00:05 For the guys who took the extra miles, got into them books, went into them schools, and learned this trade, they put us on a higher level because we’re a commercial driver.

00:15 Mhm.

00:15 You know, that right there is like it’s like a band of brothers. That that CDL is your membership. You are you part of a brotherhood or sisterhood. 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.

00:49 Hello everyone and welcome to the Six-Figure Trucker brought to you by Norton Transport. And those of you who join us each week, you know, this is an avenue where we lift up, we elevate, and we celebrate the drivers that work for Norton Transport and others. We appreciate everything they do. They make the wheels go round and round, move all the trucks and all the commerce. And tonight we got something we want to jump into that’s a little bit different because you guys may remember that commercial from back in the 80s or the ‘9s, maybe even the 2000s with the Dos Equis commercial with the most interesting man in the world. Love those commercials. We may have a guy tonight that can claim that same title as the most interesting man in the world. And joining us tonight is one of our Norton drivers, Ray McMillan. Ray, how are you? Absolutely fantastic, John. Thanks for having me.

01:41 Now, Ray and I talked a little bit before we started recording, and that’s why I said he may be the most interesting man in the world. I’ll let you be the judge of that, but we’re going to start from the very beginning. Ray, where do you join us from this evening?

01:56 I’m currently in Anchorage, Alaska.

02:00 How in the name of God’s green earth did you end up in Anchorage, Alaska? Oh, well because besides me being a driver for Norton, I’m also a flight attendant for private airlines and we work at a lot of strange places and Anchorage, Alaska happened to be one of them.

02:16 I got you. Now, we were talking about this earlier. This is kind of a landmark moment for you being in Alaska.

02:24 Yeah. Besides me being over the road, driving everywhere in the United States, stopping, eating, sleeping, I have yet to ever be in Alaska. And this is my first be due to this job that I have, I’m able to travel to the United States that we don’t often get to see. So, I have been to Alaska and I also have been to Guam.

02:47 And you went to Guam because of your job, the flight attendant job.

02:51 Yeah. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Tell us a little bit more about it. I mean, as much as you can. Private airlines. What kind what types of people fly with you?

03:05 Most of our passengers are predominantly military and their families or things of that nature. So, and then we also have a private another private sector that also contributes to sports teams as well. So, I’m guessing Guam was some military passengers on board.

03:25 Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

03:27 Now, you were talking—

03:28 I like Guam.

03:29 Tell what do you like about Guam?

03:32 It’s cheaper than Hawaii.

03:35 It is.

03:36 It’s more local, you know—

03:37 And the food’s great there, too.

03:40 Yeah. You know what? You’re absolutely right. Cuz you know I never ate spam before, but the way they dress spam up in Guam, trust me, it looks delicious. I’ve never had it cuz I don’t eat pork, but it’s definitely something. It’s real interesting.

03:55 That’s cool. Now, when were you last in Guam?

04:01 Oh, man. Eight months ago.

04:04 Okay. How long were you down there?

04:07 Six days.

04:09 Okay. So, when you go on these flights, do you stay with the jet while the passengers do whatever they’re doing when they land, and then you guys come back, or how does that work?

04:21 Pretty much just like regular day. I land, I go to my hotel, unwind, get me a bite to eat, prepare for the next day, or sometimes I’m at a place for three or four days, like prom day, like I’m in I’m in Alaska, so I’ll be here probably like 3 days before I take off to my next location, which would be Japan.

04:40 Okay. Okay. So, six days in Guam, what kind of things did you get into? Mostly just ate, hung out on the beach, try to do what locals do, see what any tourist attraction that they have. It’s not much, but—

04:55 That’s a tough gig you got there.

04:57 Yeah, it’s nice.

04:58 Fly down to Guam, hang out on the beach.

05:01 I mean, to me is great to unwind after driving.

05:05 Oh, sure. Absolutely. Absolutely.

05:07 Yeah. Yeah. It’s a beautiful, you know, I’m not I don’t have to worry about filling out no logs or going over duty hours. Everything else is written in stone for me. All I have to do is just show up.

05:19 Yeah, it’s a good balance.

05:20 Yeah. Do what is expected of me and just roll with the punches.

05:24 All right. Now, kind of paint a picture for us. What’s it like in Alaska now? You’re in Anchorage.

05:28 Oh, yeah. It’s snow. It’s a lot of snow. I think it’s snow just dropped yesterday. It’s snow. It’s— But don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to lie, the snow looks nice on the pine trees. It’s like one of them postcards kind of look, you know, like winter wonderland.

05:42 Gotcha. Gotcha. What’s the temperature like there?

05:45 Oh man, it’s cold. I think it’s cold. I don’t have to check. It’s all right. It’s not that bad.

05:50 Yeah.

05:51 Oh, it’s 27 degrees.

05:52 That’s not too bad. That’s not too bad.

05:54 Yeah, it’s no wind chill. So, just, you know, it’s just a dry cold.

05:58 Now, you’ll be there for what, 3 4 days?

06:01 Yeah.

06:02 Gotcha. Now, I’m assuming this is military people and their families that you’re traveling with now. Gotcha.

06:10 That’s an interesting setup. And from Alaska, you go to Japan.

06:16 Yeah, we go to other place. We go to other places. We go to other places in between, but you know, that’s can’t really talk about that.

06:22 I gotta— Are you leaving straight from Alaska for Japan?

06:27 Yeah.

06:28 Gotcha. What type of jet are we talking about that you’re flying on?

06:32 Right now, this crew, I think we on a 76, but usually we be on a 747. Queen of disguise. I like that plane. Real big. Got a crew rest, you know, double decker.

06:44 Now, how long have you been doing this?

06:46 Oh my year and a half. Year and a half.

06:49 How did you fall into something like that being a longtime truck driver now? You’re also a flight attendant.

06:56 Honestly, I still don’t know. I was just applying for stuff on I was just applying for stuff online. Submitted my resume, did an interview, wasn’t even think I was going to get it and I got it. So, that was more of a shocker for me, too. That’s got to be a great gig, man. Not knowing exactly where or do you know where you’re going to go or does it just— How does that work?

07:16 I do.

07:17 How far how much of notice do you get?

07:20 Depending on like the duty week. Like right now I’m on schedule from now to the 12th of December. I’m on schedule. Well, that’s not guaranteed that I will fly all those days, but I will know like they’ll give me increments of maybe like 10 days increments depending on my schedule.

07:41 Okay.

07:42 Unless somebody calls off or somebody’s sick or whatever the case may be and I happen to be home, then I have a two to four hours to get to the airport.

07:49 So, you kind of block it off when you’re flying and when you’re driving.

07:54 Yeah. What I do is like cuz I get 11 days off from the airlines and that and that’s when I hit the road. So I try to do sometimes I try to bid my schedules where I’ll get like for example I will get the end of November off and the be beginning of December off so I can have 22 days to drive.

08:13 Okay. Okay. So that is a good balance when you can you know put 10 to 12 days together or more in the sky and then three weeks together on the road.

08:26 Yeah. And it kind of balanced itself out because like my job put me on, you know, private other airlines like American Airlines, Delta, United, stuff like that. So I rack up points, flight miles, and then hotels. I rack up points with that. So, what I would do is I’ll rack up enough points and then because I’m a singles driver without a tow vehicle, so I just use that to get back and forth to my trucks.

08:51 So, you’ve got the you got the great setup there as far as one kind of feeds the other.

08:56 Right. Right—

08:58 Now, benefit to you. Yeah—

09:00 Absolutely. So, you’re going to Japan next and then back on the road. What part of Japan are you going to? I can’t really say.

09:10 Okay, I understand. A man of mystery. The most interesting man in the world. You’re listening to Ray McMillan here on the Six-Figure Trucker brought to you by Norton Transport. Little mystery there. But that’s good. That good. It adds to the intrigue and the interest. Now once you get back to the road, I guess it’s going to be a few weeks down the road before you’re on the road. When do you start looking for your next few loads? Usually I try to pick my loads like if I know I am flying back, let’s say I’m coming back on a Friday or let’s say the middle of week, I’m getting back on a Thursday. I know I could if I know I’m coming back home, I’ll try to grab something. Usually I try to get something out of Denton.

09:56 Okay.

09:56 Tulsa—

09:58 Or I sometime I would shoot down a Laredo, but that’s the head on there. But I try to grab something as soon as I land at the airport in Houston—

10:09 I’m jumping right back on the next plane out.

10:12 I got you. I got you. You’re a man that doesn’t stay still for long.

10:16 I can’t. I did that. I did that in October. I was on vacation and try to like, you know, sit still. Man, I was miserable.

10:24 You like to keep it going?

10:26 Keep it going, huh?

10:27 I like to keep it going. Yeah. I just had a few setbacks because I prolonged my DT physical, so I had to sit a little bit. But once I got that thing going, it was off to the races.

10:37 I got you. Off to the races. I love it.

10:47 You’re listening to Ray McMillan here on the Six-Figure Trucker brought to you by Norton Transport. As we said, you know, he’s running neck andneck with the most interesting man in the world. And let’s see, you’ve kind of already shed the light, kind of opened the door. Houston is home for you. Is that correct?

11:03 Yes, Houston is home for me. Originally from New York.

11:06 How do the two compare? New York and Houston.

11:08 I missed the food in New York, but Houston got New York beat for weather.

11:13 Yeah. Now, we’re talking about—

11:14 As well as affordability.

11:16 There you go. It’s you like the warm weather.

11:19 Yep. And you can afford to live.

11:21 Yes. Affordability. That’s a key component. Mhm.

11:25 Now, when you said New York, we’re not talking about upstate New York, but you’re talking about—

11:29 No—

11:30 You’re talking about—

11:31 Yeah, I’m from the city. I’m from Manhattan.

11:33 Lower Manhattan.

11:34 Do you miss it?

11:35 I grew up— Not really. I just go up there to shop and eat pretty much, go see family, couple of friends, but to me it’s like this. If I’m not making money from it, I don’t go.

11:49 I got you. I got you. Now, you were telling me earlier that you do still have family in the city. With the holidays coming up, will you be making your way there?

12:01 No, I will not. Hopefully, I’ll be somewhere overseas.

12:04 Okay. All right. Ringing in the holidays overseas. Nothing wrong with that.

12:08 Yeah. Yeah. That’s why I said this airline job is great. Where can you get someone a free vacation?

12:15 I tell you, man, that’s awesome that you got into that. Didn’t see it coming, but it panned out for you. Now, let’s—

12:23 It did.

12:24 Let’s talk a little bit about life on the road as a driver. You’re a pretty KY veteran. You’ve been doing it for a minute.

12:31 Yeah, I’ve been driving over 10 years. I honestly like driving been in my family for a long time. You know, my uncle’s a driver, my granddad was a driver, my stepdad was a driver. You know, I probably had a truck in my crib before a pacifier or a bottle. I gotcha. So, did you know when you were a younger guy that you were going to fall into it? Did is that something you dreamed about?

13:00 No. Never even thought about it. Never crossed my mind. I just remember like when I was a kid, I didn’t even know what I wanted to be. But as I started getting older, I started working warehouse jobs and seeing trucks pulling and stuff like that and seeing how most drivers lived and stuff. I just said, you know, I went I just went at it. And the crazy thing about it is I went into every division of driving that a person can do besides doubles and triples.

13:29 Like my grand my granddad was a garbage man. I was a garbage I drove a garbage truck. My stepdad drove a Greyhound bus. I drove a bus. And my uncle’s over the road driver. I’m a over the road driver. So it’s like I followed I did everything they did. You know, the men that I looked up to, I guess, would be my modern day heroes.

13:51 I got you. That’s awesome, man. That’s admirable to be able to follow in the footsteps of family like that. And I wanted to ask you, of all those types of driving that you have done, which one is your favorite and which one is your least favorite? I will say over the road, hands down, my favorite. My least favorite was being a garbage man. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t have to get out the truck, but that job is very, very demanding, especially if you work the overnight shift. You know, I will work from Sunday night to Saturday morning, you know, and that when I tell you, man, listen, money great. Don’t get me wrong, money good. But I won’t wish my job I won’t wish that job on my worst enemy. That it’s very strainuous and stop and go. You know, you whipping a very heavy commercial vehicle through some what could be like small little alley blocks, you know, just to pull trash. And then not only that, like you’re in this truck and you also have not only, you know, as a commercial driver, you also have to look out for, you know, you have to think for other drivers as you on the road.

15:04 And as far as being a garbage truck driver, not only do you have to think for other drivers, you also got two lives on the back of that truck with you—

15:12 Right?

15:12 You know what I’m saying? Any sudden wrong turn, bump, anything, you can end a man’s career.

15:19 And that’s a lot of responsibility to take on. Yeah, it was a lot. It’s a lot. Graveyard shift up, tired, cold, man. I tell you.

15:29 How long did you do that?

15:32 Oh, I did that for about two years.

15:34 And I guess you got tired of it and said, “I’m not going to do this any longer.”

15:38 No. Something this was like right before COVID hit.

15:42 Okay. You know, and then it was a it was the issue with me was that I didn’t think the company really supported their drivers as far as, you know, taking the precautions and understanding that this virus was something serious because I lost two guys, you know, I lost a guy who was a driver and I lost a guy who was on back of my truck and watching this happen and seeing what’s going on, I got out that industry.

16:10 I got you. I got—

16:11 Out there. I got out of there.

16:13 I gotcha. And where did the road take you next?

16:16 After waste, I went to go work for another over the road company and I did it for a minute. You know, money was okay, but it was a lot of— It took a lot from me. You know, they if they send me in advance, they charge me for it. When they send me my money, they charge me for it. Bond insurance, which is overall once you know you get your bond up, you should be fine. But it was just a lot of taking, a lot of take. A lot of take. A lot of take. And then, you know, you bid on jobs, they underbid you and stuff like that. So, I was like, man, I did that. I did that for a year and then I kind of like laid off it. And then that’s when I started this job and then I was like, I need something to I got I still had that void that was missing. Like I like this job is great. To travel the world and all that, but when it’s over and I got them days off, what is it to do?

17:11 Now, I didn’t want to volunteer my days off back to my airline job, stay in the air all that time. So, I was prior to starting this job, I was doing like my last run for this other company and I met this guy. Oh man, I wish I remembered his name, but he was also a driver for Norton and we were on a we was in Atlanta on Amtrak and he was like, “Hey man, you should apply for Norton.” And he because I was telling him what was going on with the other company. He’s like, “Man, you should apply for Norton, man. They pay well. You know, they’re really good. They’re real family oriented, man. You’ll like it. You like it.” So, I applied, didn’t think nothing of it or whatever the case may be, and a recruiter got back to me quickly and sent me everything that I needed in the mail. And I’ve been running ever since. I think this is one of the best decisions I ever made as far as coming on to another company doing the same kind of work because at one point in time, I wanted to give up, right?

18:08 Like, no, it’s not making no money. It’s not worth it. I’m not benefit from it. And then Norton came along and I love it. I love it. I actually have a great dispatch team, you know. I call them talk a little crap and they get to it. I had no worries with them. You know, you know, sometimes, you know, they helped me. I was in a situation not too long ago. I had to make some a lot of money in a short period of time and I needed to get settled out. I was going to deliver later than my paperwork process for settlement and my dispatcher like I’m talking about went the extra mile for me and for that I’m forever grateful. That’s why I will for I will always try to keep myself in good graces with Norton so I can continue to work for this company.

18:57 Well, fantastic, man. That that really makes us proud to hear that and proud to have a driver of your caliber on our roster. That really is that’s really something that we enjoy hearing and you know you talked about your settlement and we’ve talked with a number of other drivers. One thing not to toot our own horn here at Norton Transport but we like to pay our drivers quickly and I’m guessing in your situation you had mentioned there that helped.

19:26 What it does that’s why I see and the perfect thing about it like this job the airline job I get paid twice a month. You know what I’m saying? So like that empty void of payment, you know, day-to-day stuff, you know, because you know, like you can’t like as a trucker, we know in the industry, most drivers get paid every week. Every week. Every week. Now, to get paid daily, that that least that that leaves a good burden off your back. You know what I’m saying? Like you got something that’s coming up or a bill coming up or a family emergency coming up, you can easily grab a couple of trucks, get on the road, make settlement and be good.

20:07 Gotcha. Keep running, keep earning.

20:09 That’s right. That’s right. Bobtail Bandit. And I love the variations of different vehicles that you can operate, you know, too. You know, you know, it can change up. One day you’re driving a brand new sleeper cab, next you might be Miss Frizzle driving a school bus. You know, that can change.

20:29 Well, give us a list, kind of a laundry list of what all you’ve driven in your 10 years on the road.

20:34 Oh my goodness. Tanker, cement truck, garbage truck, and this is all with Norton, too. Tanker, garbage truck, school bus, day cab, sleeper. Package car. I just did that. Oh my goodness, that was that put a toll on me. But trust me, the settlement made it all make it all worth my while.

20:59 Gotcha. Gotcha.

21:01 If it’s got wheels on it, you can drive it.

21:04 Yeah. Yeah. And every type of vehicle. Max, Volvo, Freightliner, Internationals. Mhm. Do you have a favorite as far as a truck type or a brand that you would prefer to drive?

21:20 Honestly, me being in Pennsylvania, me being from like, you know, being from the East Coast and my last name Nick Millan, I always was a Mack. I swear to you.

21:32 Okay. I was such a firm and then as before I when I was like taking a hiatus from trucking, I actually worked at the back plant well a sister company to the back plant building a truck chassis.

21:45 So for me to build trucks to driving them was like—

21:49 You know was just farfetched for me just mindblowing.

21:54 Then I came down here I came down to Texas and I got myself in one of them peaks. I don’t know. I don’t think Mack got a chance. I’m sorry, Mack. I apologize. I love you. Still love you, but I don’t think he got a chance. I’m pizza. I’m pizza. A real sweet vehicle, man. Smooth.

22:14 That’s Ray McMillan.

22:16 Yeah.

22:18 Now, we were talking earlier. What took you to Texas?

22:24 Man, to be honest, I was chasing a woman. I was chasing a woman. It wasn’t even chasing a woman. I actually some friends of mine from Indianapolis. I was in Indianapolis visiting some friends. They were going down to Texas to go to an event. They ended up not showing up cuz one of them got sick or whatever the case may be. So, I wind up going to the event. Had a beautiful time. I love that. And the crazy thing is it was in Dallas.

22:51 Okay. So, I love that hospitality that I received in Texas cuz every time I went anywhere, they would always say, “Hey, man, when you coming back? When you coming back? When you coming back?” And I was like, “I’ll be back next week.” And what happened was the company that I was working for, I’ll just call my dispatcher like, “Hey, what you got coming to going to Texas? What you got going to Texas? What you got going to Texas?” And I constantly kept going. Kept going. And I met someone—

23:18 In Dallas. It was cool. He was everything was all right and then things went left and then I have a friend he’s a over the road driver he’s a owner operator and him and his lady moved to Houston Texas and I went down there to visit them and I was like hey man I’m about I’m staying in Arlington you know I come down here hang with you come up here hang with me then I ended up moving out of all got this job offer my airline job and I had to be Houston based. So, I stayed with my friend for a year, but I was never home.

23:56 I pretty much paid for a closet. It got bad. My friend’s like, “Man, I don’t feel comfortable taking your money. You’re never here.” I said, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll pay $500 for a closet space for storage.”

24:07 Yeah.

24:07 That’s pretty much what I did. And I just stayed on the road.

24:10 How long ago did you move to Houston?

24:13 A year and a half ago.

24:15 And you like it now?

24:16 Love it. Love it. Love the weather. The food is not that I mean it’s okay. It’s not like New York. See, New York, I could taste the world and walk a distance. I can have Chinese for lunch. I can have Middle Eastern for dinner. I got Greek for breakfast the next day. It’s it varies.

24:36 Oh yeah, there’s—

24:37 It varies the taste of world and walking distance. And that’s the only thing about Texas. People tell me some of these restaurants that I seek exist there, but I ain’t got time to go on a treasure hunt. Not when you’re in New York and it’s right in front of you.

24:51 It’s right there.

24:52 It’s right in front of me.

24:53 Yeah, I got you.

24:54 It’s right in front of you.

24:55 Now, so you will not it’s going to be a while before your next run, but will you miss it in your while you’re doing your flight attendant thing?

25:05 Will I miss the road?

25:06 Right.

25:07 Sometimes I do. But you know what I do is I just every even when I have downtime here, I’ll be overseas. I always look at the board. I’m always looking at the board. Always. It never fail. Like I’m always looking at the board. I probably looked at the board three times today.

25:25 Oh wow.

25:26 Yeah. I just keep I look at the board. I look at the board. I always look at the board. Even when I’m not working, I just look at it just to see what the possibilities may be, you know? Or sometimes I look at the board and I’ll call my dispatcher and I’m like, “Hey, what’s going on?” I’m like, “You need to combine these two loads.” Cuz I see it sitting. I’m like, “No, that don’t make sense.” Yeah, you might as well combine these two cuz that person could pick up. They only 10, 15 minutes from the next pickup location. That’s how they should do it. Do this, do that.

25:54 Yeah. Eliminate the dead head. Now, you were talking about the relationship with your dispatcher. You could go ahead and name your dispatcher and describe the relationship you guys have.

26:05 Well, I got two right now. I got Terry holding his name right. I got Terry. Terry’s great, but Megan. Megan. Megan is my dispatcher. Before when I used to call, right, it’s like you reach like the singles, singles, Norton singles.

26:23 Now it says Megan’s team—

26:26 And I’m telling her if it wasn’t for me, she wouldn’t be the superstar she is.

26:29 So, she needs to thank me.

26:31 Oh, there you go.

26:31 Now it’s just all Megan’s team now. But great. I honestly very friendly, straightforward. You know, she sometimes she get mad at me because sometimes I have to say, “Hey, listen. You have to change my pick up and delivery time because I know that and when I do a good job and I get the bonuses for picking up and delivering on time, so do my dispatcher.”

26:53 So sometimes when I have to call and say, “Hey, listen.” And I have to change my pickup and drop off time. I really hate to tell her that bad news.

27:01 I really hate to tell her that. It bothers the hell out of me to tell her that. Like, hey, she’s like, “Okay, no problem.” And I hate to do it. But like I said, anybody that my dispatch could tell you when I’m on the road, I go the extra mile. I wanted the drivers that you don’t have to follow me as much as meaning like I’m not going to call you like, “Hey, I need a rental.” Or, “Hey, I need this and hey, I need that.” Just let me know where I got to go, how to pick it up, and I’ll get there and do everything myself. I’m real independent—

27:29 And self-sufficient. That’s a great thing to be when you’re driveaway driver.

27:33 Now—

27:33 Yep. Definitely. In those 10 years that you’ve been on the road, how does driveaway compare to the other types of driving you’ve done?

27:42 This drive pretty much you get a brand new vehicle, you know, most likely you’re the first one in it. Most of the time you’re in a brand new vehicle. What’s simple? What’s simple? And the fact no force dispatch like this is I work when I want to work. You know what I’m saying? It’s not, hey, are you coming back? Hey, what are you doing? Hey, you know, like I’ve been out for the pretty much majority of October because of my DOT and then I was also on vacation with my airline job cuz my plan was to run the entire month.

28:20 Mhm.

28:21 That was my original plan. But like I said, things don’t always happen. But it is what it is. But driving here, I mean, it’s simple. It’s not a hassle. Only thing is sometimes you have to honestly working at working for Norton. I only had one issue since starting here. I decided to pick up a bus that was going to I think Charlotte, North Carolina.

28:48 Mhm.

28:49 And the bus was CNG.

28:51 Okay.

28:52 Which is a propane bus.

28:54 Oh yeah. And honestly, those things are it was a propane bus and it was governed at 40 miles per hour.

29:06 That’s not a lot of fun.

29:07 From I made it from Tulsa to Memphis and I had to spin back around to Little Rock, Arkansas cuz it needed service.

29:18 Okay. Fuel was an issue.

29:20 Fuel was an issue. 45 miles per hour was an issue. But my dispatcher tried to compensate me as much as she could, but I wasn’t just breaking either.

29:30 Well, I guess when you look at the when you look at the big picture and if it’s only one bad experience in your time with us, that’s pretty good.

29:37 Yeah, pretty much. Don’t get me wrong, I have had maybe two trucks, the school bus with the 40 and one truck break down on me. Just one. And like I said, I was compensated. I was okay. They gave me the 60 bucks for a hotel. Got went to my hotel fee. So, I was pretty much okay.

30:00 That’s cool. That’s cool.

30:02 Now, shifting gears here. He you’re listening to Ray McMillan here on the Six-Figure Trucker brought to you by Norton Transport. Ray is joining us from Anchorage, Alaska. And at about this time while we’re recording, I guess it’s about dinner time there. Is that right?

30:19 Yeah, it’s— Yeah, it’s 4:43.

30:22 Okay. Okay.

30:23 Yeah.

30:23 So—

30:24 Yeah.

30:25 You about to have a nice meal there in Anchorage?

30:28 Yeah. This a bar here called 48 states—

30:35 And they have this seafood chowder. Oh my god, it is delicious. It got clams and chunks of salmon in it.

30:44 Probably saying it wrong. Salmon. No, salmon. Yeah, salmon.

30:48 Yeah. So, are you hitting the appetizer right now?

30:54 No, I’m actually standing in the Sheridan Hotel lobby.

31:00 Okay. Okay.

31:01 I’m about to check into my room, drop my bags off, and go get me a bite to eat.

31:06 Oh, that’s fantastic. That’s fantastic. Now, Ray, what would your advice be? I mean, a man that has done so much, traveled so much, driven so many different types of trucks. What would your advice be to someone who may be considering moving into the driveaway space?

31:23 Do your research. Do your research and ask yourself, is this something that you want to do? You know, everybody see, as we know, the trucking industry has been changing over the past few years. Got a lot of younger drivers coming in with no knowledge or no understanding of how things are ran. Got veteran drivers stuck in their ways used to following the way things used to be.

31:48 Mhm.

31:49 So, it’s going up and down, especially with loads, you know. Then you got all this YouTube and Tik Tok telling guys, hey, I can show you how you can make a 100,000 if you on your own. You can make 300,000 if you on your own truck. I’ll show you how. Right? You know, telling these guys false hopes and dreams.

32:08 But as far as if somebody wanted to consider, let’s say they wanted to move and take a job with Norton Transport or move into driveaway with another company—

32:20 What would your counsel be to them?

32:24 A guy coming into Norton?

32:26 Yes. Yes. Absolutely.

32:28 Man, listen. If you’ve never done this kind of work before, coming into this, coming into NO, I would highly suggest your best bet because you’re going to experience, you’re going to get a taste of everything within your first three months. In the first three months, you’re going to experience everything.

32:46 And yeah—

32:47 I would say that fits very well with your personality.

32:51 Yeah. Yeah. You got to, you know, you just go in there your first three months, you going to experience a lot. You know, always come in this industry open-minded. You know, a lot of these guys, a lot of these guys been doing it for a long time. Get your prime example. Also, if you see other drivers on the road, when you go to your pickup locations and stuff like that, talk to them.

33:17 Talk to them. I met a driver when I was in Tulsa and he was it was literally his first day—

33:26 With Norton.

33:26 Okay.

33:27 His first day. And he was picking up a bus and he was going up to I think he had the same run. He had the same run I was going on too cuz we both going to Maryland. And I was telling him like, “Hey man, this is where it’s at. This is way better.” He said, “Yeah, cuz I used to do this for another company.” When he went to the other company, I said, “It’s nothing like them.” I said, “I was over there with them, too. It’s nothing like them. Trust me.” He’s like, “This is my first run.” I said, “Man, you got to enjoy it. You got to enjoy it.”

33:50 Well, we appreciate you going to bat for us and speaking well of us to a first day driver.

33:57 Yeah. I mean, the truth is the truth. And like I said, you want to talk to these drivers that’s out here. If you see them, the fuel line sometimes they might be NOR drivers, they might be other companies. Just ask some questions because like I said, I just had a package card coming from like south of Kalamazoo going into Los Angeles and for some reason I couldn’t find a way to charge my phone in this car and I next thing I know I go decide to stop and get fuel and it was a couple guys behind me driving the same truck and I said, “Hey man, how you guys charge your phone?” And they gave me the tools that I need to charge my phone.

34:34 I mean, there’s a brotherhood. There’s a network out there.

34:37 Mhm. You just got to plug in—

34:39 A commercial driver.

34:40 And regardless to what field of commercial driving you do this, like people still realize is the driver’s license is a privilege. You know, when people like, oh, driving is a privilege. Driving is a privilege for people that got a regular driver’s license. For the guys who took the extra miles, got to them books, went into them schools, them driving schools, and learned this trade, they put us on a higher level because we’re a commercial driver.

35:07 Mhm. M you know that right there is like it’s like a band of brothers. That that CDL is your membership regardless of what class get it in. A B everyone. You are you part of a brotherhood or sisterhood.

35:23 Exactly. Exactly. You’ve been listening to Ray McMillan here on the Six-Figure Trucker brought to you by Norton Transport. Ray is in the lobby of his hotel in Anchorage, Alaska on his other gig. Yes, sir. On his side hustle there that he’s working there. And Ray, I was just going to wrap it up with you because I know you need to put your bags in your room and get down and get some of that delicious dinner.

35:46 Yeah. Yeah. I’ve been sitting here in the lobby talking to you, snacking on these nice chewable cookies. I’m not going to lie. I even got a— You just gave me a moose like a moose mascot. I actually just got a moose mascot—

36:00 At the hotel. They just gave it to me.

36:02 Well, there you go.

36:03 So, look it up.

36:05 All right. Well, Ray, enjoy your time in Alaska and thank you so much for spending some time with us here on the Six-Figure Trucker brought to you by Norton Transport. Anything you want to leave us with?

36:15 Thanks for having me. You drivers that’s listening, be safe out there on the road. It’s pretty much it.

36:21 All right. Ray McMillan here on the Six-Figure Trucker brought to you by Norton Transport. Ray joining us from Anchorage, Alaska. Ray, be safe out there.

36:29 All right.

36:32 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.