1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:01,320 (happy music) 2 00:00:01,320 --> 00:00:03,390 - [Announcer] Welcome, and thanks for tuning in. 3 00:00:03,390 --> 00:00:05,040 While you listen to this podcast 4 00:00:05,040 --> 00:00:07,590 and think about the topics that we'll explore, 5 00:00:07,590 --> 00:00:09,810 remember the areas you're moving into 6 00:00:09,810 --> 00:00:12,210 are always most important. 7 00:00:12,210 --> 00:00:16,110 Plan well and move to protect others and yourself. 8 00:00:16,110 --> 00:00:17,970 That's how you deliver flawless service 9 00:00:17,970 --> 00:00:19,770 and move America safely. 10 00:00:19,770 --> 00:00:22,848 So enjoy life and enjoy this podcast. 11 00:00:22,848 --> 00:00:25,348 (happy music) 12 00:00:28,909 --> 00:00:31,826 (mellow whistling) 13 00:00:43,500 --> 00:00:45,810 - Welcome to another episode of "Keeping It Roehl." 14 00:00:45,810 --> 00:00:46,650 I'm Michael. 15 00:00:46,650 --> 00:00:47,820 - And I'm Roman. 16 00:00:47,820 --> 00:00:49,620 Mike, how was your weekend this past weekend? 17 00:00:49,620 --> 00:00:50,550 - It was really nice. 18 00:00:50,550 --> 00:00:53,220 Took a nice long weekend on the bike. 19 00:00:53,220 --> 00:00:54,053 How 'bout yourself? 20 00:00:54,053 --> 00:00:56,460 - Well, I was here at work all weekend, 21 00:00:56,460 --> 00:00:58,320 doing my duties here. 22 00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:00,960 Met a few new drivers, talked to them, helped them out. 23 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:03,540 So you know what we do on the weekends here 24 00:01:03,540 --> 00:01:05,820 being an additional training, help out when we can, 25 00:01:05,820 --> 00:01:06,840 what we can do for them. 26 00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:08,697 Mike, why don't you introduce who we have today. 27 00:01:08,697 --> 00:01:11,614 (thunder rumbling) 28 00:01:13,389 --> 00:01:17,722 ("Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30") 29 00:01:51,270 --> 00:01:52,670 - Tell us a little bit about 30 00:01:54,540 --> 00:01:56,430 how you became where you're at 31 00:01:56,430 --> 00:01:59,280 and maybe a brief history from Rick's point 32 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:01,020 of view of the company Roehl 33 00:02:01,020 --> 00:02:03,450 from when it started with Everett. 34 00:02:03,450 --> 00:02:04,590 - Sure, yeah. 35 00:02:04,590 --> 00:02:07,080 I know some guys have heard this. 36 00:02:07,080 --> 00:02:09,930 I know when I would talk with orientation groups, 37 00:02:09,930 --> 00:02:12,960 I know some guys had heard this part of it, 38 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:17,960 but you know, basically Roehl began as a family business 39 00:02:18,630 --> 00:02:22,350 that my dad started and he started with one truck 40 00:02:22,350 --> 00:02:26,640 and was able to add another truck one year 41 00:02:26,640 --> 00:02:28,230 and another truck the next year. 42 00:02:28,230 --> 00:02:31,950 And so started out mostly hauling lumber 43 00:02:31,950 --> 00:02:34,230 for sawmills in the area. 44 00:02:34,230 --> 00:02:37,230 And well my grandpa had a sawmill, too, 45 00:02:37,230 --> 00:02:39,870 and so really he learned how to drive a truck 46 00:02:39,870 --> 00:02:43,683 by delivering lumber for his customers. 47 00:02:43,683 --> 00:02:47,670 So then he decided to buy his truck 48 00:02:47,670 --> 00:02:48,900 that he could run himself 49 00:02:48,900 --> 00:02:50,853 and work for some other sawmills. 50 00:02:53,550 --> 00:02:57,180 That was in '62 and so then I wasn't around 51 00:02:57,180 --> 00:02:58,740 until late in '62. 52 00:02:58,740 --> 00:03:01,443 (men laughing) 53 00:03:01,443 --> 00:03:03,960 I didn't start playing with the trucks 54 00:03:03,960 --> 00:03:08,310 until probably, you know, when I was 10 or 11, 55 00:03:08,310 --> 00:03:09,310 something like that. 56 00:03:10,230 --> 00:03:12,930 - How was it growing up with Everett? 57 00:03:12,930 --> 00:03:14,190 I don't know him that well, 58 00:03:14,190 --> 00:03:15,510 but how was it growing up with him? 59 00:03:15,510 --> 00:03:16,800 How was he? 60 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:21,270 - Well, he was always pretty even tempered 61 00:03:21,270 --> 00:03:24,720 and it wasn't where we did a lot of things 62 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:25,590 on the weekends, you know? 63 00:03:25,590 --> 00:03:28,320 Like this last weekend, we went up, 64 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:29,790 spent some time on the boat. 65 00:03:29,790 --> 00:03:30,950 - Right, that sounds nice. 66 00:03:30,950 --> 00:03:31,943 - We didn't have a boat though. 67 00:03:31,943 --> 00:03:32,790 (men laughing) 68 00:03:32,790 --> 00:03:33,745 We had trucks. 69 00:03:33,745 --> 00:03:35,504 (men laughing) 70 00:03:35,504 --> 00:03:36,337 - Did you spend a lot 71 00:03:36,337 --> 00:03:37,860 of time growing up servicing trucks, 72 00:03:37,860 --> 00:03:40,230 up under trucks, working on 'em? 73 00:03:40,230 --> 00:03:42,093 - Saturdays were mostly, 74 00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:45,810 well back then we didn't have air dryers, 75 00:03:45,810 --> 00:03:48,690 so we treated the air system with alcohol, 76 00:03:48,690 --> 00:03:49,907 so they wouldn't freeze. 77 00:03:51,223 --> 00:03:52,950 And you know, if water got in the system 78 00:03:52,950 --> 00:03:55,320 it wouldn't wouldn't lock up the valves or anything. 79 00:03:55,320 --> 00:03:58,680 So they actually don't recommend doing that anymore 80 00:03:58,680 --> 00:04:01,080 just because it does dry out the seals. 81 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:03,060 - I grew up, my father was a diesel mechanic 82 00:04:03,060 --> 00:04:04,710 and owned trucks. 83 00:04:04,710 --> 00:04:07,568 A lot smaller than where you're at now. 84 00:04:07,568 --> 00:04:09,668 But I grew up, I was up under 'em, 85 00:04:09,668 --> 00:04:11,700 I was pulling 'em into shops for 'em, 86 00:04:11,700 --> 00:04:13,710 a lot very similar to what you're saying. 87 00:04:13,710 --> 00:04:15,000 Yeah, so I know where you're-- 88 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:16,650 My vacation was I didn't have 89 00:04:16,650 --> 00:04:17,873 to work on a truck that day. 90 00:04:17,873 --> 00:04:20,460 (men laughing) 91 00:04:21,847 --> 00:04:22,680 - Well, that was Saturday in the winter. 92 00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:26,100 Making sure that, well, first you had to drain the system 93 00:04:26,100 --> 00:04:28,113 and then add a little bit to it. 94 00:04:29,758 --> 00:04:32,220 - So started out with maintenance and then? 95 00:04:32,220 --> 00:04:36,180 - Yeah, well, then when I was older would help 96 00:04:36,180 --> 00:04:38,100 in the shop with sweeping the floors 97 00:04:38,100 --> 00:04:39,793 and then I started working on, 98 00:04:39,793 --> 00:04:43,230 I would do the services by myself, 99 00:04:43,230 --> 00:04:46,590 first the grease service and then oil change, 100 00:04:46,590 --> 00:04:49,503 I eventually worked into doing that, too. 101 00:04:51,120 --> 00:04:53,310 But when I was in high school I always wanted 102 00:04:53,310 --> 00:04:56,130 to drive trucks so then when I turned 18 103 00:04:56,130 --> 00:04:59,100 and finished high school I started driving a truck. 104 00:04:59,100 --> 00:04:59,933 - Who taught ya? 105 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:01,793 Or did you teach yourself? 106 00:05:01,793 --> 00:05:03,993 - Pretty much learned by moving 'em in the yard. 107 00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:09,210 - So from '62 108 00:05:09,210 --> 00:05:10,650 to the time you graduated high school, 109 00:05:10,650 --> 00:05:12,900 how much did Roehl grow at that point? 110 00:05:12,900 --> 00:05:13,733 Do you remember? 111 00:05:14,700 --> 00:05:17,760 - I don't remember the truck count we had in '81, 112 00:05:17,760 --> 00:05:22,760 but my first truck was number 45. 113 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:25,440 And that was one of the older ones at that time. 114 00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:27,243 It was probably, 115 00:05:29,580 --> 00:05:31,320 I'd say five, six years old. 116 00:05:31,320 --> 00:05:32,153 - At the time? 117 00:05:32,153 --> 00:05:33,920 - What kinda truck was it? 118 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:35,793 - It was a International Cabover. 119 00:05:37,830 --> 00:05:41,673 It was the B model, the B Model Transtar, I think. 120 00:05:43,453 --> 00:05:45,420 Ya know, it was the one with the extra extension 121 00:05:45,420 --> 00:05:46,650 beneath the cab. 122 00:05:46,650 --> 00:05:48,480 The ones before that didn't have that. 123 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:49,313 - Where'd you all go? 124 00:05:49,313 --> 00:05:52,140 I mean, did you just stay local or did you go nationwide? 125 00:05:52,140 --> 00:05:55,230 I mean anywhere that you could go you went? 126 00:05:55,230 --> 00:05:57,870 - No, when you're 18, you can only drive 127 00:05:57,870 --> 00:06:00,930 in the state of Wisconsin so I had to stay here. 128 00:06:00,930 --> 00:06:05,160 And so I did a lot of hauling of gravel too, 129 00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:07,740 with the dump trucks and the belly dumps. 130 00:06:07,740 --> 00:06:12,540 But otherwise, a big run we had was hauling chips, 131 00:06:12,540 --> 00:06:14,760 where we pick 'em up down by Lacrosse 132 00:06:14,760 --> 00:06:17,340 and take 'em to Green Bay so that was one thing. 133 00:06:17,340 --> 00:06:20,613 - It was a predominantly local company at that time? 134 00:06:22,260 --> 00:06:24,120 - No, we had I remember, well, 135 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:25,800 this was before I started driving, 136 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:30,800 but the big run early was down to Kentucky. 137 00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:35,880 We had a customer, Murray, Kentucky, I think. 138 00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:40,680 It was a pallet customer down there. 139 00:06:40,680 --> 00:06:42,540 But then before I started driving, 140 00:06:42,540 --> 00:06:47,540 we were starting to go most the 48 states. 141 00:06:48,630 --> 00:06:51,990 - At what point, what truck number, 142 00:06:51,990 --> 00:06:53,730 what time, did you look at it and go, 143 00:06:53,730 --> 00:06:55,470 man, this is gonna be something? 144 00:06:55,470 --> 00:06:57,060 Ya know, you look at that point 145 00:06:57,060 --> 00:07:00,660 and you go from one truck to 40-some odd trucks, 146 00:07:00,660 --> 00:07:03,720 and you go, wow, this is actually gonna be something here? 147 00:07:03,720 --> 00:07:05,140 - Did you guys ever imagine 148 00:07:06,210 --> 00:07:08,493 you'd get as big as you are today, back then? 149 00:07:09,450 --> 00:07:10,680 - I don't think so. 150 00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:15,540 I mean, we were always glad to have growth, 151 00:07:15,540 --> 00:07:19,530 but ya know, we always wanted to make sure 152 00:07:19,530 --> 00:07:22,530 we had good business too, not just to grow 153 00:07:22,530 --> 00:07:27,530 and not be profitable or be able to pay the bills. 154 00:07:30,060 --> 00:07:33,780 - So your customers, how did you find 'em? 155 00:07:33,780 --> 00:07:36,300 I mean obviously we don't have what we have today, 156 00:07:36,300 --> 00:07:38,970 the internet and stuff like that, 157 00:07:38,970 --> 00:07:42,080 how did you guys go out and get your? 158 00:07:42,080 --> 00:07:44,760 Do you still have customers from then today? 159 00:07:44,760 --> 00:07:45,710 How about that one? 160 00:07:46,650 --> 00:07:48,333 - Well, there's a couple. 161 00:07:49,740 --> 00:07:52,731 There's Felker Brothers here in town. 162 00:07:52,731 --> 00:07:56,853 We started hauling for them I think back in the 70s. 163 00:07:58,260 --> 00:08:00,930 The one customer that had the Kentucky delivery, 164 00:08:00,930 --> 00:08:04,500 that was the pallet factory, Woodruff Pallet, 165 00:08:04,500 --> 00:08:08,430 down in Vesper, and right now they switched that hauling 166 00:08:08,430 --> 00:08:12,930 over to vans and sometimes it doesn't work. 167 00:08:12,930 --> 00:08:15,090 Well, in the winter is when it doesn't work out as well 168 00:08:15,090 --> 00:08:17,497 'cause you get the moisture inside. 169 00:08:17,497 --> 00:08:18,960 - In the chips you're talking about? 170 00:08:18,960 --> 00:08:20,058 - No, that's the pallets. 171 00:08:20,058 --> 00:08:20,891 - Oh the pallets, okay. 172 00:08:20,891 --> 00:08:23,940 - The original pallet haul was all on flatbed, 173 00:08:23,940 --> 00:08:26,370 but then a lotta places now, 174 00:08:26,370 --> 00:08:28,920 they don't want the pallets getting dirty 175 00:08:28,920 --> 00:08:30,390 so they put 'em in a van. 176 00:08:30,390 --> 00:08:33,720 - How do you contribute you keeping them customers 177 00:08:33,720 --> 00:08:34,560 and the ones we have now? 178 00:08:34,560 --> 00:08:39,030 How have you managed to keep that base of customers? 179 00:08:39,030 --> 00:08:40,827 - Just gotta take care of 'em, you know? 180 00:08:40,827 --> 00:08:43,890 And the drivers see the customers more often 181 00:08:43,890 --> 00:08:47,370 than any of us here and so that's a big part of it, 182 00:08:47,370 --> 00:08:51,720 but you know, also responding to the needs that they have. 183 00:08:51,720 --> 00:08:56,340 And well, you asked before about how did we find customers, 184 00:08:56,340 --> 00:08:58,200 'cause we didn't have sales people 185 00:08:58,200 --> 00:09:02,970 or we didn't have telemarketing or anything like that. 186 00:09:02,970 --> 00:09:06,870 So a lot of our leads were from drivers. 187 00:09:06,870 --> 00:09:08,940 You know, a driver would make a delivery 188 00:09:08,940 --> 00:09:10,590 or a pickup and say, well, 189 00:09:10,590 --> 00:09:12,847 this place is shipping here and there. 190 00:09:12,847 --> 00:09:15,870 So then we'd call 'em up and go visit, 191 00:09:15,870 --> 00:09:19,470 if that was something that was doable 192 00:09:19,470 --> 00:09:22,800 and so a lot of it was just leads 193 00:09:22,800 --> 00:09:25,530 and from one customer hiring you 194 00:09:25,530 --> 00:09:29,070 to make a delivery someplace so then you found out 195 00:09:29,070 --> 00:09:30,330 they had something going on 196 00:09:30,330 --> 00:09:32,490 and they might need you to move something 197 00:09:32,490 --> 00:09:33,480 and you just ask them 198 00:09:33,480 --> 00:09:37,020 and sometimes you would get a good response. 199 00:09:37,020 --> 00:09:40,920 But at that period, I forgot to mention this 200 00:09:40,920 --> 00:09:43,020 as we were talking about the growth, 201 00:09:43,020 --> 00:09:45,870 in 1980 the federal government 202 00:09:45,870 --> 00:09:48,840 deregulated the trucking industry 203 00:09:48,840 --> 00:09:51,510 and what that meant was trucking companies 204 00:09:51,510 --> 00:09:54,330 could make agreements with shippers 205 00:09:54,330 --> 00:09:56,940 without the federal government approval. 206 00:09:56,940 --> 00:09:59,850 Where prior to that, you had to make an application 207 00:09:59,850 --> 00:10:01,590 to the federal government 208 00:10:01,590 --> 00:10:04,770 and your shipper had to support that application, 209 00:10:04,770 --> 00:10:06,390 and they would grant you permission, 210 00:10:06,390 --> 00:10:10,050 they called it authority, to haul for that shipper 211 00:10:10,050 --> 00:10:11,610 or to make those moves. 212 00:10:11,610 --> 00:10:14,250 And they would name it specifically as this type 213 00:10:14,250 --> 00:10:17,820 of commodity from this place to those states. 214 00:10:17,820 --> 00:10:22,320 And so it was a very highly regulated industry. 215 00:10:22,320 --> 00:10:26,880 So when that law became effective in 1980, 216 00:10:26,880 --> 00:10:29,670 we were able to talk to a lot more shippers. 217 00:10:29,670 --> 00:10:33,210 - Did that seem to benefit the industry more? 218 00:10:33,210 --> 00:10:34,353 It made it better? 219 00:10:35,760 --> 00:10:37,780 - Well, it opened up a lot 220 00:10:37,780 --> 00:10:42,780 of opportunities for companies like ours. 221 00:10:43,530 --> 00:10:46,410 You know, it did create some turmoil though, too. 222 00:10:46,410 --> 00:10:51,410 There was a lot of, I would say LTL companies, 223 00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:56,310 in particular, it seemed like they ceased doing business. 224 00:10:56,310 --> 00:10:58,320 I mean, there was a couple in Marshfield even. 225 00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:01,800 But it's not that we were hauling the same freight as them, 226 00:11:01,800 --> 00:11:05,040 but it created more competition, 227 00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:07,260 it became more competitive, 228 00:11:07,260 --> 00:11:11,520 and we were a smaller company with a lower cost base, 229 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:13,923 so it was a beneficial thing for us. 230 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:16,350 - And now you the rest 231 00:11:16,350 --> 00:11:18,030 of the story basically, right? 232 00:11:18,030 --> 00:11:19,140 Paul Harvey. 233 00:11:19,140 --> 00:11:22,470 So Rick how do you guys come together as a family 234 00:11:22,470 --> 00:11:26,010 when you guys have to make decisions about the company? 235 00:11:26,010 --> 00:11:27,600 - I'm blessed that we don't have a lot 236 00:11:27,600 --> 00:11:30,573 of turmoil with our family. 237 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:35,610 You know, I'm the CEO and the majority shareholder 238 00:11:35,610 --> 00:11:40,610 and so I pretty much make quite a few of the decisions. 239 00:11:40,751 --> 00:11:43,890 There's some decisions that we consult, 240 00:11:43,890 --> 00:11:47,840 but for the most part I make a lot 241 00:11:47,840 --> 00:11:50,760 of those CEO type decisions. 242 00:11:50,760 --> 00:11:52,860 You know there's some shareholder decisions 243 00:11:52,860 --> 00:11:55,080 that as a family we make, 244 00:11:55,080 --> 00:12:00,080 but those aren't everyday things or those are more rare. 245 00:12:00,340 --> 00:12:02,270 - Okay, so speaking of decisions, 246 00:12:02,270 --> 00:12:05,730 do you ever get in that mindset that when you get home 247 00:12:05,730 --> 00:12:07,530 I know me personally, I get home and I go, 248 00:12:07,530 --> 00:12:09,150 oh, I'm the boss here, and then your wife 249 00:12:09,150 --> 00:12:10,625 puts you in check real quick. 250 00:12:10,625 --> 00:12:13,470 (Rick laughing) 251 00:12:13,470 --> 00:12:15,428 Whoops, I'm not at all. 252 00:12:15,428 --> 00:12:16,380 (men laughing) 253 00:12:16,380 --> 00:12:17,826 - So now you're not the boss. 254 00:12:17,826 --> 00:12:19,530 (men laughing) 255 00:12:19,530 --> 00:12:21,355 - You forgot to flip the switch, yeah. 256 00:12:21,355 --> 00:12:22,380 - I couldn't resist. 257 00:12:22,380 --> 00:12:23,213 (men laughing) 258 00:12:23,213 --> 00:12:25,336 - Normal family like everybody else, right? 259 00:12:25,336 --> 00:12:27,919 (men laughing) 260 00:12:28,770 --> 00:12:30,810 - Well one thing, my wife, Tamie, 261 00:12:30,810 --> 00:12:33,450 she works in the office as well 262 00:12:33,450 --> 00:12:37,710 and so she's aware of everything that we do 263 00:12:37,710 --> 00:12:42,710 to keep things goin' so she understands. 264 00:12:42,840 --> 00:12:44,280 She doesn't put a lotta pressure on. 265 00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:46,410 But yeah, there's certainly the dynamic 266 00:12:46,410 --> 00:12:48,253 that switches once you leave the office. 267 00:12:48,253 --> 00:12:49,290 (men laughing) 268 00:12:49,290 --> 00:12:52,380 - It's funny, mostly every family, 269 00:12:52,380 --> 00:12:54,630 and they're higher up in something 270 00:12:54,630 --> 00:12:56,280 and when they get you always get back 271 00:12:56,280 --> 00:12:57,763 to that level ground there. 272 00:12:57,763 --> 00:12:58,596 (men laughing) 273 00:12:58,596 --> 00:12:59,429 - That's good. 274 00:13:01,710 --> 00:13:03,600 Okay, everybody knows where we're at today. 275 00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:06,431 Actually, how many trucks do we have total 276 00:13:06,431 --> 00:13:07,893 in the fleet right now? 277 00:13:08,730 --> 00:13:12,570 - I think we got a little over 2000 trucks. 278 00:13:12,570 --> 00:13:14,250 - Started from one Mike, you know, 279 00:13:14,250 --> 00:13:16,440 it's easier for one, look at it, you know? 280 00:13:16,440 --> 00:13:19,530 Any plans to make it 2500, 3000? 281 00:13:19,530 --> 00:13:21,781 I mean, is that a goal or do you kind 282 00:13:21,781 --> 00:13:24,120 of like where it's at right now? 283 00:13:24,120 --> 00:13:25,800 - Well we'd always like to grow 284 00:13:25,800 --> 00:13:29,700 because we can spread our overhead a little bit more 285 00:13:29,700 --> 00:13:33,183 and so investments that we have in our terminals, 286 00:13:34,530 --> 00:13:35,760 that's probably the biggest thing, 287 00:13:35,760 --> 00:13:38,730 and other investments are a little bit 288 00:13:38,730 --> 00:13:40,860 of the trailer pool but usually when you add trucks 289 00:13:40,860 --> 00:13:42,660 you gotta add trailers as well. 290 00:13:42,660 --> 00:13:47,660 But another big overhead is our non-driver wages 291 00:13:48,570 --> 00:13:53,570 so by having more loads that we can spread 292 00:13:53,820 --> 00:13:57,420 those costs over it does create an advantage 293 00:13:57,420 --> 00:14:00,570 in the margin but you know, you can grow a certain point 294 00:14:00,570 --> 00:14:04,680 then you have to add those overhead items as well. 295 00:14:07,667 --> 00:14:09,510 - What do you like for ratio of trailer to truck? 296 00:14:09,510 --> 00:14:13,170 What's your good range there? 297 00:14:13,170 --> 00:14:15,270 - It depends on the business you're doing, 298 00:14:16,290 --> 00:14:18,100 but right now we're, I think, 2.8 299 00:14:19,020 --> 00:14:21,750 to 2.9 van trailers to a truck 300 00:14:21,750 --> 00:14:24,840 but as you bring on new business, 301 00:14:24,840 --> 00:14:28,380 if that business needs eight trailers 302 00:14:28,380 --> 00:14:31,510 at the location, you might only have 303 00:14:32,490 --> 00:14:36,480 any one day six drivers that are doing work 304 00:14:36,480 --> 00:14:40,560 for that customer but the eight trailers are something 305 00:14:40,560 --> 00:14:42,900 that some of the other business doesn't require 306 00:14:42,900 --> 00:14:45,540 and so the more of those type of things you have 307 00:14:45,540 --> 00:14:50,540 the harder it is to define it by a ratio of how this works. 308 00:14:53,700 --> 00:14:55,500 For reefer trailers, you know, 309 00:14:55,500 --> 00:14:57,570 they are a lot more expensive, 310 00:14:57,570 --> 00:14:59,979 and so we don't leave those sit around, 311 00:14:59,979 --> 00:15:03,120 as much as some customers would like. 312 00:15:03,120 --> 00:15:05,280 A lotta times we run into issues 313 00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:09,690 with customers who just like the extra storage room 314 00:15:09,690 --> 00:15:10,740 and so they don't unload 'em 315 00:15:10,740 --> 00:15:15,180 and so then when the driver thinks he's gonna be at a place 316 00:15:15,180 --> 00:15:17,217 and get an empty trailer, it's not there. 317 00:15:17,217 --> 00:15:19,271 And that happens on vans too. 318 00:15:19,271 --> 00:15:24,271 but our ratio is about 1.6 to 1.7 319 00:15:24,510 --> 00:15:29,370 for reefer trailers to reefer drivers. 320 00:15:29,370 --> 00:15:32,430 Flatbeds are probably in that same neighborhood too. 321 00:15:32,430 --> 00:15:34,130 I haven't looked at that recently. 322 00:15:37,560 --> 00:15:40,500 There's not as many flatbed customers that want trailers, 323 00:15:40,500 --> 00:15:41,400 but there are some, you know. 324 00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:45,060 We have those customers that it works out well. 325 00:15:45,060 --> 00:15:48,030 We don't have to have the driver wait to put that on. 326 00:15:48,030 --> 00:15:49,080 - I've heard that some, too, 327 00:15:49,080 --> 00:15:50,550 where you're saying some of the customers 328 00:15:50,550 --> 00:15:51,900 are using them for storage. 329 00:15:52,738 --> 00:15:56,340 Have you found a way to resolve some of that issue? 330 00:15:56,340 --> 00:15:59,910 - Well at the drive ends, we have the cargo sensors, 331 00:15:59,910 --> 00:16:04,080 and so if a customer doesn't unload 332 00:16:04,080 --> 00:16:06,540 or uses the trailer too much for their benefit, 333 00:16:06,540 --> 00:16:08,400 not for ours, we do bill 'em. 334 00:16:08,400 --> 00:16:13,400 So it's something that technology allows us to do. 335 00:16:13,830 --> 00:16:16,620 For the reefers, we don't have the certainty 336 00:16:16,620 --> 00:16:20,820 of the cargo sensor, but we know if the reefer is running, 337 00:16:20,820 --> 00:16:23,580 and we also know if the driver shows up and it's not empty, 338 00:16:23,580 --> 00:16:27,390 we can investigate that further that way. 339 00:16:27,390 --> 00:16:28,440 - Makes sense. 340 00:16:28,440 --> 00:16:31,530 So with some of the trailers being used 341 00:16:31,530 --> 00:16:33,780 for storage from some of the customers, 342 00:16:33,780 --> 00:16:35,280 have you seen a lot of detention? 343 00:16:35,280 --> 00:16:38,130 You know, how have we been handling that here at Roehl? 344 00:16:38,130 --> 00:16:41,130 - Well, that's the reason we have more trailers 345 00:16:41,130 --> 00:16:43,170 than we have drivers so that we don't have 346 00:16:43,170 --> 00:16:45,180 to have drivers waiting for the customer 347 00:16:45,180 --> 00:16:48,330 to put the product on or to take it off too. 348 00:16:48,330 --> 00:16:50,940 So it's a really nice, convenient. 349 00:16:50,940 --> 00:16:53,190 It's not a free convenience, 350 00:16:53,190 --> 00:16:56,370 but it is convenient when it works. 351 00:16:56,370 --> 00:17:00,030 And so that's one thing that we heard 352 00:17:00,030 --> 00:17:02,730 at the driver advisory group meeting 353 00:17:02,730 --> 00:17:04,440 that we had a couple weeks ago 354 00:17:04,440 --> 00:17:09,060 is just the time that they're not driving down the road. 355 00:17:09,060 --> 00:17:10,920 Most drivers wanna drive. 356 00:17:10,920 --> 00:17:12,630 And so we understand that 357 00:17:12,630 --> 00:17:15,480 and that's why we do have some more trailers. 358 00:17:15,480 --> 00:17:17,370 Every day we wish we had more trailers, 359 00:17:17,370 --> 00:17:21,600 so it's not where we've got the ideal amount 360 00:17:21,600 --> 00:17:24,240 or that every time we go to get an empty one 361 00:17:24,240 --> 00:17:25,290 that there's one there, 362 00:17:25,290 --> 00:17:28,740 but it is something we put a lot of effort into. 363 00:17:28,740 --> 00:17:31,410 And it's something that we're looking at 364 00:17:31,410 --> 00:17:34,170 to increase our driver satisfaction, 365 00:17:34,170 --> 00:17:36,720 which should help us with our retention. 366 00:17:36,720 --> 00:17:38,250 - Yeah, and how's that going 367 00:17:38,250 --> 00:17:41,100 so far this year with our driver retention? 368 00:17:41,100 --> 00:17:45,630 - We had a good year going until probably late May 369 00:17:45,630 --> 00:17:49,770 and we just had more turnover than we'd had all year. 370 00:17:49,770 --> 00:17:54,150 In fact I'll mention, I think a lot of drivers 371 00:17:54,150 --> 00:17:56,343 have heard us talk about our WIG. 372 00:17:57,690 --> 00:17:59,610 That's our Wildly Important Goal. 373 00:17:59,610 --> 00:18:04,610 And so this is this process that the people 374 00:18:05,460 --> 00:18:08,070 at Franklin Covey helped us put together, 375 00:18:08,070 --> 00:18:09,390 but it's their process really. 376 00:18:09,390 --> 00:18:14,390 And so the Wildly Important Goal is defined as 377 00:18:14,550 --> 00:18:16,890 if you could change one thing in your business 378 00:18:16,890 --> 00:18:21,390 and improve it without affecting anything else, 379 00:18:21,390 --> 00:18:23,370 what would have the most impact? 380 00:18:23,370 --> 00:18:27,360 Hands down we know if we can lower our driver turnover, 381 00:18:27,360 --> 00:18:30,300 our business improves in so many ways. 382 00:18:30,300 --> 00:18:33,210 You know, we have better service to our customers. 383 00:18:33,210 --> 00:18:37,860 We have less accident frequency. 384 00:18:37,860 --> 00:18:41,670 We have a lot of productivity benefits 385 00:18:41,670 --> 00:18:44,970 by just having guys that are here longer. 386 00:18:44,970 --> 00:18:47,280 So a lotta things. 387 00:18:47,280 --> 00:18:51,150 All of us know that when you do something longer, 388 00:18:51,150 --> 00:18:51,983 you get better at it 389 00:18:51,983 --> 00:18:54,497 and so you don't spend as much time doing it 390 00:18:54,497 --> 00:18:57,240 and so you can see those benefits. 391 00:18:57,240 --> 00:18:59,100 - Question that I'm sure some 392 00:18:59,100 --> 00:19:04,100 of your newer drivers had, or even potential GYCDL drivers 393 00:19:04,230 --> 00:19:05,700 in the program that we have here. 394 00:19:05,700 --> 00:19:07,680 So we keep our drivers, okay? 395 00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:12,330 We have that retain and we're not losing as many. 396 00:19:12,330 --> 00:19:15,720 Is that gonna affect how many possible new drivers 397 00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:18,170 we could have that we train here at our facility? 398 00:19:19,020 --> 00:19:20,520 Would you slow that down or would you say, 399 00:19:20,520 --> 00:19:22,530 hey, come on, we can always grow? 400 00:19:22,530 --> 00:19:23,723 'Cause I remember you mentioned 401 00:19:23,723 --> 00:19:27,450 we could add trucks or something or add business. 402 00:19:27,450 --> 00:19:29,670 Is that something that you would do? 403 00:19:29,670 --> 00:19:32,373 'Cause that would be something on everybody's mind. 404 00:19:34,500 --> 00:19:37,450 Somebody that was maybe possibly thinking about coming here, 405 00:19:37,450 --> 00:19:39,455 well, I'm gonna wait three months, four months, 406 00:19:39,455 --> 00:19:42,060 whatever they think of at home and all of a sudden, 407 00:19:42,060 --> 00:19:44,370 no, we're keeping our drivers, 408 00:19:44,370 --> 00:19:47,610 so we're not gonna bring in as many as we normally do. 409 00:19:47,610 --> 00:19:50,970 - Well, we're always trying to bring in drivers, 410 00:19:50,970 --> 00:19:51,900 especially right now. 411 00:19:51,900 --> 00:19:55,110 Right now the business environment is really good 412 00:19:55,110 --> 00:19:59,040 and every employer wishes they had more people, 413 00:19:59,040 --> 00:20:01,290 in fact, that's one of the issues that we run into 414 00:20:01,290 --> 00:20:03,570 with trailers not being unloaded. 415 00:20:03,570 --> 00:20:06,480 Some places that we make deliveries too, 416 00:20:06,480 --> 00:20:08,340 or we go to pick up product, 417 00:20:08,340 --> 00:20:09,690 they just don't have enough people 418 00:20:09,690 --> 00:20:12,030 to run the forklifts to put the product on. 419 00:20:12,030 --> 00:20:13,830 Or they might not have enough people 420 00:20:13,830 --> 00:20:17,040 to manufacture the product to complete it for the customers. 421 00:20:17,040 --> 00:20:22,040 So right now we want to add more people 422 00:20:22,080 --> 00:20:24,120 because there's customers that would like us 423 00:20:24,120 --> 00:20:27,720 to do more hauling for them. 424 00:20:27,720 --> 00:20:31,020 The challenge is getting the qualified drivers 425 00:20:31,020 --> 00:20:34,800 and keeping the drivers that are in our fleet. 426 00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:35,970 - What have you guys done 427 00:20:35,970 --> 00:20:37,683 to keep the ones we have? 428 00:20:38,700 --> 00:20:40,500 - Well, the big thing we're doing is 429 00:20:41,581 --> 00:20:42,930 to create an outreach 430 00:20:42,930 --> 00:20:46,260 so that our drivers know their fleet managers. 431 00:20:46,260 --> 00:20:47,940 I know they all know their fleet managers, 432 00:20:47,940 --> 00:20:51,960 but we want them to be able to call them 433 00:20:51,960 --> 00:20:53,553 if they've got any issue. 434 00:20:54,930 --> 00:20:56,490 We've heard, and this came up 435 00:20:56,490 --> 00:20:58,350 in a driver advisory group meeting, 436 00:20:58,350 --> 00:21:03,212 where the question was asked, how come a driver 437 00:21:03,212 --> 00:21:07,114 wouldn't call their fleet manager if they had that question? 438 00:21:07,114 --> 00:21:12,114 And even drivers that had experience, 439 00:21:12,540 --> 00:21:15,180 had a reluctance to make that call. 440 00:21:15,180 --> 00:21:19,970 And so I guess it was common among the drivers 441 00:21:21,210 --> 00:21:23,970 that were there, they said that it's common 442 00:21:23,970 --> 00:21:28,320 that drivers don't wanna appear 443 00:21:28,320 --> 00:21:31,080 to not know as much as they were expected to know 444 00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:33,510 but especially for someone who's new. 445 00:21:33,510 --> 00:21:37,260 I mean there's no expectation that you know everything 446 00:21:37,260 --> 00:21:38,550 and there's no expectation 447 00:21:38,550 --> 00:21:40,740 that you're not gonna need some help. 448 00:21:40,740 --> 00:21:44,700 And so to create that comfort to pick the phone 449 00:21:44,700 --> 00:21:47,133 and make that call is huge, I think. 450 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:49,650 - Everybody knows what happened last year. 451 00:21:49,650 --> 00:21:53,850 You know, the pandemic, COVID, and us as a company, 452 00:21:53,850 --> 00:21:56,820 we did pretty good last year business wise, correct? 453 00:21:56,820 --> 00:21:58,560 - Yeah, we had a really good year. 454 00:21:58,560 --> 00:22:01,560 - And why is that? 455 00:22:01,560 --> 00:22:04,680 What did Roehl provide that some 456 00:22:04,680 --> 00:22:07,590 of the other companies in the industry couldn't maintain 457 00:22:07,590 --> 00:22:10,050 or couldn't give them, these customers ? 458 00:22:10,050 --> 00:22:11,250 Do you know that answer? 459 00:22:12,240 --> 00:22:15,240 - I know what happened to us 460 00:22:15,240 --> 00:22:17,640 but I don't know what happened 461 00:22:17,640 --> 00:22:18,900 in most other trucking companies. 462 00:22:18,900 --> 00:22:22,200 But I bet they were going through a lotta the same thing. 463 00:22:22,200 --> 00:22:27,200 One thing I know, we continued to hire drivers, 464 00:22:27,360 --> 00:22:31,470 even though there was a period of probably six weeks 465 00:22:31,470 --> 00:22:33,783 that the economy really tanked. 466 00:22:34,800 --> 00:22:37,710 There was that period when water and tissue 467 00:22:37,710 --> 00:22:40,164 and all that stuff was being purchased 468 00:22:40,164 --> 00:22:42,750 and really the demand to move that stuff 469 00:22:42,750 --> 00:22:46,710 was outstripping the supply, but then it fell off a cliff. 470 00:22:46,710 --> 00:22:51,300 And so there were some companies that shut down hiring 471 00:22:51,300 --> 00:22:54,090 and training, training probably more so. 472 00:22:54,090 --> 00:22:56,550 But there wasn't many people to hire. 473 00:22:56,550 --> 00:22:58,770 I mean, there wasn't many people that were looking 474 00:22:58,770 --> 00:23:00,565 to change jobs during that period. 475 00:23:00,565 --> 00:23:05,565 So naturally our groups in orientation were much lower 476 00:23:07,950 --> 00:23:09,930 and even training was much lower. 477 00:23:09,930 --> 00:23:12,330 Just people didn't wanna travel 478 00:23:12,330 --> 00:23:15,450 and visit a new place and sit in a room 479 00:23:15,450 --> 00:23:20,280 with a bunch of strangers and learn about a new job. 480 00:23:20,280 --> 00:23:23,100 And so it was naturally lower 481 00:23:23,100 --> 00:23:27,070 and our driver group drifted down 482 00:23:29,310 --> 00:23:33,840 but the the demand was down too so it was not where 483 00:23:33,840 --> 00:23:35,970 it was we felt we were missing business. 484 00:23:35,970 --> 00:23:37,200 - I mean this year now, 485 00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:39,060 it seems like the media's telling us 486 00:23:39,060 --> 00:23:40,950 that it's coming back to a point. 487 00:23:40,950 --> 00:23:42,840 In some areas of the country that they're starting 488 00:23:42,840 --> 00:23:44,793 to see a raise in cases. 489 00:23:45,630 --> 00:23:47,430 Last year, learning experience. 490 00:23:47,430 --> 00:23:49,980 So we should be able to do just as good 491 00:23:49,980 --> 00:23:53,490 as we did last year, this year in theory, right? 492 00:23:53,490 --> 00:23:54,323 - Hopefully. 493 00:23:55,860 --> 00:23:57,332 - Says that with a snicker, yeah. 494 00:23:57,332 --> 00:23:59,610 - We're trying to do that 495 00:23:59,610 --> 00:24:02,340 and it's a good time right now 496 00:24:02,340 --> 00:24:05,520 because people have goods to move 497 00:24:05,520 --> 00:24:07,080 and there's demand for the products 498 00:24:07,080 --> 00:24:09,360 and so we're trying to meet that, 499 00:24:09,360 --> 00:24:14,130 but we are shorter than our goal of drivers in trucks. 500 00:24:14,130 --> 00:24:18,450 And so we're working feverishly to correct that 501 00:24:18,450 --> 00:24:22,320 and we're putting drivers in, get your CDL, 502 00:24:22,320 --> 00:24:25,110 and plus drivers who know how to drive. 503 00:24:25,110 --> 00:24:26,433 We hire those as well. 504 00:24:27,300 --> 00:24:28,770 - Yeah, we seem to get a good bunch coming 505 00:24:28,770 --> 00:24:31,320 through the GYCDL program 506 00:24:31,320 --> 00:24:33,210 and we got great instructors over there 507 00:24:33,210 --> 00:24:36,600 that bring 'em up and our trainers are outstanding. 508 00:24:36,600 --> 00:24:38,220 We've had a few of them on air. 509 00:24:38,220 --> 00:24:40,560 - Yeah, well, and here's another thing 510 00:24:40,560 --> 00:24:42,600 that last year was really good, 511 00:24:42,600 --> 00:24:45,030 and so far this year it's really good as well, 512 00:24:45,030 --> 00:24:46,890 is we've had good safety results 513 00:24:46,890 --> 00:24:50,850 and so that's a product of what the drivers are taught 514 00:24:50,850 --> 00:24:53,220 and how they execute their day. 515 00:24:53,220 --> 00:24:55,080 - Well, I mean they hear that from the day one, 516 00:24:55,080 --> 00:24:58,080 when they came in here, from the Roehl Way, 517 00:24:58,080 --> 00:25:00,060 our cornerstone value is safety, 518 00:25:00,060 --> 00:25:02,769 and they really, really drive that home, 519 00:25:02,769 --> 00:25:07,769 and they perform that in every function of this industry. 520 00:25:08,520 --> 00:25:10,350 - Well, good job, you guys. 521 00:25:10,350 --> 00:25:12,450 They really practice safety 522 00:25:12,450 --> 00:25:14,430 and that's something that we always have 523 00:25:14,430 --> 00:25:18,240 to retain that value so that we can avoid 524 00:25:18,240 --> 00:25:21,960 spending those monies fixing stuff (chuckles) 525 00:25:21,960 --> 00:25:24,180 - So along with what we were talking about 526 00:25:24,180 --> 00:25:28,743 with COVID, obviously health, wellness. 527 00:25:29,730 --> 00:25:32,100 Little bit that we talked earlier, you have some things 528 00:25:32,100 --> 00:25:34,560 that you'd like to talk about with that? 529 00:25:34,560 --> 00:25:36,960 - Yeah, you guys talked with Tiana 530 00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:40,650 and she heads up our wellness program here at Roehl 531 00:25:40,650 --> 00:25:42,870 and we're in our infancy, 532 00:25:42,870 --> 00:25:46,530 but we'd like everybody to be as healthy as they can be. 533 00:25:46,530 --> 00:25:49,470 And I know it's harder when you're living on the road. 534 00:25:49,470 --> 00:25:54,470 It's harder to get those healthy choices for your meals 535 00:25:54,780 --> 00:25:56,700 and it's a little bit more challenging 536 00:25:56,700 --> 00:26:01,700 to have a regular eating schedule 537 00:26:02,220 --> 00:26:06,930 just because of sometimes the trips 538 00:26:06,930 --> 00:26:11,160 and the locations you're at, and the customer commitments 539 00:26:11,160 --> 00:26:12,990 that are out there, and so it's just harder 540 00:26:12,990 --> 00:26:15,540 to maintain that regular rhythm, 541 00:26:15,540 --> 00:26:18,690 but we wanna help out as much as we can 542 00:26:18,690 --> 00:26:20,520 and make those options available. 543 00:26:20,520 --> 00:26:22,163 - Yeah, Mike, I remember when we had her 544 00:26:22,163 --> 00:26:25,233 on the show, a lotta good information. 545 00:26:26,520 --> 00:26:30,240 Rick, did you hear about Mike's kale recipe? 546 00:26:30,240 --> 00:26:32,070 He's got a perfect one, if you're into that. 547 00:26:32,070 --> 00:26:32,903 - Kale? 548 00:26:32,903 --> 00:26:33,736 Isn't that seaweed? 549 00:26:33,736 --> 00:26:34,772 - Yeah, well, I don't know. 550 00:26:34,772 --> 00:26:36,420 He's got a great recipe. 551 00:26:36,420 --> 00:26:38,040 Maybe he'll tell you about it afterwards 552 00:26:38,040 --> 00:26:40,350 but it's a good one, it's a good one. 553 00:26:40,350 --> 00:26:42,154 I think you're gonna like it 554 00:26:42,154 --> 00:26:44,997 so we'll talk afterwards on that one. 555 00:26:44,997 --> 00:26:48,600 - And as simple as getting outta the truck 556 00:26:48,600 --> 00:26:52,050 and doing a little bit of exercise, it always helps. 557 00:26:52,050 --> 00:26:54,270 Lotta people wanna get somewhere and they're tired, 558 00:26:54,270 --> 00:26:57,210 and they just wanna climb into bed and call it a day, 559 00:26:57,210 --> 00:26:59,010 but getting outta the truck, 560 00:26:59,010 --> 00:27:01,170 stretching your legs a little bit, that helps. 561 00:27:01,170 --> 00:27:02,670 - How did you do your health 562 00:27:02,670 --> 00:27:05,420 and wellness and eating and diet when you were driving? 563 00:27:06,690 --> 00:27:08,671 - Well, I pulled flatbeds 564 00:27:08,671 --> 00:27:12,570 so that keeps you in shape to a degree, 565 00:27:12,570 --> 00:27:15,568 but as you do the longer trips 566 00:27:15,568 --> 00:27:20,568 it is harder because you're not out there 567 00:27:21,300 --> 00:27:22,980 moving the tarps or whatever. 568 00:27:22,980 --> 00:27:25,380 - You did flatbed and I know that's where Roehl 569 00:27:25,380 --> 00:27:27,870 originally come from with the lumber. 570 00:27:27,870 --> 00:27:30,960 What made 'em go in the direction more driving, 571 00:27:30,960 --> 00:27:32,430 I know there's more driving and reefer 572 00:27:32,430 --> 00:27:34,770 than there are flatbed now, is there any particular, 573 00:27:34,770 --> 00:27:37,410 just the industry took 'em that direction? 574 00:27:37,410 --> 00:27:42,120 - Well, most of the fleet was flatbed 575 00:27:42,120 --> 00:27:43,923 but we always had a few drive ends. 576 00:27:44,760 --> 00:27:47,190 You know, the earliest customers 577 00:27:47,190 --> 00:27:50,850 were like soda pop distributors and beer distributors 578 00:27:50,850 --> 00:27:54,840 so they'd hired us to take empties down to the brewery 579 00:27:54,840 --> 00:27:56,550 and bring back the full ones. 580 00:27:56,550 --> 00:27:58,140 So had a few that way. 581 00:27:58,140 --> 00:28:01,380 Then we had a door customer, not the Masonite here in town, 582 00:28:01,380 --> 00:28:03,990 but it was a different one that relocated, 583 00:28:03,990 --> 00:28:06,750 and we always made their deliveries on vans. 584 00:28:06,750 --> 00:28:11,670 But then when the deregulation came along in 1980, 585 00:28:11,670 --> 00:28:16,110 we were able to make contact with paper mills in the area. 586 00:28:16,110 --> 00:28:18,240 And Wisconsin had a lotta paper mills 587 00:28:18,240 --> 00:28:20,430 and so they shipped paper all over 588 00:28:20,430 --> 00:28:22,860 and so there was a lot more freight. 589 00:28:22,860 --> 00:28:26,790 And before I really was out traveling on the highways, 590 00:28:26,790 --> 00:28:29,491 I really thought most trucking was done on a flatbed, 591 00:28:29,491 --> 00:28:32,940 but turns out there's more product being moved 592 00:28:32,940 --> 00:28:34,830 in a drive in and in reefers. 593 00:28:34,830 --> 00:28:36,120 - Do you still go out on the road 594 00:28:36,120 --> 00:28:37,470 once in a while yet? 595 00:28:37,470 --> 00:28:38,340 - Here and there, yeah. 596 00:28:38,340 --> 00:28:40,830 It's probably been over a year since I've been out, 597 00:28:40,830 --> 00:28:43,653 but I like doing it, it's fun. 598 00:28:44,970 --> 00:28:45,960 - That'd be kind of cool pulling in 599 00:28:45,960 --> 00:28:48,180 to a truck stop and you're over there, back in, 600 00:28:48,180 --> 00:28:49,746 and Rick Roehl back next to ya. 601 00:28:49,746 --> 00:28:51,125 (men laughing) 602 00:28:51,125 --> 00:28:52,472 It's like what the? 603 00:28:52,472 --> 00:28:53,305 (men laughing) 604 00:28:53,305 --> 00:28:54,760 Hey, you look familiar. 605 00:28:54,760 --> 00:28:55,920 (men laughing) 606 00:28:55,920 --> 00:28:58,143 - I mean when you do go out, 607 00:28:59,280 --> 00:29:03,723 you see another driver for Roehl and they recognize you, 608 00:29:04,809 --> 00:29:06,780 you just talk normal right? 609 00:29:06,780 --> 00:29:09,390 It's not like, oh my gosh, they kind of stay away from you 610 00:29:09,390 --> 00:29:10,407 or do they just come up to you 611 00:29:10,407 --> 00:29:12,690 and talk to you like we are right now? 612 00:29:12,690 --> 00:29:14,280 - I think pretty normal. 613 00:29:14,280 --> 00:29:17,223 I mean some probably don't recognize me. 614 00:29:18,330 --> 00:29:19,540 - Have you run into just 615 00:29:21,360 --> 00:29:22,830 where they've come up and talked to you 616 00:29:22,830 --> 00:29:25,678 and they obviously don't know who you were. 617 00:29:25,678 --> 00:29:28,050 And you were, hey, that's me. 618 00:29:28,050 --> 00:29:30,633 (men laughing) 619 00:29:31,530 --> 00:29:32,872 - That hasn't happened for a while. 620 00:29:32,872 --> 00:29:34,290 (men laughing) 621 00:29:34,290 --> 00:29:35,638 - That would be funny. 622 00:29:35,638 --> 00:29:36,990 (men laughing) 623 00:29:36,990 --> 00:29:38,880 - Rick, along with the health part of it, 624 00:29:38,880 --> 00:29:42,300 exercise, diet, in the early seventies, 625 00:29:42,300 --> 00:29:45,570 when you were able to cross borders with the truck, 626 00:29:45,570 --> 00:29:46,403 how did you eat? 627 00:29:46,403 --> 00:29:48,930 I mean, you didn't have like refrigerators, 628 00:29:48,930 --> 00:29:52,200 you weren't able to keep stuff cool, refrigerated, 629 00:29:52,200 --> 00:29:55,890 did you have that back then or how did you manage that? 630 00:29:55,890 --> 00:29:56,910 - Early seventies? 631 00:29:56,910 --> 00:29:58,749 Well now I must really look old. 632 00:29:58,749 --> 00:30:00,361 (men laughing) 633 00:30:00,361 --> 00:30:01,986 Like the mid-80s. 634 00:30:01,986 --> 00:30:03,210 - Mid-80s, I'm sorry, early 80s, 635 00:30:03,210 --> 00:30:05,287 I did my math wrong, I apologize. 636 00:30:05,287 --> 00:30:06,240 (men laughing) 637 00:30:06,240 --> 00:30:07,950 Early 80s, yeah. 638 00:30:07,950 --> 00:30:10,800 - Well, actually I didn't have all that great 639 00:30:10,800 --> 00:30:15,480 of eating habits, and actually there wasn't much 640 00:30:15,480 --> 00:30:17,385 for options either. 641 00:30:17,385 --> 00:30:20,760 The trucks back then, they didn't have any way, 642 00:30:20,760 --> 00:30:23,550 unless you were running the engine 643 00:30:23,550 --> 00:30:26,280 to generate battery power, 644 00:30:26,280 --> 00:30:31,280 but one thing I did do is cut down to like twice a day. 645 00:30:35,175 --> 00:30:38,160 Like a mid-morning breakfast and a mid-afternoon meal. 646 00:30:38,160 --> 00:30:42,030 It seemed like if I would eat like at normal supper time, 647 00:30:42,030 --> 00:30:45,000 then I would be more drowsy 648 00:30:45,000 --> 00:30:47,280 and so I'd have to stop earlier 649 00:30:47,280 --> 00:30:49,230 so eating at about two 650 00:30:49,230 --> 00:30:53,038 or three in the afternoon did work for me. 651 00:30:53,038 --> 00:30:55,830 But I gotta tell ya, I wasn't that good 652 00:30:55,830 --> 00:30:59,801 at measuring portions or anything like that. 653 00:30:59,801 --> 00:31:01,498 (men laughing) 654 00:31:01,498 --> 00:31:03,354 - You didn't meal prep is what you're saying. 655 00:31:03,354 --> 00:31:04,710 (men laughing) 656 00:31:04,710 --> 00:31:08,550 - That's really advanced in that area today, right? 657 00:31:08,550 --> 00:31:09,660 - Yeah. 658 00:31:09,660 --> 00:31:10,890 - You know, we got refrigerators. 659 00:31:10,890 --> 00:31:12,340 We have microwaves we can put in. 660 00:31:12,340 --> 00:31:14,190 - Yeah, the new trucks have power inverters. 661 00:31:14,190 --> 00:31:15,420 - Power inverters. 662 00:31:15,420 --> 00:31:17,910 Many ways, you can put like a Crockpot in there, 663 00:31:17,910 --> 00:31:18,873 cook in there. 664 00:31:19,710 --> 00:31:20,790 - I've heard some of the stories 665 00:31:20,790 --> 00:31:24,060 of the people preparing, I mean, it was a three course meal 666 00:31:24,060 --> 00:31:25,470 on their truck going down the road. 667 00:31:25,470 --> 00:31:27,960 They got it and it's cooking while they're. 668 00:31:27,960 --> 00:31:29,880 I did that and then the hardest thing 669 00:31:29,880 --> 00:31:32,010 about that was you would smell it cooking 670 00:31:32,010 --> 00:31:33,160 while I was driving and 671 00:31:34,200 --> 00:31:35,700 I gotta hurry up and get there, I'm hungry. 672 00:31:35,700 --> 00:31:36,810 - So there's a lotta ways 673 00:31:36,810 --> 00:31:40,470 we can eat healthier now with the technology 674 00:31:40,470 --> 00:31:41,820 that we are allowed in the truck 675 00:31:41,820 --> 00:31:43,590 and that they make specifically 676 00:31:43,590 --> 00:31:45,120 for inside the truck, ya know? 677 00:31:45,120 --> 00:31:48,600 So again, anything that you have any questions about that 678 00:31:48,600 --> 00:31:49,890 we can always go to Tiana. 679 00:31:49,890 --> 00:31:51,420 She'll answer all your questions. 680 00:31:51,420 --> 00:31:54,600 She's a great person, very smart 681 00:31:54,600 --> 00:31:56,220 from what we had her on the show. 682 00:31:56,220 --> 00:31:57,210 - She's fantastic. 683 00:31:57,210 --> 00:31:58,620 - Taught me a lot a little bit. 684 00:31:58,620 --> 00:31:59,453 Not a little bit. 685 00:31:59,453 --> 00:32:00,286 Taught me a lot. 686 00:32:02,100 --> 00:32:03,496 - But you're so fit, though. 687 00:32:03,496 --> 00:32:06,247 - Yeah, I'm getting there, all right? 688 00:32:06,247 --> 00:32:08,714 I'm on the delayed cycle. 689 00:32:08,714 --> 00:32:10,350 (men laughing) 690 00:32:10,350 --> 00:32:12,120 - Well, now all this knowledge you have 691 00:32:12,120 --> 00:32:15,635 about food selection, see I didn't have that back then. 692 00:32:15,635 --> 00:32:16,920 (men laughing) 693 00:32:16,920 --> 00:32:19,620 - One thing Tianna V. told me was start small. 694 00:32:19,620 --> 00:32:20,820 Cut something out once. 695 00:32:20,820 --> 00:32:22,410 And I've been doing that. 696 00:32:22,410 --> 00:32:26,670 So obviously, I mean Mike knows, my son got engaged, 697 00:32:26,670 --> 00:32:29,790 so my goal lose some weight for his wedding, you know? 698 00:32:29,790 --> 00:32:31,650 So I have something to look forward to. 699 00:32:31,650 --> 00:32:33,180 - And I have a question for you. 700 00:32:33,180 --> 00:32:36,840 I know your Roehl is big into the military, 701 00:32:36,840 --> 00:32:39,330 honoring our veterans and everything. 702 00:32:39,330 --> 00:32:41,010 You yourself, you served? 703 00:32:41,010 --> 00:32:42,030 - No, I didn't, no. 704 00:32:42,030 --> 00:32:44,130 - Okay, I know Roman did as well. 705 00:32:44,130 --> 00:32:46,290 What got you guys to that point to where 706 00:32:46,290 --> 00:32:50,040 you're so big on honoring the military? 707 00:32:50,040 --> 00:32:50,970 - Well, for one thing 708 00:32:50,970 --> 00:32:53,273 they've really helped our country, 709 00:32:53,273 --> 00:32:57,812 they've really made a significant sacrifice 710 00:32:57,812 --> 00:33:02,010 to serve their country and that is very commendable, 711 00:33:02,010 --> 00:33:06,480 but ya know, another thing is their lifestyle 712 00:33:06,480 --> 00:33:10,890 is somewhat similar to the lifestyle 713 00:33:10,890 --> 00:33:12,249 of over the road drivers. 714 00:33:12,249 --> 00:33:16,590 They've moved away from home to go do their service 715 00:33:16,590 --> 00:33:20,485 and they're training, it's probably been months 716 00:33:20,485 --> 00:33:24,087 at some of those periods where they've been away from home. 717 00:33:24,087 --> 00:33:29,087 And so they have somewhat of a flavor of what that entails 718 00:33:29,700 --> 00:33:33,780 because working with get your CDL 719 00:33:33,780 --> 00:33:37,290 or even new drivers who join the company 720 00:33:37,290 --> 00:33:38,670 from getting their CDL, 721 00:33:38,670 --> 00:33:40,650 I think probably the biggest adjustment 722 00:33:40,650 --> 00:33:42,600 is the lifestyle. 723 00:33:42,600 --> 00:33:46,710 You're pretty much living in the truck and away from home. 724 00:33:46,710 --> 00:33:49,263 - They seem to make some of the best drivers too. 725 00:33:50,430 --> 00:33:51,480 They've been through the military. 726 00:33:51,480 --> 00:33:52,350 They're very committed. 727 00:33:52,350 --> 00:33:54,093 They follow things through. 728 00:33:55,920 --> 00:33:57,360 - Way it needs to be done, right? 729 00:33:57,360 --> 00:34:01,950 And again, safety, that's what we talk about here 730 00:34:01,950 --> 00:34:05,880 and we talked about it earlier, how we push that. 731 00:34:05,880 --> 00:34:08,340 - Where do you see Roehl going in the future? 732 00:34:08,340 --> 00:34:10,290 I know it's kind of a blank, "Where do you see it?" 733 00:34:10,290 --> 00:34:12,930 But in the future, where do you see us going? 734 00:34:12,930 --> 00:34:15,450 - One of the things we're looking more at 735 00:34:15,450 --> 00:34:19,110 is having runs where drivers can be home daily 736 00:34:19,110 --> 00:34:20,490 and certainly weekly. 737 00:34:20,490 --> 00:34:23,820 We've got well over 50% of our drivers 738 00:34:23,820 --> 00:34:25,260 who are home at least weekly, 739 00:34:25,260 --> 00:34:29,610 but we've really added to the home daily number 740 00:34:29,610 --> 00:34:31,440 of drivers that we have in our fleet. 741 00:34:31,440 --> 00:34:35,795 So that is a different model for us. 742 00:34:35,795 --> 00:34:39,360 The drivers who are looking forward 743 00:34:39,360 --> 00:34:42,210 to spending two weeks on the road, 744 00:34:42,210 --> 00:34:45,870 those drivers are fewer than there used to be 745 00:34:45,870 --> 00:34:49,470 and so we are really moving toward that. 746 00:34:49,470 --> 00:34:51,930 So even on the longer trips that we can 747 00:34:51,930 --> 00:34:55,710 have a pretty prescriptive route plan. 748 00:34:55,710 --> 00:34:57,300 There's some of the trips 749 00:34:57,300 --> 00:34:59,200 that we've been doing for a few years, 750 00:35:01,050 --> 00:35:03,150 one that I can think of on the reefer is 751 00:35:03,150 --> 00:35:05,400 we go to Arizona from the Midwest here, 752 00:35:05,400 --> 00:35:08,700 but the loads out there come right back to here 753 00:35:08,700 --> 00:35:12,390 and so try to have more regularity in that regard. 754 00:35:12,390 --> 00:35:14,590 - You see the industry going that direction? 755 00:35:16,170 --> 00:35:17,670 - I think there's others, yeah. 756 00:35:17,670 --> 00:35:18,503 I don't know. 757 00:35:18,503 --> 00:35:19,770 There's always gonna be a need 758 00:35:19,770 --> 00:35:22,740 to move that stuff over longer distance 759 00:35:22,740 --> 00:35:26,160 so there's always gonna be those moves 760 00:35:26,160 --> 00:35:28,650 but intermodal has taken a lotta 761 00:35:28,650 --> 00:35:31,470 those long haul opportunities away. 762 00:35:31,470 --> 00:35:36,470 And so I think the successful trucking companies 763 00:35:37,050 --> 00:35:39,480 are gonna have to really look at what they do. 764 00:35:39,480 --> 00:35:40,800 - With all the drop yards we have 765 00:35:40,800 --> 00:35:42,332 and everything there's always relays 766 00:35:42,332 --> 00:35:44,820 that'll get it there and get you back home 767 00:35:44,820 --> 00:35:46,410 so that's always nice. 768 00:35:46,410 --> 00:35:47,250 - That's an option, yeah. 769 00:35:47,250 --> 00:35:48,570 - Any plans in the future 770 00:35:48,570 --> 00:35:52,140 to maybe have another working terminal someplace else 771 00:35:52,140 --> 00:35:54,270 in the country other than what we have now? 772 00:35:54,270 --> 00:35:58,650 - Well right now we have looked at the benefits 773 00:35:58,650 --> 00:36:03,510 of having some place like on I-80 in Pennsylvania, 774 00:36:03,510 --> 00:36:05,283 more on the Eastern side. 775 00:36:06,630 --> 00:36:09,390 Right now we do a lotta business Southeast 776 00:36:09,390 --> 00:36:13,623 and Gary Terminal gets a lotta traffic. 777 00:36:15,030 --> 00:36:16,980 I mean they keep their head above water. 778 00:36:16,980 --> 00:36:18,930 They do a great job down there. 779 00:36:18,930 --> 00:36:21,540 But there's a lot of activity 780 00:36:21,540 --> 00:36:25,140 and some of that activity is moved 781 00:36:25,140 --> 00:36:27,000 from those Eastern parts. 782 00:36:27,000 --> 00:36:31,380 And so we don't have a site picked out or anything, 783 00:36:31,380 --> 00:36:34,350 but we have some general locations 784 00:36:34,350 --> 00:36:35,580 that we think would be good. 785 00:36:35,580 --> 00:36:38,550 And like I say, we don't have anything 786 00:36:38,550 --> 00:36:40,530 in the works right now but we recognize 787 00:36:40,530 --> 00:36:42,690 that there's some things that would benefit us. 788 00:36:42,690 --> 00:36:44,310 - I suppose as you grow? 789 00:36:44,310 --> 00:36:46,200 - Yeah, yeah, sure that would be 790 00:36:46,200 --> 00:36:49,050 a significant overhead add so it'd be nice 791 00:36:49,050 --> 00:36:51,330 to have a little bit of growth to be able 792 00:36:51,330 --> 00:36:54,363 to make a contribution to those costs. 793 00:36:55,230 --> 00:36:57,270 - And guys down in Gary do a great job. 794 00:36:57,270 --> 00:37:00,060 I was in that area quite a bit when I drove 795 00:37:00,060 --> 00:37:03,450 and I mean from the maintenance on up 796 00:37:03,450 --> 00:37:07,530 to the fleet managers and everything out of that. 797 00:37:07,530 --> 00:37:08,763 They're just all around great people. 798 00:37:08,763 --> 00:37:10,620 - It's like Chicago O'Hare Airport. 799 00:37:10,620 --> 00:37:11,844 - It is, man. 800 00:37:11,844 --> 00:37:12,677 - Just constantly going through. 801 00:37:12,677 --> 00:37:13,650 - You're cruising through there 802 00:37:13,650 --> 00:37:17,580 and you're like where did this come from (laughs) 803 00:37:17,580 --> 00:37:20,670 - Well, it's such a convenient spot to park 804 00:37:20,670 --> 00:37:23,100 because, well when I drove, 805 00:37:23,100 --> 00:37:25,110 that was probably the worst thing is. 806 00:37:25,110 --> 00:37:27,819 If you got through Chicago then there wasn't 807 00:37:27,819 --> 00:37:31,230 any really good places to park down there 808 00:37:31,230 --> 00:37:33,720 so having a spot like that 809 00:37:33,720 --> 00:37:36,993 is really a nice advantage for a driver. 810 00:37:37,830 --> 00:37:39,660 - Any in the near future? 811 00:37:39,660 --> 00:37:43,200 I know Gary has the restaurant inside the terminal. 812 00:37:43,200 --> 00:37:44,300 I've heard some of 'em ask some 813 00:37:44,300 --> 00:37:46,020 of the drivers that's come through here, hey, 814 00:37:46,020 --> 00:37:47,430 is there any restaurants coming 815 00:37:47,430 --> 00:37:48,750 in the near future to Marshfield, 816 00:37:48,750 --> 00:37:51,660 Appleton, any of the other terminals? 817 00:37:51,660 --> 00:37:53,340 - We don't have any planned right now. 818 00:37:53,340 --> 00:37:56,160 We remodeled our break area here 819 00:37:56,160 --> 00:37:57,783 in the office in Marshfield. 820 00:37:59,070 --> 00:38:02,970 But that's something that I think Gary's the place 821 00:38:02,970 --> 00:38:07,230 that has enough traffic to support that. 822 00:38:07,230 --> 00:38:08,610 Many of the other places, 823 00:38:08,610 --> 00:38:10,530 it'd probably be food getting cold 824 00:38:10,530 --> 00:38:14,520 waiting for customers to drive in. 825 00:38:14,520 --> 00:38:15,810 - I guess jacuzzi tubs 826 00:38:15,810 --> 00:38:18,251 are completely outta question though. 827 00:38:18,251 --> 00:38:19,620 - Yeah, I don't see any of those 828 00:38:19,620 --> 00:38:21,447 on the horizon right now. 829 00:38:21,447 --> 00:38:23,134 (men laughing) 830 00:38:23,134 --> 00:38:24,684 - Well, we tried. 831 00:38:24,684 --> 00:38:25,517 We tried, we tried. 832 00:38:25,517 --> 00:38:26,350 - Who was it? 833 00:38:26,350 --> 00:38:28,110 I think Demitria or somebody come here 834 00:38:28,110 --> 00:38:28,950 and asked that question. 835 00:38:28,950 --> 00:38:29,850 - That's right. 836 00:38:29,850 --> 00:38:31,080 I wouldn't have said her name now 837 00:38:31,080 --> 00:38:32,520 because now he's got it, right? 838 00:38:32,520 --> 00:38:33,353 (men laughing) 839 00:38:33,353 --> 00:38:34,560 Sorry, Demetria. 840 00:38:34,560 --> 00:38:36,060 (men laughing) 841 00:38:36,060 --> 00:38:38,160 What about a swimming pool, not a jacuzzi? 842 00:38:39,120 --> 00:38:41,010 - There's none on the horizon right now. 843 00:38:41,010 --> 00:38:42,480 - An infinity pool, let's go. 844 00:38:42,480 --> 00:38:44,178 If we're gonna dream, let's dream big. 845 00:38:44,178 --> 00:38:46,740 (men laughing) 846 00:38:46,740 --> 00:38:48,060 - Oh boy. 847 00:38:48,060 --> 00:38:50,220 - As far as new equipment and everything, 848 00:38:50,220 --> 00:38:52,620 how do you see the electric trucks? 849 00:38:52,620 --> 00:38:54,060 I mean, God forbid, 850 00:38:54,060 --> 00:38:57,060 they said we'd have flying trucks by now so to automate? 851 00:38:57,060 --> 00:38:58,690 - Can you imagine trucks flying? 852 00:38:58,690 --> 00:39:00,545 - Yeah, ya know. 853 00:39:00,545 --> 00:39:02,395 - Gosh, that'd be something, you know? 854 00:39:02,395 --> 00:39:04,980 - I mean if you had, I don't know, 60 trucks 855 00:39:04,980 --> 00:39:06,480 and they just flew in the air. 856 00:39:06,480 --> 00:39:07,313 (helicopter blades whirring) 857 00:39:07,313 --> 00:39:08,811 I mean it would be. 858 00:39:08,811 --> 00:39:10,230 - What do you call them, autonomous? 859 00:39:10,230 --> 00:39:12,000 - Autonomous, is that the way you say that? 860 00:39:12,000 --> 00:39:15,300 - Yeah, autonomous, that's the self driving trucks. 861 00:39:15,300 --> 00:39:17,520 You hear a lot about those technologies 862 00:39:17,520 --> 00:39:22,520 and there's cars that have that, more and more features. 863 00:39:23,099 --> 00:39:26,883 And our trucks that we have today really have evolved. 864 00:39:27,840 --> 00:39:31,680 It started out where automatic transmissions, 865 00:39:31,680 --> 00:39:33,360 we're on the second generation now. 866 00:39:33,360 --> 00:39:35,730 Back in the 90s there was the first generation 867 00:39:35,730 --> 00:39:37,905 that we used some of. 868 00:39:37,905 --> 00:39:42,905 And then there was the forward looking radar alert system 869 00:39:44,430 --> 00:39:49,383 to help the driver identify things that were in the path. 870 00:39:51,000 --> 00:39:55,620 Now they've got the cruise where it'll adjust 871 00:39:55,620 --> 00:39:59,790 the cruise speed to the vehicle ahead. 872 00:39:59,790 --> 00:40:02,627 And we started getting recently, 873 00:40:02,627 --> 00:40:05,450 it was probably in the last couple years, 874 00:40:05,450 --> 00:40:08,427 the braking, the trucks will brake now, 875 00:40:08,427 --> 00:40:11,880 and so most drivers probably are aware of that. 876 00:40:11,880 --> 00:40:15,240 And so there's all these features 877 00:40:15,240 --> 00:40:17,763 that are aiding the driver. 878 00:40:19,260 --> 00:40:21,480 You know the autonomous type operation, 879 00:40:21,480 --> 00:40:24,930 I think is quite a ways down the road, 880 00:40:24,930 --> 00:40:27,840 although I do read and hear about things 881 00:40:27,840 --> 00:40:30,320 where they're doing tests and those type of things. 882 00:40:30,320 --> 00:40:32,970 - If those developers ever approached you 883 00:40:32,970 --> 00:40:36,510 and said, hey, can we use Roehl, 884 00:40:36,510 --> 00:40:40,140 for testing or research, would you allow that? 885 00:40:40,140 --> 00:40:41,463 - Depends what it is. 886 00:40:43,560 --> 00:40:46,750 I wouldn't say no but I don't think 887 00:40:47,760 --> 00:40:50,610 they've got any shortage of things to test that on 888 00:40:50,610 --> 00:40:52,890 but you'd have to look at the whole thing. 889 00:40:52,890 --> 00:40:55,890 There's certainly gonna be some liability 890 00:40:55,890 --> 00:40:58,383 if the driver's not in control. 891 00:40:59,610 --> 00:41:04,080 But yeah, I do believe that that's down the road a ways 892 00:41:04,080 --> 00:41:08,970 when that's an accepted technology. 893 00:41:08,970 --> 00:41:10,950 - We used to get that coming through GYCDL. 894 00:41:10,950 --> 00:41:11,783 That was a good question. 895 00:41:11,783 --> 00:41:13,520 Do you think the self driving stuff, 896 00:41:15,090 --> 00:41:16,770 I'm gonna be out of a job eventually? 897 00:41:16,770 --> 00:41:19,482 And I said probably not in your lifetime (laughs) 898 00:41:19,482 --> 00:41:20,403 - Right. 899 00:41:21,870 --> 00:41:23,400 - So Rick, I know over the years 900 00:41:23,400 --> 00:41:25,890 we've tried different things, different fuels, 901 00:41:25,890 --> 00:41:27,840 we've tried some of the propane vehicles, 902 00:41:27,840 --> 00:41:30,600 and now I see a lot of the electric vehicles out there. 903 00:41:30,600 --> 00:41:33,420 What's your opinion on electric vehicles? 904 00:41:33,420 --> 00:41:35,610 - Well, for heavy trucks, 905 00:41:35,610 --> 00:41:38,580 it's probably down the road a ways, too, 906 00:41:38,580 --> 00:41:43,080 especially for long haul because of the charge 907 00:41:43,080 --> 00:41:44,490 that they can carry in the battery. 908 00:41:44,490 --> 00:41:47,970 So there's probably some urban operations 909 00:41:47,970 --> 00:41:49,890 that that would work out well for, 910 00:41:49,890 --> 00:41:52,980 especially if the weight isn't real high. 911 00:41:52,980 --> 00:41:55,110 Right now, from what I've been hearing, 912 00:41:55,110 --> 00:41:58,950 is in order for current loads to be hauled 913 00:41:58,950 --> 00:42:01,650 on a battery truck they would have 914 00:42:01,650 --> 00:42:05,190 to increase the allowable weight by about 10,000 pounds. 915 00:42:05,190 --> 00:42:06,450 - Wow. 916 00:42:06,450 --> 00:42:08,100 - But they say that should only be 917 00:42:08,100 --> 00:42:09,270 for 10 years though. 918 00:42:09,270 --> 00:42:12,000 After 10 years they think the battery technology 919 00:42:12,000 --> 00:42:14,610 will improve and they'll be able 920 00:42:14,610 --> 00:42:17,670 to get rid of that exemption. 921 00:42:17,670 --> 00:42:21,570 But right now I think it's incredibly expensive 922 00:42:21,570 --> 00:42:23,550 and it's lot of prototypes. 923 00:42:23,550 --> 00:42:25,530 - And I would have to change our infrastructure 924 00:42:25,530 --> 00:42:28,110 and everything to support all of that weight, yeah. 925 00:42:28,110 --> 00:42:28,943 - Yeah. 926 00:42:28,943 --> 00:42:29,776 - Well not just there. 927 00:42:29,776 --> 00:42:30,690 Well, yeah, our infrastructure. 928 00:42:30,690 --> 00:42:32,760 - Our bridges, everything, yeah. 929 00:42:32,760 --> 00:42:34,290 - Even at our terminals, too, 930 00:42:34,290 --> 00:42:36,390 we would have to accommodate for all that, 931 00:42:37,470 --> 00:42:40,920 training the mechanics, the fuel islands, 932 00:42:40,920 --> 00:42:42,505 where we're gonna chare 'em. 933 00:42:42,505 --> 00:42:43,710 And you know, where are we getting that from? 934 00:42:43,710 --> 00:42:47,133 So yeah, I can see that would be a huge. 935 00:42:47,970 --> 00:42:50,190 - So for the upcoming driver, 936 00:42:50,190 --> 00:42:52,140 the ones coming through GYCDL, 937 00:42:52,140 --> 00:42:53,790 the experienced ones coming here, 938 00:42:53,790 --> 00:42:55,653 do you have any words of advice? 939 00:42:57,360 --> 00:42:59,580 - Well, don't be afraid to ask questions. 940 00:42:59,580 --> 00:43:00,560 That's one thing, 941 00:43:00,560 --> 00:43:02,340 We talked a little bit about that. 942 00:43:02,340 --> 00:43:07,200 But I think don't get discouraged too early. 943 00:43:07,200 --> 00:43:09,630 And if you ask questions and get those feedbacks, 944 00:43:09,630 --> 00:43:13,860 I think you're gonna find people that are willing 945 00:43:13,860 --> 00:43:15,780 to help want you to be successful. 946 00:43:15,780 --> 00:43:17,337 We want you to be successful here. 947 00:43:17,337 --> 00:43:20,280 And that makes all of our jobs easier. 948 00:43:20,280 --> 00:43:23,670 - I have found that everybody at this company, 949 00:43:23,670 --> 00:43:25,440 they may not have your answer right then, 950 00:43:25,440 --> 00:43:27,330 but they they'll find your answer 951 00:43:27,330 --> 00:43:28,530 and they will get it for you. 952 00:43:28,530 --> 00:43:29,520 - Or direct you to where you need 953 00:43:29,520 --> 00:43:30,993 to get that answer. 954 00:43:32,100 --> 00:43:35,550 That's one thing that GYCDL does 955 00:43:35,550 --> 00:43:40,500 is they stress ask those questions, now is the time. 956 00:43:40,500 --> 00:43:41,910 When you get with your driver trainer, 957 00:43:41,910 --> 00:43:44,070 ask as many questions as you can. 958 00:43:44,070 --> 00:43:46,350 talk to your fleet manager, talk to the maintenance, 959 00:43:46,350 --> 00:43:47,700 talk to anybody. 960 00:43:47,700 --> 00:43:50,520 When you're at a terminal, go inside the orientation, 961 00:43:50,520 --> 00:43:51,420 ask that instructor. 962 00:43:51,420 --> 00:43:53,910 - 'Cause we're just a big company. 963 00:43:53,910 --> 00:43:56,670 We're just a big family, that's what I was looking for. 964 00:43:56,670 --> 00:43:58,080 We're just a big family. 965 00:43:58,080 --> 00:44:01,590 Rick, you've answered a question about the GYCDL end of it. 966 00:44:01,590 --> 00:44:03,510 As far as the experienced guys, 967 00:44:03,510 --> 00:44:06,030 what do you say for the guy that's reluctant 968 00:44:06,030 --> 00:44:07,350 to ask the question? 969 00:44:07,350 --> 00:44:10,833 Ya know he doesn't wanna feel less of a driver. 970 00:44:11,880 --> 00:44:14,703 - Well, same thing as other groups. 971 00:44:16,230 --> 00:44:19,320 I just encourage you to make that call 972 00:44:19,320 --> 00:44:22,440 and ask that question because we're all here to help 973 00:44:22,440 --> 00:44:24,960 and we all want you to be successful. 974 00:44:24,960 --> 00:44:26,730 We as a team wanna be successful. 975 00:44:26,730 --> 00:44:28,830 So do not hesitate. 976 00:44:28,830 --> 00:44:32,130 Do not think that there's gonna be any bad outcome 977 00:44:32,130 --> 00:44:33,780 by any question you ask. 978 00:44:33,780 --> 00:44:35,190 - And we're just human. 979 00:44:35,190 --> 00:44:36,023 - Absolutely. 980 00:44:36,023 --> 00:44:38,130 - In the end of things we're all human. 981 00:44:38,130 --> 00:44:39,652 Feel free to call and ask. 982 00:44:39,652 --> 00:44:41,580 - Exactly, yeah. 983 00:44:41,580 --> 00:44:42,930 - Well, it was a pleasure having you 984 00:44:42,930 --> 00:44:44,310 with us today, Rick. 985 00:44:44,310 --> 00:44:47,040 I find out a lot of useful information. 986 00:44:47,040 --> 00:44:49,459 - Yeah, it was good getting to know, Rick. 987 00:44:49,459 --> 00:44:52,320 I mean we see him once in a while 988 00:44:52,320 --> 00:44:53,337 but we actually got to sit down 989 00:44:53,337 --> 00:44:55,110 and talk with you, it was fun. 990 00:44:55,110 --> 00:44:56,880 - And I hope everybody enjoyed it. 991 00:44:56,880 --> 00:44:59,340 - Yeah, and everybody make sure that you drive safe, 992 00:44:59,340 --> 00:45:03,033 drive the Roehl Way, use that Safe Seven all the time. 993 00:45:04,217 --> 00:45:07,155 It was designed for you guys for a reason 994 00:45:07,155 --> 00:45:09,600 and that's why we are as successful as we are. 995 00:45:09,600 --> 00:45:12,243 Safety is our cornerstone, okay? 996 00:45:13,680 --> 00:45:16,140 It was great talking to you, Rick. 997 00:45:16,140 --> 00:45:17,940 Can't wait to have you back on the show. 998 00:45:17,940 --> 00:45:18,773 It was fun. 999 00:45:18,773 --> 00:45:21,630 - All right, all the drivers, drive safe out there. 1000 00:45:21,630 --> 00:45:23,850 We'll talk at ya next time and can't wait 1001 00:45:23,850 --> 00:45:25,440 to talk with our next guest. 1002 00:45:25,440 --> 00:45:28,260 - And remember, keep it safe 1003 00:45:28,260 --> 00:45:29,747 and do it the Roehl Way. 1004 00:45:29,747 --> 00:45:32,247 (funky music)