On today’s drive home, I’m talking about being a first-generation college student, teaching at a rural university, and how college exposes us to people and ideas outside our bubble.

Higher education isn’t about “liberal factories” — it’s often just the first time we step outside our echo chambers and meet people who see the world differently. That kind of exposure builds empathy, not indoctrination.

Just a regular guy reflecting on social capital, small towns, political divides, and why listening to each other still matters.

No scripts. No lectures. Just real talk in a truck.

Politicians keep saying the economy is “doing great.” But if you’re living paycheck to paycheck, it doesn’t feel that way.

On today’s drive home, I talk about inflation, the cost of living, and why the stock market isn’t the same as the real economy. For the wealthy, things look amazing. For the rest of us, groceries, housing, and healthcare just keep getting harder to afford.

Just one regular guy breaking down what the numbers look like from the driver’s seat — not Wall Street.

No scripts. No spin. Just real life in a truck.

On today’s drive home, I’m talking trickle-down economics, wealth inequality, and why the middle class keeps falling behind.

After 40 years of tax cuts for the rich, nothing’s really “trickled down.” So what if we flipped it? Think Mario Kart economics — give the boosts to the people in last place, not the ones already winning.

Just a regular guy, paycheck to paycheck, trying to make sense of taxes, housing costs, and why the richest country in the world still feels so hard to live in.

No scripts. No jargon. Just real talk from a guy in a truck.

On today’s drive home, I’m thinking about empathy, tribalism, and why we feel so divided lately.

From road rage to social media to politics and immigration, it’s easy to stop seeing people as people and start seeing “us vs. them.” And when empathy disappears, everything gets meaner — and more broken.

Just one regular guy talking through how we slow down, listen better, and remember there’s a human being on the other side.

No scripts. No shouting. Just real thoughts from a guy in a truck.

Today’s drive home gets heavier than planned. After a recent ICE shooting, I’m thinking about law enforcement, racism, and what “white privilege” really means from my own life as a straight white guy.

We talk policing, immigration enforcement, gun culture, and why we should expect more accountability from the people sworn to protect us — not make safe places more dangerous.

No scripts. No politics-as-usual spin. Just an honest conversation from a guy in a truck trying to make sense of it all.

Five years after January 6th, I’m remembering where I was when the Capitol was stormed — and trying to process how we went from calling it an insurrection to pretending it never happened.

On today’s drive home, I talk about the Capitol riot, Trump’s pardons, “law and order,” and how constant lies and gaslighting make it hard to trust the people running our government.

No spin. No scripts. Just an everyday guy in a truck trying to make sense of democracy, truth, and what it means for regular Americans.

On today’s drive home, I’m trying to process the news out of Venezuela — Maduro, Trump, and the U.S. getting involved overseas again.

As just a regular guy (not a foreign policy expert), it feels a lot like Iraq and Libya all over again: regime change, oil, and politicians making big decisions that regular families end up paying for.

We talk America First, war powers, democracy, and why it’s so frustrating watching everyday Americans struggle while billionaires and politicians play global chess.

No scripts. No spin. Just one guy in a truck thinking it through.

Welcome to Just a Guy in a Truck. I’m a wildlife biologist, dad, and regular guy recording daily thoughts on my drive home — talking politics, science, the cost of living, and how everyday Americans make sense of a complicated world.

From growing up conservative to thinking more independently, this show is about changing your mind, following the evidence, and figuring life out in real time.

No scripts. No pundit takes. Just an honest perspective from the driver’s seat.