00:04 I really want to give our drivers here a lot of credit and a lot of respect because these guys come they pick these loads up, they deliver them, they drive throughout the night and they come back the same day. And I really have to give a shout out to all the drivers and I guess I just got to show my appreciation for them. Yes, absolutely. 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. This is a space, an avenue, if you will, where we elevate and celebrate the drivers that make our company what it is today. And we are very grateful for them each and every week. We want to lift them up and kind of get to know them better, peel the onion back, if you will, get to know what these drivers do when they’re not just driving. And joining us now is Shungo Walker, who was with us last week, kind of recapping when we had talked to him two and a half years ago, almost two and a half years ago. Shungo, how are you?

01:20 Oh, man. I’m doing great. How you doing today, John? I’m doing well. Doing well. Can’t complain at all. You know, it tells it reminds me of I was working out, which should tell you that was a long time ago. But I was working out and I was at the gym and I was walking out of the gym and this gentleman, he was probably 80 years old. He said, “How you doing?” I said, “I can’t complain.” He said, “Let me tell you something about complaining, young man.” He said, “Half the people don’t care and the other half think you probably had it coming anyway.”

01:46 That’s right.

01:46 There you go.

01:47 Can I add to that?

01:48 Absolutely.

01:49 Going to that little group, John.

01:50 Sure. Are you a married man, John?

01:53 I’m a single guy.

01:54 Well, I’m a married man and I’m going to say that only person who have to listen to you according to the law is your wife.

02:03 Is that so? According to the law. There you go.

02:08 According to the law. That’s what the law said.

02:10 Now, Shungo, you’re joining us from Dublin, Virginia. Is that right?

02:14 Yes, I’m here in Dublin, Virginia. Decking these trucks for Norton Transport. Yes, sir. Now, if you guys heard us last week, Shungo was telling you is gave you a lot of insight into his background as a trainer. He was a trainer for quite some time for Norton Transport there. Very good trainer in the decking side teaching. That’s a very skilled craft and it takes a lot of training. We put a high importance on it and we’re very fortunate to have trainers of the caliber of Shungo Walker. But Shungo as he mentioned is in Dublin now and he’s taking a career change still with Norton still a very huge important part of Norton and we’re very grateful. Tell us now what you’re doing now Shungo and how you got to that point.

02:54 Before I came to Norton I was working for another company and there I did field decking where we actually go out in the field with your decking equipment and you’ll put it on the trucks and you call the record come deck it up. One, two, three, four trucks at a time, go deliver them, get your equipment loaded back in the truck and go to the next load. So I did that for two years and then I came over here to Norton doing new trucks and then April of this year my good buddy the manager down there in Ron Army Jeremiah approached me with the opportunity to work up here in Dublin Virginia to deck up trucks because of the skill set that I have and availability of drivers with that skill set and me and some other drivers have that a field decking skill. Not all.

03:49 So, he brought it to my attention and Michael Norton sent me up here to work. It only supposed to been for two weeks. It only been for two weeks and I’m still here and I’m still loving it because everybody I work with is absolutely fantastic.

04:08 Well, the work must be good if you’re still loving it.

04:10 Yes. It’s wonderful. Yes. Can’t go. The only thing I don’t like is the cold weather and the wind.

04:15 Yeah. The work is worth it. I got you. Now, you started in April up there and run us through a day in the life of Shungo in our yard up in Dublin.

04:24 Okay. I’mma I’m going run you through a day in the life with everybody here in this yard. You know, we have our shuttle guys, men and women, Richard, Mike, and Christy. They go over there to the robo plant and get our truck for us and bring it over. And you know, one truck after another. Every now and again I would have to go if we’re short of person and we bring it over here to the shop. And inside the shop we have our manager David Ws and we have our team which consists of my main man Travis, Jesse, Josh, and Jeffrey and myself and Christie. Christy also, she alternates. Christy is one hell of a worker here. She does everything. There’s nothing that Christy can do. She works the shop. She works the shuttle. And there’s plenty of days she can come in here and walk out work any man in this shop.

05:27 And we bring the trucks in we look them. We look them over. We put the saddles on them. We take out the axles. We put the airlines on, run electric, make sure it’s properly decked up and ready for the drivers when they come and get them every single day, non-stop. As long as we have trucks, we have work.

05:53 You know, when you’re running a 24/7 operation like that and I’m guessing that sounds like you have some managerial responsibilities there. When you’re working one 24/7, what are Shungo’s hours? It’s not 24/7. It’s 8 to 5.

06:10 Okay.

06:10 It’s 8 to 5. As of right now, we run we have a two-way garage you know, two ways of entry. So, we just doing one for right now, but the way things are coming along, the things are picking up. We’re going to have to run the other lane soon.

06:29 I gotta—

06:30 And it’s going fairly well. And we keep ourselves busy up here. I’m sure you keep myself busy and motivated to the best of our ability.

06:38 I’m sure you do. Now, you were talking about the winter weather. How much— Let’s see. We’re talking now at the end of December here. What’s it been like as far as how many snows have you seen so far?

06:50 How many what now?

06:51 Snow storms, snows.

06:52 It hasn’t been snowing like that. It’s really been the wind and the rain and the cold.

07:00 I got you. More than anything. You know, I’m a I’m from Chicago, but I haven’t lived in Chicago since 1866. I don’t know anything about that weather anymore.

07:11 I gotta—

07:13 I don’t know anything about that. I’ve lived in Georgia for 30 years, Tucson, Arizona for three and a half, San Diego, San Antonio, Texas. So, I’m a heat guy now. So, this is really killing me.

07:25 I got you. Well, you know, we know from talking to Shungo—

07:30 Two and a half years ago and just last week, your family is very important to you. How do you spend the time with a family? Do you guys find time to get together to have quality time together now that you’re in Virginia?

07:42 I do my best to get home once a month.

07:45 Mhm.

07:46 Or whenever’s needed. Whenever my wife calls me I go to the house. But when my mother calls me, I try to get home. So, by me being independent contract, I’m able to do that. And Dave, God bless his heart, my manager, it gives me the freedom to go home when necessary. And, it works out fairly well. You know, as long as the wife getting her money, everything is good, bro.

08:16 There you go. You heard it from Shungo Walker. As long as the wife gets her money, everything is good. Well, do you have plans for a big New Year celebration?

08:29 No, you know, I plan on being here working. I’ll probably leave probably the week of December for Christmas to go see my son in Arizona, but as far as New Year’s concerned, I’m going to be here in the shop.

08:42 Gotcha. Shungo, we really appreciate everything you have done for the company and taking it the extra mile with the added responsibilities of being a deck trainer and helping us grow in that respon in that respect and also now working at the yard there in Dublin and taking on new challenges and taking them on willingly. It’s great to have somebody of your caliber and your character doing such things for us.

09:06 How much did how much money did Norton pay you to say that? Hey, I know Shungo. I know Shungo. You mean a lot to us.

09:16 I appreciate it, man. But you know what? I want to say something real quick. A few things if you don’t mind, John.

09:22 Sure. I really want to give our drivers here a lot of credit and a lot of respect because these guys come they pick these loads up, they deliver them, they drive throughout the night, they deliver these trucks and they come back the same day, some of them, if not most of them. And I find it very challenging because they have to bring that equipment back. The equipment is heavy and me myself I it’s really challenging for me just to see them do it let alone do it and I really have to give a shout out to all the drivers that come here and pick these loads up.

10:05 Absolutely.

10:06 And I just got to show my appreciation for them. Yes, absolutely.

10:10 Well, you I’m sure you see a lot of our drivers.

10:12 Oh, well you know we have our same rotation of drivers here. Most of them we see all most of the time if not all the time. Every now and again we get a couple of new drivers come in and pick up the loads, but the ones who come consistently every day, every week, day in and day out, delivering loads for us, I really want to show my appreciation for them.

10:32 Yes.

10:32 Very well said.

10:33 And yeah, and my appreciation for the big man, Dave Wild, the manager, he’s excellent. He’s the right man for the job. And without a shout of shout out to Crew, everybody that works here, Travy, Travis, one of our lead guys, Josh, another lead guy. Jesse, Jeffrey, Chris, Mike, Richard, my big dog, my dad, Richard. We do our best to do the best job we can up in here. And the drivers look out for us as well. They bring us donuts. They show their appreciation. They really look out for us.

11:10 There you go. You heard it first from Shungo Walker here on the Six-Figure Trucker brought to you by Norton Transport. Shungo, thanks for joining us and sharing with us and taking this new opportunity and making it successful where you are now.

11:22 Thank you my brother. I appreciate it. Let me give one more shout out to my thick guy Big Easy for coming in here and working with us. He’s an over the road guy and Angel that works down there in the yard and von Army. He comes out here and help us every now and again. I really appreciate those guys as well. Not trying to leave anybody out, but thank you so much, John, man. I really do appreciate it.

11:43 All right.

11:43 Shout out to everybody at work in the office down there in Ringgold, Georgia.

11:47 Okay. Thank you very much—

11:49 Thank you, John.

11:53 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.