Women in Trucking: Stephanie Evans, Pro Driver

1 00:00:00,920 --> 00:00:06,680 Picture this. It's the middle of winter. It's dark outside. You're traveling down a lonely two lane 2 00:00:06,680 --> 00:00:13,520 road. And you notice something strange off to the side. Headlights. Not on the road, not 3 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:20,440 on the shoulder. Down in a ditch. You stop to investigate. And you find a car that's gone off 4 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:26,880 the road, down into a ravine and into freezing cold water. There's somebody inside. The water is 5 00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:33,080 rising around the vehicle and that person is desperately trying to get out. What do you do? 6 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:38,520 Well, for Stephanie Evans, that wasn't a hypothetical question. It was just another morning 7 00:00:38,520 --> 00:00:43,560 on the job. Before it was over, Stephanie would find herself waist deep in freezing water trying 8 00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:50,480 to help a complete stranger escape a potentially deadly situation. But here's the thing that's not 9 00:00:50,480 --> 00:00:55,440 even the most remarkable part of Stephanie's story, because this is a woman who didn't get her 10 00:00:55,440 --> 00:01:01,780 driver's license until she was 36. A woman who couldn't believe she'd passed her CDL test. A 11 00:01:01,780 --> 00:01:06,500 woman who will tell you herself that when she first started hauling pneumatic trailers, there 12 00:01:06,500 --> 00:01:12,099 were moments when she wondered what in the world she got herself into. And a woman who spent a good 13 00:01:12,100 --> 00:01:17,780 portion of her life hearing people tell her what she couldn't do. But somewhere along the way, 14 00:01:17,820 --> 00:01:24,220 Stephanie figured something out. She didn't need everyone else's approval. She didn't need to prove 15 00:01:24,260 --> 00:01:31,100 she belonged to anyone but herself. She needed an opportunity. She needed the willingness to learn. 16 00:01:31,100 --> 00:01:37,380 And she needed a reason to keep going when things got difficult. And as you're going to hear a 17 00:01:37,380 --> 00:01:43,220 little bit later in this episode, she's got one heck of a reason. Because for Stephanie, trucking 18 00:01:43,220 --> 00:01:49,059 isn't just about hauling freight, making miles, or bringing home a paycheck. It's about changing the 19 00:01:49,059 --> 00:01:54,619 trajectory of a family. It's about creating opportunities for her children that maybe she 20 00:01:54,620 --> 00:02:00,240 didn't necessarily have herself. It's about building something that will still be there long 21 00:02:00,240 --> 00:02:06,600 after she's parked the truck for the final time. Today on always pneumatic, never static. We're 22 00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:11,039 spending some time with Stephanie Evans talking about the lessons she's learned, the challenges 23 00:02:11,039 --> 00:02:17,000 she's faced, and the remarkable places this career has taken her. We'll talk about what it's like 24 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:21,800 being a woman in a male dominated industry, the importance of the people who help us along the 25 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:28,280 way, and will have a little fun getting to know the woman behind the wheel. But more than anything, 26 00:02:28,640 --> 00:02:33,560 we're talking about what happens when somebody decides that the circumstances they came from 27 00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:40,000 aren't going to determine the future they're headed toward. And that, my friends, is a story 28 00:02:40,039 --> 00:02:44,840 worth hearing. This is always pneumatic, never static. Let's roll. 29 00:02:47,640 --> 00:02:52,920 You are listening to always pneumatic, never static. The Totally Pressurized podcast, brought to 30 00:02:52,920 --> 00:02:58,499 you by Bulk transit, where we keep the lines clear, the tanks empty, and the conversation anything but 31 00:02:58,499 --> 00:03:03,299 dry. Whether you're running powder, pellets or anything in between. Pull up a seat, crack the 32 00:03:03,300 --> 00:03:09,979 windows and let's hit it. How's it going out there? Balkan Spur? Welcome into 33 00:03:09,979 --> 00:03:15,699 another episode of Always Pneumatic, Never static. I'm your host, Marcus. Thank you so much for being 34 00:03:15,699 --> 00:03:22,499 here with me today. Uh, very important stuff to tell you guys about the podcast itself here. 35 00:03:22,499 --> 00:03:28,259 Before we get into our chat with Stephanie Evans, uh, Bulk Driver. And let me tell you what a 36 00:03:28,259 --> 00:03:32,419 fantastic interview that was. I'm going to leave plenty of time for it today because it did run a 37 00:03:32,419 --> 00:03:37,859 little bit long, but that's okay. I'm never going to cut it off when we're cooking with gas at such 38 00:03:37,900 --> 00:03:42,300 a clip. So understand that the intro of the outro, they might be a little shorter today. That's 39 00:03:42,300 --> 00:03:47,419 because we got to spend a lot of time with Stephanie and what a great time it was. So the 40 00:03:47,420 --> 00:03:51,539 important thing I need to tell you, as always, you're going to hear me mention our awesome 41 00:03:51,539 --> 00:03:57,320 website. My guy Tyler has that thing looking so clean and you could find it by going to 42 00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:04,119 podcast.bulktrasit.com. That's where all of our episodes are at. We've got descriptions of every 43 00:04:04,119 --> 00:04:08,799 episode. We've got the drivers or the staff members that are joining us on that episode and 44 00:04:08,800 --> 00:04:13,800 what we're talking about. You can play them right there from the web page. You can also listen to us 45 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:19,599 on your favorite podcast platform. If you're a Spotify person, we're there as well. Do me a favor 46 00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:25,440 and rate us on those apps, if you could. I don't care what you rate us. Just give us a rating. Uh, 47 00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:29,759 look, I know there's going to be people out there that don't like it. That's kind of the nature of 48 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:34,440 what we do here. Some people are going to like it. Some people are not going to like it. We hope more 49 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:39,480 of you like it than dislike it. So if we're moving the needle for you at all, uh, leave us a rating on 50 00:04:39,480 --> 00:04:45,039 there or go to podcast.bulktransit.com and send me an email if you want to be on the show. If 51 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:49,519 you've got something that you want to hear on the show, we're always taking those suggestions and 52 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:54,379 putting them up on our board, getting them approved by the powers that be and then hopefully 53 00:04:54,380 --> 00:05:00,458 turning them into an episode. So definitely, um, check out the website. It's a really good resource 54 00:05:00,459 --> 00:05:05,820 to have. It's like this podcast would not be what it is without that landing page, so I always want 55 00:05:05,859 --> 00:05:12,459 to give it its just due. And also want to remind you guys that the quiz that comes with this 56 00:05:12,459 --> 00:05:19,299 episode, and every episode that we put out, is your entry into our drawing. For a 57 00:05:19,299 --> 00:05:25,939 $400 Amazon gift card. We will be giving that away sometime soon, so you need to make sure and get 58 00:05:25,939 --> 00:05:32,019 your entries in. I'm not just saying this stuff to hear myself say it, for God's sakes. I've looked 59 00:05:32,019 --> 00:05:37,299 into this camera and spoken into this microphone for 35 episodes already. I don't need to hear 60 00:05:37,299 --> 00:05:42,779 myself say anything else. Um, trust me, with the six inches between my ears and the way that thing up 61 00:05:42,780 --> 00:05:47,899 there runs, I'm always talking. Whether or not you're hearing it or not. This isn't just lip 62 00:05:47,900 --> 00:05:54,640 service, though. I want everybody to have a shot at this $400 gift card. I know $400 63 00:05:54,640 --> 00:06:01,559 isn't called generational wealth. Okay, I know that $400 isn't going to magically get you 64 00:06:01,559 --> 00:06:08,279 out of a tough situation, but $400 can go a long way. And because it's to Amazon, 65 00:06:08,279 --> 00:06:13,599 it could be literally anything. Look, maybe you're running low on toilet paper like all of us were 66 00:06:13,600 --> 00:06:18,359 back during Covid. And you want to get a pallet of that stuff shipped to your house? That's fine. 67 00:06:18,400 --> 00:06:23,160 Maybe it's Christmas presents. Maybe it's groceries. Maybe you got a DIY project that you're 68 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:29,319 trying to get done. Maybe it's $400 to that new gaming system you want. Or a new big screen TV to 69 00:06:29,359 --> 00:06:36,199 watch football on with the family. It doesn't matter. I just want you in that drawing, and all 70 00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:43,000 you have to do is take the quizzes that come with these episodes online at podcast.bulktransit.com. 71 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:49,219 It's real simple. Take your quizzes, get them in. Get entered for our drawing. Okay, I already kind 72 00:06:49,219 --> 00:06:53,779 of set this up a little bit in the cold open, so I'm not going to spend a lot of time belaboring 73 00:06:53,779 --> 00:06:58,858 this point here. We're joined by Stephanie Evans today. Bulk driver. She's been here about a year. 74 00:06:58,899 --> 00:07:05,539 Stephanie's been on the show before. Uh, last time I think we had her on, uh, with. I think it was her 75 00:07:05,540 --> 00:07:11,179 terminal manager, Kelly, if I'm not mistaken. And they had a great back and forth. But I knew after 76 00:07:11,179 --> 00:07:16,819 that conversation, man, when we get Stephanie back on, I want to just. I want to tell her story a 77 00:07:16,820 --> 00:07:21,819 little bit more. I want to know what it was that that she was feeling on that first day, that she's 78 00:07:21,820 --> 00:07:26,619 holding that brand new CDL. I want to know what that first pneumatic load felt like. Uh, felt like. 79 00:07:26,620 --> 00:07:31,499 I want to know who her trainers were, who brought her up in this game. And I want to know what makes 80 00:07:31,499 --> 00:07:35,619 her tick behind the scenes. Because one thing I learned about Stephanie last time she was on the 81 00:07:35,619 --> 00:07:41,539 air is she's everything that a passionate, committed truck driver is. And she really likes 82 00:07:41,539 --> 00:07:46,499 this job. And it's done some great things for her. So I wanted her to come in here and tell me a 83 00:07:46,499 --> 00:07:50,359 little bit about that. Now. I'm saving some stuff for the end of the interview too. We're going to 84 00:07:50,359 --> 00:07:54,599 have a little bit of fun. I've got some would you rather questions for Stephanie. I've got a little 85 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:59,879 bit of a lightning round at the end. We made some time for it, so we'll have some fun here. But this 86 00:07:59,879 --> 00:08:05,759 story, this sort of employee spotlight, if you will, or let's call it a driver spotlight and set it 87 00:08:05,760 --> 00:08:11,639 apart from the ones we do from the terminal staff, um, is, I think, a little deeper than what we get 88 00:08:11,640 --> 00:08:16,479 with some of these and, um, just fantastic stuff. Can't thank Stephanie enough, but you're going to 89 00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:21,199 hear me say that after the interview and for good reason. So I'm out of the way. It's time to get 90 00:08:21,200 --> 00:08:26,080 Stephanie Evans in here to do a driver spotlight on always pneumatic, never static. Stick around. 91 00:08:26,080 --> 00:08:27,119 We'll be right back. 92 00:08:34,919 --> 00:08:40,440 Welcome back in here to always pneumatic, never static. I am joined right now by bulk driver 93 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:45,940 Stephanie Evans back on the show. Stephanie, we always appreciate the time with you. Thank you for 94 00:08:45,940 --> 00:08:51,820 joining us again here on always pneumatic, never static. Yeah. Thank you for having me. Of course. Now, 95 00:08:51,820 --> 00:08:55,819 uh, one thing that I kind of like to ask drivers every now and then is, where are you at and where 96 00:08:55,820 --> 00:09:02,659 are you headed right now? I am currently on 65 coming through Kentucky, 97 00:09:03,020 --> 00:09:08,579 going to one of our shippers in Cincinnati, Ohio. Okay, great. Right there in the heart of the 98 00:09:08,579 --> 00:09:14,659 country. Um, now, are you on a dedicated route, Stephanie, or are you, you know, fully OTR you're 99 00:09:14,659 --> 00:09:18,899 kind of grabbing what's out there. What's it look like for you on the day to day? Sometimes it's 100 00:09:18,900 --> 00:09:24,859 local. Um, it just depends on the product availability or, you know, what's been ordered for 101 00:09:24,860 --> 00:09:31,619 the week. So sometimes it's local, and then, you know, I'm coming back from Arkansas now 102 00:09:31,740 --> 00:09:38,299 and, you know, and then, you know, just a couple overnights here and there. Gotcha, gotcha. 103 00:09:38,340 --> 00:09:43,479 Now, do you have a favorite product to haul? Because recently I've been learning a lot about 104 00:09:43,479 --> 00:09:48,719 the various, not only the the inner workings of a pneumatic trailer and how all this product 105 00:09:48,719 --> 00:09:54,079 actually gets loaded and unloaded and the finer points of that. But, you know, recently we've had 106 00:09:54,080 --> 00:10:00,479 some episodes on the variety of products that bulk hauls, and I wonder if you have a favorite 107 00:10:00,520 --> 00:10:07,239 among those. Stephanie. I, I do I have two favorite. Okay. So plastic top of the list 108 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:13,640 clean. It's, you know, easy to listen to. The places you go are great. Like 109 00:10:13,679 --> 00:10:20,639 plastic is number one. Okay. Uh, and then my second favorite is because I like 110 00:10:20,679 --> 00:10:27,559 the, uh, the concrete places we go to. It's hall and fly ash. Are okay. From the energy companies. 111 00:10:27,559 --> 00:10:34,359 And it's going to a concrete place called SRM. And I've been to a bunch of those SRM places 112 00:10:34,359 --> 00:10:40,359 and they are fantastic. Like they treat you really well. They're, you know, easy to unload that. Yeah. 113 00:10:40,400 --> 00:10:46,909 Fly ash and plastic. So you can, because the fly ash is a little bit less clean than the plastic, I 114 00:10:46,909 --> 00:10:51,749 assume, just by its nature. But you can put up with that because the facilities are so nice that 115 00:10:51,749 --> 00:10:58,509 you're going to. The facilities are nice, the people are great, but so fly, fly ash is super easy 116 00:10:58,510 --> 00:11:02,829 and our trailer libs are great with it. Like it's easy to open and shut the lids on top of the 117 00:11:02,830 --> 00:11:09,509 trailer as well as it pays really well. Okay, that. Those are the lids 118 00:11:09,750 --> 00:11:16,589 being easy and the money is why I like fly. Naturally. I don't like the dirt. Coffee, I get it, I 119 00:11:16,590 --> 00:11:21,629 get it well, and I've heard that that plastic is nice and clean. The facilities are good too. So, uh, 120 00:11:21,630 --> 00:11:27,509 do you think that it's. That's kind of a standard for bulk drivers, that most of them probably like 121 00:11:27,510 --> 00:11:34,070 a good plastic load every now and then? No, no. So you some drivers 122 00:11:34,430 --> 00:11:41,329 don't want to touch plastic at all. And I think it has to do with the unloading The winter months I 123 00:11:41,330 --> 00:11:47,609 guess would be easier on it, I've just heard. You know, I'm from Pikes and Terminal, so we don't haul 124 00:11:47,610 --> 00:11:52,649 a lot of plastic unless we're helping another terminal. They're scared to melt it in the pipe. Uh, 125 00:11:52,650 --> 00:11:57,609 they've never unloaded it before, you know, but. And then you'll get some of the other drivers that 126 00:11:57,609 --> 00:12:03,609 says, yes, I love plastic. So it varies just on who you talk to. Really? Yeah. It's just a kind of a 127 00:12:03,610 --> 00:12:09,049 personal preference thing. I get that, I get that. Well, on that note, let's go to the personal 128 00:12:09,050 --> 00:12:15,129 preference side of of deciding to become a truck driver. Uh, Stephanie, now, um, take me all the way 129 00:12:15,130 --> 00:12:21,689 back to when you first were holding on to that CDL. Uh, was there some excitement? Were you, uh, were 130 00:12:21,690 --> 00:12:27,968 you, you know, up for the challenge? I mean, this is a big career decision, of course. And, um, you know, 131 00:12:28,010 --> 00:12:32,529 getting into hauling pneumatics is also sort of a niche thing. A lot of people come right out of 132 00:12:32,530 --> 00:12:37,989 school with the CDL, and they might bump docks for a mega carrier for years before they ever find 133 00:12:37,989 --> 00:12:42,789 themselves working for a company like bulk. Talk to me a little bit about that career path, from 134 00:12:42,789 --> 00:12:48,709 holding on to that fresh CDL to getting to bulk. Um, how did that go for you and sort of what did 135 00:12:48,710 --> 00:12:55,348 you learn along the way? Yeah. So I, I couldn't believe that I passed the test, you know, 136 00:12:55,390 --> 00:13:01,830 because, uh, I did a manual, uh, test. So I don't have any restrictions. I can do the 137 00:13:02,189 --> 00:13:08,989 the gears and all that. And I never drove a standard in my life. I never thought, hey, I'm gonna 138 00:13:09,189 --> 00:13:15,949 go out here and and drive this big truck. You know, I can't even parallel park a Honda. And, uh. Yeah, 139 00:13:15,989 --> 00:13:22,989 I, I fell into it. There was an opportunity through a a local service 140 00:13:23,190 --> 00:13:30,030 through so to County that they would pay the entirety to do career training. And so 141 00:13:30,030 --> 00:13:36,809 they paid for me to go to school, which was, you know, about $6,000. They paid all my fuel And 142 00:13:36,849 --> 00:13:40,969 it was just the easiest one I could look at because they'd pay for you to do anything. You 143 00:13:40,969 --> 00:13:47,869 know, being an electrician, I was like, I could never do that, you know? But I never imagined in a 144 00:13:47,870 --> 00:13:53,689 million years that I would drive truck. And I never got my regular driver's license. So I was 36 145 00:13:53,690 --> 00:13:58,609 years old, so I never even had a driver's license. And then just a few years later, I was driving a 146 00:13:58,609 --> 00:14:04,969 truck. That was crazy. I've never really been around truckers to know, hey, don't apply to this 147 00:14:04,969 --> 00:14:10,809 place or don't go there because they're bad news. I just applied to a bunch of things I found 148 00:14:10,849 --> 00:14:17,849 online in first person. That's where I went, you know, and I was able to have some really 149 00:14:17,849 --> 00:14:24,129 good trainers become a trainer myself, and I made some really good money with them. You know, 150 00:14:24,169 --> 00:14:31,090 traveling from, you know, east to west coast, learn all kinds of things about trucking. 151 00:14:31,090 --> 00:14:38,069 And then it came to, I've made all this money and I've saved it and saved it, not spend it. What am 152 00:14:38,069 --> 00:14:44,029 I going to do? And you know, I was able to establish myself better there. Um, you know, in the 153 00:14:44,030 --> 00:14:49,829 area I live in. And I was like, okay, now I want to go home. The money's been great, but there's 154 00:14:49,829 --> 00:14:56,109 nothing they can offer me that makes me want to stay out because I'm missing everything, right? You 155 00:14:56,109 --> 00:15:03,108 know, so the desire to be there, I just started it kind of like a phone book. I said kind 156 00:15:03,109 --> 00:15:09,269 of do. I went through everything, you know, from where I was located and just started spreading 157 00:15:09,270 --> 00:15:16,189 out, making cold calls to these locations. And I found one in Python. When I 158 00:15:16,190 --> 00:15:20,669 called the number, I didn't know it was calling Playing City. You know? I just knew it was a they 159 00:15:20,670 --> 00:15:26,829 had a Python terminal, so I was like called the number and, you know, went through the process 160 00:15:26,829 --> 00:15:33,769 there. And I got with Tim Cole at well first I met Kelly there in Python. And 161 00:15:33,770 --> 00:15:38,488 she was like, what? When I walked through the door, I was like, yeah, I need to need this paperwork. 162 00:15:38,489 --> 00:15:44,929 I've been hired to work there. And she's like, no one told me, you work here, you know? And then I was 163 00:15:44,929 --> 00:15:50,529 able to go with a trainer. I went with all three trainers. I actually had a rough start there, but 164 00:15:50,569 --> 00:15:57,369 Tim Cole was so patient with me, I was intimidated. He laughed till he cried, I get 165 00:15:57,369 --> 00:16:04,089 it. One of our clay places that you know, called clay and it's like dewy in the 166 00:16:04,090 --> 00:16:11,089 morning. It's kind of dark outside. Creepy. He puts me on the in his harness with it tethered to my 167 00:16:11,090 --> 00:16:15,369 back, and I was like, yeah, I got this. As soon as I got up there, I was like, I don't got this, don't 168 00:16:15,370 --> 00:16:21,809 got this, Charlie. And I was like, what was I thinking? I had a good job. Please. He's up on the 169 00:16:21,809 --> 00:16:28,649 ladder. He's like, just hold on. And so I mean, it was it was a laugh. Yeah, it was, but Tim 170 00:16:28,649 --> 00:16:34,909 buried right with it. And then I was able to go with Greg for a while. One of our trainers and I 171 00:16:34,910 --> 00:16:41,429 just learned different things from each and every one of them. I went with Geoff for a little bit, 172 00:16:41,469 --> 00:16:47,549 and each one of them have a different personality in a way to unload the trailer. I don't I believe 173 00:16:47,549 --> 00:16:53,869 it was fate that I had a rough start because I when I left my first trainer, I wasn't ready to 174 00:16:53,869 --> 00:16:58,988 run this trailer. You know what I mean? I just was pretending like, hey, we're just fake it til we 175 00:16:58,989 --> 00:17:05,589 make it and hope for the best. You know what I mean? But. But that rough start allowed me 176 00:17:05,589 --> 00:17:10,789 to get some more trailer on the trailer, and it went smooth. I've been with bulk for a year now. 177 00:17:10,910 --> 00:17:15,669 That's awesome. That's awesome. And yeah, I'm so glad that you've you trained with a couple of 178 00:17:15,670 --> 00:17:20,910 guys that we've had on this show talking about training, and Greg and Jeff, uh, haven't gotten our 179 00:17:20,910 --> 00:17:25,390 hooks into Tim yet, but we definitely would like to if he's ever willing to join the show. Tim, if 180 00:17:25,390 --> 00:17:30,489 you're listening, you got a shout out today, man. That's a that's gotta get you, you know, carrot in 181 00:17:30,489 --> 00:17:34,650 the stick thing, right. We're shouting you out here on the show. Come on and talk to us about it. Um. 182 00:17:34,650 --> 00:17:40,249 How important. Funny, too. Hey. That's funny. That's what it sounds like. Stephanie. How important was 183 00:17:40,250 --> 00:17:45,569 that training in building the confidence? Because you even said it like, hey, I'm fake it til I make 184 00:17:45,569 --> 00:17:49,930 it. Once I got out of the truck with Tim. Um, but then you got in with Greg and a little bit of 185 00:17:49,930 --> 00:17:55,129 time with Jeff, and. And did that just continue to build your confidence and continue to kind of let 186 00:17:55,129 --> 00:18:00,569 you look yourself in the mirror and say, look, I can do this. I just need more practice at it. Yeah. 187 00:18:00,569 --> 00:18:04,449 So when I got out of the truck with Tim, I just want to clarify, when I got all the truck with Tim, 188 00:18:04,449 --> 00:18:11,169 I was trained. I was I think I was the first trainee that he had ever had. So he was extra 189 00:18:11,209 --> 00:18:18,209 thorough, extra patient, all of the things. It was, you know, me trying to memorize all 190 00:18:18,209 --> 00:18:23,369 this stuff at once. You know, he was saying freaking tastic. Like I would have been fine with, 191 00:18:23,410 --> 00:18:29,149 you know, that. I don't even know what your question was, but I just wanted to clarify. Tim was 192 00:18:29,150 --> 00:18:34,149 a very, very good trainer. Yeah. All three of your trainers did a great job with you. I just how how 193 00:18:34,149 --> 00:18:38,389 long did it take you to kind of build the confidence and get past that, fake it til I make 194 00:18:38,389 --> 00:18:43,910 it thing and actually feel like you were you were where you should be. I still sometimes fake it. 195 00:18:44,510 --> 00:18:51,390 Just like I know. No, it took me a few months. I guess where 196 00:18:51,390 --> 00:18:58,109 I've been babied in a dry van for so long. I wasn't used to. Hey, we've clogged this trailer. 197 00:18:58,109 --> 00:19:05,069 We're going to get out here and sweat into a puddle and and fight this trailer. Like our lives 198 00:19:05,069 --> 00:19:11,188 depend on it. Covered in all, every dust imaginable. You know what I mean? You're filthy and sweat, and 199 00:19:11,229 --> 00:19:16,389 I just. I think that was the hardest part, you know, because I was like, well, I'll just leave it 200 00:19:16,430 --> 00:19:23,149 clogged and get back in the air, you know? So. Yeah, it was it's 201 00:19:23,150 --> 00:19:28,649 been a it was been a learning curve. and I learn every day. Like I just took carbon for the first 202 00:19:28,650 --> 00:19:35,568 time and was able to take a bath in carbon saved for yesterday. So I don't. Know. 203 00:19:35,609 --> 00:19:40,568 That's a new experience. I'm sure I've never been bathed in carbon before, but I imagine you 204 00:19:40,569 --> 00:19:47,249 probably want to get in the shower pretty quick after that. Oh, yeah. Uh, the guys out there, they 205 00:19:47,249 --> 00:19:53,209 were just like, help! I was like, I don't I can't do anything. They were like, stop getting on the 206 00:19:53,209 --> 00:20:00,009 ground. I was like, the wind is blowing. I don't know what you want me to do, you know? So I wonder, 207 00:20:00,010 --> 00:20:07,009 you talked about kind of being babied in a box with a box fan for a while. Um, did. You. 208 00:20:07,370 --> 00:20:11,489 Did you ever have to touch any of the freight that you hauled when you were hauling a box van, 209 00:20:11,489 --> 00:20:16,089 or was it something that you just bumped a dock and somebody else handled it and you went down 210 00:20:16,090 --> 00:20:22,809 the road? How did that work out for you at your previous job? So it just depending on who we were 211 00:20:22,810 --> 00:20:29,630 hauling for like Ulta Beauty or Target or Pepsi. If one of our one of the 212 00:20:29,630 --> 00:20:35,708 big carriers our loads. If our loads have shifted on a corner, we would get in there and what's 213 00:20:35,709 --> 00:20:42,269 called a stack of products and you get paid for it. You just take pictures where 214 00:20:42,270 --> 00:20:46,270 the, you know, pallets have tipped over and you get in there and redo it, but they only did it with 215 00:20:46,270 --> 00:20:52,829 the Mega one, except for there's a shoe factory. There's an Italian shoemaker in Florida, um, that 216 00:20:52,830 --> 00:20:57,869 you get in wrap. There's this plastic wrap that goes around the pallet to keep things from 217 00:20:57,870 --> 00:21:04,470 slipping. Yep. And we get these expensive shoes and shoeboxes, little tiny shoe boxes, and we have to 218 00:21:04,470 --> 00:21:11,429 wrap them in the plastic. Gross. That's. That sounds tedious. Yeah. I 219 00:21:11,430 --> 00:21:17,589 learned stuff every single day. Like, it's it's crazy. You think you know everything and you don't. 220 00:21:17,869 --> 00:21:24,329 Yeah. Yeah. Yep. And it's a this is, uh, such a nuanced, um, I guess just 221 00:21:24,410 --> 00:21:29,249 industry that we work in, right? I mean, there's so many different things that have to be hauled by a 222 00:21:29,249 --> 00:21:34,249 truck and you think, okay, that's trucking well, right. But if you zoom in just a little bit, you 223 00:21:34,249 --> 00:21:38,489 realize that none of those trucks are filled with the same thing. They're all going different 224 00:21:38,489 --> 00:21:43,969 directions. They're all, uh, you know, different trailers, different equipment, and it really starts 225 00:21:43,969 --> 00:21:48,689 to pile up. And all of a sudden you realize, man, there's so much about this industry that you 226 00:21:48,689 --> 00:21:54,329 can't just learn by hauling one type of freight. And that's why you kind of feel, I'm sure, like, I, I 227 00:21:54,449 --> 00:21:59,649 still am learning something every single day because you just you have to put 30 or 40 years 228 00:21:59,649 --> 00:22:05,609 on in trucking to say that you've you've seen it. All right, Stephanie. And they still haven't you 229 00:22:05,609 --> 00:22:12,489 know. And you know, I got there's crazy things that happen that while you're in the truck 230 00:22:13,089 --> 00:22:18,889 that have nothing to do with trucking. Right. So there's a situation that I, that I never thought, 231 00:22:18,930 --> 00:22:25,870 you know, I would be a part of, but. So I'm coming out of Oak Hill where we get 232 00:22:25,870 --> 00:22:32,550 clay. And it was when I first started. It's dark outside. It's cold. It was last year, like 233 00:22:32,550 --> 00:22:39,149 November, December, I'm not sure, but it's freezing temperatures and it's dark 234 00:22:39,189 --> 00:22:44,988 outside. Come out of Oak Hill and there's headlights in the ditch. Oh no. You know, someone 235 00:22:44,989 --> 00:22:50,108 had went over the barrier through the ditch and down like this little bit of ravine. It doesn't 236 00:22:50,109 --> 00:22:55,510 look like any, you know, the park in the middle of the street or on a back road. I don't know if 237 00:22:55,510 --> 00:23:01,269 you're familiar with it, but it's a two lane street. And I stopped the truck run back there. 238 00:23:01,390 --> 00:23:07,989 There's a car down in there. There's someone in live inside of it. I'm calling 901. Um, I'm on the 239 00:23:07,990 --> 00:23:13,750 phone with 901. I'm trying to get this guy out of here. When I get to him, his window. There's water 240 00:23:14,390 --> 00:23:21,089 up to the the doors of his vehicle. Oh, no, there's a sunroof is what's saving. But 241 00:23:21,089 --> 00:23:27,448 he's like 3 or 400 pounds. He's huge. And I'm not trying to be mean or anything. I'm a big girl, but 242 00:23:27,849 --> 00:23:33,930 I don't know how he made it through that sunroof up out of there. And when I'm trying to grab for 243 00:23:33,930 --> 00:23:39,569 him, I'm thinking he's going to drown me. I take two steps off of the hill and I am submerged, 244 00:23:39,610 --> 00:23:46,368 waist deep in freezing cold water. Oh my gosh. Um, trying to get this guy out of this 245 00:23:46,369 --> 00:23:51,009 vehicle and he's reaching for me. I'm like, he's going to drown me. He's going to drown. It's 246 00:23:51,009 --> 00:23:55,328 freezing. Pitch black outside him. Like he's going to drown me if I let him grab Ahold of me. He's 247 00:23:55,329 --> 00:24:01,249 not going to mean to. He's just scared. Right? And so then he falls backwards on this wood that goes 248 00:24:01,249 --> 00:24:06,209 to his back. And I was like, hold your head above the water, hold your head above the water. And then 249 00:24:06,209 --> 00:24:13,089 finally I get like my harness out of my bang and try to drag him up the hill. But I was just going 250 00:24:13,089 --> 00:24:19,709 to Oak Hill to load, you know what I mean? I didn't know I was doing a water rescue this morning. Yeah, 251 00:24:19,709 --> 00:24:26,069 and thank God you were there because you said it was kind of a lonely two lane back road. Who knows 252 00:24:26,069 --> 00:24:32,628 when the next person is going to come by at that time? Yeah, I thought for sure it was a dead person 253 00:24:32,629 --> 00:24:38,229 in the vehicle. You know, by the way it looked, I had called Kelly and I was like, you will never 254 00:24:38,509 --> 00:24:44,750 imagine what happened to me. I just got done with a whole water rescue. I'm stripping all my clothes 255 00:24:44,750 --> 00:24:48,469 off in the middle of the cab, in the middle of the street, because I'm soaking wet, and I'm thinking, 256 00:24:48,470 --> 00:24:54,789 hey, this water's contaminated, you know, because it's stagnant, right? I don't know. Yeah. 257 00:24:54,870 --> 00:25:01,670 Anyway. Wow. I mean that. Did that change anything about the way that you sort of look at the 258 00:25:01,670 --> 00:25:06,109 job that you're doing, Stephanie? Because again, like, you're you're a truck driver, you're not a 259 00:25:06,109 --> 00:25:11,068 first responder, but you sort of acted it. You did what anybody would do there. You tried to help 260 00:25:11,069 --> 00:25:17,969 somebody who was in a dire situation and thank God you were there. Um, but, I mean, listen, is, 261 00:25:18,170 --> 00:25:21,968 as a truck driver, you're going to see things like this. You're going to end up pulling up on 262 00:25:21,969 --> 00:25:27,969 accidents. You're going to see people stranded on the side of the road. Um, I mean, you seem like the 263 00:25:27,969 --> 00:25:33,849 type of person that's just ready to jump out and help when needed. I imagine that, uh, that that made 264 00:25:33,850 --> 00:25:38,089 you feel pretty good that you were able to help. But also, you probably had some second thoughts 265 00:25:38,089 --> 00:25:43,689 because you just told me you thought you might drown out there trying to help this guy. Yeah. 266 00:25:43,729 --> 00:25:49,249 Because of his weight. Him grabbing Ahold of me? He wouldn't. I don't think he would have meant to, but 267 00:25:49,250 --> 00:25:54,769 we're on a downhill slant, and he's going to try. He's panicking. He's going to try to do whatever 268 00:25:54,770 --> 00:26:00,769 he can to get out of here. You know. It's amazing that. What an amazing story. I mean, just and how 269 00:26:00,770 --> 00:26:05,289 many truck drivers have a story like that that we've just never heard because that's just 270 00:26:05,290 --> 00:26:10,649 something that they would do because that's the type of person they are. And, uh, a huge pat on the 271 00:26:10,650 --> 00:26:15,549 back from all of us here at Always pneumatic, never static. Stephanie. What a what a crazy story. 272 00:26:15,550 --> 00:26:20,869 And thank you for telling it. Do you do you think about that often out there on the road? No. And 273 00:26:20,870 --> 00:26:27,468 there's only one other time that I've ever helped them, so I do not recommend stopping and helping. 274 00:26:27,709 --> 00:26:33,669 That is not a good idea, and I wouldn't recommend that for any of our drivers. It seems like you 275 00:26:33,670 --> 00:26:38,949 want to help, but you're going to get on your tablet and send a message, or you're going to get 276 00:26:38,949 --> 00:26:45,670 on your phone, get on your CB radio, get someone else out there. Don't just be 277 00:26:45,790 --> 00:26:52,389 randomly stopping for people. I've only stopped one other time that some guy was hauling a boat 278 00:26:52,389 --> 00:26:58,869 that was completely engulfed in flames. And you know, I use my extinguisher on him. But no, 279 00:26:59,230 --> 00:27:04,429 you not get out of your truck. Yeah, I think that's really good advice. I think Tim Hamilton would 280 00:27:04,430 --> 00:27:11,289 love to hear you say that, because it opens up a whole other box of of worms that could end up in 281 00:27:11,290 --> 00:27:16,208 a really bad spot. You know, if you park the truck and maybe it's not in a safe place to park and 282 00:27:16,209 --> 00:27:21,449 you get out, you could put yourself in a lot of danger right there, can't you? And not just that 283 00:27:21,449 --> 00:27:28,448 you get, you know, people, you know, everyone has different backgrounds and, uh, different beliefs 284 00:27:28,449 --> 00:27:33,688 and value systems or mental health issues and things of that nature. You're not going to just 285 00:27:33,729 --> 00:27:40,409 approach these people while driving across the country and assume that 286 00:27:40,890 --> 00:27:47,088 they're in a place to just, you know, oh, thanks for the help. You don't know what they're going to do. 287 00:27:47,129 --> 00:27:53,809 You don't know if they're out to to harm you to, you know, do you have no idea. Just just don't 288 00:27:53,849 --> 00:27:59,608 stop for people on the side of the road. Yeah. Yeah. So it's it's not bad advice at all, Stephanie. And 289 00:27:59,609 --> 00:28:04,889 definitely you can hear the experiences that you've had when you're talking about that kind of 290 00:28:04,930 --> 00:28:09,329 come through. You've you've learned these lessons even though this was something that you did you 291 00:28:09,389 --> 00:28:13,670 The lesson that you took from it is I. I'm probably going to just be trying to get Ahold of 292 00:28:13,670 --> 00:28:18,469 emergency services and get the appropriate people out here to take care of this, rather than try to 293 00:28:18,510 --> 00:28:25,189 be superwoman. Right? Yeah, absolutely. 100%. And you never know to there's another thing that's 294 00:28:25,189 --> 00:28:32,068 become a part of sort of American culture and and it it sucks, but it is part of where we live. And 295 00:28:32,069 --> 00:28:38,148 it's people are very litigious. Right. You never know when somebody is going to sue you because 296 00:28:38,149 --> 00:28:44,149 you tried to help them. We've heard stories like that before. Um, and they always are incredibly 297 00:28:44,149 --> 00:28:47,748 backwards. You think, what are you doing? This person might have saved your life and now you're 298 00:28:47,749 --> 00:28:52,709 suing them. But, hey, everybody's looking for a quick buck out here, and everybody thinks that if 299 00:28:52,709 --> 00:28:58,270 they can get a leg up by, you know, winning a big verdict, then all of a sudden life changes for me. 300 00:28:58,270 --> 00:29:03,550 So all of these things. I've never heard of that one. Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt you, but 301 00:29:03,550 --> 00:29:07,649 I've never heard of that one. Well, I want to talk and kind of turn and and again, thank you for 302 00:29:07,649 --> 00:29:12,049 telling us that story and great advice there that you've given the other drivers to pull from, 303 00:29:12,050 --> 00:29:17,249 because I'm betting that very few of them have pulled somebody out of a possible drowning 304 00:29:17,249 --> 00:29:22,529 situation. So it's important to talk about not only the situation itself, but what you learned 305 00:29:22,530 --> 00:29:28,170 from it and how you approach your day to day based on what you learn. I want to talk to you a 306 00:29:28,170 --> 00:29:34,369 little bit about, and before I even get into this, I want to say the reason we're not going to spend 307 00:29:34,369 --> 00:29:38,849 a huge amount of time on this is because I don't think it's the most important part. I don't think 308 00:29:38,849 --> 00:29:44,049 it's the most interesting part of Stephanie's story, but it is sort of the elephant in the room. 309 00:29:44,090 --> 00:29:50,769 Okay. Um, okay. And the elephant in the room here is is being a woman in such a male 310 00:29:50,769 --> 00:29:57,609 dominated industry. Stephanie and I wonder, um, when you first got into this, were you 311 00:29:57,610 --> 00:30:03,250 intimidated at all by the fact that this is a predominantly male industry? Did you get any looks? 312 00:30:03,329 --> 00:30:09,309 Uh, did did people maybe think that you. You weren't cut out for the job, or did you not deal 313 00:30:09,310 --> 00:30:15,069 with any of that? Because I've heard both sides of the story. When I talk to women in trucking, some 314 00:30:15,069 --> 00:30:20,149 of them will say, hey, they took me under my under their wing. Nobody ever doubted me. And then some 315 00:30:20,149 --> 00:30:24,949 of them will say, I thought I was going to have to scratch and claw for my entire career in this 316 00:30:24,990 --> 00:30:31,269 industry. So how did it set up for you, Stephanie? So in the beginning, when I first 317 00:30:31,269 --> 00:30:38,189 came to trucking, I just didn't. I'm just going to be honest, okay. Like it might not. It sounds 318 00:30:38,189 --> 00:30:43,949 bad, but it's the truth. So when I first got into trucking and had no clue what I was doing, and 319 00:30:43,989 --> 00:30:49,229 they're out there trying to, like, bully me or get their ways or whatever, you know, I would just 320 00:30:49,270 --> 00:30:55,589 either play stupid or be manipulated like, oh my gosh, can you help me? And you'll always find a 321 00:30:55,589 --> 00:31:01,349 trucker anywhere you go. If these truckers are out there, they're want to talk. They want to talk your 322 00:31:01,349 --> 00:31:05,930 leg off. You know what I mean? Yep. So they're like, oh, I'll help you, honey. Yeah. I'm just like, yeah, 323 00:31:05,930 --> 00:31:09,450 I'm just being manipulative. You know, I would know what's going on. I let them if I could do it for 324 00:31:09,450 --> 00:31:16,169 me, you know, I don't care, you know? And then, um, where I have 325 00:31:16,170 --> 00:31:23,129 been. So I'm way and I'm. I don't know how to put this. I'm way more masculine than 326 00:31:23,130 --> 00:31:29,929 I should be. I'm not. I love men. Don't get me wrong. I'm not in no chicks or nothing. But, um, 327 00:31:29,969 --> 00:31:35,530 as far as, like, how I carry myself, and it's just being independent and having to do it myself 328 00:31:35,530 --> 00:31:42,408 because there's no one else there. Mhm. So I don't let them push over me, I do not, I 329 00:31:42,409 --> 00:31:48,609 will hold my ground and do what I gotta do and handle my business. And in the back of my mind I, 330 00:31:49,010 --> 00:31:55,689 the thing that I always remember that stuck with me is you always put the mask on yourself 331 00:31:55,689 --> 00:32:02,358 first. Oh, that's a good point. And that is, you know, don't tell you on an airplane if you are, if you 332 00:32:02,359 --> 00:32:07,839 have someone with you that's not able to do it, but the mask on yourself first. And when I 333 00:32:07,839 --> 00:32:14,239 approach any situation really in life. Um, my my first thought is, how am I going to get through 334 00:32:14,239 --> 00:32:19,679 this and make it the best I could for myself? And if I could help someone along the way, that's fine. 335 00:32:19,680 --> 00:32:26,559 But. But I'll push right through every one of them. Excuse me. Excuse me sir. You know. Yeah. 336 00:32:26,600 --> 00:32:31,519 No, I and I think that's a really good philosophy, Stephanie. And I don't think anybody has ever said 337 00:32:31,519 --> 00:32:36,559 it to me like that before. I've talked to thousands of truck drivers and thousands of other 338 00:32:36,560 --> 00:32:42,119 people outside of my work in the trucking industry, and I've never had anybody frame it like 339 00:32:42,119 --> 00:32:46,799 that. Put the mask on yourself first. And, you know, there's a reason behind that, right? They tell you 340 00:32:46,800 --> 00:32:51,399 that on the airplane because, hey, if we're losing oxygen and you're trying to put somebody else's 341 00:32:51,400 --> 00:32:56,839 mask on that can't help themselves, and then you pass out because you don't have any oxygen. Well, 342 00:32:56,839 --> 00:33:01,698 now there's two of you that don't have any oxygen because you didn't put the mask on yourself first. 343 00:33:01,699 --> 00:33:06,939 So what you're talking about there is like, look, I have to be prepared. I have to be ready for any 344 00:33:06,939 --> 00:33:13,139 eventuality. And after I make sure I'm ready for any eventuality, that will free me up to maybe 345 00:33:13,140 --> 00:33:19,739 help somebody else that might need help. Yeah. So being in the male dominated industry, you're going 346 00:33:19,739 --> 00:33:26,619 to get some some guys that do not care that you're a woman. They do not care. They. 347 00:33:27,100 --> 00:33:31,179 Absolutely. If there was no witnesses, they'd probably do something bad to you. Like they are 348 00:33:31,420 --> 00:33:38,339 some. I've met some great men out here, you know, and women do. It's their thing. But there are some 349 00:33:38,340 --> 00:33:45,299 very dangerous men out here as well. And. And I've been unfortunate enough to run across quite a 350 00:33:45,299 --> 00:33:51,819 bit of those, you know, that aren't so pleasant, you know, and you just have to 351 00:33:51,859 --> 00:33:58,459 be safe about what you're doing. And don't always think that a camera or you having a big truck 352 00:33:58,480 --> 00:34:04,119 is going to protect you. But, you know, you get to the shippers or the receivers, you're a little bit 353 00:34:04,120 --> 00:34:10,478 safer. There's someone there. You know, I don't really know how to put it, but don't be 354 00:34:10,479 --> 00:34:17,079 intimidated just because of your, uh, anatomy or I guess I thought that was called 355 00:34:17,399 --> 00:34:23,879 anatomy to to go ahead and to get your money, girl, and go, you know 356 00:34:24,600 --> 00:34:30,119 it. I that's the best I could do. I don't know. No, I think that's a great answer. And and you're right, 357 00:34:30,120 --> 00:34:34,559 because, listen, there's a lot of, there's some truck stops out there across this country, 358 00:34:34,560 --> 00:34:41,079 Stephanie, that I know plenty of men that won't go to. They'll say, like, listen, I've marked that one 359 00:34:41,080 --> 00:34:46,320 on my map. I know that it's a skip for me because I don't trust it. There's bad stuff that happens 360 00:34:46,320 --> 00:34:51,320 there all the time. And your your gender, your sex is not going to determine whether or not 361 00:34:51,320 --> 00:34:56,239 something bad happens to you or something doesn't. It's the opportunity that these people that are 362 00:34:56,240 --> 00:35:01,139 going to do bad things. They're looking for opportunity, and you just never know when they're 363 00:35:01,139 --> 00:35:06,179 going to see an opportunity in you. So, uh, having your head on a swivel, always being aware of your 364 00:35:06,179 --> 00:35:11,978 surroundings, especially as a female in a male dominated industry, is a very important aspect of 365 00:35:11,979 --> 00:35:17,940 the job. Stephanie. And I think that the fact that you're thinking about that each day is, is, uh, I 366 00:35:17,940 --> 00:35:23,860 mean, hats off to you because I'm sure sometimes people can get complacent or, hey, I really need to 367 00:35:23,860 --> 00:35:29,219 stop. I'm hungry. I'm gonna go to this truck stop, even though I've sworn never to go back there. And 368 00:35:29,219 --> 00:35:33,299 you never know. That could be the time that something happens. So it's it's it's good to think 369 00:35:33,300 --> 00:35:39,938 about, isn't it? Yeah. So I just switching gears from the male dominated 370 00:35:39,939 --> 00:35:46,819 industry, um, into this about truck stop parking alone. You're always going to park in pairs 371 00:35:46,820 --> 00:35:51,699 where there's another, you know, human being, there's another truck or whatever. Don't get 372 00:35:51,740 --> 00:35:56,600 somewhere and think, oh, it's nice and quiet. I won't have to hear nothing and I park in pairs. 373 00:35:56,639 --> 00:36:01,679 Park with other trucks. I do not get on my truck at night. If it is nighttime, I am not getting out 374 00:36:01,679 --> 00:36:08,679 of my truck. I do not care. It might be, you know, the right next to the house, the rest area. I 375 00:36:08,679 --> 00:36:15,519 am not getting out of my vehicle at night for nothing. I do not care if someone's knocking. Not 376 00:36:15,519 --> 00:36:20,479 any of that. That's really good advice. I love the parking pairs thing. Use the buddy system there. 377 00:36:20,480 --> 00:36:25,398 Because you're right. It's like I might lose a little bit of sleep because the pair that I had 378 00:36:25,399 --> 00:36:31,879 to park with is a reefer tonight. But I'd rather be safe than sorry. Yeah. 100. And that's not just 379 00:36:31,879 --> 00:36:38,079 for your for your personal safety is. You know, I had a situation where I think it was like a bad 380 00:36:38,080 --> 00:36:43,919 alternator or something, and my, uh, batteries kept being drained or my batteries have been getting 381 00:36:43,919 --> 00:36:49,599 cold. I'm not sure what it was, but when I would go somewhere, I had an optimized idle where it would 382 00:36:49,600 --> 00:36:56,339 turn the truck off and on by itself. And by morning Comment. The truck wouldn't start. So there 383 00:36:56,340 --> 00:37:02,620 you are. You're 20 miles off in some random parking lot with not no one to see. You can't do 384 00:37:02,620 --> 00:37:08,539 anything. You're you're, you know, stuck. If you decide another truck, you could go jump that 385 00:37:08,540 --> 00:37:15,259 situation. And were you able to get a jump in that situation when your battery went dead? No. Okay. No. 386 00:37:15,300 --> 00:37:22,019 Have someone boots on and get to walking. See okay. So lesson learned, right? Lesson learn. 387 00:37:22,980 --> 00:37:29,859 Yeah. Yeah. Parking pairs always. Well, just sort of back to, uh, the the being 388 00:37:29,860 --> 00:37:34,339 a woman in this industry part, I do want to ask you this because I want to give you a chance to 389 00:37:34,340 --> 00:37:40,458 tell a great story if you have one. Um, have you ever had the satisfaction, Stephanie, of proving 390 00:37:40,459 --> 00:37:46,659 somebody wrong who underestimated you? Maybe just because you were a woman in this job. Um, 391 00:37:46,659 --> 00:37:53,360 because, you know, that's that's another thing. Okay. Go ahead, I don't. Everyone in my whole 392 00:37:53,360 --> 00:38:00,158 entire life, in and outside of trucking. What do you mean? And obviously, I can tell that 393 00:38:00,159 --> 00:38:06,279 makes you feel good to prove these people wrong. That that is satisfaction for you, right? I mean, 394 00:38:06,280 --> 00:38:12,800 now as an afterthought. But in the moment, I was just like, you know, I gotta change my life 395 00:38:12,800 --> 00:38:18,359 somehow. And I can't work at Burger King and expect there to be a good deal come out of this. 396 00:38:18,360 --> 00:38:24,959 But now I would have never imagined that, like in a million years, I don't know how I, you know, 397 00:38:25,000 --> 00:38:31,959 became a trucker and got into this, but whatever happened, my life completely turned around. 398 00:38:32,120 --> 00:38:37,599 I don't know, it proved everyone wrong. Well that's great. Even when I was going going to do it, they 399 00:38:37,600 --> 00:38:42,839 were all just like, you were so stupid. Why would you do that? Don't you ever do. And then I've had 400 00:38:42,840 --> 00:38:48,439 it the whole entire time with every single decision. And it turned out great. Well, I think 401 00:38:48,440 --> 00:38:53,458 that I think that deserves a round of applause if you want my honest opinion. Because listen, if 402 00:38:53,459 --> 00:38:57,339 you're not getting the the support and you're, you're, you're kind of fighting in the face of 403 00:38:57,340 --> 00:39:00,819 everybody that you're talking to about your decision. They're telling you it's the wrong 404 00:39:00,819 --> 00:39:06,260 decision. You can second guess yourself, and that can cause you to not approach this opportunity 405 00:39:06,260 --> 00:39:11,059 with the same vigor. But you didn't let that. You didn't let that get on you, Stephanie. You just 406 00:39:11,059 --> 00:39:15,500 like you said, you put your mask on first and you you pushed right through. And and here we are 407 00:39:15,500 --> 00:39:21,179 today. So I that's where the round of applause comes from me. Because I think that I happen to be 408 00:39:21,179 --> 00:39:27,139 one of those people. Maybe this is a function of the job that I've chosen as a career, but I I've 409 00:39:27,139 --> 00:39:31,459 always wanted everybody in the room to like me. And if somebody doesn't like the decision that 410 00:39:31,459 --> 00:39:36,580 I've made, it's not I don't just take that as well. That's their problem and I'll move on. I can let 411 00:39:36,580 --> 00:39:41,939 that eat at me sometimes. And it doesn't sound like it bothers you at all. And I am. I'm very 412 00:39:41,939 --> 00:39:46,739 impressed and also a little envious if you want my honest opinion. I think that's a great mindset. 413 00:39:46,740 --> 00:39:53,559 Stephanie. It actually was. It was a forced, uh, thing because it used to be like that. And then 414 00:39:53,560 --> 00:39:59,479 I started, I think it shifted when I started making more money than I had ever seen in my 415 00:39:59,480 --> 00:40:05,239 lifetime. That was legal, you know, legitimate money. And I was like, what am I going to do with it? Am I 416 00:40:05,279 --> 00:40:11,840 going to buy it? It rounds back to people like you said. I'm going to buy tennis shoes and 417 00:40:12,080 --> 00:40:19,079 fingernails and eyelashes like the other girls do. And, you know, uh, do all this. And I was like, no, 418 00:40:19,120 --> 00:40:26,079 I'm going to save my money and buy a car, and I'm going to buy a house and I'm going to, you know, 419 00:40:26,360 --> 00:40:33,319 those were the focuses. I'm going to invest in an IRA. I wasn't thinking about. I didn't care what 420 00:40:33,360 --> 00:40:39,998 my stuff was like. I just started like. And I think that's where it shifted at whenever I was like, I 421 00:40:39,999 --> 00:40:45,439 am not going to buy in a new outfit. I work all the time. I do not care what anyone thinks about 422 00:40:45,440 --> 00:40:51,419 these clothes because I have brand new furniture. You know what I mean? Like I didn't care. Yeah. And 423 00:40:51,419 --> 00:40:57,739 that's where it shifted. It completely shifted theirs. Like, I do not care what they think, because 424 00:40:57,780 --> 00:41:03,059 I'm going to do what I need to do regardless. That's great. Well, here's the question that I had 425 00:41:03,059 --> 00:41:06,778 left behind a little bit earlier, that now that we're kind of talking about a little bit of life 426 00:41:06,779 --> 00:41:12,099 outside of trucking. Uh, talk to me a little bit about what you're passionate about, Stephanie. 427 00:41:12,139 --> 00:41:16,539 Outside of trucking, obviously, you just kind of talked about, you know, building a life, having a 428 00:41:16,540 --> 00:41:21,059 home, having a car, that type of thing. Uh, but but what are some of the things that really make 429 00:41:21,060 --> 00:41:28,060 Stephanie tick when the truck's not moving down the road? I guess Future dream is ensuring 430 00:41:28,060 --> 00:41:34,378 that it's not even to do with me, really ensuring that my kids are 431 00:41:35,299 --> 00:41:41,219 able to have careers and lives and things of that nature 432 00:41:41,540 --> 00:41:48,479 irregardless of, you know, what's going on around them. I don't know. Their development 433 00:41:48,520 --> 00:41:54,040 is my main goal. You want to give them maybe a better. A better upbringing than what? Maybe you 434 00:41:54,040 --> 00:41:58,479 had. And you know, we haven't. We don't have to talk about that part of it. But. So no, I don't really 435 00:41:58,480 --> 00:42:05,399 have an upgrade. I have adult children. You know, my I only have two that I guess would stay 436 00:42:05,399 --> 00:42:12,239 little. I only have the one that's little. Little. Um, she'll be nine in January, and. 437 00:42:12,280 --> 00:42:19,159 Yeah, she's my 100%, you know, focus towards her, too. Every mistake I ever made with the 438 00:42:19,399 --> 00:42:26,279 older ones, I can fix that with her. Hopefully, you know, or at least try. Right. And then I 439 00:42:26,280 --> 00:42:32,239 have all my other kids. They have their own jobs. They, you know, three of them are complete adults. 440 00:42:32,239 --> 00:42:38,439 And then I have one that's going to be 17 and a 14 year old. Wow. So lots of different stages of 441 00:42:38,440 --> 00:42:43,019 life that they're going through right now. And and you're you're a dedicated mom. I think that's 442 00:42:43,019 --> 00:42:47,579 that's exactly what I was hoping to get to, is, you know what makes you tick? When I asked that 443 00:42:47,580 --> 00:42:54,099 question to parents, that's almost always the answer that I get is my kids and and just get, you 444 00:42:54,100 --> 00:42:59,300 know, making sure that my kids have everything that they need that I can provide them with and 445 00:42:59,300 --> 00:43:03,699 making sure that they're safe and making sure that they have a roof over their head and food on 446 00:43:03,699 --> 00:43:08,499 their plate. That's one hell of a motivator. Stephanie, I can't lie to you. I don't have kids. 447 00:43:08,699 --> 00:43:13,899 I'm a different I'm sorry to interrupt you. I it's a different kind of parenting. And I'm just going 448 00:43:13,899 --> 00:43:20,619 to and I'm going to say that, to be honest, where I've came from to now is way better as far 449 00:43:20,620 --> 00:43:27,339 as the day to day being with them. But my my children are cared for, 450 00:43:27,379 --> 00:43:33,418 even my little one. She stays with her dad. Two of them that's 17 and 14 is with my with my mother, 451 00:43:33,459 --> 00:43:40,178 their grandmother. And they are amazing humans. But there's no way I could be a trucker and be there 452 00:43:40,179 --> 00:43:45,519 to take him to cheerleading practice. Right. You know what I mean? So I don't want to take that 453 00:43:45,520 --> 00:43:52,360 credit from their grandparents or their father that are amazing people that have have done 454 00:43:52,360 --> 00:43:59,319 that. My I guess my role as a parent in the protective sense is 455 00:43:59,320 --> 00:44:06,199 to place my children with the people that I knew they were going to be safe and cared for. And and 456 00:44:06,199 --> 00:44:10,759 anytime I'm able to get out of the truck and be with them, that's a win. But I come from 457 00:44:10,759 --> 00:44:17,159 generational poverty. There's no way I can have one or the other. I can live in poverty 458 00:44:17,159 --> 00:44:23,199 and never have nothing and be right beside them and drag them right through it with me. Or I can 459 00:44:23,199 --> 00:44:30,079 make the choice to say, okay, I'm going to do this now. But at the end of this, they're going to 460 00:44:30,120 --> 00:44:35,679 be homeowners. They're going to have life insurance policies and trust funds and all of 461 00:44:35,719 --> 00:44:42,139 that. So they could be different in the future. I wish I was there to fix their hair for school 462 00:44:42,139 --> 00:44:48,658 every morning and and do those things. But my I guess me being a parent has 463 00:44:48,659 --> 00:44:55,059 been making the best decision for my child's future and placing with people that I 464 00:44:55,060 --> 00:45:01,859 knew was going to guide them the the way I would want. That's amazing. That's and 465 00:45:01,899 --> 00:45:07,379 just the the amount of of humbleness that you have to have in your, in your heart and in your 466 00:45:07,379 --> 00:45:13,219 head, Stephanie, to put all the credit with you. You know, the kid's dad and your, your mother, their 467 00:45:13,219 --> 00:45:17,659 grandmother that really says something to you because you're not out here trying to take the 468 00:45:17,659 --> 00:45:22,259 credit for it. You want the credit where credit is due, but you're also doing your part, and it's a 469 00:45:22,259 --> 00:45:27,899 big part. And you you make that time for your kids. When you can make that time for them, then 470 00:45:27,899 --> 00:45:34,019 everybody knows that sort of part of the job that trucking entails is like, you're going to be gone. 471 00:45:34,019 --> 00:45:38,439 You're going to miss some things. It's it's the story of every truck driver that I've ever spoken 472 00:45:38,439 --> 00:45:45,039 to. Stephanie. Yeah. And I didn't know how. I guess if I would have had some 473 00:45:45,040 --> 00:45:51,839 normal relationship to in some household or a local routing. Things would have been different. 474 00:45:51,879 --> 00:45:56,799 You know, it would have. It would have been a two people situation. Uh, you know, husband and wife or 475 00:45:56,800 --> 00:46:03,399 things of that nature. But since it's just me and, you know, I the only way to change their 476 00:46:03,399 --> 00:46:10,199 future and it is to stay gone. Really. But I don't even know how 477 00:46:10,199 --> 00:46:15,359 I got into that. I guess it's talking about the kids somehow. No, it's. What motivates me outside 478 00:46:15,360 --> 00:46:22,119 the truck. Yeah. Oh, and oh. Real estate. So the goal is, is to have this 479 00:46:22,120 --> 00:46:26,999 house fixed up, and then I'm gonna put my 14 year old daughter and my eight year old daughter. 480 00:46:27,040 --> 00:46:32,319 They'll be older, obviously, in that house where they don't have to pay for housing during college 481 00:46:32,879 --> 00:46:39,019 and, uh, and then use that equity to buy another property that they're banned from. Give me a deep, 482 00:46:39,139 --> 00:46:46,020 you know, in-ground pool somewhere. I like it, so buy that by that second house 483 00:46:46,020 --> 00:46:51,938 and making sure that the little baby it has. You know, every mistake I made with the older one, 484 00:46:51,939 --> 00:46:58,580 she's able to. To benefit from my learning curve there. Absolutely fantastic stuff there, Stephanie. 485 00:46:58,580 --> 00:47:03,539 I know that we got that those those questions always when I ask somebody about, you know, what's 486 00:47:03,540 --> 00:47:08,779 the motivation if they get to talking about their family, we always end up digging a little deeper. 487 00:47:08,779 --> 00:47:13,979 And that's where the passion and and the commitment to those things really shows. And and I 488 00:47:13,980 --> 00:47:18,658 thank you for that. I know it's not always easy to talk to some random dude in Eugene about deep 489 00:47:18,659 --> 00:47:24,100 stuff, but that was really good. And that's exactly what I was hoping to get. I know that you're 490 00:47:24,100 --> 00:47:29,259 dedicated to to those kids and giving them the best life that you can, and I'm super happy to 491 00:47:29,300 --> 00:47:34,319 hear that it's working out so well and all. I'm all I'm going to say is if you get that big 492 00:47:34,320 --> 00:47:40,679 in-ground pool, you deserve it. Okay. That's that's the tall and the short of it. So. Um. Yeah. Great 493 00:47:40,679 --> 00:47:45,239 stuff there. All right, let's have a little bit of fun as we start to wrap this up. Not that this 494 00:47:45,240 --> 00:47:49,919 hasn't been a fun conversation from start to finish, but I always save some of the fun stuff 495 00:47:49,919 --> 00:47:55,839 for last. And I want to. I've got a little bit of a lightning round here and I've got a few. Would you 496 00:47:55,840 --> 00:48:01,719 rather be here for you, Stephanie? That should just be fun. Okay. And they're going to deal with truck 497 00:48:01,719 --> 00:48:07,879 driving. So it's going to be something that, you know. Um. All right. So let me let me start out here 498 00:48:07,879 --> 00:48:14,039 with some life behind the wheel stuff. Uh, as far as would you rather would you rather drive 600 499 00:48:14,040 --> 00:48:20,879 miles in a day with almost no stops, or drive 300 miles in a day with 4 or 5 500 00:48:20,879 --> 00:48:27,519 stops along the way? 600. You like to keep that door shut, don't you? Yeah. One of 501 00:48:27,520 --> 00:48:34,019 the. Yeah, I like it. I guess it would depend on the money on the. On the end of it really I would do 502 00:48:34,019 --> 00:48:38,780 the three. It depends on which one paid more. Gotcha. That's. Hey, that's what we're looking for 503 00:48:38,780 --> 00:48:43,820 here. Perfect answer. Uh, would you rather run the same route every week and know exactly what to 504 00:48:43,820 --> 00:48:50,499 expect, or go somewhere different each time you get in the truck? For the most part, I, I don't know, 505 00:48:50,540 --> 00:48:57,539 I don't know. That was a hard one. So I would like to do the same thing in theory, but I 506 00:48:57,539 --> 00:49:03,779 get bored easy. Okay, so so maybe. Going home every night I would do the same thing every. Day. Okay. 507 00:49:03,780 --> 00:49:09,739 Gotcha. See, there's important caveats here. We got. That's exactly what we're looking for. Um, okay. 508 00:49:09,780 --> 00:49:14,500 Would you rather drive overnight when the traffic is light or during the day when everything is 509 00:49:14,500 --> 00:49:21,459 open and the world is actually turned on. Night. Nighttime? Is that a traffic thing or or do 510 00:49:21,460 --> 00:49:26,020 you just enjoy driving at night more? What's what's behind that decision? Stephanie, you don't 511 00:49:26,020 --> 00:49:30,639 have to wait on anything. You don't have to wait for showers. You don't have to wait for fuel. You 512 00:49:30,639 --> 00:49:37,198 don't have to wait at the weight station. You don't have to wait. It's nothing. And a lot of it. 513 00:49:37,240 --> 00:49:42,919 Yeah. A lot of this out here is waiting. Right, right, I hear you. Okay. One last one here, and then 514 00:49:42,919 --> 00:49:48,719 we'll get to a lightning round. Uh, would you rather deal with heavy traffic in a major city or 515 00:49:48,879 --> 00:49:55,079 a two lane highway with no passing opportunities and maybe nothing? No stops for miles. 516 00:49:56,519 --> 00:50:01,519 You like the back roads? Something about that. What I'm getting here is that the more people that are 517 00:50:01,519 --> 00:50:07,479 involved in your route, uh, the less you're going to enjoy getting from point A to point B. I enjoy 518 00:50:07,480 --> 00:50:13,279 it either way. I love Dragon, but, uh, I'm more thinking about my clock than anything. Like, I 519 00:50:13,279 --> 00:50:17,799 don't want them to run my clock out. I got. You, I want them to get out of the way. Yeah, you know, I 520 00:50:17,800 --> 00:50:22,759 gotcha. I there's not really too many drivers that I've asked that question to that have said, give 521 00:50:22,759 --> 00:50:27,199 me the heavy traffic at a major city. So you're right down the middle for drivers with that one. 522 00:50:27,200 --> 00:50:32,659 Stephanie, I think that, uh, you know, as long as you're not on some gravel goat trail, uh, heading 523 00:50:32,659 --> 00:50:36,938 up the side of a mountain with no way to turn around, I think that everybody prefers, you know, 524 00:50:36,980 --> 00:50:43,219 paved and striped and all that, but nobody really likes to get, like, deep into Chicago during rush 525 00:50:43,220 --> 00:50:49,979 hour. Right. Nobody wants that. No. All right. Lightning around here. Uh, because I know you. You 526 00:50:49,979 --> 00:50:54,939 told me earlier, for your last job, you were going coast to coast. Uh, and and you've seen a lot of 527 00:50:54,939 --> 00:51:00,860 this country via the job. Stephanie. What's your favorite state to drive in that you've 528 00:51:00,860 --> 00:51:07,819 experienced thus far? Oh, that's hard. That's hard. They all have 529 00:51:08,020 --> 00:51:14,579 so many great qualities. Oh my goodness. Uh, I think I had the most fun in 530 00:51:14,580 --> 00:51:20,339 Florida. Oh, Florida. Okay, so you like the sunny, uh, the little bit of sunny weather down there? Uh, you 531 00:51:20,340 --> 00:51:25,139 know, mild temperatures, but still warm enough to to wear short sleeved shirt and get out and get a 532 00:51:25,139 --> 00:51:30,918 little vitamin D in your life. So that was just because where I was able to get out of the truck 533 00:51:30,959 --> 00:51:36,119 and, you know, be at the Everglades and stuff like that, it wasn't really the route. Okay. So you like 534 00:51:36,120 --> 00:51:41,319 to. If I had to. Yeah. Because it was driving. I'd like to go through New Mexico. Arizona because 535 00:51:41,319 --> 00:51:47,158 it's just straight shot down then. Yeah. To the desert. Like you're getting money out there? Yeah. 536 00:51:47,200 --> 00:51:52,399 Experience with Florida? Yeah. Okay. Got it. All right, so on the flip side of that coin, least 537 00:51:52,399 --> 00:51:57,399 favorite state to drive in. And you can say California because that's like 49 out of 50 538 00:51:57,440 --> 00:52:01,959 drivers will say California. But I don't know how much you make it out there. So what's your least 539 00:52:01,959 --> 00:52:08,719 favorite state to drive in? Least favorite state? I can narrow it down to city. Okay. That's 540 00:52:08,719 --> 00:52:15,518 fine. Atlanta. That is another. One. Favorite. Yep. Least favorite. It's if they're not going to. Say 541 00:52:15,720 --> 00:52:22,519 California is really bad too. Um, I think Atlanta is worse than than LA. You know, 542 00:52:22,520 --> 00:52:29,059 if if people don't say California. They say Atlanta. And that's kind of the same on the flip 543 00:52:29,060 --> 00:52:33,299 side there. And I think that one thing that is a little bit different about them, at least from 544 00:52:33,300 --> 00:52:38,820 drivers I've spoken to, is that California is tough as an entire state. There's a lot of red 545 00:52:38,860 --> 00:52:44,059 tape. There's speed limits that are different. There's a lot of highway patrol out there. Um, and 546 00:52:44,060 --> 00:52:50,300 also diesel is like $8 a gallon out there right now. That's an important. One. Yeah. So none of that 547 00:52:50,300 --> 00:52:56,619 bothered me. And in California, what what's hard is if you're in the big cities in California, you 548 00:52:56,620 --> 00:53:01,619 have to know how to parallel park bumper to bumper with these passenger vehicles because 549 00:53:01,620 --> 00:53:05,780 you're going to park on the street. You're not going to a truck stop, I promise you. God. You're 550 00:53:05,780 --> 00:53:12,419 you're just regular parking. But I would rather out of like, I hate Atlanta. I would rather 551 00:53:12,539 --> 00:53:19,299 drive in Manhattan during rush hour across the George Washington Bridge than go to Atlanta. 552 00:53:19,340 --> 00:53:25,049 I promise you I'll hate it where it says anything. You are in good company? You're in good company. 553 00:53:25,090 --> 00:53:29,329 Just know that when your next time you're down in Atlanta and you look over and see another driver 554 00:53:29,330 --> 00:53:35,169 driving a truck, he also hates being there, I promise you that because. Oh, yeah. There we go. Yeah, 555 00:53:35,169 --> 00:53:39,049 I've heard it so many times. Okay, I got just a couple more for you, and then I'm gonna let you 556 00:53:39,090 --> 00:53:45,169 get back to it. Uh, when you're out there putting Miles on. Is it music? Is it podcasts? Like always 557 00:53:45,169 --> 00:53:50,169 pneumatic, never static. Is it audiobooks or is it silence for you? What do you like to listen to 558 00:53:50,169 --> 00:53:56,689 when you're rolling? Um, it'll be podcasts or, um, audiobooks, things of that nature. 559 00:53:57,090 --> 00:54:01,729 Okay. And, and any good podcasts that you can turn the listeners onto that you're really liking 560 00:54:01,730 --> 00:54:07,529 right now. Besides this one, of course. Always pneumatic, never static. Right here, baby. 561 00:54:09,530 --> 00:54:16,209 No, just, uh, whatever pops up when I do the search. Okay. So you pretty much. You kind of like the 562 00:54:16,210 --> 00:54:20,769 variety. I mean, there's so many different avenues that you can go down when you just say podcasts, 563 00:54:20,810 --> 00:54:24,949 all right? People are talking about everything. So you just kind of like a little variety in your 564 00:54:24,949 --> 00:54:31,830 life. It sounds like. Yeah. Okay. All right. Last one I've got for you. What's the very first thing 565 00:54:31,830 --> 00:54:38,629 Stephanie Evans does when she gets home? Take everything out of my truck. Uh, okay. When I 566 00:54:38,629 --> 00:54:44,869 get home. In the door? Yeah, in the door. I get in the shower. First thing I kind of knew, that was 567 00:54:44,870 --> 00:54:49,509 where it was going to go. Because, you know, we talked about, uh, taking a carbon bath earlier in 568 00:54:49,510 --> 00:54:54,629 this conversation. So that's where I would be. Stephanie, for sure, is right into the shower. And, 569 00:54:54,669 --> 00:54:59,349 uh, I figured that would be it for you. And let me tell you, that shower is probably the best one you 570 00:54:59,350 --> 00:55:03,468 take all week, isn't it? Every time you get through that door at home, you're showering in your own 571 00:55:03,469 --> 00:55:09,908 bathroom. Absolutely, I love it, I love it. Well, Stephanie, this has been awesome. I really 572 00:55:09,909 --> 00:55:13,589 appreciate you coming on here and playing ball with me. Sometimes it's a little tough when you're 573 00:55:13,590 --> 00:55:19,110 the only one in the room, but you did absolutely phenomenal today. Uh, just killed it. Just like you 574 00:55:19,110 --> 00:55:23,849 are out there for bulk every single day, and we greatly appreciate the time. Uh, do you have any 575 00:55:23,850 --> 00:55:28,809 final thoughts for us before we let you get back to it? This can be shout outs to friends or family. 576 00:55:28,929 --> 00:55:33,849 Uh, you know, shout outs to to any of your crew that you want to mention or anything that we left 577 00:55:33,850 --> 00:55:38,129 on the table that you wanted to mention. Before we get out of here, the floor is yours. Thank you so 578 00:55:38,129 --> 00:55:44,010 much for the time today, Stephanie. Yeah. So I do want to give a shout out. And I felt bad the last 579 00:55:44,010 --> 00:55:50,969 time I was on your podcast. I didn't mention this to Chris and Tommy. Um, in the maintenance, 580 00:55:51,129 --> 00:55:57,769 uh, in the garage. Yeah, they without them, uh, you know, because I, I did mention everyone else, you 581 00:55:57,769 --> 00:56:04,649 know, uh, Kelly and the trainers and things, but, um, I did not mention them, and. Yeah. So I just wanted 582 00:56:04,649 --> 00:56:10,850 to say thank you, Chris. Thank you, Tommy, for for keeping our trucks on the road. I appreciate it. 583 00:56:10,850 --> 00:56:16,208 Great work there. And a huge shout out to everyone all the way across the maintenance department 584 00:56:16,209 --> 00:56:21,309 here at Bulk and Spur because those guys are kind of the unsung heroes of the entire thing, aren't 585 00:56:21,310 --> 00:56:27,070 they? Stephanie, if it wasn't for them, nobody would be out here rolling. Right? Right. Absolutely. 586 00:56:27,550 --> 00:56:31,749 Stephanie Evans, it's been a pleasure. Thank you so much. We will get you back on it sometime in the 587 00:56:31,749 --> 00:56:36,749 future. I'm sure if you'll have us, we'll definitely have you. You be safe out there, okay? 588 00:56:37,389 --> 00:56:38,589 All right. Bye bye. 589 00:56:51,830 --> 00:56:57,189 Yeah, yeah. She deserved a second round of applause for that one. Uh, just want to say thanks again to 590 00:56:57,229 --> 00:57:03,709 Stephanie Evans for coming in here and playing ball with me today. Um, it's not always easy to 591 00:57:03,749 --> 00:57:10,549 open up like that, okay? And some people will never do that on a podcast. They will never 592 00:57:10,590 --> 00:57:15,869 get that personal, that intimate with the way that they approach things and and tell the stories 593 00:57:15,930 --> 00:57:21,809 that Stephanie told, and we appreciate her greatly for that, because that's what makes this podcast, 594 00:57:21,810 --> 00:57:28,090 and I understand it's not for everybody. But if you heard that and you thought, man, I it would be 595 00:57:28,090 --> 00:57:33,769 really cool to tell my story. Well, all you have to do is send me an email. Talk to anybody that's 596 00:57:33,770 --> 00:57:38,170 talk to me on this podcast. They will have my phone number and they will give it to you. And you 597 00:57:38,170 --> 00:57:43,769 can send me a text or call me. I'm good for it. I always want to welcome as many of you guys in 598 00:57:43,770 --> 00:57:49,529 here as possible. And uh, Stephanie, she was so awesome through the entire process. We had a 599 00:57:49,529 --> 00:57:54,489 recording scheduled. Some stuff got messed up the whole time. Stephanie was just right there 600 00:57:54,490 --> 00:57:59,050 answering my calls and texts saying, hey, whatever you need, whenever it works for you, we'll make it 601 00:57:59,050 --> 00:58:05,688 work. And she did. And that right there, I think, sort of brings full circle the attitude that 602 00:58:05,689 --> 00:58:12,529 Stephanie has towards the job and towards life in general. Um, just a couple reflection points from 603 00:58:12,530 --> 00:58:18,549 the interview that I thought were so cool. Uh, put on your mask first. I've never. I said this in the 604 00:58:18,550 --> 00:58:24,349 interview. I've never had anybody say it to me like that before. I understand the, uh, the thought 605 00:58:24,350 --> 00:58:29,149 process behind it. Okay? And I've had people talk about it in different ways. But the way that 606 00:58:29,150 --> 00:58:33,909 Stephanie approaches it, put on your mask first and then you'll be available to help others once 607 00:58:33,910 --> 00:58:40,590 you get that done. And she's used that adage, she's thought about that and she's made a career out of 608 00:58:40,590 --> 00:58:47,349 putting her mask on first. It's not selfish. It's not self-centered. It's how we all have to be. You 609 00:58:47,390 --> 00:58:50,669 hear a lot of people say, look out for number one. And what are they saying? Well, look out for 610 00:58:50,670 --> 00:58:57,509 yourself. Think about the man in the mirror, right? Yeah, but it's hard to do sometimes. It's hard. Uh, 611 00:58:57,509 --> 00:59:04,469 just by the nature of the job. You've got so many moving parts in trucking and especially 612 00:59:04,469 --> 00:59:10,470 in pneumatics. And then you add to that you've got shippers, you've got receivers. There's a customer 613 00:59:10,470 --> 00:59:16,729 service aspect that goes in there, The safety aspect is obviously the big overarching thing. Uh, 614 00:59:16,730 --> 00:59:21,729 that kind of shit. I don't want to say cast a shadow over all this because that's a negative 615 00:59:21,770 --> 00:59:26,330 thing. But it it kind of hangs over the top of all of it and is the most important part. And with 616 00:59:26,330 --> 00:59:31,849 that, you've got to worry about other drivers on the road, traffic, construction accidents, you name 617 00:59:31,850 --> 00:59:37,488 it. There's always something else to think about there. So it can be hard to make sure to look out 618 00:59:37,489 --> 00:59:42,809 for the man in the mirror or the woman in the mirror, as I should say. In this case, um, every day. 619 00:59:42,810 --> 00:59:49,370 And I think that myself especially, I really benefit from talking to a person like Stephanie 620 00:59:49,370 --> 00:59:55,009 that has that attitude, because I walk around a lot of time thinking, don't make a dent in anybody 621 00:59:55,010 --> 01:00:01,569 else's day. And I think that that's just anxiety rearing its head. Uh, most people, if you were to 622 01:00:01,570 --> 01:00:08,049 just randomly sample a hundred people out of, let's say, any population and ask them about 623 01:00:08,050 --> 01:00:12,349 yourself and what they know about you and what they've learned about you by maybe interacting 624 01:00:12,350 --> 01:00:17,388 with you a few times in their entire life. What you'll find is they'll say, I know nothing about 625 01:00:17,389 --> 01:00:22,229 that guy. I don't remember what he looks like. I don't remember what he sounds like. I don't 626 01:00:22,230 --> 01:00:28,909 remember what happened and what interaction we had that would have turned me on or off to that 627 01:00:28,909 --> 01:00:34,469 person. That's the reality of it. But it doesn't seem like the reality in our brain all the time. 628 01:00:34,470 --> 01:00:40,509 It seems like, hey, that guy's looking at me. That that lady just flipped me off. What did I do? Um. 629 01:00:40,510 --> 01:00:45,469 You know. Oh, man. I accidentally bumped into a lady at the at the grocery store today. She probably 630 01:00:45,469 --> 01:00:50,549 hates me. You got to get rid of those thoughts. You got to put your own mask on first, and then you 631 01:00:50,550 --> 01:00:56,429 got to worry about everybody else. Uh, very poignant stuff from Stephanie there. And also just 632 01:00:56,429 --> 01:01:02,069 hearing about sort of what makes her tick and her kids and the real estate and trying to set her 633 01:01:02,070 --> 01:01:07,789 kids up with houses before they even get into college. Um, I think that's just that's the 634 01:01:07,790 --> 01:01:12,928 motivation, right? Because this is a hard job. This is a job that's going to keep you away from home 635 01:01:13,049 --> 01:01:18,809 more than other jobs. And so you have to have something like that that keeps you moving forward 636 01:01:18,810 --> 01:01:25,689 every single day. And Stephanie really does. Um, great interview. I don't have anything else to say 637 01:01:25,689 --> 01:01:29,929 about it. I'm just going to go ahead and wrap this episode up, because I feel like the more that I, 638 01:01:30,010 --> 01:01:35,569 you know, banter on about it, the more it takes away from it. I go back and listen to it again. Um, 639 01:01:35,570 --> 01:01:40,450 because, uh, there's going to be things that you missed, and trust me, you're going to want to hear 640 01:01:40,450 --> 01:01:45,409 them. Thank you, thank you, thank you to Stephanie Evans for coming in here and joining me today. And 641 01:01:45,409 --> 01:01:51,049 thank all of you for clicking download or going to the website and playing this episode. You guys 642 01:01:51,050 --> 01:01:56,129 are the reasons that we do this. Make sure to get your quiz turned in so that your name is in the 643 01:01:56,129 --> 01:02:02,929 hat for that $400 Amazon gift card drawing. Uh, and stay tuned here to Always pneumatic, never static, 644 01:02:02,929 --> 01:02:07,670 because we'll be telling you at some point in time, um, when we're going to pull the trigger on 645 01:02:07,709 --> 01:02:12,708 that drawing. Now, one thing about being the host that you guys might think is that I have control 646 01:02:12,709 --> 01:02:18,469 over all of this, that I'm the one making the decisions. I would look at me more like the, uh, the 647 01:02:18,469 --> 01:02:23,029 general attraction in the zoo. Right? Yeah. People are coming here to see me. They're coming here to 648 01:02:23,070 --> 01:02:29,629 listen to me. But without handlers and a cage and just keeping a lid on my whole pen, 649 01:02:29,869 --> 01:02:34,389 um, none of this stuff would get done. And so I don't know exactly when we're going to give it 650 01:02:34,389 --> 01:02:39,350 away. And I think that's probably them keeping me in the dark for a good reason. A they don't want 651 01:02:39,350 --> 01:02:44,989 me to blow it and give it away before we're supposed to, or let you guys know the date before 652 01:02:44,989 --> 01:02:50,069 we're supposed to. Uh, because I talk a lot. I mean, these people are people that sit in meetings with 653 01:02:50,070 --> 01:02:55,349 me each week. They know who I am. And, uh, it's probably smart for them to keep that information 654 01:02:55,349 --> 01:03:01,189 from me. So know that I will give you that information when we're going to do the drawing at 655 01:03:01,190 --> 01:03:05,769 some point in time in the future. But until then, I just have to kind of talk about it like it's it's 656 01:03:05,770 --> 01:03:09,769 the carrot and the stick thing. Right? I'm dangling it in front of you. Keep chasing it. The most 657 01:03:09,769 --> 01:03:15,408 important thing that I need to say is to fill out those quizzes. It doesn't matter if you get every 658 01:03:15,409 --> 01:03:20,208 question right or wrong. What matters is that you filled it out. You put your name on it, you turned 659 01:03:20,209 --> 01:03:25,410 it in. That's going to get you entered for that $400 Amazon gift card drawing. Thank you all so 660 01:03:25,410 --> 01:03:30,329 much for being here today. That will put the brakes on this episode of Always Pneumatic, never 661 01:03:30,330 --> 01:03:36,289 static. Stay tuned. Next week, Wednesday 5 a.m. local time for another episode. An hour of content 662 01:03:36,289 --> 01:03:40,609 from all of us here at Always Pneumatic, never static. We appreciate you. Be safe out there, 663 01:03:40,609 --> 01:03:47,530 drivers. We'll talk to you again next week. And that's all she blows for today's episode of 664 01:03:47,530 --> 01:03:53,929 Always Pneumatic, Never Static. Your number one and probably only Pneumatic Trucking podcast, brought 665 01:03:53,929 --> 01:03:59,569 to you by Bulk Transit. Thanks for rolling with us today. Till next time, stay safe, keep those lines 666 01:03:59,569 --> 01:04:01,449 clear and keep it pumping.