00:10 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.

00:31 Hello everyone and welcome to the Six-Figure Trucker brought to you by Norton Transport. And those of you who join us each and every week know this is a space out there on the podcast world where we elevate and celebrate the drivers. They do so much for us all the time and sometimes they are not seen in the most favorable light, but we try to change that. This is a positive show about the drivers that not only work for Norton Transport, but all across the country. They mean so much to the economy of this country and of course for the well-being of Norton Transport. Now, we’re coming to you here in this recording session just before Thanksgiving Day, just a couple days before, and we have a very special guest with us this evening. That is Amanda Edgecombe. Amanda, how are you?

01:17 I’m all right. How’s everybody?

01:19 We’re doing great. Doing great. We’re lucky. We’re very fortunate to have you and we are thankful for that. As we come in closing in on Thanksgiving Day, got to ask you we’re a couple days out as we’re recording from Thanksgiving Day. What kind of things are you thankful for, Amanda?

01:35 Life itself. Because everybody don’t get a chance to, you know, wake up the next day like we’re blessed to be here this morning, but somewhere somebody didn’t, you know—

01:48 Right? So, just a blessing to be able to wake up and see another day.

01:52 That’s a good way to look at life. I mean, just the fact that we have it. And have you always kind of looked at life that way or is it something that’s evolved over time for you?

02:03 I mean, as I got older, I began to look at it that way. You know, when you’re younger and you’re just going, you know, on with life or whatnot, you don’t realize any of the things that you are thankful to have. You know, you just look at as a regular day—

02:20 Right? You don’t appreciate the things until you know, I guess, until you really become older and wiser.

02:26 Exactly.

02:27 Amanda is joining us from Tampa, Florida, here on this November 21st as we’re recording. Amanda, set the scene for us. Paint a picture for us. What’s it like in Tampa weatherwise and atmosphere-wise?

02:40 The weather itself is great right now. I mean, it’s not hot. It’s not cold. It’s just a nice breeze. A lovely day in the neighborhood as they would say.

02:49 Now, do you live near the water or a short driving distance away from the water?

02:54 A short driving distance. Not that far.

02:57 Do you get down to the beach very often?

03:00 No. Passing by. Yeah. But as far as just going down there, no.

03:04 I think you told me before we started recording, you’re more of a homebody.

03:09 Yes, sir.

03:10 Kind of a kind of explain. I mean, everybody knows what a home body is, but what’s a homebody for Amanda in Amanda’s world?

03:17 Well, a home body is I take care of everything that I need to take care. Say if it’s I work the Monday through Friday, I take care of everything I need to take care of before I get in. And I could be in the house and watch TV, eat whatever it is I want to eat. You know, long as I keep that peace or whatnot from Friday up until Monday when it’s time to go back to work again. I don’t really do much. I just like to be at peace. I got you. So, you’ve got your routine. You’re on the road with us through the Monday through Friday week and then you like to kick it back and relax when you’re not.

03:51 Yep. And then start fresh or get that little piece of mind once you get that little mental break and then you’re ready for it again.

03:59 Gotcha. How important is it to you not only as a driver but as a woman to have that peace of mind?

04:05 Very important. Very very important because I can get out here and I can run sun up to sun down. I can run as long as my clock allow me once I get that 34-hour reset and I can keep going and keep going. But mentally, if I’m not there, how am I able to go ahead and do what I’m supposed to do? I’m not going to be alert to pay attention to what’s going on around me as far as safety and everything like that. So, every now and then it’s great to get that mental break. And that’s something that I go by. If I feel like, okay, it’s becoming a little bit too much or, you know, I’m getting at the end of things or whatnot, I need a mental break. Once I get that mental break, I’m ready to go all over again.

04:45 Is that something that you’ve discovered because you’re not a rookie at driving. You’ve been doing it for a while. Is this something over time you have learned, you know, it helps me be a better driver if I have that mental?

04:56 Correct. Correct. How did that come about, you know, to you to where you knew it was something you needed to do?

05:02 As far as like just say we run into little issues or whatnot while we’re out here on the road. And, you know, sometimes it could be overwhelming. It could be frustrating. It could, you know, all of that affects your mental.

05:15 All of that affects your mental. And if you’re at that state, like I said once again, if you’re at that state, you’re not able to pay attention or be aware of other things that’s going around you or you know, anything basically to me, anything. You may not feel like yourself or any of those things. So once you get that mental break, it’s like, hey, I’m back at it. I feel like myself again. I’m ready for whatever this week’s got to offer. What’s it like for you? How would you describe how you feel when you’re in a cab? What’s that feeling like?

05:54 When I’m in a cab, I mean, it’s it depends. It depends. If everything is going as planned and everything is okay, you know, you’re feeling good about it and whatever. But any little hiccup or whatnot, any little monkey wrench going in there can throw your whole vibe off—

06:12 Right? And we both know in the business there are monkey wrenches that happen.

06:17 Yes, there are.

06:20 But I mean, I guess the secret to being a successful driver such as yourself is how you deal with those monkey wrenches. How do you approach it? I mean, you’d already kind of laid out the groundwork there about getting the break, taking your reset, being approached mentally, but let’s say a monkey wrench or a hiccup happens. How do you deal with each one when they do happen? I mean, I’m there are times where I’m very overwhelmed and frustrated about certain things. When I’m out there and I would exhaust everything that I can possibly do on my end, but when I’m not getting anywhere as far as what I can do and then I need that backbone to rely on, which would be Norton itself, and then I kind of, you know, not get what I need at that moment, it becomes very overwhelming and frustrating.

07:16 I guess. So once all of that has come into play and it’s to the point where okay I’m almost there or whatnot let me step back and look at this and analyze okay how can I do this how can I do that before I get to this point—

07:32 Now I must confess here on the Six-Figure Trucker brought to you by Norton Transport many times we select our drivers that appear on the podcast by recommendation from their dispatchers we look for guys and girls that are exceptional in what they do, have great stories to tell. You know, have had many experiences on and off the road. But I must confess, Amanda, I handpicked you because I’m also an account manager here and I was impressed with what you did. I guess it was a couple weeks ago. You had back-toback runs for us and they were both timeritical. Very time critical. Do you remember these two?

08:15 I can’t really say unless you give me, you know, exactly to say what it is because I was on go like non-stop. Soon as I drop off, I was picking up. Drop off. Picking up.

08:26 Yeah. I was on go. So—

08:27 You were you had one a CNG garbage truck going to Colorado.

08:33 From Alabama to Colorado. Yep.

08:35 And then Colorado.

08:38 Yeah. Colorado going over to Idaho. And they in the Colorado to Idaho was a show truck which had to be there at a certain time. Now, let’s back up and talk about that compressed natural gas garbage truck. I understand there was an issue that came up. Let me see if I can remember this correctly. The CNG station was down. Is that right? It was not working at the time.

09:05 Correct. But you were able to see your way through that and I know the outcome of what happened, but how did you make that a successful mission?

09:14 Well, being that the situation was what it was, there was a note on it that said it’s out of order and we’ll be back Saturday, which this happened on a Friday. We’ll be back Saturday. At that time, it was nothing that I could possibly do because the light was on and I wasn’t off of my route like this is where I’m supposed to be. So, I tell you what, I’m going to stay here until tomorrow. I’mma hope that they come and fix it early or whatnot because this is the route. This is how it’s supposed to go. But I also went ahead and tried to call in advance to see just in case this does not happen because when I spoke with the guy, the guy advised me that is a possibility that it may not be fixed. So, we just hoping winging a prayer that you know the guy could come out and everything will go as I called ahead of time just to see okay if this is what’s going on how can I get over to the next spot or you know if it’s going to be told or how it’s going to be I really don’t know but I’m just giving you the heads up on what I’m dealing with out here but I am going to stay here and I’m going to wait till tomorrow.

10:21 So when tomorrow came the guy did come out it, he fixed it, and hey, everything was back to normal programming.

10:29 That’s awesome. I like that everything was back to normal programming because I know that you were able to take that truck on up into Colorado to the delivery location. And looking back at it, I was kind of monitoring it from the sidelines. And looking back at it, it probably would not have been successful if you hadn’t got an early jump on it. And now going out west from Alabama, I think— Did you get an early jump on it?

10:58 Yeah, because how I try to do my things or whatnot, if I got to pick it up on a Wednesday, depending on the miles and everything and the hours of operation, I try to base it upon that. So, just so happened with the previous load that I had going from North Carolina to Alabama I got an early start on that. It wasn’t that many miles. So, it was a pickup on a Wednesday, drop off on a Thursday. So, when I picked up the truck on Thursday going over to Colorado, that gave me that window to get over there by Monday. I knew I wasn’t going to make it. And then the hours of operations, you know, most places are closed on the weekend. So, I got that little leeway by picking it up on Thursday and getting over there by Monday.

11:42 I want to give our listeners a few a full view of what was going on here because not only did she get to the CNG station that was not operable at the time, but did become operable on Saturday. She had waiting for her I think it was Fort Lupton, Colorado, another truck that had to be picked up on Monday, had to be delivered on Wednesday in Idaho. And because of the fact, now correct me if I’m mistaken here, Amanda, because you started early, you were prepared for, you know, the fly in the ointment that did happen.

12:15 Correct. So by me staying there waiting, even though I got there on a Friday and I could have got my gas and proceeded on, but I still had that window that being that I ran into this, I didn’t really lose any time or anything as far as me having to stay there and wait until it was fixed. How important is it to you as a driver and as a person to be on time?

12:37 Very important. I’m a very punctual person. Very punctual. And I hate to say this, but if I’m late or anything like that, it throws me off, period. So I that’s something that I don’t I try to— Yeah. Avoid all of that. I’m very punctual.

12:52 I don’t like to be laid anywhere.

12:54 It kind of puts you in a bad frame of mind.

12:58 Yeah. Now, I did a little digging, a little research here on your data, and people, when she says she likes to be on time, she’s not joking. Right now, I’m not sure if you’re aware of it, but your on-time percentage for the month to date for November, and as you said, you’ve been running, running, running. Right now, it’s 100% on time.

13:21 Yeah.

13:22 That really means a lot to us because it means a lot to our customers. And of course without the customers, we wouldn’t have any business. And without the drivers, we’d be out of business. And of course, when we’ve got drivers like Amanda Edgecombe, who is in November, 100% on time. And here’s a little bit digging a little deeper into your on-time percentage. 76% of the time that you’ve worked with us, you’re on time. And people that listen to this, most of the people who listen are drivers. That’s a very good number. 76% of the time on time, 100% on time this month, and on the quarter to date here in the final quarter of the year, 92%. So, you’re rocking it.

14:06 Yeah, that’s great. I like that.

14:08 I didn’t know if you knew those numbers, but we looked them up and I said—

14:11 “No, I didn’t.” And that was part of the reason I picked you because I knew the way you pulled that off when there was some adversity that came into play in Colorado with that station being down. You handled it well and then you moved on to the next pickup. Handled that well. Got it to the delivery which was a show truck and they were expecting it and there was a little extra.

14:33 It was a nice truck by the way. I fell in love with that truck. I wish I could drive more of those. That I liked that truck.

14:40 Was it a box truck? Is that right? Yeah, it was a it was the Red Cross blood bank vehicle.

14:46 Yeah, we’ve moved a few for them to them actually. Special delivery and those are special circumstances around those as far as the timeline. And how did that truck ride?

14:58 Great. Great. It was real smooth. It was a smooth ride.

15:03 Quite an improvement from coming out of a garbage truck.

15:06 Yeah. Now, did you have to stay with the truck that night when the tanks were down?

15:12 Oh, yes. Yeah. Because I mean, nine times out of 10, if you’re not going to CNG is just not in the middle of anywhere, you know, like—

15:22 Oh, no.

15:23 There’s no telling where you might be when you get ready to pull up to a CNG besides the loves and really the love. Maybe a flying J. I think I’ve been to a flying J that had a CNG before, but the loves if you’re not going to an actual truck stop or whatnot, you’re going to that’s just where you’re going to be.

15:41 I got you. I got you.

15:50 Now, in addition to being prompt, as her numbers bear that out, she is prompt. She’s on time. You’re also qualified as a right-hand drive driver. Now, is that difficult to do particularly? I mean, you run into it sometimes with garbage trucks and trucks such as that they’re right-hand drive. Is that difficult to do or how does that compare to left-hand drive?

16:13 I’m not going to say it’s difficult. I won’t say it’s difficult. I think anybody could do it. How does it compare to the more conventional left-hand drive as far as I would think that when you’re doing slow mo slow maneuvers, tight driving would be where it takes more concentration, but you’re the professional. What’s the where does it take a different mindset on right hand than versus left hand?

16:39 As far as the mindset, I don’t think it’s any different. It’s just the fact that you just have to be cautious of what you’re doing. If you’re on the left hand and you’re going in a curve, you’re not gonna you’re not going to go any faster as if you was on the right hand.

16:51 What about wide turns and that kind of thing from a right-hand driver? Are there more blind spots or do you have to accommodate for that?

16:58 I mean, as far as the right, yeah, it may be with the blind spot a little bit. When it comes to the turns if you’re going to make a right, you’re the right hand driving and you’re making a right-hand turn. Yes. But as far as the left hand I really think it’s about the same.

17:17 Gotcha. Now, I was looking here, you can tell probably if you’re listening to your our interview with Amanda Edgecombe, our conversation with Amanda here on the Six-Figure Trucker brought to you by Norton Transport. We’ve looked at her qualifications. They’re impressive. She’s on time, she’s prompt, and you also have your TWIC card. Now, is was that a conscious decision you made to get that to opening you up to more possibilities?

17:44 Yeah, when I first got my license, to be honest, I really wanted to have all the endorsements. So, at one point, I had a hazmat. I had I still have my tankers, but I no longer have my hazmat. I took those off because I wasn’t using them. I wanted to get the TWIC card. I wanted to, like you said, open up opportunities. I wanted to have everything that I could possibly have when it came to my life. Now you how long have you been with Norton Transport now? How long have you been driving with us?

18:10 I’m g say I think I started probably like June, July.

18:14 Okay.

18:15 And we’re in November.

18:17 So you’ve been with us for four or five months there I guess.

18:20 Yeah.

18:21 We’re thankful for all four or five months of that. And let the story be told that is not all of Amanda’s experience. We were looking at this. You’ve got about five and a half years driving before you came on board to Norton. Is that right?

18:35 Correct.

18:36 Now, what type of driving did you do prior to coming to us?

18:40 Tractor trailer. I say tractor trailer.

18:43 So, you were long hauling.

18:45 I would say more of a local because it was like right in Florida. I didn’t go out of Florida.

18:50 Gotcha.

18:51 So, you got Miami, Jacksonville, you know, all of that. But no, I didn’t go out of Florida. So, I consider that to be local.

18:56 Gotcha. Staying on the short runs and—

18:59 But backing up to docks and that kind of thing.

19:02 Yep. Backing up, dropping hook. How does that compare? I mean, as far as which do you like more, that kind of driving or where you’re just taking, you know, moving trucks from one location to the next, no freight on the back, you know, we don’t move cargo and you’ve moved cargo before. How do the two compare?

19:21 This it doesn’t. It doesn’t, but then again, I guess I can say it does. But when it comes to Norton, it’s much easier. It’s much easier because you can plan ahead of time. You know what you got to do, how you going to move and all of that. So, I say Norton is easier.

19:40 Well, we like to hear that. That’s a good thing for us to hear and for others out there to hear. Deon may be listening to Amanda Edgecombe here on the Six-Figure Trucker brought to you by Norton Transport. Now, Amanda, what did you do before you were moving big trucks all over the place?

19:55 I don’t worked at a warehouse. I don’t worked at the hospital. I mean, when it comes to work, I don’t really discriminate on that because I like to work. So—

20:06 Gotcha. Now, we talked a little bit prior before we started recording. Your work within a hospital. Tell us what you did within the hospital and what experience you gained from that that’s helped you today. Do at the hospital was transporting patients from their room to testing whether it was a CAT scan, MRI, you know, different things. Just treat people how you want to be treated and don’t expect anything because just because you are the way that you are doesn’t mean that the next person is going to be that way. So if you don’t have any expectations, you won’t leave any room for disappointment.

20:48 Gotcha. Now, living by the golden rule you know, it seems universal. How does that apply to in the trucking world treat others the way you want to be treated? I mean, how does that work for you? I mean, has that been something that’s pro proven positive for you?

21:04 Yes, most definitely, it has.

21:08 Now—

21:08 And as far as the trucking world, it’s just— Yeah, it’s still the same. It’s no different. Everybody get the benefit of the doubt.

21:14 I got you. That’s awesome. That’s awesome advice there. And you know, you were talking about on your qualifications and endorsements. You’re a Class A driver. Any desire to get the manual certification because you know that’s something we talk about a lot internally here because the way trucks are manufactured these days, the newer ones, a lot of them don’t have manual transmissions. But do you see a need to be manually certified?

21:40 Well, no. Well, I mean, when I first got my license, of course, then back then they had you had to be, you know, certified manually as far as, you know, to get them back then. But, as far as that being, like you said, a lot of their stuff doesn’t have that manual. I don’t think so.

21:58 I mean, you can drive a manual, just don’t have the certification currently. Is that right?

22:02 Correct. Yeah, I can.

22:04 Gotcha. Now, any difference, you know, because for those of us who’ve been on this planet a little bit longer, remember back in the day, when you would see drivers in the big trucks going by as you were a child, you knew they were all manual. You could tell by the way they sounded and the way they shifted. What’s it like? Do you see too many differences between driving manual and automatics now?

22:28 Yeah, I do. I mean, yeah, the automatic. Okay. Manual the way people are driving and you got a lot of trucks that are governed and some that aren’t and you have these ungoverned manuals and I mean they’re riding they’re I mean they’re riding that downshifting it’s the downshifting—

22:51 That is is is a little like I ain’t going to say complicated but you just got to know what to do when to do and how to do it.

22:59 That makes sense. That makes great sense. Now, you’ve been doing this, let’s see coming up on about six years. Is that right?

23:06 Yeah.

23:06 How much longer do you see yourself doing it?

23:09 As long as the Lord allowed me to.

23:11 It’s something you enjoy. If I don’t want to put words in your mouth, but it sounds like from what we’re hearing in the nature of your conversation, it is something you enjoy.

23:21 Yes.

23:21 What’s the most rewarding part of it for you?

23:24 Doing what I’m doing, I’m making somebody happy. And not only that, while I’m out here doing what I’m doing, somebody is satisfied. Whether it’s the customer, it’s whomever, somebody is satisfied. I made a difference in somebody life today by doing what I’m doing. And then after my job is done with doing that, it’s a joy to me to make it back home to my family.

23:46 I gotcha. Speaking of your family making it back to them what do you guys plan to do on this Thanksgiving?

23:52 Just eat good. I’m just to be honest, I just want to eat good and watch some football and then get back to work.

23:59 Now, let’s touch on both of those topics. Eating good on Thanksgiving. What’s going to be on the table?

24:04 Well, you got some collard greens, you got macaroni and cheese, potato salad, rice, dressing, ham, turkey, you know, all the good stuff.

24:14 Now, after the eating, or maybe it’s before, when does the football come into play? Do you guys eat first, then watch football, or how do you guys do it? No, football is going to gonna it depends on where you at and who’s cooking what because you got somebody that may be prepared, they may start cooking tomorrow night. So, by the time football come on Thanksgiving day, the food is already done. And then you may be in a situation where—

24:37 Where you know it’s is not done yet. So, it really doesn’t matter either or.

24:42 Are you a Buccaneers fan or who’s your team?

24:45 No, sir. I like Green Bay.

24:47 Oh, a Packers fan. I got you.

24:50 Cheese head. The cheese heads. What did you think about when Aaron Rogers went to New York? Unfortunately, he got hurt, but what did you think when they lost?

24:58 I ain’t really— That was a sad moment for me.

25:03 That was a sad moment for me cuz I really like Aaron, but even though he went on about, you know, whatever his endeavors were, future endeavors, however, I won’t take from Love. Love is a good quarterback as well.

25:15 Yeah, Jordan Love is a good quarterback.

25:17 Yeah—

25:18 I like how you phrase that. I’m gonna take some love. As we wrap up here, you know six years under your belt there as a driver. You’ve talked about the importance of being on time. It is rewarding to deliver satisfaction to customers or whomever it may be. If somebody listens to this and they’re considering jumping into the driveaway game, what would your counsel, your advice be to them?

25:45 For one, have an open mind. When you step into this, you got to have an open mind because you don’t know what you’re going to face. And I don’t mean that in a negative way. It’s just the fact that, like I said before, there are ranches that’s thrown into our daily lives where we may be able to control it and then it may be out of our control. So, you got to have an open mind. You got to have patience. And we just got to, you know, stay humble and go with the flow.

26:11 There you have it, Amanda Edgecombe. Go with the flow. Well, that’s a good way to cap this out here and go with the flow. Amanda Edgecombe here on the Six-Figure Trucker brought to you by Norton Transport. Amanda, thank you so much for joining us and have a pleasant evening.

26:25 Thank you guys for having me and you do the same. Thank you.

26:28 You bet.

26:34 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.

27:24 Up—