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Navigating the Challenges of Trucking. Truck Yoo #91 — Transcript

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0:00Welcome to Chucky Podcast. My name is
0:02Sebastian. Today we have Ryan Benedict
0:04as our guest. He is an owner operator
0:07from East Texas and also runs a YouTube
0:10channel called Benedict Trucking LLC.
0:13Let's dive right into it.
0:20>> All right. Thanks, Ryan. Appreciate you.
0:21Thank you for being here. Can you just
0:23introduce yourself really quick to the
0:24audience and uh tell us what you do and
0:26what you drive? I'm Ryan Benedict from
0:29Tyler, Texas. Most people call me Big
0:31Ryan. I think I've been called that
0:32since I was I don't even know. I can't
0:34even remember. I'm a flatbed owner
0:36operator leased onto a company with Paul
0:38Primary Lumber.
0:40>> Okay. Good. Good. And what is the Peter
0:41bill that you drive?
0:43>> Uh 2016 Peterbuilt 579.
0:46>> 579. All right. And how long have you
0:48owned it?
0:50>> Bought it November 23.
0:53So a little almost two. Yeah. Two years.
0:56>> Okay. So, so fresh. Is that was that
0:59your first truck or did you have a truck
1:00before?
1:01>> No, in 2017 I bought a Peterbuilt 386
1:05and uh it had a Cummins IS6 in it. It
1:07was good truck. I wish I still had that
1:09one. I let that one get away.
1:10>> What happened? Why did you Why did you
1:11get Why did you get rid of it?
1:12>> I wasn't ready for business. I just
1:14really wasn't. I thought I've been
1:16around trucking my entire life and I
1:17thought, man, owning a truck would be
1:19cool and thought, man, I'd jump out,
1:21make some money. And just didn't didn't
1:23work out that way.
1:27Okay, I I understand that. But so tell
1:30me about your start. I want to know I
1:31want to know about your start and what
1:34made you decide to be become an own
1:36operator.
1:37>> Owner operator wise, I just man I'm I'm
1:40entrepreneur minded. I have a hard time
1:42working for people straight up. I'm not
1:44good with having a boss. But uh as far
1:46as that wise, as far as owner operator,
1:48that's kind of I knew when I started
1:50trucking I was going to buy a truck
1:52eventually. So, it just kind of that was
1:55that was on on plan. Anyway, I started a
1:58little early when I started in 2018
2:002017. I was like, man, I really I just
2:03wasn't ready for business. I didn't
2:04realize buying a truck and driving a
2:07truck and then having you're going to
2:08have this LLC that you got to you got to
2:10be ready. And I wasn't ready. I was not
2:12even nearly ready. Co taught me a lot. I
2:16had time in CO to learn business. So,
2:17that's kind of why I got jumped back
2:18into it.
2:20>> That's good because the rates were
2:21strong. So, that's that's good, huh?
2:23Well,
2:25we had our first daughter during COVID.
2:27So, I didn't drive in the great market.
2:30[laughter] I slid in right afterwards.
2:32That's that when I I actually was a
2:34driver in 2022 for a guy that kind of
2:37got my kind of jump back into it. He
2:39gave me an opportunity. He gave me otr
2:41opportunity and we he got he knew I had
2:43a daughter so he got me home every
2:45weekend. Great guy. Still friends with
2:47him to this day. uh just got to the
2:49point where he was having trouble in the
2:51industry like we're talking about
2:52earlier. 2022 was a rough time. The
2:55market was great and then it just dipped
2:57hard on him. He started having some time
3:00struggling and I was kind of burned out
3:02because I was running as hard as I could
3:03for him and uh kind of stepped out of
3:06his truck and went into co training
3:08which I really really enjoyed. And we'll
3:10talk a little bit more about that in a
3:11little bit too. It's kind of a future
3:13adventure I plan on doing because I
3:15really enjoyed taking guys and giving
3:16them the tools to learn this business.
3:18But did that for about 6 months teaching
3:20these guys and that guy's business
3:25whatever happened he lays me off. He he
3:27couldn't keep me and I was like well my
3:29next next my next move is to buy a truck
3:31and set sale after that.
3:34>> Why did you pick uh cuz you do flatbed.
3:36Why did you stick with that niche with
3:38flatbed? Uh, well, I started when I
3:40first bought that truck. I actually got
3:42a good deal with the truck and the
3:43trailer. He had a he had a uh a drive
3:45van. So, I jumped straight into drive
3:47van when I bought the truck and trailer.
3:49And I didn't really get started until 24
3:51cuz I was waiting to get leased on at
3:53Landstar.
3:55Say what you will about Landstar.
3:56Landstar's overall company being a real
3:58big company was really good. I couldn't
4:00quite get it to work for me. Had a lot
4:02of broker issues and stuff. So, I I
4:05stepped back out of it because a buddy
4:07of mine was in West Texas hauling uh
4:09pipe and so I went ahead and bought a
4:10flatbed and went out to West Texas and
4:12tried my hand at that.
4:15Some people do well. If you live in West
4:17Texas, you probably do really great. I
4:20still had a family here, so I'd go out
4:21there about 3 weeks at a time and come
4:23home and just couldn't quite build up
4:25the revenue I needed. Going out there
4:26three weeks and then coming back home
4:28for a week, I just couldn't build the
4:29revenue. And we had we got pregnant when
4:32I went towards went to West Texas right
4:34before I went. We got pregnant with our
4:35second daughter. My daughter, my oldest
4:38was four. So we got pregnant with my
4:41second one. And at that point, I knew my
4:44time was very limited. There wasn't
4:45going to be a lot more o gone away from
4:47the house. So when we had my second
4:49daughter, my wife was like, "All right,
4:51you better better figure it out."
4:52[laughter] So, so, so I drove my butt
4:55back to the house and there's a kind of
4:56a semi-localish
4:58like they do regional uh company that
5:01hauls lumber here and I had them in my
5:03back pocket from the first time that uh
5:05I was the owner operator. I hauled from
5:07a little bit. So, that's kind of why I
5:08stuck with the flatbed cuz I can haul
5:11lumber for them and I could be home
5:12almost every night when things are good
5:14and they also have the ability to run
5:16out and we have some New York loads of
5:19Chicago loads that do real well. So, I
5:21have the ability to run out for four or
5:23five nights and then come home or I can
5:24run local.
5:26>> That's pretty good. That's So, so you
5:28you like the company you're with right
5:29now?
5:30>> Uh, I can't complain too much other than
5:34the fact that, you know, when you're
5:36leased to a company, you're hauling what
5:38they want you to haul. You you don't
5:40have you're free for a lot of things,
5:42but you're not free to do that and what
5:45they want you to haul their freight. So,
5:47I can complain about that a little bit.
5:48There's some things that's happened
5:49within the company. They've they've kind
5:51of burned me a little bit. So, I'm
5:52looking at like maybe my own authority
5:54eventually or some something like a
5:57something else. I don't think I want to
5:58do a Land Star again just because they
6:00took a high percentage from the drivers,
6:01but maybe something like that or I don't
6:04know. Maybe at least to somebody I know,
6:05something smaller, something a little
6:07more freer, something that gives me a
6:08little more freeway to do what I want to
6:10do.
6:11>> What's stopping you from going
6:13independent?
6:15uh the six months that it takes to start
6:17getting brokers to talk to you. I have
6:19some customers lined up that that I that
6:22I've talked to in the logistics industry
6:24part of it that that uh I could get some
6:27loads straight off the bat, but I don't
6:28know how if it would be consistent. So,
6:31that's kind of a I guess a small fear in
6:33the back of my head. I don't I don't
6:35know yet. And I still have some debt.
6:37I'd like to pay some debt down a little
6:39bit more before I jump completely into
6:41the deep end of the pool. So, I can
6:44still haul their freight and it's there.
6:45So, it's kind of a little bit of
6:47security. So, I don't know.
6:49>> Well, you're in our trucking group, so
6:51I'll give you some tips over there. Uh,
6:53and I'll keep it secret in the podcast,
6:55but I'll give you some some tips how we
6:57can bypass that faster.
6:58>> Okay. Cool. Cool. All right. Well,
6:59sounds good.
7:00>> Sounds good. So looking back, Ryan, when
7:02you when you when you think about when
7:04you started, looking back, what is it
7:06something that you think that like you
7:07wish you knew before you started or
7:11that that you told me like you felt like
7:14you weren't ready? Like is there
7:15anything that you wish you knew ahead of
7:17time or tell me about that a little bit?
7:21I don't know. If you talk to owner
7:23operators, some will feed you the the
7:27dream and they build this big mountain
7:29and [clears throat] you're thinking, "Oh
7:30man, all I got to do is buy a truck.
7:31I'll be a millionaire in a couple
7:32months, man. We'll be paid off, babe.
7:36We're you're going to quit your job.
7:37We're That ain't it. That ain't even
7:40that ain't even you." That's not even a
7:43crumb. I mean, unless you're hauling
7:44some crazy RGM loads right out the gate,
7:47you know, you just No. There's that's a
7:50dream that some people will tell you.
7:51Then you got the guys that discourage
7:53you completely. So to me, there's nobody
7:56going, "Hey,
7:57you're you can do this, but it's going
8:00to take a crap ton of work. Like, you're
8:02going to be grinding." And I didn't know
8:04that. I I really didn't know that. Six,
8:06seven months in the first go around, I
8:08was like, I don't I don't I don't see
8:10how people do this. I just pulled out. I
8:12couldn't do it.
8:14>> Yeah. No, I that's why I do what I do. I
8:17I really feel like the beginnings are
8:20hard, but again, it's it's it's in every
8:23business the it's it's more about how do
8:25you get over the hump? And I think the
8:27truck the first truck is the make it or
8:30break it uh decision and and I've seen
8:32it,
8:33>> right? Would you agree?
8:34>> If I could go back and do all of it
8:36again, like even the second time, I
8:38should have did this. I'm giving myself
8:39my own advice. I would have bought a
8:42cheaper truck,
8:43a a better base truck like a Detroit,
8:46you know, Cumins, something that every
8:49mechanic can work on, [laughter] not
8:51just specified mechanics. And I would
8:54have started a little bit cheaper. I
8:56wouldn't have thought as pretty. I'd
8:57have been I just I'd have grabbed the
8:59probably a Freight Liner Cascadia or
9:00something like that or Old Colombia or
9:02something something I could afford and
9:05not have and I didn't pay a lot for my
9:07truck, but it was still I still have a
9:09payment on it now. I I kept it I had a
9:12budget. I wanted to stay under $1,000 a
9:14month so I could at least, you know, at
9:15the very worst I can make this payment.
9:17So no matter what, I'm affordable. But
9:20man, you could I could have bought a
9:21$10,000 $11,000 truck and been paid off
9:24in a month, two months, and been making
9:26money instead of having to pay my bank
9:28back all the time. So the the least
9:30amount of debt you have, the better off
9:32you are. I feel like when when it comes
9:34to this,
9:34>> uh I agree. The only difference you have
9:36to remember is if you're buying a truck
9:38in with that price range, you you tend
9:40to spend the same amount of money into
9:42that truck to make it roadw worthy
9:44anyway.
9:44>> Very true. Very true. [clears throat]
9:45>> You know what I mean? So, so yeah, but
9:48uh do you So, you have that uh 579 and
9:52what engines in there? What
9:53transmission?
9:54>> Uh it's a 10-speed. It's a Packard.
9:56Packard. Uh EPA13.
9:59>> Cool. Okay. And looking back, would you
10:03buy that truck again?
10:06No,
10:06>> I would buy the truck with a Cumins, but
10:08not not
10:08>> with a Cumins. Yeah. Yeah. I'm gonna
10:11knock on wood. I'm gonna knock on wood.
10:13I've had minimum problems out of my
10:15pack. I've I've got friends that's got
10:18them and I hear the nightmares. I got a
10:19friend right now that he's pretty much
10:21needing an end frame. He wound up buying
10:22a different truck because that I mean
10:24packs are giving him problems. So now
10:27those are newer trucks. Both the guys I
10:29know have 2019 pack RS and they got more
10:31problems and they can't, you know, they
10:33can't tune them right. They can't do
10:34certain things to them. So, they can't
10:36get them road worthy like they need to.
10:38So, those guys have had more problems
10:40than I have. But, I mean, I've I've got
10:42my fair share of maintenance bills on
10:44this one. I've definitely I'm I'm
10:45invested almost as much as I've paid for
10:48it. [laughter] So,
10:49>> yeah. Yeah. That's I I I when we started
10:53talking about your truck, I I I I was
10:56hoping you have comments in it, but
10:57that's fine. I think how how far are you
10:59from paying it off? When when are you
11:01going to be done?
11:01>> Uh I'm halfway through. I have I have
11:03about a year and a half left. I think I
11:06owe 15 on it or something. And like I
11:08say, payments are minimum, so it's not
11:09bad. I can't You give me once the
11:11springtime comes around, I can have it
11:13knocked out.
11:14>> Good. Yeah, that's good. Then you can
11:16swap it out for something else then.
11:18Maybe maybe the motor. Pull the motor
11:20out. But I like the truck. I really like
11:22the truck. There's a guy
11:23>> 579s are awesome trucks.
11:25>> Yeah, man. There's a guy Brian Brian
11:27Forever Solid, man. He's got a black
11:29one. It's stretched out 300. I mean,
11:31it's late. Bumpers laid on the ground.
11:32I'm like, Mine might look like that one
11:35day. I was like, keep that backyard
11:37rolling.
11:39>> And the the one that you had before you
11:41had was that was a 386.
11:43>> 386. Man, it's a round nose. I mean, I
11:46I'm like dancing around the long nose
11:48Peter builds. [laughter]
11:50>> I I mean, I I get the long nose Peter
11:53builds, but I I really like the 386,
11:55man. I those trucks,
11:58>> the 386s. I had them with 12.7 Detroit.
12:01I had gliders.
12:02>> Those trucks are awesome. They
12:04>> I had the flat top version, too. I had
12:06the flat top truck, man. I should have
12:08kept that truck. I'm so mad at myself.
12:10[laughter]
12:12Yeah, that's something that uh that
12:15Yeah, that I I see why you're you're
12:17you're thinking about. Yeah, I I I would
12:20totally agree. That was definitely a
12:21good truck. All right, good. So So let's
12:23talk about the money side. Like so what
12:26are you
12:27>> as far as your like topline revenue
12:29weekly? Like where are you what are you
12:31hitting right now nowadays in the crazy
12:33market?
12:34>> Usually like lately in 4500 five grand
12:37gross usually is where I'm at. If I can
12:39do a $5,000 gross, I can bring home a
12:42pretty good, you know, pretty much the
12:45company I'm with only takes 12%. So,
12:46they're not they're not trying to take
12:48out the truck driver, you know, with it.
12:49So, I can usually bring home a couple
12:51thousand bucks, you know, to my pocket,
12:54you know.
12:54>> Yeah. So, I can That's survivable money
12:56right there when you're when you're an
12:58owner operator. A lot of these guys are
12:59like, "Man, I got to make 10 $5,000
13:01weeks, you know, net." And I'm like,
13:03>> if you can, great. That's that's a great
13:06week. But if you can't survive on $2,500
13:09a week, you probably shouldn't be in
13:11this business cuz this is a hard it's a
13:12hard business to do.
13:14>> You're you're 100% right. And and it's
13:18if the market when the market bounces
13:20back, you're going to be able to make
13:22that back.
13:23>> Oh yeah.
13:23>> Not not only make that back, but
13:26>> significantly increase your net income.
13:28So that's, you know, it's just a matter
13:30of time. Look, you've
13:32>> you Exactly. But cuz you're already so
13:34far into this recession or this this
13:36this situation that we we're in
13:39>> that all I can tell you, dude, is you're
13:41still you're still doing it. And that's
13:43that's kudos to you, man. Like it's you
13:45shouldn't
13:46>> there's so many owner ops that um had to
13:49park their trucks. And that's also a
13:50decision. I know owner apps that own
13:53their truck trucks outright. They just
13:55parked it and waiting for a better time
13:56because they were they were leased on
13:59to. And unfortunately, when you lease
14:00onto somebody, you're you're almost you
14:05don't have a choice. It's it's all
14:06dependent on how the company's
14:08operating, how much they, you know,
14:11invest or maybe focus on getting new
14:14business and getting new customers and
14:16getting better rates. that it's such a
14:18crazy market over there right now that
14:20if you were independent, you know, the
14:23the upside is better because yes, you're
14:25going to be able to probably lend better
14:27rates, but at the same time, it's like
14:29now you got to sell and sell and try to
14:31get more work. And it's just there's a
14:34different skill set, right? Like I
14:35always say,
14:37>> you have to learn your truck, you have
14:38to learn how to drive it, you have to
14:40learn mechanics around the truck, and
14:41then you have to learn how to sell and
14:43how to negotiate and all that.
14:45>> All those all those skills stack up,
14:47right? You're building and a janitor.
14:50[laughter]
14:51>> That's that's exactly how it is. That's
14:52how I that's how I felt for for 10
14:55years.
14:55>> I mean, I was in sales before this
14:57before I got into trucking. So, I and I
14:59like people. I like talking to people.
15:01So, I I I actually enjoy that side, like
15:04going out and trying to find people to
15:05work with cuz I would like to be a loyal
15:08customer to somebody or loyal, you know,
15:10for them to be my loyal customer, I
15:11guess I could say. So, I like that that
15:14relationship tactic of it. So, so I
15:16mean, I'm more of a mom and pop. Grew up
15:18old school. I grew up in a little town
15:20in East Texas. We knew everybody in
15:22town. So, so I mean that's how I feel
15:24like I still feel like the whole which
15:27I'm I guess I'm grew up old school
15:29enough to feel like the whole United
15:31States should still run that way and it
15:32just don't. It don't. Everybody's Send
15:35me an email like I'm sorry I can't talk
15:37to you through an email as good as I can
15:39face to face or on the phone. It just
15:41it's just how I feel.
15:43>> Yeah. I you almost wish uh it is crazy
15:46especially in Texas cuz I I I go there
15:48frequently and it's one of my favorite
15:50states and I just like I go there and I
15:53come back to Illinois and I'm like wow
15:55>> man you come back down here we got to go
15:56we got to get some barbecue man if you
15:58come
15:58>> Oh yeah. Where are you? What what town
16:01are you? Where are you at?
16:02>> I'm in Tyler. I'm in East Texas. So I'm
16:04I'm about uh 80 90 miles east of Dallas.
16:09>> Okay. I'm I usually stay in Austin. We
16:12got I got good friends over there that
16:14let me
16:14>> Austin's a good place.
16:15>> Yeah, Austin is a fun place
16:16>> down there. Yeah,
16:17>> it is. And I'm I'm a I'm a snowboard. I
16:20I literally just dip out in December and
16:23I come back in March or April back to
16:26Chicago because the, you know, the
16:28winter sucks here. But
16:30>> yeah. [laughter]
16:31>> Yeah. But all right. So tell me Ryan,
16:34tell me about some of some of the
16:35challenges that you remember that stuck
16:37with you that you had to come um come
16:40through and kind of that you had to face
16:43as as you've been doing your your
16:46operation,
16:47>> man. Uh buying the right equipment,
16:50looking it over really closely. Uh I
16:52bought the when I bought the flatbed, I
16:54bought it from a lady and they they they
16:56took good care of it. It's a it's a
16:57older trailer. Well, when I got it to
17:00West Texas to haul with it, all the ABS
17:03brakes, all that stuff didn't work. I
17:04had to put a whole new modular on the
17:06back of it. So, I spent 12,000 bucks on
17:08a trailer and added 5,000 right back in
17:10it. I could have just bought me a
17:11$20,000 trailer and been a lot better
17:13off. But, I'm trying to be cheap. Kind
17:16of like the whole idea of buying a
17:17cheaper truck. You're going to wind up
17:18putting stuff into it. Um,
17:22the truck was actually in really good
17:23shape. I'm when I I don't buy from like
17:26car truck lots or nothing. And I don't I
17:28don't you know some people do. I just
17:30don't trust the the car salesman of the
17:32truck world. I don't trust that. So I
17:34bought it from another owner operator.
17:37So I shopped trucks for a while looking
17:39for another 386 is what I was looking
17:41for. I just couldn't find with a good
17:43plat Cumins platform. Everybody that had
17:46them wanted 50 $60,000. I'm like man if
17:49I'm going to do that I might as well go
17:50get the long nose. And I just didn't
17:51want to didn't want to pull the trigger
17:53on that. I just want I don't want to put
17:54my family's finances in jeopardy because
17:57I bought a truck. So, I just stayed in
17:59like a 30 to $35,000 range mark just so
18:02it's kind of comfortable. And um crazy.
18:05I went to Houston, Dallas, all over
18:06looking for trucks. And this dude was 20
18:08minutes down the road. So, the truck was
18:10well taken care of. It was nice. He he
18:12barely I don't think the dude barely
18:13drove over 60 m an hour. So, truck was
18:16well well took from him and he picked it
18:18up from uh McGomery McGomery Transport.
18:21So, they haul flatbeds out of Alabama or
18:23did they got shut down. I guess they
18:25shut their business down a few months
18:27ago, but he bought it and I'm pretty
18:30sure this one was a owner operator truck
18:32like a their their lease side. I guess
18:35I've went to Peterbuilt pull all the
18:36records on it. They took good care of it
18:38from what I can understand. Look like
18:40all the records was kept up. So, so far,
18:42knock on wood, like I say, that pack car
18:44is I mean, pretty good, man. I hear good
18:46stories out of some of the guys that got
18:481.2, 1.3 out of them.
18:51It's possible for sure. I'm praying that
18:53mine gets that.
18:55>> I I think you'll get there. Have you uh
18:57checked the oil? Did you send the oil
18:59for testing? Maybe.
19:00>> I have not done that. And sometimes I'm
19:02like and I probably should, but at the
19:04same time I'm like sometimes ignorant to
19:07bliss. [laughter]
19:15>> You You gota It's I It's always better.
19:18I used to believe that, but now it's
19:20ignorant. Ignorance is is a curse
19:22actually. I think you're right.
19:24>> Especially in trucking. I think you
19:25should know if you test the oil and you
19:27pick something up, then you can make
19:29decisions on, hey, how much time do I
19:31have? Do I get out of the truck? Like
19:33you you still can
19:35>> do something. When when it catches you
19:37with your pens down, then you're then
19:39you're then you're going to end up
19:40paying a lot more money than you expect.
19:42>> Trucking industry right now, I think
19:43everybody's pants down.
19:46>> Everybody is. Yeah, you're right. You
19:48heard about the the closure of the uh 10
19:51roads. Did you hear about those guys?
19:53>> No.
19:53>> Yeah. 2400 trucks. They're shutting down
19:56by the end of January.
19:57>> Golly. I mean, at least they gave those
20:00guys a heads up in time. I think
20:02McGomery Gentry, they just McGomery
20:04Dentry. I keep saying that. It's a
20:05country. [laughter] McGomery Transport.
20:09They uh Man, I think they them dudes
20:11showed up and the gates was locked like
20:13they
20:14>> All right. So So challenges. We talked
20:15about challenges. Tell me about your CDL
20:17training. Tell me what what's what's
20:19your plan as far as the CDL training
20:20that you were talking about.
20:21>> Oh man, I [sighs] So I didn't even know
20:24I would like doing that. Honestly, the
20:26guy that I that I went and worked for
20:28doing that, he's the guy I actually got
20:30my CDO from in 2016 and um he me and him
20:35kind of always stayed in contact and he
20:37was like, "Man, I got a spot open if you
20:39want to get off the road and come help
20:41train some of these guys." I'm like,
20:42"Sure, I'll give it a hot, man. I my
20:45biggest deal was to get back home with
20:46my family. I was like, man, I'm been
20:48running the roads. Let's get home. We'll
20:50we'll figure it out. We'll do some at
20:52home stuff. Go home overnight kind of
20:54thing. So, and I'm a big workout guy, so
20:56I've been really trying to get I was
20:57trying to get back in the gym and lose
20:58some weight again. So, I was probably in
21:00the best shape of my life during that
21:01time. I started working out every day
21:03and very disciplined and staying on top
21:05of my food and I was doing it. But, um,
21:08man, I started I got over here and I
21:10just I found the love of helping guys
21:12with this. I found the helping them how
21:16to like hammer to their nail kind of
21:17thing, man. They needed something to
21:18figure it out, man. If you know, and
21:21with some of the we had some excons come
21:23through, guys, you know, second chance
21:24type guys, and it was cool to watch
21:26their eyes light up to figure out how to
21:28shift gears and, you know, learn how to
21:30drive a truck. And I was like, man, this
21:32is cool. So, once I'm in square with
21:36this business, I kind of want to grow
21:37this a little bit. Nothing major. Maybe
21:39a couple trucks, maybe. I'm a little
21:42little scared of that too, a little bit,
21:43you know, having the right driver for
21:45the truck. But but I inevitably it's
21:48another business and I'd like to I'd
21:50like to look into build building a
21:52training a CDL training type deal. And I
21:55not just getting people to pass the
21:57test, you know, that's really what those
21:58schools are, their CDL meals. I want to
22:01be able to have a place that guys can
22:02come and learn how to secure loads and,
22:05you know, learn about the business side
22:06of it and learn how what they need to
22:08do. So if they want to come back, learn
22:10how to do an owner operator, I can teach
22:12them that part, too. Kind of give them a
22:14place to fall back on if they need to.
22:18>> Well, you're you're almost doing it. You
22:20have your YouTube channel. You want to
22:22talk about that for a little bit? I I
22:24think that's a great vehicle to to do
22:26and share what you're what are you
22:27planning to do. Tell me about your
22:29YouTube channel a little bit.
22:30>> Yeah. And that was kind of the idea of
22:32starting the YouTube. I watch everybody
22:33else doing it. I've got, you know, I
22:35follow a lot of like Cam that was on
22:36here. I follow him. been following him
22:38for a long time. And I was like, why
22:40not? I got a phone. I've been I've done
22:42YouTube for custom truck stuff for a
22:44long time. I've built custom and
22:46body drop trucks and did lifted trucks.
22:49I've always filmed stuff for YouTube
22:50anyway. Never had a full platform, but I
22:53was like, man, I'm already at work every
22:54day. Why not film it? Why not show
22:56people what we're doing here? You know,
22:58give them an idea of what this job does.
23:00And, you know, if you want to just be a
23:02owner or owner operator, you can do
23:04that. matter if you want to be a company
23:05guy, you can learn from somebody that's
23:07doing it every day. And I don't I don't
23:09sugarcoat much at all. I just I give
23:12them the real deal. Hey man, you're
23:13going to hear me complain. You're going
23:15to hear me tell you about the good
23:17times. You're going to see me with my
23:18family. You're going to you're going to
23:20see all of it as much as I can anyway. I
23:22don't want to put everything out there,
23:23but I give them a, you know, get
23:24something to look at. Anyway,
23:26>> no. And you're I can tell you your
23:28YouTube channel is positive, which is
23:31what I always like to watch. Cam is
23:32positive. I I I like that positive
23:36attitude because we already touched on
23:38it. It's, you know, trucking could be
23:40very uh depressing and and negative,
23:43which it's I think it's just, you know,
23:46people are so beat up in and especially
23:48owners. I feel like in in some cases
23:50where it's just like this, you know,
23:52you're you're already wore out with the
23:56industry. You're you're you're burned
23:58out. you're you're trying to, you know,
24:01make money and it's just just keeps
24:04things just keep happening and keep
24:06happening and you're just
24:08>> frustrated all the time.
24:09>> Cool.
24:11>> Yeah, I agree, man. The positivity,
24:13>> it's hard to it's hard to find, man. You
24:15can be out here at a truck stop and see
24:17dudes that just they look like they've
24:19just been saddleborn, man. Them guys are
24:21just beat up and having a hard day. And
24:24man, I I I got I understand it. But
24:27personally myself, I can go through a
24:29bad day and still not, you know, give it
24:32to everybody that walks by. I just I
24:34internally I got peace in my life and
24:37God's been a big big foundation of my
24:40life. So, and I get it. A lot of guys
24:42don't have that and I understand like
24:44but it's it's hard to see guys going
24:47through that. I try to have sympathy
24:48with them and sometimes, you know,
24:49somebody rub you the wrong way. But
24:51[laughter]
24:52>> yeah, and sometimes it's it's just you
24:54you just can't help it. Some guys are
24:56just so, you know, I've had uh uh
25:01interactions with owner ops that, you
25:03know, they
25:05they just don't want to do it anymore.
25:06And it's it's almost it's it's almost
25:09impossible to turn it around. You you
25:11you have to take a break, you you have
25:13to either, you know, take some time off
25:16and and reassess because it is I mean,
25:18it's been not only a very hard people
25:20are building their businesses, look at
25:22look what's happening with the capacity.
25:24There's so much capacity right now on
25:26the market that
25:28>> it's companies that have been owner ops
25:30that have been in the market for 25
25:32years, for 30 years, and it's like and
25:35they're shutting down or stopping
25:36because the market doesn't make sense
25:37and it's it's difficult to deal with.
25:40But,
25:40>> you know, like like everything else, we
25:42just got to stay positive and try to
25:43make it work. And like you said, you
25:45know, stay afloat and make it make it to
25:47where you can get to the other side
25:49because there there's I think the bright
25:50side is coming. I I strongly believe
25:53that. And you got to have a plan. I
25:55think a lot of people fail at having a
25:57plan. Like my I have a plan of what I'm
26:00doing to execute this. And once I'm past
26:02that, I can grow from that plan. But
26:05while I'm in this center of this plan,
26:07while I'm working it, it's going to be
26:09hard. It's going to be the grind. You're
26:11going to have to do things you don't
26:12want to do. And you're going to But you
26:14got to create. This is where I'm going.
26:16You got to like the mission don't
26:18change. It just And because you're
26:20tired, that mission stays the same. So,
26:23you got to get up at four o'clock in the
26:24morning. You got to work until midnight.
26:26Sometimes you don't get to sleep.
26:28Sometimes you won't be home. Sometimes
26:29you got to do the thing that sucks. Just
26:32embrace it and go. But if you don't have
26:34that plan or you don't have this wall
26:36that you're going to get to eventually,
26:37you're just working. You're just going
26:39to keep working and working and working.
26:41>> And I think a lot of drivers don't have
26:43it. They're just like, I did this so I
26:44can make money and that's it.
26:47>> Yeah. True. True. there is very the
26:50higher purpose or maybe the the vision
26:52or mission for what you're doing kind of
26:54disappears after a while when you have
26:55to, you know, figure out a truck in the
26:58middle of Illinois and it's snowing and
27:00the truck broke down and you're like,
27:02"What the what am I doing?
27:03>> What am I doing? Why am I doing this?"
27:07>> But but that's just part of the game. I
27:10mean, if business was easy, everybody
27:11would be doing it, right?
27:12>> For sure. And that's that's the learning
27:14part I figured out in co man. I was I
27:17was have I was stay-at-home dad for the
27:19first eight nine months of my kids'
27:20life. And I while I was sitting there,
27:23she gave me the purpose. My kid and my
27:25wife, I love my wife and she was a big
27:27purpose driver. But my kid when she
27:29showed up, there was a switch that
27:31turned on. I've got to figure this out.
27:34Like it just period. I don't care what I
27:37got to do. I've got to figure this thing
27:39out. And I just I just started I put my
27:42put my nose down after that point.
27:44Sometimes you got to grind it out at
27:46that and I feel like that's the only way
27:48ever going to get there.
27:50>> It is important to have that that
27:53backing of your house and your spouse
27:56and your partner where you don't have to
27:58worry about what's happening at home.
28:00It's so critical. It was super important
28:02for me. I was I would be gone for months
28:04at a time when I was starting out. And
28:06you know, we started having kids. I have
28:07four kids. And and my wife would just
28:09like, "Hey, don't worry about it. You
28:11got to do what you got to do. I'm here.
28:12It's it's taken care of. It's so
28:14important
28:15>> because
28:16>> when you when you don't have that solid
28:18foundation where you can go and risk and
28:20work your butt off for your family then
28:22you're just like what you know what am I
28:25doing?
28:27>> Yeah.
28:28>> You got you got to have a found my and
28:29my wife's the same way man. I I chose a
28:31a wonder a wonderful partner. You got to
28:34choose a good partner if you're in that
28:35if you're looking for that part of your
28:37life man you got to have somebody that's
28:38willing to embrace the that chick's
28:41tougher than I am man. She's done things
28:43that just blows my mind. I could brag
28:45about her all day long, man. She's If it
28:48wasn't for her, I wouldn't be in
28:49business. Like, I just wouldn't be.
28:51Including my banker. I wouldn't be in
28:52business without him either. But
28:53[laughter]
28:54but but yeah. Well, and that's partially
28:57what I also talk about, right? It's the
28:59relationships with your nearest closest
29:02network, developing the banker
29:04relationships, de developing the agent.
29:06Yeah, I I know you're leased on to
29:08somebody, but you're going to decide to
29:09go and do, you know, be independent.
29:12You're going to have to have a good uh
29:15insurance agent that's going to help
29:17you. And and it's just to develop
29:19developing the relationship that will
29:21help you succeed in the business because
29:23I mean, you can you can't do it alone.
29:24The only thing you can do alone is I
29:26don't even know if there's any business
29:27that you can do alone other than I don't
29:30know nothing. We're a ghost writer.
29:31Maybe you can just sit down and write
29:33books for somebody and
29:34>> you can be a comic writer [laughter]
29:37>> or a comedy writer. That would be that's
29:39a
29:39>> But you also have you also rely on other
29:42people. You have to be able to you know
29:44>> got to give that comedy to somebody.
29:46[laughter]
29:46>> Yeah. Exact. Exactly. Tell me Ryan, tell
29:49me about tell me about what would you
29:52what would you tell somebody that's
29:54trying to get into trucking? like what
29:56is some what is some of your advice that
29:58you would get from your experience to a
30:01guy or girl that's trying to get into uh
30:03becoming an owner operator? Go out there
30:05and get as much experience as you can.
30:07If you want to be an owner operator,
30:09just go for it. Figure out make sure you
30:11have a budget. Have your have try to get
30:14your credit in good order. Have some
30:16money in your pocket. I think some
30:18people say 20 $30,000. That's I mean
30:20it's a lot. Um I don't know what you
30:22would be doing to get 20 grand in your
30:24pocket at this point. But if you are,
30:26I'd probably just stay at that, be
30:27honest with you. But but I would I would
30:30go
30:30>> You got to multiply the money somehow.
30:33It's just going to melt if you keep it
30:34there,
30:35>> man. Like if I can make if I could if I
30:37could have had a company job that made
30:38me where I could stack 20 grand and I
30:40might would have stayed there, man. But
30:42uh but yeah, I would I would get as much
30:44experience as possible. I I know a
30:47little bit about a little bit or a lot
30:49about a little bit. A little bit about a
30:50lot, but I don't know even all the
30:53things. And if you take a guy that went
30:56straight into flatbed and started
30:57hauling heavy loads for a guy, you could
31:00have the knowledge over you you when you
31:03have a specialty, you can have the
31:05specialty product like the RGN trailers
31:08and the heavy load stuff. When you have
31:10that on your resume, sky's the limit.
31:13Like you pull a drive around, sock,
31:15buddy, that that rates $160 a mile. It
31:17just is what it is. Like you're if you
31:19got a $2 mile drivein rate, you're doing
31:22awesome. like you're you're killing the
31:24game in drive-in world, but other than
31:25that, man, you the experience takes you
31:29wherever you want to go. And I every
31:30time anybody asked, I'm like, you need
31:32to you need to learn all the things. Cuz
31:34I didn't. I didn't learn all the things.
31:35I wish I did.
31:36>> How did So, how did you learn flatbing?
31:40>> Uh [laughter]
31:41uh monkey see monkey doof.
31:44>> Okay. So, did somebody did show you? Cuz
31:47you know,
31:47>> a little bit. So, when I So, I've been
31:50around trucking my entire life. My I'm
31:52I'm probably third or fourth generation.
31:54Uncles, grandpa's, dad. All drove
31:58primarily is why I waited till I was 30
32:00to get my CDL because I didn't want to
32:02do it. This is not what I wanted to do.
32:04Jumped in the truck. It was what it was.
32:07It was so easy. But I signed on with the
32:11flatbed company right out the gate. I
32:13knew I wasn't going to be there long,
32:15but I learned a little bit enough to go,
32:18"All right, man. I don't even want to
32:19deal with this company." So, I went and
32:21thought I was smarter and hopped in a
32:23hot hot shot truck and started hauling
32:25cars cuz I knew how to haul cars cuz
32:27I've been hauling show cars for years.
32:29We've been trailing cars and truck shows
32:31for years. So, that was easy for me. So,
32:33I hotshotted that. And I was single at
32:35the time. So, I was running the roads
32:37doing that. But, I learned a little bit
32:38at that flatbed job for like a month to
32:42kind of know my way around it. And it's
32:45securement. it if you can kind of see
32:47what's sitting on your trailer, you can
32:49kind of figure it out if you have an
32:50idea. Been around it a long enough time,
32:52I figured it out. Somebody that has zero
32:55experience with hauling anything, I
32:56wouldn't suggest would do what I did,
32:58but but I like I said, I kind of guide
33:00it a little bit. I wouldn't go out and
33:01haul a coal right off the bat, you know,
33:03but I can now. I'm not scared of it now.
33:06After hauling stuff in the oil field,
33:07I'm not too scared of anything, but but
33:09uh right off the jump, I wouldn't go out
33:11and haul that. [laughter]
33:13>> Yeah. Yeah, it is. in flat betting is I
33:16just recently talked to somebody that's
33:18doing that's going into step deck and I
33:20think niching down to something like
33:21that
33:22>> is definitely it's a harder obviously
33:24job because you have to you know it's
33:26it's just harder. I don't have to
33:28explain why, but I think that's the way
33:30to go because with
33:31>> what I think is what's coming in the US
33:33as far as the infrastructure rebuilding
33:36roads and bridges and stuff, I think
33:38that there's going to be pretty pretty
33:42decent amount of opportunity to to make
33:44good money in in in the flatbed step
33:47deck niche because that's what I'd like
33:49to typically step
33:51>> t
33:52Oh, you're you're thinking about getting
33:54a step deck.
33:55>> Yeah, I'm thinking about getting a step
33:56deck. I've always wanted one anyway
33:58because you you have I feel like you
33:59have more options with it. You can haul
34:01the same thing you can haul on your
34:03flatbed, but you can also haul things
34:05with wheels and equipment. You know, I
34:07like hauling cars and chaining down
34:09equipment. So, that was something I I
34:11enjoyed doing anyway. So, if I got into
34:13that, I could haul a lot more equipment
34:15stuff. So, I'm It's an idea. If I go to,
34:17you know, when I get out on my own, I'm
34:18most likely going to I'll I'll probably
34:20even buy another drive van. A guy once
34:23gave me a tip at Landstar. The more
34:24trailers you got, the more options you
34:26have. So, [laughter]
34:27so you know.
34:28>> Oh, true.
34:29>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean,
34:31especially when you go independent,
34:33you're even driving cuz if the drive-in
34:35market bounces back, I mean, why
34:37wouldn't you take advantage of it, you
34:39know?
34:39>> Yeah. I've got, like I said, I have a
34:40customer pretty close by that has
34:42drivein freight. Like, it's it's it's a
34:45two two5 $220 a mile load, you know.
34:48It's not bad from our area to Atlanta
34:50and back. I mean, I could be home every
34:52probably in two days. What what are some
34:54of the rates that you are seeing on
34:56flatbed right now? What are you what are
34:58you seeing out there?
34:58>> We're doing well with the company I'm
35:00with, I'm hauling primarily their
35:02freight. So, I'm doing, you know, we're
35:04doing anywhere from 250 to 290 a mile
35:07depending on what you know what we're,
35:09but we're we're first in line on the LP
35:12lumber stuff from them because we are
35:14the company that hauls for LP before
35:16they sell their loads to brokers. So,
35:19we're doing their their stuff before
35:21anybody else does. That's the good thing
35:23about this company. We're hauling their
35:25freight. We're direct with them, but we
35:27haul only their freight most of the
35:29time.
35:30>> Yeah. Yeah. Which which is risky. Tell
35:33me about who who are you? Do you you
35:35don't have to tell me exactly who, but
35:37do you do you work with a shop that's
35:38servicing your truck? Do you have like a
35:40trusted shop that you work with?
35:41>> That's a hard problem around here,
35:43finding good mechanics. I have a I have
35:45a really good mechanic in uh in Lufkin
35:47area that I've used to do mechanical
35:50stuff like more of the Packard stuff. He
35:51has the program and knows the motor. Uh
35:54there's a local Southern Tire Mart here
35:56that has that does like my basic stuff,
35:58my tires, wheels, you know, if I need
36:00for a lot of the stuff I do myself
36:02anyway. If it's, you know, air fittings,
36:04lights, you know, small stuff I can
36:05knock I could probably even do brakes. I
36:07just don't have the place to do it right
36:08now. I plan on I have a shop where I
36:11build my little cool trucks at, but it
36:12don't fit my big rig again. So, I'd have
36:14a hard time doing that one. But I could
36:16probably do some of that stuff, too. But
36:18I feel like,
36:19>> yeah,
36:19>> it's a time versus money kind of thing.
36:21If if I go work on it, it might take me
36:2410 times longer than it was just to pay
36:25the guy that could do it in a couple
36:26hours. So, did I lose revenue by doing
36:28that or should I just pay that guy? So,
36:31and I also don't mind supporting your
36:32local mom and pop businesses, too. So, I
36:35if he knows what to do, I'll drop it off
36:37of him.
36:38>> I agree. I agree with you 100%. And the
36:41the good thing about branching by
36:44yourself is you're just saving a ton of
36:45money anyway because some of the small
36:46things will you know you might end up
36:48paying five few hundred bucks to
36:50somebody else. Why? If you can pay $100
36:52money a lot out.
36:56>> Exactly. Uh perfect. Can tell me Ryan do
36:59you have any crazy story that you that
37:01happened to you driving semi-truckss? H
37:06[laughter]
37:07I mean I could go
37:10uh
37:10>> give me one that like came to your mind
37:12when I said crazy story. You probably
37:14have [clears throat]
37:15>> have something. [laughter] Yeah. Yes.
37:18Give me something. Give me something
37:20juicy. I haven't got
37:22>> I'll say this. Just don't park in West
37:24West Memphis. You'll be fine. [laughter]
37:27>> Oh yeah. Oh man. I go there. We Yeah. We
37:30have a term there, dude. I go there.
37:32It's crazy. It's crazy.
37:35>> It's crazy. I was there. I just saw uh
37:37one of the trucking companies that I saw
37:40over there that just stole all the
37:42wheels from the truck. I don't know if
37:44you there was on show social media. I
37:45was there that when that happened. So
37:47crazy.
37:48>> It's that it's uh you got some you got
37:50some mischief walking around the parking
37:52lots. Yeah, it's pretty wild over there
37:54now. I don't park there. I I slide right
37:56Memphis. I don't
37:58>> But but stop it. But what happened? Tell
38:01me what happened in West Memphis.
38:04>> Um, that time I've just witnessed stuff
38:05there. Like I've I've only witnessed
38:07stuff in West Memphis. I think the worst
38:10like craziest stuff I had was out in
38:12West Texas, man. Cuz people drive nuts
38:14out there. But as far as as far as that
38:16goes, it's it's Yeah. I mean, honestly,
38:19I don't
38:20>> details. Are you going to give me some
38:21juicy details? Details.
38:23>> Yeah, this too. I don't know. This is
38:26This is YouTube. We might We might lose
38:27your monetization over here. [laughter]
38:31Uh, no, man. Like, some of the stuff
38:33I've just witnessed, [laughter]
38:36>> I've just seen some I've seen some
38:38people hopping in and out of cabs and
38:39trucks in West Memphis. I'll put it that
38:41way.
38:42>> Oh, yeah.
38:42>> I think the worst ones when they've
38:44knocked on my door and I'm like, "Get
38:46away. Go away."
38:49>> That is Yeah. And I It's I see I see it
38:52there all the time. It's like the
38:53capital of lot lizards in Memphis. This
38:56is crazy,
38:57>> dude. Like what do y'all what? Like why?
39:00So I have a story, but it wasn't my
39:02story.
39:03>> I could tell. I don't know if you want.
39:05I It's only a hearay. So it could be a
39:07trucker lie. I don't know.
39:10[laughter]
39:11>> You're going to bleep this out.
39:14>> I want it. Get it.
39:15>> So from my understanding, there was a
39:17chick that hopped out of a truck and he
39:20this just this guy that this is the
39:22driver stuff I heard at truck driving
39:24school. And uh he said this chick hopped
39:26out of the truck and took off beer or
39:29not a beer can a Coca-Cola can popped
39:32the top and sprayed her stuff off and
39:34hopped at another truck.
39:38>> Jeez. [laughter]
39:39>> I was like, you know, and he told me he
39:41was told me it was around the Shreport
39:42area. So I was like, you know what? It's
39:45probably a plausible story.
39:49>> I believe that. I've seen some crazy
39:50stuff like that, too. I believe that. I
39:52I take it as as true. Yeah,
39:55>> probably true. Cuz that's it wasn't too
39:57farfetched. I was like, "Yeah, that
39:58you're probably right. [laughter]
40:02>> Man, things go ahead.
40:06>> My worst things I ever saw was out in
40:07West Texas is people driving nuts and
40:09acting a fool and like we gotten pretty
40:12pretty close to getting some lease road
40:14fights before guys cutting people off,
40:16but other than that, man, nothing
40:17nothing too wild. I guess
40:21>> that's good. That's good. Tell me, Ryan,
40:23tell us about your uh YouTube channel.
40:25What's the What's the channel called and
40:27where can people find you if they want
40:29to follow you? I know you're on
40:30Instagram, too.
40:31>> Yeah, Benedict Trucking on
40:33>> Benedict Trucking LLC.
40:34>> Yeah, LC. That's my YouTube. I try to I
40:38try to post two videos a week here.
40:41Lately, I've been slacking a little bit.
40:42I'll at least get one out or I'll do a
40:44whole hourong video. So, it can be can
40:46be kind of drug out sometimes, but I
40:49Yeah, I'm on everything socials,
40:51Instagram, Tik Tok, and you tell me
40:54another social, I'll add it on there,
40:55too. So,
40:57>> awesome. Ryan, thank you so much for
40:59taking the time. I appreciate you,
41:01brother. I I really do enjoy those
41:04conversations. So, thank you so much.
41:07And I'll see you on the road.
41:08>> All right.
41:09>> Thank you for listening. Join our
41:11trucking community at trucku.com. See
41:12you there.

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