00:08 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. Hello everyone out there and welcome to the Six-Figure Trucker brought to you by Norton Transport and each and every one of you. If you join us each week, you know that this is a format where we lift, elevate and celebrate the drivers that work for Norton Transport. We couldn’t do it without them. They are the backbone of our company and we always want to reach out to them and as you know now we are doing this in video where you can see the drivers that make our company go learn a lot more about them kind of peel the onion back and we’ve got a very special guest who’s joining us from the road tonight. That’s Lewis Johnson. Lewis, how are you?

01:03 I’m doing fine. And yourself there?

01:05 I’m doing great. I can’t complain. No reason to. And I see you are in the unit that you are driving right now. Tell us where you are and what you’re driving.

01:16 I’m in Mansfield, Missouri. I’m driving one of the Thomas Conventional buses on my way to New York.

01:24 Is this a brand new bus?

01:26 Yes, it is.

01:27 You picked it up in Tulsa?

01:29 Picked it up in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Yeah.

01:31 And what part of New York are you going to?

01:33 I’m going to Sarasota. Sarasota Springs. Have you been to Sarasota Springs before?

01:40 I’ve driven through it. I’m going there. It’s by Albany. So, I’ve been through that part of that state.

01:48 Gotcha. Now, I’m looking in the windows of the bus behind you.

01:52 And where you are in Missouri there, what’s the weather like?

01:56 It’s hot—

01:58 But it’s cooling down. It’s a little breeze. I can feel it’s gonna feel good here in about another hour here, you know.

02:05 Okay. When it gets fully dark there.

02:08 Yeah.

02:08 Yeah.

02:08 Walk around weather.

02:10 How much more I mean from Missouri to Sarasota Springs, will you be delivering tomorrow?

02:16 No, I’m going to I got a little bit of time. I’m going deliver Friday night.

02:22 Okay.

02:22 If I stay in this seat here.

02:25 What’s that?

02:26 If I stay in the seat here, keep going.

02:29 How many miles did you get down the road today? Did you get some good miles in? I got just under 200 from the last time we spoke—

02:39 From coaching.

02:40 Now, you’re a Class A driver. Is that right?

02:43 That’s correct.

02:44 So, you can pretty much I was looking at your credentials. They’re impressive. You can pretty much drive anything.

02:50 Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

02:53 Now, what do you have a favorite vehicle that you like to drive? One that one more than another. Well, the conventional Peterbilts or Kenworth sleeper I do like, you know—

03:09 That’s a common thread we hear among drivers is the Peterbilt. And the Peterbilt seems to be the I guess you could say the Cadillac of the commercial truck world.

03:19 Yeah.

03:20 What about if Peterbilt makes it special? Well, besides the name, it just comfort the way it contours to the driver, where it handles up and down the road. And if it’s not castrated within, you know, you can go make a little time there. I myself, I’m a 70 mph driver. You know, I seem to make better time when I can just do 70. Speed limit be 75, some places be 80. I never do that. My own personal vehicle has never seen 75 miles an hour. I tell you that.

03:56 So, you’re a safe driver. You keep it within the posted speed limit.

04:01 Yeah. That that’s just my flow.

04:04 Gotcha. Well, your flow is the most important when you’re the one behind the wheel.

04:08 That’s right. Thank you.

04:10 Now, I got to tell you, I came across you as a recommendation. You were highly recommended by your dispatch team. They love you and I’m sure that that’s a mutual feeling.

04:22 Yeah, I love them. I joke with them and play with them all the time and they kind of look out for me and I appreciate that.

04:29 Haley was really singing your phrases. Said you would do just about anything she asked you to do, you would take that load.

04:37 Yeah. Yeah. I mean—

04:40 That’s got to be a two-way street, I would imagine.

04:43 Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Talk about the relationship between a dispatcher and a driver like yourself.

04:50 Well, I really appreciate them how they look out for me. If I have any personal problem that’s going on and I do need time off, they give it to me without any qualms, without any worries or something like this here. Getting down the road, they call me, they ask me with courtesy, hey, do you want this load here? When can you get there? You know what I’m saying? When can you deliver it? And I say, I can do it. This here and I can do it that way and they have no problem with it as long as it’s done, you know.

05:19 Gotcha.

05:21 Now, Lewis, I want to brag on you a little bit here. Not only have you made a great impression on your team and they love working with you, but I pulled a little stats up on you here. We were talking about it earlier today before we got into the show here.

05:36 Okay. You’ve got 100% check-in percentage, which a lot of drivers have that, but you’ve got 100% completion percentage.

05:45 Okay.

05:45 And on top of that, we’re going to get to the really good numbers. Now, so far in the time that you’ve been with us since I guess we’re going about nine months now that you’ve been with Norton Transport.

05:57 That’s correct. Mhm.

05:58 You’re on time almost 70% of the time, and you’re off to a great start this month and this quarter.

06:06 Well, you couldn’t do any better. 100% at on time this month and 100% this quarter.

06:14 What do you attribute that to? How are you always able to be on time?

06:18 It be my scheduling, you know, when I look at a load, you know, the distance, the time, stopping for fuel. I don’t spend a lot of time in truck stops, you know, or lolly gagging around. There’s a certain amount of hours, certain amount of time and distance that I want to proceed to and accomplish as I go down the road. You know, I want us I’m kind of a nighttime driver, but I want to start early in the mornings. I like I think the key to my on time is at least leaving two three in the morning.

06:59 Gotcha.

07:00 Yeah.

07:01 Early morning.

07:02 Yeah. And then I can rest early, get up early.

07:06 I gotta mind clearer at that time.

07:10 Yeah. I’m a night owl. Like I said, if I get that 10 hours sleep, then I’m good, you know?

07:18 Right. At first when I was driving over 35 years or so, four hours was good for me and get up and do it and then be sleepy when the sun come up. But now I don’t have that type of fog, you know, because I kind of like the electronic logs because it force you to do the 10 and the company really is particular about that. You know, getting your 10-hour break and making sure your logs are correct. And that’s gave me even more rest, I’m good with that now, you know. So, if I get that 10 I’m rested and I feel good quite well.

08:01 Sure.

08:01 You look well rested right now and you’ve been on the road driving. Does that bus in particular, I’m guessing with it being a new bus, does it have air conditioning? Yes, it does.

08:13 Not all buses do, as I’m sure you’ve seen.

08:16 Well, I hope I don’t run across one. I hope I—

08:22 In this kind of weather, AC’s nice.

08:25 Yeah. Yeah. I love the heat and I love the cold, but I don’t want to be driving in the heat.

08:29 I got you. I get— So, you’re going to Sarasota Springs and I saw looking a little bit more at your profile today that you average 4,78 miles a month. Is that where you want to be or would you want to do more or less or is that are you right where you want to be?

08:47 I would like to do more and truthfully I have not paid attention to that statistic and I’ll probably do but since you said it’s 4,000 how much?

09:02 4,700 miles this month a month is what you’re averaging. I think I can do and I should since you told me I should have set it for at least 55 6,000 miles a month. You know, this month, this kind of summer has been kind of funny. It’s killing my stats overall in my opinion.

09:20 In my opinion.

09:21 Right.

09:22 Well, more miles is more money.

09:24 Right. Right. Now, you’ve been driving before you got to Norton for roughly five, six years before you got to Norton.

09:35 Well, yeah, I’ve actually been driving over 30 something years.

09:40 Okay. I thought I heard you mention that.

09:42 Yeah, I’ve been driving over 35 years. Really? I started driving probably 1980, 82, 83.

09:51 Yeah. You know what’s funny? I’ve had Class A when they were first doing it way back in the 70s. I’ve always had a Class A.

10:02 Okay.

10:03 I think I got a Class A like when I was 15.

10:07 Okay.

10:08 When I was 15 through Texas. You know, you can get it through hardship.

10:11 I gotcha.

10:13 Well, in that amount of time of driving, share with us a funny story from the road. I’m sure you’ve got a bunch of them, but share one of them. One of your funnier ones. Give us a funny story.

10:24 You know what? You’re talking to the wrong person cuz I can’t tell a joke to save my life. You know, I can’t even retain one. You could have told me two seconds ago. You know, I just like to laugh and chuckle about it. But like I said, I’m not going to remember it down the road because I don’t know if it’s that important or not important or what, but I just can’t remember wanting to tell you a story, you know.

10:51 I got you. Yeah. What about a crazy story? Have you seen something crazy on the open road there? I know sometimes a lot of drivers talk about accidents they’ve seen or ones that have happened that have really stopped you in your tracks.

11:06 Have you seen some on the open road? I’m sure you have.

11:09 Yeah. But now that I can tell you about, you know, cuz it really ain’t nothing funny about driving here and seeing an accident. But I’ve seen so much over the years. I’ve seen so much just this week and just month of people just not caring and really just taking advantage of the trucks and not paying attention just disregarding what this machine is and we just talking about the drive this machine itself you know what I’m saying it’s heavier than you is slower than you we cannot maneuver like a car bicycle or motorcycle. But just the other day, just the other day, a guy came from behind me and printed guys have told this story behind me, cut over front of me where I had to slam on my brakes, got over and came back and did the same thing, and then shot me the finger.

12:12 Did this to you twice and shot you the bird.

12:14 Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You know, he did that twice. Like, you know, what did I do? You know what I’m saying? That’s what I’m saying. I’m in a slow lane as it is. So, what did I do for you to jump?

12:26 What kind of truck were you in?

12:28 It was that Kenworth 579. 579. Ken—

12:36 Was it hard to adjust to his awkward behavior or his aggressive behavior to stop or slow down enough? It was initially, you know, so initially when he did it, I just got off of it. And then when I seen him back in the fool, I completely got off of it and just let him go on. You know what I’m saying? You’re not going to make me mad. You’re not going to really tick me off. You know, that’s just my nature. I’m just going to back up and let you go on cuz, you know, I’m not going to have the road rage and everything. It’s not my vehicle. I don’t want an accident. And I didn’t had some accidents in my 30 35 years and this it’s no fun.

13:16 Right.

13:16 You know what I’m saying? Yeah. And my countries just don’t prevent, you know, for me to road rage and take revenge on you.

13:27 I’ll pull over real quick to a store or something to make sure that you just gone about your business.

13:33 Right.

13:33 You know what I’m saying?

13:35 In your 35 years on the road, how much of an increase have you seen in road rage?

13:39 Oh, a lot. A lot. I’ve seen the same thing. Vehicles doing that to each other, you know, chasing each other, running people literally and purposely running each other off the road. I hadn’t seen anybody just ram somebody yet, you know, intentionally in their road rage, but they sure cut them off right at the door, you know?

14:04 Right. We all know it happens, but I mean as a commercial truck driver, I guess you like you were saying with your personality, you just can’t let that kind of stuff affect you.

14:14 Yeah. Yeah. I you know, your first instinct would be to you know what the WTF and a lot of people know what that mean. You know what I’m saying? But then in that same instant, you just and at my age now, you re-evaluate and assess real quickly. Is this worth it?

14:37 And if it’s not worth it, then I’m definitely going to back off. And that’s all in a matter of two seconds. You know what I’m saying? I just I evaluated right then. Oh, let me back up. You know what I’m saying? He don’t like the color of the bus—

14:50 Right? That kind of judgment that you have. Is this something you were born with or is it something you’ve developed over time?

14:57 Yeah, I pretty much always been like that. A lot of people don’t know, but I’m a Tai Chi Grand Dragon.

15:07 That’s in martial arts.

15:09 Oh, okay.

15:10 Anybody know about Tai Chi? It’s a defensive arc. You know what I’m saying? It’s not an aggressive arc. So that keeps my temper temperament down and I’ve doing that since I was 10 12 years old at the YMCA down in Houston. So I’ve been practicing so long. That’s why I’m a grand dragon now.

15:32 Being a grand j Grand in Tai Chi. Have you ever had to use that defensive skill out there?

15:41 Yeah. Yeah.

15:44 Do tell. I was standing up at a bank going to catch a bus and it had these big old pillars, these big old pillars. It was dark and it was raining and my wife had just had my second son and she’s on me all day. All day. Don’t forget to get the Pampers cuz when I jump off the bus, the store was right there.

16:11 You know what I’m saying? And it was right across the street from the apartment at the time. Don’t forget I mean she called me about six seven times. I’m like baby I got it. I got it. Anyway, at that time I did have an umbrella and it wasn’t open and it’s the push button type and it just extracts real hard.

16:31 And this gentleman came up with me with a USMC. I saw it because I had one myself about 10 10 11 inches long.

16:43 Money or your life is what he said. Now my wife, mind you, my wife had told me several times to bring these pampers and send me back home. But with my training, I say, “Brother,” I said, “I have $30 on me. I will give you $15 right now. You need it. God bless you with it. I say, “But my wife been on me all day. If I don’t bring one of the two, I’m gonna get beat up.” You know what I’m saying? I’m get beat up and look that crazy and you know it’s going to be hell in that place. I said, “So I give you $15 of it, man, but I got to bring this pamp and send back for my baby.” This guy said, “I don’t care about your baby. You are your wife. You going to give me this money, you know, by this time. About this time, I’m in a bank, remember? And this guy didn’t push me to the back of the wall. The pillars are up in front of me about five or six feet to the bank.

17:45 Right. So, now I’m up against the wall and it’s really in the dark. But by that time, a lady comes out the bank, a limousine pulls up to the side, and she’s in a white sable mink coat.

17:58 Oh, boy. Coat. I say brother, look, look. She got a sable cake. Come on, man. You can get more way money than me. You know, I ain’t Bro, are you crazy? Are you crazy? I ain’t messing with them. I’mma get you. I got you right here. I said, “Oh, oh, man.” Like I said, I will give you 30, but I’m not going to give you my baby’s thing. You crazy. Ain’t you crazy? I said, “No, sir. You all understand? That’s got my baby. You know what I’m saying? By this time now he wants you going to give it to him right here. I pulled the umbrella up, hit the button, and I stuck him right in his lics right here.”

18:41 Okay.

18:42 He started bleeding everything. And this is crazy. My bus came at the same time that that happened. It came at the same divine providence there.

18:51 Yeah. So I said, “Now you see, I was going to give you some money. I was going to give you some money. Now you laying down there bleeding. You know what I’m saying? So I see you later. I stepped on the bus and went on.”

19:04 That’s a great story. Yeah.

19:06 You’re listening to Lewis Johnson here on the Six-Figure Trucker brought to you by Norton Transport. You know, this is where we dive into the lives of the drivers that make our company what it is and we’re very very glad to have them on board. Now Lewis, you’re going to Sarasota Springs. We talked a lot about your on time, your completion percentage and really impressed with your on-time percentage and what would you say to someone who may be considering moving into the driveaway space? What kind of things do they need to weigh out, good and bad?

19:40 The good is that the money is there if you got the hustle. You know what I’m saying? If you don’t let situations deter you easily, you know, because I’m not going to lie, when I first got in, I was going up into to Wisconsin to dead zones—

20:00 But I don’t know if it’s my faith or whatever, but God kept making a way for me get in and out of there. And I’m talking about where they didn’t have Ubers, they didn’t have the personal people riding around, no cabs and stuff like this here. And it made a way and it all worked out. And it was during the winter time. So, I’m actually looking forward to see how I’m going to navigate that this winter, you know—

20:25 And I’m pretty sure I’m going to have a better attitude, a better way of getting around and moving out of like Wisconsin rapids all the way down to my next destination.

20:38 It’s always about finding your way out.

20:40 Yeah. Yeah. And like I say, if you can make the money, if you got the hustle, you don’t let things deter you and you can work your way out of any situation. And there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel. That’s the best advice I can give as far as that goes.

21:00 And Lewis, we certainly appreciate you joining us here. And so much so I want to talk with you next week about some of your you’re definitely a man of the community—

21:10 Right? And you had shared some of that with us, but let’s hold that for next week. Lewis Johnson, thank you very much for joining us this evening.

21:18 Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it.

21:26 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.