Life by the Mile

Chris Gonzalez has been around the block in almost all aspects of the trucking industry - he was a lumper before he joined the military, became a bilingual fleet manager, freight agent, brokerage manager, and now Clean Harbor’s Driver Recruitment Engagement Manager. With the industry looking highs and lows, Chris wants the trucking industry to shape up while enjoying the ups, so that they’ll be ready for any downs.

From driver retention, business longevity, and knowing your company’s cost-per-mile, Chris sits down with Life By The Mile in a heartfelt, highly informative, and entertaining conversation about his passion for the trucking industry - in his words; “Once trucking gets in your blood, it never leaves.”.

There was a time when truck drivers were also called “Knights of the Road”, honor-bound to carry America’s economy, deliver every single day, and help out drivers-in-distress when needed. Truck driving remains to be a noble job that allows one to enjoy the freedom of living life on the open road.

When Women In Trucking was founded in 2007, only 3% of America’s truck drivers were women. It has since grown to 10% in 2020, and they hope to encourage more. In medieval times, there was no female counterpart to Knights: the Women In Trucking Association is looking to change that today, as they work to have more women become part of the noble family of the open road - no need for Lordship or Patents of Nobility. Follow the rules. Respect your fellow drivers, men and women. Deliver excellence.

Kellylynn McLaughlin of the Women In Trucking Association speaks to Life By The Mile about the doors that could open for women who consider a career in the trucking industry - as truck drivers, operations, and eventually owning their own truck company.

A long time ago, there were no alternatives to how to weigh your truck and trailer. Finding truck scales can be a tedious process that can waste a very precious commodity that we can never make back - TIME.

While these are all necessary steps to make sure that drivers and their trucks remain safe while on the road imagine the time spent on this process:

Drive truck to the scale

Get out of the truck

Proceed to the truck stop

Wait in line

Pay for the service

Go back to the scale

Get the truck weighed

Go back to the truck stop for the receipt

This is what Heather DeBaillie of CAT Scale Company wants to address with the WEIGH MY TRUCK APP - where you can pay for your transaction and get a weight ticket- all without leaving the cab of your truck. More than convenience for the driver, the time spent by streamlining the payment process can allow for faster time to get back on the road and deliver excellence.

Life By The Mile talked to Heather about the Weigh My Truck app, CAT Scale Company’s other efforts for trucking, and many things in between on this episode..

What do companies need to do to become one of the best trucking companies to work for?

Whether it’s adapting to new technology or streamlining application processes, trucking companies in 2022 are moving forward and looking to implement solutions to challenges and problems so that they can grow as a company, have the best drivers in their families, and improve retention rate as we roll through the year.

While technological solutions are being utilized, the heart of trucking still beats to a familiar cadence - Respect. Family Time. Good Pay. All of which are addressed through genuine human connection. This is what DriverReach stands for - addressing challenges and solutions of the lifeblood of the trucking industry and making sure both drivers and their companies are put in the best positions to deliver when it matters the most: EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

Life By The Mile engages DriverReach’s Wendy Bartz in a heartfelt conversation about gratefulness for America’s truck drivers, moving stories about women in the trucking industry, and the challenge of solving problems so truck drivers find what they always want - to fit in with the best trucking company to work for, according to their needs.

Aside from navigating through industry trends, the transportation and logistics industry is working hard to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help combat climate change. In the next few years, the American Petroleum Institute is looking at significant improvements especially concerning the trucking industry with the development of new diesel engine oils.

The new category of engine oils will not only be more environmentally friendly but also will provide groundbreaking improvements in terms of engine care and performance, according to API senior manager Jeffrey Harmening.

Life By The Mile sits down with Jeffrey to talk about the outlook of new oils under development and the international market.

Imagine driving a truck in a world with better fuel economy - more work done for less cost, and a lot of time saved. That’s the future that the North American Council for Freight Efficiency envisions in the future. For NACFE, there are many ways to achieve better freight efficiency that truck companies should be looking at right now, and that is at the heart of their advocacy.

NACFE Executive Director Mike Roeth joins Life By The Mile to talk about the latest studies in achieving better fuel economy for trucks, including the latest feedback on electric semi-trucks, as NACFE continues to champion the use of the latest technology for the industry to thrive as it drives into the future.

How can trucking companies reach out to the next generation of drivers?

It is important for every company to entice more young talent to start their careers in the trucking industry. There are many career opportunities in the trucking industry, and the challenge is to present these to young people in a way that is aspirational, enticing, challenging, and fulfilling.

Here’s where the Next Generation in Trucking Association steps in to help, as they promote trucking as a positive, fulfilling, and rewarding career for young people. NGA President and Co-founder Lindsey Trent sits down with Life By The Mile to discuss how they are helping create more CDL driver and diesel tech programs around the United States, educating parents, teachers, and school counselors about the benefits and opportunities in trucking, and foster community for young people in trucking.

Earn well, see the world, and make new friends that become family. For NGA, FreightWorks, and Life By The Mile, this sounds like an opportunity of a lifetime we’d like to share with the world.

When drivers look for the best truck companies to work for, they consider more than just the highest paying truck companies or the promise of more home time. And when recruiters find the particular deep why, or a set of specific needs their company can supply, they find that their new driver-partners go the extra mile just because they as a company were willing to do the same.

Forward Air’s Director for Talent Marketing and OTR Development Rachel Gilbert sits down with Life By The Mile to share how genuine connections make a big difference in having new driver-partners - how drivers look for companies who share their values, who make an effort to connect with them, and more importantly, companies who are true to their word.

For truck drivers tuned in - can you share what you found in your current company that ultimately helped you decide to make the company your new home? Leave a comment below to join our conversation.

Kaylee Nix is one of FreightWaves’ most outstanding voices - she is the lead anchor and producer of FREIGHTWAVES NOW, a daily 2-hour news program, as well as the host of At Your Doorstep. And what better way to get a pulse on the latest in the industry than by attending the TIA 2022 conference.

Life By The Mile got to catch up with Kaylee and FreightWorks’ own Jordan Kidd, who also attended TIA 2022, to get an update on what issues are being discussed, what solutions to current industry challenges are being presented, the latest in tech trends, and all the other conversations.

What topics would you like to learn about at the next TIA Conference? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

Freight Tech nerd, FreightWaves writer and podcaster Grace Sharkey is passion personified. She believes that adapting to technological advancements in the industry can positively impact the experience for everyone in the supply chain - the one industry that she believes affects everyone. Through her two podcasts on FreightWaves, and with her upcoming show on SiriusXM, Grace wants to create and share content to help other people gain a better understanding of the supply chain, an appreciation for the latest freight tech, and anything worth sharing.

Life By The Mile is delivered by FreightWorks.