The Trucking Entrepreneurs Podcast – Détails, épisodes et analyse

We are closing shop on our podcast completely officially November 1st.  In addition, our magazine will be closing also, with no new publications, but the website will still be available to view until January 1st, 2023.

In this episode, Ashley Thomas, Chief Executive Officer of Supreme Driver Recruiting, joins the show.  She is an inspirational and nationally renown motivational speaker who specializes in transportation recruitment for both businesses and individuals alike. Her story of overcoming adversity through hard work and determination has allowed her to become one of America's success stories. With books such as Divorcing the Game: My Journey from the Stripper Pole to Owning a Million-Dollar Trucking Business, she shares her personal journey with listeners all over the world. Today, Ashley talks about how driver recruiting works, what it means to persevere in the face of adversity, and how to put your trust in God in everything you do.

Website: https://supremedriverrecruiting.com/

About the Guest

[05:28]

Ashley formerly worked at a home security company and sold home security before entering the trucking industry. She was about the hustle and left her house when she was 13. When she was working at a call center, a friend encouraged her to pursue a career in the trucking sector.

[07:58]

Ashley is also an author and motivational speaker who gives speeches on various tour stops. Her mission is to give back to organizations, inspire others, and make a difference in people's lives.

Starting a Business

[12:08]

When beginning a business, Ashley wants her audience to understand that "disruption follows intention." However, she encourages individuals not to give up because failure is a part of the business path.

[18:51]

Ashley encountered difficulties while working in a call center. She acquired COVID and was forced to fire all her employees because their system was no longer operational. Even though it was the most difficult time of her life, she did not give up.

Supreme Driver Recruiting

[21:58]

Her company provides various services, including one-time driver recruiting, which assists carriers in hiring a local driver, regional driver, over-the-road driver, or specialty driver. They also provide access to driver names as well as a coaching program.

Truck Driver Recruiting Advice

[24:22]

According to Ashley, truck driver recruiting is a hidden market. This industry is worthwhile with a little coaching.

[28:14]

Ashley advises people struggling with a so-called driver shortage: accept automation or embrace technology and exploit it to your advantage.

Feedbacks

[30:50]

It is not always bad for people to look in the mirror and tell themselves that they did a good job. But no matter what she achieves in life, Ashley constantly prays to God to remind her to be humble, no matter where she is or what she achieves.

Biggest Success

[35:57]

Ashley went to church, and the pastor said God would give somebody a vision and a dream. With a piece of paper and pen beside her as she went to sleep on her second night, God showed her how to start a successful virtual assistant.

In this episode, Bruce Outridge of The Lead Pedal Podcast joins the show. Bruce has been in the industry for over 30 years and offers business advice, interviews, and career information to help new and existing truck drivers improve their careers in transportation. He started his podcast because he wanted features such as interviews with industry experts, featured music, career information, and business tips. Today, Bruce discusses some aspects of his personal life, how he got started in the industry, and what the lead pedal podcast is about and more.

Website: https://www.theleadpedalpodcast.com/

Media Entrepreneur

Producer of the Lead Pedal Podcast

In this episode, Demetrius Martin of 250 Logistics joins the show. Demetrius started the company by himself, with just one truck. He decided to expand because he wanted to create a system that could provide his family with a little bit more financial stability and create a future for his children. He eventually started to span the trucks with his twin sister Leticia Martin and was able to grow the company from one truck to over 20 now. Today, Demetrius discusses his start in the truck business and his struggles, the goings-on within the company, and advice on important things related to trucking.

Website: https://www.250logistics.com/

CEO

My name is Demetrius Martin Owner of “250 Logistics” a transportation company out of Greenville, SC. After finishing trucking school I landed a position at a local sanitation company making only $500 a week. Soon realizing that would not provide enough financial stability for my family, I took a leap of Faith and invested 12k (borrowed & Saved Funds) into myself. In just 4 short years I turned 250 Logistics LLC from 1 owner-operator Semi-Truck grossing 8k a week to a Fleet 20 Units grossing over 100k weekly. 250 Logistics LLC is now a multi million dollar Family business. Now my focus is on expanding the 250 brand. Me & my team have created a platform to teach aspiring entrepreneurs how to start and grow their transportation business. 250 Academy is able to catapult your business to the next level with or without owning a truck.

In this episode, Jason Clark of Braveheart Logistics joins the show. Jason Clark is the co-founder and CEO of Braveheart Logistics. He is a seasoned entrepreneur with extensive experience in logistics, supply chain management, and business growth. He has brought together two seemingly different fields: business and transportation, thanks to his experience as a successful entrepreneur and his work in the field of logistics. Today, Jason discusses trucking, including how he found his company, how the people around him helped him succeed, and how to be successful in this industry.

Website: https://www.braveheartlogistics.com/

In this episode, our guest is Rachel Miller. She is the recruiting manager at Impact Recruiting Center, a trucking recruitment agency that helps drivers find jobs that match their lifestyles while assisting companies in filling positions with top-notch drivers. Today, Rachel shares all about the company and how they help both drivers and their partners get work opportunities.

Website: https://impactrc.net/

Recruiting Manager

Impact RC started working in early 2020, we are proud to say that we started as a small team and worked hard and unique. Now we count more than 20 members in our team and we are still expanding it.
Also the thing that we are the most proud of is that we have hired more than 450 drivers, and that most of those drivers are still working with the companies that we connected them with. We are currently cooperating with more than 50 good and reliable companies but that number is increasing.
We are connecting quality drivers with equal companies. First we want to know exactly what drivers are looking for so we can connect them with the right company for them. Our drivers are so valued and well taken care of. We only work with great companies who can provide the best programs for our drivers. That as well means that we are always here for them, to help them with any kind of problems that they might face.
Our main goal is to have both pirates satisfied, because as we like to say happy driver - happy company.

In this episode, Wade Fenton and Jonathan McCormack of OTR Solutions join today’s show. OTR Solutions has been working with small, medium, and large companies in various industries to solve cash flow problems by providing quick, easy, and affordable funding. Today, Wade and Jonathan discuss the factors that influence a company that needs Factoring Services and how they help to have more cash on hand, enabling you to take advantage of more opportunities, leading to sustained growth potential!  Sit back and enjoy this very informational interview!

Website: https://otrsolutions.com/

Wade - Inside Sales Coordinator & Jonathan - Vice President of Partnerships

OTR Solutions provides industry-leading technology and financial services, tools, and support to
help carriers and brokers start and grow a successful operation. Trucking companies and freight
brokerages of all sizes turn to OTR to receive reliable financing and back-office solutions, a
dedicated fuel team, up-to-date news and education, and technology and innovation to
prepare them for anything and everything. As a testament to its growth, OTR has been named
in the Inc. 5000 multiple years in a row and strives to improve the work experience for its
employees as a Top Workplace in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 as named by the
Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Founded in 2011 (OTR Capital, LLC) as a financial services and factoring provider dedicated to
improving cash flow for motor carriers, the recent launch of the OTR Solutions brand better
defines what carriers, brokers, and industry partners have come to expect from the company —
and what they can continue to expect for years to come. Along with the new brand, OTR
Solutions is offering several new services to the trucking industry, including ELEVATE, a first-to-
market solution that delivers value through branded email domains and customized websites
for carriers.
Included among the services that OTR is launching to expand its menu of services concurrent
with today’s name change are the following:
An expansion of OTR’s “Bolt” product to allow carriers to receive “direct to debit”
payments in a timely and cost-effective manner;
A “driver safety rating scorecard” tool that will allow carriers to monitor their FMCSA
scores to ensure that a surprise inspection doesn’t take them off the road;
An “OTR Solutions Forum” where carriers can trade notes best practices with their
industry colleagues, identify opportunities, and find new ideas for growing the success
of their business;
Expanded availability of OTR’s fuel advance app to allow carriers to receive advance
financing in today’s high fuel cost environment; and
The $9 Lumper Advance, which for a low and flat fee of $9 will provide advance
financing of lumper fees.
In the coming months and years, OTR will be expanding its menu of additional services in its
continuing quest to help carriers and brokers succeed.

In this episode, John Farquhar joins the show. He is a risk solutions specialist. He had a very long career of 30-plus years in the transportation and insurance industries. Due to his experiences on both sides of the desk, he was able to start his own company conducting comprehensive risk evaluations. He can help his clients develop, improve, and enhance their risk management programs and practices. Today, John discusses his experiences in the transportation industry and his big-time experiences in the insurance industry. All of this culminated in the eventual formation of his current company, Summit Risk Solutions, Inc.  Sit back, relax, and enjoy!

Website: http://www.summitrisksolutions.ca/

Risk Solutions Specialist

John has had an extensive and extraordinary career in the transportation and insurance industries over the past 30-plus years. He has seen many changes on both sides of the desk, which gave him the opportunity to start his own company conducting comprehensive risk evaluations. This hands-on assistance to clients will help them in developing, improving and enhancing their risk management programs and practices.

John started his career in the 80s as a driver, before making the first big step of owning his own truck. He eventually owned several trucks and managed the safety of their drivers and equipment. He then took on the adventure of owning his own company, which specialized in over-dimensional cargo on open-deck trailers throughout North America.

In 2003 John stepped out of the trucking owner role and moved over to risk management, providing consulting services for several trucking clients. It was not long before he was recruited by a global insurer, where he helped to strengthen risk services training programs and risk evaluation processes. He managed a team of highly qualified risk specialists across Canada, along with a national portfolio of transportation clients.

In 2013 John was offered the opportunity of a lifetime: to work with a long-time and well-known Canadian insurer in developing and building a unique and specialized transportation product from the ground up. John was instrumental in developing and delivering the customized and comprehensive risk evaluation process. He was also responsible for recruiting, mentoring and leading an elite team of risk solutions specialists that conducted the comprehensive risk evaluations. John and his team were tasked with developing unique client support tools for tracking and analyzing violations, losses and trends, as well as creating a one-of-a-kind mentoring and training curriculum for client staff and drivers.

This new chapter in John's career sees him continuing to share his knowledge and expertise with transportation companies to enhance and improve their risk management programs and practices.

In this episode, our guest is Chris Harris. Chris is a highly experienced, sophisticated Safety Professional. He is well versed in the needs of trucking safety and compliance departments. Expert in recruiting, interviewing, and driver training. With his years of loss control for a trucking insurance company, he can best prepare a risk analysis report which results in an easy-to-follow and executable action plan. In 2013, he started Safety Dawg as a part-time source of income. In 2015 the company had grown, and Chris made it his full-time passion. In the same year, the company became incorporated. Chris talks with us today to share his journey on trucking safety and more. Sit back, relax, and enjoy!

Website: https://safetydawg.com/

Safety Dawg

We provide Action Plans that help your trucking company achieve reduced crash rated, improved insurance rates and facilitate your ability to feel well-prepared to pass an MTO Facility Audit through this comprehensive plan.

Accidents are reduced by effective hiring and strategic driver online training. This is our area of expertise!

We also assist entrepreneurs who are ready to start up their own trucking company, beginning with helping them with everything they need to know about obtaining CVOR and trucking permits. Safety Dawg can help. Whether it be the need for a Safety Department or to develop hiring and on-boarding policies and procedures, we have you covered.

In this episode, Saundra Covington joins the show. Saundra wrote the book “The Truck Driver’s Wife: Holding Down the Home Front,” where she highlights her and her husband's struggles and how they overcame them. Today, Saundra tells us about her life experiences, how they changed her for the better, and how her husband and family helped her through them.  

Website: https://linktr.ee/truckdriverwife

The Truck Drivers Wife Holding Down The Home Front

Home town Fresno, Ca Moved to So California early teens, High School Graduate Centennial High School Compton Ca. And Some College.

I am the wife of an Over The Road Driver, we have been married to the over 16 years. I have written a book entitled “The Truck Drivers Wife Holding Down the Home Front” that is a collection of shared experiences, challenges, and rewards that I have encountered being married in this Industry.
I wanted to share my experiences being the Wife of a Over The Road Driver. Our world in this industry is not the norm, adjusting unexpected occurrences, and staying together thru devastating losses.