Speaker 1: 0:45

Welcome back to that's Delivered. Today, we're excited to have Ryan Kalvick with us. His journey has been nothing short of inspiring. From a stay-at-home dad to a class A UPS truck driver, he's faced challenges from a young age, including taking care of a sick parent. Despite those hardships, Ryan went back and earned his diploma and now is a powerful advocate for community building, especially among union members. He's all about fostering support, connection and lifting up others in their lives and careers. Ryan, I'm very excited to have you on the show. How are you doing, man?

Speaker 2: 1:20

I'm doing real well. How are you doing today, Ryan?

Speaker 1: 1:22

I'm doing well, thank you. Yeah, so life has many challenges and many obstacles. So, to get started, we usually let listeners learn about you and get a little background and then we kind of peer into what's happening today. So you grew up facing some unique challenges, especially having to take on a caregiving role. I mean, that's a huge task as a young person.

Speaker 2: 1:53

Can you share more about what that time was like in your life? Yeah, so some of the challenges were I was in my high school years when my father blew out his back, so he's had a really bad back. So he was disabled and unable to do his normal duties as a business owner. So he had a siding and roofing company. So I started to try to take on that and selling jobs for him and doing the jobs and managing the bills and you know, and 30 plus thousand dollars of uh, you know debt and credit coming in every month, so it was wild.

Speaker 1: 2:34

Not bad. What was one of the biggest challenges you remember of that experience?

Speaker 2: 2:41

The psychological part of it, of seeing your parent go through such a transformation. You know where they were the provider in your life and you know always there for you and then to see them become so depressed it's pretty hard.

Speaker 1: 3:00

Yeah, I can only imagine it's a lot on your shoulders for a young person, and then those experiences shaped your outlook on life and responsibility. How did it particularly do that? You see that, how it kind of helped shape you today?

Speaker 2: 3:17

oh, absolutely. It helped, uh, shape me in many ways. Uh, my dad was first, or he taught me that putting a smile on somebody's face is the greatest gift that you can give, and I really took it to heart. And you know, you know me I always got a dad joke or some way to make somebody laugh, because everybody needs that. Every day. It releases certain chemicals in our body. That is a must, right? So I'm able to do that and I just want everybody to be able to enjoy life to the best of their ability. You know, even in hard times, sometimes you just need somebody in your corner.

Speaker 1: 3:57

Yeah, I totally get that man. I mean you've been in a lot of people's corner. I mean caregiving in itself, you kind of put yourself last. I mean that's huge. Are there any lessons for those days that you still carry with you, maybe something that you can recall, that that picture, picture.

Speaker 2: 4:19

So I would say, before and after that I kind of became a procrastinator on certain things and didn't always uh, handle my business a hundred, 100, right away when it needed to be, so I had to pull myself out of the uh, you know, a hard time basically as a result of that and and if you um, that came up then.

Speaker 2: 4:47

Uh, it would be well I I got to do it right now, otherwise I'm going to put it off, I'm going to think about it three or four or five more times and that's just going to slow me down on where I'm trying to get in life. So I'm trying to teach my kids that now.

Speaker 1: 5:05

Right, and that leads right into the next part. I was thinking about a lot of strength and care for a family member, especially as a kid. How much did that impact your school life and the goals that at that time? I mean? You know there was quite a bit of a challenge there.

Speaker 2: 5:22

Well, school was a wild ride for me in general. So I grew up in Northern Iowa. It was a town of 300 people, I mean, there was max 15 kids per class. So I actually excelled really well in that area as far as my ability and skills and stuff like that. And then middle school I moved up to Brooklyn Park and it was pretty shocking the difference. So Doorbell ring.

Speaker 1: 6:01

Can we?

Speaker 2: 6:02

take a quick break, real quick.

Speaker 1: 6:03

Oh yeah, for sure. Okay, alright, there we go. The lady says it's recording in progress. Did you hear?

Speaker 2: 6:14

I heard.

Speaker 1: 6:15

Yeah, she's on the job. So, yeah, I mean that takes a lot of strength to care for a family member, especially as a kid. And what was the impact of your school life, the goals at that time that you had Probably balancing, and all those responsibilities man, that's a lot.

Speaker 2: 6:37

Yeah, so when I was younger, I lived in Iowa in a small town of 300 people and we had pretty small classes max 15 kids per class so I excelled really well in that. And then when I moved up to Minnesota again in middle school, I was a very big shock, you know, kids were fighting in school and stabbing each other and I mean it was just complete opposite of what I was dealing with. So, you know, I tried to fit in with the crowd and, you know, didn't keep up on my academics like I should have. Um, early on I had aspirations and of being a lawyer or going into politics or something like that. So it was, uh, those kind of went down the, the uh, a different path than what I did, and uh, but I always find that stuff very interesting. It it's really uh cool for me to look back and be like you know, I could have probably done those things. I definitely wouldn't be the person that I am today and and I think I'm a better person as a result of that.

Speaker 2: 7:47

So, uh, everybody goes through very hard times in their life and very good times. So we learned from those and since I wasn't able to graduate in my senior year as a result of my dad's injury. I didn't think that a diploma was a big deal at that time. I had skills that I was able to do construction-wise. My father taught me a lot of different skills as far as siding and roofing and other things like that that allowed me to provide for myself and make a good living living. So when I moved out of my dad's house at about 21, there was, you know, a couple of buddies. We've had an apartment and that was actually the first time that I ever got to a trucking job.

Speaker 1: 8:47

That's when I first got my CDL Thanks. So you said, hey, you, you know, still important to have your diploma. So you said I'm gonna get that, I'm gonna go back and get that.

Speaker 2: 8:56

I mean that's, I think that's a great accomplishment my wife brought it up to me and she's like I love you very, very much, but I always told myself I'd never marry anybody that doesn't have their diploma. So, like, not that I won't marry you, but, like you know, I want you to want that for yourself and that's kind of what spurred me to go back. And I only had three credits to get in order to get my diploma, so I wasn't. I didn't do the GED part of it. I actually went back to night classes and got the actual diploma 10 years later.

Speaker 1: 9:36

I think that's super admirable. I mean, some people just give up on that or they would say, hey, what's the point of it? Like you said, you can provide for yourself, but you saw past that. You saw the bigger picture and she helped you with that. I mean, that's how we help each other, so you care for someone and mean that's that's how we help each other, you know. So you care for someone and then someone care for you. That's great. Um, now I guess transitioning to UPS and looking at that and your professional journey fast forward a bit. You joined UPS and you went out driving a package car and now now you're driving semi-trucks. That's a big shift. What was the transition like for you?

Speaker 2: 10:18

It actually wasn't hard. Like I said, when I was 21, I worked for a company called Tool Gas and Welding Supply and I worked in the yard initially there and taught myself how to drive a truck, got my CDL through them and worked for that company for about a year so I knew how to drive a semi. I could back trailers Before UPS. I didn't realize how hard blindsideside backing was and you know stuff like that and I actually used to do it all the time at that other company. Um, so they were pallet trailers, not box trailer or you know, cube trailers.

Speaker 2: 11:04

So the uh, there's a difference there and and confidence and skill and that kind of stuff. But yeah it, it was pretty easy. The harder part, hardest part I had was, um, double clutching, because I never did that and the trainer that I had. He said if you don't double clutch you're not going to pass. So I had basically 24 hours to teach myself how to double clutch, downshifting, and you know it's intimidating when you're driving a truck and you have to give it gas to downshift because it's like opposite of what you've ever learned, right, I don't know if you remember that first time that you had to learn how to do that.

Speaker 2: 11:47

So I was like, oh, how do I do this? Because I was just so used to floating the gears, you know yeah and uh, so I'd only ever use the clutch to start and stop. And he's like the the guy will fail you if you don't double clutch on your downshift. I was like all right, so that was the hardest part I had um, and then you mentioned, I think, before about those package cars.

Speaker 1: 12:13

I mean, man, there's, there's kind of a ritual that goes through those package car guys too. You know that you said you had to kind of get up to speed, or I think it was something you said one time about going through their, their training part, maybe what was that like being a training as a ups package car?

Speaker 2: 12:34

um. So I was one of the fortunate ones that came through actually as a 22-4, which is a combo position, um, so I had less rights than a normal package car driver, but the training actually gave me a lot of confidence in certain aspects of driving. So I wish more states actually had the same type of training that UPS does, for you know what to look for, how to be a defensive driver. So that was actually something that I really really appreciate and I'm grateful that I have that knowledge, because every driveway is an intersection and most people never look at it. You know they say, well, it's not an intersection, until you hit a street and it's like every driveway is an intersection, every sidewalk is an intersection and you know, thinking in that mind frame, you're way less likely to have an accident or an incident, you know.

Speaker 2: 13:35

So it actually was pretty easy for me. I luckily was able to deliver and start out that 30 days of service in an area that I was familiar with, so like it didn't take me too long In an area that I was familiar with. So it didn't take me too long. Honestly, I really enjoyed the job itself. I just didn't enjoy the amount of work all the time, or the fact that I didn't get the opportunity to say I've had enough today.

Speaker 1: 14:07

Oh yeah, they keep giving you more.

Speaker 2: 14:10

Yes, sir.

Speaker 1: 14:12

Never enough. Uh, yeah, they keep giving you more. Yes, sir, never enough. A lot, of, a lot of drivers mentioned that there's a a moment where you truly find your groove on the road. Um, maybe it was in package car, or maybe it was before that, the job you had prior, um, did you have a moment like that in your journey where driving shaped the prospect of, of hard work and, you know, shaped that for you?

Speaker 2: 14:38

I've always been a driver man, I mean ever since I was a kid. If it had wheels and a motor like I was on that that. So uh, yeah, I mean my dad would take me out on medicine lake and his f-150 manual and I mean I was like six years old, seven years old, and he's teaching me how to drive out on the lake and in the middle of winter and we're whipping donuts and like that's when I probably fell in love with driving and so yeah, wow, I didn't know that.

Speaker 1: 15:13

Wow, driving on the lake, that's a whole nother skill in itself.

Speaker 2: 15:18

Well, when you're learning to drive a manual, it's you're less likely to kill it and there's not really anything out there to hit, so it made it a lot easier as a young person, you know, but yeah he would have me shift the shifter and all that stuff while he was driving. He's like I put it in third gear. Come on, get it in there. So you know it was.

Speaker 1: 15:42

It was always fun with my dad driving I think I learned how to drive on a manual as well. I mean, that's uh, I don't know, it seems to get in your blood a lot better than the automatics. I don't know, it's just feeling the control and the gear shifting. That's huge. Well, is there a particular route that you liked when you were doing Package Car that you always looked forward to? Was it?

Speaker 2: 16:08

Yeah, oddly enough it was actually pretty well. There was two that I kind of looked forward to, was it? Yeah, oddly enough, it was actually pretty well. There was two that I kind of looked forward to, but they're pretty heavy business ones. One of them actually went around Twin Lakes and Robbinsdale and Crystal Area so and it was like one of the first stops was really, really heavy. I mean it was like every box was 40 pounds.

Speaker 2: 16:33

But there was always these three, four or five guys that worked at the company. I mean they were right there, never, you know, never failed. They were there to help and it always made me smile, because not all customers are like that, but I could always get that one done pretty good or pretty, pretty fast. Uh, it was not complicated. There was nice people on the route. Um, sure You've heard me say, uh, best day so far once or twice, and uh, there's every business that I did that too on that route. They were like I'm going to use that, I'm going to steal that. You know it was always put a smile on their face, so that always gave me that joy of you know, making somebody's day brighten up.

Speaker 1: 17:18

Nice and so building a community, being a community leader, union advocate. I mean, you mentioned too that you had some time you were able to stay at home with your kids and I kind of think that maybe that helped out a lot too to build and foster community within your home and also, you know, carry that on outside of the home. How would you share a little bit about that?

Speaker 2: 17:45

Yeah, absolutely. I was a stay-at-home parent for six years. I was a stay-at-home parent for six years. My wife, well, when I did Windows, I ended up incurring a laceration on my wrist, and so I was out for that and something else had happened and my wife was just like I think this is the universe, saying you should be a stay-at-home dad, never had given it a thought, right, and I was like you know what? I'd probably be pretty good at that and uh. So then we found out that we were pregnant with twins and started looking at what the cost of daycare was and I was like, definitely, I can do that. So, uh, we had a duplex which allowed us to be able to financially afford that. And yeah it, it was. It was a wonderful time.

Speaker 2: 18:31

So first couple of years I didn't have hardly any adult interaction, right, it was just me and my kids, and then my wife at night, and like I felt like I was going a little crazy, you know. So I started doing some other stuff and, you know, got some friends, we would play games on Friday nights. So it was like, okay, I started kind of building that. Um, you know, and it made me kind of think back to my childhood being in a town of 300 people. You know everybody knew everybody. Everybody helped everybody when they need something done. Uh, you know, it wasn't like there was one guy that always did all the decks or one guy that did all the windows. Everybody pitched in and it helped save, you know, money Not that we had a lot of money.

Speaker 2: 19:17

Down there, again, there wasn't very many jobs, there wasn't even a gas station. So there was that. And then my kids were about three. And then my kids were about three and I was like, or hear me out, if we move in with them for five years, we can be 100% debt free and own our duplex. And at first she was like I don't know about that. And so she's like, well, let's see what my parents say. So we talked to her parents. They weren't 100% sure about it and they said, all right, we'll give it a try because they're both retired. You know, have a giant house, six bedrooms. You know the basement wasn't being used at all, right, so built ourselves a little place down there. My kids had a giant play area, uh, which was amazing.

Speaker 2: 20:25

And then, like my wife, it's in the neighborhood that my wife grew up in, so she knew some of the people already. I got to know them more. There's been some pretty good cornerstone neighbors that have been here for 20, 30, 40 years and so being here every day in the neighborhood I also fostered that. You know community sense and met some really good people. I have great friends as a result of this and you know we're all here for each other and it's just that's something that I want you know. I want to know when my kids walk out the door, if somebody sees them doing something they shouldn't be, they're gonna give me a call or, even better, they're gonna walk out there and say what are you doing? Quit being an idiot. You know so. I, uh, and they do right. I'm very, very lucky in that sense.

Speaker 1: 21:17

We all care that the next generation is going to do good wow, I mean, that's one of the things I admire about you your passion for building a community. That really stuck in my mind and stood out for me and it also helped me um with you know, unionism and connecting with union members and to offer support. Um, you know, that's that's huge man. I mean, that's that paints a big picture for people to understand that. What was some uh experiences or that motivated you to involve in building these connections? Um, I know you mentioned something about uh bringing people together, the small town. What would you say? Share?

Speaker 2: 22:04

So, as far as with UPS and kind of what I'm working towards and what I've started to create, when I came from package car to feeder the feeder department, I went straight into sleepers and I didn't know anybody in the department, you know, and it's like, okay, well, I'd like to know the people that I'm working with. I, you know there's a lot of uh, senior drivers. I have great knowledge, I mean, you know, and, um, I thrive on that. I want knowledge from people that have done this before me so hopefully I make less mistakes and and provide that for people below me. You know, um, and I've done mentoring, uh, since I started basically with UPS, uh, with the younger people that were coming in after me and even older people, but uh, mostly younger, younger guys and gals. Uh, so it kind of reverted back to that where I used to want to do political stuff and lawyering. This gives me kind of that opportunity to put my stamp on something right. I want to help create something that's unique and special.

Speaker 2: 23:14

Uh, my father-in-law and his best friend both were union members for a long, long time. My father-in-law actually paid dues for 50 years with his union and they don't charge him no more. So he said when I started at UPS he's like get to know as much as you can, learn as much as you can be a part of it and make it the union that you want to be a part of. So that's what I'm doing. I'm making it the union that I want to be a part of and other people want to be a part of.

Speaker 2: 23:51

That's probably the most important thing for me. Important thing for me With pretty low seniority compared to most UPSers in our area. It doesn't always benefit me to do some of the things I do. But this isn't about me. This is about all of us, right? We all have a lot of power together and that's where we can make big moves and big changes in our community and policies at our state and national levels and even in our city levels, you know. So it's just getting people to do that, rather than doing the doom scroll on TikTok or Facebook or whatever you know like. Engage people in the right ways.

Speaker 1: 24:37

Yeah. So what does community mean to you? It's not social community like facebook, or what does it mean to you?

Speaker 2: 24:46

um, I guess especially in the context of union support um, so I guess community to me as a I don't do a ton of stuff on Facebook or, you know, other social medias, but to have that place where I can go talk to other people that have lived through these experiences or done the battles, and also eventually be a resource for other people you know, and to know that you're not alone in this, you're not the only one that's living this. You know, we all have our own personal lives that we deal with and stuff like that, and we don't need to feel like we're alone while we're at work or, you know, doing these battles Nice or at work or you know, doing these battles Nice, so spearheading some of the great initiatives in a union community.

Speaker 1: 25:47

Can you share some of those projects that you have going on, that kind of hope to achieve an impact maybe you know, like for the members or even for support for the union?

Speaker 2: 25:57

Yeah, absolutely the members or or even for support for the union. Yeah, absolutely, uh. So I guess the big part started. Uh, my steward, you know, talking to him late at night and he was just kind of not complaining but just dealing with what a steward deals with, you know, and explaining it to me and that kind of stuff, and I said there's got to be a better way. So I started researching different things and trying to find another way. We used to have at the union app called crew and some stewards were on there and it was a place that we could put information and stuff. But it was a paid app and I'm like nobody wants to pay for nothing, so we got to find something that's free.

Speaker 2: 26:38

So I stumbled across Discord. I had used it a little bit before and Darren and myself, you know, started kind of collaborating back and forth and we built something that's really great for our, you know, feeder and sleeper drivers. You know people that wanted to do do this but didn't know anybody or didn't know how to get ahold of them. You know, we provided a space that's in the palm of your hand to be able to do that. There's a lot of members that don't know when our general membership meetings are, or have access to that. So I, monthly, I usually go on there and put when the meetings are, put the zoom link on there Um, you know. And then our president, Jonathan Keechick he also, you know, seeing what I was doing. He's like this is pretty cool, right, and like you know. And so then I started talking to him about how I thought having a separate server just for stewards to be able to collaborate and ask questions, Because there are certain things with grievances that are private that you don't want everybody to know, right. So having a space where you can do that and get that information was important to me.

Speaker 2: 27:55

So Discord's been something that I've really been passionate about. That and get that information was important to me. So Discord's been something that I've really been passionate about. I've seen a huge impact. Almost everybody that does use it is really, really grateful that we have it. I've been working towards trying to get package card drivers inside workers on this, and before this I was actually talking to a driver out of Minneapolis that he had seen, uh, what I had put together through uh, Chuck Bryan at the TDU convention this weekend and he was like that looks awesome man. And so he's like yep, I'm down, let's see what we can get, and I'll get some more people on there. I know some people in a part time positions that are also looking to try to get more engagement and he said I think this, this could be a could be it. I said, well, I'm going to keep pushing it.

Speaker 1: 29:03

Yeah, so what's an example of someone that maybe doesn't know what Discord is or what the platform or server that you're using? Maybe an example where someone of the members didn't know that it was available and then they say, well, now that I see that this is here, like, well, this is going to be a great resource for me.

Speaker 2: 29:18

You have anything like that you'd share. Yeah, so it's a private server that's by invite only. There's no management or anything on it. So it's an app that you can download on your phone and computer, you know, for sleeper teams or other people that are, you know, on vacation, or something that gives us a place where, uh, we can post job, new jobs that come up for bid, or you know something like that. Or if somebody is having a hard time with a, a manager or a supervisor or, uh, some other workplace issue, you know they can contact other members in their building and say, hey, you know, got this going on, what can we do about it? Uh, I'm trying to do it for our entire local. Uh, so that way, like you know, if somebody down in Shakopee is like, hey, I got this going on, and a guy up in Fargo saying I got the same thing going on.

Speaker 2: 30:13

You know, uh, it'll. It'll allow them to kind of communicate with the business agents and stewards to try to smooth out some of these hiccups that we have Right and uh and make us stronger overall. The this last contract there was a local down in Florida that said I'm not going to vote until we have this memorandum of understanding for people to have a market rate adjustment. They get to keep that. And then these general wage increases every year that full-time people get we also want. So they wouldn't vote on it until they got that.

Speaker 2: 30:53

So the union and UPS came together and wrote a memorandum of understanding for hourly employees, part-time and full-time, and I thought, wow, that's just so cool, you can really make a big impact for your, your community and and your local. And they did nationally, you know. So that's one of the things that I thought like discord is going to really be able to allow us all to connect. Um, the hard part is we have such a large area in six, 38. I mean, it's most of Minnesota and all of North Dakota. You know, trying to touch with all those people is really hard.

Speaker 1: 31:43

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. I mean sometimes it's even hard just to get into to a union meeting from North Dakota. So being able to see something on the platform, see the notes, see the results of what's being done, I mean they can see all that right there in the palm of their hand.

Speaker 2: 32:06

Well, and their voice can be heard. That's the other big thing about all this is, you know, I have talked to a lot of union members and they just don't feel like their voice is heard, you know. So you've been on. I try to do a weekly call to get people engaged and having them ask questions. And you know, when there is a union meeting, I say, hey, what do you guys want to know? I don't have any problem asking questions at the union meeting. You know they're there to give us answers. So, like, this isn't a personal thing.

Speaker 2: 32:39

You know, I think our leadership down there is really really good. And you know, obviously we all have improvements that we can work on and grow, and that's what I'm here for. I'm here to help all of us improve. I'm here to help all of us improve. Like you know, I'm not doing this to become a steward or to go down to the hall or anything like that. This is just because I see a need for us all as members, and when you're the person that cares most, you're going to be the one to do it.

Speaker 1: 33:18

Yeah, I mean, since you signed that card, people realize you know, realize you know, hey, I signed the union card. There's something that comes with that responsibility. It comes with that and you're taking it serious. I'm not saying that everybody doesn't take it serious, but they all have their own way. But it's not like you're trying to uh, get something for yourself out of this. I, I, I pick up on that.

Speaker 1: 33:35

I don't see that you know, so some people do things for a reward at the end. Yours is every day. You're putting a smile on people's face and I can see that. Um, let's talk about the big picture you're. You've got a lot of goals, making life better for others. What's your vision like for the future? Um, in steps, of making a lot of your goals reality.

Speaker 2: 34:01

Well, there's a lot of people that I've met since I've started at UPS that have been able to show me a different picture than what I was when I was a stay-at-home parent. So now that I have two 10-year-old boys that you know eventually are going to you know eventually are going to, you know, be looking for jobs that make good money and, you know, hopefully, great benefits similar to what we have, if not better. You know I have an interest in every day working towards guaranteeing that they still have that. You know automation is is something that I think is going to be a huge battle for us. So I want to make sure that we're working with our legislation and down at the capitol to ensure that big corporations aren't able to just take these jobs away from us. You know, and only worry about corporate profits and you know who's going to get paid out at the top tier. You know the top 1% has more than enough. We need to start figuring out how to take back what we have created and earned and what we deserve.

Speaker 1: 35:13

Yeah, I mean, I mean it's huge, you know, it's uh eye-catching and it's kind of exciting at the same time. Automation like wow, look what they can do. But then you know, I got this other side of spectrum and look what they can do, yeah, they can, and then they can fold your laundry, but at the same time they could take a job.

Speaker 2: 35:32

So yeah, well, and you know I battle with this quite often because my wife does voiceover work and I have this idea of for us drivers and other people with contracts nobody wants to read this stuff. I mean, it's not exciting, right? So it's easier to listen to it sometimes. So I'm like, well, why don't I get her to you know, read this stuff. And then we can have a clickable link for each article or section, and you know. So I'm talking to her about how this would work. And she's like, well, why don't you just use one of the apps that you can just put the words in there and somebody will read it for you? And I'm just like uh yeah, okay, that's way easier.

Speaker 2: 36:19

I get that, but like that's somebody's job, you know, and this is what I'm fighting against, and it's like you know, what do you do in these situations? What's the right thing to do? Do we give that work to somebody else, or do we pay the $79.99 to be a member of some app that can do it all for you?

Speaker 1: 36:44

Yeah, that does make you think it does seem tedious and take a lot of time, but in the long run, is that time worth more investing in? I mean, do we just give it all away? I mean, that's a that's huge Something to really think about. So are there specific areas that you'd like to expand or impact within the community? I know you've mentioned quite a few things, but maybe just one in particular that you're trying to narrow in on just one in particular that you're trying to narrow in on.

Speaker 2: 37:26

Education, you know, for our communities is, I think, the most important thing that we can focus on as members of our local union, as members of our community, as you know, citizens of the state, as members of our community, as you know, citizens of the state, there's a lot of kids that went through a really tough time as a result of COVID and you know the teachers aren't being supported in the way that they need. So I think that's probably the most important thing that I'm going to focus on, as far as you know, in my community, uh is to make sure that you know my kids particularly, but all kids get, get this uh knowledge that they need and to become the people that we need to run this country when we're like I'm ready, I'm ready to retire.

Speaker 1: 38:18

Okay, Well, it sounds like you have a lot of ambitious plans. Um, it is inspiring to hear. It's contagious. What would you say to others that are looking to make a difference in their community but may not know how to start? You know, what would you? What would you say to those individuals? Hmm, Would you say to those individuals.

Speaker 2: 38:40

Get to know the people at your local city council. Talk to them, see what they're trying to get going for your community. See if that's what you want for your community. Maybe it's not. Most people can tell you the names of people on national levels, but not your city council, and the people in city council actually have more impact on your day-to-day life than people nationally do. So we can make bigger impacts locally than we can nationally, locally than we can nationally, and eventually that you know from the ground up, it will start affecting a national.

Speaker 2: 39:24

But, yeah, I would say, start there. You know, talk to your neighbor. Don't be in a neighborhood where you're just you pull into your garage and you close your door and nobody ever sees the light up your eyes. Man, go out there, talk to them, give them a hand picking up their leaves or, uh, you know, have a beer with them once in a while. If not that, get some lemonade or something. So, uh, you know some people shouldn't drink. But the uh, yeah, being being a part of the community, being present, like you know, not saying I'll do that tomorrow, like everybody says they'll do something tomorrow. Well, don't do it tomorrow, do it today. Yeah, that's the only time you can do it.

Speaker 1: 40:07

With your own agenda too. I mean just going over there open-minded, I mean um, say hey. You know, I'm just here to say hi. I really get that man.

Speaker 2: 40:20

That makes a lot of sense. I like that, yep. Well, and you just never know. I mean a buddy of mine in the neighborhood. He moved in and I was working on building a shed for my father-in-law and he came over and said hey, I'd like to give you a hand, you know, learn how to do this. I'm going to probably want to get a shed myself, you know, and if you're willing to help me, I'll even pay you something. You know, and I was a stay-at-home dad at the time and I thought that was just awesome, that he was like well, I'm going to get to know these guys. I live right next door and try to learn something. Right, he was trying to improve himself and great guy, you know. So me and him hit it off really well and it was.

Speaker 1: 41:00

it was all because he wasn't afraid to come over and talk to me. You know, yeah, I mean it leads to other things because people go through hard times. Uh, they may not need you totally today, but then maybe one day, you know, be a shoulder to lean on. I mean, that's, that's so. Uh, what's the biggest lesson you've learned so far in your journey as a community advocate? Advocate, you know. Maybe there is a um, a moment where, either being a stay-at-home or even at the union hall, that you want to share um, something on my journey.

Speaker 2: 41:37

Uh, you know, just you, you're never going to get it done as fast as you want, right? Uh, sometimes it feels like you're taking two steps forward and one step back. Uh, you know the discord call that that we do, uh, or that I do on a weekly basis. Uh, when I first started discord, I would sit on there and just listen to music for hours, waiting for people to join on, and once in a blue moon, somebody would. Uh, you know, not much different than what I normally would do, just listening to music while I'm driving. But now it's like we've had some amazing conversations on there.

Speaker 2: 42:14

A lot of people have learned things and to not give up, you know, if it's something that you really want to happen, you just, you keep keep knocking on them doors, pretty much, and getting people to think about okay, maybe there is something here, you know. And once they start becoming a part of it, it's like, okay, there's something here, this is cool, this is, this is new, refreshing, I like it. Uh, you know, and it doesn't matter, you know, how old you are or how young, you know, I've had guys that are. You would be like you don't even know how to work a computer or a phone, you know, and, and they jump on and they're like this is awesome, I love it. You know, and I was like you're a lot more tech savvy than I thought you were, and people that aren't. I'm always there Like, hey, you got any questions? You need me to walk you through it. I'll teach you how to work this thing. There's a good thing here. I promise you that, so don't give up nice, yeah, you don't want to give up.

Speaker 1: 43:19

I think, as a truck driver, you don't want to just stop at a rest, stop, you want to keep going. Life is a journey it is highway, right. So life beyond the wheel when you're not driving or working with the union, all of those wonderful tasks. What do you enjoy doing? How do you unwind and recharge?

Speaker 2: 43:47

Oh man, time never stops. I didn't get a lot of time to do it this year, but fishing with my boys is something that I really enjoy doing year. But fishing, uh, with my boys is something that I really enjoy doing. Um, you know, getting out they, they play football, so throwing the ball back and forth, just having conversations with them, I mean, you know it's, it's really cool to see your children grow into people and you know, when those light bulbs start going off, uh, that's, that's a real joy to me to see that. Um, otherwise, you know they like playing video games with me and stuff like that. I used to waste a lot of time doing that and they want me to waste some more array.

Speaker 1: 44:30

That's a good way to do it, as long as that's not all you're doing. Hey, I think it's important to have that, that take a step away from a, you know, the day to day and just have fun. I think it says a lot. So I know people put video games in a in a bad spot, but I think they actually are great stress reliever. If you can find that that moment in that time that you can spend together, that's huge.

Speaker 2: 44:53

So yeah, man kudos to you, man, all right. So that also another thing would be, you know, spending time with my wife. Uh, we don't get to do it as much as we used to, but, uh, when we lived with her parents, uh, they finally were like hey, you know, you guys should go out and have a date night. I started doing that and it was every friday night. We started going out and having a date, you know, and it's like after you've been with somebody for so long and you start dating again, it's like I miss this, you know. So, for all the married couples out there that have been together for a long time, start dating again. Like, get to know that person that you are doing the hard stuff with, but go enjoy them.

Speaker 1: 45:36

You know, it's, it's fun wow, did you guys have a spot that you a go-to spot, restaurant, or an area or park or something?

Speaker 2: 45:45

uh, well, I was. I came from the land of the bland ray. So to open up my palate, oh you know, we would go find spicy wings and stuff like that, and so I'd have some wings and a beer and that was it. You know, go see how hot the wings can get and what I can handle. So it was as a stay-at-home dad. I had to change my diet and how I ate and I couldn't cook to save my life, probably in the beginning.

Speaker 1: 46:20

But I learned how to do it so that way my kids could eat healthy and not eat a ton of processed food nice, yeah I, I love some good wings too yeah, you know, take out, and if you do them yourself too, I mean it takes a lot of time and a lot of tlc just sitting there to make sure that you know that that actually turns out to where everybody likes it. We like ours a little, a little drier and uh I like the dry ropes too. I'm not a wet wing guy yeah, yeah, daughter, we went to wing stop and she's like uh. I like that's better. I was like nice, I'll take that yeah.

Speaker 2: 47:04

That's a win right there.

Speaker 1: 47:06

Yeah, yeah, I'll take it. Um. Is there anything from stay at home, uh dad? Is that you you still find joy in uh Dad days that you still find joy in? I know?

Speaker 2: 47:27

you mentioned the video games. Family time fits into these busy days that you stay here. You know, on the road and at the union thing, there was a lot of things that I actually miss about the stay-at-home dad thing. Obviously I had a lot more freedom to do what I wanted when I wanted to do it, but when you have a stay-at-home parent and you have another parent, that's working. The dynamic is different. So, going from that to the working, more than what my wife was, she became the primary parent, you know. So the relationship between the primary parent and the kids change and the dynamic in the house changes. So it's.

Speaker 2: 48:08

You know there's challenges with that and sometimes I've had to step back and just let things organically and naturally change, even though I'm like this isn't how I did it so, which is fine. You know everybody learns something from somebody else and you know I wouldn't take that away from my kids or my wife. They have to learn how to do this stuff. I had to uh, so I, I missed the, the structure that I had created for myself. You know I don't get that quite as much now that I'm on the road. You know I had certain things that I did every day and, uh, when I was a stay home parent, I actually would get up before the whole family and I would go work out. You know I'd go do kickboxing and stuff like that to. You know, get my blood pumping and get my mind straight. And you know it's pretty hard to kickbox in the back of a truck, right?

Speaker 1: 49:14

Yeah, I'm sure the other guy you know know that's a co-driver wouldn't appreciate that too much either he'd get a laugh.

Speaker 2: 49:23

Yeah, we're going around the corner, ryan yeah, oh man.

Speaker 1: 49:28

So yeah, even outside the truck too, probably bring us some, uh, some attention to it was such a great stress reliever, though.

Speaker 2: 49:38

I mean, I think that, uh, that was one of the things like any stress you had it just you got it out. You're able to punch the bag or kick it, or you're lifting weights or something. I just you pushed it all out before you even got the day going, so you're more dwelling on stuff. Uh, not that I do that a lot, but it just it made that that much easier to let go of stuff that I can't control yeah, I mean exercise in itself is just it's.

Speaker 1: 50:05

It's huge for mental health and for the overall overall well-being of an individual. I mean, the more you work out, the better you you feel about yourself. And when you make good choices, when you feel good, you know, so that's a good one. So I mean man, that's great. So it's clear that family and community are big parts of your life. What kind of legacy do you hope to leave for your kids and future generations?

Speaker 2: 50:39

Ah, legacy, it'll be just. You know we're all in this together. We have to be present for each other. Obviously, everybody has certain needs that that they need for themselves, but as a whole, you know we need, we need to be there for each other. And, uh, hopefully my boys are able to see that and I'm able to teach them what I think was the greatest lesson my dad ever taught me was to be able to put a smile on somebody's face. Doesn't get any better than that. So you know whether that's helping an old lady across the street, telling a joke to somebody at a gas station, or you know somebody that's customer service agent I can't tell you how many times somebody is. I can tell they're having a bad day on the phone and I tell them a joke and they're like thank you so much. I needed that. You know we need more of that in the world.

Speaker 1: 51:37

That's true. I'm not always thinking about hey, I got this phone call and I want to get what I want out of it. You took the chance to help the customer service person. I like that. That's a better mindset.

Speaker 2: 51:52

Yeah well, they're just doing a job. I mean, they have a certain parameter that, like everybody that they have to do, that the company is saying but overall, you know, it's not that difficult right To put a smile on somebody's face. It's not that difficult to just deal with the problem, just deal with the problem. Um, well, I shouldn't say that sometimes it is, but the uh, I try to downplay it so it's easier in my it, just it. Sometimes it takes a long time to get get that stuff done. And you know my boys are my legacy, just like I'm my father's legacy, and to this day he still says I'm his greatest accomplishment. You know I bring him a lot of joy and pride and like he told me growing up, all the fights and battles and you know Legos that he stepped on, he could have never in a million years, uh, realized the person that I was going to become. So Wow.

Speaker 1: 53:03

So, man, you mentioned that you know discord. Get to know your uh, um your officials in the area. I mean uh also get to know your, your, your leaders at the union, um how they can help you as a community. So you have a lot that you're working with. I think it's great to be able to balance all of that and also raise your kids I mean that's a and to be there for your spouse. I mean that's huge, man. We thank you so much for sharing your story, your vision, anything else you wanted to share.

Speaker 2: 53:38

share with the listeners don't procrastinate life is too short and just get it done. You'll be a lot happier at the end of the day thanks.

Speaker 1: 53:54

I'm glad we're able to get this done, get you on the podcast, share your vision and also how you bring people together. I mean I think that's going to be great for people to see that part of you, to get to know you a little better. You've been doing this at a very young age. I mean taking care of your father, like that. I mean that does a lot to help a young person to acknowledge older ones and how they play a role and not to forget about them. I mean that's huge, which a lot of people value their older ones, like you did and like you still do. So it's powerful to see someone take experiences that they've been through and both challenges and show how they can be rewarding and turn it into a mission to make a difference, and I see you doing that, so also anybody that has a story to share. We'd love to have you on the show, ryan. We appreciate you. I think our listeners are going to really be inspired by what you do. So thank you again, ryan.

Speaker 2: 54:55

Yeah well, hey Ray, as I I always say, I hope you have the best day so far.

Speaker 1: 55:01

I think I'm working on it, getting off on a great start right now. You're making me smile, so it's been an inspiring story. Be sure to stay tuned for more episodes. Stay tuned for those like this and we'll highlight these amazing stories for people out there making it happen in the trucking world. Amazing people, and until next time, keep moving forward. Again, I'm your guy. Ray and Ryan, you have a great day you too.