Drive

Life on the road is often a mystery to those who don’t experience it themselves. Our guest on this episode of Drive has one major goal in mind - to bridge the gap between truckers and four-wheelers.

Multitalented author, musician, and radio host Meredith Ochs shares her unexpected journey to hosting SiriusXM’s trucking show, Freewheelin’, uncovering the wild and inspiring stories of professional drivers.

Listen in as Meredith and Zach discuss:

[4:31] How Freewheelin’ got its start

[14:21] The purpose of the Freewheelin’ show 

[17:06] The development of AI and its potential to affect drivers

Resources

• Connect with Meredith on LinkedIn

• Connect with Meredith on Instagram

• Meredith’s Website

• Aretha: The Queen of Soul - A Life in Photographs

• Rock-and-Roll Woman: The 50 Fiercest Female Rockers

• Bruce Springsteen: An Illustrated Biography

Justin Lazerte has made it his mission to celebrate trade work and blue-collar workers. As co-founder of Troll Co. Clothing, Five Nine Whiskey, and Welder Nation, he purposefully built brands that are authentic and resonate deeply with blue-collar communities.

In this episode, Zac is joined by Justin to discuss his background as a tradesman on an oil rig, his journey into entrepreneurship and the brands he’s built for this oftentimes underrepresented community. Listen in for more on pursuing what you love, despite today.

Tune in to learn:

[02:58] Why it’s important to do what you love instead of being forced to do what you don’t

[09:47] Why blue-collar jobs are crucial to keep the environment running

[15:31] What it takes to start a business and persevere

Resources:

• Connect with Justin
• Five Nine Whiskey website
• Troll Co. Clothing website
• Welder Nation website
• Follow Troll Co. Clothing on Instagram
• Follow Troll Co. Clothing on TikTok

As a driver, you are an integral part of a team. If that team has a toxic culture, everyone feels it and is affected by it.

In this episode, Zac talks to Kate Volman, CEO of Floyd Coaching, a life coaching company with a focus on building dynamic cultures and empowering workers to pursue their dreams through their work. She shares her thoughts on what a good culture looks like, how Dream Managers can help drivers work towards their purpose, and what to look for in a company culture when a new opportunity is on the horizon.

Tune in to learn:

[02:42] What are the benefits of having a dream manager program in your organization?

[17:04] How can leaders create a culture where their team members feel supported and valued?

[24:58] How does a leader ensure that they are hiring the right people for their team?

Resources:

• Kate’s LinkedIn
• Kate Volman’s book - Do What You Love: A Guide to Living Your Creative Life Without Leaving Your Job
• The Dream Manager Program
• Floyd Coaching

You know better than anyone that life on the road isn’t as easy as it sounds. There are rules, regulations, unexpected occurrences, constant changes in the economy…

After hearing his brother's success stories, Steven Wilbanks traded in his government job for a life of truck driving. In this episode, he shares his journey of transitioning to this job, the challenges and inconsistencies he faces, and how he plans on using this industry to create more freedom and income.

Tune in to learn:

[2:30] When and why Steven transferred over to the trucking industry

[13:17] The importance of paying attention to the economy

[22:15] The ultimate freedom that trucking gives you

Connect with Skye Lynn Truckin on Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/people/Skye-Lynn-Truckin-LLC/100076562225905/

In this replay episode...

Sticking to your budget and staying true to your financial goals is a lot like dieting. When you’re good about your diet all week and reward yourself with a piece of cheesecake, you blow all the progress you’ve made. It’s the same thing with money. So where do you start to build good financial habits?  

Damian Dunn is the Vice President of Advice at Your Money Line Powered by Pete the Planner®. In this episode, he shares steps you can take to get a hold of your finances and create stability for your future. In the end, it’s not about immediately putting away 40% of your paycheck. It’s about getting organized with your bills, setting realistic goals, and sticking to the small steps you’ve identified. It’s never too late to start saving, but habits take time to build, so you might as well start now. Listen in to find out how.

Resources:

• Watch the Pete the Planner show on YouTube or Facebook on Friday’s at 10am
• Your Money Line
• Heymoney

Finding ways to improve your life can be overwhelming if you don’t know where to start. David Gregory makes it simple with ‘The Life Wheel’ - a tool that he uses to break down aspects of his life into equal segments to see where he is thriving and pinpoint the areas in which he could improve upon.

David is the Head of Partnerships at PeopleForward Network, and is the co-host of the podcast, ‘Addicted to Betterment,’ alongside his wife, Nikki.

“You’ve got one shot - are you gonna capture it?”

Tune in to learn:

[4:30] Defining The Life Wheel

[13:23] Practices that David implements to “win the day”

[17:04] Self-reflective thoughts and the importance of affirmations

Resources:

David’s Podcast: Addicted to Betterment https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/addicted-to-betterment/id1655024679

Lara Heimann, physical therapist, yoga teacher, and wellness coach, shares how to work movement into your day to reduce aches, pains, and fatigue. Even when you’re limited on space or time (AKA behind the wheel), Laura has tips on how you can still incorporate movement into your life.

"You don't have to step out of the truck and do 20 minutes of movement. You can do a few things that help to soften that neural tension that makes your body feel really tight."

Lara is the creator of the LYT Yoga method, which is a form of yoga that is purpose-built for every level of movement. In this episode, you’ll learn:

[4:00] The importance of movement for overall health and well-being

[9:30] How the brain is involved in movement

[22:00] The benefits of yoga for improving movement habits

Resources:

Laura's Podcast - Redefining Yoga: https://lytyoga.com/blog/category/podcasts/

LYT yoga: https://lytyoga.com/

From behind the wheel, getting involved with causes you care about can be hard when you’re on the road so much. How do you do that? What opportunities are there? That’s why Laura Cyrus of Truckers Against Trafficking is joining us on this episode of Drive.

Laura is the Senior Director of Industry Training and Outreach. After learning about human trafficking early on in college, she felt called to work in this field. Now, she helps educate and equip truckers on spotting the signs of human trafficking to help prevent crime and ultimately save lives. Listen in to hear:

[1:00] How Laura got into this field + what Truckers Against Trafficking does

[9:00] The signs truckers can look for on their routes to help prevent trafficking

[20:00] TAT’s (easy) training program for truckers who want to support this cause

[25:00] How truckers can get involved with TAT

Resources:

Truckers Against Trafficking podcast: https://truckersagainsttrafficking.org/drivingfreedompodcast/

Truckers Against Trafficking app: https://truckersagainsttrafficking.org/app/

National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-3737-888

Learn more at https://truckersagainsttrafficking.org/

Drive is back for season 3! Our goal is to create a show that can not only keep you company while you're out on the road, but also make your life better.

To kick off this season, we’re starting with the Drive guys and a fireside chat. Aaron Robertson and Heath Melton (founders of HandledNow) join host Zac Elsts to cover the industry’s latest news and offer time-tested advice to new CDL drivers. Here’s what the guys break down on this episode:

[01:00] Hurricane Ian and its lasting impact on the industry

[03:00] California Owner Operators—a discussion on the recent AB-5 bill

[11:00] What is the responsibility of irresponsible drivers on the road? Heath shares his own scary close call

[21:00] Autonomous driving for long hauls—the guys discuss the pros and cons

[46:00] The importance of taking care of drivers’ mental health

Make sure you subscribe so don’t miss an episode this season—there are some great guests coming up.

With gas prices through the roof and lots of talk on the future of the economy, it’s difficult for truckers to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Zac Elsts's teammates, Aaron Robertson and Heath Melton, join to cover the industry’s latest trends and offer time-tested advice to new CDL drivers. Tune into this episode of Drive to learn how to best navigate the current culture.

Like the fireside chat format? Shoot the team an email and let us know your thoughts!

Keep Drive a part of your weekly routine with some of our favorite past episodes:

- Conscious Habits for Change on the Highway with Heath Melton

- Mental Fitness on the Road with Kevin Bailey

- Gender Diversity and Trucking Misconceptions with Ellen Voie

- BONUS: Make-A-Wish Mother’s Day Convoy

- Investing from Behind the Wheel with Crypto Y’all