects for it. Right. If you can't physically do the job you can't do the job. If you can't 290 00:26:56,399 --> 00:27:01,560 mentally be away from the family for that long. Again you probably can't do the job, but you don't 291 00:27:01,560 --> 00:27:07,119 want to be thinking about all of the things going on at home when you need to be focusing on 292 00:27:07,120 --> 00:27:14,039 keeping you and the people around you safe. Right? Yes. Just like I said before, you know, you 293 00:27:14,040 --> 00:27:18,629 got to lock Your minds start to wonder and you know you're out there. Uh, you know, the wife's 294 00:27:18,629 --> 00:27:25,189 calling you. You know, hey, I gotta do this. I gotta do this, and I can't do all this, and and, you know, 295 00:27:25,229 --> 00:27:31,669 one thing I can say good about my wife. She supported me 100%. And she knew that I had to do 296 00:27:31,670 --> 00:27:38,309 this because we had kids. And it turned out for us, you know, a good career for us and a 297 00:27:38,310 --> 00:27:45,189 good paycheck. And, uh, you know, I raised, uh, four kids on this, and, and, you know, sometimes you just 298 00:27:45,189 --> 00:27:52,069 have to suck it up. The family has to suck it up and, um, do what you got to do. Now, you raised four 299 00:27:52,069 --> 00:27:58,189 kids on this salary working for Cypress now. And I know because you told me some, uh, some sort of 300 00:27:58,230 --> 00:28:02,589 budding success stories that are happening with your children, right? Uh, they're out doing great 301 00:28:02,590 --> 00:28:07,829 things as well. Yes. They're, you know, my kids are, you know, has done really well for theirself, you 302 00:28:07,829 --> 00:28:14,089 know, and but, you know, I take credit for it because, uh, you know, I helped them do what they 303 00:28:14,089 --> 00:28:18,770 wanted to do. They're gold, you know? And I said, hey, if this is what you want to do, you know, I'll do 304 00:28:18,770 --> 00:28:25,609 everything I can do to support you. And luckily, I did. Yeah. For sure. Blaine, I, I wonder 305 00:28:25,610 --> 00:28:29,409 we've covered a little bit of, uh, Randy's background here. We know he was a driver for 306 00:28:29,409 --> 00:28:34,769 Cypress for a while there. Uh, did you drive at all for Cypress? Did you drive for anyone else before 307 00:28:34,770 --> 00:28:41,769 you came into this gig? Uh, no. This was my only driving job. I actually went to the school 308 00:28:41,769 --> 00:28:48,289 here 20 years ago. Oh, okay. This is the only place I've driven for. So. That's awesome. Between me and 309 00:28:48,289 --> 00:28:55,010 Randy, we got about 50 years. Oh, is that all? Is that all? Just. That's just here. Yeah. 310 00:28:55,089 --> 00:29:01,169 Randy's got 20 more on top of that. Oh that's awesome. Well, obviously it stands to reason that 311 00:29:01,170 --> 00:29:06,650 you guys have a lot of success. And the reason I really thought that this would be a really good 312 00:29:06,650 --> 00:29:13,079 episode is because you guys, uh, Randy, the the impression that I got from you is that you are 313 00:29:13,080 --> 00:29:18,839 really shaping these drivers to become not only professional drivers, you are shaping them to 314 00:29:18,879 --> 00:29:25,079 become successful professional drivers. And there is a lot between those two things. Right. 315 00:29:25,079 --> 00:29:32,039 And um, it just is something that I wonder, is this process for you guys more of 316 00:29:32,039 --> 00:29:38,280 and ease them into it and kind of baby steps and kid gloves, or is this a kick them into the deep 317 00:29:38,280 --> 00:29:43,399 end of the pool moment for you guys? Randy I'll start with you there. So basically, you know, when 318 00:29:43,400 --> 00:29:47,399 they come in, you know, we tell them, hey, you know, this is going to be um, you know, if they're a 319 00:29:47,399 --> 00:29:51,639 brand new guy, you know, it could be a 12 week program. We tell them, hey, you know, you're like a 320 00:29:51,639 --> 00:29:58,439 little birdie. Uh, you're in our nest for, um, 12 weeks. We hold you in our little nest. But 321 00:29:58,439 --> 00:30:04,919 that 12th week, we have to throw you out there in the real world. And that's when they start getting 322 00:30:04,920 --> 00:30:10,348 freaking out. Because I started doing this by myself. Because when they're after with the 323 00:30:10,349 --> 00:30:15,109 trainer, somebody's holding their hands. Somebody's helping them back up. Somebody telling them what 324 00:30:15,149 --> 00:30:20,269 to do now. They got to go out there in the real world. So we try to prepare them. You know, even, you 325 00:30:20,269 --> 00:30:25,829 know, we call the trainers. We look at the training reports every day to see how they're doing and 326 00:30:25,829 --> 00:30:31,949 seeing if they're having any problems out there. Or is it trainers giving them any bad marks? Sure. 327 00:30:31,990 --> 00:30:38,469 Any thoughts to add to that, Blaine? Yeah. Just like, you know, Randy ways saying, every phase, you know, 328 00:30:38,510 --> 00:30:43,349 they go through here. If they come in brand new, they go to the school. Uh, you know, they might make 329 00:30:43,349 --> 00:30:48,509 it through the school. We have them, you know, right out a week in orientation, and then we get them 330 00:30:48,510 --> 00:30:53,829 out with a trainer. Sometimes, you know, the reality sets in when they do go out with their trainer, 331 00:30:53,829 --> 00:31:00,069 they really see how it is, you know, and stuff. And they might not, you know, end up paying it out, uh, 332 00:31:00,109 --> 00:31:04,269 you know, to then some of them make it all the way to the end. You know, till we get them and even a 333 00:31:04,270 --> 00:31:08,810 week we get on their truck and then they get out there on their own. You know, they might come to 334 00:31:08,810 --> 00:31:15,129 the same conclusion. You know that this is not for them. You know, they just don't pan out for sure. We 335 00:31:15,129 --> 00:31:21,529 try to work them all the way through. Uh, you know, to make it as easy as we can for them. You know, to 336 00:31:21,569 --> 00:31:27,129 adjust to everything and to be successful out there on their own. Well, you can really tell, uh, 337 00:31:27,130 --> 00:31:32,449 one thing, Randy, that you had told me back when we were chatting is that, uh, you guys are very 338 00:31:32,449 --> 00:31:36,969 strategic about pairing drivers with certain trainers because you have a lot of trainers there 339 00:31:36,970 --> 00:31:42,809 at Cypress. Um, a lot of guys that these, these, uh, new drivers could go out with. Talk to me a little 340 00:31:42,850 --> 00:31:49,089 bit about being strategic, um, about who you're going to place each one of your drivers with as 341 00:31:49,089 --> 00:31:55,929 far as their trainer is concerned. So with our trainers or trainees that we 342 00:31:55,930 --> 00:32:02,169 have coming in, uh, you know, they're ones we call basically newbies. You know, they've got to get a 343 00:32:02,170 --> 00:32:08,680 total of 30, uh, eval reports, guys that come to us with experience already at least six months. 344 00:32:08,680 --> 00:32:15,600 Verifiable experience. They only have to get ten days of training. So we saw a pair em up, you know, 345 00:32:15,639 --> 00:32:21,359 with people, uh, that maybe possibly going to be running the same region they're going to be 346 00:32:21,360 --> 00:32:27,799 running and, and things like that. Uh, get them paired up. Uh, we try to do the best we can to get 347 00:32:27,799 --> 00:32:32,599 them paired up with somebody that lives close to them. You know, that's not always possible. Uh, but 348 00:32:32,600 --> 00:32:37,880 when the the trainer does go home for the weekend to train, he can also go home, you know, and get a 349 00:32:37,880 --> 00:32:42,959 break and then just meet back up with them and go out. But then again, we get some, uh, trainees in 350 00:32:42,959 --> 00:32:48,639 here. They just want to get it done. So, uh, we'll put them out on the road with some trainers. You 351 00:32:48,640 --> 00:32:53,239 know, that may not go on you for 3 or 4 weeks, you know, but usually we check with them before we 352 00:32:53,279 --> 00:32:57,920 send them out to make sure they're good. You know, with being out with somebody like that. But then 353 00:32:57,920 --> 00:33:02,200 again, they finish up, you know, they're training out with the trainer usually a week earlier, you 354 00:33:02,200 --> 00:33:08,390 know, than all the rest of them. I think that that is such a cool aspect because, listen, I've talked 355 00:33:08,390 --> 00:33:14,709 to enough truck drivers over my four year career making podcasts for them. Um, I happen to know that 356 00:33:14,710 --> 00:33:20,069 a lot of drivers and a lot of companies get trained by they. Who's the next trainer in line? 357 00:33:20,109 --> 00:33:25,629 That's the guy you're going with. And that can provide some problems for a new driver and 358 00:33:25,629 --> 00:33:30,589 probably for a driver trainer as well. If those two aren't synced up in the way that they want to 359 00:33:30,590 --> 00:33:36,549 go out and work the job, I imagine butting heads and some problems in the cab. And that's the last 360 00:33:36,550 --> 00:33:43,549 thing you want with a new trainee, right? Yes, we we try to always button them together, 361 00:33:43,589 --> 00:33:49,870 you know. Um, you know, we know our trainees personality, we know our trainers personalities. 362 00:33:49,870 --> 00:33:56,029 And we try to do, you know, is this guy here kind of soft or this guy here kind of a a hard guy, and 363 00:33:56,030 --> 00:34:02,508 he kind of can take care of this guy, you know? So we try to pair him up with our trainers, 364 00:34:02,629 --> 00:34:08,569 uh, on their personality. Because like I say, me and Blaine's got them here for, uh, a week, you know, um, 365 00:34:08,610 --> 00:34:14,689 two days here for orientation, and they're here for, um load securement, that week. So, you know, we we see their 366 00:34:14,689 --> 00:34:19,929 personality. We see how they work. And, uh. Hey, this guy here is kind of soft, so we kind of need to 367 00:34:19,969 --> 00:34:26,449 put him with a trainer. That is not too rough, you know, but, uh, uh, rough enough that we can make a 368 00:34:26,450 --> 00:34:32,049 truck driver. For sure. For sure. So let me ask you this. Uh, what type of of new trainee are you 369 00:34:32,090 --> 00:34:38,289 sending out with mud fish? A jokester? I mean, somebody that 370 00:34:38,850 --> 00:34:45,609 that, you know, that can take a joke. Somebody that wants to learn. Because mud fish is a good 371 00:34:45,610 --> 00:34:51,969 guy. You know, he he's a jokester, but he's real serious about what he does. Yeah. And sometimes 372 00:34:51,969 --> 00:34:58,449 guys don't understand. He is trying to help you out and not trying to make this job here a hard 373 00:34:58,450 --> 00:35:05,239 job, but, uh, telling you what to do. um, and not making it so hard, uh, 374 00:35:05,280 --> 00:35:11,560 for them to understand, you know, to try to make it a good day. An easy day or not. Just so hard 375 00:35:11,560 --> 00:35:16,279 grind, for sure. Well, you know, for those of you that haven't, uh, that are listening to this, that 376 00:35:16,280 --> 00:35:21,199 haven't had the pleasure of meeting mud fish, I got to spend some time with him. And that is one 377 00:35:21,200 --> 00:35:26,119 guy that was very unique, but also just so interesting. I mean, I could have sat in that room 378 00:35:26,120 --> 00:35:30,559 with him for three hours if he'd had given me the time and just chat with him and, and learn about 379 00:35:30,560 --> 00:35:36,319 the things that he's seen and what he's been through. Um, but he gave me the the impression that 380 00:35:36,320 --> 00:35:41,199 he was a bit of a no nonsense trainer, but he wasn't going to be. He wasn't going to be a jerk 381 00:35:41,199 --> 00:35:45,559 to you. You know, he was going to try to develop a bit of a relationship with you, but he also wasn't 382 00:35:45,559 --> 00:35:49,159 going to pull any punches. You need to come out here and and learn how to do this job the right 383 00:35:49,159 --> 00:35:55,359 way, right? Yes. You know, I mean, you know, we you know, we tell all of our trainers, you know, you got 384 00:35:55,360 --> 00:36:01,029 to hold our hand. But on the other hand, you got to make sure that they want to do this job because 385 00:36:01,029 --> 00:36:05,869 if they don't want to do this job, no matter. You know, it's kind of like the old saying I can lead 386 00:36:05,870 --> 00:36:11,989 you to water, but I can't make you drink it. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Now, uh, we talked a little bit about 387 00:36:11,990 --> 00:36:16,389 the the family aspect of this and that a lot of drivers don't realize that they're going to be 388 00:36:16,389 --> 00:36:21,629 away as much as they are. And and I should have gotten to this back then, Randy. But you told me a 389 00:36:21,629 --> 00:36:27,749 really cool story about how when you were driving, you used to stay connected to your family by 390 00:36:27,749 --> 00:36:33,709 dropping some pins and also collecting some roadside souvenirs, if I'm not mistaken. Can you 391 00:36:33,709 --> 00:36:39,989 tell me a little bit about that? Yeah. So, you know, my my boy, he always wanted to know where I was at and 392 00:36:39,990 --> 00:36:44,590 stuff like that. So I would always, you know, pick up a stone or rock or something like that. And I'd 393 00:36:44,629 --> 00:36:48,949 put on there, I'm in Tennessee or wherever was that. And then when I went home, you know, I'd give 394 00:36:48,949 --> 00:36:54,189 it to him. And you know what, Mark? To this day, he still got a lot of them rocks. I don't know if 395 00:36:54,189 --> 00:36:58,409 he's got all of them, but he's still got a lot of them. And he says, you know, they said on his desk 396 00:36:58,449 --> 00:37:04,128 at work. You know, and, uh, uh, like I said before, you know, I had a little map that I put in the truck 397 00:37:04,129 --> 00:37:09,769 and I had pins on it. So the kids, I'd wherever I was, and I'd tell them, all right, move that pin 398 00:37:09,770 --> 00:37:14,808 from where you're at to where you're going, where I'm going now. And. And just something that they 399 00:37:14,809 --> 00:37:20,689 could do with me. You know, I used to let them, uh, uh, you know, my kids used to be in the sports real 400 00:37:20,729 --> 00:37:26,249 big. So they would always find me sports sheets and pillows and stuff like that. So, you know, just 401 00:37:26,250 --> 00:37:32,209 to know that they had something to do with dad. Yeah. For sure. That's so cool. I love that your son 402 00:37:32,209 --> 00:37:36,729 still got all those rocks. Man, that's so awesome. Because that's not you know, that's not a big 403 00:37:36,729 --> 00:37:42,969 dollar item. That's not anything crazy. But it it signifies where dad was when I was this age or 404 00:37:42,969 --> 00:37:49,289 where he was when I remember this happening. And that's so cool. And I hope that other drivers that 405 00:37:49,290 --> 00:37:52,729 are listening to this right now are taking something from that. Randy. Because that's very 406 00:37:52,729 --> 00:37:58,399 unique. I've not heard that from anybody else, uh, in my four years of making podcasts for truck 407 00:37:58,400 --> 00:38:04,319 drivers. So I think that's a really cool thing, and I'm sorry I didn't bring it up earlier. Um, but I 408 00:38:04,479 --> 00:38:08,919 digging in just a little bit deeper to the part that nobody talks about, which is kind of the 409 00:38:08,919 --> 00:38:15,799 family aspect of trucking. Um, I want to know if you guys have ever seen good drivers fail because 410 00:38:15,840 --> 00:38:20,240 things weren't right at home. I kind of know what your answer is going to be here, but I wonder if 411 00:38:20,240 --> 00:38:25,639 you might have some, uh, some, some stories to share with us where a good driver, a guy that had 412 00:38:25,639 --> 00:38:30,159 everything together, this was going to be a successful career, just couldn't hack it because 413 00:38:30,159 --> 00:38:35,799 of how things were back at home. Yeah. I mean, I'm not going to say any names, but yeah, we've heard 414 00:38:35,799 --> 00:38:42,319 of that. Uh, you know, before they get out there. Uh, reality is, you know, they realize how many 415 00:38:42,319 --> 00:38:47,679 nights they are away from home, you know, things going on at home, the kids in the school and stuff 416 00:38:47,680 --> 00:38:53,519 like that. And it is it's too much for us, you know? So. And, uh, you know, we don't blame them. You know, 417 00:38:53,520 --> 00:38:58,789 you need to put family first. You know, if it ends up, uh. You gotta leave us. You gotta leave us, you 418 00:38:58,789 --> 00:39:04,350 know? And we understand that, you know, you either can do it or you can't do it. So. Absolutely. And I 419 00:39:04,350 --> 00:39:09,709 think that's probably one of the most tragic things about that is, is if, uh, everything seems to 420 00:39:09,709 --> 00:39:14,149 be working out, but you can't get things worked out back at home. The thing that stinks about it 421 00:39:14,149 --> 00:39:20,949 is. Yeah. You know, uh, family has to come first, and. And that's 100% why you guys don't judge anybody 422 00:39:20,949 --> 00:39:25,869 for it. And I saw that. I can feel that coming from you. I've heard it from multiple people that 423 00:39:25,870 --> 00:39:30,750 that's, you know, it's it's an aspect of the job. Right. It's the same thing if you can't keep your 424 00:39:30,750 --> 00:39:35,669 med card, it sucks. And it's something that maybe you could change with enough time and work and 425 00:39:35,669 --> 00:39:42,629 dedication, but it might not work out right now. Exactly. You know, I mean, uh, you know, it's like 426 00:39:42,629 --> 00:39:47,589 I say, you know, it's got to be a team thing. You know, the wife's gotta she's gotta pull a big load, 427 00:39:47,629 --> 00:39:52,269 you know, she's taking care of the kids. And like I said, trying to get them to their activities, to 428 00:39:52,270 --> 00:39:57,609 the ball games and stuff like that. And and it's so hard. You know, I hate to say it, but this job 429 00:39:57,610 --> 00:40:04,610 cost me a divorce. Yep, yep. And you told me that as well. Randy. And and I think that, you know, not to 430 00:40:04,649 --> 00:40:08,929 swing back around and and beat a dead horse. I know we talked about the family aspect off the 431 00:40:08,929 --> 00:40:14,529 top here a little bit, but this is an important part of it. And it's one thing that we really just 432 00:40:14,529 --> 00:40:20,129 want to drill down. What would you say, Randy is the most important conversation that a new driver 433 00:40:20,169 --> 00:40:24,889 can have with his family before he leaves. Is it kind of already what you said? Just we have to 434 00:40:24,929 --> 00:40:29,729 work together, not against one another in this, because there's a lot of pressure that's going to 435 00:40:29,729 --> 00:40:35,129 be on whoever's staying home. Yeah. You know, the biggest things I used to tell my kids that, you 436 00:40:35,129 --> 00:40:40,209 know, you can't run over your mom. You know, she's trying to take care of y'all. She's trying to take 437 00:40:40,210 --> 00:40:45,929 care of me out there on the road. She's worried about me on the road, you know? And she's got to do 438 00:40:45,929 --> 00:40:52,239 a lot of things, you know? So just seeing her, uh, playing mom, you know, she's playing mom and dad 439 00:40:52,399 --> 00:40:59,239 Blaine, anything to add there? Well, I basically lucked out when I started here and, uh, 440 00:40:59,279 --> 00:41:05,438 got right on a local position, so I've never ran. Really, you know, OTR, over the road or anything. 441 00:41:05,439 --> 00:41:11,679 So, uh, so I would have been home every night, which I'm grateful for. Okay. So that's your advice to 442 00:41:11,680 --> 00:41:17,158 him. If you can get that local job and be home every night, then by God, do it right. Yeah, that's 443 00:41:17,159 --> 00:41:20,799 what we tell them. You like them when they come in, you know you're going to have to pay your dues. 444 00:41:20,799 --> 00:41:25,878 You know, maybe the first six months, you know, to a year. But if I get that done and then, you know, 445 00:41:25,919 --> 00:41:31,038 sign the book to, to get on some other routes, you know, and stuff that can accommodate your at home 446 00:41:31,039 --> 00:41:37,199 needs, you know, you need to do that. Sure, sure. Uh, we talk about trust the process a lot here at 447 00:41:37,199 --> 00:41:43,039 Cypress Truck Lines and for good reason. Uh, Randy, you said to me, if a driver can focus for six 448 00:41:43,040 --> 00:41:49,759 weeks, they can become a a Cypress driver. Why six weeks? Because usually by six 449 00:41:49,830 --> 00:41:56,589 weeks. They kind of know the basics of trucking 101. Are they a professional driver? No, but they 450 00:41:56,590 --> 00:42:02,628 still got the basics of the truck. They know what they're supposed to do, and they know what they 451 00:42:02,629 --> 00:42:09,230 got to do to make a living. And what happens physically to a new driver in those first six 452 00:42:09,230 --> 00:42:14,749 weeks, especially one that doesn't have any flatbed experience? Well, you know, we get a lot of 453 00:42:14,750 --> 00:42:20,589 guys here that that's overweight out of shape and it'll it'll make them or break them, you know, 454 00:42:20,629 --> 00:42:26,229 they'll they'll come and tell me and Blaine. Say man, man, this is a hard job, you know, I'm sore. And 455 00:42:26,230 --> 00:42:30,149 and we try to tell them, hang in there, man. You know, you're using muscles that you're not used to 456 00:42:30,189 --> 00:42:35,749 doing. You're picking up tarps, you're rolling up tarps, and, uh, just hang in there, you know, and and 457 00:42:36,269 --> 00:42:41,509 it'll get easier time and time. It gets easier and easier every day. It gets easier and easier. You 458 00:42:41,509 --> 00:42:46,469 just got to kind of do your dues until you learn how to do the process. Blaine, you got anything good 459 00:42:46,470 --> 00:42:52,969 out there? Yeah. When they. I know when I first started here and got out of the truck, you know, uh, 460 00:42:52,969 --> 00:42:59,008 from training. Uh, once you're out there all by yourself, it seemed like those first two weeks for 461 00:42:59,009 --> 00:43:05,849 sure, you were, you know, learning a lot more than with your trainer just because nobody was there 462 00:43:05,850 --> 00:43:09,849 to answer any more of your questions. You know, you're having to make decisions on your own and 463 00:43:09,850 --> 00:43:14,649 things like that, but it's just, you know, hanging in there, get through it and hopefully you don't 464 00:43:14,649 --> 00:43:19,809 do anything. Uh, you know, bad enough that hurts you or hurts anybody else, you know, doesn't get you 465 00:43:19,850 --> 00:43:25,408 fired in the process, you know? But, uh, but you just gotta hang in, you know, keep plugging at it, and, 466 00:43:25,409 --> 00:43:31,050 and things get easier, you know, uh, from, you know, being able to park loads, do all the loads, securement, 467 00:43:31,810 --> 00:43:36,569 uh, stuff like that just gets faster and faster the more time, you know, you spend on the job and 468 00:43:36,570 --> 00:43:42,329 stuff, for sure. You know, uh, a couple drivers come to mind when you say that, uh, is Angel Escobedo is 469 00:43:42,330 --> 00:43:48,279 one of them. Um, and he, you know, he talked about, uh, being a little overwhelmed out there at first and 470 00:43:48,320 --> 00:43:53,199 kind of not being sure and not knowing if it was going to work. And now he's a driver trainer and 471 00:43:53,200 --> 00:43:59,719 he's one of your guys most dedicated to the company guys out there. Um, is there anything that 472 00:43:59,759 --> 00:44:04,840 kind of shows up where you can see that that's the roadmap for a guy that you have? We talked 473 00:44:04,840 --> 00:44:09,479 about, how can you what are some of the things that you see that you can think a guy might not 474 00:44:09,479 --> 00:44:14,239 be cut out for the gig? What are some things you see in guys that you think, man, this guy's not 475 00:44:14,239 --> 00:44:18,279 only cut out to be good at this, he's going to be successful. He's going to be a trainer. And he 476 00:44:18,280 --> 00:44:23,638 might even, uh, work in the office. And my orientation job once I decide to retire. Is there 477 00:44:23,639 --> 00:44:28,879 anything like that that you see in guys this early on in the process? Well, just mainly the ones 478 00:44:28,879 --> 00:44:34,039 that you catch on real fast, you can sort of tell, you know, they don't have as many questions about 479 00:44:34,040 --> 00:44:39,559 this or that, you know, uh, you don't have to. They got motivation. You don't have to tell them to do 480 00:44:39,559 --> 00:44:43,799 this or that. They jump right in, you know, helping with things when you're out on the yard, you know, 481 00:44:43,840 --> 00:44:50,189 doing load securement. You can just sort of tell the ones that are fitting into it and, uh, they're 482 00:44:50,189 --> 00:44:55,509 not going to need as much coaching, you know, and stuff. Randy, anything to add there? No, that's about 483 00:44:55,510 --> 00:45:02,510 the same. Yeah. What's the most common? Uh, because we talked about, you know, just here, uh, yeah. 484 00:45:02,550 --> 00:45:07,229 That six weeks is a really important thing. You're not, uh, I think, Randy, what I wrote down here is 485 00:45:07,229 --> 00:45:12,189 what you said to me is during that six weeks, you're not a truck driver yet. You're a cardholder. 486 00:45:12,189 --> 00:45:16,709 Is that, uh, does that ring any bells? Well, you're steering wheel holder, you know what I mean? 487 00:45:16,709 --> 00:45:21,389 Everybody thinks just because they got that CDL license that they're a they're a truck driver. But 488 00:45:21,389 --> 00:45:27,909 no, no, no, nobody is a truck driver. Until you get out there and start doing it by yourself, you know, 489 00:45:27,949 --> 00:45:33,389 getting some time underneath your belt, uh, just because, like I said, you got a CDL license, that 490 00:45:33,389 --> 00:45:38,749 doesn't mean nothing. You know, anybody can get a CDL license. Uh, now, you mean you go to school and, 491 00:45:38,750 --> 00:45:43,370 uh, pay your dues and pay your money? You got a CDL license? Yeah. And we got a lot of guys that do 492 00:45:43,370 --> 00:45:50,249 that, and then they don't use the license to go to work. Right. Right. It was it 493 00:45:50,249 --> 00:45:54,249 sounded like a good idea. And then they got a little bit of a taste of it. And, uh, while they 494 00:45:54,249 --> 00:46:00,850 passed, they're not going to go do that, right? Exactly. Yeah. What's, uh, I wonder here because we 495 00:46:00,850 --> 00:46:05,489 talk about new drivers and kind of, you know, you don't want to think about the the new drivers 496 00:46:05,489 --> 00:46:10,049 fresh off orientation and out with their trainees as, as bumbling idiots. Right. They're not they've 497 00:46:10,050 --> 00:46:16,849 been very well prepared by a very well thought-out and well-executed orientation, uh, I 498 00:46:16,850 --> 00:46:23,169 guess staff and and, uh, protocol. But what are some of the most common? I don't know what 499 00:46:23,209 --> 00:46:27,889 broke situations that you hear out there from some of your guys that are out there on the road 500 00:46:27,889 --> 00:46:34,370 for those first six weeks. Is there anything that really stumps them? Pretty, uh uh, consistently? 501 00:46:37,089 --> 00:46:42,439 I think one thing that they get out there and they think they can run night and day. They don't 502 00:46:42,439 --> 00:46:49,159 realize that by the federal government that they got to go by hours of service. And, you know, 503 00:46:49,200 --> 00:46:53,719 they they run over their hours, they're trying to get to the truck stop or they're trying to get 504 00:46:53,760 --> 00:47:00,360 wherever they can. And they they just don't understand the rules and regulations, just, you 505 00:47:00,360 --> 00:47:05,800 know, right off the bat, you know, and it takes a few weeks when they're out there by themselves to 506 00:47:05,840 --> 00:47:11,119 learn it. And, you know, if they don't do it, then, you know, they bring them in and they're talking 507 00:47:11,120 --> 00:47:16,439 to somebody in the safety department or even if, you know, they're messing up out there with the 508 00:47:16,439 --> 00:47:20,279 load securement or something like that, we're bringing them back in and trying to retrain them 509 00:47:20,280 --> 00:47:26,479 because we want them to be successful here at Cypress. Exactly. Now, something else you mentioned 510 00:47:26,479 --> 00:47:33,360 to me was, um, uh, pre-trip inspections are more than just a checklist. And, uh, something that you 511 00:47:33,360 --> 00:47:39,079 guys want to focus on is teaching drivers how to think, not just follow steps. Can you elaborate a 512 00:47:39,080 --> 00:47:44,389 little bit on on that with me because the pre-trip right such an important thing and maybe 513 00:47:44,389 --> 00:47:50,149 just an unsung hero of staying safe out on the road. Um, talk to me a little bit about how that's 514 00:47:50,149 --> 00:47:56,869 not just a checklist. That is is something you need to really focus on. Yeah, they need to do that. 515 00:47:56,909 --> 00:48:01,908 You know, like I said, every every morning, you know, at the end of the day, uh, check their equipment, 516 00:48:01,949 --> 00:48:06,509 you know, make sure everything is in proper, uh, working order. You know, they don't want to just 517 00:48:06,509 --> 00:48:11,789 leave, you know, and get a few miles down the road. You know, they got a call and they got a flat tire. 518 00:48:11,830 --> 00:48:16,188 You know, we realize that they more than likely they didn't do a pre-trip. You know, that morning 519 00:48:16,269 --> 00:48:21,428 that tire was probably already flat. You know, so that more or less, you know, tells on them, uh, but 520 00:48:21,429 --> 00:48:27,110 they need to be doing, you know, all the, the pre trips, post trips, uh, you know, should be 521 00:48:27,149 --> 00:48:32,389 commonplace to do that. You know, at the beginning of every shift, at the end of every shift, just to 522 00:48:32,389 --> 00:48:38,769 make sure everything is in proper running order and that they can run, you know, without sitting 523 00:48:38,770 --> 00:48:43,409 beside the road somewhere for half a day, waiting on the mechanic to come get to them, you know, to 524 00:48:43,449 --> 00:48:48,929 repair whatever's wrong. Right, right. Randy, anything to add there? No, that's pretty much, you 525 00:48:48,929 --> 00:48:53,769 know, making sure you do your pre-trip, you know, checking everything that, like I said, you know, 526 00:48:53,809 --> 00:48:58,209 your truck is your job, you know, and if your truck is broke down, you're on the side of the road. 527 00:48:58,209 --> 00:49:03,089 You're not making no money. So you've got to make sure that you do that pre-trip check that oil, 528 00:49:03,090 --> 00:49:08,490 check that water, check the tires, and check everything that you can to make it success for 529 00:49:08,490 --> 00:49:15,208 you to have a good day. Absolutely. Gentlemen, this has been so informative. And as we 530 00:49:15,209 --> 00:49:20,490 start to creep on the end of the segment here, uh, I definitely will make some room for you guys to 531 00:49:20,490 --> 00:49:24,569 give me your final thoughts. Uh, but there's something here that I want to throw both of you 532 00:49:24,570 --> 00:49:29,009 right now, and I'll come to you first. Randy and Blaine, I'll have you follow up and answer the 533 00:49:29,009 --> 00:49:34,689 same question. But if a new driver is listening right now, and this could be a new driver and 534 00:49:34,689 --> 00:49:39,158 somebody that just got their CDL, Somebody that maybe is sitting in your orientation class this 535 00:49:39,159 --> 00:49:44,439 week. What's the one thing that you want them to take seriously out of this conversation? What's 536 00:49:44,440 --> 00:49:50,519 the one thing that's really the the hammer and the nail? Uh, for for turning this into this 537 00:49:50,560 --> 00:49:57,239 opportunity, into a successful career. I think the number one thing is to be dedicated to this 538 00:49:57,240 --> 00:50:02,999 job, and knowing what you're going into and making sure this is what you want to do to, you know, this 539 00:50:03,000 --> 00:50:09,199 is not, you know, you spend five, six, seven, $10,000 to get a license, and this is not what you want to 540 00:50:09,199 --> 00:50:15,478 do. But I think the number one thing is to be prepared to know that I'm going to be trucking 541 00:50:15,479 --> 00:50:21,478 101, and I'm going to be away from my family, and I'm not going to be home every night to see the 542 00:50:21,479 --> 00:50:27,839 kids and stuff like that. Mentally and physically. Be prepared to do this. Blaine, one thing you want 543 00:50:27,879 --> 00:50:33,959 drivers listening to take very seriously. If they decide to jump into this gig. You're basically 544 00:50:34,240 --> 00:50:38,709 sort of the same thing. Be committed to it. You know, have your heart in it? You know. We're willing 545 00:50:38,749 --> 00:50:44,748 to train you. You know, and go over and beyond. You know what it takes, uh, to turn you into a truck 546 00:50:44,749 --> 00:50:50,350 driver. You know, uh, but, you know, be committed on your end of it. You know, and and we'll be 547 00:50:50,350 --> 00:50:55,349 committed on our side. Well, and I'm not going to accuse you of underselling anything because you 548 00:50:55,350 --> 00:51:01,469 guys at Cypress are humble. And that's the word of the day here. But, uh, go above and beyond to train 549 00:51:01,470 --> 00:51:06,429 you to do the job. Right. I think is is the understatement of the year because, you know, we 550 00:51:06,429 --> 00:51:12,389 see CTCs, graduation rates, we see your guys' rates and people getting into the truck and being 551 00:51:12,389 --> 00:51:17,749 successful. I think going above and beyond is probably putting it softly. You guys are willing 552 00:51:17,790 --> 00:51:23,870 to do everything it takes, uh, just absolutely blow the top off of it to try to make somebody 553 00:51:23,870 --> 00:51:29,429 successful. And that's where that dedication comes in, right? What you guys are saying here is that we 554 00:51:29,429 --> 00:51:35,009 on our side of things, that Cypress and Sunbelt are very dedicated to you becoming a successful 555 00:51:35,010 --> 00:51:41,249 driver. If you don't show that dedication back, there's going to be some bumps in the road. Right? 556 00:51:41,249 --> 00:51:47,129 And I've always got great enjoyment, you know, out of turning somebody you think might not 557 00:51:47,129 --> 00:51:52,970 necessarily be a truck driver into a truck driver. And I think a lot of our trainers, uh, you know, 558 00:51:53,009 --> 00:51:58,289 trained in that same aspect of it, you know, they get enjoyment out of, you know, working with the 559 00:51:58,290 --> 00:52:03,529 the new guys, you know, and turning them into something. Absolutely. And, and that to me is just 560 00:52:03,529 --> 00:52:09,610 taking pride in the job. Right. And there's nothing wrong with that. All right, fellas, well, uh, this is 561 00:52:09,610 --> 00:52:14,249 your first time on the show, guys. Both of you. And first and foremost, I want to say you did 562 00:52:14,290 --> 00:52:19,489 absolutely fantastic. You guys can tell you're very dedicated to your job, and you're also both 563 00:52:19,489 --> 00:52:25,889 very good at it. Uh, I give everybody on this show a chance for final thoughts. Now, this segment 564 00:52:25,889 --> 00:52:31,879 here, uh, is is just meant to kind of wrap things up, but it's also meant to put everything out on 565 00:52:31,879 --> 00:52:36,559 the table. If there's anything that we wanted to talk about today that we didn't get to. Now's the 566 00:52:36,560 --> 00:52:42,519 time to get it out there. Or if you'd like to just give some shout outs to maybe fellow employees or 567 00:52:42,519 --> 00:52:47,999 family members. Randy, let's see here. Checking my notes. You got one, two, three, 22 grandkids out 568 00:52:48,000 --> 00:52:52,919 there wondering if maybe you wanted to give any of them a shout out. The floor is yours. Here, 569 00:52:52,919 --> 00:52:57,959 gentlemen, with the Final Thought segment, that's the most important thing. Uh, Blaine, I'll go to you 570 00:52:57,960 --> 00:53:01,839 first for your final thoughts. First and foremost, thank you for joining us here today on the 571 00:53:01,840 --> 00:53:08,719 Cypress Truck Lines podcast. Final thoughts before we let you get back to it today. Uh, just, uh, 572 00:53:08,759 --> 00:53:14,559 thank you for having us on here. Uh, big shout out to my family and everything. Uh, you know, I've 573 00:53:14,560 --> 00:53:21,119 really enjoyed, uh, the to the Cypress here. Have enjoyed working here and everything. Uh, 574 00:53:21,360 --> 00:53:26,639 big shout out to all of our trainers. You know, that, uh, we deal with every week. You know, they do 575 00:53:26,639 --> 00:53:32,709 a good job for us. And I appreciate all that they do for us. Well said there. Blaine Carver, thank you 576 00:53:32,709 --> 00:53:38,269 so much for being on. That's your orientation clerk. Out there in Jacksonville, Randy Wells, your 577 00:53:38,310 --> 00:53:43,269 orientation supervisor. Final thoughts for us here before we let you get back to it, Randy, and thank 578 00:53:43,269 --> 00:53:48,149 you so much for the time. And thank you to Marcus. I'd like to say anytime you need some help, you 579 00:53:48,149 --> 00:53:54,549 know, feel free to call us. But yeah, a big thanks to our families, you know, and a big thanks to the 580 00:53:54,549 --> 00:54:01,148 Penlands for doing everything they can to make me successful for Cypress. 581 00:54:01,950 --> 00:54:06,949 Amen. And they do. They're there. The the Penlands. One thing you'll see if you continue to listen to 582 00:54:06,949 --> 00:54:12,870 this podcast is the Penlands are willing to bend over backwards for you. Isn't that right, Randy? If 583 00:54:12,870 --> 00:54:19,189 you're a driver here at Cypress, they will bend over backwards. They will help you any way they 584 00:54:19,189 --> 00:54:25,829 can because, you know, trucking 101. We need drivers basically. Amen to that. Randy Wells and 585 00:54:25,830 --> 00:54:30,289 Blaine Carver. That's where we're going to wrap it up today. Thanks a lot, fellas. We will definitely 586 00:54:30,290 --> 00:54:35,529 get you back on the podcast again soon. All right. Alright Marcus. Thank you. Thank you. 587 00:54:43,970 --> 00:54:50,769 Man. Hats off to Randy and Blaine. What an awesome conversation that was. Uh, I love having people on 588 00:54:50,770 --> 00:54:55,888 that are dedicated to the job. And if you can't hear it in Randy and Blaine's voice that they're 589 00:54:55,889 --> 00:55:00,810 dedicated to the job, then all you have to do is look at the proof that's in the pudding. Uh, they 590 00:55:00,810 --> 00:55:06,769 they pump out a lot of good drivers, man. And, uh, I think that other drivers that we've had on before 591 00:55:06,850 --> 00:55:12,049 would tell you that the orientation process was something that really prepared them for what they 592 00:55:12,049 --> 00:55:18,729 were going to get into, even if they had a, a kind of a misguided opinion of it in the first place. 593 00:55:18,729 --> 00:55:24,249 And so, uh, can't thank those guys enough for coming on today. What, uh, what a segment that was. 594 00:55:24,249 --> 00:55:28,159 Uh, there is one line from the episode that I really can't get out of my head. And that is, most 595 00:55:28,159 --> 00:55:32,840 drivers don't fail because they can't drive. They fail because they weren't prepared for the 596 00:55:32,840 --> 00:55:39,359 lifestyle. Randy said, right off the top. True, true. True. And after this conversation that we just had, 597 00:55:39,360 --> 00:55:45,719 it's pretty clear why this job will ask something from you that most jobs never will. It'll ask for 598 00:55:45,719 --> 00:55:50,839 your time. It'll ask for your comfort. It'll ask for your family to carry maybe more than their 599 00:55:50,840 --> 00:55:57,279 share. And and for a lot of people, that's where it breaks. But here's the other side of that coin. If 600 00:55:57,319 --> 00:56:02,760 you are prepared, if your family's on board, if you can push through these first six weeks when 601 00:56:02,760 --> 00:56:09,599 everything hurts and nothing feels normal, this job can give back in a big, big way. 602 00:56:09,679 --> 00:56:16,159 We're talking careers, stability, opportunities, and in Randy's case, putting a kid through med school. 603 00:56:16,159 --> 00:56:21,719 He didn't mention that here on the show, but he definitely mentioned it to us when we were 604 00:56:21,840 --> 00:56:26,909 meeting for the first time. And I have it in my notes. This job has put one of Randy's kids 605 00:56:26,909 --> 00:56:33,428 through med school, which is not cheap. Okay. That doesn't happen by accident. That happens because 606 00:56:33,429 --> 00:56:38,870 somebody made a decision early on. And I'm not just saying this, I'm committing to it. So if 607 00:56:38,909 --> 00:56:44,909 you're listening right now and you're on the fence, ask yourself the real question. Not, can I 608 00:56:44,909 --> 00:56:51,388 get my CDL because I, I'm betting, yeah, you can get your CDL. All you gotta do is go to class, learn it, 609 00:56:51,389 --> 00:56:57,628 figure it out, practice it a little bit. Bam, you're a licensed CDL holder, but am I actually ready for 610 00:56:57,629 --> 00:57:03,189 the life that comes with it? Because if you are, you've got people like Randy and Blaine in your 611 00:57:03,190 --> 00:57:08,430 corner who are going to do everything they can to make you successful, but you've got to meet them 612 00:57:08,430 --> 00:57:14,349 halfway, right? That's going to do it for this episode of the Cypress Truck Lines podcast. Meet 613 00:57:14,350 --> 00:57:20,309 them halfway. Let those guys in orientation do their jobs. They do them so well. Uh, we've got 614 00:57:20,309 --> 00:57:26,369 another episode coming up for you next Wednesday, 5 a.m. local time. It's pretty much a process now. 615 00:57:26,370 --> 00:57:32,249 We trust the process here, just like they do over at CTC and in orientation. Uh, we're gonna be 616 00:57:32,250 --> 00:57:37,649 pumping out a new episode for you weekly, so make sure to look forward to the next one once again 617 00:57:37,649 --> 00:57:43,448 Wednesday, 5 a.m. local time. And also, don't forget to go check out our website 618 00:57:43,729 --> 00:57:49,529 podcast.cypress.com. It's your one stop shop for everything you need from the Cypress Truck Lines 619 00:57:49,529 --> 00:57:53,609 podcast. I've been Marcus, you've been awesome. Thank you so much for being here today. Thank you 620 00:57:53,609 --> 00:57:59,529 for clicking download every week. And until next time, be safe out there. Cypress Truck Lines and 621 00:57:59,529 --> 00:58:02,809 Sun Belt as well and enjoy the sunshine. What do you say?