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.

00:23 Let’s get to the show. Hello everyone and welcome to the Six-Figure Trucker brought to you by Norton Transport and each and every one of you we thank you for joining us on this program and you know that if you join us each week we elevate and celebrate the drivers and joining us now is Alonzo Johnson joining us from the comfort of his home. Alonzo, how are you?

00:45 I’m doing great.

00:48 Fantastic. Now, last week we were talking to you and then during the session you had to get up to the air fryer. You had some stuff on the air fryer you had to check there. What was on the air fryer last week? We certainly don’t want you to burn what’sever in the air fryer.

01:03 That was my lemon— Well, it was my pork chops. I was trying a different flavor.

01:13 Was it lemon peppers? No, no. I did lemon pepper chicken wings right before that in the air fryer.

01:22 They came out.

01:23 How’d they come out?

01:27 I love— Was it a dry rub or what kind of rub did you—

01:32 Oh, dry rub. I always do dry rub.

01:35 Gotcha. Now, we’re talking to Alonzo about food because it’s a passion of his. Now what’ you do? How’d you do the pork chops? The pork chops, I actually marinated them in some orange juice, sugar, a little garlic, and some what do you call that? The liquid smoke and—

02:04 Oh, yeah.

02:05 And season them and put a little bit of a Cajun seasoning on them.

02:11 Now, did you grill them or did you grill them or smoked them or—

02:15 Put them in the oven or what?

02:17 Air fry.

02:18 Air fried them. Okay.

02:20 Yeah. I love my air fryer because I don’t have to use any grease.

02:25 That’s right. That’s right. A little healthier. Now, Alonzo lives in Raytown, Missouri, which is a suburb of Kansas City. Big Chiefs fan. And if you’re a big Chiefs fan and you live in Kansas City, you got to know how to barbecue. Mhm.

02:41 Now, have you did you grow up in Missouri? Grow up in Raytown in Kansas City.

02:46 Well, I grew up in Missouri. Yes. In the Kansas City area. I was born in—

02:53 Now, let’s talk a little bit. Let’s center down on barbecue. What’s your specialty on in the barbecue realm? Everyone loves my beef and pork ribs, but they both are cooked differently, but they use they come out really well. And my brisket is I smoke it and it always comes out perfect. Everybody loves the brisket. Now, I’ve always thought I mean I do some ribs myself, but I’ve always thought ribs and brisket are two of the hardest when you compare them to like a pork butt or just a pork chop. Would you say that’s true or what’s the secret for you on the ribs and separately on the brisket?

03:43 Well, for the ribs, it just it’s just pretty much your seasoning. And I smoke it, but I also let the fire lick it at the end to give it that that to give it that color and the crispiness at the end.

04:01 Kind of char a little bit.

04:03 Yeah. Yeah. A little char, you know, is it I mean they come out and they still I smoke it because—

04:11 A lot of that even with the brisket when you smoke it and you don’t have it on the open flames like that you seal in the juices. So you have it is a it is moist is a lot of people have dry because they put it right on the flame and the flame will lick everything out of it.

04:30 So you have to be very careful. That’s why a smoker. And a lot of times here in the Midwest, we do a lot of we use smokers for a lot of things.

04:40 Gotcha. Now on the brisket, you got to let that rest. And do you wrap yours too?

04:46 Yes. Yes. I wrap it and once it’s all done and like with the brisket, I will take it out, open it up, and let it just breathe before you cut it. And make sure you do not cut against the grain. That’s what makes the brisket tough.

05:04 Gotcha.

05:05 Gotcha.

05:06 And I tell people that all the time. I say if you cut against the grain, that’s why you have a tough brisket. But if you cut with the grain, it’ll be just nice and moist and tender.

05:18 Which do you prefer, brisket, ribs, or pork chop or pork butt? Which one do you like the best?

05:25 I like the ribs. And you were telling me earlier—

05:31 I’m sorry. Go ahead, Alonzo.

05:32 No, go. No, no, go ahead. Go ahead. I was telling you earlier what—

05:35 You like apple and cherrywood.

05:40 Yes. I like the—

05:42 It imparts the flavor you’re looking for.

05:44 Yes. Yes, it does. It’s I like kind of a little sweet and it gives it a little bit more character.

05:54 Gotcha. Now, you were telling me earlier that you’ve got a brother or a guy that you refer to as your brother who is a professional chef.

06:03 Yes.

06:05 And he’s impressed by what you bring off the smoker.

06:09 Yes. Yes. Our birthdays are two days apart. So we usually for our birthdays we like to get together and cook. And he is very surprised. He’s like, “You never had lessons on anything?” I said, “No, I just think about what I want to do and I do it.”

06:28 Just go at it logically.

06:30 Yeah. He’s like, “I had to go to school for all this and you just do yours.” I said, “Well, you know, it’s I think everything is a math problem. Everything I do, that’s why I excelled at math when I was in high school and college. I think everything is a math problem. Life is a math problem and if you if you’re good at math, you’re pretty good at solving a lot of things in life.”

06:58 Sure. That’s very good sound advice there. Now, shifting gears away from all this food, which are making me hungry right now—

07:05 But you’ve got three boys all grown.

07:11 Yes. And one of them is a recent entrant into the trucking world or may soon be.

07:22 Well, he is. Yes, he’s he has a CDL Class A.

07:27 Okay. And he worked in the oil rigs. Is that right?

07:32 Yes, he actually has two jobs. He worked it with the oil rigs, but he also was a underwater welder. Major shipyard in Kentucky.

07:45 Okay. But then he decided to get his CDLs.

07:50 He decided to get his CD he started working. He bought a house. Well, he has like four houses. One here in Kansas City, one in Kentucky, and two in Houston. And so he’s down in Houston right now.

08:06 He does very well.

08:08 Okay. Well, good for him. Do you guys share trucking stories since he’s got his CDL now? It’s a Class A.

08:16 No, no, no. I try not to. I really don’t share with anyone. You know, me telling the story about the trucks I seen that were all pushed together and everything. I really don’t know how it happened and why it was such a long line. This is the first time I’ve actually told that story.

08:38 Oh, wow. Well, thank you for sharing it with us. We appreciate that for being here on the Six-Figure Trucker brought to you by Norton Transport. When’s your next big smoking event? What do you have one planned? Is it this upcoming weekend or will you do something during the week? I guess you might be on the road, but when’s your next big smoking event?

09:01 I don’t know because hopefully I’ll be on the road this I love working the weekends.

09:07 I got you. I got you. You know, we were talking too, speaking of Kansas City food. We were in Kansas City, me and a colleague there for a business trip, and we stopped at a couple of the restaurants there, Q39 and Jack Stacks, but you said there’s actually better than those two.

09:26 Yeah. Yes. Arthur Bryan’s barbecue and a lot of people like Gates and Suns because they have a lot of variety of stuff and each the things about Gates is a popular restaurant here. Each restaurant serves something they have their own specialty like one has fried shrimp where the another one may have lamb and one may have it. It’s just different things that they have that they don’t offer at each one. So, it gives you a different perspective of you know, more than just barbecue.

10:06 As we wrap up here, you’re a big Chiefs fan, big smoker, big barbecue guy. Kind of paint a picture for us. When you’re at the Chiefs game, you said you go to the preseason games. The tailgate, what’s it like there? And do you cook at the tailgates or just what’s it like for a tailgate for you?

10:27 No, I go to a tailgate. My cousin and he makes his own seasonings and everything and he does big tailgating and I just go there and enjoy it. Take my chair, sit out there and enjoy the tailgate before we go into the game.

10:44 Gotcha. Last thing I was going to ask you there how do you think the Chiefs will do this year? Of course, you know, they made it to the Super Bowl last year, but Philadelphia had something else in store for them. Do you think this year’s team can make it?

10:58 I don’t know. I kind of hope they do because I also run I have my own laser engraving equipment and I have some designs and some things. So if they do well, ah I might have to come off the road for about a month or so just to—

11:17 You know during the time during the playoffs and the Super Bowl if they make it but—

11:26 Yeah you got some products there.

11:30 Yeah. Otherwise I’ll be running.

11:34 Okay. Well Alonzo, thank you so much for joining us. I certainly appreciate it. Be safe out there on the road.

11:40 All right, no problem.

11:45 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—

11:56 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.