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Taking the Hire Road is a podcast dedicated to providing tips to help manage the driver recruiting process while addressing the ongoing challenges related to the driver shortage and driver retention. Hosted by Jeremy Reymer, Founder and CEO of DriverReach, this bimonthly podcast shines a light on the challenges that carriers are facing and aims to help companies hire quality drivers with greater efficiency.
Transcription
LEGACY BUILDERS | TAKING THE HIRE ROAD | REPLAY-PROJECT 61
Episode Transcript
This has been generated by AI and optimized by a human.
[00:00:00] Hey there listeners, I'm Jeremy Reymer, welcoming you back to Taking the Hire Road. For this episode, I'm going back into the archives to pull out one of my favorite conversations showcasing the industry's greatest challenges. So, whether you're hearing this episode for the first time or revisiting it, get ready to hear some insights from one of the best in the business.
[00:00:23] Jeremy Reymer: Welcome to Taking the Hire Road, a special show dedicated to the trucking industry, specifically at the confluence of recruiting, retention, and compliance. In the fourth year as the host of the show, I bring over two decades of industry experience, both on the carrier side, as well as the vendor side.
[00:00:38] Jeremy Reymer: And each week I interview industry experts and thought leaders who bring their insights to the driver lifecycle as we discuss the industry's greatest challenges. I always appreciate your feedback, good or bad. Don't forget to leave a rating and a review. I'd also like to thank and highlight the show's valuable sponsors.
[00:00:52] Jeremy Reymer: Their dedication and commitment to the industry and to the show is greatly appreciated. If you're interested in being a sponsor of the show [00:01:00] or joining me for an interview, please email jeremy at takingthehireroad. com. This week, I'm doing something radically different, and I think this is going to be a lot of fun.
[00:01:10] Jeremy Reymer: I'm excited to be hosting for the very first time on the show, an industry leader who's no stranger To the Driver Recruiting and Compliance Arena, who's now here to share his passion for improving driver health. And I figure who better to interview him than me? Jeremy Ramer, founder of DriverReach and also the founder of his passion project, Project 61.
[00:01:30] Jeremy Reymer: Thank you so much for joining me, Jeremy. It's great to be here. Uh, thank you so much for having me. I'd love to learn a little about your background, how you got into the trucking industry, and what was it that triggered your passion for addressing not just the driver shortage challenges the industry's been facing for decades, but also this, this health epidemic as you call it.
[00:01:48] Jeremy Reymer: I'd love for you to share what Project 61 is all about, what's the goal, how our listeners can get involved and show their support. And lastly, we'll answer a question from a listener during our Deeper Dive segment. Does that work for [00:02:00] you? Absolutely. Looking forward to it. This is going to be fun. As you most certainly know, I generally kick off conversations with a book recommendation.
[00:02:09] Jeremy Reymer: Can you share with the audience a particular book that's been, you know, especially impactful for you? Well, like you, I'm a pretty avid reader. Uh, most of the books I read are consumed on Audible, where I can listen to them at, you know, like one and a half speed while I'm walking or driving or doing dishes, folding laundry.
[00:02:26] Jeremy Reymer: Yes, I do all those things all the time. You know, really anything that gives me the time to listen. I always like to learn just and grow more. Normally, I might recommend a book about leadership or business or, or even a cool like history related book. But given today's topic, I'll share a book I read that sort of kicked off my own personal health improvement two years ago.
[00:02:48] Jeremy Reymer: And that's a book by Dr. Michael Greger called How Not to Die. Uh, you probably have it on your shelf right there. I do have it on my shelf, uh, I've read that as well. It helped open my eyes to the [00:03:00] importance of nutrition and just the importance of Eating more whole food and staying away from so much processed food and sugary drinks.
[00:03:07] Jeremy Reymer: That's been a great journey the past couple of years to where I feel amazing. Certainly better at 50 than I felt at 40. That's awesome to hear. Congratulations. Let's get a little bit more into your background. You know, what was the catalyst for you becoming so entrenched in the trucking industry these past 20 plus years?
[00:03:25] Jeremy Reymer: Well, I'm definitely not one of those who was born into trucking. I don't have any truckers in my immediate family. I'm In fact, I was approaching my 30th birthday living in Long Beach, California, a block from the ocean, when I was offered an opportunity with a small family owned truck driver staffing business in Indiana.
[00:03:41] Jeremy Reymer: And at first I was like, Indiana, trucking, no thanks. But, uh, but I had just gotten married and my wife was really supportive of the idea. She's like, let's do it. You know, if we don't like it, we can come back. And it didn't take long to realize what a great industry this is. And I just, I dove in right away and I learned a ton.
[00:03:59] Jeremy Reymer: And, [00:04:00] uh, I even started a trucking company as well. It was a small four hire fleet, uh, just in time to experience the Great Recession, which was, uh, which was an awful education for sure. But I ended up buying the, the staffing company and, and growing it for a number of years. Building technology to help my business grow and scale.
[00:04:17] Jeremy Reymer: And then it dawned on me that I could help way more companies with the technology I'd build, certainly much more than I could with my staffing company. So I founded DriverReach and then sold that staffing company in 2017. That's interesting. So you founded DriverReach and now you've also founded Project 61.
[00:04:35] Jeremy Reymer: I'm sure this is the first most of the audience has heard of it. What is, uh, what's Project 61 all about? So Project 61 is a movement to really address what is an awful and alarming statistic, and that's the fact that the average life expectancy of a CDL driver is 61 years old. Now, Project 61 is in its like infant stage at this point, but my goal is to raise awareness and to educate [00:05:00] all industry stakeholders, most certainly drivers, and also to provide resources and solutions to move the needle and alter that trajectory.
[00:05:09] Jeremy Reymer: A life expectancy of 61 is just entirely unacceptable in my opinion. We're letting our drivers down by not supporting them properly. And we all know how important truck drivers and this industry is to our economy. So, you know, companies spend tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars to care for their equipment, you know, their rolling stock.
[00:05:29] Jeremy Reymer: But the most valuable asset, the driver, is left to fend for themselves with poor access to healthy food or little to no opportunity for movement or exercise. Transcribed And just poor or inconsistent sleep, we have to do better for them. We just, we got to stop looking away. And it starts with education and awareness, just understanding how critical this is.
[00:05:50] Jeremy Reymer: But then we've got to make it easy for them to make better decisions, you know, to get the proper nutrition and exercise and sleep, to take steps to improve their mental health, just in order to [00:06:00] live a longer, healthier life. I couldn't agree with you more. I know there are a number of companies in the industry that provide, you know, health and wellness services, and you probably partner with them, you know, with Project 61.
[00:06:11] Jeremy Reymer: Why do you think this hasn't been a bigger deal, and why hasn't there been more traction around this issue? Candidly, I think it's been easier to just look away. You know, perhaps many of us have heard this before, but have just gotten numb to it. You know, the reality is we must recognize and address the fact that I think that one of the largest and most important industries in America also has one of the worst life expectancies.
[00:06:35] Jeremy Reymer: But it's the right thing to do. And there are tons of legitimate ROI case studies on the merits of incorporating, you know, health and wellness programs, especially the ones designed specifically for drivers. Savings in insurance costs, work comp, you know, more productivity, loyalty, morale, just improved driver retention, and so on.
[00:06:54] Jeremy Reymer: But, but one of the challenges companies face is one, um, they have to make it easy, right? You got to make it [00:07:00] as easy as possible for the driver. And two, I know they struggle with, with getting enough adoption with their drivers and sometimes end up just nixing the program altogether. Far as getting more traction, I think education is a big part of it.
[00:07:13] Jeremy Reymer: And then helping the driver or whoever it is to connect the dots. And what I mean is if I believe and understand that my life and health trajectory likely has me exiting early. At least if I'm at a much greater risk of that outcome and I have something or, you know, more likely someone that I don't want to lose.
[00:07:33] Jeremy Reymer: Then something needs to change. We all have to uncover our why. You know, why will I decide to make better decisions around what I eat, or how often I move, or how I sleep? For some people, it's their spouse. For some, it's their child or children. For some, it's their grandkids. For me, it's my three children, who are 10, 11, and 12.
[00:07:53] Jeremy Reymer: I want to be healthy and alive and enjoy them growing up. If they decide to, you know, start a family [00:08:00] someday, I want to be there. I want to be a part of that. I want to be able to pick up my grandchild and carry them upstairs. And for me to be in that position, whenever that time comes, that I need to make better decisions today, yesterday, you know, we can alter the trajectory by making better decisions.
[00:08:17] Jeremy Reymer: Well, I'm certainly a supporter of the cause and I appreciate your passion and industry influence behind it. I also appreciate the stickers, uh, and the, uh, and the wristband. Thank you. How do I get one of those t shirts though? You and your listeners can get stickers, a wristband, or a t shirt. Just need to go to the website project 61.
[00:08:35] Jeremy Reymer: org and become a supporter of the cause by signing up and providing your contact information. You know, starting out, I'll, uh, I'll randomly select a number of supporters from the first 100 and, and send them a t shirt, wristband, and stickers, just the more supporters this movement has, the more people talking about it, the more promoting it, it's going to give it the best chance of success so we can really move that needle and improve the health and the lives of our drivers.
[00:08:59] Jeremy Reymer: When did [00:09:00] you realize that you wanted to be part of the solution to driver's health? Was there anything in particular that opened your eyes to this glaring problem? Honestly, I think it had partly to do with getting educated myself on the importance of just getting proper fuel, you know, nutrition and exercise and sleep.
[00:09:16] Jeremy Reymer: Plus, as I'm getting older, there's just, it's a bit of a wake up call when you hear that number 61. Now that's not that far away. Now, I know I've heard that statistic before. It's not new, you know, maybe 10 years, uh, older so that, uh, the government, the CDC published, but it didn't hit me in the same way as it did more recently.
[00:09:36] Jeremy Reymer: And I'd say it was around the end of 2023, about the end of last year. Uh, that was like a two by four to the head. And I just, I felt like this is unacceptable as an industry. We have to work together to make a difference. Uh, these drivers are doing a very important job. And it's one that's naturally not conducive to just overall health.
[00:09:54] Jeremy Reymer: So it takes a lot more intentional action and discipline on their part to, to course correct. [00:10:00] But it starts with awareness and education. Well, I'm honored to be able to provide you a platform, you know, this show to help get that message out. As you know, the audience for Taking the High Road is primarily folks from the recruiting and compliance side of trucking.
[00:10:14] Jeremy Reymer: How do you feel this issue impacts the ongoing challenges that they face in their work? First of all, I bet most of your listeners have lost a driver, probably multiple drivers, far too early and even in the line of duty. You know, and I'm not talking about from a crash. I'm talking about they just didn't wake up one day.
[00:10:33] Jeremy Reymer: I've heard stories where a driver, you know, was not responding to dispatch, only to find out They were slumped over their, you know, steering wheel and having died of a heart attack. When I was an employer of drivers, uh, I had about 500 full-time and part-time drivers. We had a driver named Tony who wasn't more than maybe 40 or 45 years old.
[00:10:52] Jeremy Reymer: He had a young family. He was dealing with diabetes and some other just heart related issues. Just wasn't taking care of himself. And he ended up dying in his sleep. [00:11:00] He left his wife and his kids behind and that just crushes me. And what added salt to the wound was that his father came to the office to pick up Tony's last paycheck.
[00:11:09] Jeremy Reymer: And as a father, I can't even imagine that. A parent is not supposed to outlive their child. But back to, uh, the reference that I made earlier about just maintaining your most valuable asset. For drivers to have a life expectancy of 61 years old, they're not just dropping at 61 without warning. Often there are years, even decades, of just poor health that leads up to that fateful day.
[00:11:33] Jeremy Reymer: They're dealing with, you know, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or other comorbidities that are just systemic. From the lifestyle that, you know, trucking naturally offers. So if we could provide them with education along with the resources just necessary to help, you know, alter that trajectory, they're just, they're going to be healthier.
[00:11:52] Jeremy Reymer: And as I said earlier, they're going to be more productive. They're going to stick around longer. So the investment in their health and wellness is the best form of retention. [00:12:00] Not just because you save money from high turnover costs, but because you're doing an even bigger thing. And helping to improve and ultimately save or prolong their life.
[00:12:10] Jeremy Reymer: They, they know you care and that's powerful. So enable them to enjoy the why. Be able to spend time with their spouse or their children or their grandchildren, whatever it is, they deserve better and we can work together to make a difference. As far as Project 61 is concerned, what would you consider success?
[00:12:29] Jeremy Reymer: The North Star, the true goal is to see that life expectancy number move significantly closer to parity with the rest of the nation, with most of your audience. If the average life expectancy is somewhere like 77, 78 years old, then they should be as close to that as possible. And we're a far cry from that today, and so we certainly have our work cut out for us.
[00:12:49] Jeremy Reymer: I'd love to see education and awareness begin from the very beginning. You know, during driver training, when CDL is first issued, I'd love FMCSA to embrace this and promote [00:13:00] activity that improves driver's health. I'd love to see the major fuel providers offer more healthier alternatives for both nutrition and exercise.
[00:13:07] Jeremy Reymer: And at the end of the day, I'd love to hear stories of drivers who have just made decisions to take control of their trajectory and who just feel better, are much happier. And they're able to enjoy their families and just enjoy the important experiences that life's supposed to be all about. Before we go, let's answer a question from a listener.
[00:13:25] Jeremy Reymer: This brings us to the Deeper Dive segment. Today's Deeper Dive segment is brought to you by premier sponsor of the show, DriverReach. The Deeper Dive question is, What are some affordable health and wellness options to provide our drivers? First off, I'd like to thank DriverReach, the company I founded, for their support of Project 621 and for sharing in the passion for making a difference here.
[00:13:48] Jeremy Reymer: Thank you. Now, as far as affordable solutions, I can say that there are a number of resources and solutions on, on Project 61's website that are highlighted. Um, that's going to continue [00:14:00] to grow as this movement grows. But this isn't a new issue and there have been amazing industry leaders who have been paving the way for years.
[00:14:07] Jeremy Reymer: People like, you know, Bob Perry, a great human being who has been a champion for driver health and fitness for as long as I've been in the industry. There are companies like Offshift, Rolling Strong, True Life Care. Some of them have been sponsors of your show. They've been interviewed on your show.
[00:14:22] Jeremy Reymer: They're working, you know, on making a difference. And I hate to drop names because You know, I don't want to leave anyone out, but I encourage your listeners to visit project 61. org and become a supporter so they can receive regular updates on programs, initiatives, and other resources as they've, uh, as they're made available.
[00:14:40] Jeremy Reymer: I know we've shared this throughout, but what's the best way for listeners to find you and inquire about the possibility of partnering with Project 61? The best thing to do is visit project 61. org and become a supporter of the cause. All you need to do is provide your contact information and you'll be able to support the mission.
[00:14:57] Jeremy Reymer: You can easily find me on LinkedIn and [00:15:00] at various trucking industry events throughout the year. Thank you so much for joining me, Jeremy. This has been a lot of fun. I'm a big supporter of the work you're doing and I agree that this is a major problem in the industry that's critical to improve.
[00:15:11] Jeremy Reymer: Hopefully you can join me again and update everyone on the progress that you're making. Thank you very much. And thank you for taking the higher road with me. Once again, special thanks to the sponsors of the show. We really appreciate you. If you're interested in being a sponsor or joining me for an interview, please email Jeremy at TakingTheHigherRoad.
[00:15:28] Jeremy Reymer: com. Until next time, thank you for taking the hire road.