Life360 on the Road: Safety, Community and OTR Life

1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:06,759 There's a moment out on the road and every driver knows it where it hits you. You're parked engines 2 00:00:06,760 --> 00:00:13,279 off. Maybe it's two in the morning. Maybe it's the middle of the afternoon. But it's quiet. Too quiet. 3 00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:20,560 And you realize it's just you out there. No office, no coworkers down the hall, no one to tap you on 4 00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:27,480 the shoulder and say, hey, what would you do here? It's just you and the road. And now here's 5 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:32,519 the interesting part. Some Cypress drivers decided then we're going to live like that anymore. They 6 00:00:32,520 --> 00:00:38,080 didn't wait on a company program. They didn't wait on a fancy system. They built their own network, a 7 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:44,960 group, a circle, a way to know where each other's at, when to call, when to help, and when something 8 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:51,680 doesn't look right. And what started as a simple hey, where are you at? Turned into something a 9 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:55,920 whole lot bigger than that. And today we're getting inside that circle. 10 00:01:01,110 --> 00:01:05,629 Count down to the Cypress Truck Lines podcast starts now. 11 00:01:07,949 --> 00:01:14,430 Your number one professional flatbedding podcast here to deliver stories, safety updates and 12 00:01:14,430 --> 00:01:19,629 company news directly to your ears. Let's get down to business. 13 00:01:25,750 --> 00:01:30,869 How's the weather out there? Cypress truck lines. Welcome into the Cypress Truck Lines podcast. I 14 00:01:30,870 --> 00:01:37,229 should also ask how the weather is out there for Sun Belt. Uh, welcome in to episode 16. Maybe 15 00:01:37,230 --> 00:01:43,790 episode 17. My apologies. Episode 17 of the Cypress Truck Lines podcast. If I got that 16 00:01:43,790 --> 00:01:49,070 wrong, we're not going to edit it out. I want Mike to leave it in. And just so you understand that I 17 00:01:49,070 --> 00:01:54,390 am 100% human and sometimes I don't know what episode we're on. I do a lot of these episodes. I 18 00:01:54,390 --> 00:01:59,230 do a lot of interviews. I talk to a lot of drivers. Sometimes the bandwidth just runs a little short. 19 00:01:59,230 --> 00:02:03,910 And I got to be honest with you today, I'm feeling a little under the weather, but I was way too 20 00:02:03,910 --> 00:02:09,509 excited about today's interview to take a day and have to reschedule it and mess with the drivers 21 00:02:09,509 --> 00:02:15,509 schedules. They set a time aside for me. You can bet your ass I'm gonna be there. So we'll get into 22 00:02:15,550 --> 00:02:20,149 what we're talking about here in just a few moments, I want to remind you that the website is 23 00:02:20,149 --> 00:02:25,270 podcast.cypresstruck.com. If you head over there, it's your one stop shop for everything. 24 00:02:25,270 --> 00:02:29,670 Cypress Truck Lines. In fact, one of the gentlemen that's going to join us today, his name is Kevin 25 00:02:29,670 --> 00:02:35,509 Barritt. Uh, while I was fortunate enough to meet Kevin a little bit when I've been in Jacksonville, 26 00:02:35,550 --> 00:02:41,549 uh, I will say that Kevin has utilized the email button on the website more than anybody at this 27 00:02:41,550 --> 00:02:46,789 point, and I thank him for it. Now, I did recently get an email. I'm going to call out a driver here 28 00:02:46,789 --> 00:02:52,190 because I wrote him back and he didn't write me back. I responded, Robert Horn, where he at? Dude, 29 00:02:52,190 --> 00:02:56,949 Robert, ask me, when are you going to get to the shop people? Um, and I sent Robert back. I said, it's 30 00:02:56,979 --> 00:03:01,259 on our list for sure. And it is. The shop is definitely on the list. I'm not 100% sure on the 31 00:03:01,259 --> 00:03:05,419 launch date, but I'm glad you're interested. Is there anything you'd like us to cover on our 32 00:03:05,419 --> 00:03:10,699 first shop episode, or anyone you'd like to hear from as a guest? That's the type of responses 33 00:03:10,699 --> 00:03:16,580 you're going to get from me. I want to know what you want to hear. So if you are listening to this 34 00:03:16,580 --> 00:03:21,259 look, you don't have to be involved. If you don't want to come on the show, you can still email me, 35 00:03:21,259 --> 00:03:25,660 just like Robert did and suggest a topic. Hey, we're going to get to the shop for sure. Those 36 00:03:25,660 --> 00:03:29,860 guys are busy, but there's plenty of personalities out there that I want to talk to that I got to 37 00:03:29,899 --> 00:03:35,500 meet when I was in Jacksonville. So Robert, I'll tell you, stay tuned for that episode and reply to 38 00:03:35,500 --> 00:03:40,539 my message. Let me know who you want to hear from or what you want to hear about, because the shop 39 00:03:40,539 --> 00:03:47,499 guys are definitely on our list. Once again. oodcast.cypresstruck.com is where you 40 00:03:47,500 --> 00:03:53,660 can send yourself and find that email link and click it and send me a message. And also you can 41 00:03:53,660 --> 00:03:58,769 find all the episodes up there, All of the information about what we're talking about and a 42 00:03:58,769 --> 00:04:04,849 list of who joined us for what episode. So when I say one stop shop, I ain't pulling your straps. 43 00:04:04,849 --> 00:04:11,169 It's a one stop shop out there for the Cypress Truck Lines podcast. So make sure and hop on. Now, 44 00:04:11,169 --> 00:04:17,409 before we get to today's topic, I want to throw in a little teaser here because I just got this 45 00:04:17,409 --> 00:04:23,089 interview scheduled for next week and I'm super excited about it. We're going to have the guys on 46 00:04:23,089 --> 00:04:28,609 from orientation. So for those of you drivers that are maybe in CTC right now and you're thinking, 47 00:04:28,609 --> 00:04:33,769 hey, I'm going to work for Cypress once I graduate and you've been listening to this show, that's 48 00:04:33,769 --> 00:04:38,649 awesome. You're going to want to stay tuned for next week's episode. When we talk to Randy from 49 00:04:38,649 --> 00:04:44,488 orientation. Now, he's going to bring some other guests on as well, so I won't blow the lead right 50 00:04:44,489 --> 00:04:50,489 now. I don't want to give up too much of what this episode is going to be, but I got to spend 51 00:04:50,489 --> 00:04:55,200 probably an hour and a half talking with Randy the first time I was in Jacksonville and the 52 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:59,799 second time I was in Jacksonville, I spent another, I don't know, maybe 30, 40 minutes chatting it up 53 00:04:59,799 --> 00:05:04,760 with Randy. So I know this is going to be a really good episode. So I want you to stay tuned. 54 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:09,839 Especially you guys that are just coming in, whether you're in orientation right now or you're 55 00:05:09,840 --> 00:05:15,280 in CTC or you're just listening to this episode looking for a place to work, this is going to be 56 00:05:15,280 --> 00:05:21,079 an awesome one for you. So stay tuned to the Cypress Truck Lines podcast next week for our 57 00:05:21,079 --> 00:05:26,599 orientation episode. We'll get Randy and the guys in here and we'll dispel rumors. We'll talk about 58 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:31,359 everything that happens. We'll find out why drivers that come out of this orientation are so 59 00:05:31,359 --> 00:05:36,440 successful. And, uh, yeah, it's it's going to be a great episode. So I just wanted to throw a teaser 60 00:05:36,440 --> 00:05:39,880 in there. A lot of times you guys don't know what's coming up next. And when I know what's 61 00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:43,880 coming up next, I'm going to tell you about it. So look forward to next week's episode. And big 62 00:05:43,880 --> 00:05:50,879 thanks to Randy for scheduling that up with me. Uh, so far in advance. Today's episode, if you listen 63 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:54,719 to the cold open, you're like, what the hell are we getting into? You made that sound kind of crazy. 64 00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:59,920 Well, it is kind of crazy. The entire conversation that we're having today isn't crazy, but you will 65 00:05:59,920 --> 00:06:06,240 hear some pretty wild stories towards the end that will make this all feel very real, because it 66 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:13,160 very much is. And today's episode is about the life 360 app. Now, I'm going to say this more 67 00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:17,839 than once today, but they're not paying us for this. We're not. This is not an ad. Uh, this is 68 00:06:17,840 --> 00:06:23,839 something that a few drivers mention this to me and then reached out and said, hey, we think this 69 00:06:23,840 --> 00:06:28,679 would be a really cool tool, um, for other drivers on the fleet, and we just kind of want to share it 70 00:06:28,679 --> 00:06:35,000 right now and talk about it. Talk about what it is. Talk about how it's helped us. And you're going to 71 00:06:35,040 --> 00:06:39,760 hear that from the horse's mouth here in our interview coming up in just a few minutes. And 72 00:06:39,760 --> 00:06:45,320 it's so cool, because what you'll hear is that these guys didn't start out as fast friends. They 73 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:50,719 started out as a couple Cypress drivers. That one of them had the app and said, you know, my wife 74 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:56,030 keeps tracking me on here. My kids do. Maybe you and I could keep track of of each other and sort 75 00:06:56,030 --> 00:07:00,309 of have each other's backs out here, and that's where it all started. And that's as far as I want 76 00:07:00,350 --> 00:07:06,189 to take it, because Kevin, Tony and Adolf are going to tell you much more about the life 360 77 00:07:06,230 --> 00:07:08,829 app right now. Let's bring them in here. 78 00:07:17,189 --> 00:07:21,909 All right. Welcome back into the Cypress Truck Lines podcast. Now, as I already said, I'm very 79 00:07:21,910 --> 00:07:27,350 excited about this next segment because, uh, you know, doing what I do for a living as long as I've 80 00:07:27,350 --> 00:07:33,349 done it, a really big part of what we have to do as podcast hosts or radio show hosts or 81 00:07:33,349 --> 00:07:39,149 broadcasters in general is we have to foster some community building. We are, uh, we're making a 82 00:07:39,149 --> 00:07:44,030 product for people to listen to and face it. We want people to listen to it. I know it sounds kind 83 00:07:44,030 --> 00:07:49,989 of weird, but, uh, so a lot of the times what we have to do is build community in different ways. 84 00:07:50,059 --> 00:07:56,859 and the reason that I gravitated so hard to this topic today is because that's what I see these 85 00:07:56,860 --> 00:08:02,619 drivers doing. They're building their own communities, and I think that's really cool. Um, I'm 86 00:08:02,620 --> 00:08:07,179 not asking to get into the inner circles yet. I'm just hoping that they'll allow me to talk about 87 00:08:07,179 --> 00:08:12,179 it a little bit and, uh, and hopefully bring you guys up to speed on a really cool app that's free. 88 00:08:12,179 --> 00:08:17,259 And you can all download it today if you want to. So let's bring these drivers in. I don't want to, 89 00:08:17,260 --> 00:08:22,139 uh, to tease this too much here. Uh, joining us first is the gentleman that actually first came 90 00:08:22,140 --> 00:08:27,139 on the show and talked about the app on his episode. We've got Tony Miller here. Tony, thanks 91 00:08:27,139 --> 00:08:31,540 for being here today, my friend. Hey, Marcus. Thank you for inviting me. Absolutely. Now, you brought 92 00:08:31,540 --> 00:08:36,379 this topic up and we talked about it a little bit on your episode. Kind of just glanced over it a 93 00:08:36,380 --> 00:08:42,340 little bit. But after your episode aired, Tony, I got an email from your buddy Kevin Barritt, who's 94 00:08:42,340 --> 00:08:47,619 also here, joining us today. Kevin, thanks for being here. No problem. It's good to be back on a three 95 00:08:47,659 --> 00:08:51,849 peat. It's a three peat for you, man. We're going to have to get you a producer credit here before too 96 00:08:51,849 --> 00:08:58,729 long. Exactly. Well, you you reached out to me, Kevin, because you really thought it's like, 97 00:08:58,729 --> 00:09:03,889 hey, this is a this would be a cool topic to talk about on the podcast, and we'll get to the why 98 00:09:03,930 --> 00:09:08,889 here in just a minute. Um, but let's welcome our third guest real quick before we do, you know, our 99 00:09:08,890 --> 00:09:13,609 third guest from just last week's show, uh, made his first appearance. He is a retired Cypress 100 00:09:13,609 --> 00:09:18,288 driver, and his name is Adolf Metzer. Adolf, thank you so much for being here today, my friend. 101 00:09:18,490 --> 00:09:25,450 Hey. Hey. Thanks for having me back on Marcus. No problem, man. And, uh, thank you for sending me 102 00:09:25,450 --> 00:09:31,729 those awesome videos of the Blue Angels flying over your house today. Uh, man, I sent those texts 103 00:09:31,729 --> 00:09:37,650 directly to my dad, and I told him, look, the noise would get old, but this is really cool. Could you 104 00:09:37,650 --> 00:09:44,009 imagine getting to see this every day? Because my dad loves planes, and, uh, he he wrote me back out 105 00:09:44,010 --> 00:09:48,009 Adolf. You know what he said? He said the noise wouldn't even bother me. Just bring it on. I would 106 00:09:48,010 --> 00:09:54,809 love to see that every week. Oh, yeah. It kind of sounds like the, um, Iraqi freedom that you want to 107 00:09:54,810 --> 00:10:01,488 call it. Or. Iran freedom every almost every day. Um, like Mondays, they're kind of, uh, 108 00:10:01,489 --> 00:10:06,130 relax a little bit, you know, because they're off on a show during the weekend and they come home 109 00:10:06,169 --> 00:10:11,329 Monday is normally off for them. And then, um, they practice during the week. Right. Right over to my 110 00:10:11,329 --> 00:10:17,488 house. I mean, you know. That it's it it makes sense to me why the noise doesn't bother my dad at all. 111 00:10:17,489 --> 00:10:23,649 Because we actually grew up. I grew up in the house that he and my mom own. I could open my 112 00:10:23,650 --> 00:10:29,529 window and throw a baseball and hit the municipal airport hangar. That's how close we were to Cessna 113 00:10:29,569 --> 00:10:35,089 taking off all the time. Little planes. And, uh, they don't make near as much noise as those jets do. 114 00:10:35,090 --> 00:10:40,049 But I can tell my dad's conditioned and he likes watching him take off, even if it is waking me up 115 00:10:40,049 --> 00:10:45,329 at 5:00 in the morning. Uh, so, you know, it's really cool. I think you have to be the right person to 116 00:10:45,370 --> 00:10:52,319 live in a flight path like that. And you're the guy, man. Yeah, it's pretty awesome. Um, 117 00:10:52,440 --> 00:10:57,679 like, I live in Pensacola, and then, like, Kevin lives in Tampa. So they got the, uh, with the 118 00:10:57,719 --> 00:11:03,519 MacDill Air Force Base down there and MacDill down there by our old terminal that closed. Yeah. 119 00:11:03,520 --> 00:11:10,239 So, I mean, he gets his little fair share of of military aircraft flying over to that down there 120 00:11:10,240 --> 00:11:16,399 in Tampa. So that's so cool, man. That's so cool. Well, I'm I'm down. Never gets old though. Yeah. I'm 121 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:20,880 down to see a picture or a or a video whenever you feel like sending one. Man I love it. And I 122 00:11:20,880 --> 00:11:25,199 love staying in touch with you guys too. That's another thing that's fun about this podcast. And, 123 00:11:25,200 --> 00:11:29,719 uh, that's kind of my side of the community building thing is, you know, we text, we talk on the 124 00:11:29,719 --> 00:11:35,279 phone from time to time. We come up with episode ideas and bam, they come to fruition. Um, and that 125 00:11:35,280 --> 00:11:40,959 today is no different. Today's actually follows exactly that formula. Uh, we are here to talk about 126 00:11:40,960 --> 00:11:47,349 the life 360 app. And, uh, Kevin, since you're the one that emailed me about this. Uh, why don't you 127 00:11:47,390 --> 00:11:52,348 walk me through this now? How did this whole thing get kicked off for you? When did you find the life 128 00:11:52,349 --> 00:11:57,189 360 app? Um, was this something that you knew about when you started with Cypress, or what was the 129 00:11:57,189 --> 00:12:04,109 story there? No, it was, uh, I was friends with another driver of Cypress Driver, and we. We 130 00:12:04,109 --> 00:12:09,789 just happened to meet up at a truck stop one night. We're just hanging out, eating dinner, and he 131 00:12:09,790 --> 00:12:15,029 asked me if I'd ever heard of this, life360 app. And I said no. I thought it was some type of 132 00:12:15,030 --> 00:12:20,348 health app or something. He said no because my wife and kids like to move on that all the time. 133 00:12:20,349 --> 00:12:26,469 So they, uh, we had this just our family members, and we can see where everybody was at just using 134 00:12:26,469 --> 00:12:31,349 our phones. So I was kind of cool, you know, just because the first time you get on the phone with 135 00:12:31,349 --> 00:12:37,309 your buddy. The first question is, where are you at? Right. So a lot of times, the first question I ask 136 00:12:37,310 --> 00:12:43,550 on this podcast, I just didn't ask it today because I was too excited. I know 137 00:12:44,140 --> 00:12:48,938 where you're at. So you look it up or, you know, we all start and stop at different times. We don't 138 00:12:48,939 --> 00:12:55,779 want to call your buddy when he's sleeping. So, you know, it's. Oh, yeah, he's moving. We can talk to, 139 00:12:56,460 --> 00:13:00,579 you know, it's just it was just a neat word. We just thought it would be a neat way to to try to 140 00:13:00,579 --> 00:13:05,699 keep him in touch, you know, and follow each other. And then we just. We said it'd be cool if we 141 00:13:05,699 --> 00:13:10,259 started adding, like, other drivers, you know, we might know somebody from, like, Tony, like Tony was 142 00:13:10,260 --> 00:13:16,819 saying earlier when we were talking before the show, you know, you know, they went to they went to, 143 00:13:16,820 --> 00:13:22,539 uh, orientation together and they, they keep their contact. So they go, uh, do that. So I thought that 144 00:13:22,539 --> 00:13:28,538 would be a pretty cool idea. So we started adding drivers and then, you know, guys he knew, guys I 145 00:13:28,539 --> 00:13:34,099 knew. And then when I started training, he started training, he started adding trainings. And then we 146 00:13:34,140 --> 00:13:39,059 then we met this crazy guy named Adolf the way out of handling there. Well, the while we did that. 147 00:13:42,700 --> 00:13:48,699 And the rest is history. Uh. That's awesome. So, uh, Adolf, why don't you talk me through. Uh, when when 148 00:13:48,700 --> 00:13:52,539 Kevin added you. Had you ever heard of this app before, or was this kind of a new thing to you as 149 00:13:52,539 --> 00:13:58,859 well? It was pretty new because I came to Cypress. I had a little bit of a flatbed experience. When I 150 00:13:58,859 --> 00:14:05,699 came to Cypress, I used to haul sod like sod and grain and stuff. I wasn't going the route to 151 00:14:05,739 --> 00:14:11,699 like, really like customers. I was going to the port of mobile, you know, to some of the big 152 00:14:11,700 --> 00:14:17,739 nurseries type things. So, you know, and after a while, you know, you were going to go into like six 153 00:14:17,739 --> 00:14:24,539 nurseries in Pensacola and Alabama and then sometimes would go to New Orleans. But, uh, 154 00:14:24,579 --> 00:14:31,339 but the biggest thing is, would be proficiency. Like, Kevin knows Tampa really good. Right. 155 00:14:31,900 --> 00:14:38,619 And then I know Pensacola and Mobile, New Orleans, Mississippi-ish Tony knows southern 156 00:14:38,619 --> 00:14:45,169 Florida like really good. So that's three drivers that know that live in that area, you know. Oh, 157 00:14:45,169 --> 00:14:48,968 that's really interesting. I never thought about it that way. Is that you could you could use this 158 00:14:49,009 --> 00:14:53,169 app to get in touch with Tony and say, look, man, I'm headed down south. I need some help. What's the 159 00:14:53,169 --> 00:14:59,249 most efficient route? The biggest thing was when I came to Cypress, I didn't really start learning 160 00:14:59,249 --> 00:15:05,529 how to make money until I met Kevin. Okay, so the the app was, was kind of instrumental. And you 161 00:15:05,569 --> 00:15:09,529 learn in how to earn what you needed to earn to get to that retirement that you're currently 162 00:15:09,530 --> 00:15:16,249 enjoying. Exactly. Because it's all about proficiency. If you can go an extra 30 or 163 00:15:16,250 --> 00:15:20,929 40 or 80 miles today, that's the best that you could do tomorrow. And the name of the game is to 164 00:15:20,929 --> 00:15:27,049 get unloaded and reloaded in the same day as possible, if possible. Some days, it's not possible. 165 00:15:27,090 --> 00:15:33,329 Sure, sure. Well, that's that's awesome. Thing. That. So you really felt like it. It helped you along 166 00:15:33,330 --> 00:15:38,689 then in the beginning of your career with Cypress? Oh, yeah. Because I really didn't have a anybody to 167 00:15:38,690 --> 00:15:44,000 talk to. I was kind of like a lone wolf at Cypress. You know, get Randy and people up in dispatch. But 168 00:15:44,039 --> 00:15:49,519 who wants to call people in dispatch? You know, they're not on the road with you. Right. On a day 169 00:15:49,519 --> 00:15:54,559 to day basis. They're there in dispatch. You need to talk to somebody that's in the weeds. Yeah, 170 00:15:54,599 --> 00:16:00,760 exactly. Like Kevin, like Kevin's awesome. Well, we'll stroke Kevin's ego a little bit more just a 171 00:16:00,760 --> 00:16:05,918 little bit later here. But I also want to hear from Tony. Tony, uh, how did the whole thing get 172 00:16:05,919 --> 00:16:10,799 started with you? It sounds like maybe you came in. Uh, did you come in after, uh, Adolf? Did or were 173 00:16:10,800 --> 00:16:15,359 you there kind of the same time? What was the timeline for you? And and what do you find the 174 00:16:15,360 --> 00:16:22,200 most useful part of the app is. So I came. In after Adolf. I've been in the group for eight years now. 175 00:16:22,239 --> 00:16:29,199 Wow. And and and just with us three guys. I'm the the last one to join of us three. But like Adolf 176 00:16:29,199 --> 00:16:33,639 said, there was one time I was delivering to the Air Force base there in Pensacola, and I called 177 00:16:33,640 --> 00:16:39,109 Adolf. Adolf, you know, I'm going the Air Force base. First thing Adolph said But make sure you're 178 00:16:39,109 --> 00:16:44,629 not packing. Make sure if. If you are, I'll send my wife to your truck and, you know, take what you got. 179 00:16:44,669 --> 00:16:50,228 You know, don't don't bring a gun onto the base, you know. Don't stay off. I'm good. I don't have a 180 00:16:50,229 --> 00:16:55,189 gun. It's good advice. He's like, okay, well, it was great advice because he said, they're going to 181 00:16:55,229 --> 00:16:59,549 pull you off the side, they're going to inspect your truck. And by golly, they did. Two guys up 182 00:16:59,550 --> 00:17:04,069 inside the truck with flashlights. They were looking. And then Adolf explained the story. A 183 00:17:04,069 --> 00:17:09,389 couple of years prior, somebody had brought a gun on and a little crazy. And then he goes, okay, 184 00:17:09,390 --> 00:17:14,269 you're going to go two blocks down, you're going to make a left, you're going to turn left and the 185 00:17:14,270 --> 00:17:17,269 building you're going to be delivering to it. It's going to be right there. You're going to be able 186 00:17:17,270 --> 00:17:23,828 to see the blue Angel jets right there on your right. I mean Adolf dead on with that. But like 187 00:17:23,870 --> 00:17:29,669 Kevin said earlier, we look, if you know Kevin's at home or Adolf's at home, we don't call guys when 188 00:17:29,670 --> 00:17:34,749 they're on home time or they're at a truck stop and it's two in the morning. We wait till they 189 00:17:34,750 --> 00:17:39,269 move before we call them. We don't we don't. We don't bother each other. Coffee? Well, I know you 190 00:17:39,270 --> 00:17:43,269 guys are big on your golf down there in Florida, and that just sounds like golf etiquette to me. 191 00:17:43,269 --> 00:17:47,829 That sounds like good trucker etiquette to not call people when the when the truck's not moving. 192 00:17:47,870 --> 00:17:52,188 Uh, you never know what they're trying to do. Maybe trying to get in a quick ten, maybe trying to just 193 00:17:52,189 --> 00:17:56,948 take a nap or something like that. Uh, so you guys kind of have these unwritten rules. It sounds like 194 00:17:56,949 --> 00:18:03,909 within your, uh, circle that you're talking about here. Yeah, exactly. Oh, yeah. Copy. That's really 195 00:18:03,910 --> 00:18:08,829 interesting. Now, uh, let me ask you this, Tony, have you ever accidentally called somebody while 196 00:18:08,829 --> 00:18:15,269 they're sleeping or something like that? And if so, what happened? Never have, never have. You know, 197 00:18:15,869 --> 00:18:20,069 um, one of the guys always announced. Hey, guys, I'm dropping off the phone call. I'm going to take a 198 00:18:20,069 --> 00:18:25,910 nap. You know, you see somebody at a rest stop for 30 minutes, you don't call them coffee. Okay, so it 199 00:18:25,910 --> 00:18:29,630 sounds like two that you guys, uh. And this is something that I've seen at a lot of different 200 00:18:29,630 --> 00:18:34,149 trucking fleets. Are you guys kind of party line guys during the day? Do you get linked up with 201 00:18:34,149 --> 00:18:38,659 each other on the phone and kind of carry on a conversation for most of the day while you're out 202 00:18:38,659 --> 00:18:43,979 putting miles behind you. Yes, sir. Yeah, that's what I. Thought of when I first got. When you first 203 00:18:43,979 --> 00:18:48,419 bring me in and then to adopt him, I just felt like the regular conversation between the three 204 00:18:48,459 --> 00:18:52,779 was about a normal day on a conference call. Okay. All right, so you guys spend quite a bit of time 205 00:18:52,780 --> 00:18:58,819 on the phone together, then? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Copy. So that's for further shenanigans for 206 00:18:59,260 --> 00:19:05,459 now. Are you are you kind of using this thing to to check on people's locations only, or are you 207 00:19:05,499 --> 00:19:10,699 using it to actually find out? Hey, do I need to get this guy in touch with the party call, or is 208 00:19:10,699 --> 00:19:16,139 it just kind of a general, uh, a general aide to you? Because, you know, Adolf talked about being 209 00:19:16,140 --> 00:19:21,019 proficient and being efficient, and Tony talked about Adolf, you know, working him through the air 210 00:19:21,020 --> 00:19:26,259 base there. I wonder, Kevin, if maybe you can just tell me what a typical day looks like for you on 211 00:19:26,260 --> 00:19:32,939 the app? Oh, a lot of times it's, you know, when like, like we talked on the 212 00:19:33,180 --> 00:19:39,050 episode about the, running your different, different lanes and about parking. One of the big 213 00:19:39,050 --> 00:19:44,569 things we use it for and we look to where we're at. Hey, I'm going to be at this truck stop. You 214 00:19:44,569 --> 00:19:48,569 know, at such and such time. I see you're coming through here. You plan on stopping here? I'll tell 215 00:19:48,569 --> 00:19:54,849 you. You stop or hey, we're going to do. We're going to be meeting up with this customer. You know, 216 00:19:54,849 --> 00:20:00,489 we'll help each other fall apart. It's kind of a it's kind of a track to where everybody's at and 217 00:20:00,530 --> 00:20:07,009 helps give everybody a helping hand. That is so cool. It's it's just it sounds like one extra layer of 218 00:20:07,009 --> 00:20:11,688 connectivity between you guys. And rather than just the phone call, it just gives you those 219 00:20:11,689 --> 00:20:17,289 location services that really help you plan out your days not only around your own route, but 220 00:20:17,290 --> 00:20:24,289 around maybe find another Cypress driver to give a hand to. Yeah, yeah. That's. I mean, Adolf up met 221 00:20:24,289 --> 00:20:30,889 up with me and, uh, where was that at in Palm Beach, not Palm Beach. Panama city 222 00:20:30,889 --> 00:20:36,999 beach. He was empty, when he came up. He helped me fold my tarp and everything because he was. He was 223 00:20:36,999 --> 00:20:42,520 in the neighborhood, headed. He was headed home. Oh, that's so cool, man. That's so cool. So? So. Adolf, are 224 00:20:42,520 --> 00:20:46,439 you still. You're still on the app. Even though you're retired, you're still connected. Or are you 225 00:20:46,439 --> 00:20:52,759 still a party line guy? Or are you trying to, uh, to retired things during the day? Yeah, I still check 226 00:20:52,759 --> 00:20:59,640 on them. Um, because one of the things is, um. He's our weather guy. Yeah, I like the. I like to check the 227 00:20:59,640 --> 00:21:04,839 weather, you know, a a a what's this week? What's next week? Um, but I spend, like, a little group 228 00:21:04,839 --> 00:21:11,119 message. Hey, check the weather, guys. Don't take no loads. Going to, um, you know, Minnesota there going 229 00:21:11,119 --> 00:21:17,959 to be like, 20in of snow up there. So, you know, pick something else. And then the other thing is, 230 00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:24,839 is it's safety. Because normally, you know, within ten hours, you know, ten, 11 hours that truck should 231 00:21:24,839 --> 00:21:30,239 be moving. And then if we know that that truck's not moving, then what's it a text message, really? 232 00:21:30,360 --> 00:21:35,799 Yeah, man. Yeah. All right. Or you can see, like, little footsteps. They walk into the truck stop. 233 00:21:35,839 --> 00:21:42,799 All right. He's walking. At least you know. Right. But for for for one thing, it's a security 234 00:21:42,840 --> 00:21:49,759 thing. Um, because we're all different. We all work different hours. Right. Like, Kevin likes the the 235 00:21:49,760 --> 00:21:56,639 midnight. Uh, whatever. Morning. Um, hours. And I normally used to run from, like, 530 to 236 00:21:56,640 --> 00:22:01,999 530. That's a really. That's a really good point. Like, I, you know, I don't mean to be dark here, 237 00:22:01,999 --> 00:22:07,359 fellas, but it's a, it's a reality of the industry that you live in and that you work in. Sometimes 238 00:22:07,360 --> 00:22:12,959 drivers don't wake up at the truck stop. Sometimes they have health issues at the truck stop. And so, 239 00:22:13,160 --> 00:22:18,359 uh, what what you said there, Adolf, is like, look, if this truck's been parked for 12, 13, 14 hours, we 240 00:22:18,360 --> 00:22:22,680 haven't heard from somebody. We're just going to reach out and do a quick little welfare check. 241 00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:27,519 Yeah. Um, yeah, because we'll send them a text message. We'll try calling them. We'll call 242 00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:33,229 dispatch, say, hey, man, I've been trying to get a hold of Kevin or Tony, or maybe try to get a hold 243 00:22:33,230 --> 00:22:39,309 of me here or something. Maybe my phone's not. Um, because I've had my SIM card go back in my phone, 244 00:22:39,349 --> 00:22:45,630 you know. Wow. And then you obviously they're worried about you at that point, right? Yeah. Yeah, 245 00:22:45,670 --> 00:22:51,029 because it takes it right off. I mean, because you're, you know, lost all connectivity, you know. 246 00:22:51,069 --> 00:22:55,148 Right. It takes you off the app and and you're not going to show up on their screen if your SIM card 247 00:22:55,149 --> 00:23:01,828 is bad I assume. Yeah, exactly. So I mean that has that has happened. So 248 00:23:01,989 --> 00:23:07,869 like you said like on the dark side, I mean, God forbid that something happens to somebody, but, you 249 00:23:07,870 --> 00:23:14,869 know, it's just a an additional security blanket. You know what I mean? 100%. 100%. Tony. Uh, 250 00:23:14,869 --> 00:23:19,790 going to come to you for this one. Uh, when you're out there for any given period of time, whether it 251 00:23:19,790 --> 00:23:26,109 be a day or weeks at a time, um, how much do you actually use the app? How much does it actually 252 00:23:26,110 --> 00:23:32,979 matter to you? And would you say that it makes the job feel smaller and less isolated? Yeah, it really 253 00:23:32,980 --> 00:23:39,259 does. I use the app a lot. Um, I'm on this group. Um, it's currently called The Circle. The 254 00:23:39,260 --> 00:23:44,060 administrators, Kevin and the other two guys, they change the name every so often. They get they get 255 00:23:44,060 --> 00:23:49,578 creative with the name. But I'm in this group. I'm in one with my wife. Uh, her sister, uh, her 256 00:23:49,579 --> 00:23:56,578 stepmother. And then I'm in a group with my sister and her family. So I'm in several groups. Um, but 257 00:23:56,579 --> 00:24:01,619 I can always, you know, I know when my wife's leaving work. I know when I can give her a call. I 258 00:24:01,619 --> 00:24:08,020 know when when Kevin's moving, you know. Or not moving. Or not moving. Yeah. Kevin, you can. You 259 00:24:08,020 --> 00:24:14,899 want to tell that dark story, or do you want me to? Okay. That was a great song. Uh, just just 260 00:24:14,900 --> 00:24:21,099 last week. Marcus. Um, I knew Kevin was, uh, going to reload up there in Baltimore, Maryland. And then he 261 00:24:21,099 --> 00:24:26,739 was supposed to go down to a drop yard in Charlotte. Mhm. And it should have been, shouldn't 262 00:24:26,780 --> 00:24:32,130 have taken him along, but making a lot of stops. And then he was at the Charlotte Dockyard for 263 00:24:32,130 --> 00:24:37,529 quite a bit, and then I had stopped the night and I looked at him again. He's at the hospital like 264 00:24:37,569 --> 00:24:43,929 15 miles away from the drop yard. So I called, you know, forgetting that you don't have service in 265 00:24:43,930 --> 00:24:50,129 hospitals, you go straight to voicemail. I wait a half hour and like Adolf said, I shot him a text. 266 00:24:50,290 --> 00:24:54,969 Hey, Kevin, just checking on you, you know? And about an hour later, I was on the phone with my wife 267 00:24:54,969 --> 00:24:58,568 going, I know what's going on with Kevin. I'm really concerned. And he called back. I'm like, let 268 00:24:58,569 --> 00:25:04,530 me go. I gotta talk to Kevin. He took him to the hospital. And Kevin, I assumed that was a 269 00:25:04,530 --> 00:25:11,329 precautionary measure, but is is is everything okay? Yeah, just I just, uh, sprained my wrist time. I 270 00:25:11,329 --> 00:25:18,129 slowed down, so I'm on a I'm on a light duty status now, but I said Tony was Tony. Know 271 00:25:18,170 --> 00:25:23,249 there was a weekend load, and Tony and I were usually on the road together on the weekends, and 272 00:25:23,249 --> 00:25:30,129 he was like, he said, I'm stopping a lot. And then the whole situation was 273 00:25:30,130 --> 00:25:35,729 taken longer than when it was supposed to. And I don't know how that life 360 Tony would 274 00:25:35,770 --> 00:25:41,010 have been none the wiser where I was at or what I was doing. Right, right. And, you know, and in in a 275 00:25:41,010 --> 00:25:45,809 case where something has happened to you, where you're not able to get in touch with somebody on 276 00:25:45,810 --> 00:25:50,089 the phone, eventually, maybe Tony could get in touch with loved ones for you or something like 277 00:25:50,089 --> 00:25:56,089 that. I assume that's obviously way down the road, but, um, it could get it could go to there if it 278 00:25:56,089 --> 00:26:02,929 needed to. Correct. Exactly. Yes. Sure, sure. That's great. You know, Tony, you talked a little 279 00:26:02,970 --> 00:26:08,130 bit about having more than one circle. You've got your your main circle that all three of you guys 280 00:26:08,130 --> 00:26:12,648 are in. Uh, and I'm sure that's a lot bigger than just the three of you. Um, you've got one with your 281 00:26:12,649 --> 00:26:18,969 wife and her sister. Um, talk to me a little bit about how the app actually works. So you were 282 00:26:18,970 --> 00:26:23,249 talking before we came on the air about. Well, it's a really good thing if you meet people in 283 00:26:23,250 --> 00:26:28,239 orientation or you meet people at CTC because those are going to be the guys that you're 284 00:26:28,239 --> 00:26:32,559 probably going to go on the road with. So talk to me a little bit about how the app works, what 285 00:26:32,599 --> 00:26:38,039 circles are and your recommendations for other Cypress drivers listening right now that might 286 00:26:38,040 --> 00:26:44,159 want to start their own circles? Yeah, yeah, it's a really cool app. It's free. Like Kevin mentioned. 287 00:26:44,719 --> 00:26:49,239 You can download the app and then you can, you know, you just need somebody's phone number and 288 00:26:49,239 --> 00:26:53,319 you can invite them into your group. And the person that starts the circle is the 289 00:26:53,319 --> 00:27:00,079 administrator. And you know, you can you can add people. People can drop off, you know, 290 00:27:00,680 --> 00:27:07,199 it's easy. And there's there's other things that you can add to it that you have to pay for. I 291 00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:13,839 don't think there's anybody I know that pays for any part of the app. Um, but the guys that, you know, 292 00:27:13,879 --> 00:27:18,519 they start forming a bond like in CTC, like the guys in fourth week, and then they go out with 293 00:27:18,520 --> 00:27:24,630 their, their trainers and they all end up in seven week eval together. That's the perfect time for 294 00:27:24,630 --> 00:27:31,229 those guys. You know, the the 4 or 5, seven guys that they've started the, the journey with. Mhm. You 295 00:27:31,230 --> 00:27:37,189 know they'll be together forever. They it's and and like Kevin said you know or and Adolf said 296 00:27:37,589 --> 00:27:42,109 you know you're having trouble. You know these guys are brand new. You know their first time at 297 00:27:42,110 --> 00:27:48,069 this shipper. Hey guys. I'm now at um some more of North Carolina. How do I get into this place? You 298 00:27:48,069 --> 00:27:53,349 know, you know, that'd be a great act for the new guys. Yeah, just sharing info. You know, when I was 299 00:27:53,349 --> 00:27:59,149 out there for the podcast launch, um, it was really cool because they had me standing there kind of 300 00:27:59,189 --> 00:28:03,828 next to the break room where the vending machines are in Jacksonville, and that meant that I was 301 00:28:03,829 --> 00:28:10,630 standing right between orientation and, uh, CTC for the most part. And I got to spend a lot of time 302 00:28:10,630 --> 00:28:15,790 chatting with the guys that were in orientation that week. And what was cool is, as the day went on, 303 00:28:15,790 --> 00:28:21,229 I spent a whole day out there. As the day went on, those guys were more talkative with each other 304 00:28:21,229 --> 00:28:26,060 like they started out when I first got there early in the morning, they were all trickling in. 305 00:28:26,100 --> 00:28:30,779 They didn't really say much to each other, and at the end of the day, it was like they were long 306 00:28:30,780 --> 00:28:35,259 lost friends and they were bonding over the training that they were getting. Right? They were 307 00:28:35,339 --> 00:28:41,339 talking to each other. Hey, what challenged you? How did you deal with this? And that is essentially 308 00:28:41,339 --> 00:28:46,419 what the Life360 app does for you, Kevin. And that's what I'm hearing right now. If you just put 309 00:28:46,419 --> 00:28:51,379 this all in one place, you have a group of people that you can go and bounce these things off of 310 00:28:51,380 --> 00:28:58,259 and share and share alike, right. Yeah, exactly. Well, even when they told Kevin he's got to 311 00:28:58,260 --> 00:29:05,020 go from the Smyrna yard down to Jacksonville, Kevin goes on to where's Tony at? And I happen to 312 00:29:05,020 --> 00:29:09,260 be in Bridgeport where there's no cell phone service. So the minute I get out of Bridgeport 313 00:29:09,260 --> 00:29:13,499 Kevin's calling me up. Hey, are you going to be coming through here? Yeah, I'm actually I got to go 314 00:29:13,500 --> 00:29:18,699 right through Joshua. Great. Can you give me a ride? So we arranged it for me to give. I gave Kevin the 315 00:29:18,699 --> 00:29:23,619 ride from the Smyrna Yard all the way to Jacksonville. It was right in my route. Kevin used 316 00:29:23,620 --> 00:29:29,780 the the 360 app to figure out where I was, and he knew I was trying to get home. So it was he knew I 317 00:29:29,780 --> 00:29:35,899 was going to be heading south. Yeah, it worked out. That's so cool man I love it. This is this is 318 00:29:35,900 --> 00:29:41,540 really cool. And I gotta ask you guys, I'm in a roundtable. This question here. Um, and, Adolf, this 319 00:29:41,540 --> 00:29:45,859 is an interesting question for you. So I'm going to come to you last on it because you're retired 320 00:29:45,859 --> 00:29:51,019 here and I think it has a little bit more impact. But let's say this app doesn't exist. Tony, Kevin, 321 00:29:51,020 --> 00:29:56,179 you guys can kind of answer this at the same time, if this app didn't exist, how many of the guys in 322 00:29:56,179 --> 00:30:02,939 your main circle would you be in contact with almost every day, do you think? Probably. I would 323 00:30:02,940 --> 00:30:09,619 say probably still be about the same. I think that the app kind of, uh, trying to introduce everybody, 324 00:30:10,019 --> 00:30:16,779 but we've got not only do we run the 360 app, you know, we got of course, everybody's got our phone 325 00:30:16,779 --> 00:30:23,609 numbers, but we also got a text thread going through this for the group. Okay. Multiple times 326 00:30:23,610 --> 00:30:30,250 with the circle. Yeah. So, you know, we'll see your text and then. You know, check the three 327 00:30:30,290 --> 00:30:35,569 sections, see where you're at and just go from there. So. I mean we got multiple layers of 328 00:30:35,569 --> 00:30:42,409 communication. Yeah. It sounds like it. Uh, Tony, how about you? Uh, same question. How many of these guys 329 00:30:42,410 --> 00:30:46,089 are you keeping in touch with if the app doesn't exist, is it the same as Kevin? You're probably 330 00:30:46,089 --> 00:30:52,609 talking all of them. I would be, because, um, one of the guys lived not too far from me. That was in 331 00:30:52,609 --> 00:30:58,849 the group and who invited me. And so he's he's a very talkative guy. He would have brought me into 332 00:30:58,849 --> 00:31:05,809 the group whether the app wasn't there or not. Right. Okay. Now, Adolf, the reason this is kind of 333 00:31:05,850 --> 00:31:10,369 a fun question for you is because you're retired and you could have a fishing line in the water. 334 00:31:10,369 --> 00:31:15,729 You could have a golf club in your hand. Uh, but you take you take it very seriously. This this 335 00:31:15,730 --> 00:31:20,879 whole trucking industry, you can tell by talking to you. You're very involved in it and very 336 00:31:20,879 --> 00:31:25,998 serious about it. And you want to help people. Is that why you're still out? It's just because, you 337 00:31:25,999 --> 00:31:30,880 know, you've got a wealth of knowledge and you'll give some tips or check some weather. Just because 338 00:31:30,880 --> 00:31:36,679 you want these guys all to be safe, is that kind of why you're still involved? Exactly. And, you know, 339 00:31:36,719 --> 00:31:40,559 we became like, really? I mean, we're pretty much like brothers. I mean, I mean, we've been working 340 00:31:40,559 --> 00:31:47,319 together for like nine years, um, like Kevin and Tony, Tony and some of the other 341 00:31:47,320 --> 00:31:54,319 guys. Um, when I first started working at Cypress, I was making like 400,500 bucks a week, and I 342 00:31:54,319 --> 00:32:00,999 thought I was doing good towards like the middle towards the end was 343 00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:07,998 making right around thousand to 1400 a week. So that's a big difference. Yeah. Yeah. 344 00:32:08,040 --> 00:32:14,758 And. Mhm. Yeah. So I, I think um without the 360 345 00:32:14,800 --> 00:32:21,670 and without being able to be introduced to Kevin and a few others. I 346 00:32:21,670 --> 00:32:26,869 would probably quit and went on down the road or something, you know? Yeah, no, I get that because you 347 00:32:26,869 --> 00:32:31,069 weren't earning what you thought you could and and you needed some help to be able to earn what 348 00:32:31,070 --> 00:32:37,829 you thought you could. Exactly. Yeah. So and then the other key thing is you don't ever want to 349 00:32:37,830 --> 00:32:44,789 park next to Kevin. If you're not secure. He's going to tell you about it, isn't he? Oh, 350 00:32:44,870 --> 00:32:50,709 yeah. Well, not only is he going to tell you about it, you're going to go out there on strapping it, 351 00:32:50,789 --> 00:32:56,749 take all the corners off it, and we're going to redo this, this load till it's perfect or you're 352 00:32:56,750 --> 00:33:03,069 not going to text me. So we met up with a truck. We met up at a truck stop in Alabama one time. I made 353 00:33:03,070 --> 00:33:07,149 him take the front tarp off the load, and we retyped the load right there in the parking lot. 354 00:33:08,869 --> 00:33:15,709 That's good. So. So, like, when I first started driving for Cypress, it wasn't until I met with 355 00:33:15,710 --> 00:33:21,829 Kevin and a few other guys and Tony that, um, you start paying attention to your load security 356 00:33:21,829 --> 00:33:25,349 because you don't know. At the end of the day, if you're gonna be parking next to careless. You know 357 00:33:25,349 --> 00:33:31,948 what I mean? So it started to be like a competition. Who had the best load? And then, like, 358 00:33:31,949 --> 00:33:37,470 the Penland's, like we pulled in the Jacksonville. We said we use a perfectly park our truck right in 359 00:33:37,470 --> 00:33:43,749 front of dispatch because they'd look out the window like, oh, wow. And we could get the 25 dollar 360 00:33:43,789 --> 00:33:49,750 attaboy for nice load. I gotcha, so that's what Kevin was trying to help you with. He was saying, 361 00:33:49,750 --> 00:33:55,269 first of all, don't tarnish. Don't tarnish Cypress's good name by having no twist in your straps. And 362 00:33:55,270 --> 00:34:02,150 two, you get a $25 attaboy for doing this, right? Exactly. So. So once we start getting, like, 363 00:34:02,430 --> 00:34:07,508 Kevin was, like, beating up on our load, secure me like, hey, you know, you need to do this and this. 364 00:34:07,509 --> 00:34:13,429 And we'd be like, oh, man, we're parked next to Kevin, and I would be redoing our load. But it 365 00:34:13,470 --> 00:34:18,459 taught us it. It taught us how to be more proficient, how to secure the load quickly and 366 00:34:18,459 --> 00:34:24,860 properly, and not going down and not rolling down the road looking like garbage. I got you taught us 367 00:34:24,860 --> 00:34:31,699 a lot. I got you. So I gotta ask you, Adolf and Tony, this question. Have you ever stopped to secure 368 00:34:31,740 --> 00:34:37,980 a load before you went to park next to Kevin? Just to see ya, if you know what I mean. I know Adolf 369 00:34:38,019 --> 00:34:44,579 has. Yes, yes. I in Alabama, because we cut across the 370 00:34:44,580 --> 00:34:51,459 woods, we used to call it from, uh, to Meridian, from like Macon, Georgia to Meridian, Mississippi. We 371 00:34:51,459 --> 00:34:58,100 cut across the woods and we said, stop right there on 65 and Kevin be like, hey, I saved your spot. I'd 372 00:34:58,100 --> 00:35:04,179 be like, man, I'm gonna be late, because making low takes about two hours to secure it. At least two. 373 00:35:04,179 --> 00:35:11,059 Hours at least. And there's a couple of times I just put like, corners on the driver's 374 00:35:11,059 --> 00:35:17,729 side. And I get that going down the road. Safety calls. Hey, um, where are you at? Uh, I just leave at 375 00:35:17,729 --> 00:35:23,769 Macon. Um, you got corners on. Yeah, I got corners on. And I'll be out there losing them straps real 376 00:35:23,770 --> 00:35:29,290 quick. Put the corners on. Quick, quick quick quick, quick. I mean, all that extra stress, 377 00:35:30,290 --> 00:35:36,609 right? Because of why you didn't secure the load properly the first time? Yep, yep. And you know, we 378 00:35:36,610 --> 00:35:43,208 had Cecil Clark Jr. on here. Come on and talk to us about load security. And, uh, he was he was a 379 00:35:43,209 --> 00:35:48,249 really, really serious about that conversation. And for good reason. Right. Load shifts are very scary 380 00:35:48,289 --> 00:35:54,289 things, and we don't want to see that stuff happen in a Cypress truck. Right. Mhm. Like our saying is 381 00:35:54,289 --> 00:35:59,408 you got to be got to be safe for the motoring public. Yes. We have an obligation to the motoring 382 00:35:59,409 --> 00:36:05,249 public. You know I've been in I can't count even how. Many company policy. Right. And and I've, I was 383 00:36:05,250 --> 00:36:09,809 just going to say I've been in. I can't even count now how many different trucking fleets. And it 384 00:36:09,850 --> 00:36:13,929 kind of blows me away. Guys, it's not to take anything away from anybody else, but I do want to 385 00:36:13,929 --> 00:36:20,569 give Cypress some flowers, because that's the only fleet that I've heard that the number one company 386 00:36:20,570 --> 00:36:26,169 policy is we have an obligation to the motoring public. And I think that's really cool, because not 387 00:36:26,169 --> 00:36:31,169 only does that take everybody else on the road into consideration, but it takes all the driver 388 00:36:31,169 --> 00:36:35,649 safety into consideration first. And that's what's important, right? That's one of the reasons you 389 00:36:35,649 --> 00:36:40,849 guys stick around for so long with a company like Cypress is because you feel like it's done right, 390 00:36:40,850 --> 00:36:45,689 you see it done right and you each hold each other, each other accountable, which I think is 391 00:36:45,689 --> 00:36:52,369 really cool. Yeah, exactly. I mean, because, like, if Kevin Parks next to me or Tony Parks next. 392 00:36:52,409 --> 00:36:59,169 Hey, you lose not secured properly. Uh, let's go fix it. I mean, yeah, I 393 00:36:59,169 --> 00:37:05,569 mean, you might just do it right the first time. Yeah, absolutely. Then we, you know, we can meet up 394 00:37:05,569 --> 00:37:12,399 and we can kind of convoy going down the road, which we have done in the past. I can tell you 395 00:37:13,399 --> 00:37:18,199 we called it the Trainer Olympic, the trainee Olympics because we had three trainers back to 396 00:37:18,200 --> 00:37:24,879 back. Oh, wow. And we were. We put our trainees in competition with each other. That's awesome man. So 397 00:37:24,919 --> 00:37:30,319 is that the longest Cypress convoy you've ever had moving this three? No, I think I think the 398 00:37:30,320 --> 00:37:35,360 longest one we had, I think was five. Wow. That would be so cool to see out on the road. You know, 399 00:37:35,360 --> 00:37:39,719 every now and then you see two, uh, two of the same branded trucks next to each other, and you think, 400 00:37:39,759 --> 00:37:43,879 yeah, those guys are traveling together. That's cool. But if I saw five, I might be following you 401 00:37:43,879 --> 00:37:48,559 guys to the truck stop to see what you're grilling once you get stopped. Yeah, definitely. If 402 00:37:48,559 --> 00:37:53,639 that's where you have Adolf with you. Yeah. Adolf brings the grill. Oh, okay. Adolf, you're the. You're the cook in 403 00:37:53,639 --> 00:38:00,600 the quarter. That's the cook. Yep. Yeah. Um, I know what I'm like. Like 404 00:38:00,639 --> 00:38:07,479 electric skillet, you know? So, like, at the end of the night, I'll. I'll make some chicken or some, um, 405 00:38:07,560 --> 00:38:13,949 pork chops or something. I'm gonna. I'm gonna make something. I'm not going to go eat a hamburger. But. 406 00:38:13,949 --> 00:38:20,709 Yeah, but, um. But it saves a lot of money. Just electric skillet. It's easy to clean. I don't 407 00:38:20,709 --> 00:38:26,829 cook inside the truck. I cook out on the front of the trailer. Yeah. Otherwise, your truck be smelling 408 00:38:26,830 --> 00:38:32,309 like Mediterranean chicken for a week. And that's not easy to live with, either. Right. No, no, he wants 409 00:38:32,309 --> 00:38:35,989 the whole truck stop to smell like that. So every truck in the every trucker in the parking lot is 410 00:38:35,990 --> 00:38:41,349 going to come up and go, hey, can I have those? Yeah. For ten bucks a plate you can, buddy. 411 00:38:42,830 --> 00:38:47,388 Yeah. Yeah. But there's a couple of times I met up with Kevin at the at the Loves and we started 412 00:38:47,389 --> 00:38:52,269 grilling because, hey, I'm hungry. And then we started grilling, and you can't eat all that food 413 00:38:52,310 --> 00:38:58,629 yourself. But for the portion of food that you have, it's only cost you like $10. So I can speak 414 00:38:58,629 --> 00:39:04,189 for myself. Kevin and I still have lunch and dinner for Mark. He said the whole shop that night 415 00:39:04,189 --> 00:39:09,259 when we were in Locksley. Wow. Yeah, because I was getting a it. We were getting PMS done on our 416 00:39:09,259 --> 00:39:14,579 trucks. And he's out there grilling the whole the whole shop. Inside the shop smelled like grilled 417 00:39:14,580 --> 00:39:20,899 chicken. That's awesome. That's so cool. Well, you know, I kind of want to hone in just a little bit 418 00:39:20,939 --> 00:39:26,219 on the trust, safety and accountability side of the reason that you use this guy or this this app, 419 00:39:26,219 --> 00:39:31,339 guys. And, uh, Tony, you've been patient there. I'll come to you here for this one real quick. Uh, does 420 00:39:31,340 --> 00:39:35,939 this. This has got to make you feel like somebody just got your back out there on the road all the 421 00:39:35,939 --> 00:39:42,939 time. Um, if something does go wrong, you you mentioned, you know, seeing, uh, Kevin's truck stop, I 422 00:39:42,939 --> 00:39:48,379 would assume that the response time for something that doesn't look right on the app is pretty 423 00:39:48,379 --> 00:39:54,979 quick for you guys. Like a few minutes. Yeah. Exactly. It's. Yeah. Instantaneous. So 424 00:39:55,060 --> 00:40:00,619 does that change at all how you operate, knowing people are kind of with you even when they're not? 425 00:40:01,060 --> 00:40:07,698 It does offer an instance of out in Texas and some goofball backed into me and busted out my my 426 00:40:07,699 --> 00:40:13,739 marker lights. So first thing I do is I get on the horn to the group. And Adolf happened to be coming 427 00:40:13,740 --> 00:40:19,499 out to Texas. The the Loves that I was at didn't have the lights to fix it. Adolf stopped it every 428 00:40:19,539 --> 00:40:24,259 to on the way out there and picked up the lights, and then was on the phone with me. Okay, Tony, I 429 00:40:24,259 --> 00:40:28,739 need you to do this and this and this before I get there. Then when Adolf got there, he'd fix 430 00:40:28,739 --> 00:40:34,459 those lights for me so I could get going back down the road. I mean, that's what, you know, knowing 431 00:40:34,499 --> 00:40:40,179 that everybody in the group had their back. Adolf has our back, Kevin has our back. So even when 432 00:40:40,220 --> 00:40:44,059 Adolf retired, you still knew there was other people out there that would do that for you if it 433 00:40:44,060 --> 00:40:50,259 happened again. Oh, yeah. Absolutely. That's so cool. And now the one thing I want you guys to do here 434 00:40:50,259 --> 00:40:54,819 is address some concern, because I, I try to look at everything from both sides of the fence here. 435 00:40:54,820 --> 00:41:01,819 And one thing that a driver might say, if you were trying to talk him into jumping on 360 app is um, 436 00:41:02,459 --> 00:41:07,330 isn't that too intrusive? Doesn't that, uh, just show everybody where I'm at all the time. How 437 00:41:07,330 --> 00:41:13,009 would you respond to that driver's concerns about that? And do you feel at any time like it's too 438 00:41:13,009 --> 00:41:17,969 intrusive? It sounds like it's all positive from you guys. So I'm just wanting to address some 439 00:41:17,970 --> 00:41:22,369 concerns that people listening might have. Kevin, what do you think about that? What would you say 440 00:41:22,370 --> 00:41:28,889 to somebody that asked you? Isn't that really intrusive? Anything. Anything you do online, on your 441 00:41:28,889 --> 00:41:35,128 phone, on a tablet or whatever? I mean, if privacy is out to win the other privacy settings, but I 442 00:41:35,129 --> 00:41:41,968 mean, in reality, it's everything's public information, but it can be a little intrusive. But 443 00:41:42,810 --> 00:41:48,729 the 360 is is based on your phone number. So you have to give the person your phone number and 444 00:41:48,729 --> 00:41:54,969 that person has to have your phone number. So it's already I mean it's it's it's just a matter of 445 00:41:54,970 --> 00:42:00,489 sharing your phone number and then it pings you on a map. I mean, Google Maps, Google map, Google 446 00:42:00,530 --> 00:42:07,360 tracks it everywhere you go. Right, right. So I mean, if you go online and you look up, uh, you know, you 447 00:42:07,360 --> 00:42:13,279 look up, uh, I need a I need a GPS. You're going to get advertisements for truck GPS for six months. 448 00:42:13,320 --> 00:42:18,999 Yep. It's true man. I'll share, uh, one that just happened to me yesterday. Uh, I had to take my 449 00:42:19,000 --> 00:42:25,080 wife's jeep into a shop to get some, uh, radiator work done, and I wanted to pick a different 450 00:42:25,080 --> 00:42:29,519 mechanic. So I went to a new place, took it down there, had a good experience. It's in getting 451 00:42:29,519 --> 00:42:34,959 wrenched right now. And, uh, it was funny because I got home and I got a Google alert on my phone and 452 00:42:34,959 --> 00:42:41,958 it said, um, people want to know, uh, x, y, z about Joe's garage. And I thought, that's weird. So 453 00:42:41,959 --> 00:42:47,999 I clicked it and it said, does this garage have a bathroom? Yeah, it did. So I hit yes. And then the 454 00:42:48,040 --> 00:42:52,959 and then it swung to the next one. And it said, two days ago you were at this golf course. Does this 455 00:42:52,959 --> 00:42:59,039 golf course sell food? Yeah, I go to the next one. Three weeks ago you were in Seattle, Washington. 456 00:42:59,040 --> 00:43:04,270 Does the place that you were at have handicap accessible stairs? And I was like. Google has been 457 00:43:04,270 --> 00:43:09,669 following me for my entire life at this point. It asked me to review every place I've been in the 458 00:43:09,669 --> 00:43:14,269 last like 3 or 4 weeks. And and Kevin, you're right, you can you can change that. You can mess with 459 00:43:14,270 --> 00:43:20,388 those settings and, and turn some of those features off. But your privacy is sort of almost 460 00:43:20,389 --> 00:43:24,189 what I would say is non-existent at this point in time. If you've got a smartphone in your pocket, 461 00:43:24,230 --> 00:43:31,148 would you guys agree? I agree. Yeah, yeah. So, Tony, you said it changes 462 00:43:31,149 --> 00:43:35,949 how you operate a little bit. Um, Kevin, how about you? Does it, uh, does it change anything you do out 463 00:43:35,949 --> 00:43:40,268 there on the road? Just knowing you got a whole group of people backing you up at any given time? 464 00:43:41,070 --> 00:43:47,669 Yeah, like I said, just last week. I mean, you know, I thought I'd be. I'd be slick and go in and go into 465 00:43:47,670 --> 00:43:53,949 the ER and get out and and do my thing. And before I, before I got back into my truck, coatings 466 00:43:53,950 --> 00:43:58,949 on the horns. Hey, I see the your trucks pinging you over the hospital. Why are you at the hospital 467 00:43:58,989 --> 00:44:04,709 or is it just 360? Just got you at a random spot and no problem. I'm in the parking lot of an ER 468 00:44:04,709 --> 00:44:11,509 So yeah, it was kind of nice to know that, you know, they're watching what I'm doing and I'm 469 00:44:11,509 --> 00:44:18,110 watching what they're doing. And I mean, it's the Adolf story to tell. But Adolf had a 470 00:44:18,110 --> 00:44:23,989 situation and we caught on to it real quick. And he he informed us what happened. But we noticed 471 00:44:23,990 --> 00:44:28,829 that Adolf was parked on the side of the road for quite a bit of time, and we we could first, we 472 00:44:28,830 --> 00:44:32,789 couldn't get him on the phone because he wasn't answering the phone because of the situation. But 473 00:44:33,149 --> 00:44:36,469 once he got hold of us, he let us know what was going on. But as soon as it happened, we knew 474 00:44:36,469 --> 00:44:41,628 because Adolf quit moving. Sure, Adolf, do you want to tell that story? What happened out there that 475 00:44:41,629 --> 00:44:48,070 day? Yeah. Um, anyway, um, we was cruising, was coming south out on 476 00:44:48,070 --> 00:44:54,349 81, you know, say 81 coming out of Virginia in the Tennessee. And I was trained at the 477 00:44:54,350 --> 00:45:00,779 time, trainee trainee was driving. I mean, I looked over then 478 00:45:01,980 --> 00:45:08,899 God bless him. But he permanently went to sleep. Oh, no. Yeah. Why? Well, he was 479 00:45:09,180 --> 00:45:16,139 while driving. So how did you get the truck safely over to the side of the road? Yeah, 480 00:45:16,179 --> 00:45:23,139 I guess. Thank God you were in an automatic situation. Yeah, yeah, but, um, I grabbed 481 00:45:23,139 --> 00:45:27,979 a steering wheel, started eating, and I. And I kicked his foot off the thing, and I bumped the 482 00:45:27,980 --> 00:45:34,939 trailer brake, and the trucks are downshifting and slowing down. Yeah, it was crazy. 483 00:45:35,459 --> 00:45:41,219 And so I, I know that this might be hard to say, but did did this driver actually pass away in the 484 00:45:41,219 --> 00:45:47,979 seat? Yeah, sure it did. Adolf. Yep. Sure did. That had to be really 485 00:45:47,979 --> 00:45:54,379 tough for you to see. For you to experience, man. But I mean, God bless him. I mean that we didn't 486 00:45:54,379 --> 00:45:59,929 hurt nobody else. You know what I mean? It was just time to go. You never know when it's time to go. 487 00:45:59,969 --> 00:46:05,209 You know. Yeah. We all rallied. You know, we all rallied behind him for support because that's 488 00:46:05,450 --> 00:46:10,569 that's a heck of a thing to go through. Right, right. And and how did you guys. I mean, once you 489 00:46:10,570 --> 00:46:16,889 found out Tony and Kevin about this situation, how did you approach trying to rally around him? 490 00:46:16,889 --> 00:46:22,049 Because that's a tough one. There's nothing that you can say in that situation that takes that 491 00:46:22,050 --> 00:46:27,929 experience away or lessens it in any way, shape or form. Well, we kind of let Adolf take the lead. You 492 00:46:27,929 --> 00:46:32,489 know, we you know, we let him know, hey, we're here for you. You need to talk, you know, because that's 493 00:46:32,530 --> 00:46:38,569 one thing about our our, our group of that we call the circle or whatever goofy name we decide to 494 00:46:38,570 --> 00:46:45,489 give it this week. But, um, you know, we're we're, you know, you got you got problems at home 495 00:46:45,490 --> 00:46:50,169 or you got a situation and you just need somebody to talk to. You know, we're we're here for each 496 00:46:50,169 --> 00:46:54,129 other. We're, you know, we're kind of like counselors for each other. We look out for each 497 00:46:54,129 --> 00:47:00,479 other, too. It's a real tight, tight knit community that we got going here. A real good group of guys. 498 00:47:00,480 --> 00:47:06,239 It sounds like it. Tony, were you, uh, were you in the group when that happened to Adolf? Yeah, I to 499 00:47:06,240 --> 00:47:11,719 be honest with you, I was amazed how Adolf handled it. I don't know if I could have done what Adolf 500 00:47:11,720 --> 00:47:17,399 did, you know, like you said, he got up. He he pumped the the trailer brake. He got the tractor and the 501 00:47:17,399 --> 00:47:24,359 trailer fully loaded side of the road. Safely. Safely. He administered CPR 502 00:47:24,399 --> 00:47:30,718 on the guy. I mean, Adolf was all about it. All about. It. Man, that's such an amazing story. 503 00:47:30,760 --> 00:47:36,158 Adolf. Uh, again, man, thank you for telling it. I know that can't be easy to talk about, but hats 504 00:47:36,199 --> 00:47:42,320 off to you, my friend. It sounds like you were the perfect person to have in that trainer seat, uh, 505 00:47:42,320 --> 00:47:49,119 when this terrible, tragic incident went down. And, um, I mean, listen, guys, if if you're listening to 506 00:47:49,159 --> 00:47:54,719 this right now and you're going, how do I get the knowledge to be able to do something like that if 507 00:47:54,720 --> 00:48:00,159 it ever happens to me. Well, the Life360 app could actually help. And this is not an advertisement. 508 00:48:00,159 --> 00:48:05,759 They are paying us nothing to come on our show and talk about this app. It's a real thing and it 509 00:48:05,760 --> 00:48:11,320 can help and it can make a difference. And Adolf, I thank you for telling that story, man. How long 510 00:48:11,320 --> 00:48:18,279 did it take you to kind of get beyond that? Um, it took a while, but like like Kevin, Tony, 511 00:48:18,319 --> 00:48:25,239 a few other guys, people in dispatch, the owners, safety, they 512 00:48:25,239 --> 00:48:30,398 pretty much call me, like every day a couple of times, you know, a couple times a day and 513 00:48:30,399 --> 00:48:37,239 everything. Because I was we've heading to Texas and I think it was on a Saturday. Yeah. 514 00:48:38,000 --> 00:48:44,920 It was crazy. Did you finish that loadout? Yeah. Sure did. When all. Wait a second. All the way 515 00:48:44,920 --> 00:48:50,519 back. All the way back. Wow. And I bet you were really leaning on those guys because you had 516 00:48:50,520 --> 00:48:54,949 somebody to talk to on the first leg of that trip, and there was nobody there on the way back, So you 517 00:48:54,949 --> 00:49:00,549 were probably leaning on these guys just to make it a little less quiet in the cab, huh? Oh, 518 00:49:00,550 --> 00:49:07,549 definitely. Yeah, definitely. Um, if it wasn't really the guys or, like, our our little group, I would 519 00:49:07,550 --> 00:49:14,229 if I gave up something years ago. Years ago. Wow. So we cut up a lot, and we made fun of each 520 00:49:14,229 --> 00:49:18,388 other. Yeah. That's how you know you love each other. See? And I that's that's where what I've 521 00:49:18,389 --> 00:49:24,229 realized as a podcast host that makes, uh, podcasts for truck drivers for a living. That's when I know 522 00:49:24,229 --> 00:49:28,829 that you guys actually like me is when somebody starts clowning on me, or somebody sends me a 523 00:49:28,830 --> 00:49:34,789 picture of Kevin holding on to an Alabama Crimson Tide tent, flipping me off. Uh, that's how I. Know. 524 00:49:34,790 --> 00:49:39,989 That, uh, that we're we're in this together, and it's real. Because that is what men do. That's what 525 00:49:40,030 --> 00:49:45,749 guys do. That's that goes back to all the way back to sixth grade. I remember my mom asking me one 526 00:49:45,749 --> 00:49:51,029 time, like, do you and your friends even like each other? Because I watch you guys fight and make fun 527 00:49:51,030 --> 00:49:56,579 of each other and push and shove And we're fast friends, mom. We love each other. We wouldn't make 528 00:49:56,580 --> 00:50:01,459 it through junior high without each other. So kind of the same thing, right? You, uh, you take your 529 00:50:01,459 --> 00:50:07,699 licks out there, Kevin, but it's all in good fun. Yeah, exactly. Awesome. Well, I am 530 00:50:07,699 --> 00:50:12,659 excited for two reasons right now. One, because, uh, this has been a great conversation. We're going to 531 00:50:12,659 --> 00:50:16,779 get you guys some final thoughts here in just a moment and get you back to whatever it is you're 532 00:50:16,779 --> 00:50:22,579 doing right now. Uh, but two, I know we got an Alabama Crimson Tide fan out there. I know we got 533 00:50:22,580 --> 00:50:27,699 a duck fan, an Oregon duck fan in your midst, which means I already have friends on the fleet. We're 534 00:50:27,699 --> 00:50:31,979 going to talk some college football towards the end of the summer on this podcast. And I'll tell 535 00:50:31,980 --> 00:50:36,859 you, I can't wait. I'm going to throw some barbs at you guys before we even get there, so be ready for 536 00:50:36,860 --> 00:50:42,779 them, okay? Bring it. On. I mean, it's been a little sleepy in the SEC for the past few years as far 537 00:50:42,779 --> 00:50:48,860 as hardware is concerned, hasn't it? Yeah. Tony and I have quite a bit of conversations about about 538 00:50:48,860 --> 00:50:54,449 college football because neither one of us would agree with the NIL situation and the portal 539 00:50:54,449 --> 00:51:01,089 transfers. Okay, this will be a fun conversation then. Anthony who's your team? Go, Gators. Go 540 00:51:01,209 --> 00:51:05,968 Gators fan all right. Yep the doing the chomp. What about you it all for you a college football fan. 541 00:51:06,010 --> 00:51:12,809 Um I'll watch some some of the color like like the Gators or something. But for most time 542 00:51:13,010 --> 00:51:19,530 it's the NFL because I, I grew up most of my life in California and Wisconsin. 543 00:51:19,530 --> 00:51:24,770 So I'm kind of a green Bay Packers fan. Uh, you could have said you were a 40 Niner fan, and I 544 00:51:24,770 --> 00:51:28,969 would have told you I got a Jerry Rice jersey hanging on my wall less than three feet from me. 545 00:51:28,969 --> 00:51:35,769 But you went with Wisconsin, man. Come on, we were so close. Well, we will talk 546 00:51:35,810 --> 00:51:41,729 pro football as well on that exact same, uh, on that exact same episode. Or if we talk too much 547 00:51:41,729 --> 00:51:46,409 college football, we'll do a second one and talk pro football as well. So, fellas, I'm looking 548 00:51:46,409 --> 00:51:51,729 forward to it. Uh, I want to thank you all today for coming on here. This conversation started out 549 00:51:51,729 --> 00:51:57,089 as us telling other drivers, hey, check this app out. It's really cool. It keeps us in touch. We've 550 00:51:57,089 --> 00:52:01,610 made some great friends and at the end of the interview, we realized there were some real 551 00:52:01,610 --> 00:52:06,850 serious things that happened. And this app has seriously made a difference in the way those 552 00:52:06,850 --> 00:52:11,729 things went down. So I got to tell you, if you're interested in downloading this app and finding 553 00:52:11,729 --> 00:52:17,049 out more about it, um, get in touch with Kevin or Tony or Adolf. They'll help you out and they'll 554 00:52:17,050 --> 00:52:21,569 get you started on it, at least, so that you can start making your own circles of drivers that 555 00:52:21,570 --> 00:52:26,329 you've met here at Cypress, and guys that you want to keep in touch with out there on the road. Um, 556 00:52:26,370 --> 00:52:30,649 let's get absolutely. Let's get to final thoughts here guys. And Tony you jumped in there. So I'm 557 00:52:30,649 --> 00:52:35,369 going to you first for your final thoughts. Uh, again these this can cover anything. If we left 558 00:52:35,370 --> 00:52:39,689 anything on the table, feel free to bring it up. If you want to do any shout outs to anybody, you can 559 00:52:39,690 --> 00:52:44,128 do that as well. The time is yours. Uh, Tony Miller, thank you so much for the time today, man. It's 560 00:52:44,129 --> 00:52:48,449 been a great conversation. Final thoughts for us. Before we let you go. I want to give out a shout 561 00:52:48,490 --> 00:52:54,679 out to my lovely wife Kathy and her beautiful sister Debbie. They both love life 360 and they 562 00:52:54,679 --> 00:53:00,199 both love listening to your podcast. Hey, there we go. So very smart man there to give a shout out. 563 00:53:00,199 --> 00:53:03,679 You don't come on here and talk to me for 45 minutes without at least calling your wife 564 00:53:03,679 --> 00:53:10,638 beautiful, right? Exactly. As a smart man. Man. Smart man. Uh, Kevin Barritt, final thoughts from 565 00:53:10,639 --> 00:53:14,719 you, my friend. Again, thank you so much for the time and the recommendation that we have this 566 00:53:14,720 --> 00:53:21,240 conversation. Uh, take it away. Well, it is, uh, is being a truck driver. Could be, you know, 567 00:53:21,280 --> 00:53:25,879 stressful. It can be lonely. You know, you're out. You're away from home. You're away from friends. 568 00:53:25,919 --> 00:53:31,359 It's a it's a great way to make a make some good friends and get you a little community going. I 569 00:53:31,360 --> 00:53:35,439 mean, you gotta you gotta make the job fun, or else you're just going to go insane. Being out here by 570 00:53:35,439 --> 00:53:41,040 yourself, talking to yourself. And I always, you know, I always try to try to get Ahold of somebody 571 00:53:41,040 --> 00:53:46,040 during the day just to let them know that, hey, I'm still around my wife. My one of my wife's favorite 572 00:53:46,040 --> 00:53:52,349 saying is when I get home is, yeah, he does actually exist. Well, even if she's not listening, 573 00:53:52,389 --> 00:53:56,110 do you want to give her a shout out just in case she hears this? You don't want to get left in the 574 00:53:56,149 --> 00:54:02,189 dust by Tony. Yeah, right. Yeah, I don't want I don't want Tony to out do me, you know, just give my wife 575 00:54:02,190 --> 00:54:07,870 and daughter a shout out. By the way, to tomorrow is my daughter's last day of high school. She 576 00:54:07,870 --> 00:54:14,189 graduates next weekend. Wow. So congratulations. We're really excited about. That, I think so I 577 00:54:14,189 --> 00:54:18,790 think that's deserving of, uh, I don't know, I would give an applause, but that's just not excited 578 00:54:18,790 --> 00:54:24,790 enough. How about some party horns? Hey, there you go. There you go. That. That's a graduation from 579 00:54:24,790 --> 00:54:29,469 high school, for sure. Well, congratulations, Kevin. And again, thank you for the time today, my friend. 580 00:54:29,470 --> 00:54:34,829 Always a pleasure to talk to all of you guys. Uh, Adolf, final thoughts from you, my friend. Before 581 00:54:34,830 --> 00:54:39,429 we let you go out there enjoying retirement, you can send me as many Blue Angels videos as you 582 00:54:39,429 --> 00:54:44,669 want. Dude, uh, final thoughts for us before we let you get back to enjoying your day. I would 583 00:54:44,669 --> 00:54:51,379 encourage you, everybody, to download the 360 app. You know, find a couple 584 00:54:51,379 --> 00:54:58,139 drivers in orientation or school and then get it going because we have everything marked ever. 585 00:54:58,179 --> 00:55:05,099 Because everything should go to the same load, place different customers, but they're all marked. 586 00:55:05,139 --> 00:55:11,620 So in the event that, um, you can't find a customer, it's probably marked on 360 or it's just called 587 00:55:11,620 --> 00:55:18,339 Kevin. Let's just call Kevin. Just call. Kevin. Kevin Barritt. Yeah. He sounded like the 588 00:55:18,339 --> 00:55:22,099 operator here. We just call Kevin and get plugged into the right switchboard, and then we'll know 589 00:55:22,100 --> 00:55:28,979 where to go. Exactly. That's awesome. Right. Well, uh. Tony. Kevin. Adolf. Thank you guys all 590 00:55:28,979 --> 00:55:33,099 for the time today. It's awesome having you on here. I'm glad you guys are enjoying this. Uh, 591 00:55:33,100 --> 00:55:37,899 because I am enjoying it more than you can even imagine. Um, let's get some more of your driver 592 00:55:37,899 --> 00:55:43,419 friends on here. I know some of them are a little bit, uh, standoffish about the podcast, but, uh, bring 593 00:55:43,420 --> 00:55:47,659 them on with you. Bring some of the guys on that are maybe a little bit nervous on with you the 594 00:55:47,659 --> 00:55:51,820 next time you come on the show and we'll get through that tough exterior that they're showing. 595 00:55:51,860 --> 00:55:57,739 We're having a lot of fun in here, aren't we? Yes. Yes, sir. Definitely. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Well, fellas, I 596 00:55:57,779 --> 00:56:03,539 greatly appreciate the time. We'll get you back on the Cypress Truck Lines podcast soon, okay? Thank 597 00:56:03,539 --> 00:56:05,699 you. Marcus. Thank you. Thank you Marcus. 598 00:56:14,820 --> 00:56:21,219 Big, big thanks to Kevin Barritt, Tony Miller and Adolf Metzer. Uh, what a cool conversation. You 599 00:56:21,219 --> 00:56:26,499 know, we started the conversation talking about an app. Uh, something simple, something free. Download 600 00:56:26,500 --> 00:56:31,259 it, join a group, see where everybody's at. Cool. But if you actually listen to what these guys were 601 00:56:31,260 --> 00:56:37,179 saying today, this whole episode was not about an app. And maybe I should, uh, I should take it on the 602 00:56:37,180 --> 00:56:43,219 chin for saying in the open that this episode is about an app, because it's really not. This is 603 00:56:43,219 --> 00:56:48,249 about what happens when drivers decide they're not going to do this job alone. Because yeah, the 604 00:56:48,250 --> 00:56:53,489 job is isolating. Now you've got your support. Of course, you can call dispatch whenever you want, 605 00:56:53,490 --> 00:56:58,689 you can call safety whenever you want, but that doesn't keep the job from being stressful in that 606 00:56:58,689 --> 00:57:05,050 isolation. It can get real quiet real fast out there on the road, but it doesn't have to be 607 00:57:05,409 --> 00:57:11,010 what you heard today. That's drivers helping drivers find parking, helping each other make more 608 00:57:11,010 --> 00:57:17,849 money, helping fix trucks, helping fix loads, and sometimes just checking in to make sure somebody 609 00:57:17,850 --> 00:57:23,409 is okay when maybe they've been stopped for a little longer than is normal. And in some cases, 610 00:57:23,409 --> 00:57:28,609 that connection can make a real difference when something goes wrong. That's not corporate, that's 611 00:57:28,609 --> 00:57:35,208 not policy, that's culture, that's brotherhood. That's what you guys have invented at Cypress or 612 00:57:35,250 --> 00:57:40,929 carried on through the legacy of the company at Cypress. That's drivers building something for 613 00:57:40,929 --> 00:57:45,879 themselves. All right. Uh, nobody nobody from the front office said, hey, you guys should all get on 614 00:57:45,879 --> 00:57:51,279 this. This was drivers talking to drivers. Okay? Um, and when you say building something for 615 00:57:51,280 --> 00:57:57,159 themselves, that something typically will last longer than the job is what we found out today. So 616 00:57:57,159 --> 00:58:01,639 if you're listening to this right now and you're thinking, yeah, I really don't need that, maybe you 617 00:58:01,639 --> 00:58:07,839 don't. It's not. Look, I'm not wearing a Life360 t-shirt here. I'm not banging the drum for any other 618 00:58:07,840 --> 00:58:14,799 reason other than what we just heard from Tony, Adolf and Kevin. If you didn't get that out of 619 00:58:14,839 --> 00:58:20,158 that interview, that this app has made a real difference in their job. Um, I think maybe you just 620 00:58:20,199 --> 00:58:26,279 were kind of passively listening there because it really tells you everything you need to know. When 621 00:58:26,280 --> 00:58:32,599 you hear Kevin, Tony and Adolf talk about it. They told real stories, um, and and gripping stories and 622 00:58:32,600 --> 00:58:39,000 tragic stories. I, you know, R.I.P. to that driver that passed away when Adolf was training him. I 623 00:58:39,000 --> 00:58:43,710 can't imagine what that must have been like to go through. And you heard Adolf say it. Without the 624 00:58:43,710 --> 00:58:49,349 app, I probably quit and go someplace else. Or just quit trucking altogether. Wasn't making the money 625 00:58:49,349 --> 00:58:54,349 that he wanted to make. Didn't feel like he had any, uh, any camaraderie there. And then he found 626 00:58:54,349 --> 00:58:58,509 the app, and all of a sudden he's got people beating down his door trying to figure out why 627 00:58:58,509 --> 00:59:02,909 he's been stopped on the side of the road for so long. Something's wrong. Same with Kevin. You heard 628 00:59:02,909 --> 00:59:07,389 him talk about. Hey, it was fortunate, a wrist sprain. That's definitely something you can come 629 00:59:07,389 --> 00:59:12,629 back from, but it's something that kept him parked for longer than he should have been and stopping 630 00:59:12,629 --> 00:59:17,269 more than he should have been. And Tony kind of turned an eyebrow up and said, wait a second, 631 00:59:17,269 --> 00:59:21,990 what's going on here? Now? He's at a hospital. I gotta find out what's going on. That's the type of 632 00:59:21,990 --> 00:59:26,829 support you need out there. That's your family, okay? Your family feels that way about you. And 633 00:59:26,829 --> 00:59:30,989 they can have this app too. And you guys can all keep track of one another. And that's what makes 634 00:59:30,989 --> 00:59:35,949 it really cool. But I will tell you this. Every single guy, every single one of these guys that 635 00:59:35,950 --> 00:59:42,709 came on the show today would notice that if the circle disappeared tomorrow, their job would be 636 00:59:42,709 --> 00:59:48,869 different and that tells you everything you need to know. So get plugged in. Find your people. Find 637 00:59:48,870 --> 00:59:54,789 that circle. Build that circle. If you have to be the architect, that's fine. Be the administrator. 638 00:59:54,949 --> 01:00:00,069 Kevin's the administrator. His group. And it just started with him and one other driver. Uh, it's. 639 01:00:00,109 --> 01:00:05,310 This job can get a whole lot better, even if it's not that bad right now. Even if things are pretty 640 01:00:05,310 --> 01:00:11,670 good, this job can get a whole lot better when you realize you're not out there by yourself. You are 641 01:00:11,670 --> 01:00:16,869 part of a team. You are part of a family. You are part of a family that believes before anything 642 01:00:16,869 --> 01:00:22,509 else that they have an obligation to the motoring public. And how does it sound? Keeping tabs on your 643 01:00:22,510 --> 01:00:26,869 guys that are out there, having an obligation to the motoring public that you're sharing on the 644 01:00:26,869 --> 01:00:33,789 road with? Um, man, folding the tarp. I've heard you guys talk about it. Those tarps are. No, um, 645 01:00:33,829 --> 01:00:40,419 they're they're no small feat. Okay. Getting the load secured properly. finding a parking spot in 646 01:00:40,419 --> 01:00:46,299 today's parking economy. All of these things are big positives. And hey, maybe just grilling up a 647 01:00:46,300 --> 01:00:50,459 pork chop or a chicken breast on the side of the road happens as well. There's a lot more that 648 01:00:50,460 --> 01:00:54,938 comes out of this than just, hey, I'm watching you. I know where you're at and this is a driver's 649 01:00:54,979 --> 01:01:00,899 thing, okay? It would be awesome to get more drivers in building their own circles, bringing 650 01:01:00,899 --> 01:01:05,899 those circles on the show to talk about how they operate, how they communicate, what it's changed 651 01:01:05,899 --> 01:01:11,139 about the job and what what it's helped them. Maybe it's helped them get out of a jam. I mean, 652 01:01:11,180 --> 01:01:16,859 let's let's, uh, let's make this part of the culture even more than it already is. I think this 653 01:01:16,860 --> 01:01:23,180 is such a cool thing. And, uh, again, I just can't thank Tony, Adolf, and Kevin enough for coming on 654 01:01:23,180 --> 01:01:28,019 here and telling these stories today. And, guys, I will say this. I know he doesn't drive for us 655 01:01:28,019 --> 01:01:33,339 anymore, but hats off to Adolf. He doesn't have to give us any of his time. And he's given us, uh, 656 01:01:33,340 --> 01:01:38,689 about two hours over the course of the last two weeks and, uh, all just out of the kindness of his 657 01:01:38,690 --> 01:01:44,049 heart. And he also did not have to tell that story about the driver that passed away while he was 658 01:01:44,050 --> 01:01:50,849 training. But he did that to illustrate what Life360's impact actually is with him personally. 659 01:01:51,009 --> 01:01:57,969 Um, and it's so cool to hear the brotherhood kind of come together and, and lock arms and say, hey, 660 01:01:57,969 --> 01:02:03,009 we got you, we're going to check on you. And that goes beyond Life360 for this situation, I will 661 01:02:03,010 --> 01:02:08,849 admit. Dispatch, Adolf said, they're calling me. Safety was calling me sometimes twice a day. Hey, 662 01:02:08,889 --> 01:02:13,050 sometimes that's the support you need when something tragic like that happens, you can't say 663 01:02:13,050 --> 01:02:17,809 anything to that person that makes that go away. But you can offer your support. You can be a 664 01:02:17,810 --> 01:02:24,688 shoulder to lean on. You can be an ear to listen, and you can be a rock of support. And, uh, look, not 665 01:02:24,689 --> 01:02:30,050 to say that it wouldn't happen without Life360, I seriously think it would, but Life360 is a very 666 01:02:30,050 --> 01:02:35,560 important part of the stories you heard today, and these drivers believe in it. So if you're in an 667 01:02:35,560 --> 01:02:39,679 orientation right now, start chatting it up with those guys you're going through with. If you're in 668 01:02:39,679 --> 01:02:44,959 CTC when you're in class, you got some time. Now I'm going to warn you. Don't be gawking off in 669 01:02:44,960 --> 01:02:48,959 class because Ken and Lawrence will be there. They're Johnny on the spot. All right. I've gotten 670 01:02:48,959 --> 01:02:53,720 a text message from Ken. I live in Oregon, and Ken sent me a text message three days ago. Said, stop 671 01:02:53,720 --> 01:02:59,119 screwing around over there. They're on it. Okay? But when you get a break, chat up some of your 672 01:02:59,119 --> 01:03:03,119 classmates, talk to them. Are they planning on going to work for Cypress after they get through 673 01:03:03,159 --> 01:03:08,679 CTC, or if we're in orientation together, would you maybe want to start up a Life360 thing so we can 674 01:03:08,679 --> 01:03:13,439 get tabs on each other and maybe help each other while we're out there on the road? These are great 675 01:03:13,439 --> 01:03:18,879 places to do this. This is where you're going to start to build the relationships that you have 676 01:03:18,919 --> 01:03:25,359 throughout what hopefully is a long, storied career with Cypress. Um, so again, I know I've said 677 01:03:25,360 --> 01:03:30,359 this like nine times today, but it means a lot to me that Tony, Kevin and Adolf were willing to 678 01:03:30,399 --> 01:03:36,599 come on here and share not only their time, but their stories with us as well. So that's going to 679 01:03:36,599 --> 01:03:41,639 wrap it up for today's episode of the Cypress Truck Lines podcast. Greatly appreciate all those 680 01:03:41,640 --> 01:03:47,919 guys for joining us today. And I greatly appreciate all of you for clicking download today. 681 01:03:47,999 --> 01:03:52,439 Uh, as I said, off the top, next week's episode is going to be a doozy. We're bringing on the guys 682 01:03:52,440 --> 01:03:57,239 from orientation. We're going to find out exactly why they run such a tight ship over there and why 683 01:03:57,240 --> 01:04:02,679 once orientation is done, those drivers come out ready to work for Cypress. It's gonna be a great 684 01:04:02,680 --> 01:04:08,439 episode, so make sure you tune in next Wednesday, 5 a.m. local time, for another episode of the 685 01:04:08,439 --> 01:04:12,919 Cypress Truck Lines podcast. I've been Marcus, you stay safe out there. We'll talk to you next week. 686 01:04:12,920 --> 01:04:14,199 Cypress and Sunbelt.