AN AMERICAN TRUCK DRIVER

Setting yourself apart in the trucking market requires a combination of exceptional service and clear communication. Building a reputation for reliability and excellent customer service is crucial; ensure timely deliveries and maintain open lines of communication with customers, brokers and agents. By consistently delivering value and prioritizing customer satisfaction, your trucking business can carve out a distinctive niche in a competitive market.

2024 was a rough year for everyone and every industry. Too many trucks, not enough loads, low rates, parts shortages and out of control inflation. In this episode we are going to break down the Top 5 trucks in the Blue Ribbon fleet and show you exactly how much each one made. We will also reveal who the #1 driver was for 2024. His numbers are pretty astounding. We may even convince him to come on the show and talk about his experience. Join us as we deep dive into the numbers.

On tonight's podcast, we will share significant details about the future of Blue Ribbon and the podcast.

Larry and Chris are together in Hurricane for a new driver orientation. We will discuss the election and its effects on the Trucking economy.

A lot of Landstar drivers have been contacted in the last few months by someone who has access to a LOT of data that they should NOT have access to. The scammer is trying to get fuel card numbers under the guise of there having been an accident to they can steal the fuel money. There isn't a lot that can be done to stop the calls. We are going to talk about what can be done to stop the theft.

Lease Purchase. Lease a Truck. Lease to a Carrier. There seems to be way too much confusion about what a lease is and what it is not. We are going to clear this up on this episode.

This is going to be a big episode. We have some numbers from the last 90 days that we are going to share with you about our operation, and the results are fascinating. Tune in while we breakdown three months of data to the penny and show you how we are making a profit in 2024.

Chris got hung up in the shop doing a wheel seal, so this episode was canceled and then un-cancelled when he ran out of parts. Rocky Rockefeller from N Florida MD Alignment jumped on and we had a good talk about truck suspensions.

There is nothing wrong with offering reasonable criticism of a service, product or person. What is NOT reasonable is criticizing from absolute ignorance. We will dive into it this evening.

You know we end up with some wild shop stories, and we have another one for you tonight. We will also catch up what is happening at the new shop and more.

SINCE THE EPISODE WAS PUBLISHED, THE OPENING DATE OF THE MD ALIGNMENT SHOP HAS BEEN CHANGED TO JUNE 17, 2024

We're back from MATS and the 2024 Blue Ribbon Awards Banquet, We will catch you up on what we've been up to and our experience in Louisville.

Larry is off this week. Landstar Heavy Haul BCO Phil Frese will be joining us to talk all things Heavy Haul and Platform. Get your questions ready!

Larry had a medical procedure today, so he is at home resting. Justin Martin from Freightwaves will be joining us.

$10,000 for a FUEL FILTER???? We took a truck to a shop this week to diagnose a problem. We were given a $10,000 estimate to replace the turbo and the EGR cooler. We didn't trust the diagnosis so we brought the truck 700 miles back to West Virginia. What did we find? A $35 fuel filter that needed replaced.

There is no escaping hard work to succeed in business. Short cuts don't work.

We've always told you that you better have a plan when the "unexpected" happens in your business. Well, this past week we got an opportunity to practice what we preach when Larry was sidelined with a medical issue. The rest of the Blue Ribbon team stepped up and filled the gaps. Richie and Phil put a closer eye on the fleet while Chris managed payroll and settlements. We didn't miss a beat, but without preparation, it could have been disastrous for our company. Larry is back this week and will fill you in on all the details.

Larry is under the weather, so Chris will be joined by Steve Vest of Nationwide Equipment Transportation, Inc. We discovered Steve on TikTok last week and quickly decided to join us on the podcast to discuss his experience as a freight broker. Steve's website: https://nationwidetrans.com/ Steve's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ntwdequiptrans

In this episode we will talk about our outlook for 2024 and beyond.

We will be live from the hotel conference room where we will be all together. Richie and Phil will be joining us. There is likely to be copious amounts of alcohol consumption, so buckle up and get ready for a good time.

It's been reported that 450 carriers are leaving the Trucking industry every day, and that number is expected to increase to as many as 1,000 carriers per day in Q1 2024. There are no shortage of excuses being given and blame assigned to anyone and everyone except the business owner. We are going to talk about how you must accept responsibility for your decisions and the outcome. All of our Links: https://beacons.ai/blueribbonlogistics

This episode will be about understanding your role in the market and putting yourself last.

We have a question for you on tonight's episode - Are you really willing to do what it takes to reach the pinnacle of business?

Larry is in Florida for the Holiday, so Chris decided to jump on and do an impromptu episode.

OOIDA is joining the effort for Overtime Pay for Owner Operators. We are trying to figure out what that has to do with "Owner Operators" or "Independent Drivers"

"The National Owner Operator Association" (TNOOA) called for a nationwide Trucker's Strike. To no one's surprise but their own, it didn't happen. These clowns are crying out for help, and they're looking in the wrong place. TONIGHT: Larry's first Quickbooks lesson. Stay tuned to t

Larry is out of town this week with family, so we will be joined by Brandon Johnson from Be.Logistics. Brandon Johnson is an entrepreneur that started out as a Hotshot Carrier in 2016 with 4 Trucks, to then start a dispatch company in 2018 with hopes of helping other small Hotshot carriers avoid the mistakes he did by properly dispatching & educating them per their equipment. Now, they dispatch for multiple equipment types with a team of dispatchers & provide over 100 resources on their site to help carriers and freight dispatchers alike. Brandon's Website: https://www.belogistics.net/ Brandon's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@be.logistics Brandon's List of Links: https://koji.to/k/8ErQ

One of our drivers was kidnapped by a scum bag extortionist thief in Charlotte, NC that demanded a $2500 extortion payment in order to be released. We tell that story and answer a lot of questions from the audience. All of our Links: https://beacons.ai/blueribbonlogistics Pittsburgh Power: https://pittsburghpower.com Podcast Website: https://www.blueribbonlogistics.com/podcast Blue Ribbon Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blueribbonlogistics Blue Ribbon Website: https://www.blueribbonlogistics.com Blue Ribbon Blog: https://www.blueribbonlogistics.com/blog DRIVE FOR US: https://www.blueribbonlogistics.com/drive-for-us

We're back after a couple weeks off, so grab a drink and sit down with us as we catch up. All of our Links: https://beacons.ai/blueribbonlogistics Pittsburgh Power: https://pittsburghpower.com Podcast Website: https://www.blueribbonlogistics.com/podcast Blue Ribbon Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blueribbonlogistics Blue Ribbon Website: https://www.blueribbonlogistics.com Blue Ribbon Blog: https://www.blueribbonlogistics.com/blog DRIVE FOR US: https://www.blueribbonlogistics.com/drive-for-us

Larry is on vacation this week. This is probably a terrible idea that will end in disaster, but I'm going to let some of you be my co-host. Buckle up. This has the potential to be an absolute disaster. All of our Links: https://beacons.ai/blueribbonlogistics Pittsburgh Power: https://pittsburghpower.com Podcast Website: https://www.blueribbonlogistics.com/podcast Blue Ribbon Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blueribbonlogistics Blue Ribbon Website: https://www.blueribbonlogistics.com Blue Ribbon Blog: https://www.blueribbonlogistics.com/blog DRIVE FOR US: https://www.blueribbonlogistics.com/drive-for-us

Discussions of IFTA (International Fuel Tax Agreement) cause more fights than Budweiser. IFTA is not all that complicated. We are going to explain how IFTA works in detail and why you should NEVER consider IFTA when making your fuel purchasing decisions. All of our Links: https://beacons.ai/blueribbonlogistics Pittsburgh Power: https://pittsburghpower.com Podcast Website: https://www.blueribbonlogistics.com/podcast Blue Ribbon Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blueribbonlogistics Blue Ribbon Website: https://www.blueribbonlogistics.com Blue Ribbon Blog: https://www.blueribbonlogistics.com/blog DRIVE FOR US: https://www.blueribbonlogistics.com/drive-for-us