April 24, 2024 • 49 mins
This week on the Bryan Truck Line Show, we're spending our time getting to know some of the Bryan Drivers. Tony Danebostel, Carlos Spriggs, and Roger Renard all join the show for the first time to break the ice, talk about the job, and dish on why they stay driving with Bryan Truck Line.
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Welcome into the Brian Truck line show episode six.
I am your host Marcus and thank you all so much for joining me today.
We are gonna talk a little bit more Brian Truck Line as we do once every couple of weeks here on this program.
And,
uh I got some great interviews with Brian drivers coming up right around the corner that I'm really excited to get to today.
(00:24):
I've actually got three Brian drivers coming on this episode and uh their names are Tony Den Bossl,
Carlos Spriggs and Roger Renard.
Looking forward to talking to these guys and learning a little bit more about the great drivers that comprise Brian Truck Line and B and H as well.
Um I,
(00:45):
I still don't have quite enough drivers to talk to,
so I'm still trying to build my roster and I wanna tell you please,
if you're interested in coming on the program,
I would love to have you.
We can talk about whatever you want.
Uh You'll notice here the first time that a driver comes on the program with these first three driver interviews that I'll be having today and sort of the one that I did with,
(01:08):
uh,
Driver Mark Steffen back a couple of weeks ago.
The thing that you're gonna notice is that I keep these conversations pretty generic off the top because it's important to me to get to know who this person is.
Obviously they're a driver for Brian or for B and H.
But what are they hauling?
Where are they going?
What's their work schedule?
(01:29):
Like,
why did they choose to work at Bryan for some of these drivers?
They will have worked at Brian left the company for greener pastures and then ended up back at Brian because it turns out those pastures weren't so green.
After all,
I want to hear those stories.
I want to introduce you to the audience just like I introduced myself to the audience.
(01:49):
And uh,
Carlos Tony and Roger have done a great job with that on today's episode.
So strap in,
get ready to keep the shiny side up and the rusty side down while we cruise through three driver profile interviews right here on the Brian truck line show episode six.
And before we get to it again,
just one more piece of homework.
(02:11):
If you want to be on this show,
talk to your dispatcher,
talk to Judy Norrick.
Uh You can talk to,
to Zach Dean if you can corner him,
tell anybody back there at the office that you wanna be on the show and they'll get you in touch with me and we'll make it happen.
Let's turn the corner and get to these awesome interviews with our Brian and B and H drivers.
(02:32):
Less than truckload,
more than trucking.
This is the Brian Truck line show from Northwest Ohio to wherever you are with your host,
Marcus Bridges.
Joining me next here on the Brian Truck line show.
I've got Brian driver,
Tony Dane Bassel.
Tony.
How are you doing today?
Thanks for being here,
(02:52):
my friend.
I'm doing great.
It's my pleasure to be here.
Well,
we're really glad to have you.
Uh,
I,
I'm really looking forward to getting to meet a bunch more Brian drivers.
I did get to meet quite a few of you guys at the podcast launch and,
uh,
I understand and you're hanging out right there in the break room,
which is where we were at when we launched this thing.
Yep,
(03:12):
it came in a few minutes early to talk with you and then get on the road.
Awesome.
Well,
we won't keep you for very long so that you can get to it.
Uh,
I wanted to know,
uh,
with every driver that I have on here,
Tony,
I want to know how long have you been driving in general when you first started your trucking career until now?
It's been about 11 years now.
(03:34):
And did you start right off with Brian Truck Line or did you work elsewhere and then come to Brian later,
I worked elsewhere for about a year and then came over and worked with B and H for a few years.
Ok.
That's right.
B and H A division of Brian.
And,
and so you worked for B and H and then jumped over to Brian.
Is that how I'm under standing it?
(03:55):
Well,
I've jumped around to a couple of different places.
They say grass is always greener,
but I've always come back to Brian.
Ok.
All right.
Well,
what is it about Brian?
That's always got you coming back because you're not the first driver to tell me that Tony and,
and I always want to dig into that a little bit and see what Brian's doing right to keep their drivers either sticking around or coming back for me.
(04:18):
It's just a consistent respect from,
from everyone.
Everyone's always friendly.
They always treat you good and stuff.
Never had real,
any real complaints.
The shop got something wrong with the truck.
You go in and tell them and they're right on top of it.
You know,
when you come in next,
(04:40):
the truck's gonna be ready to go.
Yeah,
Joe runs a tight ship over there,
doesn't he?
Yes,
he does.
I,
I've,
I've never sat with somebody who I felt was better at their job when I got to asking Joe some questions when we first came out to the terminal months ago.
Uh,
and we're meeting everybody.
Joe sat down with us and first of all,
you can tell he's a very busy guy,
(05:01):
but he was really,
uh gracious with his time and you just got the feeling that every,
that you guys are driving,
if there is something wrong with it,
it's gonna get fixed immediately.
But most of them are in really good shape and out there spinning up a lot of miles and doing it very efficiently when you go in.
If it's just to say hi,
he'll take time to have a short conversation with you too.
(05:24):
Which is great.
That's always great.
You know,
another thing that I hear about Brian,
uh,
and we've actually,
you know,
we had an episode sort of centered around it but Brian drivers told me when I was there that they don't feel like a number,
they feel like a person,
they feel heard.
Uh,
if,
if they have a problem,
they feel like they can speak up and,
uh,
you know,
it might not always get solved in the way that they think it should,
(05:46):
but at least it gets solved.
Uh,
would you speak to that a little bit with your experience from Brian?
Uh,
do you feel more heard and represented as a driver for Brian than you have for other companies in your past?
Yeah.
The number one dispatcher in their heather.
And I was told to say that by the way,
um,
(06:06):
I've,
I've only met her a few times.
I stopped in to say hi.
She recognized me,
knew me by name right away and just how's things,
how's everything going?
I've worked with a couple different dispatchers and never had any issues with them.
And like you said,
if there is a problem,
(06:28):
it's taken care of,
it may not be exactly how I want it to be taken care of,
but it's a good solution.
I always like to hear that.
Uh,
and,
and yes,
I will agree.
Uh Heather takes the cake for the number one dispatcher,
but that's also,
I was directed to say that and I'm not telling her no.
So,
(06:48):
yeah,
so,
uh what kind of route do you run?
Tony?
Where are you dedicated?
Or you running the same route each day or,
or what are you getting into?
Uh How,
how's your,
how's your week shake out at Brian right now?
I'm on a dedicated route to Murray,
Kentucky.
I,
I just recently came back from running all 48.
(07:09):
0,
so I'm,
I'm happy to slow down a little bit and enjoy life again.
Got you.
How long were you otr for?
I'm with this last company.
Almost two years.
Ok.
And is that uh a more stressful way to do it when you've got a dedicated route?
You can get home and spend a little bit more time,
(07:30):
uh,
you know,
at your house or your apartment,
whatever it may be or do you really like the freedom of the open road and living out of the cab?
What's uh,
what's your mindset there?
Um,
they,
they both have their pros and cons here with the dedicated route.
I know about what time I'm gonna be back.
If I wanna make plans,
(07:50):
I can,
I know what days I'm gonna be off otr.
I mean,
you get to see a lot of things but unfortunately you don't get to stop,
to enjoy them and you just get to experience a lot,
lot more across the country.
But then you're living in your truck all the time.
(08:10):
I've always wondered if that getting to experience more across the country is kind of finite too because there's got to be a point where some of you drivers that have seen it all have actually honestly seen it all and there's nothing more for you to see out there.
Uh,
did you ever get to that point where you felt like you were a little bored or is it always something different?
And you're always seeing new places when you're otr it's kind of hard,
(08:34):
hard to say there.
You can take a different route to get to the same place and you might see something that you haven't seen for a while or didn't notice on your last trip through there.
But if you look,
you can always find something new where when you were otr what,
uh,
Tony was like your favorite region of the country to drive in or your favorite state or maybe your favorite,
(08:58):
uh,
you know,
interstate or route?
What,
what did you really feel like was your favorite while you're out there?
Um,
I really enjoyed the southwest.
The,
the scenery can change so dramatically.
You can go from mountains and canyons to the flat desert.
Yeah.
Well,
I'm,
I'm in the northwest and even,
(09:19):
we still even get some of that over here in Oregon.
It's almost like,
uh,
where I'm from.
We've got high desert,
we've got that alpine mountain stuff and then we've got like a rain forest over here on the coast.
And it's,
uh,
not,
I,
I think it's a little bit more saturated and wet up here than it is in the southwest.
At least in my experience it was,
(09:40):
it definitely is.
I've been through that area many times.
Yeah.
We,
uh,
we,
we don't tend to need rain jackets and umbrellas up here in Oregon because we don't have any room to take on more water.
It just kind of bounces off.
But I did get to play some golf down in,
uh,
Arizona a couple summers ago.
(10:00):
I played in 100 and 10 degree weather out in August in Flagstaff and heat like nobody's business,
man.
I,
I don't think I've ever felt heat like that in my life.
It was good because I was outside and I was golfing and I was enjoying it.
But,
man,
it can get crazy down there.
What's it like in the cab of a truck when you're cruising through the southwest?
And it's 100 and 10 outside.
(10:22):
I've got my air conditioner set to about 60 windows up and then perfect.
And that's why Joe knows that if you're gonna go down into those regions,
like maybe the,
uh,
the California team drivers or something like that,
gotta go through Death Valley.
That air conditioner needs to be uh,
up and spinning real good,
real efficient.
(10:42):
Right.
Definitely Tony.
This next one I I have for you is a little bit personal but I like to find out,
uh,
you know why drivers,
uh,
make the decisions that they make.
You're spending a lot more time at home now because you got the dedicated route.
Uh,
do you have a family at home?
N No,
I don't.
How about any,
uh,
any dogs or cats or anything like that that you take on the road with you?
(11:05):
Uh,
not yet.
I'm eventually I wanna get a dog but just haven't made the decision yet.
Yeah.
What kind of dog are you thinking about getting?
Have you,
are you still kind of up in the air on that or?
I still kind of up in the air?
Something small though.
Well,
I have a couple of Corgis and,
uh,
I will tell you right now you won't be able to see if you get one of those because they shed like Huskies in the,
(11:29):
in the summertime.
So I might recommend something with short hair,
uh,
just based on my experience.
Yep,
I'll keep that in mind?
All right.
All right.
So,
uh,
you said you're gonna leave after we get done with this interview?
And,
uh,
I don't have much more for you here,
Tony,
but,
uh,
you're headed to Kentucky.
How far of a trip is that from,
uh,
for you?
For Brian Ohio?
(11:50):
I go over to Fremont first and that's about an eight or a half hour drive to Fremont and then it's just under eight hours down to Kentucky.
Ok.
And you'll,
will you do the eight hours and then take a break and then turn around and come back or will you,
how,
how do you structure your route?
Yeah,
once I get down to Kentucky,
I'll take my 10 hours there and then come back tomorrow.
(12:13):
Ok.
And are you,
when you're driving that route?
Are you in a truck with a sleep on it or are you just in a day cab and you're stopping at a hotel or something like that?
I am a sleeper.
Oh,
ok.
Perfect.
What kind of creature comforts do you take along for the ride with you?
You got,
uh,
you know,
you like movies.
Are you a reader?
Are you a magazine guy?
What,
uh,
what type of things do you do to pass time on the 10 on this route?
(12:36):
I just have my coffee maker.
Yeah.
Uh,
when I was on the road all the time,
I mean,
I had microwave air fryer grill TV,
freezer.
I I had it all set up good.
So,
you're one of the guys,
(12:57):
it sounds like,
likes to make some meals in his cab rather than spend all that hard earned money.
Uh,
eating out.
Definitely.
And then,
and you stay a lot healthier too.
Yeah.
Yeah,
that's a big one.
You gotta get that med card.
Right.
You can't drive without that thing.
Right.
Do you have any,
uh,
favorite meals that you kind of were standbys when you were out there?
Otr things that you like to keep coming back to.
(13:19):
I always made,
um,
pork chops and I'd bring a couple of steaks with me.
My guy.
What's your,
what's your favorite cut of steak?
Yeah.
Yeah,
that's a good one.
I'm a rib eye guy myself,
but they're so dang expensive anymore that you can't go wrong with a sirloin,
you know,
medium rare.
I cooked every,
(13:39):
oh,
definitely.
Ok.
Sorry,
I didn't mean to interrupt you.
I just gotta make sure.
Yeah.
And I,
I cooked everything in an air fryer and if you haven't tried cooking meat in an air fryer,
you have to try it and,
yeah,
it comes out so tender and juicy,
you've got to play with your times a little bit until you,
(14:01):
you find that sweet spot.
But once you find that every time it's gonna come out exactly the same.
Ok.
I'll have to try,
you know,
I,
I've never done any kind of red meat,
uh,
in a,
in an air fryer.
I've only done chicken in the air fryer actually.
And it,
it turned out great.
But that's interesting,
man,
next time I don't want to mess around with a hot frying pan or going outside to grill a steak.
(14:25):
Then I'm gonna try it out in the air fryer.
I like this.
This is why I asked drivers about their recipes all the time because you guys have figured out 1000 tricks and tips that,
uh,
I'll never spend enough time trying to work it out to figure those out.
So I,
I really appreciate that.
I'm gonna give it,
I'm gonna give that hell,
next time I've got a steak in the freeze with my name on it.
Yeah.
Thawed out 400 degrees in about five minutes on each side.
(14:50):
And it'll be a nice,
medium rare for you.
Wow.
Ok.
That's,
man,
that sounds so easy.
These air fryers have just made it so much easier,
uh,
to cook so many things.
I mean,
you can do any type of potato in an air fryer comes out fantastic.
And,
I mean,
you could do your whole meal in there if you needed to.
Yeah.
And there's on Facebook,
(15:11):
there's lots of sites,
um,
about what different people are making in their trucks.
Oh,
ok.
Do you,
do you,
uh,
go on there and contribute to those ever send your recipes in or do you just kind of,
uh,
get recipes from everybody else that likes to post them.
Um,
I just kind of go there to get ideas very clear what everyone else is doing and that,
(15:31):
that looks good and then look it up and figure it out.
Do drivers ever share the food that they make at truck stops?
That's something I've always wondered because I,
I talked to so many drivers that do make really good food in their cabs and I always wonder if you guys are,
uh,
kind of pot luck in it at all when you're stopped at a L or something like that.
Or if you kind of keep to yourself.
(15:53):
Me,
I keep to myself,
I have heard of people doing that though.
I mean,
it sounds like a good way to,
uh,
to,
you know,
I guess up the variety a little bit,
if you're cooking steak and potatoes,
somebody else has got pasta and somebody else is making a salad.
I mean,
that's a three course meal right there.
Tony.
Yes,
it is.
(16:14):
And,
you know,
eat better and cheaper than any restaurant.
That's true,
man.
Restaurant food is outrageous right now.
And I hear that at the truck stops,
it's even worse than it is at some of just your regular restaurants that the prices have just gone kind of through the roof and are a little bit bonkers right now.
Yeah,
truck stops definitely take advantage of the drivers.
(16:37):
There's no doubt about that.
Yeah,
I mean,
making you pay for a shower,
pay for a parking spot.
Next time you're gonna go out and stretch your legs and take a deep breath.
They're gonna charge you for the air in your lungs.
Well,
Tony,
it's been great getting to know you a little bit here.
Uh,
this first call,
whenever I get a driver on for the first time,
I always just want to break the ice a little bit.
(16:58):
Get to know him.
And,
uh,
I feel like we've done a great job with that for you today.
I do want to give you the floor before I let you go.
I know you,
you're busy and you need to get on the road.
But is there anything that you'd like to say to any of your fellow Brian drivers or Brian employees that might be listening before I let you go.
I guess the biggest thing I have to say is the grass may look greener out there,
(17:20):
but you know what you've got at Brian,
you know,
you've got the respect,
the maintenance and everything.
So just think long and hard if you decide to go someplace else very well said that's Brian driver,
Tony Dane Bassel,
Tony again.
Thank you so much.
Drive safe out there and we'll get you back on again soon.
(17:40):
Ok.
All right.
Thank you.
It's my pleasure to be here next up here on the Brian Truck line show.
I've got Brian driver,
Carlos Spriggs with me.
Carlos.
Thanks.
For checking in with us.
How are you doing out there today?
Doing pretty good today and hopefully you're doing the same,
(18:01):
you know,
it,
man,
no complaints for me.
I get to sit back here and,
and talk with drivers all day.
So it's a pretty entertaining job that I have.
What's your job looking like today?
Where are you at?
And where are you headed?
New Mexico and headed for Whittier just outside of L A.
Ok.
So you're one of our,
you're one of our California drivers and so are you team driver?
(18:22):
Carlos?
Yeah.
Ok.
And are you keeping your,
your teammate awake right now?
Is he hanging out in the passenger seat?
Is he trying to get some shut eye?
What's he up to know he's out?
He's out?
Yeah,
we probably switched out about 10 o'clock,
Ohio time.
He's been in bed since 11.
Ok.
All right.
Three hours or so.
(18:43):
We got to talk for a while when I was at the terminal for the first time and you guys stopped in and talk to us.
I think you were there for an hour just shooting the breeze with us.
Uh You're like two peas in a pod man.
You guys get along really well.
How hard was that relationship to form as a team driver?
Knowing you got a trip to California and back with this guy every single week.
(19:05):
Actually,
it wasn't that hard because he drove for,
I think 30 years or maybe a little bit more.
And I've been driving for 2223.
Wow.
And I keep him in check.
He keeps me in check.
So it's like a good marriage is what you're saying.
(19:27):
It's,
everybody pulls their weight and everybody stays out of the other person's way.
It sounds like.
Yeah,
there's times that we can get on each other's nerves.
You just got to remember,
you got to spend the rest of the week with this person.
You need to apologize eventually.
Right?
And not only spend the rest of the week with them but trapped in the cab of a truck.
So it's a little bit more serious than just being in the same room as somebody.
(19:49):
So you just get up and walk out.
Yeah,
exactly.
So you said you've got a lot of driving experience,
Carlos,
did you start?
And is your whole career been with Brian or did you start elsewhere and come to Brian later in your career,
I started out driving flatbed for about a year and a half to two years.
And then I moved,
(20:10):
that was in Indiana and then I moved to Rhode Island for between six and 12 months and drove for a small,
I would put it on like it was a Walmart but on a really small scale because the store sold everything I was driving distribution for the stores.
(20:31):
And then I come back to Indiana and was subcontracted,
driving drive van for a warehouse and then went to Bryan Truck line in 2005.
Oh,
wow.
So you've got almost 20 years with Brian as it sits right now by paperwork.
It's almost 15 because we parted ways for about 30 days.
(20:55):
And then I said,
no,
I can't do this.
I go,
I went back,
gotcha.
So talk to me about that a little bit.
Carlos.
What about Brian,
uh,
brought you back?
Why is it that you like this company?
Maybe over some of the other ones that you've worked for in the past,
other than the drivers you don't see every day.
Everybody in the office in the shop,
(21:16):
owned by name by first name and they know you and you find that makes the job a little bit easier.
Uh,
like you said,
you're not a number.
That's something I hear around here all the time.
Yeah,
that makes it a heck of a lot easier.
And when it comes to not being a number,
do you feel like you're in a unique team?
Are you the only California team that drives for Brian?
(21:39):
No,
I know of one other and other than them.
I'm not sure there's another team that leaves out on Saturdays and our team,
we leave on Monday.
Ok.
Got you.
But I guess the,
what I was getting to here is it's,
it's a small division of,
of drivers that are driving in teams A and,
and B there's not very many of you that are going to California and back.
(22:02):
So not being a number and,
and being heard,
feeling,
heard and seen seems like it would be even more of a challenge for somebody in your position,
but Brian seems to pull their weight there.
You feel like when you can bring up a problem or something like that,
that it's addressed pretty quickly or that at least they'll work with you to try to find a solution in due time.
(22:23):
Oh,
yeah.
If they don't address it right,
then when you talk to them about it,
it will be taken care of within a week if not to.
But usually it's right then and there when you call them,
that's great because I know for just from my experience talking to a lot of drivers,
that's not always the case at other trucking companies.
(22:43):
Right.
I,
the first company I was it with,
I actually had a truck problem and I kept telling them it something was making a weird sound but they couldn't get me into a terminal to check it.
And probably about eight days later I lost the steer tire because the wheel bearing went bad.
(23:03):
But there was no,
like in a car,
you start having problems with your front end.
It pulls the one tire or the other,
this truck would go straight down the road.
It didn't pull,
it didn't act like it was something like that.
It was just making a weird noise.
But here at Brian,
(23:25):
I call the shop to talk to Joe,
he'll ask me,
what do you think it is?
And then he'll say what he thinks it is.
Whether do you want to pamper it to get it back to the yard or do you want to go into a shop right now?
And usually it's going good and everything,
we'll get it back to the yard and see what you find out.
(23:45):
But if I don't think it's safe,
they'll tell me either stop and have somebody come to you or get to the first shop you come to.
That's great.
Look,
we've talked about it even already on this episode,
we've mentioned how tight of a ship.
Joe runs over there at the shop and man,
I,
I,
we've been giving nonstop praise to the guy,
but for good reason,
(24:06):
it seems like he does a really good job and not just Joe,
obviously,
the whole team over there at the shop does a really good job keeping you guys up and running safely.
Yeah,
they do.
And all you have to do is call him and ask him a question and they'll give you the best answer they can and then ask you if you wanna keep continue or have it looked at.
(24:29):
That's great.
I,
I love to hear that man and anything to make your job easier because the job that you do is,
is a tough one.
Uh I,
I gotta ask you a few questions about your,
uh,
your team member here.
What's your,
what's your fellow driver's first name?
Remind me.
I'm so sorry.
I'm so bad with jobs.
Jeff.
Ok.
So what's,
what's a crazy experience that you guys shared out there on the road?
(24:51):
Listen,
I,
I talked to enough drivers to know California is not every driver's favorite place to drive and you guys got a long way to get there and back each week.
I assume some crazy things have happened between home and California.
You got any stories you want to share with me,
Carlos?
Oh,
wow.
A lot of them probably can't share on the radio,
but we're not on the radio.
(25:12):
So you and we have a bleep button too.
So anything that gets said that needs to be bleeped,
we could always bleep it.
I know why he was telling me this morning and he had me rolling once he stopped to get fuel in Oklahoma and there was a truck next to him that had a locksmith there because the guy locked his keys in his truck.
(25:33):
And after they unlocked his truck,
Jeff went inside and got his coffee and his fuel receipt.
When he come out,
the other driver was standing there mumbling and he,
Jeff asked him what's going on?
The locksmith just unlocked your truck.
He goes,
he said,
yeah,
but after he unlocked it,
I went inside and locked him in it again,
(25:59):
start to a Tuesday for him.
But it got my morning going very,
firstly,
I guess it,
something about that little jump of energy you get,
when you get to laugh at someone else's hardships and they're not your own.
Yeah.
Especially with when we get to California,
(26:20):
you could back into the same dock every day,
over and over and just one day you'll have a bad day and you can't hit that dock to save your life.
And it's funny because the people we go to the majority of the time,
they all know it by name and they'll be standing in the dock door going.
You got a new driver,
don't you?
(26:40):
Yeah.
Yeah,
we do.
That's great,
man.
What's your favorite part of the drive out there?
You're in New Mexico now.
I know there's some beautiful country out there.
Arizona.
Of course,
there are some beautiful parts of California despite all the bad things we might say about it.
So,
uh,
what's,
what's your favorite part to experience out there?
(27:01):
Carlos Arizona.
Yeah.
Any particular across Arizona?
All of it,
all of it.
Do you guys ever get to spend,
do you get to spend any time out there?
Uh,
do you ever get to stop and en enjoy a break out there or anything like that or you pretty much just point to point in it,
uh,
through the state?
We stopped,
(27:22):
there was one spot outside of Flagstaff.
We were stopping at every week religiously.
But they closed their restaurant,
wanted you to start going to the casino.
And so we're just trying to figure something out now because they just stopped that two weeks ago.
That other than half an hour,
anywhere from half an hour to an hour.
(27:43):
Other than that,
we're not sitting very long,
obviously,
not enough time to go in and burn some,
uh,
hard earned money at their casino.
Which thanks for that opportunity to do that.
It does not take long to do that.
I was,
I was on a road trip,
uh,
down through Oregon to go camping in the southern part of the state with my wife a few years back.
Actually,
(28:03):
it was,
uh,
2020.
It was that first summer,
uh,
of COVID.
And we stopped at a little casino to stay the night on I five and sat down to play some blackjack and I sat down next to a truck driver who was from upstate New York and he told me that the only thing that he does when he stops is gamble.
(28:24):
He religiously stops at casinos.
It's the only place he takes his break and he spends all of his free time in those casinos,
gambling.
And I,
for somebody that enjoys playing cards and gambling like I do.
That sounds like,
hey,
that would be really cool.
I can't imagine Carlos the amount of money that poor man has probably lost in his travels across the United States.
(28:46):
How do you even make a living doing that?
I don't see how,
unless he wins a lot.
Which,
and no gambler ever does.
No,
no gambler that will talk to you about.
Gambling is one that wins a lot.
No,
I had a different partner before Jeff and him and I would stop and they're at the casino and he taught me how to play blackjack.
(29:11):
But the Tuesday that we were there,
they had what they called throwback.
Tuesdays and had $3 table minimums.
Oh,
it's great.
And so I would set aside 30 to $40 every week and one that was gone.
I was done.
(29:32):
But no,
I couldn't imagine stopping everywhere.
I stopped and gambled.
Oh,
dude,
it's,
you would,
you,
that's when you're really chasing the dragon at that point is,
is when you're stopping every place that you stop and you're gambling,
you'll probably never make it back when you learn that you wouldn't want to go back because if your significant other finds out how much you lost,
(29:53):
then you're in a different kind of hurry.
Yeah.
No joke there.
Who wants to come home to that?
But there is the other side of that Carlos where if you win a bunch of money and come home with a really nice gift for said significant other,
they might let it slide that time,
that time.
But how often is that gonna happen?
As big as those casinos that I see are,
I gotta imagine it's not much Carlos.
(30:15):
I really do.
Those,
those casinos don't get built on winners,
that's for sure.
Carlos,
it's been great talking to you here.
I've got a few more minutes before we got to,
uh,
let you go.
But I,
I want to give you the chance to say anything that you might want to say to any fellow Bryan employees bh employees that might be listening,
any of your family or friends that might be listening if you'd like to,
(30:38):
to put out a message there for Jeff,
your team member while he's fast asleep in the back.
The floor is yours?
Carlos?
Anything you'd like to say if you're having any problems,
truck wise,
get a hold of Joe or Todd in the garage and if it's anything with your load or your back,
ha,
just get a hold of dispatch.
Everybody knows you by name.
(31:01):
Hopefully they don't give you too hard of a time,
but they will help you.
Hopefully they won't give you too hard of a time.
They like to pick on us every now and then.
Yeah,
they do.
I,
I've left,
I've left California before and they called and said,
hey,
you didn't pick up that load down in commerce because we didn't get it on the Qualcomm.
And then they start laughing and say,
(31:21):
oh,
we're just kidding.
Oh,
come on,
that's low for the two hour backtrack to get it.
If we had to.
Yeah.
And they know that feeling that went through your body when they said,
hey,
you forgot a load.
That whole,
that kind of whole body gets taken over by that uneasy feeling.
You,
you start sweating a little bit like,
oh,
that's terrible.
(31:41):
Who was that?
Did that to you?
Exactly.
Well,
Carlos,
please drive safe out there.
You and Jeff both keep the shiny side up.
We will definitely get you back on here.
I'd love to have you on some time at the same time as your team member because we had such a fun conversation with you guys.
You're so fun to talk to when both of you are going back and forth.
(32:03):
So we'll try to work that out sometime when nobody has to lose any sleep over that.
Ok.
Alrighty.
All right,
Carlos.
Enjoy New Mexico,
Arizona and of course,
the questionable state of California,
man.
We'll talk to you soon,
ok?
All right.
Thank you.
(32:27):
Next up here on the Brian Truck line show,
we've got another Brian driver,
Roger Renard joining us on the line right now.
Roger.
Thank you so much for being here.
Thank you for having me.
No problem.
Glad to have you.
What's the route looking like for you today?
It sounds pretty quiet where you're at.
I might almost think that you're in a break room unless you got a really good headset on.
(32:49):
No,
I'm sitting at home in my easy chair right now.
I got done early today.
Oh,
perfect.
That's great.
We really appreciate you taking the time from your easy chair.
I know this is normally relaxing time and not talking about work time,
but we appreciate it.
Yeah,
no problem.
So,
what route are you on?
Roger?
You have something dedicated.
(33:09):
You doing the same thing every day or are you one of these guys who's always going someplace different?
I'm always going somewhere different.
I just never really got into doing dedicated,
going the same place every day in and day out.
They shoot me to Wisconsin today.
I was in Bolingbrook,
(33:29):
Illinois delivered a load of envelopes,
picked up a load of steel and brought back to the yard.
And so they sent me just a little bit everywhere.
Yeah,
I do too.
Keeps it fresh out there.
Keeps the scenery always changing.
I,
I've always thought that those guys that run the dedicated routes,
they probably have a real nice lined out schedule and they know exactly what's gonna happen and when you're always looking at the same stuff that's gotta make it hard to stay awake and alert out there.
(33:58):
Yeah,
I did it,
I covered a guy for a guy for two or three days and it just got,
seemed like it got boring there.
Seemed like it all the same stuff and that,
and I've always just gone different places and that and everything and all the years of driving and that,
(34:19):
and I like it that way.
Yeah,
I guess if your,
if your dedicated route takes you through Yellowstone or,
or you get to drive through the big sky country up there in Montana or down in Utah or something,
maybe that would be ok.
But that midwest driving is not the same animal.
No,
no,
it is not,
that's for sure.
And,
uh,
I've been to Buffalo New York with the other company I was with and last year I was in Oklahoma City and it was pretty neat.
(34:46):
And you get out in that area,
some different areas.
I've never been in.
Sure.
Sure.
Where would you say your favorite place to drive in the country?
Is Roger.
I really like down there in Oklahoma City and going down through Saint Louis and then down that way,
it was really nice.
I've never been in that area before in my life and it was really,
(35:09):
I did it three or four times.
It didn't seem to get boring.
And,
well,
that must be how,
you know,
that you like going down there.
Right?
If you're not constantly thinking about how bored you are.
Yes,
that's for sure.
Sorry to interrupt.
Go ahead.
No.
No,
go ahead.
No,
I was just gonna ask you how long you've been driving for Roger?
Oh,
(35:30):
I've been thinking about that.
It's been roughly around 45 years.
Wow,
that's a great career.
Yeah.
Yeah,
it's been interesting and at times there are times I just think,
I wonder why I'm doing it.
But then I get back in it again and off,
(35:51):
I go again and the,
I had it like a year or two away from driving trucks and I'd sit outside at break time at night and hear the trucks are rolling down the highway and that,
and just made me sick,
sick that I missed it that much.
So,
I had to get back in there.
That's cool.
I love when a guy has a moment like that really teaches you about a little bit about yourself.
(36:15):
It seems like you,
you really learned about your true love for trucking in that moment.
Yes.
Yes.
That's for sure.
And some days I don't love it as much as I do other days.
But that's all part of living and that and jobs and everything.
That's just life.
Man.
That's the way she goes.
So,
(36:36):
how long Roger have you been driving for Brian?
I assume you've mentioned some of the other companies you worked for.
So I assume that all 45 years haven't been with Brian.
No,
no,
I started out with Brian and I did about 13 years and then I left for about a year and a half and then came back and it's been,
(36:58):
now,
I'm thinking six years I've been with this the second time around in that and I wish I didn't leave him in that,
but you got to learn the hard way.
And that's true.
That's true.
What about Brian?
Is it?
What do you like so much about the company that,
uh,
you know,
you wish you hadn't have left for that year and a half,
(37:19):
it's more of a family feel and that I've known the Deans for quite a long time,
longer than 45 years.
And that,
and everybody there just treats you really nice.
You're not a number.
I,
I drove for another company in a year and a half,
(37:40):
two years and it just felt like I was a number to them and that,
and I've never brought up that way and I've never drove for a company that way.
And when I got hurt there at the co that company and I was able to go back to work,
my doctor told me not to pull away tarts anymore because I tore my meniscus in my shoulder.
(38:01):
And he said,
if I tear it again,
you'll lose arm,
be able to move your arm as far as you can or up and down as much as you can.
And they said,
no,
can't do that.
You're gonna have to pull cover away.
I got pull tarts down,
man.
And I said,
that's all right.
I know a company that will work with me and Brian Truck line has always worked with me and that's where I went back.
(38:25):
Yeah,
that's,
that sounds like the right decision.
I,
I can't,
that,
that always really makes me scratch my head Roger when I hear about a company telling somebody that I don't care what the doctor said.
I don't care what your,
your family says.
Uh,
you're gonna do the job the way that we tell you to do it regardless of your health.
Uh,
it doesn't seem like a very good way to keep employees around for a long time.
(38:48):
No,
it just doesn't seem you're that they really know you and that and Bryant truck lines,
they've always known me.
The people in the office always know me,
the guys in the garage,
they know me and we joke around and everything and it makes me feel a lot better,
more wanted.
(39:08):
I guess it is.
And that,
and the other place I was at the place I started driving truck for,
it was the way it was just a family run business and,
and they were super sweet with me and that worked with me,
my schedule and with my kids and everything and I hated to see them close their doors,
(39:30):
but they closed the doors and I went back and went driving Brian truck lines down.
So always too bad to see a good company close their doors.
But it is a fickle industry.
You know,
that you've spent a lot,
you've spent enough time in it for sure.
You've seen plenty of good companies shutter up over the years,
I'm sure.
Yeah,
companies that you really surprised that they shut up and closed up and that,
(39:54):
but they were really doing good.
And next thing they're pulling their trucks and trailers off the road and making their drivers pack their bags and try to find their own way home from wherever the truck was shut down.
That's part of the reason why I didn't like big companies.
Brian truck line seemed to fit my bill and,
(40:14):
uh,
it's great,
man.
I'm glad you found a spot that you like and a spot that respects you.
And that's definitely something that I've heard from a lot of the drivers.
I've talked to from Brian and B and H so far is,
man,
I don't feel like a number.
I keep hearing that over and over again.
It's been a recurring theme in a lot of these interviews and I think it's very important.
It,
it doesn't sound like much when you just say I don't feel like a number.
(40:36):
I feel like a person.
But when you actually break that down and look at what that does for an employee and how much faster their work day goes and how much better they feel when they get home when you just listen to them and give them a voice.
It seems like a slam dunk decision to make.
And it's always puzzled me,
Roger as to why other companies just treat you as expendable out there.
(40:59):
I've heard some horror stories of,
of guys that have medical issues on the road or,
or the truck completely breaks down and they,
they just get left marooned by these big companies.
It's,
it's tragic.
Really?
Yes,
it is.
I know I do a little bit of training with the new drivers,
with the Qualcomm.
And this last one I trained on the Qualcomm.
(41:21):
She was telling me she got hurt out in New Jersey and the company she was with said,
oh,
you're gonna have to drive.
She broke her collarbone and that,
and she had to drive the truck to the hospital and then the hospital wouldn't let her park it there.
So she had to take it across the street and park it in the back lot and then walk across to the hospital to get x rays and everything.
(41:48):
The company didn't really care.
And it is just,
it's a shame and that you give them all you got and they treat you that way.
Yeah.
And especially with an injury like a broken collarbone that affects your ability to use one of your arms and you're driving a giant semi truck.
(42:09):
I just,
it's none of that adds up to me.
I mean,
if you want your truck safe,
maybe don't have somebody that's critically injured or seriously injured.
Driving the thing.
I guess it just goes to show you the level of intelligence.
Some of these mega carriers are working with out there.
It doesn't seem to be a very high bar that's set and it's good that we have companies like Brian around that,
(42:31):
that are a place for drivers,
like yourself to land and spend a long,
healthy career at.
Yeah,
I think these mega companies,
they have drivers come and go and they don't really think about it and they don't really care.
There's always another one coming out of the schools and that,
and that stuff all the time and they can just hire them and treat them crap and then if they had enough of it,
(42:55):
they'll leave and come to a company like Brian Truck line tonight.
And I know my wife's family is all quite been,
quite a few of them have been in the trucking industry and one of her cousins started driving truck for a big company and I think he was,
(43:16):
went to school,
went driving.
And then I think in three months he was training people and I asked him,
how can you train people when you haven't been out in the road in the winter time?
And blizzards whiteouts and that you can't train anybody that way.
And that's what's scary out there.
(43:39):
You just wonder how much experience these drivers out here have anymore.
And,
uh,
for sure,
what,
in,
in your mind,
Roger,
how long would you want somebody to have been out on the road driving before they are,
uh,
uh,
anointed as a trainer?
Is that five years,
is that 10 years?
I know that there's a lot that can happen out there and the reason this question is interesting to me is because I,
(44:03):
I,
even if you have been driving for 10 years,
have you really seen it all or have you just seen everything that was there for you to see when you were there?
I,
I don't know,
what are your thoughts on that?
To be honest with you?
I tell everybody all new drivers that I've been doing it this long and I still see stuff,
(44:25):
new stuff out here after 45 years.
And I tell them if you start feeling like,
you know,
it all,
you become a danger to everybody out on the road,
plus yourself.
So don't to train somebody maybe 10 years,
you got a chance of seeing white out conditions,
(44:47):
high winds.
I,
I chased a tornado one time and that across Ohio and,
and that it's finally something different out here and then that's,
I think is the reason why I stayed with it because it's something different.
You never know what's gonna happen next.
And it just,
you just hope it isn't,
(45:07):
you're gonna end up in an accident or you're gonna cause an accident.
But no,
it,
to train somebody,
I would say probably 10 years and that maybe 7,
10,
it all depends on what kind of experience they have and everything a lot longer than three months is what you're saying.
Yeah.
Yeah,
because I told it I went,
(45:29):
he's from Alabama and,
and I was down there and when he told me he was training,
I said,
and you've only been driving for three months.
Yeah,
they give me more money if I train.
So that's why I did it,
I guess to each their own,
that's that company's decision.
We'll see how it works out for them in the future.
I don't think the company's in business anymore.
(45:51):
I haven't seen their trucks on the road anymore.
There you go.
Uh,
it stands to reason.
It really does.
Yes,
it does.
Yes,
it does.
Roger.
It's been a pleasure talking to you today.
I want to get you back to relaxing in your easy chair and enjoying your evening.
We've still got just a couple more minutes here that I always like to at the end of these interviews,
(46:13):
especially the first time a driver comes on with me.
I like to give him the floor at the end of the interview and just deliver a message to anyone that might be listening,
whether it be your family or your friends or if you have anything you'd like to say to anybody working at Bryan or other drivers out there that might be listening completely wide open.
If there's anything you'd like to say the floor is yours,
(46:34):
my friend.
Thank you.
Thank Brian truck lines for having this what to tell like the new drivers.
And I tell the new drivers all the time.
You're the captain of this ship.
You make the decisions whether you can do it or not.
And that's about it.
It's a life,
(46:55):
I'm not gonna tell everybody it's a life for everybody,
but it's a life for a few and a few who are adventurous.
And that,
that's about it.
Very well said.
And sage advice from a very well experienced driver Roger.
As I said,
it's been great talking to you today.
Enjoy the rest of your relaxation and when you do get back on the road,
(47:17):
keep the shiny side up and be safe out there.
All right.
All right.
That's the main goal there.
All right.
Ok.
Thanks Roger.
Have a good one.
Bye bye.
You too.
Bye.
(47:39):
And with that,
we wrap up episode six of the Brian Truck line show.
Fantastic interviews there.
I want to throw a huge thank you.
Uh And first off,
actually,
I'm gonna throw out a combo.
Thank you and apology because,
uh I'm pretty sure I butchered Tony's name in the intro.
Uh,
(47:59):
but I did learn how to pronounce it and I promise you that Tony Dane Bassel.
Thank you for coming on the show.
Carlos Spriggs,
part of our California team.
Thank you for coming on the show.
I shouldn't say part of our California team,
part of one of our California teams,
uh making the cruise out west and joining us for a little bit of it and also Roger Renard,
(48:21):
great talk with Roger there as well.
Uh This has been a fantastic episode and I hope that it shows some of the rest of you drivers out there.
Exactly why we're here.
We want to talk to you,
we want to hear your stories,
we want to learn about.
You want to find out the things that you like about Brian and B and H and also find out the things that you think can be done better.
That's what this podcast is for.
(48:42):
So make sure to utilize it for such.
Uh if you want to be on the podcast,
you wanna come on like these drivers did,
all you gotta do is talk to Judy Norrick in the office.
She knows that I'm looking for drivers and she will definitely set you up with me.
Uh I can text,
I can call,
I can email,
I can talk to you any way you prefer with the point being.
(49:03):
Let's get you on this podcast.
I'd love to talk to you that's gonna do it for episode six.
We'll see you all in a couple of weeks with episode seven of the Brian Truck line show.
Thank you all for clicking download and don't forget to subscribe on your favorite platform as it helps us out more than,
you know,
keep the shiny side up.
Brian and B and H.
(49:24):
We'll see you next time.
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.
Until next time,
stay safe and keep it rolling.
Welcome into the Brian Truck line show episode six.
I am your host Marcus and thank you all so much for joining me today.
We are gonna talk a little bit more Brian Truck Line as we do once every couple of weeks here on this program.
And,
uh I got some great interviews with Brian drivers coming up right around the corner that I'm really excited to get to today.
(00:24):
I've actually got three Brian drivers coming on this episode and uh their names are Tony Den Bossl,
Carlos Spriggs and Roger Renard.
Looking forward to talking to these guys and learning a little bit more about the great drivers that comprise Brian Truck Line and B and H as well.
Um I,
(00:45):
I still don't have quite enough drivers to talk to,
so I'm still trying to build my roster and I wanna tell you please,
if you're interested in coming on the program,
I would love to have you.
We can talk about whatever you want.
Uh You'll notice here the first time that a driver comes on the program with these first three driver interviews that I'll be having today and sort of the one that I did with,
(01:08):
uh,
Driver Mark Steffen back a couple of weeks ago.
The thing that you're gonna notice is that I keep these conversations pretty generic off the top because it's important to me to get to know who this person is.
Obviously they're a driver for Brian or for B and H.
But what are they hauling?
Where are they going?
What's their work schedule?
(01:29):
Like,
why did they choose to work at Bryan for some of these drivers?
They will have worked at Brian left the company for greener pastures and then ended up back at Brian because it turns out those pastures weren't so green.
After all,
I want to hear those stories.
I want to introduce you to the audience just like I introduced myself to the audience.
(01:49):
And uh,
Carlos Tony and Roger have done a great job with that on today's episode.
So strap in,
get ready to keep the shiny side up and the rusty side down while we cruise through three driver profile interviews right here on the Brian truck line show episode six.
And before we get to it again,
just one more piece of homework.
(02:11):
If you want to be on this show,
talk to your dispatcher,
talk to Judy Norrick.
Uh You can talk to,
to Zach Dean if you can corner him,
tell anybody back there at the office that you wanna be on the show and they'll get you in touch with me and we'll make it happen.
Let's turn the corner and get to these awesome interviews with our Brian and B and H drivers.
(02:32):
Less than truckload,
more than trucking.
This is the Brian Truck line show from Northwest Ohio to wherever you are with your host,
Marcus Bridges.
Joining me next here on the Brian Truck line show.
I've got Brian driver,
Tony Dane Bassel.
Tony.
How are you doing today?
Thanks for being here,
(02:52):
my friend.
I'm doing great.
It's my pleasure to be here.
Well,
we're really glad to have you.
Uh,
I,
I'm really looking forward to getting to meet a bunch more Brian drivers.
I did get to meet quite a few of you guys at the podcast launch and,
uh,
I understand and you're hanging out right there in the break room,
which is where we were at when we launched this thing.
Yep,
(03:12):
it came in a few minutes early to talk with you and then get on the road.
Awesome.
Well,
we won't keep you for very long so that you can get to it.
Uh,
I wanted to know,
uh,
with every driver that I have on here,
Tony,
I want to know how long have you been driving in general when you first started your trucking career until now?
It's been about 11 years now.
(03:34):
And did you start right off with Brian Truck Line or did you work elsewhere and then come to Brian later,
I worked elsewhere for about a year and then came over and worked with B and H for a few years.
Ok.
That's right.
B and H A division of Brian.
And,
and so you worked for B and H and then jumped over to Brian.
Is that how I'm under standing it?
(03:55):
Well,
I've jumped around to a couple of different places.
They say grass is always greener,
but I've always come back to Brian.
Ok.
All right.
Well,
what is it about Brian?
That's always got you coming back because you're not the first driver to tell me that Tony and,
and I always want to dig into that a little bit and see what Brian's doing right to keep their drivers either sticking around or coming back for me.
(04:18):
It's just a consistent respect from,
from everyone.
Everyone's always friendly.
They always treat you good and stuff.
Never had real,
any real complaints.
The shop got something wrong with the truck.
You go in and tell them and they're right on top of it.
You know,
when you come in next,
(04:40):
the truck's gonna be ready to go.
Yeah,
Joe runs a tight ship over there,
doesn't he?
Yes,
he does.
I,
I've,
I've never sat with somebody who I felt was better at their job when I got to asking Joe some questions when we first came out to the terminal months ago.
Uh,
and we're meeting everybody.
Joe sat down with us and first of all,
you can tell he's a very busy guy,
(05:01):
but he was really,
uh gracious with his time and you just got the feeling that every,
that you guys are driving,
if there is something wrong with it,
it's gonna get fixed immediately.
But most of them are in really good shape and out there spinning up a lot of miles and doing it very efficiently when you go in.
If it's just to say hi,
he'll take time to have a short conversation with you too.
(05:24):
Which is great.
That's always great.
You know,
another thing that I hear about Brian,
uh,
and we've actually,
you know,
we had an episode sort of centered around it but Brian drivers told me when I was there that they don't feel like a number,
they feel like a person,
they feel heard.
Uh,
if,
if they have a problem,
they feel like they can speak up and,
uh,
you know,
it might not always get solved in the way that they think it should,
(05:46):
but at least it gets solved.
Uh,
would you speak to that a little bit with your experience from Brian?
Uh,
do you feel more heard and represented as a driver for Brian than you have for other companies in your past?
Yeah.
The number one dispatcher in their heather.
And I was told to say that by the way,
um,
(06:06):
I've,
I've only met her a few times.
I stopped in to say hi.
She recognized me,
knew me by name right away and just how's things,
how's everything going?
I've worked with a couple different dispatchers and never had any issues with them.
And like you said,
if there is a problem,
(06:28):
it's taken care of,
it may not be exactly how I want it to be taken care of,
but it's a good solution.
I always like to hear that.
Uh,
and,
and yes,
I will agree.
Uh Heather takes the cake for the number one dispatcher,
but that's also,
I was directed to say that and I'm not telling her no.
So,
(06:48):
yeah,
so,
uh what kind of route do you run?
Tony?
Where are you dedicated?
Or you running the same route each day or,
or what are you getting into?
Uh How,
how's your,
how's your week shake out at Brian right now?
I'm on a dedicated route to Murray,
Kentucky.
I,
I just recently came back from running all 48.
(07:09):
0,
so I'm,
I'm happy to slow down a little bit and enjoy life again.
Got you.
How long were you otr for?
I'm with this last company.
Almost two years.
Ok.
And is that uh a more stressful way to do it when you've got a dedicated route?
You can get home and spend a little bit more time,
(07:30):
uh,
you know,
at your house or your apartment,
whatever it may be or do you really like the freedom of the open road and living out of the cab?
What's uh,
what's your mindset there?
Um,
they,
they both have their pros and cons here with the dedicated route.
I know about what time I'm gonna be back.
If I wanna make plans,
(07:50):
I can,
I know what days I'm gonna be off otr.
I mean,
you get to see a lot of things but unfortunately you don't get to stop,
to enjoy them and you just get to experience a lot,
lot more across the country.
But then you're living in your truck all the time.
(08:10):
I've always wondered if that getting to experience more across the country is kind of finite too because there's got to be a point where some of you drivers that have seen it all have actually honestly seen it all and there's nothing more for you to see out there.
Uh,
did you ever get to that point where you felt like you were a little bored or is it always something different?
And you're always seeing new places when you're otr it's kind of hard,
(08:34):
hard to say there.
You can take a different route to get to the same place and you might see something that you haven't seen for a while or didn't notice on your last trip through there.
But if you look,
you can always find something new where when you were otr what,
uh,
Tony was like your favorite region of the country to drive in or your favorite state or maybe your favorite,
(08:58):
uh,
you know,
interstate or route?
What,
what did you really feel like was your favorite while you're out there?
Um,
I really enjoyed the southwest.
The,
the scenery can change so dramatically.
You can go from mountains and canyons to the flat desert.
Yeah.
Well,
I'm,
I'm in the northwest and even,
(09:19):
we still even get some of that over here in Oregon.
It's almost like,
uh,
where I'm from.
We've got high desert,
we've got that alpine mountain stuff and then we've got like a rain forest over here on the coast.
And it's,
uh,
not,
I,
I think it's a little bit more saturated and wet up here than it is in the southwest.
At least in my experience it was,
(09:40):
it definitely is.
I've been through that area many times.
Yeah.
We,
uh,
we,
we don't tend to need rain jackets and umbrellas up here in Oregon because we don't have any room to take on more water.
It just kind of bounces off.
But I did get to play some golf down in,
uh,
Arizona a couple summers ago.
(10:00):
I played in 100 and 10 degree weather out in August in Flagstaff and heat like nobody's business,
man.
I,
I don't think I've ever felt heat like that in my life.
It was good because I was outside and I was golfing and I was enjoying it.
But,
man,
it can get crazy down there.
What's it like in the cab of a truck when you're cruising through the southwest?
And it's 100 and 10 outside.
(10:22):
I've got my air conditioner set to about 60 windows up and then perfect.
And that's why Joe knows that if you're gonna go down into those regions,
like maybe the,
uh,
the California team drivers or something like that,
gotta go through Death Valley.
That air conditioner needs to be uh,
up and spinning real good,
real efficient.
(10:42):
Right.
Definitely Tony.
This next one I I have for you is a little bit personal but I like to find out,
uh,
you know why drivers,
uh,
make the decisions that they make.
You're spending a lot more time at home now because you got the dedicated route.
Uh,
do you have a family at home?
N No,
I don't.
How about any,
uh,
any dogs or cats or anything like that that you take on the road with you?
(11:05):
Uh,
not yet.
I'm eventually I wanna get a dog but just haven't made the decision yet.
Yeah.
What kind of dog are you thinking about getting?
Have you,
are you still kind of up in the air on that or?
I still kind of up in the air?
Something small though.
Well,
I have a couple of Corgis and,
uh,
I will tell you right now you won't be able to see if you get one of those because they shed like Huskies in the,
(11:29):
in the summertime.
So I might recommend something with short hair,
uh,
just based on my experience.
Yep,
I'll keep that in mind?
All right.
All right.
So,
uh,
you said you're gonna leave after we get done with this interview?
And,
uh,
I don't have much more for you here,
Tony,
but,
uh,
you're headed to Kentucky.
How far of a trip is that from,
uh,
for you?
For Brian Ohio?
(11:50):
I go over to Fremont first and that's about an eight or a half hour drive to Fremont and then it's just under eight hours down to Kentucky.
Ok.
And you'll,
will you do the eight hours and then take a break and then turn around and come back or will you,
how,
how do you structure your route?
Yeah,
once I get down to Kentucky,
I'll take my 10 hours there and then come back tomorrow.
(12:13):
Ok.
And are you,
when you're driving that route?
Are you in a truck with a sleep on it or are you just in a day cab and you're stopping at a hotel or something like that?
I am a sleeper.
Oh,
ok.
Perfect.
What kind of creature comforts do you take along for the ride with you?
You got,
uh,
you know,
you like movies.
Are you a reader?
Are you a magazine guy?
What,
uh,
what type of things do you do to pass time on the 10 on this route?
(12:36):
I just have my coffee maker.
Yeah.
Uh,
when I was on the road all the time,
I mean,
I had microwave air fryer grill TV,
freezer.
I I had it all set up good.
So,
you're one of the guys,
(12:57):
it sounds like,
likes to make some meals in his cab rather than spend all that hard earned money.
Uh,
eating out.
Definitely.
And then,
and you stay a lot healthier too.
Yeah.
Yeah,
that's a big one.
You gotta get that med card.
Right.
You can't drive without that thing.
Right.
Do you have any,
uh,
favorite meals that you kind of were standbys when you were out there?
Otr things that you like to keep coming back to.
(13:19):
I always made,
um,
pork chops and I'd bring a couple of steaks with me.
My guy.
What's your,
what's your favorite cut of steak?
Yeah.
Yeah,
that's a good one.
I'm a rib eye guy myself,
but they're so dang expensive anymore that you can't go wrong with a sirloin,
you know,
medium rare.
I cooked every,
(13:39):
oh,
definitely.
Ok.
Sorry,
I didn't mean to interrupt you.
I just gotta make sure.
Yeah.
And I,
I cooked everything in an air fryer and if you haven't tried cooking meat in an air fryer,
you have to try it and,
yeah,
it comes out so tender and juicy,
you've got to play with your times a little bit until you,
(14:01):
you find that sweet spot.
But once you find that every time it's gonna come out exactly the same.
Ok.
I'll have to try,
you know,
I,
I've never done any kind of red meat,
uh,
in a,
in an air fryer.
I've only done chicken in the air fryer actually.
And it,
it turned out great.
But that's interesting,
man,
next time I don't want to mess around with a hot frying pan or going outside to grill a steak.
(14:25):
Then I'm gonna try it out in the air fryer.
I like this.
This is why I asked drivers about their recipes all the time because you guys have figured out 1000 tricks and tips that,
uh,
I'll never spend enough time trying to work it out to figure those out.
So I,
I really appreciate that.
I'm gonna give it,
I'm gonna give that hell,
next time I've got a steak in the freeze with my name on it.
Yeah.
Thawed out 400 degrees in about five minutes on each side.
(14:50):
And it'll be a nice,
medium rare for you.
Wow.
Ok.
That's,
man,
that sounds so easy.
These air fryers have just made it so much easier,
uh,
to cook so many things.
I mean,
you can do any type of potato in an air fryer comes out fantastic.
And,
I mean,
you could do your whole meal in there if you needed to.
Yeah.
And there's on Facebook,
(15:11):
there's lots of sites,
um,
about what different people are making in their trucks.
Oh,
ok.
Do you,
do you,
uh,
go on there and contribute to those ever send your recipes in or do you just kind of,
uh,
get recipes from everybody else that likes to post them.
Um,
I just kind of go there to get ideas very clear what everyone else is doing and that,
(15:31):
that looks good and then look it up and figure it out.
Do drivers ever share the food that they make at truck stops?
That's something I've always wondered because I,
I talked to so many drivers that do make really good food in their cabs and I always wonder if you guys are,
uh,
kind of pot luck in it at all when you're stopped at a L or something like that.
Or if you kind of keep to yourself.
(15:53):
Me,
I keep to myself,
I have heard of people doing that though.
I mean,
it sounds like a good way to,
uh,
to,
you know,
I guess up the variety a little bit,
if you're cooking steak and potatoes,
somebody else has got pasta and somebody else is making a salad.
I mean,
that's a three course meal right there.
Tony.
Yes,
it is.
(16:14):
And,
you know,
eat better and cheaper than any restaurant.
That's true,
man.
Restaurant food is outrageous right now.
And I hear that at the truck stops,
it's even worse than it is at some of just your regular restaurants that the prices have just gone kind of through the roof and are a little bit bonkers right now.
Yeah,
truck stops definitely take advantage of the drivers.
(16:37):
There's no doubt about that.
Yeah,
I mean,
making you pay for a shower,
pay for a parking spot.
Next time you're gonna go out and stretch your legs and take a deep breath.
They're gonna charge you for the air in your lungs.
Well,
Tony,
it's been great getting to know you a little bit here.
Uh,
this first call,
whenever I get a driver on for the first time,
I always just want to break the ice a little bit.
(16:58):
Get to know him.
And,
uh,
I feel like we've done a great job with that for you today.
I do want to give you the floor before I let you go.
I know you,
you're busy and you need to get on the road.
But is there anything that you'd like to say to any of your fellow Brian drivers or Brian employees that might be listening before I let you go.
I guess the biggest thing I have to say is the grass may look greener out there,
(17:20):
but you know what you've got at Brian,
you know,
you've got the respect,
the maintenance and everything.
So just think long and hard if you decide to go someplace else very well said that's Brian driver,
Tony Dane Bassel,
Tony again.
Thank you so much.
Drive safe out there and we'll get you back on again soon.
(17:40):
Ok.
All right.
Thank you.
It's my pleasure to be here next up here on the Brian Truck line show.
I've got Brian driver,
Carlos Spriggs with me.
Carlos.
Thanks.
For checking in with us.
How are you doing out there today?
Doing pretty good today and hopefully you're doing the same,
(18:01):
you know,
it,
man,
no complaints for me.
I get to sit back here and,
and talk with drivers all day.
So it's a pretty entertaining job that I have.
What's your job looking like today?
Where are you at?
And where are you headed?
New Mexico and headed for Whittier just outside of L A.
Ok.
So you're one of our,
you're one of our California drivers and so are you team driver?
(18:22):
Carlos?
Yeah.
Ok.
And are you keeping your,
your teammate awake right now?
Is he hanging out in the passenger seat?
Is he trying to get some shut eye?
What's he up to know he's out?
He's out?
Yeah,
we probably switched out about 10 o'clock,
Ohio time.
He's been in bed since 11.
Ok.
All right.
Three hours or so.
(18:43):
We got to talk for a while when I was at the terminal for the first time and you guys stopped in and talk to us.
I think you were there for an hour just shooting the breeze with us.
Uh You're like two peas in a pod man.
You guys get along really well.
How hard was that relationship to form as a team driver?
Knowing you got a trip to California and back with this guy every single week.
(19:05):
Actually,
it wasn't that hard because he drove for,
I think 30 years or maybe a little bit more.
And I've been driving for 2223.
Wow.
And I keep him in check.
He keeps me in check.
So it's like a good marriage is what you're saying.
(19:27):
It's,
everybody pulls their weight and everybody stays out of the other person's way.
It sounds like.
Yeah,
there's times that we can get on each other's nerves.
You just got to remember,
you got to spend the rest of the week with this person.
You need to apologize eventually.
Right?
And not only spend the rest of the week with them but trapped in the cab of a truck.
So it's a little bit more serious than just being in the same room as somebody.
(19:49):
So you just get up and walk out.
Yeah,
exactly.
So you said you've got a lot of driving experience,
Carlos,
did you start?
And is your whole career been with Brian or did you start elsewhere and come to Brian later in your career,
I started out driving flatbed for about a year and a half to two years.
And then I moved,
(20:10):
that was in Indiana and then I moved to Rhode Island for between six and 12 months and drove for a small,
I would put it on like it was a Walmart but on a really small scale because the store sold everything I was driving distribution for the stores.
(20:31):
And then I come back to Indiana and was subcontracted,
driving drive van for a warehouse and then went to Bryan Truck line in 2005.
Oh,
wow.
So you've got almost 20 years with Brian as it sits right now by paperwork.
It's almost 15 because we parted ways for about 30 days.
(20:55):
And then I said,
no,
I can't do this.
I go,
I went back,
gotcha.
So talk to me about that a little bit.
Carlos.
What about Brian,
uh,
brought you back?
Why is it that you like this company?
Maybe over some of the other ones that you've worked for in the past,
other than the drivers you don't see every day.
Everybody in the office in the shop,
(21:16):
owned by name by first name and they know you and you find that makes the job a little bit easier.
Uh,
like you said,
you're not a number.
That's something I hear around here all the time.
Yeah,
that makes it a heck of a lot easier.
And when it comes to not being a number,
do you feel like you're in a unique team?
Are you the only California team that drives for Brian?
(21:39):
No,
I know of one other and other than them.
I'm not sure there's another team that leaves out on Saturdays and our team,
we leave on Monday.
Ok.
Got you.
But I guess the,
what I was getting to here is it's,
it's a small division of,
of drivers that are driving in teams A and,
and B there's not very many of you that are going to California and back.
(22:02):
So not being a number and,
and being heard,
feeling,
heard and seen seems like it would be even more of a challenge for somebody in your position,
but Brian seems to pull their weight there.
You feel like when you can bring up a problem or something like that,
that it's addressed pretty quickly or that at least they'll work with you to try to find a solution in due time.
(22:23):
Oh,
yeah.
If they don't address it right,
then when you talk to them about it,
it will be taken care of within a week if not to.
But usually it's right then and there when you call them,
that's great because I know for just from my experience talking to a lot of drivers,
that's not always the case at other trucking companies.
(22:43):
Right.
I,
the first company I was it with,
I actually had a truck problem and I kept telling them it something was making a weird sound but they couldn't get me into a terminal to check it.
And probably about eight days later I lost the steer tire because the wheel bearing went bad.
(23:03):
But there was no,
like in a car,
you start having problems with your front end.
It pulls the one tire or the other,
this truck would go straight down the road.
It didn't pull,
it didn't act like it was something like that.
It was just making a weird noise.
But here at Brian,
(23:25):
I call the shop to talk to Joe,
he'll ask me,
what do you think it is?
And then he'll say what he thinks it is.
Whether do you want to pamper it to get it back to the yard or do you want to go into a shop right now?
And usually it's going good and everything,
we'll get it back to the yard and see what you find out.
(23:45):
But if I don't think it's safe,
they'll tell me either stop and have somebody come to you or get to the first shop you come to.
That's great.
Look,
we've talked about it even already on this episode,
we've mentioned how tight of a ship.
Joe runs over there at the shop and man,
I,
I,
we've been giving nonstop praise to the guy,
but for good reason,
(24:06):
it seems like he does a really good job and not just Joe,
obviously,
the whole team over there at the shop does a really good job keeping you guys up and running safely.
Yeah,
they do.
And all you have to do is call him and ask him a question and they'll give you the best answer they can and then ask you if you wanna keep continue or have it looked at.
(24:29):
That's great.
I,
I love to hear that man and anything to make your job easier because the job that you do is,
is a tough one.
Uh I,
I gotta ask you a few questions about your,
uh,
your team member here.
What's your,
what's your fellow driver's first name?
Remind me.
I'm so sorry.
I'm so bad with jobs.
Jeff.
Ok.
So what's,
what's a crazy experience that you guys shared out there on the road?
(24:51):
Listen,
I,
I talked to enough drivers to know California is not every driver's favorite place to drive and you guys got a long way to get there and back each week.
I assume some crazy things have happened between home and California.
You got any stories you want to share with me,
Carlos?
Oh,
wow.
A lot of them probably can't share on the radio,
but we're not on the radio.
(25:12):
So you and we have a bleep button too.
So anything that gets said that needs to be bleeped,
we could always bleep it.
I know why he was telling me this morning and he had me rolling once he stopped to get fuel in Oklahoma and there was a truck next to him that had a locksmith there because the guy locked his keys in his truck.
(25:33):
And after they unlocked his truck,
Jeff went inside and got his coffee and his fuel receipt.
When he come out,
the other driver was standing there mumbling and he,
Jeff asked him what's going on?
The locksmith just unlocked your truck.
He goes,
he said,
yeah,
but after he unlocked it,
I went inside and locked him in it again,
(25:59):
start to a Tuesday for him.
But it got my morning going very,
firstly,
I guess it,
something about that little jump of energy you get,
when you get to laugh at someone else's hardships and they're not your own.
Yeah.
Especially with when we get to California,
(26:20):
you could back into the same dock every day,
over and over and just one day you'll have a bad day and you can't hit that dock to save your life.
And it's funny because the people we go to the majority of the time,
they all know it by name and they'll be standing in the dock door going.
You got a new driver,
don't you?
(26:40):
Yeah.
Yeah,
we do.
That's great,
man.
What's your favorite part of the drive out there?
You're in New Mexico now.
I know there's some beautiful country out there.
Arizona.
Of course,
there are some beautiful parts of California despite all the bad things we might say about it.
So,
uh,
what's,
what's your favorite part to experience out there?
(27:01):
Carlos Arizona.
Yeah.
Any particular across Arizona?
All of it,
all of it.
Do you guys ever get to spend,
do you get to spend any time out there?
Uh,
do you ever get to stop and en enjoy a break out there or anything like that or you pretty much just point to point in it,
uh,
through the state?
We stopped,
(27:22):
there was one spot outside of Flagstaff.
We were stopping at every week religiously.
But they closed their restaurant,
wanted you to start going to the casino.
And so we're just trying to figure something out now because they just stopped that two weeks ago.
That other than half an hour,
anywhere from half an hour to an hour.
(27:43):
Other than that,
we're not sitting very long,
obviously,
not enough time to go in and burn some,
uh,
hard earned money at their casino.
Which thanks for that opportunity to do that.
It does not take long to do that.
I was,
I was on a road trip,
uh,
down through Oregon to go camping in the southern part of the state with my wife a few years back.
Actually,
(28:03):
it was,
uh,
2020.
It was that first summer,
uh,
of COVID.
And we stopped at a little casino to stay the night on I five and sat down to play some blackjack and I sat down next to a truck driver who was from upstate New York and he told me that the only thing that he does when he stops is gamble.
(28:24):
He religiously stops at casinos.
It's the only place he takes his break and he spends all of his free time in those casinos,
gambling.
And I,
for somebody that enjoys playing cards and gambling like I do.
That sounds like,
hey,
that would be really cool.
I can't imagine Carlos the amount of money that poor man has probably lost in his travels across the United States.
(28:46):
How do you even make a living doing that?
I don't see how,
unless he wins a lot.
Which,
and no gambler ever does.
No,
no gambler that will talk to you about.
Gambling is one that wins a lot.
No,
I had a different partner before Jeff and him and I would stop and they're at the casino and he taught me how to play blackjack.
(29:11):
But the Tuesday that we were there,
they had what they called throwback.
Tuesdays and had $3 table minimums.
Oh,
it's great.
And so I would set aside 30 to $40 every week and one that was gone.
I was done.
(29:32):
But no,
I couldn't imagine stopping everywhere.
I stopped and gambled.
Oh,
dude,
it's,
you would,
you,
that's when you're really chasing the dragon at that point is,
is when you're stopping every place that you stop and you're gambling,
you'll probably never make it back when you learn that you wouldn't want to go back because if your significant other finds out how much you lost,
(29:53):
then you're in a different kind of hurry.
Yeah.
No joke there.
Who wants to come home to that?
But there is the other side of that Carlos where if you win a bunch of money and come home with a really nice gift for said significant other,
they might let it slide that time,
that time.
But how often is that gonna happen?
As big as those casinos that I see are,
I gotta imagine it's not much Carlos.
(30:15):
I really do.
Those,
those casinos don't get built on winners,
that's for sure.
Carlos,
it's been great talking to you here.
I've got a few more minutes before we got to,
uh,
let you go.
But I,
I want to give you the chance to say anything that you might want to say to any fellow Bryan employees bh employees that might be listening,
any of your family or friends that might be listening if you'd like to,
(30:38):
to put out a message there for Jeff,
your team member while he's fast asleep in the back.
The floor is yours?
Carlos?
Anything you'd like to say if you're having any problems,
truck wise,
get a hold of Joe or Todd in the garage and if it's anything with your load or your back,
ha,
just get a hold of dispatch.
Everybody knows you by name.
(31:01):
Hopefully they don't give you too hard of a time,
but they will help you.
Hopefully they won't give you too hard of a time.
They like to pick on us every now and then.
Yeah,
they do.
I,
I've left,
I've left California before and they called and said,
hey,
you didn't pick up that load down in commerce because we didn't get it on the Qualcomm.
And then they start laughing and say,
(31:21):
oh,
we're just kidding.
Oh,
come on,
that's low for the two hour backtrack to get it.
If we had to.
Yeah.
And they know that feeling that went through your body when they said,
hey,
you forgot a load.
That whole,
that kind of whole body gets taken over by that uneasy feeling.
You,
you start sweating a little bit like,
oh,
that's terrible.
(31:41):
Who was that?
Did that to you?
Exactly.
Well,
Carlos,
please drive safe out there.
You and Jeff both keep the shiny side up.
We will definitely get you back on here.
I'd love to have you on some time at the same time as your team member because we had such a fun conversation with you guys.
You're so fun to talk to when both of you are going back and forth.
(32:03):
So we'll try to work that out sometime when nobody has to lose any sleep over that.
Ok.
Alrighty.
All right,
Carlos.
Enjoy New Mexico,
Arizona and of course,
the questionable state of California,
man.
We'll talk to you soon,
ok?
All right.
Thank you.
(32:27):
Next up here on the Brian Truck line show,
we've got another Brian driver,
Roger Renard joining us on the line right now.
Roger.
Thank you so much for being here.
Thank you for having me.
No problem.
Glad to have you.
What's the route looking like for you today?
It sounds pretty quiet where you're at.
I might almost think that you're in a break room unless you got a really good headset on.
(32:49):
No,
I'm sitting at home in my easy chair right now.
I got done early today.
Oh,
perfect.
That's great.
We really appreciate you taking the time from your easy chair.
I know this is normally relaxing time and not talking about work time,
but we appreciate it.
Yeah,
no problem.
So,
what route are you on?
Roger?
You have something dedicated.
(33:09):
You doing the same thing every day or are you one of these guys who's always going someplace different?
I'm always going somewhere different.
I just never really got into doing dedicated,
going the same place every day in and day out.
They shoot me to Wisconsin today.
I was in Bolingbrook,
(33:29):
Illinois delivered a load of envelopes,
picked up a load of steel and brought back to the yard.
And so they sent me just a little bit everywhere.
Yeah,
I do too.
Keeps it fresh out there.
Keeps the scenery always changing.
I,
I've always thought that those guys that run the dedicated routes,
they probably have a real nice lined out schedule and they know exactly what's gonna happen and when you're always looking at the same stuff that's gotta make it hard to stay awake and alert out there.
(33:58):
Yeah,
I did it,
I covered a guy for a guy for two or three days and it just got,
seemed like it got boring there.
Seemed like it all the same stuff and that,
and I've always just gone different places and that and everything and all the years of driving and that,
(34:19):
and I like it that way.
Yeah,
I guess if your,
if your dedicated route takes you through Yellowstone or,
or you get to drive through the big sky country up there in Montana or down in Utah or something,
maybe that would be ok.
But that midwest driving is not the same animal.
No,
no,
it is not,
that's for sure.
And,
uh,
I've been to Buffalo New York with the other company I was with and last year I was in Oklahoma City and it was pretty neat.
(34:46):
And you get out in that area,
some different areas.
I've never been in.
Sure.
Sure.
Where would you say your favorite place to drive in the country?
Is Roger.
I really like down there in Oklahoma City and going down through Saint Louis and then down that way,
it was really nice.
I've never been in that area before in my life and it was really,
(35:09):
I did it three or four times.
It didn't seem to get boring.
And,
well,
that must be how,
you know,
that you like going down there.
Right?
If you're not constantly thinking about how bored you are.
Yes,
that's for sure.
Sorry to interrupt.
Go ahead.
No.
No,
go ahead.
No,
I was just gonna ask you how long you've been driving for Roger?
Oh,
(35:30):
I've been thinking about that.
It's been roughly around 45 years.
Wow,
that's a great career.
Yeah.
Yeah,
it's been interesting and at times there are times I just think,
I wonder why I'm doing it.
But then I get back in it again and off,
(35:51):
I go again and the,
I had it like a year or two away from driving trucks and I'd sit outside at break time at night and hear the trucks are rolling down the highway and that,
and just made me sick,
sick that I missed it that much.
So,
I had to get back in there.
That's cool.
I love when a guy has a moment like that really teaches you about a little bit about yourself.
(36:15):
It seems like you,
you really learned about your true love for trucking in that moment.
Yes.
Yes.
That's for sure.
And some days I don't love it as much as I do other days.
But that's all part of living and that and jobs and everything.
That's just life.
Man.
That's the way she goes.
So,
(36:36):
how long Roger have you been driving for Brian?
I assume you've mentioned some of the other companies you worked for.
So I assume that all 45 years haven't been with Brian.
No,
no,
I started out with Brian and I did about 13 years and then I left for about a year and a half and then came back and it's been,
(36:58):
now,
I'm thinking six years I've been with this the second time around in that and I wish I didn't leave him in that,
but you got to learn the hard way.
And that's true.
That's true.
What about Brian?
Is it?
What do you like so much about the company that,
uh,
you know,
you wish you hadn't have left for that year and a half,
(37:19):
it's more of a family feel and that I've known the Deans for quite a long time,
longer than 45 years.
And that,
and everybody there just treats you really nice.
You're not a number.
I,
I drove for another company in a year and a half,
(37:40):
two years and it just felt like I was a number to them and that,
and I've never brought up that way and I've never drove for a company that way.
And when I got hurt there at the co that company and I was able to go back to work,
my doctor told me not to pull away tarts anymore because I tore my meniscus in my shoulder.
(38:01):
And he said,
if I tear it again,
you'll lose arm,
be able to move your arm as far as you can or up and down as much as you can.
And they said,
no,
can't do that.
You're gonna have to pull cover away.
I got pull tarts down,
man.
And I said,
that's all right.
I know a company that will work with me and Brian Truck line has always worked with me and that's where I went back.
(38:25):
Yeah,
that's,
that sounds like the right decision.
I,
I can't,
that,
that always really makes me scratch my head Roger when I hear about a company telling somebody that I don't care what the doctor said.
I don't care what your,
your family says.
Uh,
you're gonna do the job the way that we tell you to do it regardless of your health.
Uh,
it doesn't seem like a very good way to keep employees around for a long time.
(38:48):
No,
it just doesn't seem you're that they really know you and that and Bryant truck lines,
they've always known me.
The people in the office always know me,
the guys in the garage,
they know me and we joke around and everything and it makes me feel a lot better,
more wanted.
(39:08):
I guess it is.
And that,
and the other place I was at the place I started driving truck for,
it was the way it was just a family run business and,
and they were super sweet with me and that worked with me,
my schedule and with my kids and everything and I hated to see them close their doors,
(39:30):
but they closed the doors and I went back and went driving Brian truck lines down.
So always too bad to see a good company close their doors.
But it is a fickle industry.
You know,
that you've spent a lot,
you've spent enough time in it for sure.
You've seen plenty of good companies shutter up over the years,
I'm sure.
Yeah,
companies that you really surprised that they shut up and closed up and that,
(39:54):
but they were really doing good.
And next thing they're pulling their trucks and trailers off the road and making their drivers pack their bags and try to find their own way home from wherever the truck was shut down.
That's part of the reason why I didn't like big companies.
Brian truck line seemed to fit my bill and,
(40:14):
uh,
it's great,
man.
I'm glad you found a spot that you like and a spot that respects you.
And that's definitely something that I've heard from a lot of the drivers.
I've talked to from Brian and B and H so far is,
man,
I don't feel like a number.
I keep hearing that over and over again.
It's been a recurring theme in a lot of these interviews and I think it's very important.
It,
it doesn't sound like much when you just say I don't feel like a number.
(40:36):
I feel like a person.
But when you actually break that down and look at what that does for an employee and how much faster their work day goes and how much better they feel when they get home when you just listen to them and give them a voice.
It seems like a slam dunk decision to make.
And it's always puzzled me,
Roger as to why other companies just treat you as expendable out there.
(40:59):
I've heard some horror stories of,
of guys that have medical issues on the road or,
or the truck completely breaks down and they,
they just get left marooned by these big companies.
It's,
it's tragic.
Really?
Yes,
it is.
I know I do a little bit of training with the new drivers,
with the Qualcomm.
And this last one I trained on the Qualcomm.
(41:21):
She was telling me she got hurt out in New Jersey and the company she was with said,
oh,
you're gonna have to drive.
She broke her collarbone and that,
and she had to drive the truck to the hospital and then the hospital wouldn't let her park it there.
So she had to take it across the street and park it in the back lot and then walk across to the hospital to get x rays and everything.
(41:48):
The company didn't really care.
And it is just,
it's a shame and that you give them all you got and they treat you that way.
Yeah.
And especially with an injury like a broken collarbone that affects your ability to use one of your arms and you're driving a giant semi truck.
(42:09):
I just,
it's none of that adds up to me.
I mean,
if you want your truck safe,
maybe don't have somebody that's critically injured or seriously injured.
Driving the thing.
I guess it just goes to show you the level of intelligence.
Some of these mega carriers are working with out there.
It doesn't seem to be a very high bar that's set and it's good that we have companies like Brian around that,
(42:31):
that are a place for drivers,
like yourself to land and spend a long,
healthy career at.
Yeah,
I think these mega companies,
they have drivers come and go and they don't really think about it and they don't really care.
There's always another one coming out of the schools and that,
and that stuff all the time and they can just hire them and treat them crap and then if they had enough of it,
(42:55):
they'll leave and come to a company like Brian Truck line tonight.
And I know my wife's family is all quite been,
quite a few of them have been in the trucking industry and one of her cousins started driving truck for a big company and I think he was,
(43:16):
went to school,
went driving.
And then I think in three months he was training people and I asked him,
how can you train people when you haven't been out in the road in the winter time?
And blizzards whiteouts and that you can't train anybody that way.
And that's what's scary out there.
(43:39):
You just wonder how much experience these drivers out here have anymore.
And,
uh,
for sure,
what,
in,
in your mind,
Roger,
how long would you want somebody to have been out on the road driving before they are,
uh,
uh,
anointed as a trainer?
Is that five years,
is that 10 years?
I know that there's a lot that can happen out there and the reason this question is interesting to me is because I,
(44:03):
I,
even if you have been driving for 10 years,
have you really seen it all or have you just seen everything that was there for you to see when you were there?
I,
I don't know,
what are your thoughts on that?
To be honest with you?
I tell everybody all new drivers that I've been doing it this long and I still see stuff,
(44:25):
new stuff out here after 45 years.
And I tell them if you start feeling like,
you know,
it all,
you become a danger to everybody out on the road,
plus yourself.
So don't to train somebody maybe 10 years,
you got a chance of seeing white out conditions,
(44:47):
high winds.
I,
I chased a tornado one time and that across Ohio and,
and that it's finally something different out here and then that's,
I think is the reason why I stayed with it because it's something different.
You never know what's gonna happen next.
And it just,
you just hope it isn't,
(45:07):
you're gonna end up in an accident or you're gonna cause an accident.
But no,
it,
to train somebody,
I would say probably 10 years and that maybe 7,
10,
it all depends on what kind of experience they have and everything a lot longer than three months is what you're saying.
Yeah.
Yeah,
because I told it I went,
(45:29):
he's from Alabama and,
and I was down there and when he told me he was training,
I said,
and you've only been driving for three months.
Yeah,
they give me more money if I train.
So that's why I did it,
I guess to each their own,
that's that company's decision.
We'll see how it works out for them in the future.
I don't think the company's in business anymore.
(45:51):
I haven't seen their trucks on the road anymore.
There you go.
Uh,
it stands to reason.
It really does.
Yes,
it does.
Yes,
it does.
Roger.
It's been a pleasure talking to you today.
I want to get you back to relaxing in your easy chair and enjoying your evening.
We've still got just a couple more minutes here that I always like to at the end of these interviews,
(46:13):
especially the first time a driver comes on with me.
I like to give him the floor at the end of the interview and just deliver a message to anyone that might be listening,
whether it be your family or your friends or if you have anything you'd like to say to anybody working at Bryan or other drivers out there that might be listening completely wide open.
If there's anything you'd like to say the floor is yours,
(46:34):
my friend.
Thank you.
Thank Brian truck lines for having this what to tell like the new drivers.
And I tell the new drivers all the time.
You're the captain of this ship.
You make the decisions whether you can do it or not.
And that's about it.
It's a life,
(46:55):
I'm not gonna tell everybody it's a life for everybody,
but it's a life for a few and a few who are adventurous.
And that,
that's about it.
Very well said.
And sage advice from a very well experienced driver Roger.
As I said,
it's been great talking to you today.
Enjoy the rest of your relaxation and when you do get back on the road,
(47:17):
keep the shiny side up and be safe out there.
All right.
All right.
That's the main goal there.
All right.
Ok.
Thanks Roger.
Have a good one.
Bye bye.
You too.
Bye.
(47:39):
And with that,
we wrap up episode six of the Brian Truck line show.
Fantastic interviews there.
I want to throw a huge thank you.
Uh And first off,
actually,
I'm gonna throw out a combo.
Thank you and apology because,
uh I'm pretty sure I butchered Tony's name in the intro.
Uh,
(47:59):
but I did learn how to pronounce it and I promise you that Tony Dane Bassel.
Thank you for coming on the show.
Carlos Spriggs,
part of our California team.
Thank you for coming on the show.
I shouldn't say part of our California team,
part of one of our California teams,
uh making the cruise out west and joining us for a little bit of it and also Roger Renard,
(48:21):
great talk with Roger there as well.
Uh This has been a fantastic episode and I hope that it shows some of the rest of you drivers out there.
Exactly why we're here.
We want to talk to you,
we want to hear your stories,
we want to learn about.
You want to find out the things that you like about Brian and B and H and also find out the things that you think can be done better.
That's what this podcast is for.
(48:42):
So make sure to utilize it for such.
Uh if you want to be on the podcast,
you wanna come on like these drivers did,
all you gotta do is talk to Judy Norrick in the office.
She knows that I'm looking for drivers and she will definitely set you up with me.
Uh I can text,
I can call,
I can email,
I can talk to you any way you prefer with the point being.
(49:03):
Let's get you on this podcast.
I'd love to talk to you that's gonna do it for episode six.
We'll see you all in a couple of weeks with episode seven of the Brian Truck line show.
Thank you all for clicking download and don't forget to subscribe on your favorite platform as it helps us out more than,
you know,
keep the shiny side up.
Brian and B and H.
(49:24):
We'll see you next time.
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.
Until next time,
stay safe and keep it rolling.
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