YT YouTube2Text

YouTube2Text → Transcripts → From Prison to Peterbilt: How Dennis Got His Life Back at 49

From Prison to Peterbilt: How Dennis Got His Life Back at 49 — Transcript

by Truck Yoo · 9,015 words · 1,319 segments · language en · Watch on YouTube

Open in transcriber Summarize with AI Download SRT/VTT

Full transcript

0:00Welcome to Trucker You podcast. My name
0:01is Sebastian. Today on the podcast we
0:03have Dennis Foster. He is an
0:06owner-operator from the East Coast and
0:09Dennis shares a very personal story on
0:12how he got into the trucking business
0:16and what he had to overcome to be
0:19[music] where he's at right now. So
0:20let's dive right into it.
0:26All right. Welcome to Trucker You. Thank
0:28you Dennis for being here. I appreciate
0:31you taking the time and sharing your
0:32story. So tell me let's kick it right
0:35kick right into it. Tell me what do you
0:37do? What do you drive first? Tell me
0:38what what type of truck do you have
0:41and what engine? All right.
0:43I am a proud owner of a
0:482019 Peterbilt
0:51579.
0:53It's a mid-roof. It was a former TMC
0:56truck which I
0:58I'm sure we'll get into a little bit
0:59later. I I bought it from TMC truck
1:01sales down in
1:03There's a couple locations but I bought
1:04my particular truck down out of South
1:06Carolina I guess you'd say.
1:09So tell me before you bought the truck
1:13what you what type of what are you doing
1:15flatbed? What type of freight were you
1:17hauling and for [snorts] how long were
1:18you doing that before you actually
1:20pulled the trigger on your own truck?
1:22And I know you you've been involved in
1:23the industry for a long time. What I'm
1:24looking for
1:26cuz I know you've been doing some union
1:27work and then you had which we'll get to
1:32an accident happened right that I would
1:34want you to maybe mention. So like tell
1:37me a little bit about that so we can
1:39paint the story and how you transition
1:41into an owner-op. Okay. Yeah, so I went
1:44back to doing some bridge work. Ended up
1:46getting married. It was very very short
1:48short short-term marriage.
1:51It was 2000 2012. Went to I was laid off
1:54for the wintertime doing construction.
1:56Moved down to Florida briefly. High
1:59school sweetheart and and
2:01kind of rekindled things, moved her back
2:03to New York State. Her mom got sick and
2:05uh had some health health issues going
2:07on. So, we we moved back up to New York
2:08and um
2:09>> [clears throat]
2:09>> just packed up packed up the truck and
2:11and her vehicle and and moved up and and
2:14bought a house. Uh went back to a
2:18company called Lane Construction. We
2:19were doing a large bridge over it. It
2:21was a it was a pretty big job. Uh it was
2:23off the the um
2:26Northway, uh New York State Northway.
2:28Yeah, I I suffered a injury. Uh it was
2:31just a cut in my elbow
2:32in 2012 uh while working on that job,
2:36which pretty much changed my life. It uh
2:39it caused me to have I ended up getting
2:40MRSA and and landed landed in my hip
2:43joint from the cut in my elbow. You
2:44know, just making good money, union
2:46money and and uh just
2:48the way we do it in construction, just
2:50duct taped it up, went back to work, and
2:51forgot about them.
2:53You know, taking taking a lot of
2:54painkillers to get through the pain and
2:56that kind of opened up a door um that
2:59I don't
3:00like to to talk about some addiction
3:02issues and stuff that that pretty much
3:05uh has has hindered my my past and
3:07caused me to have some some legal
3:08problems um in in my past and uh
3:12one of the things that I definitely want
3:13to support is is is uh other guys, guys
3:17and and females that have a have a past.
3:19Um
3:21there are some roadblocks that that I I
3:23went through with with felonies, you
3:24know, uh criminal background um getting
3:27into the the trucking industry, you
3:29know, the the companies that you can get
3:30on get on to. Some of the the larger
3:32companies that require, you know, 5
3:34years, 7 years from from a felony.
3:37And uh
3:38So, that kind of
3:39>> Dennis. Dennis, if I if you don't mind
3:41me slowing down a little bit cuz you're
3:42running through it and that's that is so
3:44so some stuff you just shared that I I
3:47if you don't mind sharing more because
3:50you know, you went through obviously
3:51some
3:52um crazy times in your life, but tell me
3:54about tell me about that a little bit
3:57how that that actually
3:59unraveled for you with cuz I'm assuming
4:01it was some kind of OxyContin or
4:03whatever they were giving you, right?
4:05>> Yeah. Yeah, um it was it was all um so
4:09>> No, no, I'm fine with it. Yeah,
4:11absolutely.
4:12Um so, you know, I left the hospital
4:14with uh Oxy 20s or or whatever initially
4:18and you know, kind of I got I got used
4:21used to that
4:22uh taking the pain away. So, I got
4:24depressed. Um was taking the pain pills
4:27initially for the pain and and probably
4:28pretty much gravitated into using them
4:31for other reasons, you know, the the
4:33depression and um
4:35So, the you know, like the Oxy Oxy 20s
4:37led into Oxy 30s and then wanting and
4:39needing more.
4:40Um you know, which pretty much pretty
4:42much led into addiction. Um I uh got
4:45into a cocaine addiction which um molded
4:48my quite a few next next years, you
4:51know, brought a lot of uh criminal
4:53stuff, you know, um criminal
4:55possessions, criminal sales of uh
4:57narcotics which I went to prison for.
5:00Um went to prison for 2 years and then
5:03uh
5:04suffered that, you know, I I had two two
5:06felonies uh one for criminal possession
5:09um
5:10and then I had a
5:11a sales of of uh narcotics as well.
5:15So, I went to prison for that stuff.
5:17>> Dennis? Were you in like your mid-30s?
5:19Uh so, I was I believe 35.
5:23It was 2012. So, I've actually had three
5:26hip replacements on on my right hip.
5:29Um
5:30The the infection kept coming back. So,
5:32it wasn't just they did the surgery and
5:34and uh it went away. It kept coming
5:37back. I'd get better. I'd bounce back
5:39from the surgery. It was was, you know,
5:41like was bedridden initially because of
5:43the antibiotics and and the infection.
5:46Once we got rid of the infection in my
5:48system, uh it kept coming back in my
5:50hip. So, that was And that was the last
5:52one.
5:52>> And you were running all of your all of
5:53your addiction as well? Was that like
5:55overlap overlapping? Yeah, there was
5:58bouts of you know, like that was kind of
6:00like in in there. So, like 2015
6:03was really
6:04And now I'm taking pain pills more than
6:07than is
6:09required or more than is prescribed and
6:12and then you know, that's when I got
6:14into using other drugs, the the cocaine
6:16as well. Um and it it it consumes me um
6:20for for many years and changed my life,
6:22you know, the people I was hanging out
6:23with and then um it took it took things
6:26away from me, you know, goals and and
6:29I've always been a hard worker. Uh my
6:32one thing one of the things I've always
6:33prided myself in was hard hard work. So,
6:36so tell me the transition now to to how
6:39you went back to driving and
6:41and cuz I I want I don't want to move
6:43away from what you went through because
6:45it's it's a it's a crazy
6:47crazy story and I know, you know, people
6:50>> [snorts]
6:50>> struggle with their own issues and I
6:52think you're you're open about it and
6:55you I know you just started a YouTube
6:56channel to share your journey as an
6:59owner operator and help others. But tell
7:01me
7:02when when you when you had that that
7:04that
7:05I don't want to call it a rock bottom,
7:06but when you started realizing, "Hey, I
7:08got to do something different." Like
7:09tell me about that. Like when you
7:10started like I I want to get myself out
7:12of the situation. Yeah, well, you know,
7:14like I
7:15um I went to meetings, you know, like um
7:19self-help groups uh
7:21I was from a small town, um Coxsackie,
7:24New York, uh town of town of Climax is
7:27where I grew I was born and raised. It
7:29was a small town. Um not a whole lot to
7:32do around there. There was no There was
7:33not a whole lot of meetings either. So,
7:35I used uh Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.
7:37Um my problem wasn't really with
7:39alcohol. It was with substances. So, I
7:42used those meetings as as long as I
7:43could and they did help.
7:45That opened the door for me to get into
7:47uh Narcotics Anonymous meetings and then
7:49eventually meet um
7:51what was a long-terms long-term sponsor.
7:54Went through some some rehab um
7:56rehabs. I would get it for a little
7:58while. I would I would kind of be scared
8:01straight, you know, with the legal
8:02issues and stuff going on back and forth
8:04with that. Um it would it would keep me
8:07clean for for a little bit, but I would
8:08always bounce back, you know, like
8:10jumping right back into those friends
8:11that I was was uh doing doing wrong with
8:14or using with. Um getting into
8:16relationships that I I really shouldn't
8:18have been been involved in and just
8:20instead of concentrating taking care of
8:21myself, you know, myself and my family.
8:24>> [snorts]
8:24>> Um so,
8:26uh
8:27once I found Narcotics Anonymous uh and
8:29really started working a program and and
8:32stuck with the the winners as like one
8:33of the slogans they say, you know, stick
8:35with the winners and and started
8:36utilizing the meetings and and uh it
8:39changed my life, you know, it opened
8:40opened doors for me and those those
8:43people that I met back then um 2000
8:4815, 16, 17, you know, is when I really
8:51started um going to meetings. Somebody
8:53talk, you know, so like podcast has been
8:56a huge huge part of me becoming an
8:59owner-operator, you know, like uh
9:01there's other podcasts
9:03uh the Kevin Rutherford show and uh
9:05Great show. Great show. Kevin
9:07>> Let's talk, you know, um
9:09Pittsburgh Power has been been wonderful
9:12with all those guys, Bruce and and Eric
9:13and and uh all those guys kind of helped
9:16me along the way and and all the advice
9:18um
9:19of the Trucking Tribe, you know, kind of
9:21similar to to what you got going on. Um
9:24Uh those guys and and a lot of the
9:26advice and a lot of the shows that are
9:28that are on and the content, you know,
9:30which all the trucking content. There's
9:32there's so much content out there if if
9:35if if anybody's a driver today, and and
9:37and
9:38not listening to uh to the trucking
9:41content that that's available today on
9:43uh
9:44so many different um platforms, you
9:46know. Yeah, 100% and and that what I was
9:48going to maybe scratch a little bit more
9:50is what would you say to somebody right
9:52now cuz you've been you've you've been
9:54through the, you know, if somebody
9:56struggles with substance substances and
9:59and maybe is listening to this. Like,
10:00what would you What would you tell that
10:02person if somebody's at that where you
10:04were in 2015-16? Like, what would you
10:06tell them? Uh I think one of the most
10:09important things I look back now is is
10:11definitely people, places, and things,
10:13you know, to um surround yourself with
10:16those positive people. Um I gave up hope
10:18for for quite a few years, you know, um
10:22I still had it deep inside me, but like
10:23like the drugs consumed me. So, like I
10:25gave up a lot of my goals and my
10:27aspirations that I had in life, things
10:29that I wanted to do with my life, you
10:30know, I just uh I let the drugs consume
10:32me. Um so,
10:35you know, I I've taken my life back now.
10:38I kind of got a I guess a new lease on
10:41life now, you know, I'm 50 years old,
10:43starting over as an owner-operator. I
10:45had a a pension from a union pension
10:47that I had I withdrew and and uh kind of
10:52uh had to use that for some legal legal
10:54stuff going on. Um at 50 years old, 49
10:57years old, I started over.
11:00What would I say to them?
11:01>> People, places, and things, you know,
11:03people, places, and things. Stay away
11:05from those people that you're you know,
11:07set your mind um find find some solid
11:10people in recovery. If you're a male,
11:12stay with the males. If you're If you're
11:14a female, stay with the females. That
11:16was a big thing for me is running around
11:18um getting into relationships, you know,
11:20I guess they call them rehab romances,
11:22you know, falling in love. I just
11:25just looking for some the next thing
11:28that made me feel um feel good about
11:30myself because I
11:32I wasn't. I wasn't feeling good about
11:33myself at that point in my life, you
11:35know. Yeah. Well, you've been doing
11:37you've been doing
11:39great and I would want to It's how do
11:41you how do you now you know, pick up
11:44your life and start rebuilding you have
11:46new lease on life like you said. That's
11:49that's something that I would want you
11:50to share because I've known you for a
11:53little bit since you've been in our
11:54trucking group and the our trucking
11:56business group and I see what you do and
11:58how good of a person you are. And I It's
12:01like this, you know, I've been through
12:02some things like that as well similar
12:04not as as as much as as close to what
12:08you went through obviously, but
12:10it is difficult to see past that, right?
12:13To kind of look into the future and say,
12:15"Hey, I still have time to do something.
12:16I still have
12:18>> [snorts]
12:18>> the energy and the the I'll I'll do
12:20whatever it takes to get myself feel
12:22better again, right? Cuz you know, some
12:24dark times went through my life as well
12:26and and it was just like
12:28the never losing hope I guess, right?
12:30And my similar my similar what do you
12:33say about you know, people things and
12:35places
12:36I always lived with a rule that was
12:40you're the average [snorts] of five
12:41people you surround yourself with,
12:42right? You associate yourself with. So,
12:45whether it's podcasters
12:47Kevin Rutherford was a massive
12:49impact for me because I drove in
12:512007-8-9 when when there was not a lot
12:54of stuff on the internet and he was one
12:56of the the guys that was always non-stop
12:58cracking out content and I was like,
13:00"Man, this guy is awesome." I've learned
13:02a ton from him.
13:03And this it's whether you associate
13:05yourself with friends, with group of
13:07people around you, the average of five
13:09people was such a magical thing for me
13:11cuz once I started living that, the life
13:14started changing immediately almost,
13:16right? And and I have a feeling you have
13:18a similar thing as as soon as you start
13:21changing the environment you surround
13:22yourself like you said with good people,
13:24with good values, trying to do something
13:26in life, all of a sudden your life
13:27changes and you're like, "Oh, wow. Like,
13:28I didn't know it's going to happen that
13:29quick, right?" I prayed. Did a lot of
13:31praying. I had a lot of dark moments in
13:33my life, you know, in in that in that
13:35period. I prayed on it to to my higher
13:38power.
13:39It didn't happen all at once. I went to
13:41actually went went like I said I went to
13:43prison. Struggled struggled. So, my my
13:46clean date is May 23rd
13:49or May 26th, 2023. I'm coming up on 3
13:52years clean on the 26th of May.
13:54Congrats, my man. That's awesome.
13:56I don't know if you want me to jump in
13:57now or the transition of
13:59>> about the truck. Let's talk
14:01>> [laughter]
14:01>> talk about some equipment. [gasps]
14:03I'm excited.
14:05Yeah, so
14:07um You saved up and then you started
14:09looking for a truck, right?
14:10>> up, yeah. So, I you know, I had friends
14:12that were owner-operators and you know,
14:14they're like, "You're leaving money on
14:15the table." And you know, it's not all
14:18all the pot of gold at the at the end of
14:20the rainbow, right? Like, there's some
14:22you know, you got downtime, you got
14:24breakdowns and everything's responsible.
14:27Now
14:28the weekends aren't your weekends cuz
14:29you're you're out working on the truck
14:31and um I'm like, "Yeah, I don't want
14:34that. Like, I don't have a whole lot in
14:35my life and I'm kind of trying to find
14:37something to really grasp to again,
14:38right?" Like um so, it excited me to
14:41like I feel like I had a fresh breath of
14:44of air again and and something to look
14:46forward to um grasping onto this this
14:48whole trucking owner-operator
14:50uh deal and and set my set my sights
14:53um
14:55set my sights on it and and just work
14:57toward it and uh How many trucks? So, so
15:00let me let me cuz I'm I'm [snorts]
15:01curious. How many trucks did you look at
15:03before you settle on the one you have
15:05right now? Did you look at multiple
15:07trucks and and what made you I looked
15:09around for quite a while.
15:11>> Um I bounced around. So, the company
15:15that I was currently working for is a is
15:16a company driver regional again regional
15:19regional uh
15:21um carrier. The check started I had to
15:23really pay attention to my uh
15:25my settlements, you know, there was some
15:27miles missing here, they weren't paying
15:29this.
15:30Uh they
15:32they uh I felt like they weren't being
15:33too honest with me. Um
15:35and that kind of really pushed me to
15:37maybe jump jump and pull the trigger a
15:39little bit sooner than than I would have
15:42if I had a carrier that was was
15:44legitimate, you know.
15:46Um so, I started looking at trucks
15:48uh probably last June, I would say,
15:51probably about a year ago. Started
15:53throwing the idea around, right? Like um
15:56God, I can get my own truck, you know,
15:57like
15:58looking at prices, looking at trucks, uh
16:01stopping here and there, um
16:03truckpaper.com
16:05getting on there, uh
16:08doing a lot of research. Again, um I
16:10stayed on when I was home or wasn't at
16:13work, I was I was online
16:15um looking at trucks and and doing
16:16research on motors and and and what
16:18truck was right for for what I wanted to
16:20do and I've since since changed um you
16:24know, uh uh
16:25just kind of put it out there, I'm I'm
16:27just getting into uh the open deck
16:29market. Um
16:31so, I haven't had a lot I've I've I've
16:33hauled a lot of flat flatbed loads um
16:36but I'm getting into uh 53-ft step deck,
16:38so I've moved equipment use lowboys and
16:41and stuff my whole life, but I I've
16:42never had a tarp a load. Um I know how
16:44to bind things down and stuff like that,
16:46but um as far as like uh doing it the
16:48legal way and and um so, I had a I had
16:52there's a learning curve there for me
16:53right now. Um getting into this uh
16:55flatbed market, you know. So, um I'm a
16:57little nervous about that.
16:59>> know I know I know a little bit about
17:00the operation, obviously, since you're
17:01in the group and I you've been doing
17:03pretty [snorts] good with driving. I
17:04know you've been
17:06uh doing and working for somebody for a
17:08while and now you're in the middle of
17:09the transition with
17:11uh which I think is going to be
17:13not only exciting, but you want those
17:16new things to learn. And I know in the
17:17group you you know we we all learn from
17:19each other and we all during our
17:21meetings there's always something that
17:22you're like oh wow that's I didn't know
17:23that I'll implement that. You have a ton
17:25of value add a ton of value also in the
17:27group and I see that you like you're
17:30excited about it which makes everybody
17:32excited that's involved because you know
17:34we're all learning new things how to you
17:36know maybe new approach getting outside
17:39of the comfort zone and getting into a
17:41new niche which you are doing which is
17:43great because that's the right now where
17:44the money is right? That's I mean one of
17:47the huge things that's been a help like
17:50you know with with your site and then
17:52your your help
17:54to to kind of push me to not be to get
17:56out of my comfort zone
17:58and then having so many different guys
18:00that are using that are at different
18:02points in their trucking career as as as
18:05owner operators first first time owner
18:07operators you know they got other guys
18:09in the in our
18:11trucking pro group that that have a
18:13couple trucks that that
18:15kind of know what they're doing you know
18:16and and have their own customers and
18:17stuff like that so it's amazing to to be
18:19able to call them up and pick their
18:21brain throughout the day or just reach
18:24out and it's it's been a camaraderie as
18:26well with those gentlemen and
18:29you know
18:30I just started like you said I
18:33We're excited I mean it's the overall
18:35like you said
18:37everybody's helping each other and the
18:39bar is being risen more and more because
18:42if somebody has two three trucks now
18:44they're adding another one now they're
18:45landing a lot of customer you decided to
18:47switch to do what you always wanted to
18:49do and go into step deck and open deck
18:52right and that's that's the whole goal
18:53of the of the community which community
18:55is the number one thing that got me out
18:57of a lot of trouble and a lot of down
18:59time you know
19:01dark times and that's that's why I built
19:03it because because of those reasons so
19:05I'm
19:06>> [snorts]
19:06>> I'm glad it's it's working for you. One
19:08of the things that I think really I need
19:09to say that that pushed me as well as as
19:12you know so being 49 years old and and
19:14starting over now I don't have a pension
19:17to to rely on and then you know
19:20uh
19:20someday I'd like to retire
19:22maybe.
19:24Um so starting over
19:26you know I thought and then listening to
19:27to this gentleman Chris from Hall and
19:29Assets um talked about how he he
19:33um started with his first truck right
19:34through till five six up to I think
19:37maybe 12 trucks you know like if he can
19:39do it I can do it right? Like um Of
19:41course. So I kind of had that thought in
19:43my my mind like you know I'd start out
19:45as an owner operator I'm I'm not rushing
19:47anything right now I'm not trying to to
19:49get into any more trucks because it's
19:50it's a
19:51it's tough it's tough enough to to just
19:53have one truck right now. Tell me let's
19:55let's talk about your truck real quick
19:56cuz you kind of skimmed over it a little
19:58bit too fast. What you you started
20:00talking you got a 2019 right now what
20:02tell me about what you bought and why
20:04did you buy it? It wasn't uh
20:06it wasn't a quick um
20:08I was actually down in in visiting my
20:10daughter in uh she lives outside of
20:12Virginia Beach um Virgin- Virginia uh
20:15>> [snorts]
20:16>> I was down there visiting her and um I
20:18was on a load and uh I blew a hose blew
20:21a coolant line or something like that
20:23and and the truck was down um waiting
20:25waiting for some some repair repairs to
20:28be done on this truck and
20:30starting to get fed up with that that
20:32company I was hauling for and and really
20:34kind of what really pushed me
20:36to become an owner operator and just
20:39kind of pull the pin I guess you'd say
20:41and and and decide I'm going to I'm
20:43going to buy a truck.
20:45Um
20:46so I I started looking like I said
20:48earlier you know all those sites and
20:50stuff and and had been looking for a
20:52while and kind of thrown the idea around
20:54um and I spoke to a gentleman from a he
20:56was out out toward you somewhere um some
20:58engine shop and and I spoke with this
21:00guy I forg- I forget the even the name
21:02of the the the place I called
21:04um it I a I was on YouTube watching a
21:06YouTube video and and uh it was a an an
21:09engine shop. I called the guy and and
21:11kind of just asked him his opinion. He
21:13says, "Look." He says, "Uh
21:15Um I'd go with
21:18TMC. They take care of their trucks and
21:19I've noticed them out there on the road.
21:21Their trucks are always clean. I've
21:22talked to guys out in the in the fuel
21:24islands. You know, they would drown the
21:26guys if they didn't wash their truck
21:27after after 2 weeks. They'd they'd drown
21:29them, wouldn't dispatch anymore. So,
21:31like they must care about their trucks,
21:32right? You know, like uh
21:34Um So, I I
21:36I felt like they had a very good
21:37maintenance program and and and this guy
21:38suggested he says, you know, don't don't
21:40get to go with the don't go with the
21:42PACCAR. Some guys might like PACCAR um
21:45motors, not me.
21:46Um so, I went out in the search for
21:49um
21:49I got immediately from hanging up the
21:51phone with this with this gentleman, um
21:53I got on the TMC truck sales site.
21:56And
21:57that for I think they have four
21:58different locations. South Carolina
22:00truck sales TMC truck sales was the
22:02closest for me.
22:04They had
22:05I want to say six trucks at the time.
22:07They kept They [snorts] had a couple day
22:09cabs as well. I was looking for a
22:11something with a sleeper.
22:13Uh
22:15wanted knew I wanted to eventually get
22:18into flatbed and heavy heavy haul, you
22:21know, like moving that equipment and
22:23stuff is kind of in my blood and and
22:24stuff. So, I knew like that's generally
22:26what I wanted to get into or or work
22:28toward.
22:30Um so, I I got on their website and and
22:33just started looking. Um
22:35I think that that Monday I made a phone
22:37call and and they had four trucks
22:38available. Um they're right around
22:40500,000 512 to 540,000 mi on them. It's
22:45when they, you know, the warranties are
22:46probably up and and
22:48kind of at their second point in life,
22:50right? They're still
22:51Um finding the right truck with those
22:53many miles it's it's uh
22:56You want to have the right motor and and
22:58do it do your research is is my advice
23:01to to guys. You know, do your research
23:03on the motors. Don't go out there and
23:04just buy any truck. Um find out where
23:07where the problems where the issues are,
23:09at what miles those issues are. You
23:11know, these these fleets are all selling
23:13their trucks for for reason because the
23:15warranties are up, right? And they don't
23:17have to maintain them. So, I went with a
23:19TMC truck because I know that their
23:20maintenance program was um pretty
23:22exceptional.
23:23Um from talking to other drivers from
23:25TMC and my my daughter's my daughter's
23:28boyfriend her his father works as as a
23:30TMC company driver. So, you know, like
23:33kind of um
23:34know a little bit about that that
23:35company and how they take care of their
23:37trucks and their maintenance program.
23:38So, that kind of set my mind and I found
23:41found a truck. I think it was right
23:43around October um on on that site and uh
23:46made some phone calls and and uh started
23:49um started the process to to finance
23:50that truck. Um
23:53I didn't have enough money to pay for
23:55that truck outright.
23:57I probably could have been close to it,
23:59but it would have left me broke and and
24:01had no startup money, you know. Mhm. I
24:04wasn't going to buy that truck and not
24:05get out there on the road and be on my
24:06own cuz I was
24:08I was fed up with the company that I was
24:09working the company um I was currently
24:11working with. But, you know, it was
24:15every week I was putting another another
24:17chunk of change away toward toward doing
24:19what I wanted to do.
24:21So, um
24:22>> So, when you So, when you went there,
24:23did you look at multiple units or you
24:25walked in and that was it? That was it.
24:27Everything was done um I know it wasn't
24:30it's not advised to
24:32uh
24:34buy the truck and and not look at it and
24:37and um do the the uh walk around and the
24:41um
24:41>> pre-purchase inspection, all that. You
24:43just like, "I'm going to get it. I'm so
24:44determined. I'm going to go and get it."
24:46Well, I knew I knew that their
24:47maintenance program
24:50you know, and I one of their things that
24:52and almost pushed me away from that I I
24:54need to say this and it almost pushed me
24:56at that point in time I was really
24:57listening to um I was going through the
25:00Kevin Rutherford
25:01like stop holding the steering wheel
25:03program he has or whatever for new owner
25:05operators to to get into the field and
25:08there was a slew of things that he
25:09suggested to to do the ECM report. So
25:12like I call this company up you know
25:14TMC truck sales and I said you know look
25:16I need the ECM report on this truck and
25:18they said no we don't we don't do that.
25:20We we don't we don't give up the
25:22records.
25:23>> [laughter]
25:24>> Yeah. Almost walked away from the deal
25:26and then I kind of got thinking about it
25:28like talked to my
25:31my daughter's boyfriend's father and and
25:33he said look at they have a good
25:34maintenance program
25:36um
25:37and that
25:38Peterbilt 579's with the with the
25:40Cummins motor X15 you know that
25:44they're good motor good truck and uh
25:47so I I I pulled the plug or um pulled
25:51the pin I I guess you'd say and uh and
25:53went ahead and went that route.
25:55Automatic automatic transmission right?
25:57>> Yes sir yes sir yep it's a 12 12 speed
26:00automatic um and I grew up running
26:03manual transmission trucks uh years ago
26:07bouncing around running dump truck for
26:08my uncle but it was his first automatic
26:11dump truck and I hated that coming up
26:13out of the hole loaded it had no power
26:15this was years ago it was I I don't I
26:17don't think it was a new truck.
26:18>> back then were completely different than
26:20right now. No power at all like I don't
26:23want to be in this and it was a brand
26:24new truck I didn't want to be in it and
26:26um Yeah gear skipping not not no gear
26:29skipping it would just be one two three
26:32>> Yeah yeah one by one like oh my god what
26:34is this going on?
26:35>> if it got there yeah especially loaded
26:37with a dump truck
26:38um so
26:39uh
26:40I never thought I'd I'd buy an automatic
26:42uh tractor um so I I tested the first
26:45company I started running regional OTR
26:48for uh
26:50I had a manual tested on a manual and
26:53then they put me in a uh I think it was
26:55a 2020 Freightliner Cascadia.
26:58Um actually no, I started out on a
27:01International 625.
27:03Um which wasn't a It wasn't a bad truck.
27:05No, well, depends how you with with
27:07Cummins engines with manuals, they're
27:08they're okay. The quality built quality
27:10is obviously not
27:12as good as it is on Cascadia, but
27:15I've had I've had a lot of those. It's
27:17at a half a million miles versus a
27:19Peterbilt and International and Volvo
27:22and Cascadia. I mean, you can tell which
27:23one is the weakest quality truck.
27:25>> Yeah. The the the ride quality, the the
27:28rattling, the you know, um the companies
27:32I
27:32>> cheaper also for a reason, right?
27:33They're cheaper when you buy them new
27:35and they're cheaper on the resale
27:36market. It's I mean, that there's a
27:38reason for that, right?
27:39>> They serve the purpose for for the right
27:41buyer, right? The right person. I was
27:43looking for something
27:44on its second life, I guess. Like
27:46knowing that
27:49you never know when something's going to
27:50happen. We we talk about this a lot on
27:52your channel that, you know, like
27:54one of the one of them things that I do
27:56today is prepare for that, putting money
27:57away in a maintenance fund and and uh
28:01parent preparing for for
28:03uh
28:03um
28:05the big thing, you know? It It's not
28:07It's not if it's going to happen, it's
28:09when it's going to happen, you know?
28:10Blowing a blowing a transmission,
28:11clutch, uh motor blown.
28:15But, you know, so it's got It's got a
28:17It's
28:17>> Differentials, I mean, everything.
28:18>> Yeah.
28:19It's a 2019 Peterbilt 579 mid roof, you
28:22know? Like I I seen them out there on
28:23the road. Every time a a TMC truck went
28:26by, wow, they're nice, you know? So,
28:29when I pulled the plug, I I I end up um
28:31I worked straight up from from going
28:33down and picking up the truck. I rented
28:34a car and uh drove down. What a weekend
28:37that was. I I I come home from Virginia
28:40North Carolina with the company truck,
28:42parked it in the yard. Uh got a ride up
28:44to the airport and picked up a rental
28:46car. Drove straight through
28:49um to
28:50uh to Virginia. Uh stopped to see my
28:52daughter. And um right from there to to
28:56South Carolina to pick up my truck.
28:59Uh dropped the TMC truck sales gentleman
29:02um one of the one of the sales reps
29:03dropped me off at the uh met him there
29:06at the at the yard and um
29:09and he brought me over to drop the the
29:10truck off or is a car off the rental car
29:12and uh just started putting my stuff in
29:15the truck and
29:16God, when I pulled up I was so excited.
29:19I
29:19you know, there was so many questions
29:21that I I wish I had This is one of the
29:23things that I would suggest anybody
29:25looking at a truck or or the even
29:27purchase a truck to write things down.
29:29Write questions down. The stuff The
29:32stuff that comes on whether it's in your
29:33notes on on a cell phone or notepad
29:36cuz there's so many questions that I
29:37wish I asked um
29:39that that could have been answered right
29:41there. There's a lot of
29:43>> you got a good the good truck. You've
29:44been using it for a while. You've made
29:46your money with it. You I know you've
29:47been saving now you you're in a
29:50transition. So tell me Dennis, what is
29:51your what's what's the next What's the
29:54What's 2026 look is going to look like
29:56for you? What's your plan for this year?
29:58So I just you know I I gave up at least
30:01on to a company. There was a couple
30:03companies and this is one of the things
30:05I really want to put out there is is
30:07the hurdles that I struggled trying to
30:12um become an owner operator and and that
30:15the
30:16companies that I I was able to to lease
30:18on to because of my my past, right? Like
30:20I got some baggage. Uh
30:22I'm
30:233 years now 4 years out from from uh a
30:26felony drug charge. Well, companies want
30:28a 5 years, 7 years like the bigger
30:31companies, you know, Landstar, Mercer.
30:33And those are the companies that I've
30:35heard that were were the companies that
30:36you want to get on with, you know? Uh So
30:39I was a a bit limited at the companies
30:41that I I wanted to I looked at you know
30:43Bennett um out there in South Carolina
30:46um and again I wanted to get into heavy
30:48haul and flatbed work JRC PGT um
30:52and I found a company online I don't
30:54know if it was through indeed or or one
30:56of the the hiring sites and
30:58I'm still a company driver my truck's
31:00now sitting in the yard one of the
31:01things I I first uh did did do as well
31:05as as brought it right to Pittsburgh
31:06Power um before I went out on the road
31:08with it they've got the overhead down
31:10the DPF
31:11let's talk about that in a little bit so
31:14finding that right company was was a
31:16little bit of a process and and trying
31:17to get um over those hurdles of of the
31:23the uh
31:24my past um
31:26and finding the right company as well
31:28somebody that there was so many
31:29companies that that offered you every
31:31even even as a company driver there's so
31:33many companies out there that offer you
31:35the world we're going to pay you a
31:37dollar twenty as a company driver or the
31:39dollar twenty a mile paid loaded
31:42unloaded you're going to be home every
31:44weekend so same thing as an owner
31:46operator power only whatever all these
31:48companies offer you the world you're
31:50going to get ninety ninety ten split
31:52you're going to bring home thirteen
31:54thousand dollars a month or a week you
31:56know they don't tell you all the all the
31:58deductions and everything that they're
32:00going to take out of that
32:01so we've been through it kind of putting
32:04myself in in check you know and and
32:06being a little naive about the the you
32:08know my cost currently putting together
32:11my cost per mile you know one of the
32:12things that was was a huge thing to to
32:15know my baseline you know one of the
32:16things that you helped me out with
32:18when I first got started on on the the
32:21um
32:22trucking trip figuring that out was a
32:24huge thing I'm not going to run it at
32:27two dollars and twenty cents a mile it's
32:29not paying it's not paying what I had so
32:31once I got that mindset like maybe I'm
32:33getting screwed here like this ninety
32:35ten split isn't isn't something's
32:37something's a little funny and and they
32:39were they got me they were the easiest
32:41company to for me to get on to and start
32:45the transition into owner operator and
32:48that's why I went with them. It might
32:49not have been the company that I
32:51necessarily wanted to to be on or
32:53hauling with which brings me to where
32:55I'm at today. You know, I've been home
32:58um
32:59Oh, been home for a little bit.
33:01>> Getting ready. I know you're getting
33:02ready. I know you're about to hear it
33:03getting itchy. I can see that. Yeah,
33:06I've been home for a little bit.
33:07Um so
33:09I was out with that company that I was I
33:11was leased on to that were out of
33:12Illinois and came home. I I had actually
33:15they were pushing me to get into step
33:16deck. I went and rented a 53-ft step
33:20deck for myself and um to try to
33:22increase my revenue per per week.
33:25Um and I I went and rented that and that
33:27that that day um I rented that. I sat
33:30there waiting to get loaded waiting
33:31waiting to catch a load waiting to catch
33:33a load and I just said, "The hell with
33:35it." You know, after talking to a couple
33:37of close friends that I've have now in
33:40the in the trucking field or I just
33:43And I've had was kind of talking with
33:45JRC Transport um is is who I'm leased on
33:48to right now. Um
33:50um I'm leased on pretty much all ready
33:52to roll through the truck inspection.
33:55Uh still got to do a a little
33:57orientation, get my ELD installed, but
33:59um I used a compliance company to when I
34:02was out with the other company to
34:05um get my own plates, you know, my own
34:07base plates. So that has been a process.
34:10New York State is very very difficult.
34:13You know, I need to say that like I
34:14wanted to go out and be a be get my own
34:16authority right right from the get-go
34:17and and become a power only with the
34:19company that I was running running for
34:22and the insurance factor
34:24in New York State was unbelievable. So
34:26my quote was $33,000 a year and um
34:30>> Yeah, as a a new new entry into into the
34:34field as as an owner operator new
34:36authority
34:38um
34:39and I was scared. I was nervous, you
34:40know, like it was bad enough I was
34:42buying my own truck and buying that and
34:44financing a truck and and
34:47um all this money that I saved over the
34:48last last couple years and putting that
34:50the bank account starting to dwindle and
34:53you know, like uh the the bill from
34:55getting the overhead the DPF clean and
34:58and going through through the truck
34:59before I went out there.
35:01Uh I was starting to get nervous, you
35:03know, um so I I leased on to a company
35:06and uh stayed with them for
35:08January I think I went with them and I
35:10just left uh 3 4 weeks ago. Um
35:13I started having the talk with JRC and
35:15and
35:16uh
35:17pulled the pin on that just drove home
35:19and uh and been um getting on boarded
35:23getting on boarded with them. I got my
35:25own plates. Uh the process like I said
35:27was pretty uh
35:28pretty difficult getting all of that
35:30paperwork together and
35:32not knowing a lot of things that I'm I'm
35:34I'm still young uh in the in this owner
35:36operator owner operator field, right?
35:38Like I'm still learning. You don't know
35:40what you don't know what they they they
35:41they don't know, you know, um you think
35:43you're prepared. You think you're ready
35:45and s- some days I just feel like a
35:48little overwhelmed. I'm not techy by far
35:50as you know,
35:51>> [laughter]
35:52>> um
35:53Well, you're doing great, Dennis. Do you
35:55I can tell you
35:56the number one thing I you're the
35:58mindset you have is what what I would
36:01wish a lot of owner operators had is is
36:03not just you I know how to drive a
36:05truck. I'll buy a truck and now I'm
36:06going to know I'm an owner operator. You
36:08know
36:09you know better than that. You know that
36:11there's so much more that you have to
36:13learn and you're open-minded. You're
36:14always if you're not adding value then
36:17then then then you're always open to
36:19receive value and that is very great
36:20mind
36:21I like that a lot because that's that's
36:23what our group is about, right? It's
36:25just learning new things and being
36:26open-minded like hey, well, you know
36:28what? Everybody collectively has a lot
36:29of experience, but there are situations
36:31that you haven't been through yet in
36:33>> [snorts]
36:33>> as an owner-operator, as a fresh
36:35owner-operator pretty much for you as
36:37you just started." And
36:38it's like
36:40that approach is what's going to help
36:42you be successful and then you're going
36:43to you're always planning planning ahead
36:45and you're always thinking what's next
36:46be around the corner and how can I earn
36:49more [snorts] and save more and build my
36:51dry powder and and the cushion for for,
36:54you know, rainy day. And
36:55>> [snorts]
36:55>> you have that mindset, which which is
36:57the mindset that I wish every
36:59owner-operator had. Well, you know, like
37:01I was
37:02I felt like I wasn't doing it right, you
37:03know, I felt like if I
37:05I really felt like I was kind of
37:06failing. Not Not at The truck driving's
37:09easy part, right? Like, we can all
37:11drive.
37:12Um I mean, some some guys don't don't
37:14want to, but I I'll I'll drive till my
37:16hours are up, you know, like I'm I'm one
37:18of those guys that
37:19I'll drive as much as I can every single
37:21day. I love driving. I love listening to
37:23content while driving.
37:25Um the pre-trips, the, you know, getting
37:28out there doing I like turning wrenches,
37:30you know, like I like to do my own work
37:32as much as I can. The knowledge that I
37:33do have from over the years of
37:36I don't know everything about
37:37everything. I don't know, you know, um
37:40but I am learning through sites like
37:42yours and and and other other sites, the
37:44friends that I've made. I can I can
37:45pretty much call up anybody throughout
37:48any any period of the day and and kind
37:50of pick their brain um on how to do
37:52something or get some knowledge on on
37:54something I I might not know about, you
37:56know, so I'm thankful for that, those
37:57friends that I've made and the contacts
37:59that I've made. Um Well, I can tell you
38:01when when we figured out your rate per
38:03mile,
38:04you thought you weren't doing good, but
38:06all of a sudden we realized like, "Hey,
38:07you're actually doing pretty good." And
38:09I remember looking at your how
38:11disciplined you were with your numbers
38:13and then we just figured it out and it
38:15was like, "Oh, I was worried about the
38:16taxes, remember? I
38:18was I putting So, I I went S-corp. Um
38:22It was a decision I made instead of um
38:25instead of just getting an LLC, I knew
38:27that I was starting out in January,
38:29$90,000 is that with the accountant that
38:32I have, if I'm if I'm planning on making
38:35over $90,000 that your tax benefits
38:38would be better as as an S-corp.
38:41>> 100%. I I also did an S-corp when I
38:42started as an owner-op. That's that's
38:44that's the way to go in my opinion.
38:45>> Yeah. People do also LLCs, right? Yeah.
38:48Yeah. I mean, not that they're each each
38:50person's a little bit different, too.
38:51You know, like each each scenario's a
38:53little bit different for for everybody.
38:55The the thing that was going to work
38:56best for me was the S-corp, you know,
38:58and and again, an accountant. I didn't
39:01know how to do paperwork and stuff like
39:02that. Well, one of the things I was pick
39:04your brain, right? Like you and Dom, am
39:06I doing it right?
39:07Am I putting enough money away? I'm
39:09worried. Like my maintenance fund, like
39:11what's what am I doing wrong? I'm doing
39:13something wrong. And uh I met with the
39:15accountant probably
39:172 months ago now, and he said, "Look,
39:18you're doing you're doing things right.
39:20You're putting you're saving all your
39:22receipts.
39:23Um I'm putting my uh I got my cost per
39:26mile figured out. Um
39:30I'm putting all the receipts each month
39:32and and keeping keeping a logbook. I'm
39:34not on uh QuickBooks or anything like
39:37that. I use uh
39:39I use just envelopes uh
39:42envelope system um and keep all my
39:44receipts with my my fuel all my fuel
39:47receipts and and keep track of my fuel
39:49mileage, right? Like that's that's a
39:50huge thing, too. Um I use the uh the the
39:53fuel gauges Kevin Rutherford's fuel
39:55gauges. Now, I
39:57actually purchased the um profit gauges
39:59that that he offers as well. So, that's
40:01been a a tremendous help.
40:03Now, I'm I'm doing my paperwork.
40:06I'll do it a couple times a month, but I
40:08generally could do it um I'm down to
40:10maybe an hour an hour and a half at the
40:12end of the month. Once once the month
40:14over, I can enter all my settlements and
40:16receipts in in probably an hour hour and
40:18a half and then and that's long as I'm
40:20staying on top of the
40:22um
40:23the weekly stuff and making sure
40:25everything's in the right envelope and
40:26and I can just jump right in and get
40:28that taken care of, you know. Um so the
40:31all that's was a learning curve for me.
40:33Uh
40:34stuffing like you hear these stories of
40:38guys going to their accountant with a
40:39with a shoe box full of receipts, you
40:41know, and the money and I've had so many
40:43expenses um you know gearing up, you
40:46know, tooling up tooling up. Now going
40:48into the
40:49>> That's not that you didn't make money
40:50cuz you did. It's you're more
40:51reinvesting a lot of it back into the
40:53business. That's there's a difference.
40:54You are profitable and I know you are.
40:56So don't say you are not making money.
40:58>> [laughter]
40:59>> I know I know you [clears throat] are.
41:01But that is Listen, I want to we can
41:02talk for hours and obviously we'll do it
41:04again, but tell me you I know you
41:05started the YouTube channel. Tell me
41:07what your YouTube channel is called.
41:09Yeah.
41:09>> And um and I'll link it obviously, but
41:11just share it really quickly. I know you
41:13just started, but what's the channel
41:14name? Yeah, so I I started a channel a
41:16couple days ago. Um
41:18Semper So the name of my
41:21um trucking company um my S Corp is
41:22Semper s e m p e r space f i Semper Fi
41:28Logistics Incorporated. So Semper Fi is
41:30a a Marine Corps slogan.
41:32Um means always faithful.
41:33Um so that's kind of that's my trucking
41:36company Semper Fi Logistics and so I'm
41:38on YouTube now with Semper Fi Logistics
41:40Inc.
41:41Um just started a couple days ago. Text
41:43text with with you on the on the chat,
41:45right? Like how do I how do I post on
41:47YouTube? [laughter]
41:49You said start out doing shorts. So
41:50that's I just got on there. You know,
41:52Dom Dom gave me a heads up. He says just
41:54hit the plus button at the bottom of the
41:55page and that's how I started taking
41:57pictures, you know, and uh Share your
42:00share your journey, share your story and
42:02and people start to uh follow you and
42:04>> Yeah, so like you and So going um I
42:07think I'm I was at nine
42:10But, first post I made today I was 942
42:13views of my first post, you know.
42:16Um, so, I want What I want to do is
42:17support other other
42:19um other people going into the industry,
42:21right? That that have uh
42:23possibly addiction problems or um just
42:26need help in general. Um, that have
42:28hurdles or or want to pick pick our
42:30brains and and and gain from the
42:32knowledge of the the hurdles that we've
42:35had to to go through. Um, I
42:38am passionate about about the recovery
42:40piece and and and helping people as
42:42well. Um, I love to to help people just
42:45just love to help people in general.
42:47There's some there's some not so nice
42:48people out there, right? Like uh there's
42:50so many things going around in in the
42:52industry right now, but the non-domicile
42:55and everything like that, you know. I'm
42:57not a hater. Yeah. I'm not a hater.
43:01Yeah, but it is happening, right?
43:02There's
43:04we and some truckers and the industry's
43:07getting the bad end of the stick and you
43:09just you're trying to do the things
43:11right and there others that just don't
43:12care and it's it's not it's you know,
43:14it's it's it's tough. I think it's going
43:16to get better. I think you're doing
43:18great, Dennis. I think your your story
43:20is interesting. I I think
43:22kudos to you for how you managed to turn
43:26everything around and start building
43:28something for yourself. I really really
43:30appreciate
43:31Moving forward, Sebastian, like so my
43:34journey with with the YouTube, my idea
43:36is to really kind of put it out there
43:38for me starting with now going into the
43:40open open deck uh market and and uh
43:44field. So, it's going to be right. I'm
43:46going to try to bring be transparent
43:49with um with everything that I got going
43:50on. My loads, I'm trying I'm going to
43:52try to broadcast or post uh tarping the
43:56loads, the whole learning curve, and and
43:59get just getting out there into it into
44:00a new market, you know? And I'm excited.
44:03I'm super excited. You know,
44:05>> That would be an amazing I I'm excited
44:07for you cuz I I know you're a great guy
44:09to to talk to and follow and I really
44:12I'm really stoked for the content you're
44:15going to put out. So Dennis, we got to
44:17run. Thank you so much. We'll we'll hang
44:20out again. We'll talk and you will give
44:23us an update at obviously if anybody's
44:25interested checking out our group it's
44:27shocking business.com. You can just go
44:29to can find us on school or we have a
44:31link in the description. Join our free
44:33community. Everybody's there and we have
44:35a ton of ton of owner operators and then
44:38>> [clears throat]
44:38>> Dennis is there. Can you still see uh
44:40Dennis?
44:41Yeah.
44:41>> still see Jazzy? So that's that's my
44:43road dog back there. That's that's
44:44Jazzy. Um she's a she's a little
44:46Havanese. We actually we
44:48we picked her up in Chicago up by you.
44:50>> Nice.
44:52Well [laughter] So that's my road dog.
44:53I'm going to be here with a step deck.
44:54We got to we got to grab some coffee and
44:56hang out and catch up in real life. So
44:58appreciate you. Thank you for sharing
45:00your story Dennis and have a good night
45:02and I'll talk to you later.

About this transcript

This page contains the full transcript of From Prison to Peterbilt: How Dennis Got His Life Back at 49 by Truck Yoo, generated from the public captions YouTube serves with the video. The transcript has 9,015 words across 1,319 segments, with the original timestamps preserved so you can click any line to jump to that moment in the embedded player.

What you can do with it

Use the transcript to take notes, quote the speaker, build a study guide, generate a summary with ChatGPT or Claude via the YouTube Summary tool, or export it as a timed subtitle file with YouTube to SRT. You can also re-open it in the transcriber to translate the transcript into 100+ languages.

Free YouTube transcript tool

YouTube2Text is a free YouTube transcript generator — no signup, no daily limit. Paste any YouTube link and get the full transcript instantly, with timestamps, click-to-jump, translation to 100+ languages, AI prompts for ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini, and exports to TXT, SRT, VTT, or Markdown.