This week marks the first episode in our four-part Reload Repeat Series.

Over the next few weeks, we’re pressing pause on new releases and replaying some of our most impactful conversations... episodes that still matter and still apply just as much today as they did when they first aired.

While these episodes run, we’re taking time behind the scenes to redefine our intro and outro, sharpen our direction, and continue building content that keeps this podcast relevant and worthy of your time.

This isn’t a pause. It’s a reload!

Today we’re replaying our all-time top episode: Episode 2 with Derek Kivi, originally released March 25, 2024.

Episode 100 of the Keep Trucking Personal marks 100 weeks of conversations, lessons, and real-world insight into what keeps trucking moving when the pressure is on. Tyler Kivi reflects on the work behind the microphone, the people and perspectives that shaped the show, and why relationships and professionalism remain at the heart of this industry.

Drawing a parallel to a Super Bowl defined by discipline and execution, Tyler connects those same principles to the freight market today. As demand begins to show signs of strength, carriers who stayed consistent, communicated early, and did the fundamentals well are starting to feel the shift. This episode explores why strong customer relationships matter more than chasing short-term spot opportunities and how protecting drivers and earning trust continues to separate the best carriers from the rest.

Tyler also shares what listeners can expect next, including a short stretch of replayed highlight episodes while the show refreshes its intro, outro, and future content. Episode 100 is a moment to pause, reflect, and reset with focus and confidence as the industry heads into its next chapter.

In this episode of the Keep Trucking Personal podcast, Tyler Kivi pulls back the curtain on what really separates successful heavy haul operations from the rest of the industry. While the massive loads, multi-axle setups, escorts, and police details grab attention, Tyler explains that heavy haul isn’t difficult because it’s flashy or oversized... it’s difficult because the margin for error is razor thin.

Drawing from real-world experience across dispatch, operations, project planning, and time behind the wheel, he breaks down why planning, discipline, and clear communication matter more than speed or horsepower. From permits and routing across multiple states to weather windows, crane schedules, and site access, one missed detail can cascade into costly delays felt most by the driver. Tyler emphasizes that the best heavy haul moves aren’t exciting at all... they’re boring, predictable, and intentional.

He also offers perspective for drivers looking to transition into heavy haul, why hiring and training matter, and why “being ready” is about mindset and preparation, not just experience. The takeaway is simple but powerful: when a heavy haul move goes exactly as planned, it isn’t luck, it’s the result of disciplined work done long before the truck ever turns a wheel. This episode reflects the standards and values behind Kivi Bros. Trucking and the belief that boring, well-communicated freight moves are the real mark of professionalism.

In Episode 98 of the Keep Trucking Personal podcast, Tyler Kivi talks through one of the toughest realities of life on the road: extreme winter weather and the ripple effects it creates for drivers. From widespread shutdowns and icy roads to lost miles, delayed paychecks, and mounting stress, this episode focuses on how snow, ice, and cold temperatures test not just your truck, but your mindset and decision-making. Tyler shares real-world perspective on preparation, communication, fuel strategy, and knowing when to shut down before conditions force your hand.

He also dives into the mental side of winter driving, including patience, professionalism, and protecting your safety, equipment, and income when so much feels out of your control. This is an honest, timely conversation about slowing down when it matters, making smart calls, and getting through the hardest part of the year without burning yourself out.

In this episode of Keep Trucking Personal, Tyler Kivi breaks down a hard truth the trucking industry has known all along. There is no silver bullet. For years, people have chased the idea that the right truck, technology, lane, or pay structure would make the job easier. Trucking has never been easy. Breakdowns happen, weather hits, and plans change. That reality has not changed.

Building on the foundation laid in the recent Meat & Potatoes of Trucking episodes, Tyler shifts the focus toward where Kivi Bros. Trucking is headed in 2026. One of the biggest evolutions is the addition of two Vice Presidents of Operations, Dakota and Michael, bringing structure, accountability, and momentum. Freight does not move on hope. It moves on execution, and leadership matters.

Tyler reinforces the company’s non-negotiables. Safety will always come first. Professionalism is expected. Accountability creates long term stability. He also shares the core philosophy driving the business forward. Relationships first, then processes, then systems. Trust comes before tools, and systems should support the work, not slow it down.

As the episode closes, Tyler sets a clear tone for the road ahead. There are no shortcuts, no gimmicks, and no easy answers. Just professionalism, focus, discipline, and hard work. These are the same principles that have carried trucking through every cycle and will continue to carry it into 2026.

In Part 2 of this two-part series, Tyler Kivi delivers a direct and honest look at the modern-day truck driver. Last week focused on the foundation trucking was built on and the values that shaped the industry. This episode brings the conversation into today and challenges drivers to take a hard look at what it really takes to succeed long-term.

This is not a highlight reel. It is a real discussion about standards, ownership, and professionalism in modern trucking. Tyler explains why trucking did not get easier, the standards just got looser. He breaks down how the people you surround yourself with influence your mindset, why professionalism still matters, and how every driver represents more than just themselves on the road.

Drawing from his own experience driving for Kivi Bros. Trucking, Tyler shares how trust creates opportunity, how daily decisions compound over time, and why commitment matters more than quick wins. He addresses job hopping, distractions, handling bad days, and the importance of treating trucking as a craft, not a hobby.

This episode is a reminder that success in trucking comes from consistency, pride in the work, and showing up the right way even when no one is watching.

In Part 1 of this two-part series, Tyler Kivi looks back at the roots of trucking through the story of his grandpa, who drove truck in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. This episode focuses on the fundamentals that shaped the industry long before GPS, cell phones, electronic logs, and modern comforts.

Trucking back then required self-sufficiency, responsibility, pride, and grit. Drivers treated the truck, the freight, and their reputation as their own. Problems were handled in the moment, integrity mattered, and professionalism was expected.

Many of the challenges drivers face today are not new. Competition, tight rates, long days, bad weather, and pressure from every direction existed decades ago too. What has changed is how those challenges are handled and the standards the industry is willing to accept.

This episode reflects on where trucking came from and why pride, ownership, and discipline still matter today. Those fundamentals built careers, earned trust, and carried the industry through hard times.

As the year comes to a close and New Year’s resolutions start to build, Tyler Kivi shares a timely message about standards, discipline, and preparation. With winter hitting hard across the Midwest, this episode is a reminder that cold weather does not care about intentions or plans. It quickly exposes shortcuts and reveals the difference between cheap effort and best effort.

Winter raises expectations. Customers still expect loads on time, families still expect drivers home safely, and equipment still demands attention. The cold does not care if you are tired or in a hurry. Tyler walks through what real preparation looks like during the toughest months of the year, from slowing down and increasing following distance to taking the time for proper pre trips and equipment checks.

This episode highlights why the standards you set right now matter. The habits built in the cold, the grind, and the hard days are the ones that carry into the year ahead. Being prepared and disciplined may not be flashy, but it is professional, consistent, and trusted.

As the new year approaches, Tyler challenges drivers to raise their standards, stay prepared, and make decisions that get them home safely every time. That is how winter becomes manageable and how the year starts the right way.

Happy New Year from Tyler and the Keep Trucking Personal podcast.

In this special, no-agenda Christmas episode of the Keep Trucking Personal podcast, Tyler Kivi slows things down and speaks straight from the heart.

With Christmas just days away, Tyler shares a message for anyone on the road, or at home, who may be feeling joyful, heavy, tired, grateful, or uncertain. He reflects on the true Christmas story: a real moment in history, rooted in humility, love, and showing up without having everything figured out.

This episode isn’t about trucking strategy or lessons behind the wheel. It’s about presence. It’s about remembering that you don’t have to have it all together, that you’re not walking alone, and that love and grace meet people exactly where they are.

From the team at Kivi Bros. Trucking, Tyler offers gratitude to drivers and families for the sacrifices they make every day, and a reminder that hope, light, and love don’t wait for permission.

In this episode of the Keep Trucking Personal podcast, Tyler Kivi speaks directly to the drivers, carriers, and industry professionals who didn’t tune out when the work got uncomfortable. This is a conversation about real hard work, not the highlight-reel version, but the kind that reveals who is built for the long haul and who was only here for the easy stretch.

Tyler breaks down what’s happening in the freight market right now, including a rising truckload rejection index and what tightening capacity could mean for carriers heading into the end of the year and into 2026. He shares why, despite positive signals, strong demand is still the missing ingredient, and why service, professionalism, and relationships continue to be the true differentiators at Kivi Bros. Trucking and across the industry.

The episode also touches on compliance changes, English language proficiency enforcement, winter conditions, and how these factors are reshaping capacity and carrier operations. Tyler reflects on the collective pressure felt across the industry during the holiday season, from drivers and dispatchers to leadership and shippers, and reminds listeners that feeling stretched doesn’t mean you’re behind.

Tying the conversation to preparation rather than perfection, Tyler shares a reflection rooted in faith, emphasizing that preparation often goes unnoticed but gives pressure its purpose. This episode is an acknowledgment of the weight the industry carries and a reminder that showing up, even under pressure, matters.