00:04 Sometimes I’ll get my money and that’s them day—

00:07 In the same day. Yes, sir. Yeah, that’s how I roll, John.

00:12 That’s how you roll. I got you.

00:14 Yeah.

00:17 Welcome to Six-Figure Trucker, the podcast where we share advice on how to be successful in trucking and have fun while doing so. We’ll share stories, news, and advice on how to earn six figures in trucking. And we’ll speak to guys and gals that are already doing so. Let’s get to the show. Hello everyone and welcome to the Six-Figure Trucker brought to you by Norton Transport. We’re doing something a little different today. We’re broadcasting to you from the back deck of my house. It’s Saturday afternoon and one of our drivers has agreed to joining us on a Saturday and we’re very grateful for that. And he is on the road right now but not at this particular moment. I think he’s having a little downtime in between transports. And joining us right now is Arnie Teran. Arie, how are you?

01:08 I’m doing great. How about yourself, John?

01:10 I’m doing great, man. I’m sitting out on the back porch here. I got a cigar in one hand, beer in the other.

01:16 Oh, sounds good, man. Hey, you didn’t give me an invite yesterday, man. Yeah, I know you had to get on the road, but for those of you listening joining us here on the Six-Figure Trucker, we were very honored to have Arie in the building yesterday. He stopped by the offices at Norton Transport. Arie, tell us how you were able to do that. Obviously, you were in the area.

01:36 Yeah, I always tried to stop by every so often. I try to at least every six months or so cuz I’m trying to hustle and make that money. But yeah, I told, you know what? I’m not going to make it on this low and I’ll stop by and visit some of you guys and so that’s what I did yesterday—

01:54 And it was a time to meet many of the people in the office. Of course, you already know Lyla and Sam and Jesse. Jesse was speaking highly of you.

02:02 Oh yeah. He whenever he came in aboard I told him, hey, don’t get nervous. You got any question about drivers or anything, just call me and I’ll help you out. I’ve been doing this for almost well actually 22 years I’ve been driving when I got my license and say I’m going do this for two or five years. Two or five years that ma’am I’m still driving.

02:24 Yeah. It changed for you there. You thought you’d just be in it for a little while. What was it about driving that kept it kept you in it for 22 years?

02:33 Well, I don’t like driving but I like the money to pay the bills.

02:39 Yeah. Yes, it does. Was here on the Six-Figure Trucker brought to you by Norton Transport and Arie is proof positive of that Six-Figure Trucker out there. Now, let’s back up just a little bit. You were talking about Sam and Laya and you told me they mean a lot to you. Tell us a little bit about your relationship with each. Well, my first dispatcher when I came aboard was Sam and we start building like in every job you got to start from the bottom building trust to your dispatcher and that’s what I did start from the bottom and whenever they need a favor or need to help another driver I’m always I always say yes cuz I know the job I know I’ve been doing this for quite a bit and so whenever they tell me, “Hey Ari, hey, can you help this guy and he guy doesn’t know this? Can you call him?” Yeah, I don’t worry about I’ll call him.

03:33 So, cuz I know how it is to be on the road and being scared to not do this, do that. Don’t do that. And I always call the guy whoever person need help or they’re on the road, I’ll stop by. If I’m nearby, I’ll get a rental and head that way and help the guy out.

03:51 Gotcha. We appreciate that about you, Arie. Arnie Teran here joining us on the Six-Figure Trucker brought to you by Norton Transport. Arie, you were talking about Laya and Sam. You guys have a more than just a talking over the phone relationship. I mean, how would you describe it?

04:09 We had a me and had really good relationship between a dispatcher and a driver. And like I always told Laya and Sam, hey, we’re a team. Without a team, there’s nothing. We got to trust each other. Are you going to tell me if they’re going to you guys going to tell me like I told her you got to tell me you’re going to run this load, do this, do that. I expect to do the same thing you’re they’re telling me. So I tell exactly what I’m going to do and I’mma do and I’ll do whatever I tell him. So that’s a trust between us and Sam.

04:44 I that’s exactly what I thought from listening to you. You guys obviously had a have a deep trust among each other. All three of you guys there and you were talking about helping out and it’s kind of a two-way street. I mean, you know, we try to help you and you certainly help us. How did that is that something that’s just grown over time?

05:06 Yeah, it’s grown over time and the trust is—

05:10 Always there. How like I have never let down nobody. That’s why they trust me so they trust me 100%.

05:17 How do you build that trust? Because I’m a man. I’m a man of my words. Since I was young, my grand my grandpa told me to build trust, build the man what you want to be. Real simple. Keep your word.

05:32 Stick to what you say you’re going to do and do what you say you’re going to do there.

05:36 Yes, sir.

05:37 Now, you’ve been doing it for 22 years. And for those of you who are joining us here on the Six-Figure Trucker brought to you by Norton Transport, you may not know where Norton Transport is headquartered, but we are in the Chattanooga area. We’re actually in North Georgia. We’re in a town called Ringgold, Georgia, but we’re right in the suburbs of Chattanooga. And for you, Arie, Chattanooga means a lot. Tell us a little bit about that.

06:02 Okay, man. This long story. Whenever I started with my first company was Kevin Coven and transport and my first trainer man he was from the army man I didn’t let us with this guy he was an ex military man it was a nightmare with this guy. So—

06:22 Was he like a drill sergeant kind of guy? Yeah, man. I was brand new into the to the trucking business, man. So, as hell no, man. I went back home, relaxed for those couple of weeks and then I started with another company in San Antonio SMP, small company.

06:43 Okay. Trucking company.

06:45 Yes. Yeah.

06:46 Gotcha. Now, we know you’ve been in the trucking business for 22 years, been behind the wheel—

06:53 But that’s not all you’ve done. You had an interesting profession, career before that. What were you doing before you got into trucking?

07:00 Well, I have I used to be I still got my license. I’m independent life insurance agent and also I got my PNC. PNT that’s to sell truck insurance, building insurance and all that. So when I retire not doing CDL I’ll go back selling insurance back. So that’s why I kept my license of life insurance agent and as PNC.

07:28 Gotcha. So you’re keeping your options open for later down the road the big picture.

07:33 No. Yes.

07:33 What’s it like selling on the sales side as compared to on the driving side?

07:39 Well on the both are challenging. The sales sites it’s always commission but on the trucking business is different more challenging because you always dealing with the crazy people on the road man not the same—

07:56 There are some crazy people on the road that’s true brother—

07:59 No especially in Austin man college girls they’re crazy—

08:04 Yeah you’d mentioned Texas you live in Texas right—

08:08 Yeah I live in Texas yeah—

08:09 Now talk about those crazy girls in Austin Texas Well, the college they get drunk. One time I was passing by Austin. They told me to hook at the horn. So that man, not me thinking about nothing. So I just hang the horn and I were like for college student. They start showing other you know what, man.

08:33 So you got a little bit of a show while you were on the road.

08:37 Oh yeah. Yeah. This happened about like 10 years ago.

08:40 But you still remember it?

08:41 Yep. I got you. Now, what part of Texas do you live in?

08:46 It’s called Eagle Pass, Texas. Close to the— Well, it’s the border town.

08:49 And how?

08:49 It’s like two hours away from Von Army. Oh—

08:52 Okay. Okay. That works out great for you and our relationship with you and our stronghold in Von Ormy there. Tell us about what you do as far as your day-to-day and operations out of Von Ormy.

09:06 No, I try to keep up the north. I do champagne loads chili coffee Cleveland then whenever I get close to go home I’ll visit Boni Lo then I’ll go back so that’s what I that’s the plan I do I like do like a triangle I got you go up go down I go west go come back west then from the east go back towards ban—

09:33 I got you now being in Texas Eagles Pass there. You also had a profession before you got into trucking or selling insurance. You had mentioned that to me. Tell us what you did. I’m assuming it was before that or maybe it was during.

09:49 I started on the old field. I started as a driver. That’s the old field. I always what I do when I started with a new company. I give 100% to that company. I give myself and I always ended up with those company being a I end up being a manager with three oil field companies and I was a partnership with this guy he was from the old field who was a manager of a I don’t know you guys know this company is a oil the Murphy oil and gas—

10:24 Okay—

10:25 We became partners so what I did I opened a yard in call the station that’s the last oil field company I managed.

10:35 Okay.

10:36 I managed 15 trucks with that that company G Energy was 28 truck with the neighbors. What was it like another 25 trucks too?

10:50 Okay.

10:50 And there’s some drivers working here that I brought them over and I train them over here too.

10:56 Oh, fantastic. We appreciate that. Now, tell us kind of take us inside what it was like managing the oil field. Three different ones. Kind of get us inside the nuts and bolts of what that was about.

11:09 Well, I started dispatching. I started from the bottom fixing the trucks myself and the old company. I didn’t— Well, for example, with P Energy, I started as a driver, right? Like I told you then there was no mechanic. So, I fixed the trucks. I had no mechanic. I brought my tools. Whenever the driver were down, I go in and fix them. I still dispatch for the same time and I still manage the company doing the invoices. So from the I started from the from scratch, hiring secretaries, hiring drivers. I did it all, man. I was when I managed a company, I was always left like an hour or two hours or three hours max. Keep going back and almost cause my marriage because I always commit to my company know whatever I support one company I do it 100%.

12:08 What was it like as far as getting that type of experience that broad range of experience from the management side, the hiring side, the financial side and fixing trucks and overseeing the drivers? How much has that helped you today?

12:25 Oh, a lot Kevin, man. Managing a company, it’s challenging. And what I like about trucks company, every single company is different. Every single truck trust driver is different. And I like me, I like challenges, man. Like for example, Key Energy, man. A lot of people over there from Eagle Pass and we got a bunch of people from Eagle Pass, too, right?

12:51 Mhm. And I gave it I gave chances, but I got to a point that we need a driver so bad and I told the culprit, you know what, let me get a chance and go talk to the guys from their school from driving school and I’ll go talk to them and whenever they’re done, I’ll come over and I’ll help them out. I’ll train them. If I have to train them myself, I’ll train them. And that’s what I did. I gave it a chance to those guys that really came up came aboard the FDL. I was about like 10 15 drivers that that I train. And that’s for me cuz whenever you come from driving school, nobody wants to give you a chance to become a driver, man. It’s tough.

13:38 They’re looking for that experience.

13:41 Yeah. And that’s what I with key energy. They give me that position and I let those drivers and I train them and man at the end there they were happy cuz they don’t have to struggle through that BS that some company hey you have to have one year two years experience. So if you don’t have experience, how you going to get experience with no job?

14:06 Right. Right. You’re listening to Arnie Teran here on the Six-Figure Trucker brought to you by Norton Transport. Now we’ve talked about all the experience you have in management and beyond and being a trainer. Now you obvious you also train drivers for us at Norton Transport. Tell us how you kind of fell into that.

14:34 Well, I’m not 100% a trainer because many too. I will bump it up a little bit more. But I train my own people like for the ones that I brought for along from other companies.

14:47 Okay. Their names, their name is Jose, Jose Mont, Eric Lea told me, “Hey, I need a favor to train this guy, I’ll go ahead and train him.” But if they would pay more for training, buy miles. Yes, definitely. I’ll be training 100%.

15:09 Gotcha. Now, when Llaya asked you to help out in training this particular driver you were talking about, what did that entail? What all was involved in that as far as the training aspect of it? Well, from a starting point is like, hey, the app, you know what? They need to learn how to use the app because I don’t I cannot train them driving. I tell them, hey, you know what? Do this in the app. I got to tell them before we leave, we got to tell you know what, let me show you the app. Let me set up the EFS card on your name. So, first of all, make sure they in they’re really good on the EFS card. No problems on EFS. I’ll double check with EFS. Call them. Hey, you know what? This driver is really good. Ready to go. Yes, ready to go. So, the next step is you know what? Let’s go around do a walk around the truck. I tell them what to do, what not to do on the check the axle, the bolts you bolt, and the bar lights and how to install the bar light and what to what to inspect on the truck.

16:13 And if they haven’t do been doing those deck before so you know what always on when you go out you want to park always double check your mirrors always inspect the truck before you leave any place you park cuz you never know some other drivers can loss you never know man there’s a lot of crap going on the truck so because I don’t there’s a lot of hatred going on right now in days.

16:46 I gotcha. So, is that something that you’ve built into a habit, your pre-trip inspection and all the parts of it that you always perform?

16:54 Oh, yeah. Definitely. I don’t go out of the panama yard or any yard without checking my new bolts or everything on the truck.

17:03 Gotcha. Gotcha. Now, what’s it been like? You’ve been in trucking for a long time, 22 years, but what’s it like life as an independent contractor versus when you worked for other companies where it was a different setup?

17:15 Well, the me personally, I like always I don’t like nobody tell me what I have need to do. That’s why I always try to be independent since I got my license with my insurance. I’m is also independent. So, Gotcha. Gotcha. Let’s talk about now you’ve obviously done singles and decks.

17:39 Oh yeah.

17:40 Oh yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

17:42 How do they compare?

17:43 Well, it’s an easy job. It’s like driving a car because and but the only big difference is the moneywise travel wise and you know with decking you get travel with a single you don’t.

17:57 Right. There’s a—

17:58 That’s a big difference.

18:00 There’s a lot more monetary opportunity on the deck side. Oh, definitely, man. And I’m a person in that world where the money is, I’ll go there, man. Definitely.

18:11 Money, money talks. Money talks.

18:13 Yeah. Like they say, money talk Walk.

18:18 Now, how long have you been decking?

18:20 I was since I started with trucks, seven years.

18:24 Okay. So, you’re a KG veteran. You’ve been doing it for a long time. And you had shared with me earlier you do a lot of four-ways and red decking. Yeah, we getting a recovery and some drivers that they quit. They left the truck behind all that. Last time I did one is was in Oregon. I flew down to Oregon and then and this driver it was a real simple deck load and he undeck every single truck. I don’t know he did it on purpose but he unde every single truck man. When I arrived in Oregon, I were up to that Freightliner. I saw the truck said, “Hell no, I got B drivers are really special, man.”

19:04 Yeah, I gotta— So, you had to go recover those trucks?

19:08 Yes, sir. I did. I took him back to I think they’re coming to Pennsylvania.

19:13 Okay. Okay. Now, you had mentioned before, I mean, you’ve had a vast experience behind the wheel and outside of the wheel. Now, I’m assure that with that type of experience, you probably have a truck that you like more than others.

19:31 Oh, yeah. Especially I like to go toward the West Coast to Seattle, especially Seattle cuz there’s always go pick up Kenworth—

19:43 Right?

19:44 Those K those Kenworths, man, they can honk.

19:49 Are we talking about new Kenworths or A new— Yeah. Brand new deck. Kenworth.

19:55 Okay. Are we talking about a T880 or which one are we talking about?

20:00 T80.

20:01 Yeah. T880.

20:03 Gotcha. What sets a Kenworth apart?

20:05 Okay. Cuz well this they’re customized especially for drivers for companies or buyers and they’re customized. They’re wood on the floor on the dashboard everywhere. Man—

20:17 That’s a sweet ride, man. It was, man. Sometimes I put my toolbox in I bought some blankets. I didn’t want to scratch any wood or anything cuz man, they’re beautiful. Plus, those of those trucks, they’re like turn 13. I had drawn 18 spin out of there, too. But especially 13s come that comes out of that area. 13 spin, man. They fly through the mouths like nothing.

20:43 Moving through those gears and rolling down the road. Yeah. And plus they’re not governed.

20:53 Good for you to make up some miles.

20:56 Yeah. But don’t tell any.

21:00 We’ll keep that between us. Just wanted to ask you this. Obviously the Kenworth T880 and other models. Favorite truck. Which one do you not like to get into?

21:12 Yeah. Oh man, those PT-120 thick models, man. I call them model PSOS.

21:22 I can’t say the last word. I can’t that piece of you know.

21:27 Yeah, we’re wide open here, man. You’re feel free.

21:30 Yeah—

21:30 I kind of pee away because they’re always piece of man. Always break down. Always break in the middle of the road.

21:38 It sounds like you’ve had a few of these happen. Yeah. Yes, sir.

21:43 How do you cope with a breakdown when it happens?

21:46 Well, you know, it’s something cosmetic that I can fix it myself just to take it to the dealer and I wait for the record and wait in a middle of the road for two, three, five hours. I’ll manage to just make them crank and head to the dealer. But, other than that, because it’s under warranty, I try not to touch it that much. But if I can make it walk it, take it to the dinner, I would. But I always talk to the DSG and tell them, you know what, this is a problem. Can I do this because I don’t want to void the warranty or anything? And say, no, yeah, you can just take it over and so we don’t spend the record.

22:27 Now, in your experience, do you do a lot of or do you do much on the used side?

22:33 I used to do use with trucks, man. Had bad experience. Bad experience cuz sometimes you go to that yard where you pick up in Mount Pleasant, Tennessee, man, they have flat tires that got those axles with no oil. I always spend like an extra day fixing the truck and hell no. I don’t that you know what I’m going to start doing all the new trucks.

23:04 I got you. I got you. Now, I wanted to ask you when you’re doing that used decking and your past mechanical experience, did you ever have to use that mechanical experience? Say a breakdown happens on the used side and you’re like, I can fix this.

23:18 Yeah, definitely, man. I can fix the truck. Not the motor inside the motor, but I can fix everything else.

23:26 Gotcha. Gotcha. Gotcha. Now, you had mentioned sort of indicated to me you’ve had some scary road stories. Share one or two with us.

23:36 Oh, okay. This is one time I was working with this company out of Eagle Pass, Splat Bed. I used to do those LPG tanks division, those propane tanks that deliver to middle of nowhere.

23:52 Uh-huh. Middle of nowhere.

23:54 And yeah, and we had those customers out of Washington. So close to what it happened closest was in Texas on the highway FM of 287 towards Fanderson, Texas.

24:07 Mhm.

24:08 And for Stockton supposedly this story I had heard it from a bunch of drivers for a couple years and I not going to happen. I keep going. I always pass through there like two or three in the morning and one time I was headed to Washington and in that same spot it was used to be in a train station really old train station because Sanderson’s like about 20 miles away and the only transportation they use the train so it was in the 19 1900 then used to be that train station. So I kept passing through this happened like 18 years back I think and I passed through there going to Seattle nothing happened just I was passing by my light just flickered and I said something wrong with the light you know what I kept going on my way back was coming back home because with those that company was I was home weekly so when I come back I was coming back I was about like 180 miles away from and a part of that small town Sanderson.

25:16 So like two I’ll make it. It’s two hours away, two hours and a half. I’ll make it. So I get close to that train station and the same thing the start flicker and—

25:30 When I they the turn then it completely turned off not the truck but the light headlight dashboard everything. They came back on. They came right back on. There was a girl with a red dress walking elevated two feet walking like in the air man said more man I just throw my hair from my neck went raised like crazy—

25:59 Man—

26:00 I start praying I forgot about taking a break so I straight home man it was like non-stop—

26:09 That that had to be kind of freaky man well that would freak a lot people out and some of the drivers that have told that story about that that lady and the story was that supposed in 1900 he had a really toxic relation with this guy. So this guy went back then they used to go work in the mountains the cowboys and the day this is a story from one of the driver that live there in Sanderson. And he told me that this guy went to work one day and then this girl decided to leave this guy. So he left to the train station, got a ride and everything, got to the train station and I don’t know how come he noticed that if he was not home or somebody told him, but to make the story short that he got a machete, went to the train station and she be he cut into pieces.

27:11 Man.

27:11 Oh man. Man, that’s wild. That’s a story with that story of that that woman that appears in the middle of nowhere, man.

27:20 That is crazy, man. That is some crazy stuff. Never heard anything like that. But you I guess you never know what you’re going to see on the road and the stories you’ll come across.

27:29 Oh, yeah. That lady have been appearing for the past, I think, 30 years.

27:33 And you saw her with your own eyes.

27:36 Yes, I did. I did. Did that change your outlook on paranormal kind of stuff? Things outside of the ordinary?

27:43 Oh, yeah.

27:44 Things you can’t explain?

27:46 Yeah, definitely. I’m a little a spiritual person about energy and all that. So, I know there’s there are a bunch of spirits everywhere, man.

27:56 I guess that reinforces your belief there.

27:59 Mhm. Oh, yeah. Thousand%.

28:03 Thousand%. Talk about some of the other crazy I mean that’s top of the charts there but I bet you’ve met some very interesting people on the road. Oh, one time I told I like he know my dispatcher he know about this guy. It was in Maryland. There’s a lot of prejud good boy everywhere. And this was a rec was had a cattle hauler.

28:27 Mhm.

28:27 And I also told my wife about it. I wasn’t at pilot truck stop. I just finished delivering a truck nearby and at Penske. So I was fueling the other truck that need a fuel and this guy start honking. Hey, he said a bunch of I don’t want to say but he start saying a bunch of bad words and—

28:49 Saying to me and I just keep calm. You know what—

28:52 He was saying?

28:52 So he got— Yeah, he was he got pissed more cuz I didn’t listen to him or do anything. Right.

28:58 He came off—

29:00 It. He told me, “Hey, you freaking Mexican blah blah blah.” I keep ignoring this guy. So what he did, he took the gun and point it to my face.

29:11 Oh my goodness.

29:13 I told L about it.

29:14 How long ago was this?

29:15 What happened is I think two years ago or a year and a half—

29:21 Man. You It seems like you were calm. You cooler heads prevail before it escalated to that point. But the guy points a gun at your face. What do you how did you handle it? Well, back in the border, man. My old days and we’re used to guns and cowboy Indians. I don’t want to say much, but we’re in the border. We used to do all that.

29:42 So, did it rattle you or?

29:45 No. No. No. No. I told him bunch of other things, but he took a 22, man. He got a 22. That not going to do nothing to you. Man, if you shoot me, you don’t kill me, I’m going cut you into pieces. So he start backing up. He said he was like 6’2 and I’m about 57. I said, man, he start backing up, are— You’re cuz you go back to your truck.

30:16 Wow, that’s crazy, man. It’s unbelievable, you guys. The things you see, the things you come across, the experiences you have. And would you trade it for anything though?

30:26 Did I trade it for anything? No, man. I like the adrenaline. So, especially being the road during the driving and being with crazy people keep me busy and driving that I like it.

30:40 You never know what the day holds.

30:42 Yes.

30:42 Now, you were telling me earlier you talked about you like going out to Seattle to get those sweet Kenworth trucks to drive, but you have a preference on the East Coast. Is that right?

30:53 East coast. Well, co east coast and used to be west coast, but now it’s east coast cuz it’s more challenging like New Jersey, New York and plus the weather. My favorite place I like Bangor.

31:09 Mhm.

31:09 All that area like Vermont, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Massachusetts. That’s people that like to retire in that area. Everybody’s common in that area. I like the senary. There’s a bunch of hills, bunch of mountains, trees, fine trees. I love the scenery, man.

31:28 Is that what attracts you the most to it? Is it that the people also?

31:33 Yeah. And the people crazy from New York, man. Just by doing it, they’ll show you the finger. You could— Okay, keep going.

31:43 Right.

31:43 Yeah. But they’re crazy. New York.

31:46 You strike me as a very laidback guy. Have you always been that way? Well, I try to because you just you got to remember you’re driving in non transport lo so you gotta keep calm not well you’re representing non transport you know what I mean you’re listening to Arnie Teran here on the Six-Figure Trucker brought to you by Norton Transport and Arie we got to tell you we appreciate how you react to these crazy situations while you’ve been representing us and your professionalism and you know you said your grandfather had told you long ago about how you build trust. Did he instill also that type of the sense of professionalism?

32:36 Yeah, he used to own a big store, big grocery store back in Mexico.

32:41 Mhm.

32:42 He’s also he started from the bottom. So he know the trade of the business. So he gave me some bunch of advice about business. The good thing I listened.

32:53 It sounds like you did and it stuck with you.

32:55 Mhm.

32:56 Now to the point that you’ve been in this business a long time. You started in Chattanooga for a big transport company and you worked under some military people that were tough to work with from your account of it. But you also were able to get to the point where you owned your own truck. Is that right?

33:15 Oh yeah. It was in 2011 when those it was I got the contract. I got a truck because remember 911 came along that they needed a bunch of trucks drivers and you name it that to get all the rebel from that place. So, what I did, I bought a truck. I bought a truck, got a low boy and start hauling stuff out of that area. And I had a contract for almost all five years until everything slowed down. And at the end, at the end, those brokers were killing me cuz I was not making meets and with the brokers. The brokers, they want to give me 50% of the profit, man. So where I was making at least $1,000, but owning your own truck and trailer, that’s that was not no profits to me.

34:10 So I used to bring profit at least 10 to $12,000 a week with that with trucks.

34:16 Did you say—

34:16 12,000?

34:17 12,000 a week.

34:19 12,000. Yeah. Per one truck. I had two trucks.

34:22 Wow.

34:23 And coming down to 12,000 to $1,000 $2,000. I said, “Hell no.” You know what? I turned in the truck, sold the trailers and all that. I said, “No, you know what? Not”

34:35 Yeah. Not for me. Not for Arie. Now—

34:40 Arty, you’ve been doing this for 22 years. How much longer do you think you’ll be doing it?

34:44 I’m thinking right now, I just built a farmhouse for my wife. I have 45 acres in down the middle pass. That was our dream house. We built it. We accomplished that dream. Our next step is to set up for retirement. I got still got like 20 more years, man.

35:06 Gotcha. Tell us about that farmhouse. Is it in Eagle Pass?

35:10 Yeah, it is in Eagle Pass. It’s almost a 3,000 foot farmhouse. It’s looks like a twotory, but it’s not. It got some windows on the top on the roof. It’s like 100% like a farmhouse.

35:26 Now, did you build it? Build it or renovate it. How did that happen?

35:30 No, I got a builder as they also man that started from scratch all the way from foundation all the way to the top. A brand new house.

35:40 Are you living in it now or have you or is it you will be?

35:44 No, no, I’m right now I’ve been there three years. Three. Three months.

35:49 Three months. How awesome is it to when you’ve been on the road? You’ve been out there making a long load plan. You’ve been out five, six days. How awesome is it to come back to that brand new place?

36:01 Well, I wish I would be there all every single day, man, just to enjoy the house, but man, got to work, pay the bills, and I tried to stay out two, three weeks to go home, enjoy the house, man. But we love the house. My wife’s really enjoying the house, man. That’s where that was our dream house came. Our dream came true, man. So, just I’m really thankful for God for letting me having working for Northern Transfer, all the family, Northern Transfer. I love everybody. Michael, Justin, Kevin, I love everybody.

36:37 That’s awesome, man. That makes us feel good to hear that, too, to have that kind of—

36:42 That kind of relationship with you. And do you plan to retire in Eagles Pass or do you have other plans of where you were where you will retire? I think I’m probably going to retire in San Antonio. Probably gonna after my kids I got a kid in San Antonio. He I’m paying his apartment probably rent that that farmhouse and probably get another farm in a San Antonio or nearby area and pro probably do like the Airbnb for that that farmhouse in Eagle Pass.

37:18 Oh yeah. You got a plan? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

37:22 Now, you were talking about your son in San Antonio. He’s in college. Is that right?

37:28 Yeah, that’s right. That he’s studying for to become an architect and I support him 100%, man. Everything whatever he needs to do to get to that point like me, I’m 100% on his back, man.

37:42 Gotcha. Gotcha. Now, we’re here in midappril talking to Arnie Teran here on the Six-Figure Trucker brought to you by Norton Transport. What does next week look like for you? What’s the load plan look like next week?

37:56 Yesterday, I was talking with Steve, I can’t remember his last name. He told me and Laya was there. He told me I got this load out of a champagne. He told me this nation. Okay. This, this, this. Okay. Give me both of them. He things told me now.

38:12 I knew Arie. I knew you gonna get him. I know you.

38:17 That was Steve you were talking to.

38:20 Yes, it was. Gotcha. Now, is this a deck load you’re pulling out of Champlain?

38:26 Yes. Four ways. Yes. I love— Oh, I love Steve, man. I love Steve to death, man.

38:32 Yeah, he tell me Arie, kick somebody ass. I will go kick somebody ass.

38:38 Awesome. Awesome. Where does it pick? We know where it picks up. Where does it deliver?

38:42 Okay. Today, Fresno, California. That’s the last one I’m going to do. The other one is Champlne to Baltimore. That’s the one I’m going to do. First Baltimore, then Paris, California. So, I’m busy for the next week, week and a half.

38:56 That’s going to be a nice paycheck right there.

38:59 Mhm.

39:00 I’m sure you’re looking forward to that.

39:02 Yeah, that’s how I roll, John.

39:04 That’s how you roll. I got you.

39:06 Yeah. Now, you know, a lot of people that work for Norton Transport all know this and the people who may be thinking about it, they like the turnaround as far as how quickly you get paid. Is that a perk for you? How much of a perk is it for you?

39:21 Oh, man. I love it. I love it cuz once I deliver, I send it in. Ila help me get it through quick. Boom. Sometimes I’ll get my money in that same day.

39:34 In the same day.

39:36 Yes, sir. That’s pretty sweet. You can’t find that in a lot of places. Well, Arie, I’m going to wrap it up here as I’m joining you from outside here at my home in the back deck here. I just the teenage neighbor here just looked over at me and he dragged the lawnmower around the corner of the house there. I think he’s ready to mow the grass. I’m going to have to wrap it up. But Arie, we certainly appreciate you joining us here on the Six-Figure Trucker. Everything you do for Norton Transport, we’re very appreciative of it. And thanks again for joining us. Any last advice you’d give for people out there who may be considering driveaway?

40:11 Well, just learn the right way and not don’t take shortcuts cuz those shortcuts going to cause you an accident in the future. I heard have no issues the with the ones I’ve been training. But you never know, man.

40:26 Don’t take any shortcuts.

40:28 Yes. No shortcuts, man.

40:30 No shortcuts. And I loved what you said at the very beginning of our conversation. The trust is always there.

40:36 Oh yeah.

40:37 You got a busy six or seven days in front of you.

40:39 Oh yeah. Yeah. That’s how I like it, man. Be getting busy. My mind on the road. Keep making money. Like I told that’s how I roll.

40:47 You heard it from a pro right there. Arnie Teran here on the Six-Figure Trucker brought to you by Norton Transport. Arie, thank you so much. We do appreciate you and have a good weekend.

41:05 Six-Figure Trucker is brought to you by Norton Transport. Norton Transport is a driveaway trucking company that customers can rely on. It offers excellent independent contract driving opportunities to professional, courteous, and qualified drivers that can provide the kind of service we deliver. If you’re interested in learning more about Norton or just want to subscribe to the show, check out Six-FigureTrucker.com. That’s Six-FigureTrucker.com.