Trucking for Millennials

In this insightful episode, we had the pleasure of speaking with Charles Gracey, a seasoned recruiter in the trucking industry and the president and founder of Hot Seat Services. Charles, also known as the "tatted recruiter," shared his candid thoughts on the alleged driver shortage, the realities of driver recruitment, and the challenges of placing millennials behind the wheel.

• Driver Shortage Myth: Charles firmly believes that the narrative of a driver shortage is a "dumpster fire" that needs to be left behind. He argues that there is no shortage of drivers, but rather an issue with carriers being overly selective due to being near capacity.
• Recruitment Realities: The conversation delved into the intricacies of driver recruitment, highlighting the unrealistic expectations from both carriers and drivers. Charles emphasized the importance of aligning expectations with reality and the need for drivers to ask the right questions before joining a company.
• Insurance and Regulation Impact: Charles pointed out that insurance companies significantly influence hiring decisions, often more than in the past. This has led to an overabundance of regulations that affect small carriers disproportionately.
• Pay and Benefits: A significant portion of the discussion focused on what constitutes fair pay for drivers. Charles noted that pay should be relative to the cost of living in different areas and that carriers need to consider offering more than just a good salary to retain drivers.
• Millennial Drivers: The episode also touched on the challenges of recruiting younger drivers. Charles advised millennials to have a clear plan and set expectations for their trucking career. He also urged carriers to create clear pathways for career advancement to attract and retain younger talent.
• Quality of Life: Charles and the hosts discussed the importance of quality of life for drivers, including home time, technology for communication, and other benefits that go beyond pay.
• Advice for Drivers and Carriers: Charles encouraged drivers to communicate openly with potential employers and for carriers to be transparent about the job and its requirements. He also suggested that carriers develop structured programs to guide drivers through their career progression.

The episode concluded with a robust discussion on the need for the trucking industry to adapt to the changing workforce and to address the core issues of driver retention and recruitment. Charles Gracey's expertise provided valuable insights into making trucking an attractive career choice for the next generation while debunking the myth of a driver shortage.

In this episode, Aaron and Nolan dive into their recent experience at the TIA (Transportation Intermediaries Association) Capital Ideas Conference in sunny Phoenix, Arizona. It PDQ America's their first time attending, and we wanted to share our insights and takeaways from this event, which is a significant gathering for freight brokers like us.

You'll hear us discuss our initial impressions, about the venue, what we learned, the networking that we had and the value of personal and professional development.

Marcus one of our first guests and we're happy to have him back to get an update on the progress he's made on his app, Duke.AI. Duke.AI is an automated bookkeeping and accounting app that allows drivers to scan documents with their phones and automate their bookkeeping and factoring invoicing.

Listen to learn how Marcus discovered this issue in his trucking company and used his software development background to create a solution that continues to improve in functionality.

Be sure to connect with Marcus on LinkedIn also!

Jon is a millennial truck driver and YouTuber who's been driving for 3 years. He's driving over the road a few weeks at a time before he has 2 days off, and he was kind enough to spend an hour of one of those days with us!

We speak with him about how he got into the industry, his insight on what carriers could do to better recruit younger drivers, how he maintains a social life outside of trucking, his YouTube channel and more!

Follow him @TruckingSeriously and subscribe to his YouTube channel by clicking here.

Welcome back to another episode of the Trucker for Millennials podcast. In this episode, we dive deep into the current state of trucking rates, the COVID-19 trucking rates that won't come back, and the recent Francis Scott Key Bridge tragedy.

Our conversation kicks off with a discussion about the ever-present issue of low rates in the trucking industry. We ponder whether we're waiting for the bottom to hit or if the industry simply fluctuates from one rate spike to another. The consensus seems to be that the golden days of COVID rates are long gone, and many truckers are feeling the pinch, especially those who entered the industry during the pandemic.

We had the pleasure of having Justin Martin on the show, a trucking industry veteran and social media expert. Justin shared his experiences from the Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS), highlighting the importance of networking and the value of in-person interactions. He also touched on the FMCSA sessions at MATS, where he had the opportunity to discuss pressing issues like lease purchase programs and the driver shortage myth.

Justin gave us a glimpse into the after-party scene at MATS, where the real magic happens. These informal gatherings are where industry professionals let their guard down and share insights, frustrations, and future plans. It's a place where you can hear about new ventures and get the inside scoop on the industry.

We also discussed the recent catastrophic event where a cargo ship collided with the Baltimore Bridge, causing it to collapse. This incident has led to significant supply chain disruptions, particularly for hazardous materials that were routed through the bridge. We talked about the impact on freight travel in the area and the importance of finding alternative routes.

Lastly, we addressed the conspiracy theories surrounding the bridge tragedy. We emphasized the need for factual information and cautioned against jumping to conclusions without evidence.

That's a wrap for this episode. We covered a lot of ground, from the state of trucking rates to the impact of unexpected disasters on the industry. Stay tuned for more discussions on the pulse of trucking and the people who keep it moving.