Meet Jennifer Ann Warner

SPEAKER_00 0:23

Welcome back, everybody, to another episode of The Ass Delivered. I'm your host, Truck and Ray, and today on the show, we're going to talk with people who not only live in the industry, but they make it better. Today's guest is Jennifer Ann Warner, a professional driver, turned entrepreneur, author, and wellness advocate. She's the founder of Compass and Convoy Creative, and the author of The Rough Road Ahead, a driver's guide to resilience. Her work focuses on something we don't talk enough about in the trucking industry, and that's the human side of the job the isolation, the burnout, the emotional way that comes with being behind all those mouths. This is going to be a real conversation about retention, empathy, wellness, and what it actually takes to support drivers and not just manage them. Jennifer, welcome to the show. Jennifer, so nice to have you on the show. I'm so glad that you're here. I see you're out there on the road making big changes happen. So we're gonna make sure we get this show going for you. How are you doing?

SPEAKER_01 1:25

I'm doing great. Thanks so much for having me. It really means a lot.

SPEAKER_00 1:29

Oh, yeah. I mean, you're doing great things out there. You're you're helping drivers uh stay uh with their jobs and also stay healthy out there on the road. I mean, it's a lot of work that goes into what we do. Why don't you tell us a little bit about what the life is like for you when you got to put this book together before the business? You were a driver. What pulled you into the trucking industry originally?

From School Bus To OTR Teaming

SPEAKER_01 1:51

Well, if I'm being completely honest in a nutshell, what pulled me into the industry was my husband, Harry. It's also his birthday today, so I'm being extra nice. I was a school bus driver in New Jersey, and I had done that for about five years, and he had been doing all things trucks for decades, but it was mostly local, local things, regional things. And so in early of 2021, early January 2021, he got his first OTR job, and it's something he'd want to do since he was a boy. It was it was his lifelong dream. Broke my heart, but that's what he wanted to do. So of course I'm gonna support him. He was driving for a smaller company up in uh the northwest corner of New Jersey, and he would be out for about a week or so at a time, and then he came home about six, seven weeks later, and he looked me straight in the eye. He's like, I want you to do this with me. What? Like, I'm a schoolmaster. Why are you talking? Can I do this? Are you sure? He's like, no, I he's like, I believe in you. You can do this. I want, I have seen so many things. We were two kids from New Jersey, we've known each other for decades, and we've basically lived all our lives in New Jersey. And so for him to go out there, he's like, I want to share this with you. I've seen sites and things that I'd never thought I'd see, and I want to share that with you. And that's kind of a hard invitation to turn down. And so by so by July, so by July of 2021, we've been driving together, we've been driving together ever since. He's he's out on the road, I'm working full time, I'm training when I can. By the way, we're also I I speak of him as my husband. We were actually in the midst of planning our wedding at the same time. So by so I passed my test in June. We got married the end of June. We started driving on July 5th, and we've been driving together ever since.

SPEAKER_00 3:41

Wow. I mean, man, that's life on the road, romance, and a lot of great memories to be right there, you know, right there on the road. A lot of people probably have uh had the same experience, and uh thanks for sharing that, man. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 3:53

Of course.

SPEAKER_00 3:54

Yeah, you see a lot of team drivers out there, and you're like, man, how do they do it? And then to see a couple, that's even more, you know, that's even more special. So thank you. What kind of driving are you doing out there?

SPEAKER_01 4:05

We are basically OTR. We are we've been since we moved down to Alabama, we chase we we followed work down here a couple years ago, and so we've we're working for a smaller company doing basically OTR freight handling pretty much everything east of 35. We do a lot of obviously we've been to Syracuse a lot, and we'd sometimes do runs to Miami, sometimes we do laterals to the Carolinas. Every once in a while, we will we were just we were up in Oregon and Washington not too long ago, and sometimes down is down to Phoenix in that area.

SPEAKER_00 4:42

In the early days, what are the lessons you learn in those first couple years being together? Wow.

SPEAKER_01 4:49

You realize that there is a line between your relationship and your work relationship, and there has to be, actually, because you have to realize that you know, he we rely, we rely on each other. I mean, we are we're husband and wife, and we but we rely on each other to keep ourselves safe on the road. It's not just a trust in the relationship, it's a trust that you know I'm literally putting my life in your hands, and that's brings it to a whole nother different level.

SPEAKER_00 5:18

Right. Yeah, I mean, you see those bad accidents out there. I mean, how bad would that be to be asleep when that's happening or trying to get some sleep when it's happening? You know, it's it's dangerous out there, you know.

SPEAKER_01 5:30

And what and that's that's what's and yes, absolutely, and that's one of the things that he that inspired him to ask me to do it because when he had first started working, he had he was he had gone through a couple different partners, a couple different drivers they were driving in teams, and he said, He's like, I I I trust you, I trust you implicitly, I trust you with my life, and that's was enough that was another motivating factor to put me on the road with them.

SPEAKER_00 5:57

Excellent. I mean, that's nice. Great teamwork there, guys. So you described your work, or what would you say for you know that it's written for drivers by someone who who lived it, you know, your book, your work. What were your experiencing out there that made you feel like drivers weren't being fully understood?

Trust, Safety, And Team Dynamics

SPEAKER_01 6:15

I think it was that I again, this was a it was a completely different experience for me. I had spent all of my life in New Jersey. I I would be home every night, or I'd be home every day, whatever the case may be. And I think that I had struggles with missing my family, missing relationships. I still have family up in the Northeast. And there were times where it's like they don't want to where the where you could come across holidays and celebrations, and you want to be a part of that, and it's not always possible. And that was that was heartbreaking to me. That was something that I took, I guess I could almost say I took for granted because that was something that I enjoyed tremendously, being part of family and celebrations and being a part of their lives, and then being a part of ours as well. And the one thing that's really struck me was even as driving as a team, I struggled with loneliness and isolation. Because even though we drive together, he's literally three feet behind me, he's got to sleep. And so you you would think that we would spend, you know, you're like, oh, well, you guys must see each other all the time talking, and how can you say you're lonely? But that's not how it that's not how it works. That's not how it works. And the one thing that struck me is like, I can't believe that I'm the only one. I can't believe that I am the only one who feels lonely and isolated. I can't drive for so many all the drivers, and I I believe that the numbers actually have turnover rates still in the 90s and 100% in the industry. People are leaving it because it's a difficult job, not only physically, but also emotionally as well.

SPEAKER_00 8:08

Man, that's amazing. When did you realize that um your side of the story needs to have a voice, needs to you need to say it out loud? I mean, they're always talking about pay, freight, regulations, turnover numbers, but rarely about the emotional health, isolation, and the identity part of being a truck driver and what it does to your life. So just like you said, a loneliness, you know, many people can relate to that. When did you feel like it was the time to to make that change and say it out loud?

SPEAKER_01 8:38

Because as I walk looking around and you see that people are struggling. I mean, and the companies overall, they weren't addressing it. When I'm looking and I'm talking to like I've there were points where I would struggle in the company, and where there were we would be out in like I'll give a better example. I was out in California, and we were at a shipper notorious for very, very long delays in getting us back out. And I remember voicing my opinion to dispatcher at the time, and I think it was like right before Christmas, and I said, I had, you know, I have these things, and I I I think I was just venting more than anything else. And the response I got was, well, you know, this industry isn't for everybody.

unknown 9:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:29

And that was like, so you're not hearing, you're not, I I really that was one time I just felt like I was not heard. I was not heard. And so I figured if I'm going to, you know, if all right, if you're not gonna listen to me, then I guess if maybe I'm the one who's got to speak up and say it. And that's where the book came from, is that it's not about just doing what you need to do on the road, it's about living the lifestyle. This is a lifestyle, and because there's a lifestyle, there has to be a mindset there with it, and there has to be things to help you cope and make the most and not just survive but thrive out here on the road.

SPEAKER_00 10:07

That's amazing. And you're doing it. I mean, what a statement to say that to someone. It's kind of a passive aggressive statement, a little bit there to maybe this their opinion, but that's not the truth. I mean, you're you're doing it, so uh never mind what that person had to say that, right?

Loneliness, Identity, And Turnover

SPEAKER_01 10:22

No, I'm you know what it it's I've when I was when I was working at the school bus company, I used to tell because there were so much so many layers to that industry in and of itself, not just the CDL part of it, but I would tell I would tell my trainees that getting the license is the easy part. Now you have everything else that goes with it, and the same applies right here. It's the same thing. You're not just, you know, you're not just getting a license and learning how to park and you know, doing a pre-trip. You're living life out on a road and you're hundreds, maybe thousands of miles away from people, and it's real easy that, like I say in the book, a lot of the stuff that I have is common sense, but when you're out there and you're isolated, sometimes your mind will just kind of throw back into like a survival mode and you don't want to reach out, you don't want to feel like you're people are depending on you, and they don't want you don't want them to think that you're suffering. You they don't you don't want them to think that you're weak, you don't want them to think that you're having a hard time because they're depending on you. And so it's tough to share that. And I think I want the book to say, yeah, you know what it's okay. So the book's not only just for the drivers themselves, I'd love to see the families use it as a resource too, because they can say, Hey, this is what he's feeling, this is what she's feeling, this is how you know what they're going through. Let's, you know, let's work as a unit, let's work as a unit.

SPEAKER_00 11:50

That's nice. I mean, yeah. I mean, we need dispatch, we need truckers, we need shippers, we need the couriers to all work together as one to get the job done. I mean, I mean, think about the family unit. I mean, it is small comparison to the world, but uh the trucking industry being small that it is, it is it can be like a family. We can make it a good one or we can make it a bad one. So, yeah, I mean, statements like that, that's fine. Let's not jump all over him, but you know, or her, but you know, it's a fact that you know people go through rough times and uh they need a little bit of encouragement. Maybe they were looking at a way to see if you wanted to get out of it, you know. Hey guy, let me let us know. Um, so yeah, I mean it can go either way.

SPEAKER_01 12:28

No, no, no. It could go. No, it's absolutely it could, it could go, it could go either way. I I'm not I I realize that you know there are you know, there's there's plus there's there's good and bad, and there's good and bad everywhere, like you said, in families and companies, everywhere. But I think that was just a defining moment where I could say that, you know, if that's if that's a voice that's willing to put that out, to put that message out, then maybe I need the voice to say, hey, you know what, maybe drivers need a little more support in that area.

SPEAKER_00 13:02

Yeah, I mean, the book that you put out, The Rough Road Ahead, I mean, that it says it all right there. I mean, life can be a challenge from the as soon as you come out of the womb. I mean, you take your first breath you're fighting to the day you take your last breath. I mean, it's a lot of that goes into it. And getting your CDL, I mean, you do a lot of things that uh can get your heart rate going and make you wonder, hey, can I get through this? I gotta fight to get to get back home, you know. And uh that CDL is about what you make it, so what you put into it. From let's talk about the book a little bit. From what I understand, it isn't just about motivational writing, it's a a structure actually to help drivers build resilience in a practical way. So it comes to nutrition, you know, that's gonna be hard. Realistic nutrition strategies that work from the sleeper cab, simple movement exercises and habits that you can do anywhere, stress management techniques that are built around the actual road life and reflection tools to help drivers process what they've been um dealing with mentally. I mean, I think that's great. Just wanted to ask you, what gap were you trying to fill with this book? Were there drivers that were dealing with this that you you heard, or were you getting this information elsewhere?

Finding A Voice After Not Being Heard

SPEAKER_01 14:13

I would look around at my fellow drivers, and you know, I mean, I'm I I'm gonna tell you right now, I'm not the I'm not the picture of athletic health. I'm gonna tell you that right now. But I remember that when I was home, I was more active. I could, you know, I could stop and I could exercise, I could go and you know, stop and at a salad bar and get something more healthy to eat. And I'm looking around at my fellow drivers, like, you know, a lot of us are in the same boat here. We're all, and you look at at the statistics that there was a there was a study that just came out that the the median age of a driver, uh median life expensi of a truck driver is 61 years old. I'm not that far from that. And that just comes from you know years and years of an unhealthy life cycle, like you know, life habits that are just that are not conducive to longevity. And so what I'm doing, I was just saying, if you're gonna be a if you're going to be a driver, if it's somebody's just getting out of school, these are tools that they can use and say, hey, you know what, that's right. You know, I just thought you don't get something in a truck, stop, and eat. It's not as easy as that if you want to stay in this business as long as you know, if you want, if you want a long and thriving career in this business.

SPEAKER_00 15:28

Absolutely. I mean, the pursuit of it is going to be always be in front of you, just like your goal, trying to make it from point A to point B, even your your nutrition and your physical exercise. I think it's huge. I mean, for me, I have to try to push myself as soon as I get out of the truck, go right to the gym. I mean, try my best to eat while I'm out there. One of the things I've been using is is factor. I think you know there's no ad here, but hey, just spread the word, I don't have to do a lot of meal preps, and I just throw it in my cooler, get ready to go. That's been helping me change my game.

SPEAKER_01 16:01

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 16:01

You know, the athletic, we're like an uh occupational athlete, so you gotta be able to move and move around all that junk food and keep going out there. I mean, it's it takes a lot of work, you know. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:14

Um and and one of the an additional trust struggle that we have is because we're team drivers. I mean, if you're a solo driver, you can stop for 10 hours and you can get your sleep and you can do some exercise and you can do, you know, you can you have more time to prioritize things. As a team trucking, that truck is really not supposed to stop for hardly anything except for fuel and for brakes, and that's it. So you really have to prioritize what's important to you in that moment. You've got to prioritize that your nutrition, your hydration activity. You have to, because you're only gonna have a very small amount of time in your day to make it happen, or you've got to just make things work in the truck itself.

SPEAKER_00 16:55

Nice. And you also position this book something for management and leadership. Professionals in the in the industry can use this to help, you know, their their team. I think that was a really good thing that you added in there on why this book is important for leaderships to help drivers, to help companies that may be trying to help them stop burnout or turnover. Or what would you say is one of the biggest things that people ignore or some of the causes of driver retention?

Beyond The CDL: Lifestyle And Mindset

SPEAKER_01 17:24

That they I think they think drivers are invincible. They think you're just sitting and driving, how hard could it be? I think that's the biggest fallacy that keeps getting compounded over and over. It's like you're just sitting, you're just driving. How hard could it be? They're not taking to account that we've got 80,000 pounds that we're trying to maneuver. They don't consider weather, they don't consider driving conditions, they don't consider any of that, they don't consider that we might have been away from home for two to three weeks. I mean, I think that's the thing that people that that management tries to understand, you know, is that they there's a core understanding that unless they're away from their home, they get to go home every night. They get PTO, they get their holidays off, they have that. And you know, they're coming from I think some of their statements come uh from a place where I'm not saying that they're disingenuine, but I don't think they actually reach the level of empathy because they don't, they can't, they they they can't be in our shoes unless they've been if they've been if they've been in the industry before and they have had that experience, then they can they can channel that and express that. But I think management needs to just I I challenge them to really put themselves in our shoes and say, hey, yeah, you know what, it's Christmas. Hey, I know, you know, it's it's a tough time, you know. Maybe give things more optional. Maybe there are drivers who don't mind being out on Christmas, maybe they're not there's who who don't mind being out and being able to get to know drivers as people, as opposed to uh a rear end in the seat.

SPEAKER_00 19:10

Yeah, I mean that is difficult for them, you know, when they're in there to imagine what it's like to be in a truck. I know I had one young man, he step in the truck and he's like, Man, this is what it's like. I've never been in the truck, you know. So even not able to see what we're going through, it's hard for the mind to really expand because they're looking at that monitor, they're looking at those loads coming in, they're looking at those pull times that gotta be done, they get looking at when things gotta get delivered and stuff like that. Hey, man, that's two different worlds, but we gotta work together, we gotta keep pushing ourselves. It's a practice that we have to not give up on and not just say, hey, this is the way it is, it is what it is. I need you to get this done, you know. So, yeah, great, great emphasis for management to to push harder in those meetings when they're encouraging their their leaders to do or get tasks completed or to meet meet revenue standards. Add that in, you know. But yeah, it's it's tough. I mean, it's tough.

SPEAKER_01 20:06

We all we all have a job to do. I mean, we're out here. I mean, no, nobody made us be drivers, and I get that. I I respect it completely. I I just think that there could be more fruitful discussions in getting to know each other. We understand that you have loads that you know, you're you're sitting there on a screen and you've got deadlines you have to handle. And I I you know, I'm I'm trying to understand you. I was on I was on a the the desk side of of transportation myself in safety for a for a good for a number of years. So I understand their side of the desk. So all we're asking is that you understand from our side.

SPEAKER_00 20:42

Yeah, I mean, I think about these cameras they put into the truck and how they're just constantly the bells and the whistles and all those things are saying they're making it safe. And it's like, well, would you want that in your office? You know?

SPEAKER_01 20:54

It's it's it's it is it is challenging, and I understand because I I understand that in the world we live in, that there are things that larger companies need to take into consideration, not only just for safety, but it also affects their bottom line with regards to insurance. And so I understand, but I think I think that and it's funny, Harry's Harry has said this statement so many times, he's like, they've made things so safe somebody's gonna get hurt. And it's you know, be between between, you know, like you said, all the the the the alarms and the alerts and the notifications, and it's just you know, you're you're absolutely wired. You're you're you're like, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh. And then, you know, if you do, then you have you have follow-up phone calls. And again, this is safety doing their job. They have a directive. You're on a list. This report pulls out a list and says, hey, you've done this, whatever the case may be, and they have to make a phone call, and now you've made this tumultuous relationship between safety and the driver or dispatch and the driver, and it's all and that leads to the high turnover as well. You know, you have there's there it's it's it's such it's such a grueling industry. And so I think you know, anything, anything that I'm I'm I'm grateful that. I was, you know, I I was able to have the opportunity to put this all together because it's so there's so much going on in the industry that can push drivers away. And that's you know, that doesn't do anybody any good.

unknown 22:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:38

I mean, yeah, then it they get even more clever and they come up with ways to have autonomous trucks and thinking that that's the answer. We don't know yet. You know, we don't know if that's the way to go. It's uh still an experiment, I in my opinion. So yeah.

The Book’s Framework: Food, Move, Stress, Reflect

SPEAKER_01 22:52

And that adds and that adds stress to drivers too. Drivers are, you know, they they they you have these larger companies, not necessarily the smaller companies. I'm not sure if the smaller companies are gonna are are looking to do that, but you know, especially in the the mega carriers, they're probably they're looking into this as well. And drivers are just feeling that stress. That's just adding to the stress that, you know, oh my gosh, am I, you know, am I gonna have a job in five years? Oh my gosh. I mean, that these these are you know, these are serious, serious concerns. And I'm not saying that's that autonomous trucks are the way to go. I'm not saying they're not the way to go, but I think that again, we're not taking into consideration the human being behind the wheel, the human being who, you know, who is for their heart and soul, went to school, did the training, you know, got the license, and has been, you know, trying to support their families. It's you know, it's an added stress that that they don't need.

SPEAKER_00 23:49

Yeah, the good driver is still out there, he's trying his best to survive. Uh, there are some imposters that come into the industry that just want to think about the money, but also the good driver wants to think about the industry and how it's gonna last and what they're gonna leave for the next driver. So those drivers are still out there and they're still trying to make it work, and I think you're one of them as well. I mean, you talk about isolation, that's real. Drivers can go days and weeks without a meaningful conversation. It is. How did uh isolation show up in your own experience? And was it subtle or did it hit you pretty hard? I mean, you did talk about a little bit before. I wanted to touch on that again.

SPEAKER_01 24:27

Sure. Well, uh being isolated from my family. I mean, my family and we we had family and tons of friends up north, and you know, it was when we first started driving together, it was only we were only out for a week at a time, and yeah, it was a shift, but we were able to handle it. We were able to make things happen. And then there was uh there was an element where now we were forced to be out like at least three weeks at a time because of uh we had it, we had a dedicated, we had a dedicated account and we lost that account, and the only thing they could offer us was OTR. And that meant they they said you're out for three weeks at a time, at least. And so that was that was that was a huge shift that again very heartbreaking for me, of close, close with friends and family that we missed terribly, but even within the truck, just being I felt and I felt lonely in the truck with my husband three feet behind me because he's got to sleep. He's doing he's doing what he has to do to do his job well, he's getting rest, and I can't take that from him. But at the same time, I'm sitting here and I'm driving on roads I've never been on, doing what I need to do, but that missing that human element was it it surprised me. I think there was what I think it was it was subtle, and I couldn't figure out what it was. Why was I, you know, why why am I feeling this? And then all of a sudden it came to me like I'm lonely. And it uh it took me a while to process because I'm like, how am I lonely? I mean, he's three feet away from me. And then I realized, well, you know what, he he's got to sleep, he needs rest. We, you know, he'll come out, he'll come up and right before we leave, and then he goes in the back and he rests. And uh, it's that was a shift that kind of that took me by surprise. And I think that there's you know, that's that's an element that again getting the getting the license is the easy part. These are things that you learn as you go on. And I think I was trying to figure out, well, you know, what am I doing? How do I figure this out? And that was part of the inspiration to writing the book because I was looking for information. I was looking for this, I was trying to figure out like, what am I doing? What am I doing? Like, what am I doing wrong? And I realized that there really wasn't a resource there for drivers to say, this is what the lifestyle can do, this is what can happen, this is what you need to know before you get behind the wheel. And that's you know, so the book actually became the resource that I was looking for. It's the book that I needed when I started driving. That's that was the motivation because you know, you I mean, there's we try and build a community out here. We have, I mean, CB radios. My husband has it, we have a C B radio in our truck, and we, you know, I will hear him talk at night to drivers. I'm not one to talk on the CB too much, but I will listen and I will make sure, like, if there's an accident on the road, somebody, you know, there's not a lot of them out there. There's not a lot of them out there anymore. But, you know, if somebody's on a, you know, I try and let people know, hey, you know, we have this accident at a mile marker, such and such here on air. And I will every once in a blue moon get somebody to say, thank you, driver. Appreciate that. So some you know, there are some of us out there. So we do try and get that connection and community out here. But when you're talking about family and friends, that's a whole different, that's a whole different ballpark. And so it's important that we do try and make those connections. And that's one of the things you want to prioritize on the road, even if it's just a little bit, even you know, a five-minute video, you know, like a video chat or something while you're on your if you're taking your 30, hey, you know, reach out to somebody that you know means something that that's meaningful and just have, hey, just want to touch base with you. How are you doing today?

SPEAKER_00 28:08

Isn't that nice?

Team Versus Solo: Time And Health Tradeoffs

SPEAKER_01 28:08

And let them and and and and and and make and make a connect and make that connection and keeps you grounded so that you don't feel like you're out here by yourself.

SPEAKER_00 28:16

Yeah. How did that feel? I mean, what does that feel like? Maybe you can describe it in words when you are able to let a driver know there's an accident up ahead.

SPEAKER_01 28:25

I feel I I think that's that we are part of uh that we are in ourselves our own community, that you feel like we're all we are all working together, that we have this mission that we're doing. We may be able to be driving, you know, we're driving through different companies, we have different trucks, but on in its core, we're all on the same mission. We're helping the country run. We are we are moving, we keep the country moving, whether it's groceries, whether it's whether it's Christmas presents, whether whatever the case may be, we well medical supplies, we make sure that everybody gets what they need when they need it.

SPEAKER_00 29:10

Yeah, yeah. I mean, you know, great job there. I mean, you probably like a superhero out there on the road, guardian of the road. So good job. Man, so you know, you think about writing that book, you know, all the time that goes into writing a book. I mean, I thought that the isolation part will lead perfectly into this part because you know, you did this from the cab, it sounds like. Uh you recorded voice notes, you did things like journaling at rest stops, probably, and you did a lot of things reaching out to drivers and companies and getting their responses. I mean, what was that all like to put that all together?

What Leaders Miss About The Job

SPEAKER_01 29:47

I I think I just wanted to I wanted to look and see what was uh yeah, what could be possible. As you said, I have I've got, oh my gosh, I lost track of how many notebooks I have I have in here. Just just writing notes and as you said, video notes, and then just trying to to bring it up, bring it all together and say, okay, well, how am I going to do this? Well, you know, I mean, there are guidelines and they talk about the tenets of driver wellness, health and health and nutrition and health and nutrition and sleep and stress management. They all mention the FMCSA does mention all of that. And you know, but they just say, okay, well, this is, you know, we you should you should take care of this. Well, how? That's where the that's how the framework came to be, just being able to take notes and take my reflections and say, what can we do, you know, what can we do to on the road? We are our strategies on the road. And you know, Fred has his pro tips and that, yeah, we all need to people and and and and have you know get get resources and make sure that all my information was correct and and doing research and and and then having the final product put together was it was very fulfilling, it was very healing in a way. It was something where I was able to put all everything together and say, yeah, this is this is the book that I would pick up and say, this is what I was needing, this is what I needed, this is something that answered a lot of questions, this is something that gave me some practical tips, this is something that from written by somebody who uh speaking to drivers, I am a driver, I live it, I know what it's like, I get it. And hopefully, I if one driver can pull one sentence out of the book and say, you know what, that makes sense. I want to try that. Or one somebody from management can say, yeah, okay, I I I get that. I can I can relate to that. Hopefully, then I I feel like that that's a job well done.

SPEAKER_00 31:55

Nice. That is that is amazing that you're able to do that, get that done, package it all up for someone to have a better experience, and also help companies to be successful. Like I said, speaking directly to leadership, you're getting the word out there, you're helping them to see how drivers can be successful, how they can build a program to help them build a better future for their fleet. So great job with that. That's awesome. Oh, some parts of reflection.

SPEAKER_01 32:21

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 32:22

Yeah, you're welcome. Some parts of reflection. I'm going to throw a few questions in. What's one thing the public misunderstands about truck drivers?

SPEAKER_01 32:36

That they like being alone. I think just the whenever you talk about you hear a truck driver, you know, they're all they're alone in the cab, or they you know this this lone wolf, tough exterior, you know, weathered, worn, you know, road weathered husk of a person. And they but uh but the real reality is that a lot of them want that connection. You know, if you're if they're at a truck stop, hey, can I buy a cup of coffee? You know, that would go that would go a long way. And I think the idea is that we have we're human beings, and that we have we there's more to us than just what we do. And unfortunately, that's I think the biggest misconception is that because we live life out on the road, we do tend to embody this job. We do become the job, literally, but there's so much more to us than the job. So we have to be willing to not only let people in, but to let people know that, yeah, that's what we that's what we like. This is who we are. You know, I play, you know, we we play music. I'm a music, you know, I I was a music teacher for 20 years. I let people know that. I, you know, I be able to share, you know, share stories with people and let them know that there's more to us than the job.

SPEAKER_00 34:05

Absolutely. I mean, sometimes I have to ask for forgiveness because I'm like, oh yeah, that's right. I'm a I'm a trucker. Sorry guys, uh, my schedule's all over the place right now. Or you know, the anxiety that comes with it all. They're like, man, what's going on with you? You're at a you're at a nine.

SPEAKER_01 34:23

Oh, of course. Of course.

SPEAKER_00 34:25

Yeah, it's it's nuts out there trying to make it all work and trying to make people feel comfortable. What's what's one habit that builds resilience on the road?

SPEAKER_01 34:36

One habit that builds resist resilience, I think, would be giving yourself grace and not trying to be perfect all the time. I think that when we have this never-ending list of things that we want to do, that well, first of all, that we need to do. We've got to drive safely, we've got to watch our ELDs, we have to be, we have to be safe, we have to keep on schedule. We have there are all these things that we have to do, and we have to do that to the best of our abilities. And then, of course, we have our priorities where we want to try to get our health in, our sleep, our good nutrition, our hydration. And I think we have to give ourselves that grace, that cushion to be not perfect all the time. You know, and we may not be able to get everything as well as we want to do. And so, but to build resilience, because if you're gonna go with that 100%, I'm gonna be perfect every day, all day, you that's how you that's how you're gonna burn out, and you're gonna do yourself some real harm emotionally and spiritually and physically as well, because you put so much pressure on yourself to do the right thing all the time.

Safety Tech, Surveillance, And Friction

SPEAKER_00 35:50

Yeah, yeah, that's that's amazing. Um, you can even put that with relationships as well. I mean, that's a huge thing I learned from one book I read, uh, I think it was the 80-80 okay book there that talks about how you can help not just do 50-50 for each other, but if you do 80-80, you're gonna drop below that 80 and then you're given the 50. Uh, if you try to do 100-100, that's just not attainable, it's not manageable, it's not something you can actually maintain. You're gonna feel like you shortchained somebody. But if you do 80, that number works out pretty good where you can feel like you're going above and beyond to help the other person to be successful. You know, that's that's huge. So, yeah, I mean, that's yeah, it works for even for relationship, what you what you were saying there. So great job.

SPEAKER_01 36:37

And and there is, you have to, I mean, I mean, obviously, there are non-negotiables. We want to be as safe as we can, we want to be as dependable as we can. But at the same time, we have, again, priorities with the with health and sleep and nutrition. And so we want to make sure we give that, you know, give our give ourselves some grace. And once you start incorporating grace into your heart, even with work or relationships, you're gonna find that you're building that resilience that you can go further. That's what it's all about. It's taking taking the road and taking being able to go farther down the road because of the resilience that you're building.

SPEAKER_00 37:11

Yeah, it's one of the biggest things that we could do is to forgive someone or ourselves. So that's something that has been done for mankind. So we we why not share that with each other? Like you said, buying that a cup of coffee for somebody. It goes a long way.

SPEAKER_01 37:26

So um opening a door, opening a door for the you know, holding the door open for the driver behind you. You know, it's it's just it's just little little things, you know, or some just or even just a smile or a wave just going by, you know, like how you doing? Good morning, just a good morning, just acknowledging that another person is there, like within, you know, a couple feet of you. You know, we're all you know, it's uh but we are we're we're all we're all part of this of this logistics transportation machine, but we it's up to us to make those extend that, extend ourselves and say, hey, yeah, you know what, we're still human. I see you, you see me.

SPEAKER_00 38:06

Right. Absolutely. Great job with that. What's one sentence you hope drivers or excuse me, readers from your book, whoever they may be, all walks of life, will want you want them to take away from after reading your book or listening to this podcast.

SPEAKER_01 38:23

I would want them to understand, I would want them to hopefully understand that truck drivers are people, they always have been people, and they have feelings and they have emotions and they have dreams, and that we want to make sure that they are heard and understood, and that if we're going to do anything to make this industry better, that we need to look at them as people, as whole human beings, and that emotional well-being is not a luxury that this industry can, you know, look away from anymore. They need to take that needs, it needs to be emotional well-being, mental well-being needs to be part of the conversation for this industry to continue. Uh, drivers don't want another keychain or a t-shirt or pizza party, they want to be understood and they want to be uh able to support their families and not have to become casualties at the same time.

SPEAKER_00 39:35

Nice, nicely said. I mean, think about all the things that we're doing. If all of these professionals were to leave an industry, what would that look like later, you know? So we got to try to keep some of the talent uh in the industry and share that with uh the next generation. So a lot of people trying to do that. Great job. And in closing, what's one lesson you learned on the road that you think you probably wouldn't have learned if you weren't in the truck?

SPEAKER_01 40:02

Wow. That's good, that's a good one. That's a good one. I would say that the lesson I learned is that if you don't hear or see somebody speaking out on a topic, become that voice. Be the person that says, Hey, you know what, this is something that needs to be said, this is something that needs to be done. And I would have never if you had told me five years ago that I'd be writing a book on how to make truck drivers handle this industry better, I would have said, You're crazy, you're nuts. I have no idea what I'm but here we are, and it's because these experiences and believe me, there have been some wonderful experiences out here too. I don't want to say it's all horrible, but there are times where drivers struggle. And if you want to keep drivers in the industry, you've got to talk to them as human beings. And so that's what I'm striving. That's the lesson that I learned is that I became the voice for people who I I what I would like to become, I shouldn't say I have become, I would like to become a voice for people to improve and be, you know, if they're in management, maybe take a different approach to how they handle their drivers, if they're just starting out in the industry, that this is a resource that they can use toward thriving in their career. If they're a family member, they can look at their driver and work together as a family to make this something where make the situation work as best as it can for their situation.

Isolation Up Close And Coping Rituals

SPEAKER_00 41:55

Absolutely. Yeah, and thank you. And you provide that tool so that it can be done. Thank you. Yeah, appreciate that. So, yeah, I mean, you got to look at all that's going on out there. I mean, we got a lot to deal with just in the news headlines. There's a lot of things going on there. So let's uh stay focused out on the road, stay focused on who we are and what we're becoming and how we're being able to be used in the industry to help not just ourselves, but all those that are out there. So I appreciate you doing that. There's been a lot of talk about trucks and efficiency, but not enough about the human behind the wheel, and that's what you're doing. So you're making that change possible and be the change that you want to be. Like you said, speaking up, I mean, that goes in right along with uh Tat truck is against trafficking. So, what a great thing, just even on that level, too. So, I I love what they're doing, I love the mission that they're trying to accomplish. The more we can get involved, the more we keep talking about it and keep it on the forefront of our minds. I think it's gonna help everyone. So, yeah, yeah. So, the book, the rough road ahead. I got one coming in the mail. I'll put it a picture out there and I'll post it. Yeah, so I'll be digging into it as well. Uh, I just didn't time it good uh where it would be here for the show. Um I apologize for that, but I'm gonna dig into it myself. And so let everyone else know where where they can find you and uh where they can connect with the book. What's the best way to get that going?

SPEAKER_01 43:16

Well, the best way you can get the book is go right to oh sure, if they if they want the book, you go to our website, which is www.componvoy.com. And that is actually our home hub for all of our vlog activity. Just a typical day of trucking is my daily vlog, and you can see me all over social media. I'm on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, so you can check in there. But if you really but if you want a direct connection, the website www.compassconvoy.com is the way to go. And that's it can get you, and you can get the book in a physical copy and an ebook. So if you don't feel like carrying a physical book with you, if you want to have both of them as a reference, I we want to make that happen. There's also that website also has a monthly blog article that I produce, and that has different elements of driver wellness. There's a different topic every month from sleep to nutrition to surviving the holidays. So look for that every month. I'd love to see people interested, and I want to make sure that I could provide resources for people to survive. The road.

SPEAKER_00 44:23

Yeah, I mean that vlog is really good. I mean, think about all the things that people deal with each day, and he's updated. And that's what you're doing. You're putting in their work to keep them updated with those changes. And hey, that way we stay fluid, you know, we stay agile. We're able to uh make make the moves and the necessary changes just like driving a truck out there on the road. So great job. And everyone out there listening, if you like what you see, if you like what you hear, please be sure to reach out to us on that'sdeliver.com and also on uh anywhere you get your streaming podcast networks. Um be sure to let us know if you have any questions or concerns you want us to reach out and talk about on the show. We'd love to hear from you. Also, share this episode with anyone you can. This way it helps bring awareness to all the great things that are going on in the industry. People need to hear what's going on. A lot of companies also can learn from a lot of great tools like your book, The Rough Road Ahead. So thank you so much. And until next time, I'm Truck and Ray, and that's delivered.