Lawsuit Abuse in Trucking: Nuclear Verdicts Explained

1 00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:06,400 How's the weather out there? Cypress and Sun Belt. Welcome into another episode of the Cypress Truck 2 00:00:06,400 --> 00:00:12,600 Lights podcast. I'm your host, Markus. So glad to be here with you today as always. And we got a real 3 00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:18,240 banger of an episode for you today. Can't wait to get into it. Uh, but first, you know, we always gotta 4 00:00:18,240 --> 00:00:22,439 get you lined up with some homework before we go anywhere, and we're going to go ahead and carry 5 00:00:22,480 --> 00:00:28,280 through the same homework assignment we've had for the last couple weeks. Now, obviously, you know 6 00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:32,640 the website at this point that's not homework anymore. That is tattooed on the back of your 7 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:39,159 eyelids. podcast.cypresstruck.com. What do you need to do with that information that's tattooed on the back of 8 00:00:39,160 --> 00:00:44,240 your eyelids? Simple. You got to tell a friend for me, that's all we want. Tell another cypress driver 9 00:00:44,240 --> 00:00:48,520 when you're helping him tarp his load. Uh, tell tell one of the mechanics when you see him. Uh, 10 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:53,560 when you're getting your steer tire repaired. Um, any one of those guys, like, tell somebody in the 11 00:00:53,560 --> 00:00:58,480 orientation group, maybe it's the guys that are. They look as good as wet behind the ears as 12 00:00:58,480 --> 00:01:03,029 you've ever seen. They look nervous, but they're out there doing it. They're doing a good job. Hey, 13 00:01:03,069 --> 00:01:08,629 tell that guy about the Cypress Truck Lines podcast. You know, we got to talk to some guys in 14 00:01:08,629 --> 00:01:12,709 orientation when we were out there doing the launch in Jacksonville. Got to talk to some guys 15 00:01:12,709 --> 00:01:18,589 that were at CTC at the time, um, doing their schooling and, and look, that's kind of what it's 16 00:01:18,589 --> 00:01:24,150 all about, man. Get your hooks into him early. Tell him about this podcast. Uh, sooner or later they'll 17 00:01:24,150 --> 00:01:30,109 come on the podcast, be guests with us. And that is what grows the show. That's that simple. Um, you 18 00:01:30,110 --> 00:01:35,110 know, we're not out here plugging a huge amount of dollars into advertising because we're out here 19 00:01:35,110 --> 00:01:40,069 for you guys. And the only advertisement we really want to hear is some word of mouth between you 20 00:01:40,069 --> 00:01:45,110 drivers, because you're enjoying the content, you're getting something out of the content. So if 21 00:01:45,150 --> 00:01:50,350 you are, if you've listened to an episode of this podcast or maybe you've listened to all of them 22 00:01:50,350 --> 00:01:56,350 and it had an impact on you in any way, did you laugh? Did you smile? Did we elicit a little bit of 23 00:01:56,350 --> 00:02:01,539 emotion? Maybe. Maybe some tears. Hey, that'd be great. Well, not great. I don't want you to cry, but 24 00:02:01,540 --> 00:02:06,019 you know what I mean. It means that we made good content for you, and I feel like that's worthy of 25 00:02:06,019 --> 00:02:10,740 you just telling one friend. So if you're listening today, your homework assignment is just 26 00:02:10,740 --> 00:02:16,059 to tell one other Cypress employee about the podcast. And if they say, yeah, I've heard of it. 27 00:02:16,100 --> 00:02:22,179 Your follow up question, have you listened? And if they say no, tell them, okay, our friendship's on 28 00:02:22,179 --> 00:02:27,379 pause until you listen to one episode and tell me what you think. Now you can play around with that 29 00:02:27,380 --> 00:02:32,419 threat as much as you want and obviously level it at your own discretion. You don't have to cancel 30 00:02:32,419 --> 00:02:38,539 friendships over it, but it really does help the show when more people listen. So tell a friend to 31 00:02:38,580 --> 00:02:45,500 go on over to podcast.cypresstruck.com today. Bookmark that website so that you can get every single 32 00:02:45,500 --> 00:02:52,380 episode 5 a.m. local time, every single week, uh, on Wednesdays. So tell em 33 00:02:52,380 --> 00:02:57,529 you gotta go over there. We're doing a lot of cool stuff here on this podcast. And today is no 34 00:02:57,529 --> 00:03:04,089 exception. In fact, today might be one of the most impactful episodes that we have, because 35 00:03:04,369 --> 00:03:10,529 what we're talking about today, uh, in general, I'll say, is lawsuit abuse in the trucking 36 00:03:10,529 --> 00:03:16,409 industry. Um, if you haven't been out there on the interwebs very much lately, or maybe you haven't 37 00:03:16,410 --> 00:03:21,769 driven through Las Vegas and seen all the personal injury attorney billboards, um, this is a 38 00:03:21,770 --> 00:03:28,049 problem in the trucking industry right now. There are predatory lawsuits, nuclear verdicts, and 39 00:03:28,049 --> 00:03:32,969 something called the reptile theory that we'll get into here in a little bit with Clay Hamblen, 40 00:03:32,969 --> 00:03:37,850 who's going to join us for the middle part of the show. And then at the end of the show, we're going 41 00:03:37,850 --> 00:03:43,769 to be joined again by Clay Hamblen and driver Joey Fron, who is in an accident about a year ago. 42 00:03:43,770 --> 00:03:49,289 And they're going to walk us through kind of the standard operating procedure, what to do when you 43 00:03:49,289 --> 00:03:55,920 have an accident like this in Joey's, uh, this particular circumstance had some unique aspects 44 00:03:55,920 --> 00:04:01,479 to it, and Joey was able to navigate those like a true pro, which is what every one of you Cypress 45 00:04:01,479 --> 00:04:06,919 drivers out there are. And listen, we don't want anybody to get into an accident. We don't want 46 00:04:06,919 --> 00:04:11,880 anybody to find themselves in the unfortunate situation that Joey found himself in. But the 47 00:04:11,880 --> 00:04:17,199 reason that we're bringing him on to talk through this today is because of how well he handled it, 48 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:22,760 and it was actually brought up to me by Clay. Clay said, listen, I got this driver went through this 49 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:29,439 thing. He handled it so well that X, Y, and Z happened. And the only reason I'm saying x, Y, and z 50 00:04:29,440 --> 00:04:34,319 is because I don't want to give it away. It's a really cool story. Um, obviously, unfortunately 51 00:04:34,320 --> 00:04:40,679 prompted by an accident. But in the aftermath and his things were taken care of and wrapped up with 52 00:04:40,679 --> 00:04:47,040 said accident, some really cool things happened that I think, um, signified that Joey was the 53 00:04:47,040 --> 00:04:53,269 consummate professional in this instance. Um, so we'll get to all that. That's a little bit of a 54 00:04:53,269 --> 00:04:57,950 tease for what's going to happen at the end of the show. But right around the corner here, Clay is 55 00:04:57,950 --> 00:05:04,390 going to join me for a conversation about lawsuit abuse and all of the litigation that trucking 56 00:05:04,390 --> 00:05:10,709 companies face. Um, by and large, if you're just out there on forums and I'm not not necessarily 57 00:05:10,709 --> 00:05:15,389 talking about trucking forums, maybe you could talk about it from like a traffic forum 58 00:05:15,390 --> 00:05:22,269 perspective or a, um, you know, just general social media. If you were to pull a hundred general 59 00:05:22,269 --> 00:05:29,149 social media users, not necessarily truck drivers, not necessarily not truck drivers, I'm guessing 60 00:05:29,150 --> 00:05:34,590 that in the current status in the in the current environment that we have right now, if you were to 61 00:05:34,630 --> 00:05:40,950 pull 100 random social media users, somewhere between 35 and 45 of those people are going to 62 00:05:40,950 --> 00:05:46,349 have a bad taste in their mouth for the trucking industry, whether or not they have ever been 63 00:05:46,350 --> 00:05:53,219 involved with any unfortunate incident with a big rig. And the reason is, is because in the media 64 00:05:53,219 --> 00:05:59,579 and on the social networks, in the forums, and especially in the courtrooms, trucking companies 65 00:05:59,579 --> 00:06:06,220 are vilified and unnecessarily vilified. I might add, as we present you, this podcast done 66 00:06:06,220 --> 00:06:11,820 for Cypress Truck Lines. I do want to say that Cypress Truck Lines is kind of one of the shining 67 00:06:11,820 --> 00:06:18,099 examples out there of the right way to do things. Um, they are out there making sure that everybody 68 00:06:18,099 --> 00:06:24,619 is okay. They're handling things by the book. And so when you talk about trucking companies being 69 00:06:24,620 --> 00:06:30,499 vilified and these big nuclear verdicts, um, it really starts to kind of get under your skin a 70 00:06:30,499 --> 00:06:35,979 little bit when you work like I do, and you're kind of not necessarily in the trucking industry, 71 00:06:35,980 --> 00:06:42,019 but right up close to it, kind of adjacent like I am, I it really upsets me, man. I've, I've talked to 72 00:06:42,019 --> 00:06:46,779 a lot of fleet owners. I've talked to a lot of fleet management. I've talked to more safety 73 00:06:46,780 --> 00:06:52,689 directors than I can shake a stick at. And I've talked to hundreds and hundreds of drivers at 74 00:06:52,689 --> 00:06:58,369 this point in time in my podcasting for truck drivers career. And what I will tell you is not 75 00:06:58,410 --> 00:07:04,730 one of those people is that I've spoken to, wants to go about this the wrong way. Not one of them is 76 00:07:04,730 --> 00:07:10,249 doing anything shady. When there's an accident, every single one of them jumps to the same 77 00:07:10,529 --> 00:07:15,809 position. Right? When that accident happens, it's making sure our driver is okay, making sure 78 00:07:15,809 --> 00:07:20,809 whoever else is involved in the accident is okay, making sure we get the proper authorities 79 00:07:20,809 --> 00:07:26,529 involved, making sure we get the truck to a safe spot. And what you'll notice is the trucking 80 00:07:26,529 --> 00:07:33,169 company standard operating procedure isn't all of this legally stuff. It's stuff that makes sense 81 00:07:33,170 --> 00:07:39,570 from a trucking company standpoint. Are the people okay? Are we in a safe place where we're not going 82 00:07:39,570 --> 00:07:45,489 to cause another accident? Are the authorities involved? Have we given a statement? Does safety 83 00:07:45,530 --> 00:07:51,559 know back at the fleet? Are they involved? All of these things are meant to make sure that 84 00:07:51,559 --> 00:07:57,799 everybody in the situation is okay. If you look at how to handle an accident with a truck driver, 85 00:07:57,839 --> 00:08:02,439 like if they gave you a little handbook as a four Wheeler, I guarantee you an attorney will have 86 00:08:02,439 --> 00:08:07,440 written it and I guarantee you it will say things like, you know, don't incriminate yourself, don't 87 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:13,799 say anything. And listen, all of that stuff is meant to build lawsuits. Okay? That's not what's 88 00:08:13,839 --> 00:08:19,360 actually what actually matters. When this stuff happens. What matters is that the people are okay. 89 00:08:19,399 --> 00:08:24,000 We're not looking at dollar signs. We're not looking at body parts. Once again, we are not 90 00:08:24,039 --> 00:08:29,119 hauling body parts. And you will hear Clay say that in our conversation coming up here. So I 91 00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:34,358 think I've set this up pretty well. It's a great conversation to have with Clay, because Clay is on 92 00:08:34,359 --> 00:08:39,519 the inside of all of these things. He's been through the litigation that happens when there's 93 00:08:39,520 --> 00:08:44,919 an accident. He's seen hundreds of different accidents. To be able to build this experience and 94 00:08:44,919 --> 00:08:51,309 understand what happens and what it looks like when predatory lawsuits start to 95 00:08:51,349 --> 00:08:57,310 form. So listen closely to this one, because the first part of this conversation, like I said, it's 96 00:08:57,310 --> 00:09:02,909 going to be Klay and I just talking about the issue within the industry. After that we're going 97 00:09:02,909 --> 00:09:07,949 to bring Cypress driver Joey Fron on. He's going to walk us through what happened during this 98 00:09:07,950 --> 00:09:12,549 unfortunate accident that he was involved in a little more than a year ago. And then we'll come 99 00:09:12,549 --> 00:09:18,270 back and wrap things up at the end. So without further ado, let's get Clay Hamblen in here. This 100 00:09:18,270 --> 00:09:20,629 is an awesome conversation. Let's have it right now. 101 00:09:25,790 --> 00:09:30,349 Count down to the Cypress Truck Lines podcast starts now. 102 00:09:32,710 --> 00:09:39,190 Your number one professional flat betting podcast here to deliver stories, safety updates and 103 00:09:39,190 --> 00:09:44,389 company news directly to your ears. Let's get down to business. 104 00:09:50,300 --> 00:09:56,019 Welcome back into the Cypress Truck Lines podcast. Very excited for my next guest here, because every 105 00:09:56,020 --> 00:10:02,419 single time that I get to sit down and talk with this guy, I learn more about the nuances of the 106 00:10:02,419 --> 00:10:09,379 trucking industry and today's topic, lawsuit abuse is a really good one for our guest. And 107 00:10:09,379 --> 00:10:14,059 please welcome to the show, Clay Hamblen with Cypress Trucking. Clay, I'm glad to have you back, 108 00:10:14,059 --> 00:10:18,899 man. It's been a while. Always a pleasure to have you join us here on the show. Yeah, I appreciate 109 00:10:18,900 --> 00:10:24,939 you having me, Marcus. Looking forward to today's discussion and diving into it. I didn't really 110 00:10:24,939 --> 00:10:31,299 know until one of my first conversations with you how bad that things had really gotten in the 111 00:10:31,299 --> 00:10:36,779 transportation industry. When we talk about lawsuit abuse, and I think maybe that's a good 112 00:10:36,780 --> 00:10:43,129 place for us to start very broad, when people hear lawsuit abuse, what does that actually mean in the 113 00:10:43,130 --> 00:10:47,968 trucking industry, Clay. Yeah. Well, a lot of it that were, you know, talking about when it comes to 114 00:10:47,969 --> 00:10:54,569 lawsuit abuse is just the frivolous lawsuits. And, you know, it's, uh, you know, so many of 115 00:10:54,569 --> 00:11:00,129 the accidents go, you know, straight to attorneys, uh, where we're a carrier or trucking company 116 00:11:00,129 --> 00:11:06,729 really never has an opportunity to resolve it fairly. And, uh, even the most minor claim, uh, or 117 00:11:06,729 --> 00:11:13,168 accident, um, can go into, you know, years of litigation and it just, uh, 118 00:11:13,169 --> 00:11:20,168 it, it takes a lot of employee resources, takes a lot of financial resources. Um, and 119 00:11:20,169 --> 00:11:25,609 unfortunately, you know, there's there's a lot of good carriers and there's, there's some bad 120 00:11:25,609 --> 00:11:31,369 carriers in the industry, too. Well, you know, the good carriers, you know, are put into that same 121 00:11:31,369 --> 00:11:38,049 bucket. You know, we're just kind of got a bad reputation the trucking industry does. And, um, I 122 00:11:38,049 --> 00:11:42,919 think what a lot of people don't understand is there are so many good people. Good business 123 00:11:42,919 --> 00:11:48,959 owners. Good business. Businesses in this industry that work extremely hard. And, uh, it's getting 124 00:11:48,960 --> 00:11:55,359 tougher and tougher for trucking companies to to survive the environment we're in. Yeah. And it 125 00:11:55,360 --> 00:12:01,279 seems kind of like and and I don't know, I'll ask you about your opinion on how it's changed the, 126 00:12:01,280 --> 00:12:06,640 the legal environment since you started to now. But it sort of seems like I mean, Clay, I was just 127 00:12:06,640 --> 00:12:12,079 in Vegas a couple of weeks ago, and I could not count on all my fingers and all my toes the 128 00:12:12,080 --> 00:12:18,798 amount of, uh, billboards I saw for personal injury attorneys from the airport to the hotel 129 00:12:18,799 --> 00:12:24,439 and I, you know, the I, I think among these people, the perception is, well, all these trucking 130 00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:28,238 companies are just sitting on a mountain of cash, and they're out here putting us all, all of us 131 00:12:28,239 --> 00:12:33,759 four wheelers in danger. So they should have to pay out if something bad happens. Is that always 132 00:12:33,760 --> 00:12:38,479 been the case in the legal environment, in the transportation industry? In your experience, Clay, 133 00:12:38,479 --> 00:12:44,229 or has this been something that, as of late, has become more of a popular thing? I understand with 134 00:12:44,229 --> 00:12:49,389 social media, it's a lot easier for us to hear about things more often than we used to, and those 135 00:12:49,390 --> 00:12:55,109 things might have just always been happening. But as of late, I feel like nuclear verdicts, lawsuit 136 00:12:55,109 --> 00:13:00,229 abuse, these are all hot topics in the trucking industry. How has that changed in your time 137 00:13:00,229 --> 00:13:06,309 working in risk management? Clay. Yeah, I mean, it's it's definitely evolved and skyrocketed and got 138 00:13:06,349 --> 00:13:12,468 worse. You know, I think, uh, you know, really prior to Covid, um, you know, it was pretty set for quite 139 00:13:12,469 --> 00:13:19,229 a few years. And, uh, as far as it just being kind of a level, you know, field it cost to 140 00:13:19,230 --> 00:13:24,869 doing business, so to speak. And it, uh, gradually got worse and worse and worse. And, you know, as 141 00:13:24,869 --> 00:13:29,830 trucking companies were getting safer and and from my personal experience, you know, I saw, you 142 00:13:29,830 --> 00:13:35,869 know, uh, for example, you know, Cypress, I mean, geez, it's just from a safety standpoint, year over year, 143 00:13:35,989 --> 00:13:42,179 you know, accidents are getting less. Less at fault. Accidents and companies getting safer. More and 144 00:13:42,179 --> 00:13:48,500 more technology available. As far as equipping the truck to be safer, to be able to manage your day 145 00:13:48,500 --> 00:13:55,460 to day in a in a safer way. High end criterias, you know, maintain the standard. And you 146 00:13:55,460 --> 00:14:02,419 know, the overall the safety aspect and compliance aspect is, you know, top of the line. But yet you're 147 00:14:02,419 --> 00:14:07,498 seeing less accidents, more lawsuits. And, you know, that tells the story right there. You know, for 148 00:14:07,499 --> 00:14:14,059 what we're up against. And, and and it costs a lot more money to to go through that process as well. 149 00:14:14,059 --> 00:14:19,620 And I think that, uh, you know, there's a time and place for, for attorneys, you know, in certain 150 00:14:19,620 --> 00:14:26,459 situations. But, you know, the reality of it is, you know, good faith should be shown on both parts, you 151 00:14:26,460 --> 00:14:32,139 know, and, uh, you know, companies so often just don't get an opportunity to fairly resolve it. And 152 00:14:32,139 --> 00:14:37,729 I think that, you know, a lot of that has to do with the fear from the general public. And you 153 00:14:37,729 --> 00:14:44,050 know, when you get in a they've just been so consumed by the billboard attorneys and the fear 154 00:14:44,090 --> 00:14:49,049 factor of I'm never going to be made whole again. You know, even if an injury isn't involved, it's 155 00:14:49,050 --> 00:14:53,809 like if I get in an accident with a trucking company, I need an attorney to get through this 156 00:14:53,809 --> 00:15:00,689 because they think it's so complex. And the reality of it is, um, there's a lot more good 157 00:15:00,690 --> 00:15:05,169 carriers that are willing to go above and beyond to make things right. And what the opportunity to 158 00:15:05,210 --> 00:15:10,489 to make it right. And I think what a lot of people don't understand as well is that if if they feel 159 00:15:10,490 --> 00:15:16,690 like they can't come to an a fair agreement, they still have that opportunity to go to an attorney 160 00:15:16,690 --> 00:15:23,650 and seek legal representation anyway. So, you know, it's really in everybody's best interest to, 161 00:15:23,689 --> 00:15:30,130 to try to resolve an unfortunate circumstance between the two parties. And, and a lot of cases, 162 00:15:30,130 --> 00:15:35,280 from what I've seen and through my experience since, we've really started managing our, you know, 163 00:15:35,319 --> 00:15:42,319 our, our liability accidents, um, is that people have an exceptional experience. 164 00:15:42,320 --> 00:15:49,039 They, they get the support they need and, and, you know, get their matter resolved appropriately. 165 00:15:49,040 --> 00:15:55,358 So, um, and, you know, we want to be responsible and take accountability when we're at fault. But at 166 00:15:55,359 --> 00:15:59,960 the same time, we don't want to take accountability and be responsible for things that 167 00:15:59,960 --> 00:16:04,999 we're not at fault. And and that's the other thing, you know, there's times where, you know, people will 168 00:16:05,040 --> 00:16:11,759 try to take a shot at us even when we're not at fault, you know? So it's, uh, it's a tough 169 00:16:11,799 --> 00:16:18,759 task to manage. Um, and in our drivers, our fleet of drivers play such an important 170 00:16:18,759 --> 00:16:24,439 part in, in being able to resolve it with the claimants. Yeah. And and, you know, we talk about 171 00:16:24,440 --> 00:16:29,879 training a lot on this podcast. And I think that, uh, we got to give those those driver trainers, all 172 00:16:29,880 --> 00:16:35,150 the people in orientation, all the guys over at CTC. We got to give him the shout out here because, 173 00:16:35,189 --> 00:16:40,510 uh, part of keeping yourself protected in any situation is knowing the protocol and 174 00:16:40,510 --> 00:16:46,429 understanding why these, uh, safety protocols are put in place. And, uh, maybe a little bit later, Clay, 175 00:16:46,430 --> 00:16:52,829 we can get into kind of the actual nuts and bolts of what a driver should do, um, when they are in an 176 00:16:52,830 --> 00:16:58,909 accident. But I just want to kind of ask you this blanket statement here. If you were standing in 177 00:16:58,910 --> 00:17:04,949 front of a room full of drivers, given all those things that you just said, uh, what do you think 178 00:17:04,949 --> 00:17:10,790 you would tell them? Why? What is the what is the reason that this has become such a problem as of 179 00:17:10,790 --> 00:17:16,469 late? Was it was it kind of the collection of a bunch of nuclear verdicts that all these 180 00:17:16,510 --> 00:17:21,829 attorneys saw and they went, wow, I should get my hands in that. That looks like a lucrative venture 181 00:17:21,829 --> 00:17:27,510 because you already mentioned it. Accidents are going down. Technology is getting better. Drivers 182 00:17:27,510 --> 00:17:33,259 are potentially safer now than they have ever been in a big rig out there on the road, but we're 183 00:17:33,259 --> 00:17:39,420 seeing lawsuits and especially lawsuit abuse sort of rise through the roof right now. Clay, was there 184 00:17:39,420 --> 00:17:44,739 a moment in time you mentioned Covid? Was there a case that you go back to that you look at and say, 185 00:17:44,739 --> 00:17:50,300 that was kind of the turning point or anything like that? Yeah, I mean, there's there's several 186 00:17:50,339 --> 00:17:57,339 claims that stick out in my head that should've never, uh, never been or come to fruition for what 187 00:17:57,339 --> 00:18:03,099 they were. And, um, you know, like I said, I'll try not to. You know, there's certain aspects that, uh, 188 00:18:03,180 --> 00:18:08,219 you know, I want to stay levelheaded in all this. Uh, it's tough not to take it personal. You know, 189 00:18:08,259 --> 00:18:13,979 trucking is is such a tough business. Um, and like you said, I think a lot of people are, you know, 190 00:18:14,060 --> 00:18:20,579 have false impressions on, you know, what a lawsuit entails, you know, for them, for us, um, you know, 191 00:18:20,619 --> 00:18:27,179 they're just not fully educated. And a lot of that is because of what's being promoted out there and 192 00:18:27,180 --> 00:18:33,049 the time and effort it takes on both parties to get to a resolution when when the reality of it 193 00:18:33,050 --> 00:18:39,969 is it's, uh, it can be done fairly, uh, between the two parties. So, you know, I don't, I don't know, I, I 194 00:18:39,969 --> 00:18:45,809 think the standard claims management process, I think there's a, there's been some cases that have 195 00:18:45,810 --> 00:18:51,249 been mishandled that have allowed, you know, plaintiff attorneys to, you know, utilize those to 196 00:18:51,290 --> 00:18:55,170 kind of cover, you know, make it a blanket statement to say, hey, this is how trucking 197 00:18:55,170 --> 00:19:01,369 companies operate. And, you know, uh, and people, you know, whether it's out of opportunity or out of 198 00:19:01,369 --> 00:19:06,889 fear, um, you know, the majority of people in their mind think they need to get representation. And in 199 00:19:06,930 --> 00:19:12,968 the and there's good, there's good, um, there's good people in every industry and there's bad people 200 00:19:12,969 --> 00:19:18,689 in every industry. Right. And so, you know, I think, uh, on the on the plaintiff side, you know, they've 201 00:19:18,689 --> 00:19:25,689 seen an easy opportunity to, you know, uh, make money off of an unfortunate circumstance. 202 00:19:25,689 --> 00:19:31,959 And, uh, it's it's a shame. But through our process and, you know, the evolution of 203 00:19:31,959 --> 00:19:38,359 managing this, uh, these situations, uh, we've been able to, you know, work with 204 00:19:38,360 --> 00:19:44,359 claimants and, um, it's it's not bait and switch tactics. I think, you know, the the other side of 205 00:19:44,359 --> 00:19:51,319 this to Mark is if I can take the step back is that trucking companies, um, and people in other 206 00:19:51,319 --> 00:19:57,479 industries too, but, you know, commercial companies, uh, were trying to settle people at the scene, get 207 00:19:57,479 --> 00:20:01,879 them, you know, bait and switch. Hey, sign this release and I'll give you $2,000, things of that 208 00:20:01,879 --> 00:20:07,399 nature. And so I think what we've really done is humanize the process. You know, we reach out to 209 00:20:07,439 --> 00:20:12,119 people. I think, first and foremost, it's important for somebody to understand who they've been 210 00:20:12,119 --> 00:20:17,599 involved in an accident with. Um, and the caliber of the, the company that they've been involved 211 00:20:17,600 --> 00:20:23,959 with, uh, let them know that we're. Hey, we're here to see this through, uh, for the long haul. You know, 212 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:29,189 we can work through this as quick as you want to work or hey, we can take as much time and give us 213 00:20:29,189 --> 00:20:35,469 an opportunity to make it right. I think the other side of this, too, is where people can have peace 214 00:20:35,469 --> 00:20:40,069 of mind that they're not hurting. The trucking company is that they're taking insurance money, 215 00:20:40,069 --> 00:20:45,430 and that's that's the assumption that a lot of people have, you know, and what they don't realize 216 00:20:45,470 --> 00:20:50,069 is that no matter if it's insurance money or not, the trucking companies are the ones flipping the 217 00:20:50,069 --> 00:20:55,989 bill, whether it's in premium or whether it's in a, you know, self-insured policy. I mean, everybody 218 00:20:55,989 --> 00:20:59,909 else is going to make sure they get their money, but everything is coming out of the trucking 219 00:20:59,910 --> 00:21:04,669 companies pocket. You know, and it's like you said, I think they think every trucking company is rich. 220 00:21:04,709 --> 00:21:10,229 Well, you know, we're sitting on a pile of cash. Um, and that's just not the case. And, you know, the 221 00:21:10,230 --> 00:21:16,349 devil's in the details, right? I mean, we saw, I think in 2025, there was over 100 carriers with 222 00:21:16,349 --> 00:21:22,789 100 or more trucks that, uh, closed the doors. And a big part of that is because of lawsuit abuse, 223 00:21:22,789 --> 00:21:29,419 right? Um, in frivolous lawsuits. And again, I know there are certain situations where attorneys are 224 00:21:29,539 --> 00:21:36,300 necessary and warranted. You know, we don't condone at least, you know, from my perspective, um, you know, 225 00:21:36,339 --> 00:21:40,859 companies that aren't in compliance out there on the road. I mean, my family's on the road to, you 226 00:21:40,860 --> 00:21:47,738 know, so, uh, you know, we just as much, uh, don't want the bad companies or, you know, unsafe companies on 227 00:21:47,739 --> 00:21:54,218 the road as well. Uh, but the overwhelming majority of trucking companies out there, um, are safety 228 00:21:54,219 --> 00:21:59,938 first, and and they're focused on compliance above all else. You know, unfortunately, when there's, uh, 229 00:21:59,939 --> 00:22:05,019 millions of miles being ran, you know, by different fleets, things are going to happen. We're dealing 230 00:22:05,020 --> 00:22:11,419 with human beings. We're not dealing with robots. Absolutely. And it just in, in and of that fact 231 00:22:11,420 --> 00:22:15,579 that, uh, the overwhelming majority or good safe companies out there, that also means the 232 00:22:15,579 --> 00:22:21,299 overwhelming majority of fleets getting hit with these nuclear verdicts are good companies that 233 00:22:21,300 --> 00:22:27,449 are trying to do this the right way. And that's very unfortunate because it starts, you know, in in 234 00:22:27,730 --> 00:22:34,529 law Clay, we have this great term, the precedent. Right. The precedent has been set unfortunately. 235 00:22:34,529 --> 00:22:41,329 And it's been set far too high. And in my research here, um, I've come across something multiple times 236 00:22:41,329 --> 00:22:45,849 that I just wanted to toss out to you and see if you've heard of this. I'm sure you probably have 237 00:22:45,850 --> 00:22:52,849 with your work, but, uh, the reptile theory in trucking litigation, have you? Do you have much 238 00:22:52,849 --> 00:22:58,328 information on that? I've got a little bit of a right up here, but, um, essentially, it's just 239 00:22:58,569 --> 00:23:04,289 leveraging a tactic designed to triggers jurors survival instincts by portraying the trucking 240 00:23:04,289 --> 00:23:09,689 industry as an imminent threat to community safety, aiming to punish fleets and deter future 241 00:23:09,689 --> 00:23:14,769 misconduct. Uh, have you ever dealt with anything from this reptile theory in any of these things 242 00:23:14,770 --> 00:23:20,930 that you've dealt with? Yeah, it's a big topic of discussion in our industry. And again, it's just, um, 243 00:23:20,930 --> 00:23:27,799 you know, overall painting is in a bad light. Right. And I think it, um, again, it's unfortunate, 244 00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:32,759 but, you know, the reality of what the trucking comes, I guess, to speak. Your point take a step 245 00:23:32,759 --> 00:23:39,239 back, is that the large majority of carriers are investing a substantial amount of financial 246 00:23:39,240 --> 00:23:45,599 resources in hiring, uh, maintenance technology, um, 247 00:23:45,600 --> 00:23:51,839 retention, you know, so those are the carriers that are taking a lot of what they make, you know, 248 00:23:51,879 --> 00:23:58,760 financially investing in the safety and compliance. And in turn, you know, they're having a 249 00:23:58,760 --> 00:24:04,599 tough time surviving, uh, because they're still dealing with the same type of abuse that every 250 00:24:04,600 --> 00:24:10,560 other carrier is dealing with. And so, in essence, what we're doing is, uh, some of these carriers 251 00:24:10,560 --> 00:24:14,599 that have shut the doors and I'm not going to name any names, but, you know, a lot of people know 252 00:24:14,599 --> 00:24:19,719 who they are. Um, they're good companies. They're the companies that we need on the road that we 253 00:24:19,749 --> 00:24:26,670 want on the road to save good carriers. That will no longer be operating anymore. Um, and 254 00:24:26,670 --> 00:24:31,790 in turn, we got other carriers that shouldn't be on the road that are still operating. You know, 255 00:24:31,869 --> 00:24:37,789 I'll be very careful in what I say here, too, but I have, uh, a relative that owns an insurance company, 256 00:24:37,790 --> 00:24:44,749 and they most recently, uh, had a a trucking fleet get non-renewal because of all of the safety 257 00:24:44,750 --> 00:24:50,429 violations. I think there were two fatalities in the course of one year. And this has been like an 258 00:24:50,430 --> 00:24:56,349 ongoing thing year over year over year. And I'll say it right here, plain as day. Those are the type 259 00:24:56,350 --> 00:25:01,909 of companies we need to be shutting the doors. The guys that can't clean it up after 5 or 10 years 260 00:25:01,910 --> 00:25:08,189 of repeated safety violations, repeated accidents that they're at fault at, and, you know, you'll see 261 00:25:08,189 --> 00:25:11,949 it. Yeah. The insurance companies finally might come back and say, look, we can't ensure you 262 00:25:11,949 --> 00:25:16,469 anymore. That doesn't stop that company from going and trying to find coverage elsewhere or even 263 00:25:16,469 --> 00:25:23,059 providing it themselves. and they're not actually fixing the problem that's causing this. Um, you 264 00:25:23,060 --> 00:25:27,780 know, aside from from better management, better leadership, how do we go about getting the 265 00:25:27,780 --> 00:25:33,699 companies that are not following these protocols and keeping everybody safe? Uh, to, to change their 266 00:25:33,699 --> 00:25:38,739 ways, because it really feels like those are the companies that these verdicts are going after, but 267 00:25:38,740 --> 00:25:43,499 they're not the companies that they're actually getting, uh, when they're casting this wide net of 268 00:25:43,499 --> 00:25:49,180 what trucking company was in an accident. Can I get my my teeth in that? Um, anything any thoughts 269 00:25:49,180 --> 00:25:55,938 on that? Yeah. So I, you know, it's, uh, when we're dealing with these type of 270 00:25:55,939 --> 00:26:01,259 claims, I guess any carrier can fall victim to what we would call a punitive damage claim, right? 271 00:26:01,300 --> 00:26:08,099 Those are those are your your claims that are going to be what would be categorized or have the 272 00:26:08,099 --> 00:26:13,179 potential of a nuclear verdict. Right. And so that's negligence on either the driver or the 273 00:26:13,180 --> 00:26:19,849 company's part. And so, um, you know, I think that, uh, again, that safety and 274 00:26:19,849 --> 00:26:26,769 remedial training on the front end, um, is so critical for carriers to adopt. Um, so you've got 275 00:26:26,770 --> 00:26:33,489 really two aspects of, of, uh, there's a whole lot that goes into the potential nuclear 276 00:26:33,490 --> 00:26:39,410 verdict, but, you know, you're hiring and retention, right? Negligent hiring, negligent retention. Um, so, 277 00:26:39,449 --> 00:26:46,209 you know, in essence, from from Cypress's standpoint, you know, we got just a tremendous amount of 278 00:26:46,209 --> 00:26:50,409 veteran drivers that have been here very obviously, you know, you've you've you've got 279 00:26:50,409 --> 00:26:56,890 familiar with, um, Cypress truck lines and how we operate. But, um, you know, we know the large 280 00:26:56,890 --> 00:27:03,809 majority of the drivers, uh, that, uh, that work here and, uh, we work very hard to give them the 281 00:27:03,810 --> 00:27:09,729 training and the knowledge they need to operate safely and then the coaching on the back end. So, 282 00:27:09,890 --> 00:27:15,000 you know, a lot of times people develop habits and they don't even realize that they're doing it, you 283 00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:20,358 know, bad habits in essence. So you know what we do? We want to coach them up. And over time you give 284 00:27:20,359 --> 00:27:25,800 them opportunities to correct that. But if you give that too much, if you give too much leniency 285 00:27:25,800 --> 00:27:32,479 to these drivers, then obviously the carrier can be negligent. And and retaining somebody, you know, 286 00:27:32,520 --> 00:27:37,359 specifically for, you know, a driver falling asleep at the wheel, you know, that's why we press hey 287 00:27:37,359 --> 00:27:42,479 making sure you get adequate rest. You know, um, staying off your cell phone. Obviously, we all know 288 00:27:42,479 --> 00:27:48,799 that, uh, mobile devices and you just people being addicted to their cell phone is, uh, you know, such 289 00:27:48,800 --> 00:27:54,160 a problem these days. And so, you know, through our training and, you know, things of that nature, you 290 00:27:54,160 --> 00:27:59,759 know, we're trying to make sure that, uh, and it's not just for the company's benefit. It's for their 291 00:27:59,759 --> 00:28:04,279 own personal benefit. Right? You know, to be a profession, anybody can be a truck driver. I've 292 00:28:04,280 --> 00:28:09,119 always said this. Not everybody can be a professional truck driver. And that's the that's 293 00:28:09,119 --> 00:28:16,109 the truth of the matter. And so, again, you know, uh, Maintaining that long term is is critical, and 294 00:28:16,189 --> 00:28:21,629 you've got drivers that start off and create good habits. And then over time they start to get 295 00:28:21,630 --> 00:28:25,829 overconfident, right. And so they start to let their guard down. Well you've got to correct that 296 00:28:25,829 --> 00:28:32,589 action. Hey listen we need to regroup here. And so, you know, um, there's just so much 297 00:28:32,589 --> 00:28:39,589 that goes into staying compliant and, and maintaining that standard, uh, because it's 298 00:28:39,589 --> 00:28:45,629 easy to slip, um, and go the wrong direction. And that's what we focus on, making sure that we never 299 00:28:45,669 --> 00:28:51,510 do. And I know a large majority of carriers do that as well. So I might have got off task right 300 00:28:51,510 --> 00:28:57,869 there, you know, off topic a little bit. But, uh, you know, I just think through all this stuff that, uh, 301 00:28:57,910 --> 00:29:04,229 we go through just to, you know, stay out of those situations. And again, it's not just a stay out of 302 00:29:04,229 --> 00:29:10,269 lawsuits. I mean, our motto, at least here at Cypress, is we got an obligation to the motoring public to 303 00:29:10,310 --> 00:29:17,018 be safe. And that's how we operate. Safety first, operations second. And, uh, you know, make sure 304 00:29:17,019 --> 00:29:23,139 we, we maintain that day in and day out. Um, and if you're going to be a successful carrier, you have 305 00:29:23,139 --> 00:29:28,979 to do that. But again, we're just, uh, the industry is getting exposed to more and more obstacles, um, 306 00:29:28,980 --> 00:29:34,939 in people that are trying to take advantage in an industry that's already tough to survive as it is. 307 00:29:35,099 --> 00:29:41,099 Yeah, for sure. And you're right, Clay, it comes through as clear as day. Um, when we talk to 308 00:29:41,140 --> 00:29:46,899 drivers here on this podcast that safety is the first, uh, the first order of business at Cypress 309 00:29:46,900 --> 00:29:52,219 Truck Lines. And I also love I know it's a bit of a saying and we've echoed it many times here, but 310 00:29:52,219 --> 00:29:56,699 that obligation to the motoring public is something that with all the trucking fleets I've 311 00:29:56,699 --> 00:30:01,698 worked with and I'm stacking them at this point, I'm I'm over ten at this point. And I will tell 312 00:30:01,699 --> 00:30:06,260 you that I've never heard that. And these other companies that I've worked with, great companies, 313 00:30:06,299 --> 00:30:11,369 got an eye for safety, doing it the right way. But Cypress has a bit of a different level to it. 314 00:30:11,410 --> 00:30:16,489 Where that's the first thing that I heard when I walked in the door and met with you guys the very 315 00:30:16,489 --> 00:30:22,970 first time, somebody said, within five minutes, we have an obligation to the motoring public. And I 316 00:30:22,970 --> 00:30:28,288 just think that really that's a really big aspect because it's a big lift, it's a heavy lift and 317 00:30:28,289 --> 00:30:33,249 it's like you're saying it's every single day. It's not just 1 or 2 things that you can do and 318 00:30:33,249 --> 00:30:38,649 have it last for the rest of the year. These are things we have to do every single day, very detail 319 00:30:38,649 --> 00:30:45,289 oriented and important things. And it's actually you said sorry for getting off topic. I don't want 320 00:30:45,289 --> 00:30:49,489 to put any blame on you there, because you walked me right into my next question here. I think it's 321 00:30:49,490 --> 00:30:54,849 a perfect Segway clay, but from a driver's perspective, what are some everyday habits that 322 00:30:54,850 --> 00:31:01,208 might seem insignificant to a driver but become incredibly important should there ever be a 323 00:31:01,250 --> 00:31:05,889 lawsuit brought against them in the case of an accident? Anything that kind of jumps out in your 324 00:31:05,889 --> 00:31:11,280 mind there? Yeah, I mean, it's I mean, it's it's all the stuff that they know before they get in the 325 00:31:11,280 --> 00:31:17,759 truck. Right? And I think that some of the stuff can become white noise just because, you know, it 326 00:31:17,760 --> 00:31:22,958 just they keep getting hit with it. And you know what I've always told drivers, you know, I worked 327 00:31:22,959 --> 00:31:29,438 in safety for so many years and I had a genuine I got a lot of relationships with a lot of drivers 328 00:31:29,439 --> 00:31:36,359 on the road. Right. And a genuine, uh, respect for what they do. It's a very tough job. You got to 329 00:31:36,359 --> 00:31:42,239 be away from your family. Um, you know, you're dealing with, uh, the traffic and the cities and 330 00:31:42,239 --> 00:31:48,319 the customers and the dispatchers and then safety and, uh, you know, so it's not something that 331 00:31:48,319 --> 00:31:54,920 everybody can do at a high level right now. It's something that you don't want to make harder than 332 00:31:54,920 --> 00:32:00,519 it has to be. Uh, but I guess my point being is when I was always coaching drivers, I always told 333 00:32:00,519 --> 00:32:05,879 them like, hey, our goal here is to be preventative. You know, let's learn from other people's mistakes. 334 00:32:05,880 --> 00:32:11,229 You don't want to be looking at this saying, hindsight's 2020. And so, um, again, I think at 335 00:32:11,230 --> 00:32:17,269 things like, you know, being on the phone. Right. Uh, just it there's certain mistakes. As a human being, 336 00:32:17,269 --> 00:32:23,749 you can make, um, and learn from their mistakes that you just can't make at all. Right. And again, 337 00:32:23,750 --> 00:32:29,269 that's operating a commercial vehicle and you shouldn't do it in any vehicle, but specifically 338 00:32:29,270 --> 00:32:36,149 an 80,000 pound, you know, uh, missile. Right. And so get adequate rest. Right? 339 00:32:36,150 --> 00:32:40,750 People are dealing with personal problems. Uh, you know, you have a long day. You have a tough time 340 00:32:40,750 --> 00:32:46,029 sleeping the night. Uh, you know, you gotta know when to stop and get rest. You're the captain of 341 00:32:46,030 --> 00:32:51,069 the ship. This is what we always tell the drivers. It doesn't matter what anybody else says. You have 342 00:32:51,069 --> 00:32:57,630 to be able to recognize, you know, when you need to pull over and get sleep. Um, even if you're within 343 00:32:57,630 --> 00:33:04,470 your hours. Right. Um, so that's important. Your health. Right? Being sick. Um, you know, 344 00:33:04,509 --> 00:33:08,780 there's so often people are trying to fight through it. I mean, I'm guilty of it as a man. I you 345 00:33:08,780 --> 00:33:13,179 know, the last thing I'm going to do is go to the doctor or the hospital. I'm going to have to be on 346 00:33:13,179 --> 00:33:19,179 my deathbed. But, you know, in reality, I'm sitting at a desk, right? Um, these drivers are out on the 347 00:33:19,179 --> 00:33:25,179 road every day. And so taking care of your health, being able to recognize your limitations, or, you 348 00:33:25,180 --> 00:33:30,419 know, when you need to go to the doctor and get seen. Obviously, everybody's got dot physicals, uh, 349 00:33:30,459 --> 00:33:36,618 valid dot physicals that go into trucks. But at the same time, um, if you're sick, you need to call 350 00:33:36,619 --> 00:33:41,978 your dispatcher, you need to call safety. You need to, you know, get, um, you know, let them know what's 351 00:33:41,979 --> 00:33:47,059 going on. Um, and I promise you, the company will give you support you need. You know, and if you're 352 00:33:47,060 --> 00:33:53,139 with a company that's not going to recognize or support that, uh, then you might not be at the 353 00:33:53,139 --> 00:33:59,818 right place. You know what I mean? So, you know, I think I can speak for for Cypress, obviously. Um, 354 00:33:59,899 --> 00:34:06,090 we don't want anybody to push their limits. You know, we are another saying. We've always said we 355 00:34:06,090 --> 00:34:12,968 don't haul body parts, right? So there's nothing worth pushing the limits for. Right. Um, there's 356 00:34:12,969 --> 00:34:19,728 no such thing as a hot load, right? You know, uh, it can wait if it has to wait. And so I think those 357 00:34:19,770 --> 00:34:25,489 those, uh, recognizing that ultimately the consequences aren't just going to come from a 358 00:34:25,489 --> 00:34:31,649 company standpoint, but you personally, it's your career, it's your CDL on the line. Um, and you got 359 00:34:31,649 --> 00:34:38,609 to protect that. Are there cases out there where drivers are being held personally liable for 360 00:34:38,610 --> 00:34:44,688 accidents? Uh, over the top of the the trucking company being, uh, potentially sued for anything 361 00:34:44,689 --> 00:34:49,289 that might have happened. Clay. I, I've always wondered that because we talk about protecting 362 00:34:49,290 --> 00:34:55,249 your CDL and protecting your career. Is there an aspect that goes into this of protecting your 363 00:34:55,250 --> 00:35:00,968 livelihood and your ability to pay the bills at the end of the month? Um, not only because you lost 364 00:35:00,969 --> 00:35:07,638 your CDL in this accident, but you also became a, I guess, a defendant and had to pay out of your own 365 00:35:07,639 --> 00:35:13,279 pocket. Does that type of thing ever happen? Yeah, absolutely. I mean, that's, uh, I think that's a big 366 00:35:13,280 --> 00:35:18,719 misconception that, uh, maybe a lot of drivers don't understand is that, you know, when a, even if 367 00:35:18,719 --> 00:35:23,919 you're a company driver and you're not an owner operator. Right? And you get involved in a, in a at 368 00:35:23,919 --> 00:35:30,919 fault accident or an accident where there's exposure involved, um, in a, you know, a lawsuit, um, 369 00:35:30,959 --> 00:35:37,479 you know, um, is tied to it. They're suing the individual driver and they're suing the company. 370 00:35:37,519 --> 00:35:44,320 Right. And so, um, absolutely. It happens. And, uh, and again, there's there's people and I think the 371 00:35:44,320 --> 00:35:48,839 large majority of drivers would know this, but, you know, there's commercial drivers that end up in 372 00:35:48,840 --> 00:35:55,760 prison, you know, under the their own circumstances. Yep. Yep. Definitely seen some of those uh, 373 00:35:55,760 --> 00:36:00,189 that that happens a lot more with the, uh, the impaired driving, which obviously it's hard to 374 00:36:00,229 --> 00:36:05,389 argue against that. Right? That's a personal decision that put you in that spot. And regardless 375 00:36:05,389 --> 00:36:10,109 of the company's safety record, if you're going to decide to take any kind of substance that might 376 00:36:10,149 --> 00:36:15,309 alter your your thought process or your mind and get behind the wheel, um, it's really hard to take 377 00:36:15,310 --> 00:36:20,789 personal accountability out of that clay from my seat. Right? No, absolutely. I mean, and that's why 378 00:36:21,149 --> 00:36:26,229 hair follicle drug testing is another big thing. Obviously, some carriers choose to do it. Some 379 00:36:26,229 --> 00:36:32,629 carriers don't. You know, dot urinalysis is obviously mandatory. Hair follicles optional. Um, 380 00:36:32,629 --> 00:36:37,949 but again, you know, it's that next level, whether it be a deterrent or whether it be able to catch 381 00:36:37,949 --> 00:36:44,269 stuff that's, uh, you know, a little further, you know, behind you obviously, again, this is, this is a 382 00:36:44,269 --> 00:36:51,189 career path that is just a no tolerance for any kind of substance abuse. And, uh, and rightfully so. 383 00:36:51,229 --> 00:36:56,749 Right. And again, you got to take the right steps. Uh, should never get behind the wheel. Uh, but 384 00:36:56,750 --> 00:37:02,779 specifically a commercial vehicle, you know, under the influence. But yeah, I mean, again, there's so 385 00:37:02,780 --> 00:37:08,739 many factors that play into this and and even on the frivolous stuff, the minor accidents or 386 00:37:08,739 --> 00:37:15,099 something that you might seem insignificant can turn into three, 4 or 5 years to get result in the 387 00:37:15,100 --> 00:37:21,459 drivers involved in that. You know, I've got this question here for you, and I almost can tell. Well, 388 00:37:21,499 --> 00:37:26,379 based on our conversation, but also just based on my experience at large, I think I know what your 389 00:37:26,379 --> 00:37:31,340 answer is going to be, but I'm going to ask it anyway, and we'll come back and see if I was right. 390 00:37:31,379 --> 00:37:38,139 Um, if you could change one behavior across every professional CDL holder in America tomorrow with 391 00:37:38,139 --> 00:37:44,019 just the Thanos snap of your fingers, what behavior are you changing about drivers at large. 392 00:37:44,300 --> 00:37:50,458 Mhm. Man. So you think you know what I'm going to say. I do, I really do and I, I don't know if it's 393 00:37:50,459 --> 00:37:54,779 going to be right. I just uh I think it's something I might say. You could paint a wide 394 00:37:54,820 --> 00:38:01,769 brush and say outside of commercial drivers. Every driver in in America, um, which is why I'm kind of 395 00:38:01,810 --> 00:38:06,289 leaning towards one thing, but I don't know. You're the look on your face has me feeling like I might 396 00:38:06,290 --> 00:38:12,968 be way off on this one. So because I got a bunch of things running through my mind. Um, I 397 00:38:12,969 --> 00:38:19,929 think the one thing that I would change, and again, I don't want to, you know, um, cast a a wide 398 00:38:19,969 --> 00:38:26,969 net over every single driver. But, uh, I think it's important to understand that, um, you can 399 00:38:26,970 --> 00:38:32,729 always learn, right? It's. You don't know everything, you know, and the drivers that think they know 400 00:38:32,730 --> 00:38:38,609 everything are the ones that, um, are a liability, right? You got to be willing to work and have 401 00:38:38,610 --> 00:38:44,810 perspective, um, and understand that it's a constant, um, 402 00:38:45,250 --> 00:38:51,609 focus on making sure that you're doing the right thing. Day in and day out. Right? Because again, it's 403 00:38:51,610 --> 00:38:58,319 one of these, uh, industries trucking is at least as a a professional driver where you can do 404 00:38:58,360 --> 00:39:05,320 99% of your job, right? And you do that 1% wrong and it ruins your career. It 405 00:39:05,320 --> 00:39:11,599 can ruin your life, it can ruin you know, everything for you. And so, um, I think it's 406 00:39:11,600 --> 00:39:16,319 important to understand that every day you wake up, you gotta you gotta first of all, build the 407 00:39:16,320 --> 00:39:21,479 good habits. And then once you have those good habits built, you got to maintain those those good 408 00:39:21,519 --> 00:39:27,679 habits, um, and not get complacent in what you're doing. This is why you're the expert. And I'm just 409 00:39:27,679 --> 00:39:31,839 the podcast host. I would have said mobile phones is going to be the one thing that you're going to 410 00:39:31,840 --> 00:39:38,519 change, but a much, well, more well thought out answer there from you, Clay, because it goes to, um, 411 00:39:38,560 --> 00:39:44,319 it sort of speaks to owning this as a career. And this is, uh, being a truck driver is one of those 412 00:39:44,320 --> 00:39:50,519 careers that you have to take ownership of because there's so many aspects, like you said, 99% 413 00:39:50,520 --> 00:39:57,310 can go wrong one or can go right, 1% goes wrong and your entire career can be out the window. I 414 00:39:57,310 --> 00:40:02,388 would have to do a lot. Clay, I don't even know if I could say enough right now to throw my career 415 00:40:02,389 --> 00:40:07,628 away in this conversation, right? But a driver could do that every single day at every single 416 00:40:07,629 --> 00:40:12,709 stoplight. And I really think that what you said there carries a lot of weight, because that's what 417 00:40:12,750 --> 00:40:18,789 Cypress is looking for, is those drivers that take ownership of it and understand how big of a of a 418 00:40:18,789 --> 00:40:23,789 job this is, how important of a job this is for, for the country at large, of course, but also for 419 00:40:23,789 --> 00:40:28,989 their own livelihood and how important that safety aspect of it really is. And again, time 420 00:40:28,990 --> 00:40:33,948 after time on this show, whether we're talking to new drivers with Cypress, whether we're talking to 421 00:40:33,990 --> 00:40:39,428 driver trainers, guys that have been with the company for years, Ken out at CTC or Randy and 422 00:40:39,429 --> 00:40:46,070 orientation, they've all got that same mindset for it. And, um, you know, I, I kind of get to have a fly 423 00:40:46,070 --> 00:40:50,949 on the wall perspective of the company. Clay and and what I'll say is I'm just a little fly over 424 00:40:50,949 --> 00:40:56,059 here clapping my hands for everything that you guys do. Because I feel like from my perspective, 425 00:40:56,100 --> 00:41:00,859 you guys have got the right mindset and you've instilled this into your culture and it shows on 426 00:41:00,860 --> 00:41:05,819 this podcast every time we talk about it. Yeah, I know it's been really good. And, you know, something 427 00:41:05,820 --> 00:41:11,459 else about this industry is, uh, you know, we've gotten to know a lot of good carriers, you know, 428 00:41:11,460 --> 00:41:16,139 and, and, uh, you know, we're working together and we've always said there's no competition in 429 00:41:16,139 --> 00:41:21,820 safety, you know? So there there's good constructive, uh, competition and operations and 430 00:41:21,820 --> 00:41:27,219 rates and loads and all that. Uh, but on this side of the fence, as far as safety and claims 431 00:41:27,220 --> 00:41:31,739 management goes, uh, I've built so many good relationships with other people and other 432 00:41:31,739 --> 00:41:38,379 carriers. People are so supportive, you know, and so I've, I've really developed an appetite for, for 433 00:41:38,379 --> 00:41:44,698 helping good carriers and, uh, and other, um, trucking companies that are fighting the same 434 00:41:44,699 --> 00:41:50,330 battles that we're fighting. Right. And so, you know, the the first and foremost, we want to be 435 00:41:50,330 --> 00:41:55,089 preventative. We want to stay out of accidents. That's the that's the best remedy for it all. But 436 00:41:55,090 --> 00:42:00,249 unfortunately, things are going to happen. And how we manage the scene of the accident, how we 437 00:42:00,249 --> 00:42:06,768 respond to the accident, um, is equally as important, uh, in fighting, you know, the lawsuit 438 00:42:06,769 --> 00:42:13,090 abuse and and being able to resolve, uh, claims that are going to, you know, benefit the claimant 439 00:42:13,090 --> 00:42:18,168 in and, uh, or the potential claimant and the carrier. So, you know, there's a lot that goes into 440 00:42:18,169 --> 00:42:24,850 it. And, um, I'm sure we'll have an opportunity to discuss more, uh, on that front, too. We will. 441 00:42:24,889 --> 00:42:28,489 Absolutely. And, uh, I want to tell you guys, we're going to we're going to play this out a little 442 00:42:28,490 --> 00:42:33,849 different than normal. Uh, we've still got some time to fill here in the episode. And what we 443 00:42:33,850 --> 00:42:38,889 decided would be really cool is if we could get a driver on with you, Clay, and talk about the 444 00:42:38,889 --> 00:42:44,888 protocol. Uh, because, listen, if you're a nice person like me, and you generally want everybody 445 00:42:44,889 --> 00:42:50,999 around you to be happy, you could do a lot of damage to yourself in the event of an accident 446 00:42:51,000 --> 00:42:55,159 where you get out and you might run your mouth, you might say sorry to the wrong person, you might 447 00:42:55,159 --> 00:43:00,719 say the wrong thing or do the wrong thing, and all of a sudden you're wrapped up in a big legal case 448 00:43:00,720 --> 00:43:06,399 for years to come, and the companies involved and so on and so forth. So we're going to bring a 449 00:43:06,399 --> 00:43:10,479 driver on here with you in just a couple of minutes. And we're going to talk. Kind of step by 450 00:43:10,479 --> 00:43:17,479 step what to do. So this is a really informative episode from more than just one perspective. 451 00:43:17,639 --> 00:43:23,359 Um, but before we leave this part of it, I want to offer you a chance to have some final thoughts 452 00:43:23,360 --> 00:43:28,479 here on the things we've talked about here before. We shift gears and bring a driver in. Anything 453 00:43:28,480 --> 00:43:35,159 that we left on the table, Clay, before we get our driver on board. Um, gosh, I think we covered about 454 00:43:35,160 --> 00:43:41,879 everything, but, uh, no, I think, uh, again, it's just understanding the, uh, the profession that, uh, the 455 00:43:41,919 --> 00:43:48,749 that drivers have chosen. And, uh, it's not just the drivers, it's a, it's a team effort. Right. And being 456 00:43:48,749 --> 00:43:54,189 able to maintain the standards day in and day out. Um, and you want to make sure you're surrounded by 457 00:43:54,190 --> 00:44:01,109 the right people. And, uh, again, the trucking industry is, is super challenging. Um, but, 458 00:44:01,110 --> 00:44:06,709 uh, at the same time, um, once you're in it, it's, uh, it's tough to get out of it, you know? And, and I've 459 00:44:06,709 --> 00:44:13,469 developed a deep passion, uh, for, for claims management. And I think that, uh, we've developed a 460 00:44:13,469 --> 00:44:20,309 process that's been extremely beneficial for really everybody involved. And, uh, 461 00:44:20,389 --> 00:44:24,789 it's something that we want to get out there, too. But driver education is going to be critical 462 00:44:24,830 --> 00:44:30,749 because again, as we talked about, you know, the scene management part of it, uh, the drivers are 463 00:44:30,749 --> 00:44:35,549 the face of the company, right? In every aspect, whether it's with a customer, anybody in the 464 00:44:35,550 --> 00:44:40,349 general public. But specifically when you get into an accident, uh, you're going to be the face of the 465 00:44:40,350 --> 00:44:46,179 company and how they look at you or look at us as a whole. And so, you know, we'll talk more about 466 00:44:46,179 --> 00:44:53,099 that. Um, you know, once we get on with the with one of our drivers. Yeah. Well, said, Clay, let's go ahead 467 00:44:53,100 --> 00:44:58,419 and bring a driver in here. We've got Cypress driver Joey, Fron joining us on the phone. Joey, 468 00:44:58,420 --> 00:45:03,299 thank you so much for your time, my friend. How's it going out there today? Pretty good man. Just 469 00:45:03,860 --> 00:45:08,698 trying to knock these miles out, make a little money. I hear you, man. That's the life of a truck 470 00:45:08,699 --> 00:45:14,459 driver. We appreciate the time here. And really, the reason we wanted to bring you on today is to kind 471 00:45:14,459 --> 00:45:19,978 of walk through a scenario that happened, uh, somewhere in the space of about a year ago to you, 472 00:45:20,020 --> 00:45:25,219 Joey and, uh, Clay, this was the first driver you thought of when I asked you. Is there a driver we 473 00:45:25,219 --> 00:45:30,899 could bring on to kind of walk us through? Talk to me about the incident that happened to Joey, and, 474 00:45:30,899 --> 00:45:34,698 uh, and just kind of walk me through the way he handled it. Because I know you were really happy 475 00:45:34,699 --> 00:45:41,059 with it, Clay. Yeah, well, Joey, I've worked with Joey for for a long time now, and, uh, you know, in 476 00:45:41,059 --> 00:45:46,169 different situations and, you know, I have a pretty good relationship with Joey. And obviously 477 00:45:46,169 --> 00:45:52,490 personality plays a factor into into some of this too. And Joey's always been pretty even keel, you 478 00:45:52,490 --> 00:45:59,249 know, patient guy. And, uh, so that that's helpful. You know, first and foremost, uh, and always been a 479 00:45:59,329 --> 00:46:04,089 good, safe driver. And like we talked about, you know, we're dealing with human beings, not robots. 480 00:46:04,090 --> 00:46:10,889 And, you know, Joey found himself in an unfortunate circumstance. And, um, you know, the first thing he 481 00:46:10,889 --> 00:46:17,209 did was, uh, was reach out to us, um, you know, got us involved early, uh, which gave us the ability to 482 00:46:17,249 --> 00:46:22,529 kind of, you know, work through it side by side, which is the most critical aspect because, you 483 00:46:22,529 --> 00:46:28,409 know, when you get in a situation where you're in a vehicle on vehicle accident, there's a lot 484 00:46:28,449 --> 00:46:32,889 running through your mind, which I'm sure Joey will speak from his point of view, you know, here 485 00:46:32,889 --> 00:46:39,688 shortly. But I think the the most impressive part of the whole scenario, uh, and this is what we talk 486 00:46:39,730 --> 00:46:44,839 about, humanizing the process. Right. And that's where, you know, on our last call, I think the 487 00:46:44,840 --> 00:46:49,639 standard claims management is, you know, most carriers, most insurance companies, they're telling 488 00:46:49,639 --> 00:46:54,959 you, hey, keep your mouth shut, don't say anything. You know, they're scared of, you know, what you're 489 00:46:54,960 --> 00:46:59,839 going to say, you know, like it's going to hurt you any more than what happens. And in our approach is, 490 00:46:59,840 --> 00:47:06,599 uh, again, like we discussed is to, hey, look at the facts. Um, you know, review the video. Uh, 491 00:47:06,600 --> 00:47:11,800 listen to what the driver has to say. What exactly happened? Uh, because ultimately, we want to take 492 00:47:11,800 --> 00:47:18,239 responsibility and get a fair shot to, uh, take accountability. Uh, when when we do have 493 00:47:18,240 --> 00:47:23,958 exposure or liability in the accident. And at the same time, we want to be able to defend ourselves 494 00:47:23,959 --> 00:47:30,359 and our, our drivers, you know, when, uh, they're not at fault, uh, because so often they get, uh, accused, 495 00:47:30,479 --> 00:47:37,479 uh, wrongly or falsely accused. And so anyways, going back to the accident that, uh, that Joey had, 496 00:47:37,479 --> 00:47:44,309 it was a tough scenario. We'll let him talk about it. But if I remember right, he was coming off of, 497 00:47:44,310 --> 00:47:51,189 uh, one road, uh, onto an entrance ramp and shortly down the road, he needed to get off 498 00:47:51,230 --> 00:47:57,509 on the opposite side of the interstate, uh, to get onto an exit. You know, like, uh, one of those exits 499 00:47:57,510 --> 00:48:04,469 that's in the left lane. And so you got traffic coming behind you. He's 75ft long, trying to find 500 00:48:04,469 --> 00:48:11,148 an opportunity to get over. And it's a double turn exit. And so, you know, 501 00:48:11,230 --> 00:48:17,389 Joey, I, I believe thought that, um, you know, the vehicle was on the inside exit lane and he was 502 00:48:17,389 --> 00:48:24,149 going to be able to move on over to make his exit. Uh, unfortunately, the lady, uh, 503 00:48:24,149 --> 00:48:30,509 was actually going straight and was not exiting. So as he came over, um, she came on the front 504 00:48:30,510 --> 00:48:37,389 side. Um, he clipped her. Uh, pretty substantial accident. Uh, older lady, uh, a 505 00:48:37,389 --> 00:48:44,219 lot of property damage and shaken up. Obviously sun ended up showing up and as we as 506 00:48:44,220 --> 00:48:49,539 Joey worked the scene of the accident, it was him, you know, humanizing the process as we talked 507 00:48:49,540 --> 00:48:56,539 about showing genuine, uh, compassion, concern, uh, assistance that, uh, 508 00:48:56,539 --> 00:49:02,499 gave us the opportunity to really work with them directly, um, and really developed a good 509 00:49:02,500 --> 00:49:09,498 relationship with the claimant over the next few months. Uh, to get it resolved. Uh, rightfully so. And, 510 00:49:09,499 --> 00:49:16,379 uh, and long story short, the, uh, the son that showed up on the scene was extremely upset, 511 00:49:16,419 --> 00:49:23,099 was extremely mad. Uh, Joey kept his composure, uh, continued to, um, do and 512 00:49:23,100 --> 00:49:28,539 react all the right ways. And I think Joey just naturally has that in and just because of his 513 00:49:28,539 --> 00:49:34,059 personality. But he was prepared for it. Um, I know he had a few different things going through his 514 00:49:34,060 --> 00:49:38,969 mind, but, you know, maybe it's enough of me talking about it And we can let him, you know, tell his 515 00:49:38,970 --> 00:49:45,370 side of it, and then I can follow up from there, if that's okay. Absolutely. Joey, when you and I were 516 00:49:45,370 --> 00:49:50,769 setting this call up yesterday on the phone, you told me a little bit. And in fact, when I told you 517 00:49:50,769 --> 00:49:54,769 what we wanted to talk about here, the way you referenced it was you said, I just followed my 518 00:49:54,769 --> 00:50:00,450 training. I just did what they told me to do in orientation. Walk me through what you did, man, 519 00:50:00,489 --> 00:50:05,409 because that's a scary accident. Anytime that there's vehicle to vehicle contact with one of 520 00:50:05,409 --> 00:50:11,889 the trucks, it's a scary accident. Um, so you guys have have made contact and you're 521 00:50:11,889 --> 00:50:18,770 stopped. What do you do from there on, Joey? Uh, Clay stated, you know, like, I just 522 00:50:18,969 --> 00:50:25,408 immediately reverted back to what was taught to us in, uh, orientation. And, you know, I 523 00:50:25,770 --> 00:50:32,488 kind of froze initially when it happened because, you know, I knew contact had been made 524 00:50:32,489 --> 00:50:39,320 and I immediately, you know, come to a screeching halt and put my flashers on. Just sat 525 00:50:39,320 --> 00:50:45,639 there processing it for, I don't know, maybe like 30s realizing you know what had happened 526 00:50:45,639 --> 00:50:52,119 and got somebody on the phone with safety. And shortly after, 527 00:50:52,360 --> 00:50:59,319 I think I had talked to, uh, it was, I want to say Randy at first, and then he was able to get 528 00:50:59,320 --> 00:51:05,639 me a hold of Clay. And I was on the phone with Clay shortly after that. And I mean, all within the 529 00:51:05,639 --> 00:51:12,399 span of like a couple minutes, tops, like I'd already gotten out, put out my reflective 530 00:51:12,439 --> 00:51:19,439 triangles at the end of my trailer, and, uh, was just assessing the situation from outside the 531 00:51:19,439 --> 00:51:26,439 truck while on the phone with Clay and I, if I remember correctly, the police officers, I 532 00:51:26,440 --> 00:51:32,559 mean, they were there so quick, like it was within like maybe five minutes tops. I don't even 533 00:51:32,560 --> 00:51:39,349 remember if it was that long, to be honest, but it was quick. They were already on scene shortly 534 00:51:39,350 --> 00:51:44,949 after. And, uh, you know, they got a quick statement for me about what had happened, and I was still 535 00:51:44,949 --> 00:51:51,948 trying to process everything that had happened because it was it was a shock, you know? I mean, I 536 00:51:51,949 --> 00:51:57,789 just tried to stay as calm as possible. There was so much stuff going through my mind at the time 537 00:51:57,790 --> 00:52:03,269 and, you know, worrying about, because at the time I didn't even know, like, who was in the vehicle. You 538 00:52:03,270 --> 00:52:10,269 know, I just know that we had made contact and, uh, you know, after finding out it was like this old 539 00:52:10,270 --> 00:52:17,188 lady, I was just, like, mortified. I felt so horrible. And then, you know, the the fallout with the son 540 00:52:17,189 --> 00:52:24,029 showing up shortly after, it was just it was a mess in my mind, but I just 541 00:52:24,110 --> 00:52:29,389 did the best I could to keep it all together because there was really nothing I could do other 542 00:52:29,389 --> 00:52:36,299 than, you know, explain to the officers what had happened and talk through the situation with Clay 543 00:52:36,299 --> 00:52:42,939 over the phone as it was unfolding. Now I wonder because this is this is a pretty 544 00:52:42,979 --> 00:52:46,859 typical thing, right? You have the accident. You make sure everybody's okay, you get your 545 00:52:46,860 --> 00:52:51,939 reflectors out, you get your flashers on. The one variable in this situation that maybe a lot of 546 00:52:51,939 --> 00:52:58,459 drivers aren't going to see is the lady's son showing up and being rather irate. Can you kind of 547 00:52:58,500 --> 00:53:03,059 talk to me about how he approached you? And I mean, listen, we're sitting here listening to you right 548 00:53:03,059 --> 00:53:08,419 now, Joey, you strike me as the one of the most levelheaded guys we've had on this show. You don't 549 00:53:08,419 --> 00:53:13,659 strike me as somebody that gets too far off center ever. But with the emotions high, the 550 00:53:13,660 --> 00:53:18,539 adrenaline rushing like it would be at the at the tail end of an accident. And then you've got 551 00:53:18,539 --> 00:53:23,100 somebody coming up and getting after you for something. How did you stay calm through that? 552 00:53:23,100 --> 00:53:27,459 Because we all know when the adrenaline pumping, it's hard not to raise your voice. It's hard not 553 00:53:27,460 --> 00:53:34,408 to become emotional. How do you manage that? Because I knew I was in the wrong. I mean, 554 00:53:34,409 --> 00:53:40,609 I accepted that from the very beginning. And I mean, the guy I could tell from the demeanor of 555 00:53:40,610 --> 00:53:47,369 the guy as he approached me. He was very upset with the situation. But at the same time, 556 00:53:48,489 --> 00:53:54,529 you know, after finding out why, because I found out it was his mother. Like, you know, pretty soon 557 00:53:54,530 --> 00:54:01,529 off the bat. And that made me feel even worse. And like it was all his anger was justified. And I 558 00:54:01,529 --> 00:54:07,529 understood that I'm a human. He's a human. And, I mean, I would have. I put myself in his shoes. I 559 00:54:07,529 --> 00:54:14,529 would have been furious, too. So I don't blame him whatsoever for reacting the way he 560 00:54:14,530 --> 00:54:21,489 did. I mean, I could tell from the way he acted, he was probably not that kind 561 00:54:21,489 --> 00:54:27,810 of person. You know, in real life, it was just granted the circumstances. You know, that's the way 562 00:54:27,810 --> 00:54:34,199 he I guess, felt he needed to compose himself. That's just how it was. So. But 563 00:54:34,199 --> 00:54:39,678 100%. Well, what I was going to say is, you know, when, when when an accident is happening, there's 564 00:54:39,679 --> 00:54:45,439 so much going on. Right? So, you know, we speak to Joey because he again, like he said, reverting back 565 00:54:45,439 --> 00:54:51,799 to initially he he wasn't sure what happened. Right. I mean, it was a unique situation. And so, you 566 00:54:51,799 --> 00:54:57,559 know, initially we tell the drivers, hey, listen, you go ahead and find out if they're okay. You know, 567 00:54:57,600 --> 00:55:02,439 start, you know, building that rapport with them regardless of who's at fault, you know, whether 568 00:55:02,439 --> 00:55:07,519 they're at fault or not. And I if I remember correctly, we were unsure of exactly what happened. 569 00:55:07,520 --> 00:55:13,919 So we're working to get that video back so we can review and make a determination quickly. Um, you 570 00:55:13,920 --> 00:55:19,119 know, moving forward, you know, both for, you know, Joey, for the police officers or for the 571 00:55:19,120 --> 00:55:24,759 responding officers, for ourselves and for the potential claimants that were involved. You know, 572 00:55:24,800 --> 00:55:30,149 because, again, we want them to know where we stand with it and with technology the way it is. You 573 00:55:30,149 --> 00:55:36,110 know, with people having cameras. You know, the bottom line is the facts are the facts. And so, you 574 00:55:36,110 --> 00:55:42,989 know, the the old way of handling claims was, you know, never admit liability. But once you 575 00:55:42,989 --> 00:55:49,709 see the circumstances and you know you're liable, then it's it's better to go ahead and accept that 576 00:55:49,710 --> 00:55:55,029 quickly, you know. Um, and I think what really helped us out initially, after we were able to 577 00:55:55,030 --> 00:56:00,429 break through those barriers is, you know, we're our transparency with the claimants to let them 578 00:56:00,429 --> 00:56:06,949 know, uh, it wasn't really negligence. It was a it was a tough situation. You know, were we at fault 579 00:56:06,949 --> 00:56:13,869 were accepting responsibility. Absolutely. But that intersection or that, that particular spot right 580 00:56:13,870 --> 00:56:19,069 there and it came out, we talked about it with, uh, with even the claimants. They say there's 581 00:56:19,110 --> 00:56:26,019 accidents there daily, every day. Same scenario. Um, and not that it justifies it, 582 00:56:26,139 --> 00:56:32,658 but it's a very, very dangerous area. And that scenario is not uncommon. And so, 583 00:56:33,219 --> 00:56:38,620 you know, not to go off into the weeds. But, you know, we have an accident review board. Well, if you 584 00:56:38,620 --> 00:56:45,580 know, particularly for Cypress, they're high on criteria. It's, it's, you know, such a high standard. 585 00:56:45,620 --> 00:56:51,698 You know, like if you're a, a driver in a Cypress truck, you can drive for pretty much anybody in 586 00:56:51,699 --> 00:56:56,259 the country. You know, it's not easy to get in there. That means you have a clean NBR. You've got 587 00:56:56,259 --> 00:57:02,699 a good driving history. Um, you know, there's a lot to overcome to get in the truck. And so, you know, 588 00:57:02,939 --> 00:57:07,539 like Joey was talking about, you know, one of the things that crosses the driver's mind every time 589 00:57:07,539 --> 00:57:13,019 they're in an accident is, man, what about my job? This is my career, right? And so, you know, that's a 590 00:57:13,020 --> 00:57:17,980 big part of the accident review process. Post accident is reviewing, you know, the driver's 591 00:57:17,980 --> 00:57:23,809 history and, you know, hey, is this driver going to be terminated or, you know, are we going to be able 592 00:57:23,809 --> 00:57:29,289 to retain him? And, you know, under these circumstances and with Joey's previous, you know, 593 00:57:29,330 --> 00:57:36,169 history of having a good, safe driving record, um, obviously, um, you know, we were able to, to retain 594 00:57:36,169 --> 00:57:42,809 him. You know, rightfully so. And, uh, thank goodness he's still here. And I'm doing a doing a great job. 595 00:57:42,850 --> 00:57:47,889 Now on the back end of this whole thing. Clay, you gave me a little bit of inside info because we we 596 00:57:47,889 --> 00:57:54,889 talk about the angry son and Joey handling it, uh, with just absolute, the most delicate touch I 597 00:57:54,889 --> 00:58:00,369 think I've ever heard of. And this goes beyond, uh, trucking accidents. This is accidents in general. 598 00:58:00,410 --> 00:58:05,170 Um, hearing that you've got the the angry person and knowing that Joey handled it as well as he 599 00:58:05,170 --> 00:58:10,449 did. Uh, let's fast forward to a little bit after the accident. You you told me a little bit of 600 00:58:10,449 --> 00:58:15,569 inside info that this guy actually came back and had, um, some thoughts on the way Joey handled the 601 00:58:15,570 --> 00:58:21,010 situation. Right. Clay? Yeah. So, you know, like the Joey was saying that that was a natural reaction 602 00:58:21,010 --> 00:58:27,319 for the sun. Um, and I think that, you know, one of the most important parts of, you know, breaking 603 00:58:27,320 --> 00:58:34,320 those barriers down is that, you know, the general public has just been indoctrinated. Uh, 604 00:58:34,360 --> 00:58:41,200 you know, with all this negative outlook for trucking companies, insurance companies, and, 605 00:58:41,320 --> 00:58:46,478 you know, they're just, uh, already expecting that we're we're the bad guys, right? Well, like, I think 606 00:58:46,479 --> 00:58:51,799 we talked about it, Marcus. But, you know, the the majority of trucking companies out there are are 607 00:58:51,800 --> 00:58:58,760 compliant. Um, they're compassionate, they're professional. They work hard day in and day out to 608 00:58:58,800 --> 00:59:04,839 do the right thing, right, and keep people safe. And they want an opportunity to do what's right and 609 00:59:04,840 --> 00:59:09,799 do what's fair. But the majority of the time, trucking companies don't get that opportunity. 610 00:59:09,840 --> 00:59:15,359 When the standard claims process works out. And that's because the claimant doesn't know who they 611 00:59:15,359 --> 00:59:21,550 got in the accident with. And so, you know, as I started explaining, you know, who we were as a 612 00:59:21,550 --> 00:59:27,069 company and, uh, who Joey was, is a is a professional driver. Um, you know, we didn't just 613 00:59:27,070 --> 00:59:33,229 have some random person in there that, uh, you know. Um, that we that wasn't vetted or wasn't trained 614 00:59:33,229 --> 00:59:38,870 improperly. Um, you know, in the circumstances of the accident, you know, that wall starts to break 615 00:59:38,870 --> 00:59:45,510 down and you start to build that rapport. And, uh, and again, from my perspective, I genuinely can put 616 00:59:45,510 --> 00:59:51,309 my myself in their shoes, just like Joey was saying, man, I'm sympathetic to that. Like, you know, 617 00:59:51,350 --> 00:59:56,790 nobody wants to be involved in that. And when when bad things happen, people need support. They need 618 00:59:56,829 --> 01:00:02,309 direction. Um, and that's the way we conduct ourselves when, when we're involved in an accident, 619 01:00:02,309 --> 01:00:08,269 whether we're at fault or not. And so what, uh, can you give me just a little sample of what this 620 01:00:08,270 --> 01:00:13,390 gentleman had to say about Joey in the aftermath and how the situation was handled? Yeah. I never 621 01:00:13,429 --> 01:00:17,989 got around to that. Yeah, I know, so I was I was trying to get there. I was forgetting where I was 622 01:00:17,989 --> 01:00:24,300 going with that, But, uh, you know, over the next couple of days of speaking with, uh, with the 623 01:00:24,300 --> 01:00:31,139 son and eventually talking to the, the, the mother who was the, the claimant in this accident. 624 01:00:31,380 --> 01:00:38,378 Um, he he said, Clay, I just I gotta apologize for the way I acted towards Joey because he 625 01:00:38,379 --> 01:00:44,300 was he was a professional. He was compassionate. Um, he cared. All he cared about was mom. And no matter 626 01:00:44,300 --> 01:00:50,779 how much I yelled at him, he just maintained that same demeanor, you know? And, uh, 627 01:00:50,779 --> 01:00:57,419 and so it was very nice to hear that from him. Obviously, they wanted to make sure I relayed that 628 01:00:57,419 --> 01:01:03,659 to Joey, how much they appreciated how he handled himself, um, and the transparency that we offered 629 01:01:03,659 --> 01:01:09,659 to them. Um, because, again, the first thing they think of is, is attorneys, right? And yeah, people 630 01:01:09,660 --> 01:01:14,499 are talking to him. You got to get an attorney. You gotta get an attorney. Um, and obviously we tell 631 01:01:14,499 --> 01:01:19,290 them it's it's their right to do so. But, you know, we feel like we could handle this more 632 01:01:19,290 --> 01:01:25,849 professionally and personally than anybody else. Anyways, uh, it ended up working out and they were, 633 01:01:25,849 --> 01:01:32,089 um, you know, we saw it through with them, saw it through with Joey, and, uh, it ended up taking a bad 634 01:01:32,090 --> 01:01:38,929 situation and, uh, really maximizing the best potential outcome for, for all parties. Meaning 635 01:01:38,930 --> 01:01:44,329 them, us and and Joey. Joey, it's gotta make you feel pretty good to know that you handled the 636 01:01:44,330 --> 01:01:49,729 situation well enough to elicit an apology from somebody that you thought their actions were very 637 01:01:49,729 --> 01:01:54,769 justified, man. I mean, did that did that make you feel like you'd done the right thing? You you 638 01:01:54,770 --> 01:02:01,530 checked all the boxes after this whole thing wrapped up? Uh, I just, I know in hindsight, like, 639 01:02:01,569 --> 01:02:08,489 after it happened, like, that was it was God's hand working through that whole situation because, like, 640 01:02:08,490 --> 01:02:15,209 from my point of view, when it happened, the fact that her vehicle skidded sideways and 641 01:02:15,280 --> 01:02:22,198 didn't roll down into the ditch. Her tires never left the ground. That amazed me, and I. 642 01:02:22,919 --> 01:02:29,319 I just, you know, looking back on it. I that's all I could attribute to 643 01:02:30,080 --> 01:02:36,360 it. Turning out the way it did. You know, for all parties was God's work in all of it, you know. 644 01:02:36,999 --> 01:02:43,518 And even afterwards, like his mother reached out to me through a very 645 01:02:43,519 --> 01:02:50,360 in-depth email. You know, I'd come out to find find out shortly after all 646 01:02:50,360 --> 01:02:57,120 this that she I think Clay had told me that she was a former, uh, pastor, 647 01:02:57,120 --> 01:03:04,039 maybe a pastor, something to do with the church, you know. But, uh, yeah, she sent me this really 648 01:03:04,280 --> 01:03:11,239 long email going on about how everything had happened and how she was praying 649 01:03:11,239 --> 01:03:17,469 for me, you know, and that was like, They hit home, you know, it really did. I'm sure it made me 650 01:03:17,950 --> 01:03:24,589 stop and think and really appreciate everything that I've gone through with this company as a 651 01:03:24,590 --> 01:03:31,549 whole. Like every everybody that I've worked with has just been very gracious and merciful 652 01:03:31,590 --> 01:03:38,549 to me, you know? So that's great, man. I love to hear it. And and listen, I, I want to thank 653 01:03:38,550 --> 01:03:43,590 you, Joey. I know that this isn't easy to come on and rehash this. I you even use the word a little 654 01:03:43,629 --> 01:03:48,708 bit traumatized when we were talking about setting this up. I understand it's not the easiest 655 01:03:48,709 --> 01:03:54,788 thing to come on to a podcast and talk about. We really appreciate your time coming on, uh, to talk 656 01:03:54,789 --> 01:03:59,510 through this a little bit and, and what I want from you now, if we can, in lieu of the normal 657 01:03:59,510 --> 01:04:04,070 thing we would do here, which is our final thoughts segment, I would like, uh, just a few words 658 01:04:04,070 --> 01:04:09,429 of advice from you for the other Cypress drivers listening to this. You've been through this. Now 659 01:04:09,429 --> 01:04:15,259 you know what it feels like. You handled it so well. What advice would you give to other drivers 660 01:04:15,260 --> 01:04:20,379 out there that maybe haven't experienced an accident before? Because if it happens to them, 661 01:04:20,380 --> 01:04:25,980 they're going to need to know how to handle it. Do you have any advice for those guys? Joey. 662 01:04:27,979 --> 01:04:34,779 Pay attention to what's going on around you at all times. I mean, really limit 663 01:04:34,779 --> 01:04:41,580 your distractions in Cab as much as possible and, you know, listen to your 664 01:04:41,580 --> 01:04:48,498 your trainers and what they tell you in orientation. And, uh, just stay calm. 665 01:04:48,540 --> 01:04:55,379 You know, take a breath. It is a lot to process when it happens. I pray that it never 666 01:04:55,379 --> 01:05:01,939 happens again. You know, hope that's a one and done for life. But that's really all you can 667 01:05:01,940 --> 01:05:08,900 do. And, uh. Yeah. Well, said, Joey, I, I really think so. Man, I mean, it 668 01:05:08,900 --> 01:05:13,689 might sound simple if you're just sitting there listening to this and, oh, well, you know, pay 669 01:05:13,689 --> 01:05:18,770 attention to your surroundings, stay calm. Yeah, but that stuff is really tough to do. Clay, when you 670 01:05:18,770 --> 01:05:23,009 get caught up in a situation like this, you've seen a lot of them in your work in the trucking 671 01:05:23,009 --> 01:05:28,169 industry. Any advice from you for those same drivers real quick? As we wrap this segment up, 672 01:05:28,170 --> 01:05:34,889 Clay. Yeah, I think, uh, again, this just, uh, this accident that we're, we're reviewing here 673 01:05:34,889 --> 01:05:41,849 and, uh, rehashing, uh, was really textbook under the circumstances, you know, and the critical 674 01:05:41,849 --> 01:05:46,969 aspect of us being able to process the scene of an accident successfully is going to be the 675 01:05:46,969 --> 01:05:51,729 driver immediately getting us involved, like he said, he you know, he called Randy. Randy calls me 676 01:05:51,729 --> 01:05:58,689 within, you know, a minute or two of the accident unfolding. Um, he was immediately able to go 677 01:05:58,689 --> 01:06:04,169 and check on the driver, which is is critical, you know, regardless of who's at fault. Uh, we're not 678 01:06:04,169 --> 01:06:09,639 admitting liability, because a lot of times, and I can't tell you how many times you know, drivers 679 01:06:09,640 --> 01:06:15,800 either, you know, think they're at full and they're not at full or, you know, think they, um, are not at 680 01:06:15,800 --> 01:06:21,120 fault and they are at fault. So, you know, we really need the opportunity to review. And and as Joey 681 01:06:21,120 --> 01:06:26,959 said, so often you're trying to understand what exactly happened. You know, it's like you're 75ft 682 01:06:26,959 --> 01:06:31,959 long, you're paying attention. Then all of a sudden, you know, you're involved in a vehicle and vehicle 683 01:06:31,959 --> 01:06:38,798 accident. So it's important for us to really, you know, hey, settle down. Let's let's make sure we 684 01:06:38,879 --> 01:06:43,919 make the make sure that other parties. All right? You know, and if they're not, then get ambulances 685 01:06:43,919 --> 01:06:50,759 there, you know, get the police contacted and just follow the normal protocol. Um, in that regard, 686 01:06:50,799 --> 01:06:57,398 uh, but immediately, you know, start working with, with identifying, you know, uh, the, the claimant 687 01:06:57,439 --> 01:07:03,039 type, you know, who are we dealing with? Um, you know, never escalate a situation. The, the latest 688 01:07:03,040 --> 01:07:09,869 situation, uh, drivers are are professional drivers and their held to a higher standard. Us. 689 01:07:10,110 --> 01:07:15,949 Us as a company are held to a higher standard. So you know, we like you said I've worked a lot of 690 01:07:15,949 --> 01:07:22,590 accidents. Um, so I think that our support and our involvement at the scene is so critical 691 01:07:22,629 --> 01:07:29,269 to a driver being able to manage their emotions. Right. They need support, you know, just like that 692 01:07:29,269 --> 01:07:34,790 other person does. You know, and in an event like this and there's so many things that they're 693 01:07:34,790 --> 01:07:40,669 thinking about their job, the other party that that's going to maybe not give them the clarity 694 01:07:40,669 --> 01:07:45,309 they need to to process. And like Joey said, getting your triangles out, making sure you're in 695 01:07:45,309 --> 01:07:51,469 a safe place, um, if your truck is drivable to avoid being involved in another accident, you know, 696 01:07:51,469 --> 01:07:58,189 so there's a lot to digest. And, uh, Joey did an exceptional job. Um, you know, I can't think of 697 01:07:58,189 --> 01:08:04,350 a any better driver that's, uh, that's out there, and, uh, he's a safety com. He just got caught up in 698 01:08:04,350 --> 01:08:10,259 an unfortunate circumstance for sure. Well, this has been fantastic stuff today guys, because I 699 01:08:10,259 --> 01:08:14,259 think that, you know, there's drivers out there just getting started just getting their feet wet. 700 01:08:14,260 --> 01:08:20,020 And that stuff runs through their minds all the time. What if what if. What do I do if something 701 01:08:20,020 --> 01:08:25,899 like this happens? And we gave them a first hand account of what to do today. Uh, Joey Royal, we want 702 01:08:25,900 --> 01:08:30,140 to thank you for your time here. Once again, my friend. I know you're coming up on, uh, on on a 703 01:08:30,140 --> 01:08:34,619 delivery here. So we want to get you back out there and get you busy working the job you're 704 01:08:34,620 --> 01:08:39,619 actually here to do. But thank you so much for coming on here today, Joey, and telling your story. 705 01:08:39,619 --> 01:08:44,419 Uh, this has been really, really informative, man. We really appreciate the time. Thank you guys. 706 01:08:44,459 --> 01:08:49,619 Absolutely. And Clay thanks, Joey. Appreciate it. Be safe man. All right. Thanks, Clay. All right. I'll 707 01:08:49,619 --> 01:08:54,739 talk to you later. Clay Hamblen, great job from you as well today. Uh, I can't thank you enough, man. I 708 01:08:54,740 --> 01:08:59,299 know you're busy. This has been a lot of your time, but, uh, really informative episode. Thank you for 709 01:08:59,299 --> 01:09:03,539 your time as well, Clay. We'll get you back on here soon. Thanks, Marcus. Appreciate it. Bye. We'll be 710 01:09:03,540 --> 01:09:09,088 right back. Oh. 711 01:09:12,009 --> 01:09:17,009 Great stuff there from Clay Hamblen and later from Joey Fron, our Cypress driver joining us 712 01:09:17,009 --> 01:09:23,929 today. Um, I just can't say enough about how well all of the pieces are in place 713 01:09:23,930 --> 01:09:28,849 at Cypress Truck Lines here. Um, the first thing that Joey told me in both calls is I just 714 01:09:28,850 --> 01:09:34,329 followed what I was told in orientation, called Randy immediately. Randy got in touch with with 715 01:09:34,330 --> 01:09:40,489 Clay. Um, look, this is a well-oiled machine of a company here. Cypress and Sunbelt. Let me tell you, 716 01:09:40,810 --> 01:09:46,168 if you follow the protocol that's put in place for you, you're going to have the same experience 717 01:09:46,169 --> 01:09:53,009 that Joey had. And maybe not with an irate son who's, um, you know, whose actions can be justified 718 01:09:53,009 --> 01:09:58,089 if you want to. That's fine. But what I mean is you're going to make sure and check all the boxes 719 01:09:58,089 --> 01:10:04,759 that need to be checked. And a, a one of that is, are you okay? A two of that is. Is the other 720 01:10:04,759 --> 01:10:11,279 person okay? Maybe. A1 and a1 B, if you will. Um, is the truck in a safe spot? How are the 721 01:10:11,279 --> 01:10:16,559 authorities involved? Are your flashers on? Do you have your, uh, your reflector triangles out? All of 722 01:10:16,560 --> 01:10:21,919 these things that truly do matter because they can keep you from getting an even worse trouble 723 01:10:21,920 --> 01:10:27,319 than you were already in. Uh, nobody wants to get in an accident and be sitting there assessing the 724 01:10:27,319 --> 01:10:32,200 accident and have another idiot four Wheeler come screaming through too fast and hit the trailer or 725 01:10:32,200 --> 01:10:37,919 something like that and cause a second accident. This is all stuff that's happened in real life, by 726 01:10:37,919 --> 01:10:43,599 the way. So there's a there's an important factor here that I think we need to consider, which is 727 01:10:43,600 --> 01:10:49,080 all of these standard operating procedures that Cypress has for you when you get in an accident 728 01:10:49,119 --> 01:10:55,680 are all built by experience, years and years of experience. Millions of miles 729 01:10:55,680 --> 01:11:02,430 traveled that went into building this program that they have. And man, if you follow it, you heard 730 01:11:02,430 --> 01:11:09,149 it right there first hand from Joey. Things will work out okay. Um, and, you know, high praise from 731 01:11:09,149 --> 01:11:14,029 Clay coming from Joey. And I'm sure that, you know, God forbid, any of the rest of you that are 732 01:11:14,029 --> 01:11:19,029 listening to this right now that haven't been in an accident, get in one. And God forbid that any of 733 01:11:19,029 --> 01:11:23,629 you that have already been in one and experienced this yourself, get in another one. We don't want to 734 01:11:23,629 --> 01:11:29,029 see any of that. However, we know with 500 trucks out there on the road, it's something that could 735 01:11:29,029 --> 01:11:34,109 happen. And if it happens, you're put in that circumstance and you need to know how to handle 736 01:11:34,110 --> 01:11:40,469 it. And I think Joey gave you a shining example there. I mean, you listen to him and like I said, he 737 01:11:40,470 --> 01:11:45,869 seems like a pretty level headed guy, probably not too far off center one way or the other ever. And 738 01:11:45,870 --> 01:11:52,309 that was an asset that really helped him out in this situation. Because if your adrenaline's 739 01:11:52,310 --> 01:11:57,149 pumping and you got a random dude running up to you on the highway screaming in your face and 740 01:11:57,150 --> 01:12:03,620 calling you this, that and the other. It's hard not to react. The easy thing to do is to meet him 741 01:12:03,620 --> 01:12:08,060 right where he's at and give him a few four letter names yourself. But that's not what you 742 01:12:08,060 --> 01:12:13,419 want to do. That that really does torpedo the whole situation. Doing it like Joey did, 743 01:12:13,459 --> 01:12:19,620 understanding, being calm, being professional. These things are all things that you actually have to 744 01:12:19,659 --> 01:12:25,939 work hard to do in a situation like that. And, uh, that firsthand account of Joey doing it, uh, 745 01:12:26,140 --> 01:12:32,379 just, I mean, impeccably is something that I think we can all grow from out there, especially if 746 01:12:32,379 --> 01:12:35,899 you're a new driver, especially if you're a guy that's never experienced an accident like this 747 01:12:35,899 --> 01:12:42,339 before. Uh, so once again, I just want to say thanks. And hats off to Clay Hamblen and Joey Fron, both 748 01:12:42,339 --> 01:12:46,938 for that segment. Uh, that they were in on there. And, uh, and thanks to Clay for kind of 749 01:12:46,979 --> 01:12:51,579 enlightening us on everything that really is going on in the trucking industry. It's it's not 750 01:12:51,580 --> 01:12:57,019 cool, guys. That's all I can say. Like, if you were to walk by and just maybe hear one of these 751 01:12:57,049 --> 01:13:02,289 nuclear verdicts. Go down and hear the way that these trucking companies get punished, not only 752 01:13:02,289 --> 01:13:08,289 for what actually happened, but for extenuating circumstances that they have no involvement in. 753 01:13:09,049 --> 01:13:14,209 Man, I think you'd shake your head. I really do. It's. And I think that you would use that same, uh, 754 01:13:14,210 --> 01:13:19,970 that same response that I just did. Not cool bro. Uh, these trucking companies. Sure. Can they make a 755 01:13:19,970 --> 01:13:25,689 lot of money? Absolutely. But think about how much money it takes to keep 500 trucks and 15 safe 756 01:13:25,689 --> 01:13:30,250 trailers out there on the road. They're not sitting on piles and piles of hundreds of 757 01:13:30,250 --> 01:13:35,369 millions of dollars just waiting for somebody to come. Chip away at it. But if you listen to the way 758 01:13:35,370 --> 01:13:40,689 some of these lawsuits are litigated, that's what you would think. And that's the whole reason we 759 01:13:40,689 --> 01:13:47,009 did this episode today. There are a hundred there. Hundred. That's that's such a bad number. There are 760 01:13:47,049 --> 01:13:52,370 thousands of trucking companies out there, and there are thousands of good trucking companies 761 01:13:52,370 --> 01:13:58,240 out there. Can a few bad apples ruin the bunch? Absolutely. We talk about it all the time, but that 762 01:13:58,240 --> 01:14:03,520 doesn't mean that the lion's share of truck of trucking fleets out there are doing things the 763 01:14:03,520 --> 01:14:08,039 wrong way. They're trying to be safe. They're trying to follow all of the laws and all of the 764 01:14:08,040 --> 01:14:13,159 red tape and all of the protocol. And on top of that, they've got these attorneys kind of circling 765 01:14:13,160 --> 01:14:18,599 overhead like vultures just waiting for something to go wrong. So I feel like we learned a lot here 766 01:14:18,600 --> 01:14:23,479 today on this episode of the Cypress Truck Lines podcast. We've got Clay Hamblen to thank for that. 767 01:14:23,480 --> 01:14:28,719 And of course, Joey Fron again, Cypress driver still with the fleet still out there. Put miles 768 01:14:28,720 --> 01:14:33,159 behind him and I think we got him out of here right before he was due to arrive at Home Depot 769 01:14:33,160 --> 01:14:38,439 and make a drop off for the day. So everything worked out with today's episode, just like 770 01:14:38,439 --> 01:14:42,640 everything worked out when Joey got in the accident. You want to know why? It's because we 771 01:14:42,640 --> 01:14:49,318 follow protocol here on the Cypress Truck Lines podcast. And, uh, it's because y. Well, just like you, 772 01:14:49,319 --> 01:14:55,429 I have an obligation to the motoring public, um, to bring you a fantastic podcast episode every 773 01:14:55,430 --> 01:15:00,909 single week. The motoring public, in my eyes, for these intents and purposes, are the drivers at 774 01:15:00,910 --> 01:15:06,109 Cypress Truck Lines. You guys do a great job out there. This company is, like I said, the shining 775 01:15:06,109 --> 01:15:11,430 example of doing things right. And it's stories like we just heard from Joey that really put the 776 01:15:11,430 --> 01:15:16,829 cherry on top of that statement. That's gonna wrap it up today for this episode of the Cypress Truck 777 01:15:16,830 --> 01:15:22,829 Lines podcast. Want to thank you all for being with us today. I also want to remind you to tell a 778 01:15:22,830 --> 01:15:28,148 friend. That's all it takes. Just one friend. Tell him about the Cypress Truck Lines podcast. Maybe 779 01:15:28,149 --> 01:15:33,549 it's not even a Cypress driver. Maybe you're out there at the Love's truck stop enjoying a pig 780 01:15:33,549 --> 01:15:38,429 missile fresh off the roller, and you see another driver who looks kind of like you. And he's also 781 01:15:38,430 --> 01:15:42,869 enjoying a pig missile. Well, go on over and tell that guy about this awesome podcast that we do 782 01:15:42,869 --> 01:15:47,869 every week. Maybe it'll entertain him a little bit. Uh, maybe he'll learn something and he can be a 783 01:15:47,870 --> 01:15:52,029 safer driver out there as well. Everybody out there that's listening. If you're wearing the 784 01:15:52,060 --> 01:15:56,139 Cypress Truck Line's logo, we want to thank you. If you're not wearing the logo, we want to thank you. 785 01:15:56,140 --> 01:16:02,019 And we want to tell everybody, regardless of what logo you have on or what vehicle you get in, to be 786 01:16:02,019 --> 01:16:07,179 safe out there on the road. It is that time of year. Right now we're deep into summer. The roads 787 01:16:07,180 --> 01:16:12,619 are hectic. People are trying to get where they want to go. Be safe, keep your head on a swivel. And 788 01:16:12,619 --> 01:16:18,140 until next time, Cypress, we will see you. Um, I really didn't have anything figured out there. I 789 01:16:18,140 --> 01:16:22,140 was going to say, we will see you again, but that sounded stupid. So we're just going to go ahead 790 01:16:22,140 --> 01:16:27,580 and stop talking now. Um, which sometimes makes for a bit of an abrupt ending, but really, I could 791 01:16:27,580 --> 01:16:31,858 learn so much by taking that advice and just shutting up once in a while.