00:06 You’re listening to the Six-Figure Trucker brought to you by Norton Transport and thank you for joining us for this brand new drivers of the year series. We hope you enjoy these bonus episodes and maybe we’ll see you in the winter circle real soon with a fat check in hand. And some of these drivers will be stopping by the office for some festivities, photo ops, and you know that fat check. Now, this is one of course our drivers richly deserve for all they do for Norton Transport. Let’s go.

00:49 Hello everyone and welcome to the Six-Figure Trucker brought to you by Norton Transport and each and every one of you. You know, if you join us each week, this is a space where we elevate and celebrate the drivers that make Norton go round and round. We’re very grateful to have them. And if you’ve been checking in with us, the on Fridays, we’ve been dropping some bonus episodes about our drivers of the year. Now, the way this is working is we have two on each dispatch team, one nonCDL, one CDL, and we’re lucky to have with us here Henry Clement. Now, Henry, how were you able to stop here at the office today? What was your route that allowed you to do that?

01:26 Well, I was actually going from Lake Wales, Florida, and I’m going to Carbondale, Colorado. I’ve never been there, never have heard of it until I got this low. So, hey, it just, you know, it brought me right up through Ringgold and here I am with you guys.

01:44 Well, we’re very glad that you are here. Now, what part of Colorado’s Carbondale Inn? Is it round Denver or—

01:50 West of Denver? Yeah. Going towards like Grand Junction area.

01:53 I gotcha. Now, what kind of truck are you in?

01:56 I’m in a Isuzu NPR.

01:59 Oh, yeah. The old Isuzu NPR is there—

02:01 And it’s loaded. Gotta. Now, Henry, which you may have picked up on already, who’s been on the podcast before, is a nonCDL driver. Henry, how long have you been on the road, and how long have you been with Norton?

02:13 Well, this is the third year now. And, yeah, I’ve probably been out here for about 5 years total, though. But three, this is my— Yeah, the third year with Norton, going on four.

02:24 Well, five years on the road. Give us a nutshell kind of recap of what it’s like to be on the road for 5 years and three with Norton.

02:31 Well, it’s actually been pretty good. You know, if any driver, they all know it’s had its ups and downs, but I mean, it’s been pretty good. I would say probably on the upside since I’ve been with Norton. So, that’s always a good thing.

02:44 Well, if you guys are listening in here to Henry Clement, he is one of our drivers of the year, nonCDL driver. And Henry, did you know when you stopped in this morning what was going to be happening?

02:55 Not really. I kind of had an idea that there was a gift waiting on me, but I didn’t know to what extent. So, I’m pretty happy right now.

03:03 Well, tell us about the gift.

03:05 H I mean, hey, it was a it turned out to be a nice stop. You know, it came with a check. So, you’re never mad when you get a check. I don’t Hey, I don’t know anyone who gets mad about a check. So, I’m excited about that.

03:22 Well, we’re going to take some pictures with that cardboard check for a,000 bucks of you later. And they hooked you up with some other things here. Tell us what you got there.

03:30 Oh, yeah. I got this exclusive Yeti mug that I feel like, you know, I’m going to just hold that to myself before, you know, it gets, you know, someone may get a little upset about it. But I’m not going to say any names, though. But I’m going keep this nice little Yeti mug and I got a nice hat that I’m going to put on after I take this big hair down. And then I got a hoodie. I got a shirt. I mean, come on, man. I don’t know what’s coming next. So, hey. Well, the way we look at the drivers of the year is we look at some of the statistics and the dependability, the reliability of each and every driver. Again, like we’re saying, one CDL, one nonCDL driver off each team. But you also have to be nominated. Now, to set the picture here, we’re in the podcast room here at Norton Transport in Ringgold, Georgia, and we have the very person who nominated Henry for this honor, his dispatch team lead, Carson. And Carson, tell us about why you chose Henry.

04:28 Well, first of all, John, Henry, he is just such an easygoing driver. He never complains. He doesn’t ask a lot of questions. He figures his own travel out. He is just really a true definition of an easygoing driver. He is just absolutely wonderful. Sticks with his dates that he gives us and if anything happens, he calls us first. I never have to call him. And what’s going on, you know, what happened. He just does it. He takes care of business.

05:01 How rewarding is that for you as the team lead and for your team to know that he’s got the personality and the character traits to carry out everything that needs to happen?

05:10 Oh, it’s very rewarding. Not only does he look good to my team, but you know, our account managers that handle the accounts and get the actual runs that we move, they notice that, too. And it just makes it all an easygoing situation. You know, account manager notices, ah, Henry Clement, he’s got this run. I know we’re good. And so, it’s just a good feeling throughout the whole company, knowing how good of a driver he is and how reliable he is.

05:40 Henry, I had a quick question for you. How does it feel for you to know, as Carson laid out for us there very nicely, about you’re appreciated by your team, your team leader, and the account managers, and of course, Norton Transport at large. How is that for you as a driver to know that you got that kind of support?

05:56 Oh man, I mean it’s amazing. It makes me feel I mean it really makes me feel good as a driver. I haven’t worked for a company where I had the level of appreciation that I’ve received here. So it’s really, you know, I receive it and I don’t know, I’m just grateful. So I appreciate my team. You know, they also make it easy for me.

06:17 I had another question for you Carson. I mean you guys were it was one nonCDL, one CDL driver. Now, give us a that was out of a large pool. Kind of give us a framework how many you came out of and how quickly you were able to decide he’s the guy.

06:32 Well, John, we have about my team personally. We have about 150 drivers total. I’m not too sure how many of those are non CDL, but I want to say in the close to 40 maybe. And honestly, top of mind, I had no question. Henry Clement Jr. He’s definitely my nominee for non CDL. Now, I did obviously ask my team members because we each talk to our individual drivers ourselves even and then come together as a team. But they also, all three of them had the same idea. Oh, yeah. No one deserves it more than Henry Clement Jr.

07:09 No question there. You heard it from Carson about Henry Clement Jr. Now, Carson, I know you got to get back to work here, but I’m sure you’ll be able to spend just a little bit of time with Henry once we get finished taking some pictures of him with his thousand check there. What do you guys think you’ll talk about? I mean, since you guys have that relationship on the phone all the time, but I think Henry said this is the first time he’s been able to stop in the office, sir.

07:31 What’s it like to meet him in person?

07:33 Oh, it’s awesome. It’s always so good to put a face with a driver. You know, we talk to them every day and build these relationships up with our drivers. So, it’s really awesome to put a face to such a wonderful driver.

07:47 Well said. Well said. Carson, we’ll let you slide out and do some more loads. Booking some more loads. Henry, I just had a couple of other questions wanted to ask you here. So you’re heading out to Colorado.

07:57 Yes, sir.

07:58 What got you down to Florida?

07:59 I think I took a flight down there. Yeah, that was I was actually wanting to drive at first, but then I thought about it. So, I’m about to put about 2,000 mi on my body. So, let me just get a flight down there. Took a flight to Orlando and I got family there. So, I was able to hitchhike.

08:17 Hey, I’m here. Come get me.

08:18 Yeah, exactly. That’s always a good thing, you know. So, I Hey, I utilize if I have a friend, family, whoever. Hey, if you don’t answer this phone right now, this is the time that I need you. Hey, man, we’re going to have some problems. But no, seriously, it’s always good to, you know, have friends and family that are willing to help you, you know, make it easy for you on the road.

08:36 I got you. Now, you were talking about you’d been on the road for 2,000 miles and you made the decision, hey, I’m going to fly. Is that a big factor each time you’re like, man, I’m whipped. I think I’m going to hop on a plane. Well, I mean it kind of it sort of is, but most of the time I say it’s whatever is a more economical choice because I mean sometimes, hey, even though you may want to fly and it may be a little easier, you know, to go ahead and get there, but hey, that ticket may cost $300, you know, or maybe or more. So, I’ve had instances where I’ve, you know, had to drive and that rental for a day is like a h 100red bucks and I’m like, well, I’m not going to spend it 100 bucks in gas. I mean, you know, like just to, you know, depending on where you’re going, I’m like, yeah, man. I’m just going to go ahead and just drive, you know, it doesn’t matter. It may be 7 hours, 9 hours, but still, you know, at the end of the day, I feel like it was the best economical choice, you know?

09:33 So, hey, if I’m tired, I’ll just tell Carson, “Hey, I’m ready to go home.” But I’m not going to miss out just because I, you know, I didn’t choose the right choice. So—

09:43 Well, you look fresh and refreshed now because you’ve got a long road in front of you. You’ve already come up. I guess did you take off this morning or last night?

09:51 Actually last night yeah, when I started yesterday that flight was oh man, that was probably one of the worst flights. I was ready to get on the road. So—

10:02 Little turbulence there.

10:03 Oh man, it was terrible. But I mean, yeah, actually getting on the road that, you know, that’s like, you know, like I told you during the podcast, that’s, you know, that’s my therapy. So I was just anxious to get out there and start driving.

10:16 Well, speaking of it being your therapy, and of course, you’re listening to Henry Clement Jr. Here on the Six-Figure Trucker brought to you by Norton Transport. This is a special edition bonus episode because Henry was d was chosen as one of the drivers of the year, non CDL drivers of the year off Carson’s team there. Big honor for him. And we were talking about the therapeutic aspect of driving. You still got a lot of miles in front of you on the way to Carbondale, Colorado. What’s that going to be like for you? How are you going to plan your trip out? I’m sure you got it sort of as clockwork what you’re going to do. Yeah, I mean it’s this is going to be an easy going trip. I mean it’s just for me it’s like the weather changes and stuff like that, you know, just trying to stay on the up and up, you know, keeping my immune system and everything up. You know, that’s one thing I know a lot of you drivers out there, you guys better keep your immune system up because, you know, there’s a lot of stuff going around. We’re going through these different climates. Yeah, it’s that’s the most important thing.

11:16 So, getting the what setting it up to get the most adequate rest and you know, just so I won’t just burn myself out, you know what I mean? So, this is a easy trip. I mean, 2,000 mi, you know, that’s some people, they may feel like it’s a lot, but it’s an easy trip if you just, you know, kind of pace yourself, you know, keep that keep your 700 or under a day and you’ll be there in no time.

11:40 You’re going to make a little money on a 2,000 mile trip.

11:43 Yes, sir. Now, let’s kind of dig a little deeper here on what you’re talking about, keeping your immune system, right? 2,000 miles on the road. You’re going to come into contact with some people when you’re stopping at stops, hotels, whatnot. What do you do? What kind of things do you do to keep yourself healthy?

12:01 Well, one thing that I noticed that I don’t like to touch a lot of stuff, man. I don’t know. I like, you know, that’s the easiest way that the, you know, germs are passed and everything. So, I don’t touch a lot of stuff. I don’t even touch the gas pump. I don’t touch nothing, you know. It’s that’s one thing that I try not to do because I know drivers go to the truck stops and restaurants and stuff just like I do and you know the things that you see in the restrooms are you know it makes you want to wear a hazmat suit so you know but yeah that’s one of the most important things I would say is really you know I don’t touch a lot of things that that are commonplace areas and I try to keep hydrated and then feed myself you know supplements— Now, this is Henry Clement Jr. Joining us in person here at Norton Transport here in Ringgold, Georgia, right off I-75.

12:51 Now, Henry obviously this the first time anybody in the office has been able to see you. Now, let me describe Henry. He’s a good-looking man first of all.

13:01 Thank you.

13:01 And, in shape, thin guy. And you know, a lot of truck drivers talk about it’s tempting and it’s almost a necessity on the road to eat unhealthy food cuz the choices are not always great. How do you get around that?

13:16 Well, you try to make the best choice that you can, but it’s really difficult because of what’s available for you at the stops. It’s not like you know, we’re stopping at a Whole Foods or you stopping at you know Publix or something like that. You know, you’re not stopping at a nice grocery store. You’re stopping at somewhere where there’s a lot of traffic. They’re trying to get, you know, get the money, so you’re going to have the fastest food readily available for you. So, it’s kind of like you either pick the best or the worst or you kind of try to fit in a stop to where okay, I’m going to get something from here that will last maybe for the rest of the day that I can keep in something like a small cooler or something to keep it cold or keep it warm or whatever. You know, you just have to, you know, you can’t be tempted by those stops, you know, because like I said, once you stop and get gas, it’s almost like, man, I can just get this Wendy’s real quick and then, you know, I don’t have to stop any. No, no. That that that’s going to become a habit. And now that habit has become to a health problem.

14:19 Now, do you look at certain foods as far as ones that will make you drowsy as compared to other foods that may or may not?

14:27 Oh, yes. Oh, yes. Anything that breaks down in the sugars and stuff like that, that’s definitely going to get you tired fast. You know, some people may think the opposite, but no, if it’s breaking down in the sugars, that’s going to get you tired cuz you’re going to crash. You know, that’s what, you know, that’s what it h you that’s what it does. Anytime you intake a bunch of sugar, you’re going to crash. So, that crash is inevitable. And when we’re out there driving, that’s what you don’t want. So, anything that breaks down into sugar, stay away from that. And also just I mean just heavy eating in general. Like I know sometimes someone might say, “Oh, I’m going to eat one big meal and that’ll last me for a while.” But that now after you after you’ve eaten that one big meal, now your digestive system is kind of like processing that and that’s taking all of your energy and it’s using that.

15:14 So now you’re tired because you know all your energy is going towards digestion now. So it’s like now you just made yourself tired, you know, and you didn’t even eat sugar. But it’s just the amount of food that you eat. So, it’s the kind of foods and the amount of foods, small servings of things that you know that burn down, like fruits, you know, that’s like light carbs and stuff like that. It burns down the sugar, but it’s not a high sugar content. It’s natural sugar. So, things like that, you know, fruits, grains, just in moderation.

15:46 Now, you eat small meals and spread them out there. Do you snack in between?

15:50 Oh, yeah. I mean, I get a snack, but it’s like a bag of almonds or something like that. Not really like a snack, but a bag of almonds or fruit, you know, but just try to keep it as light as possible.

16:01 Light, but something that’s keeping you fueled, no pun intended, while you’re on the road.

16:05 Exactly.

16:06 I was going to ask you about this cuz it’s obviously something you’ve spent some time and some re and knowledge into as far as implementing it in your diet and in your work. What about energy drinks? Do you are you an energy drink guy or no?

16:18 Well, okay. So energy drinks I feel like there are certain ones that I feel like maybe are better than others because of the type of caffeine that’s in it. You have the one that I’ve seen that’s been I guess the best supplement that I’ve seen is yerba mate. You know that’s kind of like a gensene extract kind of. So, that’s probably like the best type of energy drink that I’ve seen like because everything else it has these crazy amounts of caffeine in it and then different other additives that are like caffeine but boosters, you know, it’s just not good. But like I said, I wouldn’t take Red Bulls or monsters and—

16:58 It’ll ramp you up for a little while, but there’s going to be a crash.

17:00 That crash is going to be terrible.

17:03 Well, paint us a picture. Take us on the road with you here from— We’re located Norton Transport just outside of Chattanooga. Of course, suburb of Chattanooga. And you’re heading west, so I’m assuming you’re going to pop out here and then get on I-24.

17:15 Yes, sir. Yes, sir. I’ll be heading out going up through Chattanooga. I think that’s like the first time that I saw you guys billboard and I was like, “Hey, man. I work for those work I work with those guys, you know.” But it was I was like, “Okay, that’s the first cuz never worked with a company had a billboard.” So, that was cool.

17:33 So, will you drive? Are you a day driver, night driver? Mix it up. How do you do yours? This depends on the length of the drive. But typically I like to get it out of the way early because you know you can see better. Everything you know you can see other drivers. You know you can see for you know any type of danger that’s up ahead. You can see with for the guys with the berries that’s trying to get everybody. You know you can just see everything. So that’s why I like the daytime is a good time to drive. But if you are driving at night, I would say definitely everything that I said about staying up and awake that it like magnifies to like the 10th power because the visibility is like the biggest thing. I don’t care if you have 2020 vision, you see like a hawk, like you still you can’t see as well as you can see in the daytime.

18:26 What telltale signs do you look for when you’re like, “Hey, I’m getting drowsy.” Or do you say, “I’m gonna push through.” Or what do you do when you’re starting to get drowsy?

18:35 Well, I would probably say in the beginning, I think that I tried to push through it because it was a it was about a on time thing, you know, for me. I was just and not in the beginning of working with Norton but in just in the beginning of driving period. But as I got more seasoned, I you know I noticed that okay if I just maximize the time in between the stops as far as you know not making them so long then I won’t have to push myself to drive longer you know for you know and that’ll go into the time that I’m tired you know. So if I just maximize the time, any stop, maximize it to the fullest and keep it short and sweet instead of, you know, making a what could have been a 15 minute stop or 45 minute stop. You know what I mean? Because that extra 30 minutes, I could add that onto my drive time.

19:32 So that’s just, you know, one thing that I noticed that now I can make it to where I’m trying to get to and not be tired.

19:40 You’re listening to great nuggets of knowledge from Henry Clement Jr. Here on the Six-Figure Trucker brought to you by Norton Transport. Of course, this is a bonus, a special add-on episode because Henry is one of our drivers of the year. Got a,000 bucks for doing that, receiving that honor, that recognition, which he richly deserves. Got some swag. Got a nice little Yeti mug there. Now, Henry, I wanted to ask you, you’ve been doing this for five years. NonCDL, do you have any aspirations to go CDL? Have you thought about it, or do you like it as is?

20:10 I’ve been thinking about it. I’ve definitely been thinking about it.

20:14 Now you mentioned you got family down in the Orlando area.

20:17 Yes, sir.

20:18 Any children of your own or relatives? Mom, dad, what’s down in Orlando?

20:23 Yeah. Well, not of my own. These are cousins. So, they’re actually in the Lakeland area. So, Okay. Right outside of Orlando.

20:33 How often do you get down there? Is that where you make your home as well?

20:36 Not right. You live in Houston I live in Houston. But Lakeland is kind of like it’s a it’s like a getaway I guess over there because Florida’s beautiful, you know. It’s just one of those I understand why everyone wants to retire in Florida now. You know, it’s just a beautiful place every time I go, but I don’t frequent there as often as I wish I could, though.

20:56 What’s Houston like? How long have you lived in Houston? And that city has changed dramatically.

21:01 Houston is tragic. The— Well, as far as now the traffic is like almost like LA now, man. Traffic is terrible. I remember when 5:00 traffic used to be from 5:00 to 6:00. Now 5:00 traffic is like from 5:00 to 8:00.

21:20 That’s crazy.

21:20 That’s— Yeah, that’s bad.

21:23 Now, if you’ve got a run coming out of Houston, I guess you got to be strategic about how you do it to not get caught in that traffic.

21:30 Okay. Well, I say this. If you got a run coming out of Houston, coming out of Houston in the morning, you better wake up before everybody wakes up and they’re getting and they’re starting to move around at 7:30, 8:00. So you if you’re not up before 7, you better wait until after 10:00. Very good advice there from Henry Clement Jr. Here on the Six-Figure Trucker brought to you by Norton Transport. Of course, Henry, as you’ve been listening in here, is one of our drivers of the year, and we talked about the swag and the thousands he got for doing such a good job, such richly deserving this. What are you going to do with the money?

22:08 Oh, man. Well, I’m probably going to just put it up. You know, this is I’m not going to go crazy. We’re out here. You know, we’re trying to make money and, you know, this was a reward, but I’m not going to go crazy. I’m just going to put it up. Save it. Save it for a rainy day.

22:26 Save it for a rainy day. Henry, thank you so much. We really appreciate you stopping by and we really appreciate what you’ve done for us and be safe out there on the road.

22:35 Yes, sir. I appreciate it. Thank you.