April 10, 2024 • 50 mins
This week on the Bryan Truck Line Show, we’re welcoming Director of LTL Crossdock Operations Corey Covington to the show. We’ll talk to Corey about dock operations and how he keeps the dynamic environment running smoothly with his team. After that, we’ve got our good friend and retired driver with a million and a half miles under his belt, Denny Stone joining us for a segment. We’ll talk to Denny about the recent eclipse, diesel prices dropping to an 8 week low, a man with a plan for 45,000 new truck parking spots and more!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hello,
Brian Truck Line.
Welcome to the Brian Truck Line show.
Thank you so much for being here today.
My name is Marcus and of course,
I am your host,
very excited about today's episode.
Uh,
but we'll get to that in just a 2nd 1st.
I'm gonna appeal to your heartstrings here a little bit.
And,
uh,
no,
it's not like a good thing.
(00:20):
It's not like a charity or a toy drive like we talked about with Mark Steffen last time.
Uh I am asking for something for me,
but it's also kind of something for you.
Ok.
So level with me here.
We need drivers on this podcast.
We need Brian Truck line drivers on this podcast.
Now,
I've already talked to a couple of you and we are gonna have some more drivers on the show here very soon.
(00:44):
I totally understand if it's not your thing,
I'm not gonna pressure you.
But if it's something that you listen to that episode with Mark Stefan and thought,
hey,
that sounds kind of fun.
They're just chatting,
they're just chopping it up,
they're just chewing the fat.
We're just,
you know,
cutting the cheese.
Well,
we didn't do that.
Ok.
But still we're just,
we're shooting the breeze.
All right.
We're having a good time here and,
(01:05):
uh,
I need some Brian drivers that are willing to come on this show.
So,
if you're listening right now and it's something that you'd be interested in.
Get in touch with Judy Norrick,
get in touch with Heather,
uh,
get in touch with Corey,
get in touch with Zach.
Get in touch with Larry,
get in touch with anybody that you've got their number and let them know.
Hey,
I'm a Brian driver.
I want to be on this dang podcast.
(01:26):
I promise you,
I will get you on.
I would love to have you.
The drivers are so important to this podcast.
They add so much content.
We get to learn about what's actually going on out there in the weeds and hear it from your perspective.
Uh That's very important to me.
So get in touch with us.
Love to talk to you.
If you'd love to be on this podcast,
(01:47):
today's episode has to do with,
uh,
a little bit of everything actually very excited because right here around the corner,
we're talking to Corey Covington,
who is the director of LTL and Cross Stock Operations.
I had it written down because it's kind of a mouthful and I could not for the life of me remember it,
but I wanted to make sure and give it its just due.
Uh I had a great time talking with when I was there for the podcast launch and the time that we went down there before to meet everybody and get acquainted with the staff,
(02:15):
uh Corey and I had some great rabbit hole conversations,
which are awesome for podcasting.
So we're gonna talk to Corey here coming up in just a minute.
We're gonna talk to him about his gig,
what he does to keep the dock running smoothly and hopefully just get into a little general conversation as well.
Coming up after that in the show,
I've got a retired driver.
(02:37):
His name is Denny Stone.
He's done some great work with us on other shows in the past.
He's a wealth of knowledge and he also has an absolutely golden voice because he was a broadcaster for 25 years before he ever got into truck driving.
So we'll talk to Denny coming up.
We've got some breaking news stories for you.
We'll talk about the eclipse that happened over,
(02:58):
uh,
this,
this week,
early,
this week.
And,
uh,
Denny was actually down in Texas for that.
So we'll get his take on what the chaos was like.
And,
uh,
tell you a little bit more,
we've got some diesel price news and I've also got the state truck driving championships that are kicking off.
We're gonna talk about where you can find some of those and win as well.
(03:18):
So without further ado it's time to get to this episode,
let's bring in Corey Covington.
He's down working at the dock at BT L as we speak,
driven by dedication created by community delivered by Brian from Northwest Ohio to wherever you are.
This is the Brian Truck Line show with your host,
Marcus Bridges.
(03:40):
Joining us next here on the Brian Truck Line show.
I've got director of LTL and Cross Stock Operations.
Corey Covington on the line.
Corey,
thank you so much for being here today.
Hey,
thanks for having me.
So tell me real quick,
Corey,
Director of LTL and Cross Stock Operations.
What does that entail?
What is your job there,
Brian.
Ok.
Well,
(04:00):
in a nutshell,
what we do is we are the,
we're the last stop for taking the general picture of what we have on hand as far as uh what the dispatchers bring in and what the drivers pick up and we digest that and we turn it into outbound pedal routes.
(04:25):
So,
you know,
we started at the terminal and then you generally wanna end these guys in a place where they're in a good position to make their pick up.
So what we do is basically try to find the most efficient way to put them together and then move the freight with the resources we have on hand.
(04:46):
And it's,
yeah,
that's pretty much it,
it's,
it's a very simple concept with a lot of obstacles in between.
So that's what we do is we work together and try to and try to find out the best way to do that.
Now,
I know that you guys,
uh,
are obviously always trying to make it as,
as good as possible for the drivers and,
(05:07):
and like you said,
set them up for success their routes.
How much planning goes into that from your end of things,
making sure that,
uh,
they can,
you know,
have a smooth day out there and still get where they're going at the end of the day.
Well,
I would say that second shift is we all work together as far as we put a general picture together because it's,
(05:30):
it's like a giant puzzle and you have,
you have your corner pieces that you,
you know,
always go in the right spot,
uh which would be,
which would be your end point and your,
uh your big moves like,
uh like your real heavy stuff that you,
you know,
is gonna go a certain place and there's no way around it.
(05:51):
There's only one way to get it delivered and that's to put it and that's to put it right where it needs to be.
But what we have to do is we have to take into account,
we have to take into account the drivers needs.
You know,
personally,
we,
we have to,
we have to be the ones to respond to what they're,
what they're able to handle and try to move efficiently within those certain parameters,
(06:18):
you know,
and everyone has a hand in planning,
everyone's got feet on the ground.
Everyone is always looking for,
for the next piece to fit in.
You know,
the girls,
they,
we're the,
we're the last stop as far as when this freight goes out and the bills in the driver's hand,
(06:40):
he's got to have complete faith that everything's right.
There's not gonna be any hiccups on his run.
So not only are we just,
you know,
moving the stuff from one trailer to another or,
you know,
sitting it and staging it,
whatever it takes.
But we're also,
you know,
in charge of the well being of these guys making sure they're not too stressed as best as we can.
(07:07):
If something comes in,
messed up that drivers going home,
first shifts,
going home,
you know,
that the doc says,
hey,
we've got a problem here and I said,
well,
all right,
let's,
let's,
uh,
let's clean it up,
you know,
or let's fix it.
It's,
it,
it's a,
it's a very heads up game the time you have for planning and the amount of time of planning is very,
(07:30):
they're,
they're disparate.
You've got,
you've got split seconds to make some pretty important decisions,
you know,
or else you're backtracking on yourself with a finite amount of,
uh,
energy to,
to get this job done.
You know,
we run,
we run a pretty tight crew and so it,
(07:51):
it's important for everyone to,
to stay heads up and be able to be able to complete their roles.
I have to,
you know,
not only take into account these drivers but also the people involved and,
you know,
it's,
and then,
and then you're also responsible for,
for your partners.
(08:12):
You know,
what,
what did they do?
Did they do?
What they say they were gonna do that?
There's a,
there's a lot,
there really is.
Maybe the best way to describe it is like,
it's a very fluid situation,
kind of every day is different and you just have to approach each day with the mindset that you gotta protect your drivers,
you gotta consider them,
but you also have a job to do to get this freight where it needs to go and you're just kind of doing a balancing act.
(08:36):
Then it's kind of like you're spending a lot of plates right now is what I would say.
Oh,
absolutely.
And you know,
that's,
that's probably my favorite part about the job is it's the,
the parameters are changing.
The,
the big picture is changing.
You generally,
you have the,
you have some of the same uh elements but you know,
(08:58):
every day is,
every day is a new day for sure,
man.
Well,
how did you come to work for Brian?
I,
I mean,
I know you've been there for a little bit.
How long have you been with the company?
And,
and how did you get started out with,
with Brian Truck line?
Well,
I was,
uh I was there 11 years in March.
That's amazing.
Congratulations,
(09:18):
thanks.
Yeah,
I,
I started my father-in-law Hank Bryner.
He,
he used to work for Brian Truck line.
He was a driver.
He said,
hey,
there's an opening there.
And actually I was in an interview at a factory in the next town over and I got the call and they said,
hey,
(09:39):
we want to bring you in and I went,
hey,
appreciate it.
I've got another interview at a trucking company that I got referred to.
I have to take this job and they're,
oh,
ok.
Well,
come back if you ever want to out.
Yeah,
that was 11 years ago and I'm still with Brian.
So Brian.
(10:00):
Yeah.
And I,
I came up here to uh,
start my family turned out II,
I like the area,
like the small town vibe.
You know,
it just,
it kind of felt like home.
So I stuck around and,
you know,
I started as a third shift forklift guy when back when things were much more rigid.
(10:23):
Um,
a little bit of,
uh,
you know,
the there was more people involved,
there were,
you know,
there were separate shifts.
We've,
we've morphed it from,
just from the distinct shift to kind of,
uh,
people in and out as the day progresses to kind of follow the flow and needs of the,
(10:43):
the work load if you will.
Yeah.
No,
it,
it seems like a really well oiled machine there and,
you know,
I,
I noticed that when I was hanging out there for the podcast launch and everything,
I,
I just noticed that you guys are kind of coming and going throughout the day a lot like the drivers are and that seems to keep the place well staffed and,
uh,
and,
and,
and running smoothly and it was very impressive to see.
(11:06):
And I,
I guess the reason that I ask you kind of the questions that I do here is because in my observation of it,
it seemed so simple and so easy,
but just based on my limited knowledge of the trucking industry,
I know that what you're doing isn't simple and it isn't easy.
So it was cool to see how you guys have,
(11:26):
have gotten so good at your roles that you'd make it seem simple and easy.
It's like everybody sees,
you know,
uh uh lebron James dunk a basketball and they,
oh,
well,
that was easy and then nobody can do it.
I feel like that's a lot like what you guys have going on there.
BT L.
Well,
not everyone's 6 ft 20 like lebron James.
So,
um,
(11:47):
you know,
and not everyone's cut out for this.
You gotta be on your toes and yeah,
it,
it,
it looks easy and so,
you know what,
sometimes some,
some days are easier than others.
And uh you know,
the and,
but there,
you know,
there are,
there are struggles,
there are times when,
you know,
(12:07):
your emotions,
get the best of you and you just kind of move on from that.
And the,
the,
the biggest,
the biggest thing that,
that helps keep that oil is everyone knowing what's expected.
You don't hide a role from anyone.
You,
(12:27):
you always give people an opportunity to help and when you do that,
you really start to see,
you really start to see more and more of what people are capable of and saying,
well,
well,
I can do that.
Well,
here,
well,
here,
let me,
let me put you on the computer for a while.
There's this chunk of time.
(12:48):
Why don't,
why don't you try this and see and see how it,
how it fits you.
And,
you know,
that's,
that's how,
that's how you just,
you get more people looking at it.
And I think Zach may have said this before.
No one is,
no one is as smart as everybody.
And that's,
that's the key to our success here is everyone matters,
(13:13):
everyone's opinions,
matter,
everyone's,
you know,
outlook on the situation.
And I'm,
I'm talking,
you know,
purely in a,
in a corporate fashion where,
you know,
we're,
we're speaking only about the job at hand is,
you know,
if you think it should be done one way and you've got a good reason,
hey,
let's try that.
(13:34):
There's,
there's no reason there's no reason,
two different ways can't work.
Yeah.
And I've heard too that,
you know,
drivers have told me hey,
we feel heard like that's one of the things I was asking drivers when I was there for the launch.
Why Brian?
Well,
I feel heard,
I don't feel like a number here.
I feel like a person that has a family and a life and I work this job and I have an opinion on certain things and I get listened to and not,
(14:00):
not always does it work out that some individual's exact opinion is gonna be the way that things are gonna be done every time?
But that input is what's important,
right?
Getting all of the knowledge from all the people like you,
you echoed Zach.
There nobody is as smart as everybody.
I've,
I've very rarely heard it so succinctly put and so accurate.
(14:21):
Uh If you got a room full of 100 people with average intelligence and one really smart guy all working on the same thing,
those 100 people are definitely going to help and probably make more inroads than the one guy working on it by himself.
Oh,
absolutely.
Well,
and,
and also the more specialized you are,
the more you're apt to get tunnel vision.
(14:42):
You,
you're,
you're gonna see one way it gets done and then you're gonna work on the process it takes to make things happen that certain way and you might miss,
you might miss something that happened and I'm gonna go back to what you said about the drivers being heard that doesn't happen overnight,
you know,
you,
you break someone's trust and,
(15:03):
and they feel,
and they feel blown off,
it takes a long time to heal that wound.
And that's,
and that's one thing I,
I stress is honesty and trust and,
you know,
let's get everyone pulling in the same direction and,
you know,
if,
if someone's dragging their feet,
(15:23):
well,
let's,
let's pick them up by the,
you know,
by the arms and we might have to drag them a little way.
But then generally if everyone's doing the right thing,
they're gonna start seeing,
well,
maybe I should probably walk on my own and,
and pull my weight because we could probably be getting this other stuff done in the time it takes for them to drag me this whole way and,
(15:48):
and people,
you know,
you just,
you gotta let people see,
you gotta let people see the,
uh,
the outcome for themselves sometimes and you,
you can't just shove,
shove,
process and everything down people's throat and say,
well,
you gotta do it because I said,
so that is the biggest mistake a company can make is,
(16:10):
is not,
is,
is warehousing that information and not telling people why let them know,
let them figure it out for themselves.
People are a lot smarter than you give them credit for.
Yeah,
it's very true.
The only time because I said so works is when you're raising a child and that's because that child will accept that as an answer.
(16:31):
Most adults won't.
Uh,
because I said so is more of a slap in the face to an adult,
especially one who's doing an important job.
Uh,
then,
then just like you said,
being honest and giving them the answers as to not just this is,
this is the process.
Why is the process like that?
And like you said,
I mean,
that's,
you have to build that trust with your drivers,
(16:52):
especially with your drivers.
Because if they don't trust you,
they don't work right there in the office,
they're not there.
Maybe they don't answer the phone anymore.
You turn those guys off to wanting to talk to you man.
It makes everybody's job more difficult if that trust gets broken.
So it's a good thing that you guys are so transparent and I'll be honest with you,
Corey just talking with you.
Not only,
(17:12):
but the few times that we had a chance to sit down and chat when I was out there uh at the terminal,
I can tell that you are a very honest person and that you work best when you're upfront with people.
I,
I mean,
I just get that from our conversations and I'm sure that the employees that work both with you and,
and beneath you really value that man.
Well,
(17:32):
I think,
you know,
nobody's perfect man and,
and I've made,
I've made mistakes and I've,
you know,
it,
it comes from,
it comes from experience,
you know,
seeing both sides of things.
The thing that keeps people from,
from being honest is fear and it's,
it's that fear of,
(17:53):
you know,
what might happen if somebody,
somebody knows what,
if they know what I'm thinking.
Well,
so what if,
if they know what you're thinking,
they know who you are and they know that they can,
that what they're getting what they see and,
you know,
if,
and if,
and if your intentions are right,
(18:14):
there's really no,
there's really no reason to be afraid because people want,
people want the good and you know,
and if you don't,
I don't,
I don't know what to say.
Maybe,
maybe you got something you need to work out.
I don't know.
Well,
and,
and we talked about this a little bit.
Who do you have to be honest with uh before you can be honest with everyone else that is yourself and,
(18:39):
and being honest with yourself and understanding what you're standing in and not uh not trying to beat back that honesty and,
and just letting it hang out there,
man.
I it's,
I heard a long time ago somebody say,
and I wish I could give him credit for this because I think it's such a great thought,
but everybody's fighting a battle that you know nothing about.
(18:59):
And I,
I have always thought that I was like,
man,
if I could,
if I could remember that when I deal with the general public,
all the time I'm gonna be a much more pleasant person to deal with because I can be honest about it.
Yeah,
I'm dealing with some stuff.
I had a bad day at work.
Yeah.
You know,
the wife's pissed off at me because I spent too much money golfing.
Uh,
I stubbed my toe when I was letting the dogs out,
(19:20):
like nothing has gone right today and maybe I carry that with me when I walk out in public.
But if I'm on about the fact that nothing's gone right today and that maybe nothing's gone right for the person I'm dealing with.
Well,
all of a sudden we have something in common.
Uh Maybe we bitch a little bit about our bad day with one another and then we get on to whatever business we have to handle.
(19:41):
Um,
and this is one of the reasons I was really excited about getting you on here,
Corey is I think that in the future our conversations are going to evolve into something a little more deep than,
uh,
than just talking about what goes on at the dock.
We'll always make room for that.
But,
uh,
I,
I had some great conversations with you,
man where we got down some rabbit holes and,
(20:02):
uh,
you know,
I'm,
I'm just glad to get you on and do kind of an introductory,
uh get to know you here on the podcast,
uh,
this time because the next time we're gonna get into all sorts of fun stuff,
man.
I,
I gotta give you your own segment about just musings with Corey because you have some interesting takes on the world,
man.
I really enjoy talking to you about them.
Well,
I appreciate that and you know,
(20:24):
they,
these takes come from exposure to,
you know,
the world around and people that I've met,
I mean,
there,
there's been some influential people on my life and just working here at Brian.
You know,
there's some,
there's some guys that come through that they,
their takes on life are interesting.
So I just try to grab what's good and,
(20:47):
uh you know,
mull over the why and then kinda on it myself and,
you know,
hope to spread a little light.
That's about it.
Well,
you definitely do.
You spread your light on this podcast today,
Corey and we really appreciate your time.
I'm gonna let you get back to it here.
Uh Only with the promise that we can get you back on again sometime in the future.
(21:08):
Yeah,
it sounds like fun,
man.
Awesome.
Well,
thank you so much for the time today.
I hope you have a great day out there at the dock and everything runs smooth.
All right,
you have a good time there in three hours behind us and uh I hope you get another cup of coffee in you.
I'm headed for it right now.
My friend take care.
All right.
Take it easy next up here.
(21:33):
On the Brian Truck Line show.
I've got a very special guest joining me for a segment.
Very excited to have him on this program worked with him in the past and absolutely love having him around because he is a retired truck driver of over 10 years and also a former broadcaster as well.
So he fits right in here with us.
Please welcome Denny Stone to the Brian Truck Line show.
(21:56):
Denny.
We appreciate the time as always my friend.
Oh,
yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah,
way more than 10 years though.
It was 10 years with just the last company I was with,
I've got,
I'd say at least a million and a half,
probably closer to 2 million miles under my belt.
So I've seen most of this country.
I undersold you.
I'm glad that you mentioned that because,
uh,
I mean,
(22:17):
when you guys get to,
to 1 million miles as a driver,
do you feel as,
as special as ever?
Everybody else kind of tries to make you feel because I've actually been to a couple of million mile uh celebrations for drivers at this point.
And one guy that even was at 4 million miles,
which just pops the top of my head off,
Denny.
But,
uh,
how did you feel when you crossed that million mile barrier?
(22:39):
Basically,
it was another day.
I mean,
it was a feather in my cap.
But,
you know,
it's,
I think that first year or two were the toughest.
Honestly after that,
it,
it got easier as I,
I learned to live on the road and you know how to do things and where to pick the truck stops and how to plan your day.
Those first couple of years were the hardest by far.
(23:01):
I'm sure,
I'm sure you probably feel once you get to a million that you have seen it all pretty much except Hawaii.
Well,
we ever get that two lane highway on uh headed over the Pacific Ocean there.
We'll send you out there on just 11 kind of sunset ride.
Alright,
I can even say I I've been to Alaska.
I I was always waiting on that,
that dream run to go up the Alcan highway.
(23:23):
I never got that one,
but when I was 11 years old,
I spent a summer up there because my,
my mother,
uh my stepfather was stationed at Elmendorf and so I got to spend a whole summer up there and my 11th year.
Very cool.
I've never been to Alaska.
I been to every state but Hawaii now you gotta get out there.
That is one that I've been to,
(23:43):
I've got an uncle that lives over there and uh,
you know,
unfortunately he lives in Lahaina,
which burnt down here last year.
And so,
uh fortunately he was ok,
but he did lose some friends,
he lost his business.
Um and,
but I I can tell you right now because my sister just went over there and visited him for,
uh,
take the,
take her two boys over my two nephews for the first time.
(24:06):
They're still young in that 1011 year old range.
And,
uh,
it's still an amazing place even with all the devastation over there.
So,
if you ever get a chance in retirement,
that's a long flight from Texas.
It's not quite as far as it is from,
uh,
Oregon where,
or not quite as close as it is to Oregon where I'm at.
So that'd be one haul for you to get out there.
(24:26):
It would.
But yeah,
never say,
never for sure.
Speaking of,
never say never.
I remember being a young kid,
like eight,
maybe nine years old.
Third grade,
fourth grade,
somewhere in that area and there was a full solar eclipse coming over,
uh,
the part of Oregon that I lived in and we went outside with a little hole poked in a piece of construction paper and we looked at it and it was this big deal because they told us there will never be another full eclipse in your life.
(24:55):
I think what they meant to say is you will never be in the 100% uh,
completion of the eclipse path again in your life because there's been like nine eclipses since then,
Denny.
And every year,
I wonder why did they tell us that this is the only one?
Um,
but down in your neck of the woods.
Gonna be real close to that 100% coverage area down there in Texas.
(25:16):
Where you live?
Am I,
am I correct?
Or,
or what?
Sorry.
I live in just north of San Antonio.
We're in like 99.6%.
But my best friend in the world who I've known literally all my life lives just a little bit further north and west and she's in that 100% zone.
So that's what we did.
(25:36):
Ok.
Um,
actually I had family,
my niece and my grandniece flew in Sunday to,
uh,
the airport in Austin went up,
picked them up and with all of the talk about the horrendous traffic and what they're expecting and their flight didn't come in until like 830 anyway.
So we figured,
you know what the heck?
(25:56):
So we just went straight on over to my friend's house so we didn't get caught in it.
You know,
I,
I heard the stories and,
but we just,
we thought,
hey,
you know why?
Well,
that goes back to my trucking days,
you know why?
Get in a traffic jam if you don't have to.
So we just went straight over there,
rode it out,
(26:17):
check Google Maps,
watching the road home when it finally the red line went away went,
ok,
we can go,
we can go to the house now.
So,
yeah,
we didn't get caught in that mess,
but I mean,
counties were shutting down.
They were restricting truck traffic they declared a,
what is it?
Not state of emergency but disaster or whatever to get the federal help.
(26:37):
They did that in at least three counties that I heard of and possibly more,
man.
And that's just in Texas.
But this thing went from Mexico all the way to Maine and every state in,
in between.
So,
you know,
if you had a cloudy day there,
maybe you didn't get the mess,
but a lot of them did.
Yeah.
And,
and Texas,
I think it might be the most impacted just because of the size and scope that you're looking at in Texas.
(27:02):
I'm sitting here reading a Texas Department of Motor Vehicles,
uh,
press release that went out well over a week before the eclipse happened and they are,
they've been planning for this according to this news release,
Denny Texas has been planning for this eclipse for two years now.
They've been trying to figure out what they're going to do to try to,
(27:23):
uh,
you know,
ease the traffic during something like this.
And it ended up,
like you said,
80 counties said in Texas,
no oversized traffic,
they're restricting truck traffic or they restricted truck traffic during this.
That has to have an impact on the industry,
I would imagine.
I mean,
I know there's ways to get around these places,
(27:43):
but when you're talking about 80 counties,
even in a state,
the size of Texas that had to had to leave a,
a bump I,
my boy,
my son,
Zach,
he,
he drives heavy haul for a oil company,
uh,
for a drilling company.
I mean,
his average load is like 100 and £20,000.
So I'm like,
ok,
well,
you're gonna be off for the day.
(28:05):
They want me to shuffle stuff around the yard.
Oh,
they're gonna put him,
put him to work anyway.
Take the stuff anywhere.
So why I just give him the day off.
But no,
he didn't get the day off work.
My wife didn't get the day off either.
She's a vet tech at an animal hospital.
She had to work.
I don't know if I asked her,
she said she was hoping she could run out and,
you know,
maybe take a break when it went across and look real quick.
(28:27):
But no,
she didn't get the day off.
Kerrville,
Texas.
They,
that was like the center and they had all kinds of things going on.
They had music festivals and,
and camping,
the city started charging 20 is,
it would be 20 or $25 a,
uh,
a parking place just simply to park.
I'm not talking about where you can set up a tent and camp just to park in a parking lot was 25 bucks.
(28:52):
That's crazy.
Well,
if any of you,
Brian drivers were out there in,
in the area of the eclipse,
uh,
cruising around or maybe you got some time off and you were headed out there just to watch it.
Uh You know,
if,
if you got my business card when I was there for the podcast launch,
please do shoot me a text or send me an email because I'd love to hear your stories.
I'd love to know if you got caught up in any kind of traffic jam.
(29:14):
You know,
back in 2020 there was a partial solar eclipse that came over uh Oregon here and it was a lot the same.
I remember a lot of local news reports coming out and saying,
go to the store and get water and get your toilet paper and get your non perishables.
And I mean,
I remember it being this big thing where it was a lot like COVID when COVID first hit where the store shelves were empty and it was just all of a sudden one week,
(29:40):
all the store shelves were empty.
There was no panic in the city.
There was no traffic jams to speak of that were anything worse than what we normally see.
People like to go,
I think to rural areas to see these things,
at least where I'm from.
And so hopefully that takes the strain a little bit off of the cities when these things happen.
But man,
it maybe it's because the population is so much smaller over here where I'm from,
(30:05):
but it felt like a much ado about nothing.
And I hope that for those of you in,
in Texas.
And,
and of course,
all the way up north,
all the way into Maine.
Uh,
I hope that you didn't have to deal with that.
But I know that some of those bigger population centers probably went through the same thing.
Well,
you know,
being a boy scout and a marine be prepared,
(30:25):
I,
you know,
went out last Thursday and made sure I had cash,
made sure we filled up the cars,
uh,
you know,
bought some groceries.
We didn't go nuts with this.
But,
you know,
just in case kind of thing,
why not just go ahead and because they were talking about,
you know,
with this influx of tourists that the ATM machines were gonna run out of money because they can only hold so much.
(30:46):
Yeah.
Ok.
You know,
and if,
if for some reason the grid or the internet or whatever went down,
you can't pay with plastic,
you better have a little cash on hand.
So I think one of the biggest worries,
at least in Texas was that people were just gonna stop in the middle of the highway when this thing happened,
just block the road and get out and be staring into the sky.
(31:07):
They had highway scientists who said,
do not stop,
keep moving.
Um,
I haven't heard,
I'd,
I'd love to hear,
I wish Zach was out on the road so I could ask him.
But,
you know,
I haven't heard,
I heard that they had any of those problems but man,
they were worried about it for sure.
Well,
I,
I take a little solace in the fact,
Danny that anybody that did park on the road and jump out and stare directly at the sun for any amount of time probably went blind in the process and maybe we don't have to worry about him on the road anymore.
(31:34):
Uh,
I just keep my fingers crossed.
Yeah,
absolutely.
Uh,
moving on here,
you know,
we've got some great news here uh in the uh in the transportation industry.
This uh article actually comes from freight waves.
Uh It is by John Kingston and it's titled Benchmark Diesel Price Under $4 a gallon for the first time in eight weeks.
(31:57):
We're excited about that.
Here's a short excerpt from the article,
the benchmark diesel price used for most fuel surcharges moved below the $4 a gallon mark this week.
Another sign that for all the developments that seem primed to send diesel prices,
higher balance appears to be the best word to describe the market now.
And it is interesting Denny because as I read down through this article,
(32:20):
there are a lot of um indicators that diesel prices should be going up just like they were back at the beginning of the year and the end of last year,
but they're holding steady right now.
I'm not smart enough to make sense of it.
I just get a little bit nervous when I hear something like that.
It probably means that the rise is on the horizon.
(32:40):
We're just not quite there yet.
You want my opinion,
don't you?
Well,
I mean,
you are,
you are the guy with the experience here.
And II I,
the look on your face tells me that I want your opinion,
Denny.
Uh,
not to be a conspiracy,
but it is a,
an election year.
You know,
I didn't even think about that,
(33:00):
but it's a very good point.
It would be nice to keep these things low until November.
Uh,
and then go ahead and send them through the roof.
Right.
I don't know.
I,
it just amazes me.
You know how they can charge so much.
I remember many years ago when it went to over $5 a gallon.
In fact,
I had a buddy that,
that bought his very first truck.
He was a company driver for many,
(33:22):
many,
many years in multiple states and he finally bought his own truck and that was the year that diesel went to over $5 a gallon and his turbo went out and his air conditioner went out and he drove primarily in Florida.
I mean,
it was just by the time it was over with,
he was working 80 hour weeks and still owing money.
(33:45):
At the end of the week,
he finally,
he lost his truck,
he lost his house,
he lost his motorcycle,
he lost his wife,
he lost everything and the wife too.
Is the icing on the cake,
man.
That's,
that's ii I hate to hear stories like that,
but that's what a diesel price increase can do to our owner operators out there.
(34:06):
I mean,
you think $1 a gallon and when the company's paying for it and you're a company driver,
you just don't really think about it.
Obviously,
you notice,
but it's not that big of a deal if you're an owner,
operator a dollar a gallon when you're talking,
what 100 gallon tank.
Uh And that's,
that's no slim price increase.
And uh,
I mean,
fingers crossed that because it's an election year.
(34:28):
They do keep the price low all the way until November.
It'd be nice to see him keep a promise and keep it after November.
Maybe all the way into January,
hell,
maybe for four years.
But I just shake my head that we're excited and going woohoo.
When you say price went below $4 a gallon about we get down below $2 a gallon,
(34:49):
then I'll get really excited.
It's been rough out there.
Yeah,
it's been rough out there.
Denny,
that ship sailed right into a bridge in Baltimore and probably raised diesel prices even more.
So.
Uh pardon,
pardon the dark humor there.
But uh,
I mean,
that is one of the indicators,
right?
The,
the main passage into the Baltimore port,
(35:09):
which is the biggest one in the United States is out of service for God knows.
How long?
So,
um,
I,
I would say don't get used to this,
I would say buy as much as you can while the price is low.
Uh,
it's a,
but it's a bull market,
man,
this price is going up soon.
I,
I've,
there's too much talk about stock futures and,
and things like that in that article for me to think that it's going to do anything other than rise,
(35:34):
you know.
Yeah.
And they can always start talking about,
well,
we have,
we have things going on in the Middle East and we always got something going on in the Middle East,
but they use that as an excuse every time they do.
Well,
ok,
how about a little bit of,
of better news?
It's off in the future a little bit here and,
and you and I have talked a little bit about this in the past,
(35:54):
but there is a man out there who's planning to add 45,000 truck parking spaces,
uh,
across the United States.
His name is Frank Son Zala and,
uh,
he is a longtime industry marketing and management executive.
He wants to build 100 fenced in facilities each with 450 truck parking spaces and driver oriented amenities,
(36:17):
Denny.
Um,
there's only 365,000 parking spaces in the United States for trucks.
And I,
to me that seems amazing,
but I'm,
I'm sure to you with all the driving experience,
it's beyond amazing.
It's got to blow your head off your shoulders to think that there's that few parking spaces for as many trucks as we have on the road.
(36:38):
It doesn't blow my mind.
I'm out there seeing it all the time and I've always said we need more and,
you know,
like Virginia one year decided.
Well,
let's just close every rest area on interstate 81.
No,
we can't work on half of them at a time.
They shut down.
Virtually every single one.
(36:58):
Nebraska likes to do that.
They'll shut down,
you know,
like three or four in a row when you're thinking.
Ok.
Well,
I can hold it another 3040 miles and then you get there and that one's closed.
So,
yeah,
parking is,
is always a problem.
Always has been and then more and more truck stops now they wanna,
they wanna charge you for it.
They do.
Well,
this guy,
not enough that they get,
(37:19):
you get you on the diesel and they,
they get you in the restaurant and stuff you need to buy in the C store.
They gotta hit you up to pay for your parking too and your shower.
Don't forget if you want,
if you want to smell good in that truck,
you're gonna have to pay for that too.
So,
uh,
it's,
well,
if you fuel up you're good with that.
But,
yeah,
you're right.
Yeah.
Well,
it's,
look,
(37:39):
it's rough out there,
we know.
So we can use some more parking spots.
And this idea that uh Mr so Sonz has,
is actually,
it sounds feasible.
Let me read you a little bit here.
Uh Each facility will follow the same plan.
Parking spaces will be angled for easy maneuvering and there will be restrooms,
showers,
television lounges,
wi fi vending machines,
(37:59):
eating areas and an adjacent convenience store and hotel.
Those last two put in by partners like 7-Eleven and Hilton.
Does that sound like something that would be attracted attractive to you,
Denny?
Um Let's,
you know,
also from a security standpoint,
these things are going to be fully fenced.
They're going to have driver identification systems to get in and out.
(38:20):
You're going to have to be,
you know,
approved by this company.
If you've got a bunch of marks on your record or you've gone in there and bashed into a couple of other trucks,
they're not gonna let you back in.
How does this sound as an idea to you in a nutshell?
I think the the concept is good.
I'm still waiting on more details,
like are they gonna charge um or would it be something like,
(38:42):
you know,
some trucking companies will provide uh like Sirius XM,
would the trucking company put the bill for that and that way anybody who works for him would have that.
Those are some of the questions I'd want answered.
I understand he is planning on offering showers at these facilities,
which is great.
I like the security part.
They're gonna,
you know,
it's not gonna be a lot lizards banging on your door and people trying to sell you crap.
(39:03):
So that is definitely a plus they're gonna put them out in rural areas,
which personally,
I like other drivers like to stay in the city for various reasons.
I never did.
But,
uh,
you know,
it's got a lot of pluses going for it and if,
you know,
if you could put a,
say a T A express right next to one of these or right close to it,
then you still have the amenities from that and you could,
(39:25):
you know,
either walk over or go over before or whatever.
So,
yeah,
it's exciting news now,
whether it all comes to fruition,
let's wait and see.
We will see uh Mr Soza plans to have these built by 2035 now for,
for Ryan truck lines.
This is exciting because he,
he's planning on doing the first one and Texas and Brian runs a lot in Texas from what I understand they do have some drivers down there for sure.
(39:50):
The West w uh folk run down there and,
and you know,
it's,
it's all a great idea kind of like what,
what you just said,
it's like the,
the ideation of it is perfect.
Let's see the execution happen before we get too excited about it.
Um The guy that's,
that's responsible for this actually says in this article which you can find over at landline dot media.
(40:12):
He said towards the end,
well,
we'd like to get it done by 2035 but we'd also like to see some competitors come in and that way,
maybe we could get it done by 2032.
Still a long ways out in the future eight years.
Uh,
even at,
at the best,
at the shortest timeline,
eight years is a long time,
But I am a little bit uh encouraged here because if we do get some competitors in the space,
(40:35):
that means we're not stopping at 45,000 spots,
we're gonna,
we're gonna up that and I think 45,000 spots is a drop in the bucket compared to what we actually need out there to satisfy the industry as a whole.
Now,
drivers,
if this is a good thing and if he does actually come through with this,
can you manage to,
you know,
take your piss bottles to the trash can and you know,
(40:58):
not,
I mean,
keep it clean.
I can't believe how we trash out.
Our,
it's basically like throwing shit in your living room.
Ok?
This is where we stop and we live and fellow drivers just totally trash them out.
So let's keep it nice.
The one thing that I've or analogy I will give you is idle,
(41:18):
air.
Idle air was a great concept and whoever is in charge of it,
put a lot of sunk a lot of money into it.
The logistics and just the,
the structures because I had to build these,
you know,
structures to support all this stuff,
what it was for anybody that doesn't know idle air.
You had a special thing that you,
depending on which truck you drove that would set in the passenger window and this idle air unit would come in and seal in there and it would provide you with heating,
(41:48):
cooling,
electricity,
cable or satellite.
You know,
you'd have to have your own TV,
obviously,
but you could plug into that.
Uh It gave you wi fi,
I mean,
it was a great concept but they charged um quite a bit,
you know,
before you knew it,
we had,
you know,
you could,
you could share your,
your internet with,
(42:09):
you know,
make your,
your hotspot on your phone.
So that went out.
People didn't want cable because they could do that.
They got A P US on all the trucks or most of the trucks.
So you didn't need the air and the heat because you got that covered.
So I lay,
well,
it was a great idea and somebody sunk a bunch of money into then it just fizzled,
phased out.
(42:29):
But this doesn't do the same thing.
Yeah,
that was,
I feel like that one was a victim of technology.
You know,
it was great for the 10 years that it was needed.
But once technology kind of surpassed it and everything was in your pocket.
Uh,
why bother anymore?
Because I'm sure I'm sure it was still gonna need parking places.
Yes,
sir.
That's something that will never go away.
(42:51):
You're exactly right.
Um,
and the concept of this with the,
I don't maybe you covered this,
but he's talking about using some special kind of,
uh,
it's not concrete,
he's gonna put some kind of grid or something down,
that's like half the price or something like that.
So I think that could work too because if that,
if that'll hold the ground to keep it good and stable,
(43:12):
then they won't have to keep coming in and patching potholes and all that stuff.
So that will help it be cost effective.
And,
and it's,
it's a,
a honeycomb shaped polymer that goes into the ground which is then filled over by.
Exactly.
And here's an upside Denny to the guys that do like to drain their jugs in the parking lot.
(43:34):
Uh This ground will actually allow liquid to seep through oil,
all sorts of things to seep through it and then it can be lifted and cleaned.
So if we can't get the drivers to stop emptying their jugs in the parking lot,
then maybe this will help alleviate the smell a little bit.
That's all I can say because,
uh,
I,
(43:54):
I will tell you right now,
some of the truck stops that I've parked in,
in my travels and opened the door.
It smells like downtown New Orleans the day after Mardi Gras.
I mean,
it is unbelievable in the summer time.
Yeah.
So uh truck stop,
we will,
we will keep you updated on that story as it,
(44:14):
as it develops and you can uh get in touch with Denny if you want that new cologne he just mentioned,
oh,
the first one supposed to be down between Laredo and San Antonio.
So if and when he gets it built,
if you hear about it before me,
let me know because I'd like to run down there and lay eyes on the thing.
Heck,
yeah,
we will for sure.
Uh,
finally for our segment today,
something that's just fun.
(44:35):
Uh,
that is the 2024 state truck driving championships are kicked off officially,
Danny,
I went to transport topics for this story.
Uh,
nearly every state has scheduled its 2024 truck driving championships.
Uh,
and Louisiana and Nevada are actually next up or,
or will be next up by the time this one comes out.
(44:57):
Um,
the state events determine the qualifiers for the national truck driving championships and national Step Van Driving Championship which will be held August 21st through the 24th in Indy.
Um,
there are every state has its own competition here.
Some of them are competing together.
Um,
but there's a bunch of states that are all June 7th and June 8th and a lot of them are kind of in the area that I think might pertain to,
(45:24):
uh,
Brian drivers.
So let me just go down this list real quick.
June 7th and eighth.
We've got Kansas,
Missouri,
Texas,
Indiana,
Pennsylvania,
Illinois,
Michigan,
New York,
North Carolina,
Oklahoma and Utah,
uh,
all running their championships that same weekend and the other states in the union will be anywhere between,
(45:48):
well,
Louisiana did it all the way back.
March 1st and second.
So you're out of luck in Louisiana.
But April 6th is when Nevada kicks theirs off and you can find one of these in,
uh,
a select state all the way until June 28th and 29th when Arkansas hosts the final one,
unless Hawaii decides that they need a truck driving championship,
(46:09):
uh,
they are the only state listed as TBD at this point.
So I'm guessing maybe they don't have as many competitors over there.
Well,
they,
all of them gonna have to go through banning for the California ones.
You're gonna have to,
the California one isn't actually a driving.
Uh,
course Denny,
it's just a test on if you know all the red tape that you have to navigate into inspection at banning way station.
(46:29):
Ok.
That'll do it.
Is this something that while you were,
while you were a driver that you ever would have considered,
uh,
competing in Denny or at least,
maybe just checking out,
um,
maybe watching.
But no.
Ok,
truth be told I can't parallel park.
So forget it.
So,
you're done here.
Ok,
I can drive that truck and park it just about anywhere but don't ask me to parallel park it.
(46:53):
And if that's one of the events,
uh,
uh,
I'm out,
I'm gonna go hide somewhere.
Well,
at least you're honest with us,
Denny and that's why we bring you on.
Oh,
hell,
I was thinking my lucky stars.
That wasn't on the test when I got my CD L all those years ago because I'm like,
well,
ok,
what's the next career choice?
Because that ain't gonna work well,
Denny Stone.
I really appreciate you dropping by here and joining us for a segment on the Brian Truck line show.
(47:17):
It's always great to talk to you.
Uh your,
your wealth of experience and knowledge really brings something to us here.
So we appreciate the time we're gonna let you get back on your way and uh we'll bring you back on sometime in the future.
I'm sure of it.
Cool.
It's been fun.
(47:38):
That's gonna wrap up this episode of the Brian Truck line show.
Thank you all so much for clicking,
download today and listening to the program.
We appreciate every single one of you.
Uh If you would like a little advice from me about how to best access the podcast,
what I will tell you is click the subscribe button on whatever platform you're listening on.
(47:59):
If you're checking us out on spot,
I click,
subscribe.
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Click,
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(48:20):
Uh That would be 6 a.m. Eastern Standard Time,
which is where you guys are out there in Bryan Ohio.
So click that subscribe button and get alerted every single time we've got a new podcast episode for you to listen to.
Once again before I get out of here,
I'm going to appeal to you drivers that work for Brian Truck line.
I want to talk to you on this podcast.
(48:42):
We can talk about whatever you want.
You got good stories to tell.
You got crazy stories to tell.
I would love to hear them.
You know,
another podcast I work on.
I had a guy recently tell me about two guys from the same trucking fleet that got in a fistfight over a parking spot at a love's.
I love to hear stuff like that.
If you've got stories like that that you wanna tell,
(49:03):
let's talk about them,
maybe you've got some concerns about something going on uh with your job or maybe you,
you wanna ask a question to one of the staff members and you want to do it on this public forum so we can get answer out to everybody.
That's what the podcast is for.
Send me your questions,
send me the things that you'd like to hear.
Let Judy Norrick in the front office there know if you'd like to come on the podcast and she will put you in touch with me almost immediately.
(49:30):
Again,
greatly appreciate all of you click and download today.
We'll have another one for you in two weeks.
Keep it safe out there.
Brian Truck Line,
keep that shiny side up and we'll see you around the bend.
Thanks for joining us for this episode of the Brian Truck line show.
Don't forget to subscribe,
rate and review the Brian Truck Line show on your favorite platform and tune in for new episodes every other Wednesday.
(49:54):
Until next time.
Stay safe and keep it rolling.
Hello,
Brian Truck Line.
Welcome to the Brian Truck Line show.
Thank you so much for being here today.
My name is Marcus and of course,
I am your host,
very excited about today's episode.
Uh,
but we'll get to that in just a 2nd 1st.
I'm gonna appeal to your heartstrings here a little bit.
And,
uh,
no,
it's not like a good thing.
(00:20):
It's not like a charity or a toy drive like we talked about with Mark Steffen last time.
Uh I am asking for something for me,
but it's also kind of something for you.
Ok.
So level with me here.
We need drivers on this podcast.
We need Brian Truck line drivers on this podcast.
Now,
I've already talked to a couple of you and we are gonna have some more drivers on the show here very soon.
(00:44):
I totally understand if it's not your thing,
I'm not gonna pressure you.
But if it's something that you listen to that episode with Mark Stefan and thought,
hey,
that sounds kind of fun.
They're just chatting,
they're just chopping it up,
they're just chewing the fat.
We're just,
you know,
cutting the cheese.
Well,
we didn't do that.
Ok.
But still we're just,
we're shooting the breeze.
All right.
We're having a good time here and,
(01:05):
uh,
I need some Brian drivers that are willing to come on this show.
So,
if you're listening right now and it's something that you'd be interested in.
Get in touch with Judy Norrick,
get in touch with Heather,
uh,
get in touch with Corey,
get in touch with Zach.
Get in touch with Larry,
get in touch with anybody that you've got their number and let them know.
Hey,
I'm a Brian driver.
I want to be on this dang podcast.
(01:26):
I promise you,
I will get you on.
I would love to have you.
The drivers are so important to this podcast.
They add so much content.
We get to learn about what's actually going on out there in the weeds and hear it from your perspective.
Uh That's very important to me.
So get in touch with us.
Love to talk to you.
If you'd love to be on this podcast,
(01:47):
today's episode has to do with,
uh,
a little bit of everything actually very excited because right here around the corner,
we're talking to Corey Covington,
who is the director of LTL and Cross Stock Operations.
I had it written down because it's kind of a mouthful and I could not for the life of me remember it,
but I wanted to make sure and give it its just due.
Uh I had a great time talking with when I was there for the podcast launch and the time that we went down there before to meet everybody and get acquainted with the staff,
(02:15):
uh Corey and I had some great rabbit hole conversations,
which are awesome for podcasting.
So we're gonna talk to Corey here coming up in just a minute.
We're gonna talk to him about his gig,
what he does to keep the dock running smoothly and hopefully just get into a little general conversation as well.
Coming up after that in the show,
I've got a retired driver.
(02:37):
His name is Denny Stone.
He's done some great work with us on other shows in the past.
He's a wealth of knowledge and he also has an absolutely golden voice because he was a broadcaster for 25 years before he ever got into truck driving.
So we'll talk to Denny coming up.
We've got some breaking news stories for you.
We'll talk about the eclipse that happened over,
(02:58):
uh,
this,
this week,
early,
this week.
And,
uh,
Denny was actually down in Texas for that.
So we'll get his take on what the chaos was like.
And,
uh,
tell you a little bit more,
we've got some diesel price news and I've also got the state truck driving championships that are kicking off.
We're gonna talk about where you can find some of those and win as well.
(03:18):
So without further ado it's time to get to this episode,
let's bring in Corey Covington.
He's down working at the dock at BT L as we speak,
driven by dedication created by community delivered by Brian from Northwest Ohio to wherever you are.
This is the Brian Truck Line show with your host,
Marcus Bridges.
(03:40):
Joining us next here on the Brian Truck Line show.
I've got director of LTL and Cross Stock Operations.
Corey Covington on the line.
Corey,
thank you so much for being here today.
Hey,
thanks for having me.
So tell me real quick,
Corey,
Director of LTL and Cross Stock Operations.
What does that entail?
What is your job there,
Brian.
Ok.
Well,
(04:00):
in a nutshell,
what we do is we are the,
we're the last stop for taking the general picture of what we have on hand as far as uh what the dispatchers bring in and what the drivers pick up and we digest that and we turn it into outbound pedal routes.
(04:25):
So,
you know,
we started at the terminal and then you generally wanna end these guys in a place where they're in a good position to make their pick up.
So what we do is basically try to find the most efficient way to put them together and then move the freight with the resources we have on hand.
(04:46):
And it's,
yeah,
that's pretty much it,
it's,
it's a very simple concept with a lot of obstacles in between.
So that's what we do is we work together and try to and try to find out the best way to do that.
Now,
I know that you guys,
uh,
are obviously always trying to make it as,
as good as possible for the drivers and,
(05:07):
and like you said,
set them up for success their routes.
How much planning goes into that from your end of things,
making sure that,
uh,
they can,
you know,
have a smooth day out there and still get where they're going at the end of the day.
Well,
I would say that second shift is we all work together as far as we put a general picture together because it's,
(05:30):
it's like a giant puzzle and you have,
you have your corner pieces that you,
you know,
always go in the right spot,
uh which would be,
which would be your end point and your,
uh your big moves like,
uh like your real heavy stuff that you,
you know,
is gonna go a certain place and there's no way around it.
(05:51):
There's only one way to get it delivered and that's to put it and that's to put it right where it needs to be.
But what we have to do is we have to take into account,
we have to take into account the drivers needs.
You know,
personally,
we,
we have to,
we have to be the ones to respond to what they're,
what they're able to handle and try to move efficiently within those certain parameters,
(06:18):
you know,
and everyone has a hand in planning,
everyone's got feet on the ground.
Everyone is always looking for,
for the next piece to fit in.
You know,
the girls,
they,
we're the,
we're the last stop as far as when this freight goes out and the bills in the driver's hand,
(06:40):
he's got to have complete faith that everything's right.
There's not gonna be any hiccups on his run.
So not only are we just,
you know,
moving the stuff from one trailer to another or,
you know,
sitting it and staging it,
whatever it takes.
But we're also,
you know,
in charge of the well being of these guys making sure they're not too stressed as best as we can.
(07:07):
If something comes in,
messed up that drivers going home,
first shifts,
going home,
you know,
that the doc says,
hey,
we've got a problem here and I said,
well,
all right,
let's,
let's,
uh,
let's clean it up,
you know,
or let's fix it.
It's,
it,
it's a,
it's a very heads up game the time you have for planning and the amount of time of planning is very,
(07:30):
they're,
they're disparate.
You've got,
you've got split seconds to make some pretty important decisions,
you know,
or else you're backtracking on yourself with a finite amount of,
uh,
energy to,
to get this job done.
You know,
we run,
we run a pretty tight crew and so it,
(07:51):
it's important for everyone to,
to stay heads up and be able to be able to complete their roles.
I have to,
you know,
not only take into account these drivers but also the people involved and,
you know,
it's,
and then,
and then you're also responsible for,
for your partners.
(08:12):
You know,
what,
what did they do?
Did they do?
What they say they were gonna do that?
There's a,
there's a lot,
there really is.
Maybe the best way to describe it is like,
it's a very fluid situation,
kind of every day is different and you just have to approach each day with the mindset that you gotta protect your drivers,
you gotta consider them,
but you also have a job to do to get this freight where it needs to go and you're just kind of doing a balancing act.
(08:36):
Then it's kind of like you're spending a lot of plates right now is what I would say.
Oh,
absolutely.
And you know,
that's,
that's probably my favorite part about the job is it's the,
the parameters are changing.
The,
the big picture is changing.
You generally,
you have the,
you have some of the same uh elements but you know,
(08:58):
every day is,
every day is a new day for sure,
man.
Well,
how did you come to work for Brian?
I,
I mean,
I know you've been there for a little bit.
How long have you been with the company?
And,
and how did you get started out with,
with Brian Truck line?
Well,
I was,
uh I was there 11 years in March.
That's amazing.
Congratulations,
(09:18):
thanks.
Yeah,
I,
I started my father-in-law Hank Bryner.
He,
he used to work for Brian Truck line.
He was a driver.
He said,
hey,
there's an opening there.
And actually I was in an interview at a factory in the next town over and I got the call and they said,
hey,
(09:39):
we want to bring you in and I went,
hey,
appreciate it.
I've got another interview at a trucking company that I got referred to.
I have to take this job and they're,
oh,
ok.
Well,
come back if you ever want to out.
Yeah,
that was 11 years ago and I'm still with Brian.
So Brian.
(10:00):
Yeah.
And I,
I came up here to uh,
start my family turned out II,
I like the area,
like the small town vibe.
You know,
it just,
it kind of felt like home.
So I stuck around and,
you know,
I started as a third shift forklift guy when back when things were much more rigid.
(10:23):
Um,
a little bit of,
uh,
you know,
the there was more people involved,
there were,
you know,
there were separate shifts.
We've,
we've morphed it from,
just from the distinct shift to kind of,
uh,
people in and out as the day progresses to kind of follow the flow and needs of the,
(10:43):
the work load if you will.
Yeah.
No,
it,
it seems like a really well oiled machine there and,
you know,
I,
I noticed that when I was hanging out there for the podcast launch and everything,
I,
I just noticed that you guys are kind of coming and going throughout the day a lot like the drivers are and that seems to keep the place well staffed and,
uh,
and,
and,
and running smoothly and it was very impressive to see.
(11:06):
And I,
I guess the reason that I ask you kind of the questions that I do here is because in my observation of it,
it seemed so simple and so easy,
but just based on my limited knowledge of the trucking industry,
I know that what you're doing isn't simple and it isn't easy.
So it was cool to see how you guys have,
(11:26):
have gotten so good at your roles that you'd make it seem simple and easy.
It's like everybody sees,
you know,
uh uh lebron James dunk a basketball and they,
oh,
well,
that was easy and then nobody can do it.
I feel like that's a lot like what you guys have going on there.
BT L.
Well,
not everyone's 6 ft 20 like lebron James.
So,
um,
(11:47):
you know,
and not everyone's cut out for this.
You gotta be on your toes and yeah,
it,
it,
it looks easy and so,
you know what,
sometimes some,
some days are easier than others.
And uh you know,
the and,
but there,
you know,
there are,
there are struggles,
there are times when,
you know,
(12:07):
your emotions,
get the best of you and you just kind of move on from that.
And the,
the,
the biggest,
the biggest thing that,
that helps keep that oil is everyone knowing what's expected.
You don't hide a role from anyone.
You,
(12:27):
you always give people an opportunity to help and when you do that,
you really start to see,
you really start to see more and more of what people are capable of and saying,
well,
well,
I can do that.
Well,
here,
well,
here,
let me,
let me put you on the computer for a while.
There's this chunk of time.
(12:48):
Why don't,
why don't you try this and see and see how it,
how it fits you.
And,
you know,
that's,
that's how,
that's how you just,
you get more people looking at it.
And I think Zach may have said this before.
No one is,
no one is as smart as everybody.
And that's,
that's the key to our success here is everyone matters,
(13:13):
everyone's opinions,
matter,
everyone's,
you know,
outlook on the situation.
And I'm,
I'm talking,
you know,
purely in a,
in a corporate fashion where,
you know,
we're,
we're speaking only about the job at hand is,
you know,
if you think it should be done one way and you've got a good reason,
hey,
let's try that.
(13:34):
There's,
there's no reason there's no reason,
two different ways can't work.
Yeah.
And I've heard too that,
you know,
drivers have told me hey,
we feel heard like that's one of the things I was asking drivers when I was there for the launch.
Why Brian?
Well,
I feel heard,
I don't feel like a number here.
I feel like a person that has a family and a life and I work this job and I have an opinion on certain things and I get listened to and not,
(14:00):
not always does it work out that some individual's exact opinion is gonna be the way that things are gonna be done every time?
But that input is what's important,
right?
Getting all of the knowledge from all the people like you,
you echoed Zach.
There nobody is as smart as everybody.
I've,
I've very rarely heard it so succinctly put and so accurate.
(14:21):
Uh If you got a room full of 100 people with average intelligence and one really smart guy all working on the same thing,
those 100 people are definitely going to help and probably make more inroads than the one guy working on it by himself.
Oh,
absolutely.
Well,
and,
and also the more specialized you are,
the more you're apt to get tunnel vision.
(14:42):
You,
you're,
you're gonna see one way it gets done and then you're gonna work on the process it takes to make things happen that certain way and you might miss,
you might miss something that happened and I'm gonna go back to what you said about the drivers being heard that doesn't happen overnight,
you know,
you,
you break someone's trust and,
(15:03):
and they feel,
and they feel blown off,
it takes a long time to heal that wound.
And that's,
and that's one thing I,
I stress is honesty and trust and,
you know,
let's get everyone pulling in the same direction and,
you know,
if,
if someone's dragging their feet,
(15:23):
well,
let's,
let's pick them up by the,
you know,
by the arms and we might have to drag them a little way.
But then generally if everyone's doing the right thing,
they're gonna start seeing,
well,
maybe I should probably walk on my own and,
and pull my weight because we could probably be getting this other stuff done in the time it takes for them to drag me this whole way and,
(15:48):
and people,
you know,
you just,
you gotta let people see,
you gotta let people see the,
uh,
the outcome for themselves sometimes and you,
you can't just shove,
shove,
process and everything down people's throat and say,
well,
you gotta do it because I said,
so that is the biggest mistake a company can make is,
(16:10):
is not,
is,
is warehousing that information and not telling people why let them know,
let them figure it out for themselves.
People are a lot smarter than you give them credit for.
Yeah,
it's very true.
The only time because I said so works is when you're raising a child and that's because that child will accept that as an answer.
(16:31):
Most adults won't.
Uh,
because I said so is more of a slap in the face to an adult,
especially one who's doing an important job.
Uh,
then,
then just like you said,
being honest and giving them the answers as to not just this is,
this is the process.
Why is the process like that?
And like you said,
I mean,
that's,
you have to build that trust with your drivers,
(16:52):
especially with your drivers.
Because if they don't trust you,
they don't work right there in the office,
they're not there.
Maybe they don't answer the phone anymore.
You turn those guys off to wanting to talk to you man.
It makes everybody's job more difficult if that trust gets broken.
So it's a good thing that you guys are so transparent and I'll be honest with you,
Corey just talking with you.
Not only,
(17:12):
but the few times that we had a chance to sit down and chat when I was out there uh at the terminal,
I can tell that you are a very honest person and that you work best when you're upfront with people.
I,
I mean,
I just get that from our conversations and I'm sure that the employees that work both with you and,
and beneath you really value that man.
Well,
(17:32):
I think,
you know,
nobody's perfect man and,
and I've made,
I've made mistakes and I've,
you know,
it,
it comes from,
it comes from experience,
you know,
seeing both sides of things.
The thing that keeps people from,
from being honest is fear and it's,
it's that fear of,
(17:53):
you know,
what might happen if somebody,
somebody knows what,
if they know what I'm thinking.
Well,
so what if,
if they know what you're thinking,
they know who you are and they know that they can,
that what they're getting what they see and,
you know,
if,
and if,
and if your intentions are right,
(18:14):
there's really no,
there's really no reason to be afraid because people want,
people want the good and you know,
and if you don't,
I don't,
I don't know what to say.
Maybe,
maybe you got something you need to work out.
I don't know.
Well,
and,
and we talked about this a little bit.
Who do you have to be honest with uh before you can be honest with everyone else that is yourself and,
(18:39):
and being honest with yourself and understanding what you're standing in and not uh not trying to beat back that honesty and,
and just letting it hang out there,
man.
I it's,
I heard a long time ago somebody say,
and I wish I could give him credit for this because I think it's such a great thought,
but everybody's fighting a battle that you know nothing about.
(18:59):
And I,
I have always thought that I was like,
man,
if I could,
if I could remember that when I deal with the general public,
all the time I'm gonna be a much more pleasant person to deal with because I can be honest about it.
Yeah,
I'm dealing with some stuff.
I had a bad day at work.
Yeah.
You know,
the wife's pissed off at me because I spent too much money golfing.
Uh,
I stubbed my toe when I was letting the dogs out,
(19:20):
like nothing has gone right today and maybe I carry that with me when I walk out in public.
But if I'm on about the fact that nothing's gone right today and that maybe nothing's gone right for the person I'm dealing with.
Well,
all of a sudden we have something in common.
Uh Maybe we bitch a little bit about our bad day with one another and then we get on to whatever business we have to handle.
(19:41):
Um,
and this is one of the reasons I was really excited about getting you on here,
Corey is I think that in the future our conversations are going to evolve into something a little more deep than,
uh,
than just talking about what goes on at the dock.
We'll always make room for that.
But,
uh,
I,
I had some great conversations with you,
man where we got down some rabbit holes and,
(20:02):
uh,
you know,
I'm,
I'm just glad to get you on and do kind of an introductory,
uh get to know you here on the podcast,
uh,
this time because the next time we're gonna get into all sorts of fun stuff,
man.
I,
I gotta give you your own segment about just musings with Corey because you have some interesting takes on the world,
man.
I really enjoy talking to you about them.
Well,
I appreciate that and you know,
(20:24):
they,
these takes come from exposure to,
you know,
the world around and people that I've met,
I mean,
there,
there's been some influential people on my life and just working here at Brian.
You know,
there's some,
there's some guys that come through that they,
their takes on life are interesting.
So I just try to grab what's good and,
(20:47):
uh you know,
mull over the why and then kinda on it myself and,
you know,
hope to spread a little light.
That's about it.
Well,
you definitely do.
You spread your light on this podcast today,
Corey and we really appreciate your time.
I'm gonna let you get back to it here.
Uh Only with the promise that we can get you back on again sometime in the future.
(21:08):
Yeah,
it sounds like fun,
man.
Awesome.
Well,
thank you so much for the time today.
I hope you have a great day out there at the dock and everything runs smooth.
All right,
you have a good time there in three hours behind us and uh I hope you get another cup of coffee in you.
I'm headed for it right now.
My friend take care.
All right.
Take it easy next up here.
(21:33):
On the Brian Truck Line show.
I've got a very special guest joining me for a segment.
Very excited to have him on this program worked with him in the past and absolutely love having him around because he is a retired truck driver of over 10 years and also a former broadcaster as well.
So he fits right in here with us.
Please welcome Denny Stone to the Brian Truck Line show.
(21:56):
Denny.
We appreciate the time as always my friend.
Oh,
yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah,
way more than 10 years though.
It was 10 years with just the last company I was with,
I've got,
I'd say at least a million and a half,
probably closer to 2 million miles under my belt.
So I've seen most of this country.
I undersold you.
I'm glad that you mentioned that because,
uh,
I mean,
(22:17):
when you guys get to,
to 1 million miles as a driver,
do you feel as,
as special as ever?
Everybody else kind of tries to make you feel because I've actually been to a couple of million mile uh celebrations for drivers at this point.
And one guy that even was at 4 million miles,
which just pops the top of my head off,
Denny.
But,
uh,
how did you feel when you crossed that million mile barrier?
(22:39):
Basically,
it was another day.
I mean,
it was a feather in my cap.
But,
you know,
it's,
I think that first year or two were the toughest.
Honestly after that,
it,
it got easier as I,
I learned to live on the road and you know how to do things and where to pick the truck stops and how to plan your day.
Those first couple of years were the hardest by far.
(23:01):
I'm sure,
I'm sure you probably feel once you get to a million that you have seen it all pretty much except Hawaii.
Well,
we ever get that two lane highway on uh headed over the Pacific Ocean there.
We'll send you out there on just 11 kind of sunset ride.
Alright,
I can even say I I've been to Alaska.
I I was always waiting on that,
that dream run to go up the Alcan highway.
(23:23):
I never got that one,
but when I was 11 years old,
I spent a summer up there because my,
my mother,
uh my stepfather was stationed at Elmendorf and so I got to spend a whole summer up there and my 11th year.
Very cool.
I've never been to Alaska.
I been to every state but Hawaii now you gotta get out there.
That is one that I've been to,
(23:43):
I've got an uncle that lives over there and uh,
you know,
unfortunately he lives in Lahaina,
which burnt down here last year.
And so,
uh fortunately he was ok,
but he did lose some friends,
he lost his business.
Um and,
but I I can tell you right now because my sister just went over there and visited him for,
uh,
take the,
take her two boys over my two nephews for the first time.
(24:06):
They're still young in that 1011 year old range.
And,
uh,
it's still an amazing place even with all the devastation over there.
So,
if you ever get a chance in retirement,
that's a long flight from Texas.
It's not quite as far as it is from,
uh,
Oregon where,
or not quite as close as it is to Oregon where I'm at.
So that'd be one haul for you to get out there.
(24:26):
It would.
But yeah,
never say,
never for sure.
Speaking of,
never say never.
I remember being a young kid,
like eight,
maybe nine years old.
Third grade,
fourth grade,
somewhere in that area and there was a full solar eclipse coming over,
uh,
the part of Oregon that I lived in and we went outside with a little hole poked in a piece of construction paper and we looked at it and it was this big deal because they told us there will never be another full eclipse in your life.
(24:55):
I think what they meant to say is you will never be in the 100% uh,
completion of the eclipse path again in your life because there's been like nine eclipses since then,
Denny.
And every year,
I wonder why did they tell us that this is the only one?
Um,
but down in your neck of the woods.
Gonna be real close to that 100% coverage area down there in Texas.
(25:16):
Where you live?
Am I,
am I correct?
Or,
or what?
Sorry.
I live in just north of San Antonio.
We're in like 99.6%.
But my best friend in the world who I've known literally all my life lives just a little bit further north and west and she's in that 100% zone.
So that's what we did.
(25:36):
Ok.
Um,
actually I had family,
my niece and my grandniece flew in Sunday to,
uh,
the airport in Austin went up,
picked them up and with all of the talk about the horrendous traffic and what they're expecting and their flight didn't come in until like 830 anyway.
So we figured,
you know what the heck?
(25:56):
So we just went straight on over to my friend's house so we didn't get caught in it.
You know,
I,
I heard the stories and,
but we just,
we thought,
hey,
you know why?
Well,
that goes back to my trucking days,
you know why?
Get in a traffic jam if you don't have to.
So we just went straight over there,
rode it out,
(26:17):
check Google Maps,
watching the road home when it finally the red line went away went,
ok,
we can go,
we can go to the house now.
So,
yeah,
we didn't get caught in that mess,
but I mean,
counties were shutting down.
They were restricting truck traffic they declared a,
what is it?
Not state of emergency but disaster or whatever to get the federal help.
(26:37):
They did that in at least three counties that I heard of and possibly more,
man.
And that's just in Texas.
But this thing went from Mexico all the way to Maine and every state in,
in between.
So,
you know,
if you had a cloudy day there,
maybe you didn't get the mess,
but a lot of them did.
Yeah.
And,
and Texas,
I think it might be the most impacted just because of the size and scope that you're looking at in Texas.
(27:02):
I'm sitting here reading a Texas Department of Motor Vehicles,
uh,
press release that went out well over a week before the eclipse happened and they are,
they've been planning for this according to this news release,
Denny Texas has been planning for this eclipse for two years now.
They've been trying to figure out what they're going to do to try to,
(27:23):
uh,
you know,
ease the traffic during something like this.
And it ended up,
like you said,
80 counties said in Texas,
no oversized traffic,
they're restricting truck traffic or they restricted truck traffic during this.
That has to have an impact on the industry,
I would imagine.
I mean,
I know there's ways to get around these places,
(27:43):
but when you're talking about 80 counties,
even in a state,
the size of Texas that had to had to leave a,
a bump I,
my boy,
my son,
Zach,
he,
he drives heavy haul for a oil company,
uh,
for a drilling company.
I mean,
his average load is like 100 and £20,000.
So I'm like,
ok,
well,
you're gonna be off for the day.
(28:05):
They want me to shuffle stuff around the yard.
Oh,
they're gonna put him,
put him to work anyway.
Take the stuff anywhere.
So why I just give him the day off.
But no,
he didn't get the day off work.
My wife didn't get the day off either.
She's a vet tech at an animal hospital.
She had to work.
I don't know if I asked her,
she said she was hoping she could run out and,
you know,
maybe take a break when it went across and look real quick.
(28:27):
But no,
she didn't get the day off.
Kerrville,
Texas.
They,
that was like the center and they had all kinds of things going on.
They had music festivals and,
and camping,
the city started charging 20 is,
it would be 20 or $25 a,
uh,
a parking place just simply to park.
I'm not talking about where you can set up a tent and camp just to park in a parking lot was 25 bucks.
(28:52):
That's crazy.
Well,
if any of you,
Brian drivers were out there in,
in the area of the eclipse,
uh,
cruising around or maybe you got some time off and you were headed out there just to watch it.
Uh You know,
if,
if you got my business card when I was there for the podcast launch,
please do shoot me a text or send me an email because I'd love to hear your stories.
I'd love to know if you got caught up in any kind of traffic jam.
(29:14):
You know,
back in 2020 there was a partial solar eclipse that came over uh Oregon here and it was a lot the same.
I remember a lot of local news reports coming out and saying,
go to the store and get water and get your toilet paper and get your non perishables.
And I mean,
I remember it being this big thing where it was a lot like COVID when COVID first hit where the store shelves were empty and it was just all of a sudden one week,
(29:40):
all the store shelves were empty.
There was no panic in the city.
There was no traffic jams to speak of that were anything worse than what we normally see.
People like to go,
I think to rural areas to see these things,
at least where I'm from.
And so hopefully that takes the strain a little bit off of the cities when these things happen.
But man,
it maybe it's because the population is so much smaller over here where I'm from,
(30:05):
but it felt like a much ado about nothing.
And I hope that for those of you in,
in Texas.
And,
and of course,
all the way up north,
all the way into Maine.
Uh,
I hope that you didn't have to deal with that.
But I know that some of those bigger population centers probably went through the same thing.
Well,
you know,
being a boy scout and a marine be prepared,
(30:25):
I,
you know,
went out last Thursday and made sure I had cash,
made sure we filled up the cars,
uh,
you know,
bought some groceries.
We didn't go nuts with this.
But,
you know,
just in case kind of thing,
why not just go ahead and because they were talking about,
you know,
with this influx of tourists that the ATM machines were gonna run out of money because they can only hold so much.
(30:46):
Yeah.
Ok.
You know,
and if,
if for some reason the grid or the internet or whatever went down,
you can't pay with plastic,
you better have a little cash on hand.
So I think one of the biggest worries,
at least in Texas was that people were just gonna stop in the middle of the highway when this thing happened,
just block the road and get out and be staring into the sky.
(31:07):
They had highway scientists who said,
do not stop,
keep moving.
Um,
I haven't heard,
I'd,
I'd love to hear,
I wish Zach was out on the road so I could ask him.
But,
you know,
I haven't heard,
I heard that they had any of those problems but man,
they were worried about it for sure.
Well,
I,
I take a little solace in the fact,
Danny that anybody that did park on the road and jump out and stare directly at the sun for any amount of time probably went blind in the process and maybe we don't have to worry about him on the road anymore.
(31:34):
Uh,
I just keep my fingers crossed.
Yeah,
absolutely.
Uh,
moving on here,
you know,
we've got some great news here uh in the uh in the transportation industry.
This uh article actually comes from freight waves.
Uh It is by John Kingston and it's titled Benchmark Diesel Price Under $4 a gallon for the first time in eight weeks.
(31:57):
We're excited about that.
Here's a short excerpt from the article,
the benchmark diesel price used for most fuel surcharges moved below the $4 a gallon mark this week.
Another sign that for all the developments that seem primed to send diesel prices,
higher balance appears to be the best word to describe the market now.
And it is interesting Denny because as I read down through this article,
(32:20):
there are a lot of um indicators that diesel prices should be going up just like they were back at the beginning of the year and the end of last year,
but they're holding steady right now.
I'm not smart enough to make sense of it.
I just get a little bit nervous when I hear something like that.
It probably means that the rise is on the horizon.
(32:40):
We're just not quite there yet.
You want my opinion,
don't you?
Well,
I mean,
you are,
you are the guy with the experience here.
And II I,
the look on your face tells me that I want your opinion,
Denny.
Uh,
not to be a conspiracy,
but it is a,
an election year.
You know,
I didn't even think about that,
(33:00):
but it's a very good point.
It would be nice to keep these things low until November.
Uh,
and then go ahead and send them through the roof.
Right.
I don't know.
I,
it just amazes me.
You know how they can charge so much.
I remember many years ago when it went to over $5 a gallon.
In fact,
I had a buddy that,
that bought his very first truck.
He was a company driver for many,
(33:22):
many,
many years in multiple states and he finally bought his own truck and that was the year that diesel went to over $5 a gallon and his turbo went out and his air conditioner went out and he drove primarily in Florida.
I mean,
it was just by the time it was over with,
he was working 80 hour weeks and still owing money.
(33:45):
At the end of the week,
he finally,
he lost his truck,
he lost his house,
he lost his motorcycle,
he lost his wife,
he lost everything and the wife too.
Is the icing on the cake,
man.
That's,
that's ii I hate to hear stories like that,
but that's what a diesel price increase can do to our owner operators out there.
(34:06):
I mean,
you think $1 a gallon and when the company's paying for it and you're a company driver,
you just don't really think about it.
Obviously,
you notice,
but it's not that big of a deal if you're an owner,
operator a dollar a gallon when you're talking,
what 100 gallon tank.
Uh And that's,
that's no slim price increase.
And uh,
I mean,
fingers crossed that because it's an election year.
(34:28):
They do keep the price low all the way until November.
It'd be nice to see him keep a promise and keep it after November.
Maybe all the way into January,
hell,
maybe for four years.
But I just shake my head that we're excited and going woohoo.
When you say price went below $4 a gallon about we get down below $2 a gallon,
(34:49):
then I'll get really excited.
It's been rough out there.
Yeah,
it's been rough out there.
Denny,
that ship sailed right into a bridge in Baltimore and probably raised diesel prices even more.
So.
Uh pardon,
pardon the dark humor there.
But uh,
I mean,
that is one of the indicators,
right?
The,
the main passage into the Baltimore port,
(35:09):
which is the biggest one in the United States is out of service for God knows.
How long?
So,
um,
I,
I would say don't get used to this,
I would say buy as much as you can while the price is low.
Uh,
it's a,
but it's a bull market,
man,
this price is going up soon.
I,
I've,
there's too much talk about stock futures and,
and things like that in that article for me to think that it's going to do anything other than rise,
(35:34):
you know.
Yeah.
And they can always start talking about,
well,
we have,
we have things going on in the Middle East and we always got something going on in the Middle East,
but they use that as an excuse every time they do.
Well,
ok,
how about a little bit of,
of better news?
It's off in the future a little bit here and,
and you and I have talked a little bit about this in the past,
(35:54):
but there is a man out there who's planning to add 45,000 truck parking spaces,
uh,
across the United States.
His name is Frank Son Zala and,
uh,
he is a longtime industry marketing and management executive.
He wants to build 100 fenced in facilities each with 450 truck parking spaces and driver oriented amenities,
(36:17):
Denny.
Um,
there's only 365,000 parking spaces in the United States for trucks.
And I,
to me that seems amazing,
but I'm,
I'm sure to you with all the driving experience,
it's beyond amazing.
It's got to blow your head off your shoulders to think that there's that few parking spaces for as many trucks as we have on the road.
(36:38):
It doesn't blow my mind.
I'm out there seeing it all the time and I've always said we need more and,
you know,
like Virginia one year decided.
Well,
let's just close every rest area on interstate 81.
No,
we can't work on half of them at a time.
They shut down.
Virtually every single one.
(36:58):
Nebraska likes to do that.
They'll shut down,
you know,
like three or four in a row when you're thinking.
Ok.
Well,
I can hold it another 3040 miles and then you get there and that one's closed.
So,
yeah,
parking is,
is always a problem.
Always has been and then more and more truck stops now they wanna,
they wanna charge you for it.
They do.
Well,
this guy,
not enough that they get,
(37:19):
you get you on the diesel and they,
they get you in the restaurant and stuff you need to buy in the C store.
They gotta hit you up to pay for your parking too and your shower.
Don't forget if you want,
if you want to smell good in that truck,
you're gonna have to pay for that too.
So,
uh,
it's,
well,
if you fuel up you're good with that.
But,
yeah,
you're right.
Yeah.
Well,
it's,
look,
(37:39):
it's rough out there,
we know.
So we can use some more parking spots.
And this idea that uh Mr so Sonz has,
is actually,
it sounds feasible.
Let me read you a little bit here.
Uh Each facility will follow the same plan.
Parking spaces will be angled for easy maneuvering and there will be restrooms,
showers,
television lounges,
wi fi vending machines,
(37:59):
eating areas and an adjacent convenience store and hotel.
Those last two put in by partners like 7-Eleven and Hilton.
Does that sound like something that would be attracted attractive to you,
Denny?
Um Let's,
you know,
also from a security standpoint,
these things are going to be fully fenced.
They're going to have driver identification systems to get in and out.
(38:20):
You're going to have to be,
you know,
approved by this company.
If you've got a bunch of marks on your record or you've gone in there and bashed into a couple of other trucks,
they're not gonna let you back in.
How does this sound as an idea to you in a nutshell?
I think the the concept is good.
I'm still waiting on more details,
like are they gonna charge um or would it be something like,
(38:42):
you know,
some trucking companies will provide uh like Sirius XM,
would the trucking company put the bill for that and that way anybody who works for him would have that.
Those are some of the questions I'd want answered.
I understand he is planning on offering showers at these facilities,
which is great.
I like the security part.
They're gonna,
you know,
it's not gonna be a lot lizards banging on your door and people trying to sell you crap.
(39:03):
So that is definitely a plus they're gonna put them out in rural areas,
which personally,
I like other drivers like to stay in the city for various reasons.
I never did.
But,
uh,
you know,
it's got a lot of pluses going for it and if,
you know,
if you could put a,
say a T A express right next to one of these or right close to it,
then you still have the amenities from that and you could,
(39:25):
you know,
either walk over or go over before or whatever.
So,
yeah,
it's exciting news now,
whether it all comes to fruition,
let's wait and see.
We will see uh Mr Soza plans to have these built by 2035 now for,
for Ryan truck lines.
This is exciting because he,
he's planning on doing the first one and Texas and Brian runs a lot in Texas from what I understand they do have some drivers down there for sure.
(39:50):
The West w uh folk run down there and,
and you know,
it's,
it's all a great idea kind of like what,
what you just said,
it's like the,
the ideation of it is perfect.
Let's see the execution happen before we get too excited about it.
Um The guy that's,
that's responsible for this actually says in this article which you can find over at landline dot media.
(40:12):
He said towards the end,
well,
we'd like to get it done by 2035 but we'd also like to see some competitors come in and that way,
maybe we could get it done by 2032.
Still a long ways out in the future eight years.
Uh,
even at,
at the best,
at the shortest timeline,
eight years is a long time,
But I am a little bit uh encouraged here because if we do get some competitors in the space,
(40:35):
that means we're not stopping at 45,000 spots,
we're gonna,
we're gonna up that and I think 45,000 spots is a drop in the bucket compared to what we actually need out there to satisfy the industry as a whole.
Now,
drivers,
if this is a good thing and if he does actually come through with this,
can you manage to,
you know,
take your piss bottles to the trash can and you know,
(40:58):
not,
I mean,
keep it clean.
I can't believe how we trash out.
Our,
it's basically like throwing shit in your living room.
Ok?
This is where we stop and we live and fellow drivers just totally trash them out.
So let's keep it nice.
The one thing that I've or analogy I will give you is idle,
(41:18):
air.
Idle air was a great concept and whoever is in charge of it,
put a lot of sunk a lot of money into it.
The logistics and just the,
the structures because I had to build these,
you know,
structures to support all this stuff,
what it was for anybody that doesn't know idle air.
You had a special thing that you,
depending on which truck you drove that would set in the passenger window and this idle air unit would come in and seal in there and it would provide you with heating,
(41:48):
cooling,
electricity,
cable or satellite.
You know,
you'd have to have your own TV,
obviously,
but you could plug into that.
Uh It gave you wi fi,
I mean,
it was a great concept but they charged um quite a bit,
you know,
before you knew it,
we had,
you know,
you could,
you could share your,
your internet with,
(42:09):
you know,
make your,
your hotspot on your phone.
So that went out.
People didn't want cable because they could do that.
They got A P US on all the trucks or most of the trucks.
So you didn't need the air and the heat because you got that covered.
So I lay,
well,
it was a great idea and somebody sunk a bunch of money into then it just fizzled,
phased out.
(42:29):
But this doesn't do the same thing.
Yeah,
that was,
I feel like that one was a victim of technology.
You know,
it was great for the 10 years that it was needed.
But once technology kind of surpassed it and everything was in your pocket.
Uh,
why bother anymore?
Because I'm sure I'm sure it was still gonna need parking places.
Yes,
sir.
That's something that will never go away.
(42:51):
You're exactly right.
Um,
and the concept of this with the,
I don't maybe you covered this,
but he's talking about using some special kind of,
uh,
it's not concrete,
he's gonna put some kind of grid or something down,
that's like half the price or something like that.
So I think that could work too because if that,
if that'll hold the ground to keep it good and stable,
(43:12):
then they won't have to keep coming in and patching potholes and all that stuff.
So that will help it be cost effective.
And,
and it's,
it's a,
a honeycomb shaped polymer that goes into the ground which is then filled over by.
Exactly.
And here's an upside Denny to the guys that do like to drain their jugs in the parking lot.
(43:34):
Uh This ground will actually allow liquid to seep through oil,
all sorts of things to seep through it and then it can be lifted and cleaned.
So if we can't get the drivers to stop emptying their jugs in the parking lot,
then maybe this will help alleviate the smell a little bit.
That's all I can say because,
uh,
I,
(43:54):
I will tell you right now,
some of the truck stops that I've parked in,
in my travels and opened the door.
It smells like downtown New Orleans the day after Mardi Gras.
I mean,
it is unbelievable in the summer time.
Yeah.
So uh truck stop,
we will,
we will keep you updated on that story as it,
(44:14):
as it develops and you can uh get in touch with Denny if you want that new cologne he just mentioned,
oh,
the first one supposed to be down between Laredo and San Antonio.
So if and when he gets it built,
if you hear about it before me,
let me know because I'd like to run down there and lay eyes on the thing.
Heck,
yeah,
we will for sure.
Uh,
finally for our segment today,
something that's just fun.
(44:35):
Uh,
that is the 2024 state truck driving championships are kicked off officially,
Danny,
I went to transport topics for this story.
Uh,
nearly every state has scheduled its 2024 truck driving championships.
Uh,
and Louisiana and Nevada are actually next up or,
or will be next up by the time this one comes out.
(44:57):
Um,
the state events determine the qualifiers for the national truck driving championships and national Step Van Driving Championship which will be held August 21st through the 24th in Indy.
Um,
there are every state has its own competition here.
Some of them are competing together.
Um,
but there's a bunch of states that are all June 7th and June 8th and a lot of them are kind of in the area that I think might pertain to,
(45:24):
uh,
Brian drivers.
So let me just go down this list real quick.
June 7th and eighth.
We've got Kansas,
Missouri,
Texas,
Indiana,
Pennsylvania,
Illinois,
Michigan,
New York,
North Carolina,
Oklahoma and Utah,
uh,
all running their championships that same weekend and the other states in the union will be anywhere between,
(45:48):
well,
Louisiana did it all the way back.
March 1st and second.
So you're out of luck in Louisiana.
But April 6th is when Nevada kicks theirs off and you can find one of these in,
uh,
a select state all the way until June 28th and 29th when Arkansas hosts the final one,
unless Hawaii decides that they need a truck driving championship,
(46:09):
uh,
they are the only state listed as TBD at this point.
So I'm guessing maybe they don't have as many competitors over there.
Well,
they,
all of them gonna have to go through banning for the California ones.
You're gonna have to,
the California one isn't actually a driving.
Uh,
course Denny,
it's just a test on if you know all the red tape that you have to navigate into inspection at banning way station.
(46:29):
Ok.
That'll do it.
Is this something that while you were,
while you were a driver that you ever would have considered,
uh,
competing in Denny or at least,
maybe just checking out,
um,
maybe watching.
But no.
Ok,
truth be told I can't parallel park.
So forget it.
So,
you're done here.
Ok,
I can drive that truck and park it just about anywhere but don't ask me to parallel park it.
(46:53):
And if that's one of the events,
uh,
uh,
I'm out,
I'm gonna go hide somewhere.
Well,
at least you're honest with us,
Denny and that's why we bring you on.
Oh,
hell,
I was thinking my lucky stars.
That wasn't on the test when I got my CD L all those years ago because I'm like,
well,
ok,
what's the next career choice?
Because that ain't gonna work well,
Denny Stone.
I really appreciate you dropping by here and joining us for a segment on the Brian Truck line show.
(47:17):
It's always great to talk to you.
Uh your,
your wealth of experience and knowledge really brings something to us here.
So we appreciate the time we're gonna let you get back on your way and uh we'll bring you back on sometime in the future.
I'm sure of it.
Cool.
It's been fun.
(47:38):
That's gonna wrap up this episode of the Brian Truck line show.
Thank you all so much for clicking,
download today and listening to the program.
We appreciate every single one of you.
Uh If you would like a little advice from me about how to best access the podcast,
what I will tell you is click the subscribe button on whatever platform you're listening on.
(47:59):
If you're checking us out on spot,
I click,
subscribe.
If you're checking us out on iheart.
Click,
subscribe.
Google Apple podcasts.
Click that subscribe button.
It's absolutely free.
It doesn't cost anything.
It's just gonna alert you when we're dropping a new episode,
which is every two weeks on Wednesday at 5 a.m. central time.
(48:20):
Uh That would be 6 a.m. Eastern Standard Time,
which is where you guys are out there in Bryan Ohio.
So click that subscribe button and get alerted every single time we've got a new podcast episode for you to listen to.
Once again before I get out of here,
I'm going to appeal to you drivers that work for Brian Truck line.
I want to talk to you on this podcast.
(48:42):
We can talk about whatever you want.
You got good stories to tell.
You got crazy stories to tell.
I would love to hear them.
You know,
another podcast I work on.
I had a guy recently tell me about two guys from the same trucking fleet that got in a fistfight over a parking spot at a love's.
I love to hear stuff like that.
If you've got stories like that that you wanna tell,
(49:03):
let's talk about them,
maybe you've got some concerns about something going on uh with your job or maybe you,
you wanna ask a question to one of the staff members and you want to do it on this public forum so we can get answer out to everybody.
That's what the podcast is for.
Send me your questions,
send me the things that you'd like to hear.
Let Judy Norrick in the front office there know if you'd like to come on the podcast and she will put you in touch with me almost immediately.
(49:30):
Again,
greatly appreciate all of you click and download today.
We'll have another one for you in two weeks.
Keep it safe out there.
Brian Truck Line,
keep that shiny side up and we'll see you around the bend.
Thanks for joining us for this episode of the Brian Truck line show.
Don't forget to subscribe,
rate and review the Brian Truck Line show on your favorite platform and tune in for new episodes every other Wednesday.
(49:54):
Until next time.
Stay safe and keep it rolling.
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