September 30, 2024 • 45 mins
What if your toughest challenges became the stepping stones to your greatest triumphs? Join us as we sit down with Ben Grunenwald, a remarkable figure in the trucking industry, who shares his incredible journey from hardship to success. From dropping out of high school and facing homelessness to becoming the youngest driver in his company, Ben's story is a testament to resilience and determination. Listen as he recounts his early fascination with trucking, inspired by his grandfather, and his rise through the ranks to become an expert in safety management.
Ever wondered how a roadside breakdown could lead to an encounter with automotive legends? Ben takes us through his adventurous six years on the road, including a memorable breakdown near Barstow, California, that serendipitously led him to a Carroll Shelby car museum in Las Vegas. There, he met Michael Shelby and got a sneak peek at the unreleased Shelby Series 7. Beyond his professional adventures, Ben also shares a heartwarming tale of reconnecting and marrying a former girlfriend after 20 years apart, highlighting the unexpected twists and personal milestones that define a trucker's life.
Curious about the future of the trucking industry? Ben delves into the rise of autonomous trucks and technological advancements shaping the field. Hear his thoughts on how these changes could impact drivers and the benefits they might bring. Learn about his transition from night shifts to higher education in criminal justice and supply chain management, all while maintaining a growth mindset and positive outlook. This episode is packed with practical strategies for personal and professional development, making it a must-listen for anyone in the trucking community or those interested in the evolving landscape of this essential industry.
Enjoying Life OTR—because LIVING WELL is worth the effort. We’re sparking curiosity, adventure, & resilience while honoring drivers and embracing a healthier trucking life. Discover creative life hacks & practical strategies to make the most of your time on the road. Join the movement!Explore, enjoy the food, snap the pic, and share tips on saving money along the way.
This podcast is for new and veteran drivers looking to stay mentally, physically, and financially strong while embracing the freedom of the road. We bring you real stories, expert advice, & practical tools to help you thrive, not just survive, in the trucking life.
Connect with Us: Join the Enjoying Life OTR Facebook Group – Share your journey, find trip recommendations, & connect with fellow drivers. Follow our Facebook page – Get the latest podcast episodes, trucking tips, & entertaining content. Visit our website – Explore our journey, see community highlights, and access resources for a healthier, more balanced OTR life.
For questions or to be a guest, email our host, Cindy Tunstall at EnjoyingLifeOTR@gmail.com #HealthierTruckers #EnjoyingLifeOTR #TruckerWellness #OTRLife #WorkLifeBalance
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Enjoying Life OTR Conversations that inspire
curiosity, adventure andresilience.
We're honoring drivers andsharing their adventures and
becoming healthier truckers.
Stay tuned to discover creativelife hacks and practical
strategies for enhancing ourwell-being and making the most
of our time on the road.
Welcome to Enjoying Life, OTR.
Dino Grigoriadis (00:21):
Hey truckers, this is Dino, your roadie and
guide on the side.
Ever feel like industryregulations are a double-edged
sword, Meant to keep us safe butalso driving us up the wall?
I know what you're thinking.
That's because it's made bypeople who know nothing about
trucking to regulate truckinginstead of asking those who do
nothing but trucking.
Well, today we're pulling backthe curtain with a guest who's
(00:44):
seen it all from both sides ofthe windshield.
He's got some intriguinginsights on industry regulations
that might just surprise you.
Whether you love him or hatehim, you'll want to hear what
this industry veteran has to sayabout the rules of the road.
So grab a cup of coffee, settlein, because we're about to hit
the highway of safety talk.
Cindy Tunstall (01:06):
Welcome back to Enjoying Life OTR podcast.
My name is Cindy Tunstall andI'm your host Today.
Our guest is Ben Grunewald.
He has a wonderful attitude.
He's got a proactive approachto doing life and a lot of
wisdom to share.
He's a veteran in our industryand I can't wait for you to meet
him.
Welcome to the show, ben.
Ben Grunenwald (01:25):
Thank you, cindy , it's nice to be here.
Cindy Tunstall (01:27):
Well, I'm excited for our audience to meet
you.
Do us a favor in the beginning,just tell us a little bit about
your career, what's your rolein the industry, and just so we
could get to know you just alittle bit, and then we'll kind
of do a deep dive and get intosome background stuff.
Ben Grunenwald (01:41):
Sure, okay.
Currently I work in the safetydepartment for one of the larger
refueling carriers in thecountry.
Part of my job is to superviseor to oversee the five
departments of risk managementin the trucking industry.
It's a job that I took recentlyin an effort to advance my
(02:04):
career off of the road but stillstay in the industry.
I started the trucking industrywhen I was oh, probably 14.
I took a ride with mygrandfather.
He was an employee with JohnDeere, got laid off, wasn't sure
what to do, didn't want to goback to farming, so I went to
(02:26):
truck driving school and onesummer I was able to take a ride
with them up to Pickleball Lodejust outside of Sheboygan,
wisconsin.
And I got hooked on theindustry since then and I knew
that when I was getting olderand I was able to actually
attend truck driving school.
(02:47):
It was an industry that took meon, given my kind of
questionable past, and it's justbeen a part of me ever since.
Cindy Tunstall (02:59):
Do you mind sharing a little bit about the
questionable past that mighthave made it challenging for you
to get in?
Ben Grunenwald (03:04):
Yeah, sure, little bit about the
questionable past that mighthave made it challenging for you
to get in.
Yeah, sure, I see.
I dropped out of high schoolwhen I was just 18 years old.
My, my, uh.
My house wasn't my parentshouse wasn't a very nice place
to be in, and I decided I wantedto go out and work instead of
go to school.
(03:24):
The only way I was going to beable to afford and work instead
of go to school, the only way Iwas going to be able to afford
that, was to not go to school atall.
So I dropped out of high school.
The relationship I was with mygirlfriend at the time, I moved
in with her and I wasn't able tokeep a job.
I don't know, there's somethingabout my work ethic or I should
(03:45):
say a lack of work ethic thatdidn't allow me to keep a job.
You can call it immaturity, Idon't know Whatever you want to
label it, but I just couldn'tkeep a job.
And so she and I ultimatelybroke up.
And when we broke up, I washomeless up.
And when we broke up, I washomeless and the only job that I
(04:06):
could find for a high schooldropout was the local truck
driving school the same one thatmy grandfather went to and so
that's where I went.
I went right into truck drivingschool and then, once I
graduated truck driving school,I went right into an overall
position, and I was there forabout six years.
Cindy Tunstall (04:30):
Wow, so you were driving very young.
So how old were you when youstarted driving a big rig?
Ben Grunenwald (04:36):
I had just turned 22.
I had just turned 22 and, uh,it was, I just turned 22 and the
trucking company that I went towork for for the first time
they're no longer in businessbecause of some some uh legal
(04:56):
issues with one of their, withone of their customers, but they
had to make an exception totheir insurance policy because I
wasn't of age yet, or I wasjust barely of age yet, and
that's where I got my CV handleat was they always called me the
kid because I was the youngestdriver they ever had, because I
was still too young for theirinsurance policy and the only
(05:20):
way that they're able to get meinsured was I had to stay with
my trainer for six months, andhe's still a friend of mine to
this day.
Cindy Tunstall (05:31):
Wow, I love that .
You're really fortunate becauseeven now, the trucking
companies and insurance are justa hard no.
So you're lucky that they evenwere able to make an exception
for you at that time and be ableto begin your career.
Ben Grunenwald (05:44):
Yeah, I agree and I'm still thankful for him
for that opportunity.
He was one of the best.
He was an owner-operator and hetook me on and they don't tell
you that he took me on not to bemy trainer because he wanted to
run his truck like a team truck.
Anyone in the industry knowsthat a team truck can make a lot
(06:04):
of money.
Cindy Tunstall (06:05):
Yeah, especially when they're operator well,
tell me a little bit.
I haven't had a, um, a milktanker driver on the show yet,
so and I personally don't know,I haven't had conversations with
the driver that's doing thatkind of freight.
Could you tell me a little bitabout that type of work and then
the unique challenges that thework presents, and maybe a story
(06:25):
where you've had to overcomesome challenges in that work?
Yeah, sure so.
Ben Grunenwald (06:31):
I started driving a milk truck about 15
years ago, and since mygrandfather was an old dairy
farmer, I grew up on a dairyfarm here and there, so I knew
the ins and outs of how to workaround the inside of a milk
house.
(06:52):
But because of the nature andthe security of it, you have to
be licensed by a coupledifferent agencies in order to
be able to pick up the farm milk.
Plus, you have to be able totolerate the sounds and the
smells that go with working on afarm.
The biggest challenge forpicking up raw milk off the farm
is and it's a quote that anymilk heart will tell you is the
(07:14):
milk has to get picked up.
We don't have bad weather, andso combine that with the fact
that we don't have baffles inour tanks, and some of these
tanks, like the current one thatI drive, it's a 9 000 gallon
tank.
It can hold seven, seventhousand pounds of milk, and if
you get 77 77 000 pounds of milkgoing in bad weather and you
(07:40):
don't know how to control thattruck, you're going to lose it,
and so you always have to beaware that that nook will make
you go where it wants to go ifyou lose it.
Cindy Tunstall (07:53):
That sounds horrible.
It's very stressful.
So can you tell me about somestories?
Donnie, you care a lot aboutsafety and you still continue to
do work on that.
What's the way that you'repreventing accidents and how are
you training drivers to be ableto overcome those challenges?
What's involved in that process?
Ben Grunenwald (08:18):
That's.
You know that question can onlybe answered when you look at the
driver itself, should only beanswered when you look at the
driver itself.
When you have young driverscoming fresh out of school, you
have to be able to teach them orto describe to them what can
happen, what will happen if youlet that truck get out of hand
(08:43):
and it's easier to stay, to keepthe truck under control and
with the equipment that we havetoday automatic transmissions
and jake brakes that control thetruck a little bit easier.
E-logs where you're not reallyfocused on making sure that your
hours of duty are up to statusor up to par, the computer is
(09:04):
going to do it for you as ano-caller.
We don't really have to workwith e-logs anymore because
we're ad-exempt.
And to try and be able toexplain that to a driver,
especially with one that callsin and asks questions about the
logbook and criticisms about thelogbook and I have to explain
(09:25):
to them that in some instances alogbook protects you from well,
from driver managers and otherpeople in the industry that
really don't respect your time.
You try and make sure thatyou're there for them and you're
trying to teach them that thelogbook isn't hindering them,
(09:45):
but rather is protecting themfrom from predator driver
managers that that have been orstill out there and trying and
the government isn't there tostop them from earning money,
but rather to protect them inthe public, the motoring public,
from any dangers that mightbecome, as from driving a truck
(10:07):
tired or in bad weather orcircumstances like that.
Cindy Tunstall (10:13):
I hear drivers talk a lot about e-logs Of
course, drivers that have beenon the road much longer than I
have.
I've only been in the industryfour years but I personally am a
fan of e-logs.
I like it that it's mandatorystop and I have a reason to tell
my shipper or receiver orwhoever's trying to send me out
over hours that you know I justcan't and I won't because I know
(10:34):
for me I need the break and Ineed the safety.
But I think the biggestpushback that I still hear from
drivers is that they know thatthey could take a two-hour, you
know, take a break, a 30, a30-minute break, an hour break,
and then still extend theirdrive time in a really healthy,
safe way.
Or if they get delayed at theshipper and so their day doesn't
actually start until like noon,you know, and they're just
(10:56):
limited, it just forces them tomake themselves rest in a way
that's not ideal for them thatparticular day.
But for me, the type of freightthat I run and the schedules
that I run, it's really helpfulfor me.
But I still hear a lot ofpushback about e-logs.
So I'm always welcome to hearother drivers talk about the
(11:19):
benefits and have a differentperspective on that.
I'm not a fan of big governmentmyself, but, you know, I do see
this as a way that's helpfuland, honestly, I'm thankful that
drivers aren't able to drive,you know, 20 hours in a day and
that makes me, um, you know,feel more comfortable on the
road.
Ben Grunenwald (11:37):
Yeah, when I started driving, the first thing
that my trainer taught me washow to shift the truck.
The second thing he taught mewas how to falsify a log book,
and I don't know how many ofyour listeners remember paper
logs and loose leaf log books.
But keep it one, two, three logbooks up to date, one being
(11:59):
your real one, one being yourone you give the DOT.
Those were very stressful timesbecause you could have told
your driver manager, yourdispatcher, you didn't have the
hours, but he or she didn't care.
You're going to go.
Now you don't have that problem,and I think it's a good thing,
because anyone can open up theweb browser and read about
(12:23):
drivers that were involved in afatal accident.
Now they're in prison becausetheir logbook says they
shouldn't have been there.
And when I hear drivers cominginto the business that have two,
three, four years of experienceand they're glad to hear about
logbook, it actually makes myjob a little bit easier, because
I don't have to defend thelogbook.
(12:44):
I have to defend against theold guys, the guys that have
been doing it for a while,because, just like you said,
they're not a damn biggovernment and they think that
an e-log is going to stop themfrom making money, and it's
really not.
It's just trying to save themso they can get home to their
families.
Cindy Tunstall (13:00):
Yeah, yeah.
Ben Grunenwald (13:04):
I'm a fan of e-logs.
I'm glad they made themmandatory and they're even
easier to use as the technologygets better.
We just instituted a new Iguess you could say computer
program that actually monitorswhat we call creeping.
You know, the old technology isyou could creep a truck and
(13:26):
wouldn't be able to pick it up,but now you can.
The technology is so good thatwe can spot a truck creeping at
50 feet.
Cindy Tunstall (13:32):
Yeah, and you've had a long career in the
industry.
What is it specifically abouttrucking that makes you still
continue to be so passionateover a 25 year span?
You've gone from um driving anddone some otr in the past and
now really focused on safety,and what is it about the
(13:55):
industry that really continuesto drive you?
Ben Grunenwald (14:00):
I love the fact that it's one of the very few
industries that you can go toschool for three weeks, put
years of experience into it andmake six figures a year,
depending on how hard you work.
I like the fact that it's anindustry that welcomes everybody
.
You can go through the last 25years and every economic
downturn that the country faces.
(14:22):
You will see a spike in theamount of people that go to
truck driving school.
It is one of those industriesthat, yes, right now we're still
on a downturn of freightbecause of COVID, but it's
picking up.
You rarely see driver layoffsand yourself as a woman, the
(14:43):
technology of the trucks.
It allows women to be a littlebit more welcomed because it's
not so mechanically intensiveanymore, and I'm not saying that
against women, but sometimesback in the day these trucks
were big and they were hard tosteer and hard to shift.
That's not the case so much.
So it opens up the industry toa lot of different types of
(15:08):
people, and it's different typesof people that actually make
this world go around and it's apleasure to see them out there
and talk to them, like yourself.
Cindy Tunstall (15:16):
Yeah, I'm the same way.
I really feel like thediversity of the industry is
something that's very appealingto me, that you know you can
work hard and provide well foryour family, so I have similar
passions for the industry,obviously as a woman.
You mentioned that you hadtaken, you did OTR.
For about what was it?
Six years?
(15:36):
You said yes, six years.
Any adventures or fun storiesthat you want to share during
that season of your career?
Ben Grunenwald (15:46):
I don't think there was any that could be put
on air.
Oh, I take that back.
There are a couple.
Cindy Tunstall (15:55):
Okay, let's hear it.
Ben Grunenwald (15:57):
So the first serious break I never had.
I was coming out of Barstow,california, into Vegas and the
radiator of the old FreightlinerFLB 120,.
I was coming out of Barstow,california, into Vegas and the
radiator of the old FreightlinerFLB 120 that I was driving went
out and I lost all coolant onthe side of I think it was
Interstate 40 or Interstate 15,I can't remember which one.
But I ended up having to gettowed into Vegas and the
(16:22):
Freightliner dealer in Vegas atthat time was just down the road
from Petro, the Petro station,right outside of Vegas.
So I was eating at the IronSkillet waiting for the
Freightliner dealer to do thetruck and I'm looking through
the window and I see this silverand red car driving into a
garage just right behind thereand I thought you, you know,
(16:44):
I've never seen that car likethat before.
I thought it was kind of cooland I had some time, so I
decided to walk across theparking lot to go and take a
look at this car.
I'm kind of a car guy in a way,so I go in there and I'm looking
in this garage and there's thiscar, the silver and red car.
But there was also about eightor nine models or versions of
(17:07):
this very same car.
I'm thinking, well, what isthis?
And it turns out that it's acar museum.
So I walk around the door orthe side of this museum to go
inside the front door and it's amuseum for Carol Shelby, the
famous Mustang racer.
Oh nice.
So I go inside and I didn'tknow they were open.
(17:31):
I had no idea they were there.
I know Carol Shelby, but I wasnever really familiar with them.
But inside this museum there waslike four or five different
Shelby cars a Shelby Charger inthere or a Shelby Daytona
Charger in there, or a Shelbytruck.
They didn't have any ShelbyMustangs, but they had a couple
(17:53):
of different versions that had aShelby name on it.
And I was talking to thisgentleman about Carroll Shelby
and his story of racing fast andlittle did I know.
A few weeks later I was lookingat some car magazines and the
guy I was talking to was CarrollShelby's son.
His name was Michael.
I had no idea who I was talkingto, but he was telling me that
(18:15):
the car that I was looking atwas a new Shelby Series 7.
That was an actual Shelby car.
It wasn't one that was made byanother car manufacturer, that
was customized by the ShelbyMotorsports.
It was an actual Shelby car.
Oh wow.
So I kind of think that I wasone of the very few people in
the public that actually got tosee the Series 7 before it was
(18:37):
actually released to the mediaor to the public.
I thought that was kind of cool.
Yeah, I love that.
Cindy Tunstall (18:42):
That's awesome.
Ben Grunenwald (18:44):
That's really all I can think about right now.
Cindy Tunstall (18:46):
Well, something else comes, you know, just go
ahead and bring it up.
Okay, so you ever go into OTRnow.
Are you still getting in thetruck, or how's that working now
?
Are you driving at all now?
Ben Grunenwald (18:58):
Yeah, I still pick up milk.
The last time I was OTR I wentout in this past January.
Otr I went out in this pastJanuary.
My boss needed someone to rundown to Kansas to pick up a load
of salt for a cheese plant, andI was the only driver that he
had available and I figured, whynot?
I'll run down there real quick,and so I took a couple of days
(19:21):
to get out there.
I got loaded up just outside ofHutchinson, kansas, with salt
going back to a cheese planthere in Durham, wisconsin.
That stuck, but it was thatweek that we had back-to-back
blizzards in the Midwest, so arun that took it was supposed to
take a day and a half actuallyended up taking three just to
get back home.
Wow.
But I remember what it was liketo be out there and I was kind
(19:46):
of glad to be home.
But on occasion I will go outand I'll spend a couple days out
in the room.
Cindy Tunstall (19:53):
Well, I like that.
It's probably good for yourcrew to keep you ready to be
able to be with the drivers.
Ben Grunenwald (19:58):
Yeah, it is.
Cindy Tunstall (19:59):
Well, tell me a little bit.
What's a unique story orsomething that you've
experienced over your careerthat might entertain our
audience?
Do you have anything in mindyou want to share?
Ben Grunenwald (20:08):
I do so?
You remember that, girlfriend,I was telling you about that I
broke up with to start mytrucking career.
Yeah, we're married now.
Oh nice.
So because of social media,about was 10, no, 5 years ago.
(20:29):
About 5 years ago, she hadmessaged me on Facebook and
asked if I wanted my class roomback and I hadn't heard from her
in 20 years.
Right.
So I said, sure, I can be downthere, because we delivered down
to where she was at at the time.
(20:49):
There's a cheese plant that Istopped at and delivered a load
to every now and then the nexttime I told her, the next time I
was down there I'd swing by andpick it up.
And so this was the middle ofOctober that she messaged me,
and probably the first part ofNovember I took a run down there
and took a pick on my classring.
And now here we are five yearslater, six years later and
married.
Cindy Tunstall (21:10):
Wow.
And so how far did she livefrom you at that time?
Like, how did you guys start arelationship?
Was she far or not too far?
Ben Grunenwald (21:18):
Not too far.
She was when it comes to atruck driver, you know, not too
far is 150 miles, Sure, sure.
So, and that's where it was Atthat time.
I was living up around theManitowoc Wisconsin area and she
lived down close to theWisconsin-Iowa border and
there's a cheese plant down thisway that I was delivering to
(21:39):
and I had a little bit of time,and so I stopped and took out my
class ring and got to talkingand realized that we might have
called things off a little earlyand she was impressed that I
was no longer the individual Iwas when we broke up 27 years
ago and I wasn't committed toanybody and she wasn't committed
to anybody, and so we justfigured, hey, let's try dating.
(22:02):
And well, here we are andliving in a house that we bought
a couple years ago and living agood life.
Cindy Tunstall (22:11):
That's an incredible story.
It's like you were soulmatesback then and just had to work
some stuff out to get it right.
I love this story.
Ben Grunenwald (22:19):
Yes, when people ask me about it, I say you know
, sometimes you have to losesomething to learn how to keep
it.
Cindy Tunstall (22:27):
Yeah, I love that.
There's a lot of wisdom in thatstatement.
Well, so do you mind if I talkto you about your background and
how you got to this place,where you know what that process
was for you?
You mentioned that you knowgrowing up in a parent's
situation wasn't quite ideal,and you could share as much
about that as you want, or notat all, if you want also.
(22:47):
But I'd be interested in thejourney, like, how did you get
from facing those obstacles?
Because a lot of people honestlyand you know this, ben, you
know been around, so you know,but you know many people don't
ever make that shift.
You know they have thechallenging upbringing you know,
at various degrees some verysevere and abusive and horrible
(23:09):
and yet they can overcome andmanage to live a healthy,
productive life.
And then there's other peoplethat have even sometimes a less
challenging situation but neverreally get past that.
So would you mind sharing alittle bit about your journey,
how you got from there to?
You know you can tell how muchhow it started out if you want
to, but I'd be curious to hearabout the journey that you went
(23:31):
that made you this better personthat you know.
Now you're able to have thishealthy, happy relationship?
Obviously a thriving career inthe industry, so I'd love to
hear more about that.
If you want to share Sure.
Ben Grunenwald (23:44):
I guess we could start with my parents.
My dad grew up in a smallMidwest farming community in
southwestern Wisconsin and heand my mother met while he was
in med school.
They were both working at aretirement home just outside of
(24:08):
Iowa Grant County area.
He joined the Air Force as a Ican't remember not a CNA, but
something in an emergency roomfor one of the hospitals in the
Air Force, went on, they gotmarried they had myself and my
brother, and he developed orsecretly kept some emotional
(24:37):
disorders from everyone andturned out to be not a very nice
person growing up, and it wasespecially hard because someone
like me, who's bullheaded,stubborn and will defend
whatever he feels is right.
My father and I butted headsall the time and later on in
(24:57):
high school, when I told himthat I didn't want to be in his
house anymore, it was eithersink or swim and his rules are
the highway.
So I chose the highway andthat's going to keep it nice.
There's some nuances there thatI really don't want to talk
about.
Sure, that's fine.
Cindy Tunstall (25:18):
Totally fine.
Ben Grunenwald (25:20):
But ultimately I decided that I did not want to
end up like that.
I did not want to end up beingsomeone that rolls over and
takes what life gives them, andI hold on to that to this very
day.
I think that one of thegreatest freedoms that a person
(25:40):
can have is the ability to lookat their career, to look at
their benefits, to look at theirbank account and do whatever it
is.
Go wherever they want, onwhenever they can, because
there's nothing keeping themback.
If you take a look at careersthat are decently paying with
(26:04):
minimum education, trucking isone of those companies and I try
to pass it on to my kids, I tryto pass it on to young drivers.
If you can protect your careerand you can save a little money
here and there, nothing isstopping you from doing whatever
(26:25):
you wanna do.
I find this really interestingBen.
Cindy Tunstall (26:30):
So I think it really ties into your working in
safety.
Now I mean your appreciationfor what the career offers and
this bent that you have basedfrom your past.
Like you know, this is thesituation I'm in.
What can I do to make it better?
That's something that's deeplyingrained in you.
Would you say that's true?
Ben Grunenwald (26:48):
It is true, I have a degree in law enforcement
.
It's true, it is true, I have adegree in law enforcement.
I went to.
I was driving, I was working asa supervisor on a night shift
up in Green Bay for four years.
I went to school for mycriminal justice degree with the
(27:08):
intent of transferring over tosome kind of safety department
because I started to see thatthe industry was going in a
direction that was going to needpeople that had both experience
but foresight to be able toshare that experience on a
positive side.
And it hasn't stopped.
I'm continuing my education.
Right now I'm working on mysupply chain degree and the role
(27:32):
I have in safety.
It has a stop and continueeducation.
Right now I'm working on mysupply chain degree and the role
I have in safety right now,covering the five divisions of
risk management.
I have that ability to telldrivers the same thing, but this
time my podium is a little bitbigger because I have 3,500
drivers.
Cindy Tunstall (27:48):
Wow, wow.
So where do you see your nextsteps, what do you plan to do
with this um, this new education, where you like to see yourself
going, and what's your role inthe industry?
Ben Grunenwald (28:01):
I want to stay in the transportation.
I want to stay in trucking.
It's where my bread and butteris, it's where my heart is.
Um, I'm never going to be ableto leave it.
So I want to eventually becomea safety director, the guy that
has the safety department.
I have this desire in me that Iwant to make this industry
(28:25):
better, but I don't want to bethat old-time truck driver that
talks bad about the industry,that it's changed, that it's not
meant for me anymore.
I want to be able to sit downand talk to a driver that's six,
eight a year out of drivingschool and tell him or her this
is what it used to be.
(28:45):
This is why it's still as goodas it used to be, but this is
why it's going to be better thanit was 20 years ago.
I don't think a guy or I don'tthink an individual that that
doesn't have the force that Ihave can do that without
sounding condescending or bitterabout it.
Cindy Tunstall (29:07):
I really love the things that you're sharing,
ben.
I obviously I my brand and mypodcast is Enjoying Life OTR.
So personally, that says I havean optimistic bent about life
and I'm really all aboutfocusing on the good and the
changes that we can make.
But I also really valueresilience and thinking about
that and there are challengesthat we have to overcome and I
(29:31):
really loved your proactiveapproach.
It's not denying the problems.
It's not taking, you know, notthrowing out all of the past or,
you know, looking toward thefuture in just rose-colored
glasses.
So I really love your balancedapproach and I can see how, as
you know a leader in theindustry that drivers would find
a great deal of respect workingfor you in your outlook.
(29:55):
So I'm really honored to hearyour story.
Ben Grunenwald (29:59):
Well, thank you.
It's something that means a lotto me and I try to tell drivers
that I talk to, that I havesome experience and I'm not
trying to tell you what to do.
I'm not trying to be that guythat says it's either my way or
the highway.
I don't want to do that.
But what I do, what I do liketo do, is be able to show them
or at least guide them in thedirection.
(30:21):
That's going to be a win-winsituation for all of us.
I'm not out there to tell adriver he can't drive or she
can't drive, but rather givethem tips.
That makes their jobs easier,makes the roads safer, puts a
little bit more money in theirpocket, a little bit more money
in our pocket, and when, at theend of the day, we can call it a
(30:41):
good day and everybody wins.
Cindy Tunstall (30:44):
What are some things that you've done over the
years that help you to stay onthis growth mindset?
Are there books or things thatyou're reading, or podcasts?
Because I know there's so muchnegativity, I think, about my
social media presence and I haveto be really careful of what
I'm taking in because I know itcan start to make me snarky when
(31:04):
I'm not that kind of person.
So I have to be reallyintentional to maintain a growth
mindset and staying on thatpath.
Are there any strategies orthings that you have discovered
that work really well for you tocontinue on this, you know,
with this proactive mindset, Iguess?
Ben Grunenwald (31:25):
Sure, there's a couple of them and that might be
a little bit of a tearjerker,for me especially the first one
is I always want to be a littlebit better than I was the day
before.
Social media is a great tool,but it's also, or it can be, a
very toxic tool, and the reasonI say that is because you can
(31:46):
and I believe this is how youand I got connected was one of
the Facebook pages that we bothfollow, and it can be sometimes
a little negative, but itdoesn't always have to be, and I
just try to be a little bitbetter than I was the day before
.
So whenever I see a post that Ican point out something that's
negative about it, I just wantto be a little bit positive,
(32:07):
because a little bit of positiveis extremely intoxicating.
Someone sees a little bit ofpositive is extremely
intoxicating.
Someone sees a little bit ofpositive, the next person will
be a little bit more positive,and it just snowballs up from
there.
The next thing is, I lost mymom back in 2012, and she was my
guiding light, and I just wantto do it.
(32:31):
I just want her to be proud ofme, that's all.
Cindy Tunstall (32:34):
Well, I'm sure she is, Ben.
I mean, I love your attitudeand your approach.
You've obviously faced somepretty significant challenges
and you've been able to overcomethose things you and I both
share.
You know you have anopportunity to be a positive
influence wherever you are.
So I really like that.
And you know I started the EnjoyLife OTR Facebook group for the
(32:58):
, you know, main reason is, youknow, I wanted to be able to
surround myself with otherdrivers who have a growth
mindset and who are proactiveabout making and creating the
life that they want, whetherthey're OTR and they're gone.
You know the life that theywant, whether they're OTR and
they're gone, you know, a weekor two weeks, three weeks or you
know, really live in theirtruck and are making this
(33:18):
lifestyle work.
Cause I wanted to have anopportunity for drivers to
connect with other people thatwere being intentional about the
life that we want to leave, andreally that's a driving force
between my podcast as well.
I want to be able to share, youknow, honor drivers and share
their stories, but also sharethings that you're doing that
being intentional about makingit work.
(33:39):
So I really love the thingsthat you shared.
Ben Grunenwald (33:42):
Well, thank you, I'm glad that you invited me on
the podcast.
I think this industry is a goodindustry.
It's never going anywhere.
Trucks are never going to leavethe road.
They might get a little bitbetter, they might get a little
bit bigger, but they're nevergoing anywhere, and so we're
going to need qualified peopleto operate them and to network
(34:03):
with each other so everyonestays safe, the country stays
moving and our freightbywaysways and highways stay
smooth.
Cindy Tunstall (34:15):
Talking about changes in the industry.
What are your thoughts aboutthe automation of trucks and
things?
And I know you're always goingto have trucks on the road, but
what about drivers?
Do you have anything to sharewith our audience about that
topic?
What are your thoughts?
Ben Grunenwald (34:28):
As far as automatic drivers or just the
technology the automated trucks,so driverless trucks, basically
autonomous trucks.
I honestly do not think that anyof us are going to be around if
that ever happens.
There's there are way too manynuances and factors that come
(34:52):
into play in this business.
When it comes to operating acommercial vehicle off of a
railroad, there's an ad thatsays that.
Go back 10, 15 years ago, whendrayage containers started being
shipped out on railroads,drivers were worried that they
were going to lose their jobsand my simple response was no,
(35:15):
you're not, because trains don'thave steering wheels.
They go one direction or theopposite direction.
That's it.
And I don't think automatedtrucks are going to be a thing
in our lifetime or maybe in thenext lifetime.
But what I do see happening isI do see electric trucks at some
(35:36):
point.
It may not be in 10 years, itmay not be in 20 years, but I do
see becoming a thing and I'mkind of on the bandwagon that I
kind of I want to be there,watch it and I want to try and
help the changeover because Ithink it's a good thing.
But we're going to have to havethe drivers that are going to
(35:59):
take on that technology headhead on and be okay with
implementing it without withoutbeing snarky about it, because
if it's going to catch on, we'regoing to have to have positive
people behind that process.
So that's going to involveyounger people, younger drivers.
Younger people are the onesthat are bringing technology to
(36:20):
the forefront of our industry.
E-logs are a prime example,computers or not computers, but
cameras in the trucks are aprime example.
You wouldn't believe the amountof younger drivers that I have
that have no problem having acamera in the truck.
But you talk to the guys thatare my age, they won't drive for
us simply because of thatreason.
Technology is because it's notgoing anywhere, so we're going
(36:43):
to have to adapt to it, butwe're going to need younger
people to help us yeah, theadaptability, I think.
Cindy Tunstall (36:49):
And you know my thing about the autonomous
trucks.
I live in Dallas, so fromDallas to Houston and Dallas to
El Paso, which those arestraight shots, right, so easy
lane to drive, but there'salready autonomous trucks
driving those routes.
I mean, they're on the road nowLike I literally pass them.
And I have a friend that worksfor a company that's doing
(37:13):
autonomous trucks and she hastold me that the beginning of
the transition started there.
They have cdl drivers that aredriving the trucks and then the
computers are actually, you know, because there's ai now, right,
um, artificial intelligence andmachine learning, so they have
cdL drivers that were drivingthe trucks and they're actually
teaching the machine, thecomputer, how a CDL driver
(37:36):
responds and making improvementson their choices.
And then I've even seeninterviews with those drivers
that do.
You know, I have a friend thatdoes it and I've also watched
some interviews of drivers thatwork in that industry and CDL
holders, and they've actuallyI've heard the drivers say that
when it first started, when theyhad to let go of the control
(37:57):
and let the machine, you know,because the driver was still in
the truck, you know, able in thedriving of the machine than he
did his own driving, whichactually freaked me out a little
(38:19):
bit, blew my mind.
But I think now that there'ssome trucks that are driving
without a driver in the truckand it's all testing, you know,
but it's not as far off as youknow, everybody is saying,
because I talk to drivers allthe time and almost all drivers
say you know, not in ourlifetime, not in our lifetime.
You know, I don't think that'sgoing to happen, but I mean,
(38:39):
it's already happening, it'sjust, and I don't know how far
out.
You know, and what I hear fromdrivers is well, the first time
that there's a wreck, you know,with no driver in there, and my
response always is well, there'struck drivers that wreck trucks
that you know, harm familiesand do a lot of damage with a
person driving.
So it's not a, it's not anobstacle that's going to keep
(39:03):
the technology from goingforward, because human drivers,
cdl holders, make mistakes andthey fall asleep, or they were
on their phone or they're notpaying attention and they make
errors that cost lives and doconsiderable property damage and
you know lots of traumainvolved with truck wrecks.
Anytime, right.
(39:24):
Anytime there's a big wreckthat tracks, it's traumatic and
it's significant loss, right.
Anyway, I was just curious aboutwhat your thoughts were on that
and I'm kind of like, you knowI like driving a truck, so I
kind of like to think that it'snot going to happen either.
But you know, I see them on theroad and I see these trucks and
(39:44):
there's cameras everywhere andyou know, drivers were like what
the heck?
You know I'm like, well, that'swhat, autonomous trucking?
Ben Grunenwald (40:01):
It's machine learning and they're in their
process of um anyway taking over, I guess.
So that kind of goes intosomething that I read.
Uh, maybe two weeks ago I wasreading an article from I can't
remember the source, it wasrough somewhere on big them that
that there is planned in takethat freight, go and deliver it,
(40:34):
bring it together back for thecarrier to come and get at a
later date, and that's allthey're going to do.
They're not going to go outsidethe city limits, but these
trucks are going to have shorterwheelbases, they're going to
have drivers that are morefamiliar with the area and it's
actually going to be a moneysaver because you're not
spending the over-the-roaddrivers.
You know the over-the-roaddrivers don't get paid for
(40:55):
driving in the city.
They get paid mile to mile andthat's it.
And it's very hard to switchfrom an over-the-road driver,
from getting paid mileage togetting paid hourly if they have
to work in and around a metroarea area.
So I'm wondering if it isn'tsomething that's feasible that
you're going to have theseautomated trucks go from Metro
Hub to Metro Hub and then havethe live humans getting these
(41:19):
little daycats and whatnot topick up these dropped trailers
delivered to the consignees andthen bring the trailer back for
an automated truck to come andget.
It's a very, very sciencefiction, but it's very
interesting to look and get.
It's a very, very science, uh,science.
I don't say it's fiction, butit's very interesting to look,
to look and watch, because I cansee that happening.
Cindy Tunstall (41:38):
Yeah, I think about that as next steps for
automated trucks because, likeyou know, everybody says, well,
yeah, houston to dallas, that'sthe easy lane.
In dallas to el paso, straightshot, no mountains, you know,
just easy driving, um.
But when you start getting tohou traffic, that's a whole
other thing.
But I think that that'sprobably, I would say that the
(41:59):
transition would happen is thatthere would be hubs like that
and CDL holders would, you know,do local runs and of course
there's always going to beplaces in different types of
trucking that requires a driverand somebody to be available to
handle issues with the load andstuff like that.
So I think that those arealways going to be driving jobs
(42:21):
available and a need for CDLholders.
But I do see that.
I think it's important that weembrace the changes that are
happening.
We embrace the changes that arehappening and I don't want to be
the bearer of bad news by anymeans, because I like to think
about optimism and, you know,think about the good things that
are happening in the industry.
But, like you, I want toembrace changes that are
(42:42):
happening and be prepared andnot be in denial about the
changes that are happening,because those trucks are already
on the road, so it's not as faroff as we think.
But I think it's important tostart thinking about the future,
and you know what our role isin the industry and you know
it's an industry that I love andI've only been in the industry
for a few years, so it'ssomething that I really enjoy
and I love the travel and I lovejust being on the road, I love
(43:04):
being on the open road and I'mloving to see different parts of
the country, but I also don'twant to stay in denial about the
future either.
Right Well, before we wrap up,ben, do you have any other
stories that you want to sharewith our audience?
Ben Grunenwald (43:19):
Oh, nothing I can think of right off hand.
Like I said, nothing that'sappropriate for a podcast.
My favorite is truck drivers.
There are some things out therethat I would much rather forget
, but yeah, we'll just leave itat that.
Cindy Tunstall (43:35):
Okay, that sounds good.
Well, thanks for coming on theshow.
I really enjoyed getting toknow you and I hope that you'll
join me in the Enjoying Life OTRFacebook group.
You're the kind of people thatI love to hang around, so I'm
really honored to get to shareyour story, and I'm grateful
that you took the time.
Ben Grunenwald (43:50):
Hey, thank you for inviting me.
It was a pleasure to talk aboutour industry.
I'd just like to say somethingto your audience.
If you happen across someonewho's discouraged by the
industry, about what it'sbecoming and you have some time
underneath your belt, remindthem what it used to be like and
(44:11):
that's not always roses.
It's getting better.
It's getting better by'sgetting better.
It's getting better by the day.
It's getting safer by the day.
Cindy Tunstall (44:16):
We actually have people that want to do it
instead of feel like they'rebeing forced to do it, and
that's a good thing for thisindustry yeah, a lot of good
things are happening and I thinkwe have to it's a good point we
have to be intentional to lookfor the positive changes and we
have to have that bend insteadof just being you keep that
longing for the past and wishthat things were and look at
things with road colored glasseslike they were better than they
(44:37):
really were, but really focuson the good things that are
happening.
I think we have to beintentional.
So I think that's a great wordof wisdom and I appreciate you
for sharing it.
Ben Grunenwald (44:45):
Thank you very much.
Dino Grigoriadis (44:48):
All right, folks, that's a wrap on today's
episode.
All right, folks, that's a wrapon today's episode.
We covered a lot of ground,from e-logs and cameras and
trucks to the future ofautonomous vehicles and the
importance of adapting to newtechnologies.
Remember, change isn't alwayseasy, but it's often necessary
for progress.
If you enjoyed thisconversation and want to connect
with other drivers, head onover to the Healthier Truckers
(45:10):
and Enjoying Life OTR Facebookgroups.
It's a great place to shareideas and support each other on
the road.
As a CDL holder of 30 plusyears, I would not be here if I
didn't think this was of benefitto me.
Well, if you found Valley intoday's episode, why not share
it with a fellow driver?
Don't forget to subscribe soyou don't miss out on our next
(45:32):
episode featuring Melinda FoxWellington.
She'll be sharing morestrategies to inspire us to
become healthier truckers and,lord knows, we need all the help
we can get these days out hereEnjoying life over the road a
community that championsadventure, innovation and
well-being.
Enjoying Life OTR Conversations that inspire
curiosity, adventure andresilience.
We're honoring drivers andsharing their adventures and
becoming healthier truckers.
Stay tuned to discover creativelife hacks and practical
strategies for enhancing ourwell-being and making the most
of our time on the road.
Welcome to Enjoying Life, OTR.
Dino Grigoriadis (00:21):
Hey truckers, this is Dino, your roadie and
guide on the side.
Ever feel like industryregulations are a double-edged
sword, Meant to keep us safe butalso driving us up the wall?
I know what you're thinking.
That's because it's made bypeople who know nothing about
trucking to regulate truckinginstead of asking those who do
nothing but trucking.
Well, today we're pulling backthe curtain with a guest who's
(00:44):
seen it all from both sides ofthe windshield.
He's got some intriguinginsights on industry regulations
that might just surprise you.
Whether you love him or hatehim, you'll want to hear what
this industry veteran has to sayabout the rules of the road.
So grab a cup of coffee, settlein, because we're about to hit
the highway of safety talk.
Cindy Tunstall (01:06):
Welcome back to Enjoying Life OTR podcast.
My name is Cindy Tunstall andI'm your host Today.
Our guest is Ben Grunewald.
He has a wonderful attitude.
He's got a proactive approachto doing life and a lot of
wisdom to share.
He's a veteran in our industryand I can't wait for you to meet
him.
Welcome to the show, ben.
Ben Grunenwald (01:25):
Thank you, cindy , it's nice to be here.
Cindy Tunstall (01:27):
Well, I'm excited for our audience to meet
you.
Do us a favor in the beginning,just tell us a little bit about
your career, what's your rolein the industry, and just so we
could get to know you just alittle bit, and then we'll kind
of do a deep dive and get intosome background stuff.
Ben Grunenwald (01:41):
Sure, okay.
Currently I work in the safetydepartment for one of the larger
refueling carriers in thecountry.
Part of my job is to superviseor to oversee the five
departments of risk managementin the trucking industry.
It's a job that I took recentlyin an effort to advance my
(02:04):
career off of the road but stillstay in the industry.
I started the trucking industrywhen I was oh, probably 14.
I took a ride with mygrandfather.
He was an employee with JohnDeere, got laid off, wasn't sure
what to do, didn't want to goback to farming, so I went to
(02:26):
truck driving school and onesummer I was able to take a ride
with them up to Pickleball Lodejust outside of Sheboygan,
wisconsin.
And I got hooked on theindustry since then and I knew
that when I was getting olderand I was able to actually
attend truck driving school.
(02:47):
It was an industry that took meon, given my kind of
questionable past, and it's justbeen a part of me ever since.
Cindy Tunstall (02:59):
Do you mind sharing a little bit about the
questionable past that mighthave made it challenging for you
to get in?
Ben Grunenwald (03:04):
Yeah, sure, little bit about the
questionable past that mighthave made it challenging for you
to get in.
Yeah, sure, I see.
I dropped out of high schoolwhen I was just 18 years old.
My, my, uh.
My house wasn't my parentshouse wasn't a very nice place
to be in, and I decided I wantedto go out and work instead of
go to school.
(03:24):
The only way I was going to beable to afford and work instead
of go to school, the only way Iwas going to be able to afford
that, was to not go to school atall.
So I dropped out of high school.
The relationship I was with mygirlfriend at the time, I moved
in with her and I wasn't able tokeep a job.
I don't know, there's somethingabout my work ethic or I should
(03:45):
say a lack of work ethic thatdidn't allow me to keep a job.
You can call it immaturity, Idon't know Whatever you want to
label it, but I just couldn'tkeep a job.
And so she and I ultimatelybroke up.
And when we broke up, I washomeless up.
And when we broke up, I washomeless and the only job that I
(04:06):
could find for a high schooldropout was the local truck
driving school the same one thatmy grandfather went to and so
that's where I went.
I went right into truck drivingschool and then, once I
graduated truck driving school,I went right into an overall
position, and I was there forabout six years.
Cindy Tunstall (04:30):
Wow, so you were driving very young.
So how old were you when youstarted driving a big rig?
Ben Grunenwald (04:36):
I had just turned 22.
I had just turned 22 and, uh,it was, I just turned 22 and the
trucking company that I went towork for for the first time
they're no longer in businessbecause of some some uh legal
(04:56):
issues with one of their, withone of their customers, but they
had to make an exception totheir insurance policy because I
wasn't of age yet, or I wasjust barely of age yet, and
that's where I got my CV handleat was they always called me the
kid because I was the youngestdriver they ever had, because I
was still too young for theirinsurance policy and the only
(05:20):
way that they're able to get meinsured was I had to stay with
my trainer for six months, andhe's still a friend of mine to
this day.
Cindy Tunstall (05:31):
Wow, I love that .
You're really fortunate becauseeven now, the trucking
companies and insurance are justa hard no.
So you're lucky that they evenwere able to make an exception
for you at that time and be ableto begin your career.
Ben Grunenwald (05:44):
Yeah, I agree and I'm still thankful for him
for that opportunity.
He was one of the best.
He was an owner-operator and hetook me on and they don't tell
you that he took me on not to bemy trainer because he wanted to
run his truck like a team truck.
Anyone in the industry knowsthat a team truck can make a lot
(06:04):
of money.
Cindy Tunstall (06:05):
Yeah, especially when they're operator well,
tell me a little bit.
I haven't had a, um, a milktanker driver on the show yet,
so and I personally don't know,I haven't had conversations with
the driver that's doing thatkind of freight.
Could you tell me a little bitabout that type of work and then
the unique challenges that thework presents, and maybe a story
(06:25):
where you've had to overcomesome challenges in that work?
Yeah, sure so.
Ben Grunenwald (06:31):
I started driving a milk truck about 15
years ago, and since mygrandfather was an old dairy
farmer, I grew up on a dairyfarm here and there, so I knew
the ins and outs of how to workaround the inside of a milk
house.
(06:52):
But because of the nature andthe security of it, you have to
be licensed by a coupledifferent agencies in order to
be able to pick up the farm milk.
Plus, you have to be able totolerate the sounds and the
smells that go with working on afarm.
The biggest challenge forpicking up raw milk off the farm
is and it's a quote that anymilk heart will tell you is the
(07:14):
milk has to get picked up.
We don't have bad weather, andso combine that with the fact
that we don't have baffles inour tanks, and some of these
tanks, like the current one thatI drive, it's a 9 000 gallon
tank.
It can hold seven, seventhousand pounds of milk, and if
you get 77 77 000 pounds of milkgoing in bad weather and you
(07:40):
don't know how to control thattruck, you're going to lose it,
and so you always have to beaware that that nook will make
you go where it wants to go ifyou lose it.
Cindy Tunstall (07:53):
That sounds horrible.
It's very stressful.
So can you tell me about somestories?
Donnie, you care a lot aboutsafety and you still continue to
do work on that.
What's the way that you'repreventing accidents and how are
you training drivers to be ableto overcome those challenges?
What's involved in that process?
Ben Grunenwald (08:18):
That's.
You know that question can onlybe answered when you look at the
driver itself, should only beanswered when you look at the
driver itself.
When you have young driverscoming fresh out of school, you
have to be able to teach them orto describe to them what can
happen, what will happen if youlet that truck get out of hand
(08:43):
and it's easier to stay, to keepthe truck under control and
with the equipment that we havetoday automatic transmissions
and jake brakes that control thetruck a little bit easier.
E-logs where you're not reallyfocused on making sure that your
hours of duty are up to statusor up to par, the computer is
(09:04):
going to do it for you as ano-caller.
We don't really have to workwith e-logs anymore because
we're ad-exempt.
And to try and be able toexplain that to a driver,
especially with one that callsin and asks questions about the
logbook and criticisms about thelogbook and I have to explain
(09:25):
to them that in some instances alogbook protects you from well,
from driver managers and otherpeople in the industry that
really don't respect your time.
You try and make sure thatyou're there for them and you're
trying to teach them that thelogbook isn't hindering them,
(09:45):
but rather is protecting themfrom from predator driver
managers that that have been orstill out there and trying and
the government isn't there tostop them from earning money,
but rather to protect them inthe public, the motoring public,
from any dangers that mightbecome, as from driving a truck
(10:07):
tired or in bad weather orcircumstances like that.
Cindy Tunstall (10:13):
I hear drivers talk a lot about e-logs Of
course, drivers that have beenon the road much longer than I
have.
I've only been in the industryfour years but I personally am a
fan of e-logs.
I like it that it's mandatorystop and I have a reason to tell
my shipper or receiver orwhoever's trying to send me out
over hours that you know I justcan't and I won't because I know
(10:34):
for me I need the break and Ineed the safety.
But I think the biggestpushback that I still hear from
drivers is that they know thatthey could take a two-hour, you
know, take a break, a 30, a30-minute break, an hour break,
and then still extend theirdrive time in a really healthy,
safe way.
Or if they get delayed at theshipper and so their day doesn't
actually start until like noon,you know, and they're just
(10:56):
limited, it just forces them tomake themselves rest in a way
that's not ideal for them thatparticular day.
But for me, the type of freightthat I run and the schedules
that I run, it's really helpfulfor me.
But I still hear a lot ofpushback about e-logs.
So I'm always welcome to hearother drivers talk about the
(11:19):
benefits and have a differentperspective on that.
I'm not a fan of big governmentmyself, but, you know, I do see
this as a way that's helpfuland, honestly, I'm thankful that
drivers aren't able to drive,you know, 20 hours in a day and
that makes me, um, you know,feel more comfortable on the
road.
Ben Grunenwald (11:37):
Yeah, when I started driving, the first thing
that my trainer taught me washow to shift the truck.
The second thing he taught mewas how to falsify a log book,
and I don't know how many ofyour listeners remember paper
logs and loose leaf log books.
But keep it one, two, three logbooks up to date, one being
(11:59):
your real one, one being yourone you give the DOT.
Those were very stressful timesbecause you could have told
your driver manager, yourdispatcher, you didn't have the
hours, but he or she didn't care.
You're going to go.
Now you don't have that problem,and I think it's a good thing,
because anyone can open up theweb browser and read about
(12:23):
drivers that were involved in afatal accident.
Now they're in prison becausetheir logbook says they
shouldn't have been there.
And when I hear drivers cominginto the business that have two,
three, four years of experienceand they're glad to hear about
logbook, it actually makes myjob a little bit easier, because
I don't have to defend thelogbook.
(12:44):
I have to defend against theold guys, the guys that have
been doing it for a while,because, just like you said,
they're not a damn biggovernment and they think that
an e-log is going to stop themfrom making money, and it's
really not.
It's just trying to save themso they can get home to their
families.
Cindy Tunstall (13:00):
Yeah, yeah.
Ben Grunenwald (13:04):
I'm a fan of e-logs.
I'm glad they made themmandatory and they're even
easier to use as the technologygets better.
We just instituted a new Iguess you could say computer
program that actually monitorswhat we call creeping.
You know, the old technology isyou could creep a truck and
(13:26):
wouldn't be able to pick it up,but now you can.
The technology is so good thatwe can spot a truck creeping at
50 feet.
Cindy Tunstall (13:32):
Yeah, and you've had a long career in the
industry.
What is it specifically abouttrucking that makes you still
continue to be so passionateover a 25 year span?
You've gone from um driving anddone some otr in the past and
now really focused on safety,and what is it about the
(13:55):
industry that really continuesto drive you?
Ben Grunenwald (14:00):
I love the fact that it's one of the very few
industries that you can go toschool for three weeks, put
years of experience into it andmake six figures a year,
depending on how hard you work.
I like the fact that it's anindustry that welcomes everybody
.
You can go through the last 25years and every economic
downturn that the country faces.
(14:22):
You will see a spike in theamount of people that go to
truck driving school.
It is one of those industriesthat, yes, right now we're still
on a downturn of freightbecause of COVID, but it's
picking up.
You rarely see driver layoffsand yourself as a woman, the
(14:43):
technology of the trucks.
It allows women to be a littlebit more welcomed because it's
not so mechanically intensiveanymore, and I'm not saying that
against women, but sometimesback in the day these trucks
were big and they were hard tosteer and hard to shift.
That's not the case so much.
So it opens up the industry toa lot of different types of
(15:08):
people, and it's different typesof people that actually make
this world go around and it's apleasure to see them out there
and talk to them, like yourself.
Cindy Tunstall (15:16):
Yeah, I'm the same way.
I really feel like thediversity of the industry is
something that's very appealingto me, that you know you can
work hard and provide well foryour family, so I have similar
passions for the industry,obviously as a woman.
You mentioned that you hadtaken, you did OTR.
For about what was it?
Six years?
(15:36):
You said yes, six years.
Any adventures or fun storiesthat you want to share during
that season of your career?
Ben Grunenwald (15:46):
I don't think there was any that could be put
on air.
Oh, I take that back.
There are a couple.
Cindy Tunstall (15:55):
Okay, let's hear it.
Ben Grunenwald (15:57):
So the first serious break I never had.
I was coming out of Barstow,california, into Vegas and the
radiator of the old FreightlinerFLB 120,.
I was coming out of Barstow,california, into Vegas and the
radiator of the old FreightlinerFLB 120 that I was driving went
out and I lost all coolant onthe side of I think it was
Interstate 40 or Interstate 15,I can't remember which one.
But I ended up having to gettowed into Vegas and the
(16:22):
Freightliner dealer in Vegas atthat time was just down the road
from Petro, the Petro station,right outside of Vegas.
So I was eating at the IronSkillet waiting for the
Freightliner dealer to do thetruck and I'm looking through
the window and I see this silverand red car driving into a
garage just right behind thereand I thought you, you know,
(16:44):
I've never seen that car likethat before.
I thought it was kind of cooland I had some time, so I
decided to walk across theparking lot to go and take a
look at this car.
I'm kind of a car guy in a way,so I go in there and I'm looking
in this garage and there's thiscar, the silver and red car.
But there was also about eightor nine models or versions of
(17:07):
this very same car.
I'm thinking, well, what isthis?
And it turns out that it's acar museum.
So I walk around the door orthe side of this museum to go
inside the front door and it's amuseum for Carol Shelby, the
famous Mustang racer.
Oh nice.
So I go inside and I didn'tknow they were open.
(17:31):
I had no idea they were there.
I know Carol Shelby, but I wasnever really familiar with them.
But inside this museum there waslike four or five different
Shelby cars a Shelby Charger inthere or a Shelby Daytona
Charger in there, or a Shelbytruck.
They didn't have any ShelbyMustangs, but they had a couple
(17:53):
of different versions that had aShelby name on it.
And I was talking to thisgentleman about Carroll Shelby
and his story of racing fast andlittle did I know.
A few weeks later I was lookingat some car magazines and the
guy I was talking to was CarrollShelby's son.
His name was Michael.
I had no idea who I was talkingto, but he was telling me that
(18:15):
the car that I was looking atwas a new Shelby Series 7.
That was an actual Shelby car.
It wasn't one that was made byanother car manufacturer, that
was customized by the ShelbyMotorsports.
It was an actual Shelby car.
Oh wow.
So I kind of think that I wasone of the very few people in
the public that actually got tosee the Series 7 before it was
(18:37):
actually released to the mediaor to the public.
I thought that was kind of cool.
Yeah, I love that.
Cindy Tunstall (18:42):
That's awesome.
Ben Grunenwald (18:44):
That's really all I can think about right now.
Cindy Tunstall (18:46):
Well, something else comes, you know, just go
ahead and bring it up.
Okay, so you ever go into OTRnow.
Are you still getting in thetruck, or how's that working now
?
Are you driving at all now?
Ben Grunenwald (18:58):
Yeah, I still pick up milk.
The last time I was OTR I wentout in this past January.
Otr I went out in this pastJanuary.
My boss needed someone to rundown to Kansas to pick up a load
of salt for a cheese plant, andI was the only driver that he
had available and I figured, whynot?
I'll run down there real quick,and so I took a couple of days
(19:21):
to get out there.
I got loaded up just outside ofHutchinson, kansas, with salt
going back to a cheese planthere in Durham, wisconsin.
That stuck, but it was thatweek that we had back-to-back
blizzards in the Midwest, so arun that took it was supposed to
take a day and a half actuallyended up taking three just to
get back home.
Wow.
But I remember what it was liketo be out there and I was kind
(19:46):
of glad to be home.
But on occasion I will go outand I'll spend a couple days out
in the room.
Cindy Tunstall (19:53):
Well, I like that.
It's probably good for yourcrew to keep you ready to be
able to be with the drivers.
Ben Grunenwald (19:58):
Yeah, it is.
Cindy Tunstall (19:59):
Well, tell me a little bit.
What's a unique story orsomething that you've
experienced over your careerthat might entertain our
audience?
Do you have anything in mindyou want to share?
Ben Grunenwald (20:08):
I do so?
You remember that, girlfriend,I was telling you about that I
broke up with to start mytrucking career.
Yeah, we're married now.
Oh nice.
So because of social media,about was 10, no, 5 years ago.
(20:29):
About 5 years ago, she hadmessaged me on Facebook and
asked if I wanted my class roomback and I hadn't heard from her
in 20 years.
Right.
So I said, sure, I can be downthere, because we delivered down
to where she was at at the time.
(20:49):
There's a cheese plant that Istopped at and delivered a load
to every now and then the nexttime I told her, the next time I
was down there I'd swing by andpick it up.
And so this was the middle ofOctober that she messaged me,
and probably the first part ofNovember I took a run down there
and took a pick on my classring.
And now here we are five yearslater, six years later and
married.
Cindy Tunstall (21:10):
Wow.
And so how far did she livefrom you at that time?
Like, how did you guys start arelationship?
Was she far or not too far?
Ben Grunenwald (21:18):
Not too far.
She was when it comes to atruck driver, you know, not too
far is 150 miles, Sure, sure.
So, and that's where it was Atthat time.
I was living up around theManitowoc Wisconsin area and she
lived down close to theWisconsin-Iowa border and
there's a cheese plant down thisway that I was delivering to
(21:39):
and I had a little bit of time,and so I stopped and took out my
class ring and got to talkingand realized that we might have
called things off a little earlyand she was impressed that I
was no longer the individual Iwas when we broke up 27 years
ago and I wasn't committed toanybody and she wasn't committed
to anybody, and so we justfigured, hey, let's try dating.
(22:02):
And well, here we are andliving in a house that we bought
a couple years ago and living agood life.
Cindy Tunstall (22:11):
That's an incredible story.
It's like you were soulmatesback then and just had to work
some stuff out to get it right.
I love this story.
Ben Grunenwald (22:19):
Yes, when people ask me about it, I say you know
, sometimes you have to losesomething to learn how to keep
it.
Cindy Tunstall (22:27):
Yeah, I love that.
There's a lot of wisdom in thatstatement.
Well, so do you mind if I talkto you about your background and
how you got to this place,where you know what that process
was for you?
You mentioned that you knowgrowing up in a parent's
situation wasn't quite ideal,and you could share as much
about that as you want, or notat all, if you want also.
(22:47):
But I'd be interested in thejourney, like, how did you get
from facing those obstacles?
Because a lot of people honestlyand you know this, ben, you
know been around, so you know,but you know many people don't
ever make that shift.
You know they have thechallenging upbringing you know,
at various degrees some verysevere and abusive and horrible
(23:09):
and yet they can overcome andmanage to live a healthy,
productive life.
And then there's other peoplethat have even sometimes a less
challenging situation but neverreally get past that.
So would you mind sharing alittle bit about your journey,
how you got from there to?
You know you can tell how muchhow it started out if you want
to, but I'd be curious to hearabout the journey that you went
(23:31):
that made you this better personthat you know.
Now you're able to have thishealthy, happy relationship?
Obviously a thriving career inthe industry, so I'd love to
hear more about that.
If you want to share Sure.
Ben Grunenwald (23:44):
I guess we could start with my parents.
My dad grew up in a smallMidwest farming community in
southwestern Wisconsin and heand my mother met while he was
in med school.
They were both working at aretirement home just outside of
(24:08):
Iowa Grant County area.
He joined the Air Force as a Ican't remember not a CNA, but
something in an emergency roomfor one of the hospitals in the
Air Force, went on, they gotmarried they had myself and my
brother, and he developed orsecretly kept some emotional
(24:37):
disorders from everyone andturned out to be not a very nice
person growing up, and it wasespecially hard because someone
like me, who's bullheaded,stubborn and will defend
whatever he feels is right.
My father and I butted headsall the time and later on in
(24:57):
high school, when I told himthat I didn't want to be in his
house anymore, it was eithersink or swim and his rules are
the highway.
So I chose the highway andthat's going to keep it nice.
There's some nuances there thatI really don't want to talk
about.
Sure, that's fine.
Cindy Tunstall (25:18):
Totally fine.
Ben Grunenwald (25:20):
But ultimately I decided that I did not want to
end up like that.
I did not want to end up beingsomeone that rolls over and
takes what life gives them, andI hold on to that to this very
day.
I think that one of thegreatest freedoms that a person
(25:40):
can have is the ability to lookat their career, to look at
their benefits, to look at theirbank account and do whatever it
is.
Go wherever they want, onwhenever they can, because
there's nothing keeping themback.
If you take a look at careersthat are decently paying with
(26:04):
minimum education, trucking isone of those companies and I try
to pass it on to my kids, I tryto pass it on to young drivers.
If you can protect your careerand you can save a little money
here and there, nothing isstopping you from doing whatever
(26:25):
you wanna do.
I find this really interestingBen.
Cindy Tunstall (26:30):
So I think it really ties into your working in
safety.
Now I mean your appreciationfor what the career offers and
this bent that you have basedfrom your past.
Like you know, this is thesituation I'm in.
What can I do to make it better?
That's something that's deeplyingrained in you.
Would you say that's true?
Ben Grunenwald (26:48):
It is true, I have a degree in law enforcement
.
It's true, it is true, I have adegree in law enforcement.
I went to.
I was driving, I was working asa supervisor on a night shift
up in Green Bay for four years.
I went to school for mycriminal justice degree with the
(27:08):
intent of transferring over tosome kind of safety department
because I started to see thatthe industry was going in a
direction that was going to needpeople that had both experience
but foresight to be able toshare that experience on a
positive side.
And it hasn't stopped.
I'm continuing my education.
Right now I'm working on mysupply chain degree and the role
(27:32):
I have in safety.
It has a stop and continueeducation.
Right now I'm working on mysupply chain degree and the role
I have in safety right now,covering the five divisions of
risk management.
I have that ability to telldrivers the same thing, but this
time my podium is a little bitbigger because I have 3,500
drivers.
Cindy Tunstall (27:48):
Wow, wow.
So where do you see your nextsteps, what do you plan to do
with this um, this new education, where you like to see yourself
going, and what's your role inthe industry?
Ben Grunenwald (28:01):
I want to stay in the transportation.
I want to stay in trucking.
It's where my bread and butteris, it's where my heart is.
Um, I'm never going to be ableto leave it.
So I want to eventually becomea safety director, the guy that
has the safety department.
I have this desire in me that Iwant to make this industry
(28:25):
better, but I don't want to bethat old-time truck driver that
talks bad about the industry,that it's changed, that it's not
meant for me anymore.
I want to be able to sit downand talk to a driver that's six,
eight a year out of drivingschool and tell him or her this
is what it used to be.
(28:45):
This is why it's still as goodas it used to be, but this is
why it's going to be better thanit was 20 years ago.
I don't think a guy or I don'tthink an individual that that
doesn't have the force that Ihave can do that without
sounding condescending or bitterabout it.
Cindy Tunstall (29:07):
I really love the things that you're sharing,
ben.
I obviously I my brand and mypodcast is Enjoying Life OTR.
So personally, that says I havean optimistic bent about life
and I'm really all aboutfocusing on the good and the
changes that we can make.
But I also really valueresilience and thinking about
that and there are challengesthat we have to overcome and I
(29:31):
really loved your proactiveapproach.
It's not denying the problems.
It's not taking, you know, notthrowing out all of the past or,
you know, looking toward thefuture in just rose-colored
glasses.
So I really love your balancedapproach and I can see how, as
you know a leader in theindustry that drivers would find
a great deal of respect workingfor you in your outlook.
(29:55):
So I'm really honored to hearyour story.
Ben Grunenwald (29:59):
Well, thank you.
It's something that means a lotto me and I try to tell drivers
that I talk to, that I havesome experience and I'm not
trying to tell you what to do.
I'm not trying to be that guythat says it's either my way or
the highway.
I don't want to do that.
But what I do, what I do liketo do, is be able to show them
or at least guide them in thedirection.
(30:21):
That's going to be a win-winsituation for all of us.
I'm not out there to tell adriver he can't drive or she
can't drive, but rather givethem tips.
That makes their jobs easier,makes the roads safer, puts a
little bit more money in theirpocket, a little bit more money
in our pocket, and when, at theend of the day, we can call it a
(30:41):
good day and everybody wins.
Cindy Tunstall (30:44):
What are some things that you've done over the
years that help you to stay onthis growth mindset?
Are there books or things thatyou're reading, or podcasts?
Because I know there's so muchnegativity, I think, about my
social media presence and I haveto be really careful of what
I'm taking in because I know itcan start to make me snarky when
(31:04):
I'm not that kind of person.
So I have to be reallyintentional to maintain a growth
mindset and staying on thatpath.
Are there any strategies orthings that you have discovered
that work really well for you tocontinue on this, you know,
with this proactive mindset, Iguess?
Ben Grunenwald (31:25):
Sure, there's a couple of them and that might be
a little bit of a tearjerker,for me especially the first one
is I always want to be a littlebit better than I was the day
before.
Social media is a great tool,but it's also, or it can be, a
very toxic tool, and the reasonI say that is because you can
(31:46):
and I believe this is how youand I got connected was one of
the Facebook pages that we bothfollow, and it can be sometimes
a little negative, but itdoesn't always have to be, and I
just try to be a little bitbetter than I was the day before
.
So whenever I see a post that Ican point out something that's
negative about it, I just wantto be a little bit positive,
(32:07):
because a little bit of positiveis extremely intoxicating.
Someone sees a little bit ofpositive is extremely
intoxicating.
Someone sees a little bit ofpositive, the next person will
be a little bit more positive,and it just snowballs up from
there.
The next thing is, I lost mymom back in 2012, and she was my
guiding light, and I just wantto do it.
(32:31):
I just want her to be proud ofme, that's all.
Cindy Tunstall (32:34):
Well, I'm sure she is, Ben.
I mean, I love your attitudeand your approach.
You've obviously faced somepretty significant challenges
and you've been able to overcomethose things you and I both
share.
You know you have anopportunity to be a positive
influence wherever you are.
So I really like that.
And you know I started the EnjoyLife OTR Facebook group for the
(32:58):
, you know, main reason is, youknow, I wanted to be able to
surround myself with otherdrivers who have a growth
mindset and who are proactiveabout making and creating the
life that they want, whetherthey're OTR and they're gone.
You know the life that theywant, whether they're OTR and
they're gone, you know, a weekor two weeks, three weeks or you
know, really live in theirtruck and are making this
(33:18):
lifestyle work.
Cause I wanted to have anopportunity for drivers to
connect with other people thatwere being intentional about the
life that we want to leave, andreally that's a driving force
between my podcast as well.
I want to be able to share, youknow, honor drivers and share
their stories, but also sharethings that you're doing that
being intentional about makingit work.
(33:39):
So I really love the thingsthat you shared.
Ben Grunenwald (33:42):
Well, thank you, I'm glad that you invited me on
the podcast.
I think this industry is a goodindustry.
It's never going anywhere.
Trucks are never going to leavethe road.
They might get a little bitbetter, they might get a little
bit bigger, but they're nevergoing anywhere, and so we're
going to need qualified peopleto operate them and to network
(34:03):
with each other so everyonestays safe, the country stays
moving and our freightbywaysways and highways stay
smooth.
Cindy Tunstall (34:15):
Talking about changes in the industry.
What are your thoughts aboutthe automation of trucks and
things?
And I know you're always goingto have trucks on the road, but
what about drivers?
Do you have anything to sharewith our audience about that
topic?
What are your thoughts?
Ben Grunenwald (34:28):
As far as automatic drivers or just the
technology the automated trucks,so driverless trucks, basically
autonomous trucks.
I honestly do not think that anyof us are going to be around if
that ever happens.
There's there are way too manynuances and factors that come
(34:52):
into play in this business.
When it comes to operating acommercial vehicle off of a
railroad, there's an ad thatsays that.
Go back 10, 15 years ago, whendrayage containers started being
shipped out on railroads,drivers were worried that they
were going to lose their jobsand my simple response was no,
(35:15):
you're not, because trains don'thave steering wheels.
They go one direction or theopposite direction.
That's it.
And I don't think automatedtrucks are going to be a thing
in our lifetime or maybe in thenext lifetime.
But what I do see happening isI do see electric trucks at some
(35:36):
point.
It may not be in 10 years, itmay not be in 20 years, but I do
see becoming a thing and I'mkind of on the bandwagon that I
kind of I want to be there,watch it and I want to try and
help the changeover because Ithink it's a good thing.
But we're going to have to havethe drivers that are going to
(35:59):
take on that technology headhead on and be okay with
implementing it without withoutbeing snarky about it, because
if it's going to catch on, we'regoing to have to have positive
people behind that process.
So that's going to involveyounger people, younger drivers.
Younger people are the onesthat are bringing technology to
(36:20):
the forefront of our industry.
E-logs are a prime example,computers or not computers, but
cameras in the trucks are aprime example.
You wouldn't believe the amountof younger drivers that I have
that have no problem having acamera in the truck.
But you talk to the guys thatare my age, they won't drive for
us simply because of thatreason.
Technology is because it's notgoing anywhere, so we're going
(36:43):
to have to adapt to it, butwe're going to need younger
people to help us yeah, theadaptability, I think.
Cindy Tunstall (36:49):
And you know my thing about the autonomous
trucks.
I live in Dallas, so fromDallas to Houston and Dallas to
El Paso, which those arestraight shots, right, so easy
lane to drive, but there'salready autonomous trucks
driving those routes.
I mean, they're on the road nowLike I literally pass them.
And I have a friend that worksfor a company that's doing
(37:13):
autonomous trucks and she hastold me that the beginning of
the transition started there.
They have cdl drivers that aredriving the trucks and then the
computers are actually, you know, because there's ai now, right,
um, artificial intelligence andmachine learning, so they have
cdL drivers that were drivingthe trucks and they're actually
teaching the machine, thecomputer, how a CDL driver
(37:36):
responds and making improvementson their choices.
And then I've even seeninterviews with those drivers
that do.
You know, I have a friend thatdoes it and I've also watched
some interviews of drivers thatwork in that industry and CDL
holders, and they've actuallyI've heard the drivers say that
when it first started, when theyhad to let go of the control
(37:57):
and let the machine, you know,because the driver was still in
the truck, you know, able in thedriving of the machine than he
did his own driving, whichactually freaked me out a little
(38:19):
bit, blew my mind.
But I think now that there'ssome trucks that are driving
without a driver in the truckand it's all testing, you know,
but it's not as far off as youknow, everybody is saying,
because I talk to drivers allthe time and almost all drivers
say you know, not in ourlifetime, not in our lifetime.
You know, I don't think that'sgoing to happen, but I mean,
(38:39):
it's already happening, it'sjust, and I don't know how far
out.
You know, and what I hear fromdrivers is well, the first time
that there's a wreck, you know,with no driver in there, and my
response always is well, there'struck drivers that wreck trucks
that you know, harm familiesand do a lot of damage with a
person driving.
So it's not a, it's not anobstacle that's going to keep
(39:03):
the technology from goingforward, because human drivers,
cdl holders, make mistakes andthey fall asleep, or they were
on their phone or they're notpaying attention and they make
errors that cost lives and doconsiderable property damage and
you know lots of traumainvolved with truck wrecks.
Anytime, right.
(39:24):
Anytime there's a big wreckthat tracks, it's traumatic and
it's significant loss, right.
Anyway, I was just curious aboutwhat your thoughts were on that
and I'm kind of like, you knowI like driving a truck, so I
kind of like to think that it'snot going to happen either.
But you know, I see them on theroad and I see these trucks and
(39:44):
there's cameras everywhere andyou know, drivers were like what
the heck?
You know I'm like, well, that'swhat, autonomous trucking?
Ben Grunenwald (40:01):
It's machine learning and they're in their
process of um anyway taking over, I guess.
So that kind of goes intosomething that I read.
Uh, maybe two weeks ago I wasreading an article from I can't
remember the source, it wasrough somewhere on big them that
that there is planned in takethat freight, go and deliver it,
(40:34):
bring it together back for thecarrier to come and get at a
later date, and that's allthey're going to do.
They're not going to go outsidethe city limits, but these
trucks are going to have shorterwheelbases, they're going to
have drivers that are morefamiliar with the area and it's
actually going to be a moneysaver because you're not
spending the over-the-roaddrivers.
You know the over-the-roaddrivers don't get paid for
(40:55):
driving in the city.
They get paid mile to mile andthat's it.
And it's very hard to switchfrom an over-the-road driver,
from getting paid mileage togetting paid hourly if they have
to work in and around a metroarea area.
So I'm wondering if it isn'tsomething that's feasible that
you're going to have theseautomated trucks go from Metro
Hub to Metro Hub and then havethe live humans getting these
(41:19):
little daycats and whatnot topick up these dropped trailers
delivered to the consignees andthen bring the trailer back for
an automated truck to come andget.
It's a very, very sciencefiction, but it's very
interesting to look and get.
It's a very, very science, uh,science.
I don't say it's fiction, butit's very interesting to look,
to look and watch, because I cansee that happening.
Cindy Tunstall (41:38):
Yeah, I think about that as next steps for
automated trucks because, likeyou know, everybody says, well,
yeah, houston to dallas, that'sthe easy lane.
In dallas to el paso, straightshot, no mountains, you know,
just easy driving, um.
But when you start getting tohou traffic, that's a whole
other thing.
But I think that that'sprobably, I would say that the
(41:59):
transition would happen is thatthere would be hubs like that
and CDL holders would, you know,do local runs and of course
there's always going to beplaces in different types of
trucking that requires a driverand somebody to be available to
handle issues with the load andstuff like that.
So I think that those arealways going to be driving jobs
(42:21):
available and a need for CDLholders.
But I do see that.
I think it's important that weembrace the changes that are
happening.
We embrace the changes that arehappening and I don't want to be
the bearer of bad news by anymeans, because I like to think
about optimism and, you know,think about the good things that
are happening in the industry.
But, like you, I want toembrace changes that are
(42:42):
happening and be prepared andnot be in denial about the
changes that are happening,because those trucks are already
on the road, so it's not as faroff as we think.
But I think it's important tostart thinking about the future,
and you know what our role isin the industry and you know
it's an industry that I love andI've only been in the industry
for a few years, so it'ssomething that I really enjoy
and I love the travel and I lovejust being on the road, I love
(43:04):
being on the open road and I'mloving to see different parts of
the country, but I also don'twant to stay in denial about the
future either.
Right Well, before we wrap up,ben, do you have any other
stories that you want to sharewith our audience?
Ben Grunenwald (43:19):
Oh, nothing I can think of right off hand.
Like I said, nothing that'sappropriate for a podcast.
My favorite is truck drivers.
There are some things out therethat I would much rather forget
, but yeah, we'll just leave itat that.
Cindy Tunstall (43:35):
Okay, that sounds good.
Well, thanks for coming on theshow.
I really enjoyed getting toknow you and I hope that you'll
join me in the Enjoying Life OTRFacebook group.
You're the kind of people thatI love to hang around, so I'm
really honored to get to shareyour story, and I'm grateful
that you took the time.
Ben Grunenwald (43:50):
Hey, thank you for inviting me.
It was a pleasure to talk aboutour industry.
I'd just like to say somethingto your audience.
If you happen across someonewho's discouraged by the
industry, about what it'sbecoming and you have some time
underneath your belt, remindthem what it used to be like and
(44:11):
that's not always roses.
It's getting better.
It's getting better by'sgetting better.
It's getting better by the day.
It's getting safer by the day.
Cindy Tunstall (44:16):
We actually have people that want to do it
instead of feel like they'rebeing forced to do it, and
that's a good thing for thisindustry yeah, a lot of good
things are happening and I thinkwe have to it's a good point we
have to be intentional to lookfor the positive changes and we
have to have that bend insteadof just being you keep that
longing for the past and wishthat things were and look at
things with road colored glasseslike they were better than they
(44:37):
really were, but really focuson the good things that are
happening.
I think we have to beintentional.
So I think that's a great wordof wisdom and I appreciate you
for sharing it.
Ben Grunenwald (44:45):
Thank you very much.
Dino Grigoriadis (44:48):
All right, folks, that's a wrap on today's
episode.
All right, folks, that's a wrapon today's episode.
We covered a lot of ground,from e-logs and cameras and
trucks to the future ofautonomous vehicles and the
importance of adapting to newtechnologies.
Remember, change isn't alwayseasy, but it's often necessary
for progress.
If you enjoyed thisconversation and want to connect
with other drivers, head onover to the Healthier Truckers
(45:10):
and Enjoying Life OTR Facebookgroups.
It's a great place to shareideas and support each other on
the road.
As a CDL holder of 30 plusyears, I would not be here if I
didn't think this was of benefitto me.
Well, if you found Valley intoday's episode, why not share
it with a fellow driver?
Don't forget to subscribe soyou don't miss out on our next
(45:32):
episode featuring Melinda FoxWellington.
She'll be sharing morestrategies to inspire us to
become healthier truckers and,lord knows, we need all the help
we can get these days out hereEnjoying life over the road a
community that championsadventure, innovation and
well-being.
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Bobby Bones Show
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.