Life by the Mile

The move from a beauty brand to the trucking industry was a big leap of faith for FreightWorks’ Customer Service Specialist Jasmyne Clark. Admittedly, she knew little about the trucking industry as a whole but knew that she could represent the company well and provide excellent customer service to help grow the business.

Providing amazing customer service is important if you want to retain customers and grow your business. In Jasmyne’s words, one needs to be “graceful” as one establishes relationships with loyal or new customers, provides a positive representation of the company, and especially when delivering unfortunate news when the need arises.

This passion to learn more about the business and the industry and the courage to switch to a promising industry has helped Jasmyne find not just a fulfilling career, but also grow more as a professional and an individual.

Learn about Jasmyne’s leap of faith on this new episode of Life By The Mile, delivered by FreightWorks.

DAT Freight and Analytics Principal Analyst Dean Croke is back on Life By The Mile for a thoroughly informative episode on current freight market conditions and more!

If you’re just entering the trucking industry as a new carrier, you will not want to miss this episode. Learn what opportunities are there for you today, as well as what it really costs to operate a truck in 2022, the possibility of a massive shift towards electric trucks in 2023, and what problems may arise from speed limiters.

Stay tuned as well for a sneak peek of official Life By The Mile merch that will be made available on our online store very soon!

We live in a time where teenagers are learning one or various high-income skills they can use to earn extra income or start a business. Especially in today’s digital age, you see young people getting into business, whether it’s social media management, YouTube content creation, or flipping sneakers and designer clothes, if it’s good business they’re likely to try it.

19-year-old Mikael Sant saw tremendous income potential in starting his own trucking company, and he’s now making $100,000 a month as the founder and CEO of Sant Lines.

Learn how landscaping from when he was 12 led to buying his first truck for his company in this fantastic new episode of Life By The Mile, delivered by FreightWorks.

A beautiful place to live, work and play - this vision is as clear as the Carolina blue sky for the Executive Director of the Rutherford County Tourism Development Authority, Don Cason. With over 20 years of Tourism and Economic Development experience, Don is optimistic that Rutherford County could be the go-to place to live for people who want to get out of the big cities but still live nearby.

If you’re a truck driver living in the county or nearby, can you imagine a more vibrant place with booming businesses, beautiful parks, and recreational areas, -and more work opportunities for truck drivers and owner-operators - not to mention the possibility of Highway 74 becoming an Interstate.

Listen to the possibilities and more on the new episode of Life By The Mile, delivered by FreightWorks.

It takes a lot to do this job well: quick decision-making, the ability to drive a highly sophisticated machine, the toughness to power through different weather conditions, and more.

All these and more make a professional truck driver.

Take it from Jonathan Pennington, a graduate of political science who somehow found his way to truck driving. At first, he was motivated by job security and the chance to see all states, but then he fell in love with everything else about truck driving.

The sunrises and sunsets. The clear skies and pine trees. The people he met and befriended along the way. Funny conversations over shared dinners. Life stories that inspire and experiences that leave lasting lessons. The chance to do work that matters while exploring the country.

Every truck driver has their reasons why they got into trucking. What’s yours? Share your reasons why you got into trucking and what you love the most in the comments section, as we bring you this very insightful conversation with professional truck driver Jonathan Pennington on Life By The Mile, delivered by FreightWorks.

Imagine this: you’re on the road, looking to safely make it to your destination. As you drive well within the speed limit, a vehicle comes speeding out of nowhere to cut you off. Then as you prepare to make a wide turn, another vehicle doesn’t give you as much space as you’d like, delaying you as you try and make that turn. And after sitting through heavy traffic and driving non-stop for hours, you are greeted with “what took you so long?” instead of “thank you very much for your hard work!”

This is a typical day for the average truck driver.

That’s why for driver manager Kevin Stone, it is important to BE KIND when working with truck drivers. As their 24/7 connection to everything else, Kevin wants FreightWorks’ drivers to feel that they have someone they can always call or message for anything, whether it’s a concern with their truck, a question about work, or to just talk to as they power through the long haul.

Listen to how Kevin built a strong and genuine connection with the truck drivers he manages on this new episode of Life By The Mile, delivered by FreightWorks.

It is no secret that the trucking industry has a larger older workforce compared to other industries, and this is a problem because first, it means the industry is not reaching and attracting the next generation of truck drivers that can take over when the more veteran drivers retire, and second, it means that the knowledge of veteran truck drivers, owner-operators, and even the back office is not being passed on to the next generation.

Dr. Alex Leslie, Ph.D. is a research associate at the American Transport Research Institute (ATRI), and he has been keeping a close eye on this situation. Dr. Leslie proposes a stronger emphasis on COMMUNICATION and ADDRESSING CONCERNS specific to millennials and gen z truck drivers. These include: making sure that the company culture is unique to the company and is in line with a candidate’s values, a balanced lifestyle so the company can allow a truck driver to explore their other interests, a clear company vision so that the candidate sees what the company wants to accomplish, and finally - to let a candidate know that their work makes a positive impact, that their role matters in the bigger picture.

As the next generation of truck drivers’ goals and values, evolve, so must the messaging, communication, and value proposition of trucking companies.

For the millennial and gen z truckers - tune in to Episode 103 of Life By The Mile with Dr. Alex Leslie and let us know in the comments section: what would make you want to work for a trucking company today?

Years ago, Gina Anderson was concerned when she saw how truck drivers were being trained - in dark classrooms, with TV on, and then just watching on the screen. As an educator at her core who believes that people have different learning styles, this was the start of Learn With Luma’s pivot to the transportation industry.

Learning can be face-to-face, as has been done traditionally. It can also be done virtually through micro-lessons, which Gina refers to as eNuggets. It can also be asynchronous, such as when truck drivers listen to podcasts like Life By The Mile. It can be gamified and interactive, so they learn via an application. Learning can also be collaborative, such as when truck drivers engage in a community and share knowledge from experience.

See how Luma Brighter Learning is changing the game for truck driver education on this episode of Life By The Mile, delivered by FreightWorks.

When a company’s recruiting pitch to new truck drivers goes along the lines of “We’re going to treat you with respect”, former recruiting manager-turned-videographer Paul Gibson has a problem with that. “How terrible is that job, if being treated like a person is a job perk?”

When companies say that, he wants to know WHY. He wants truck drivers to be the HERO of the pitches, and companies should provide their VALUE PROPOSITION. How can companies help provide the tools for truck drivers so they can do their job to the best of their ability?

Trucking can be a rough, thankless job, and often spent in isolation. So if a truck driver is willing to commit to you, your messaging should spell out how you are prepared to help.

Listen to Paul’s honest take on bad recruitment pitches, what changes are needed to attract millennial and gen-z drivers, and the best beef BBQ he’s ever had in a funny and informative episode of Life By The Mile, delivered by FreightWorks.

To celebrate Life By The Mile’s 100th episode, we sit with FreightWorks President Josh Farmer to talk about leadership, listening to truck drivers, and using technology to move your company forward.

Josh also emphasizes the importance of building a family culture and honoring commitments as some of the main reasons why FreightWorks has seen growth, especially with driver recruitment as of late. There are at least 15 new partner drivers in the FreightWorks family, and he’s hoping for more. Especially with around 38 more Peterbilt trucks coming to the company.

Truck drivers, company owners, and trucking enthusiasts - join us as we celebrate the 100th episode of Life By The Mile, delivered by FreightWorks.