00:05 Like I don’t have to be in the Marriott or in the Hilton every night. I don’t have to do that. Like that’s how a lot of drivers mess up out here is because they feel like they have to live a certain lavish lifestyle out here when you don’t. It’s just work.

00:17 Save that money for when you’re in Miami Beach—

00:20 Right?

00:20 Or Jamaica.

00:21 Yeah. 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.

00:47 Hello everyone and welcome to the Six-Figure Trucker brought to you by Norton Transport. And if you listen to us each and every week, you know this is a space where we elevate and celebrate the driver. Not always an easy position to be a driver out there across the roads of America. Sometimes it’s very challenging some of the things you run into. And last week we had Veronica Campbell on the show with us and she was telling us about her experiences on the road, how she got into trucking. She’s been a longtime driver, five and a half years on the road. Was recruited into driveaway by her brother Edward Thomas. And Edward is has been with us for some time. He’s a deck driver. And Edward was expressing to Veronica the benefits of coming to Norton Transport. And now Veronica is joining us and in between loads right now about to take off on the road. Veronica, how are you?

01:42 I’m doing good. I’m doing good. How you doing?

01:44 Good, good, good. You got your headsets on?

01:46 Yes. Yes. Okay. Got it on and got it connected.

01:49 All right. But you’re not moving right now. You’re kind of chilling before your next run there.

01:54 Correct. Honestly, when I have a lot going on out here on this road, like I told you last week, going home is healthy. So, when I go home, honestly, I go to the beach. I’m from Florida. I go to the beach. I’m going to enjoy this warm weather we have. I’m going to enjoy the salt water that we have. To relax my mind because out here on this road the things that you have to deal with and as much focus as you have to have because understand it’s not just your life in your hands either. You have the life in other people’s hands too. So dealing with that for three four weeks at a time it is actually mentally draining. So honestly I just feel like my happy place is home in the water feet going in the sand at the beach. Talk to me, sister.

02:46 Eating seafood, fish, shrimp, crabs, crawfish, lobsters, enjoying barbecue, enjoying the sun, just moisturizing your skin.

02:59 Man, you—

03:00 Got to have your happy place. I—

03:01 I think I may just call out for the rest of the week and head on south.

03:06 It’s feeling good down there in Florida right now from what I hear. Yeah, I’ve got a friend whose sun is down there and 80s something degrees and I’m like, you know, we got up at 30 something, which it could be a lot colder depending upon where you are out there, but yeah, 80s something degrees right now in early March is or mid-March is a wonderful thing.

03:28 Right—

03:29 Now, you’re from Lakeland, Florida, which is that’s about what an hour and a half outside of Orlando or a little bit farther?

03:36 No, like 30 minutes.

03:37 Oh, Lakeland’s okay. I got my legs confused there. But so you’re right outside of Orlando, but it’s not necessarily Would you go to Disney World if you had free time or down to Orlando? Are you heading straight for the coast?

03:51 Disney World too.

03:52 Okay.

03:53 I don’t mind. I’ll do Disney World, SeaWorld, Busch Gardens because you know Tampa ain’t nothing but 30 minutes away from Lakeland. Also Lakeland is dead in the middle between Tampa and Orlando.

04:02 I got you. So you got lots of places to go when you go home.

04:05 Yes. Now, let’s kind of dig in and kind of pull the onion back a little bit about this reset. You really painted a nice picture there of when you do hit the beach. What kind of things do you like to do in addition to what you kind of laid out there to really get your mind totally relaxed, totally chill, like everything just flows off of you? Other than reading, I like to spend time with my family because I am very family orient. So, spending time with my family and my loved ones and my friends, that’s another good way I do reset my mind because they are the ones that make me happy.

04:46 Mhm.

04:47 So, I’mma go around things that make me happy, not things that make me mad or sad. My friends and family, they make me happy.

04:53 I got you.

04:54 So, my home time, I spend it with them. Now, you were talking about reading, you know, and a lot of time people in today’s age so fast-paced, everything’s on the internet, everything’s catching up on social media. What kind of things are you reading? Do you sit down and read a book? Are you reading some novels now? What’s on your reading list?

05:14 Oh, I read everything like books, novels, whatever. Like, if it interests me, I’m going to read it.

05:21 Gotcha. What are you reading right now?

05:23 About a werewolf. He found his mate.

05:27 Okay. Okay. Is it a good book?

05:31 Yes, it is. I like it.

05:32 Now, are you a quick reader?

05:35 Yes, I am. I am a quick reader.

05:36 You can go through a book in a couple of days.

05:39 Yeah.

05:39 I got you.

05:40 Especially if it’s a really good book. Yes.

05:42 Don’t put it down.

05:43 Yeah.

05:44 Now, do you take books with you out on the road? Throw them in your backpack there when you’re making runs? I’ll take one with me because you know getting on the flights and stuff we got to pack light.

05:56 Oh yeah. But there’s always—

05:57 I take— Yeah, I’ll take one book.

05:59 A little downtime. So that’s a good way to pass the down time.

06:02 Right—

06:03 Now we were talking in the office when you stopped in last week about which beach is your favorite. Tell us which one it is and why.

06:13 Miami Beach is my favorite. They have the most prettiest water. The water is warm. It is clean. And I don’t know, it just something about it. It’s like it relaxes your whole body when the water hits it. Like I don’t know, it just relaxes it. Like you just all tension and everything just go away once you hit that water in Miami Beach.

06:36 Do you stay out in the ocean a long time when you’re down there?

06:38 Yes.

06:39 Gotcha. Now, have you been able to branch out beyond Miami Beach out into the Caribbean or some other islands or anything along those lines? No, but I plan on doing that this year.

06:50 And I guess you’re being an independent contractor and a driver here for us on Norton Transport. And if you’re just joining us, this is Veronica Campbell on the Six-Figure Trucker brought to you by Norton Transport. Now, you were talking about you’re heading out. Tell us about where you plan to go.

07:07 Yep. Jamaica. I plan on going to Jamaica to get in the water and enjoy.

07:13 What time of the year are you going down there?

07:15 Summertime—

07:16 When it’s real hot. Are you gonna are you going to stay at one of these resorts all-incclusive or how are you going to—

07:22 Yeah, we’re gonna do all exclusive.

07:24 Oh, that’s going to be fun. You got room for one more? You got room for one more?

07:30 Sure. Come on.

07:32 This will be your first time to Jamaica—

07:34 Correct?

07:35 I’ve been down there. It was a long time ago. I guess it was about 22 years ago. Great place, great people, great culture, great food. And I’m sure that—

07:46 That all of the above is pulled you into it.

07:51 That is true.

07:52 Now, is this—

07:53 That is so true.

07:54 Is this been a place that you’ve wanted to go for some time?

07:57 Yes.

07:58 And obvious question here. How has Norton Transport made it possible for you to do that?

08:03 I get good loads. My dispatch brief, she get she makes sure I have good loads and I run it. And you know, with me having, you know, the special qualities that you need to get actually good loads, I got them. So, I just run from that.

08:19 Now, kind of branching off of that, you get good loads that pay well. How do you manage your money as an independent contractor as far as taxes and things such as that? Do you pay them quarterly or how do you manage that kind of thing? Because I mean, you’re running your own business.

08:37 I pay mine quarterly. Yep. I pay mine quarterly. I don’t eat expensive out here and I don’t feel like I got to stay in the top-notch hotels either. Like if it’s decent, I’m going to stay there. Like I don’t have to be in the Marriott or in the Hilton every night. I don’t have to do that.

08:58 You just somewhere where you feel safe and you’re getting your money’s worth and then you’re on to the next—

09:03 Next location.

09:04 Correct.

09:04 Gotcha.

09:05 Correct. Like that’s how a lot of drivers mess up out here is because they feel like they have to live a certain lavish lifestyle out here when you don’t. This is work.

09:13 Right. Right. Right. Save that money for when you’re in Miami Beach.

09:17 Right.

09:18 Or Jamaica.

09:19 Yeah.

09:20 Exactly. You’re listening to Veronica Campbell here on the Six-Figure Trucker brought to you by Norton Transport. Veronica is a young woman. You’re 35 years old. How much longer do you plan to stay behind the wheel?

09:32 Oh, I haven’t even thought about it because I don’t like to be bored. Honestly, I don’t.

09:37 Is the open road boring or is it engaging?

09:40 Engaging because you seeing different things—

09:43 Things that keep the senses alive, stimulated.

09:46 Yep. You’re seeing different things. You’re interacting with different people. Like it’s just so much that you actually going to do out here on a day-to-day basis. Like you’re like out here, you’re not going to never be bored because it’s something new going to happen every day.

09:59 Gotcha. Now, tell us about some of the people you’ve interacted with. Have you met some off thechart crazy kind of people?

10:05 Yes, I have.

10:07 Any in particular that stand out?

10:10 I do know one guy I was out there in California like I don’t know what was going on with the guy. I think he was like on some type of drugs, but he was in the middle of the highway like running up towards all the semiis, beating on the trucks and everything. I you would have thought he went to like a semi to hit him because the way he was coming, but I ain’t never seen nothing like that in the middle of the highway like that. That was crazy.

10:38 Mhm. I bet. I bet. Now, you say you’re headed to Jamaica in the summer. So, what are we three four months out from you toes in sand?

10:48 Yep.

10:49 I guess you’re counting the days.

10:50 Yes, we are.

10:51 Counting down the days.

10:53 Yes, I am. And I am ready. How many days will you be in Jamaica?

10:58 Four.

10:59 I got you. You’re listening to Veronica Campbell here on the Six-Figure Trucker brought to you by Norton Transport. Veronica, we’re going to let you go, but thank you for sharing with us your time on the road, off the road, and your happy place. I’m sure there’s a lot of people out there who will listen to this episode and can relate to your happy place. And one last question, will you have a trip to the beach before you get to Jamaica? Will there be one between now and then?

11:26 Yes, definitely will be.

11:28 How many times do you go to the beach in a given year?

11:30 About 23.

11:33 Okay. Well, we don’t want to cut into your beach time. That’s for sure. Thank you so much, Veronica.

11:39 Yeah. You’re welcome.

11:41 Thank you for joining us. Be careful out there on the road cuz you got beaches to go to.

11:45 Oh, yeah. Thank you.

11:47 All right. Have a good evening.

11:48 All right. You too.

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.