1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,400 Speaker 1: Guess what will What's that? So? I was chatting with 2 00:00:02,440 --> 00:00:04,920 Speaker 1: my friend and she works and permissions at this amazing 3 00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:07,160 Speaker 1: art center in Texas, and she was telling me that 4 00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:10,840 Speaker 1: sometimes her job involves traveling with famous artworks in trucks. 5 00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 1: So what does that mean exactly? Well, that was my 6 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:16,279 Speaker 1: question too, But if a New York museum wanted a 7 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:18,880 Speaker 1: loan like a frieda Collo painting, well, part of her 8 00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:21,239 Speaker 1: job involves hopping in a truck with the painting and 9 00:00:21,440 --> 00:00:24,520 Speaker 1: escorting a cross country just making sure it gets delivered. 10 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:27,160 Speaker 1: Like she doesn't touch the art, but she just helicopter 11 00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:29,600 Speaker 1: parents over it. But the truck part of it is 12 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:31,720 Speaker 1: crazy to me because I imagine it just be easier 13 00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:34,479 Speaker 1: to send paintings by plane, but apparently trucks are the 14 00:00:34,479 --> 00:00:37,519 Speaker 1: preferred way to send expensive art. So it was the 15 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:40,520 Speaker 1: experience fun for her? Or what it was the exact opposite. 16 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:43,800 Speaker 1: It was supposedly this white glove service, but it's still 17 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 1: just a truck. And she was stuck in the back 18 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:48,960 Speaker 1: as these bros apparently blasted bad music, so she just 19 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:51,680 Speaker 1: read and slept as they took turns driving. But the 20 00:00:51,720 --> 00:00:54,640 Speaker 1: whole thing made me realize I know nothing about trucking 21 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:57,560 Speaker 1: and the fact that these big vehicles are hauling everything 22 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:00,760 Speaker 1: from greeting cards to masterworks is kind of astounding to me. 23 00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:03,120 Speaker 1: So what's life like for these men and women who 24 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:04,880 Speaker 1: spend so much of their life on the road. And 25 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:24,640 Speaker 1: that's what today's episode is all about, say their podcast listeners. 26 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:27,039 Speaker 1: Welcome to Part Time Genius. I'm Will Pearson and as 27 00:01:27,040 --> 00:01:28,840 Speaker 1: always I'm joined by my good friend Man Guesh I 28 00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:31,480 Speaker 1: Ticketer and on the other side of the soundproof glass 29 00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:34,160 Speaker 1: wearing this amazing trucker hat. What does it say on it? 30 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:38,480 Speaker 1: Cheez whiz, just says cheese whiz. Our friend and producer 31 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:41,200 Speaker 1: Tristan McNeil. He's always prepared for these episodes with the 32 00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:44,240 Speaker 1: best props. All right, well, today we're looking under the 33 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:46,640 Speaker 1: hood of one of the most important and maybe most 34 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:51,080 Speaker 1: underappreciated jobs in the world, and that's the professional truck driver. Now, 35 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:54,160 Speaker 1: we're all familiar with these massive tractor trailers that crowd 36 00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:57,040 Speaker 1: the highways and maybe move a bit more slowly than 37 00:01:57,080 --> 00:01:58,920 Speaker 1: we'd like, but you know, most of us don't give 38 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 1: a second thought to the and women behind the steering wheels. 39 00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:04,320 Speaker 1: With about three and a half million people in the 40 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:07,120 Speaker 1: us who drive trucks for a living. That's an awful 41 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:09,480 Speaker 1: lot of people to be overlooked, and in fact, their 42 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:11,960 Speaker 1: work is a big part of what keeps the economy humming. 43 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:14,760 Speaker 1: So today we're giving truckers their due and checking out 44 00:02:14,760 --> 00:02:18,120 Speaker 1: some of the coolest, maybe most surprising and strangest parts 45 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:20,600 Speaker 1: of life on the open road. Definitely, and we'll be 46 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:23,519 Speaker 1: checking in with our trucker pal Roger. Aside from running 47 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:26,360 Speaker 1: his family farm in southern Maryland, Rogers also the owner 48 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:29,359 Speaker 1: operator of this small fleet of trucks which he partly 49 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:32,280 Speaker 1: uses to collect milk from Amish dairies. So we'll talk 50 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:34,240 Speaker 1: to him about being a local truck driver and find 51 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 1: out what keeps them going through these long days and 52 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:38,640 Speaker 1: nights at the wheel. All Right, So I mentioned upfront 53 00:02:38,680 --> 00:02:40,760 Speaker 1: that truckers play a huge role in the success of 54 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:42,920 Speaker 1: our economy, so I really thought we should start by 55 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:46,399 Speaker 1: just getting a better sense of what their impact is exactly. Yeah, 56 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:48,400 Speaker 1: it's kind of tricky because trucking is one of those 57 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:51,720 Speaker 1: industries where so much happens behind the scenes, and obviously 58 00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:54,800 Speaker 1: the trucks themselves are highly visible, but where they're going 59 00:02:54,919 --> 00:02:58,240 Speaker 1: and what they're actually hauling that goes largely unseen. Yeah, 60 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:00,760 Speaker 1: that's true. So let me pull some stats appear for you. So, 61 00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:04,880 Speaker 1: the American Trucking Association reports that roughly seventy of the 62 00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:07,919 Speaker 1: country's freight is shipped on trucks. That's about ten and 63 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:11,480 Speaker 1: a half billion tons every single year. That's way way 64 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:13,480 Speaker 1: more than the amount of freight move by plane or 65 00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:16,320 Speaker 1: train or any other means. But you know, when you 66 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:19,280 Speaker 1: said that, like the term freight just feels so vague, Like, 67 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:21,360 Speaker 1: can you clarify a little about what those ten point 68 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:24,040 Speaker 1: five billion tons are? Well, pretty much everything. I mean, 69 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:27,440 Speaker 1: you know, they haul construction materials, industrial machinery, lots of 70 00:03:27,480 --> 00:03:30,600 Speaker 1: other things that don't involve the average consumer. But they're 71 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:33,400 Speaker 1: also responsible for moving just about everything you'd find on 72 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:35,680 Speaker 1: a store shelf. I know our researcher Gay was trying 73 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 1: to give us some examples, and I think he was 74 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:40,480 Speaker 1: pretty proud of himself because he said, from blueberries to 75 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:42,840 Speaker 1: blue jeans to bluebell ice cream. You see what he 76 00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:46,800 Speaker 1: did there with that A lot of clever. But imagine 77 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 1: if all of that stopped, right, Like, if suddenly there 78 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:51,040 Speaker 1: were no more big rigs and no more truck drivers. 79 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:54,600 Speaker 1: It's really no exaggeration to say that the American economy 80 00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:58,200 Speaker 1: would collapse, Like, you know, planes and trains and boats 81 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:01,040 Speaker 1: could probably fill in the gaps eventually, but prices would 82 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 1: skyrocket and it would be uttered chaos. Well, and what 83 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:06,440 Speaker 1: most people don't realize is that the prices would likely 84 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:08,880 Speaker 1: stay high in the long term, not just the short term. 85 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:10,880 Speaker 1: And why's that, Well, you've got to remember that all 86 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:14,920 Speaker 1: other transportation methods caused way more than shipping my truck. Yeah, 87 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:17,360 Speaker 1: I guess that's true. And it's a pretty insane how 88 00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:19,880 Speaker 1: dependent we are on trucks. So I was curious about 89 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:22,440 Speaker 1: the industry's rise, so I actually looked into the history 90 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:25,479 Speaker 1: of semi trucks in the US. Apparently the man credit 91 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 1: with actually inventing them was this guy from Ohio named 92 00:04:28,440 --> 00:04:31,320 Speaker 1: Alexander Winton. He was this car maker who was sick 93 00:04:31,360 --> 00:04:33,799 Speaker 1: of how time consuming and expensive it was to deliver 94 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:36,880 Speaker 1: cars to their new owners. And this was in the nineties, 95 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:39,920 Speaker 1: like most roads were unpaved and didn't extend very far 96 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:42,680 Speaker 1: beyond the city's limits. People would order cars from all 97 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:44,440 Speaker 1: over the country, and the only way to get them 98 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:47,200 Speaker 1: there was to individually drive each car, which put this 99 00:04:47,279 --> 00:04:49,680 Speaker 1: insane amount of wear and tear on the new cars, 100 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:52,400 Speaker 1: not to mention all these miles. But for Winton, the 101 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:54,200 Speaker 1: worst part was the hit he took in the wallet, 102 00:04:54,520 --> 00:04:56,880 Speaker 1: Like delivering the cars was actually a great cost to 103 00:04:56,960 --> 00:05:01,159 Speaker 1: him and his company. So his solution was this automobile holler. Basically, 104 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:03,000 Speaker 1: it was a new type of vehicle that could carry 105 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:05,520 Speaker 1: a car on this attached trailer. And so in eight 106 00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:09,040 Speaker 1: went and started manufacturing the holler for his own use, 107 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:11,159 Speaker 1: and then he started selling him to other car makers 108 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:13,520 Speaker 1: once the word got out. All right, So so the 109 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:16,360 Speaker 1: first eighteen wheelers were actually made to ship cars. I 110 00:05:16,720 --> 00:05:18,360 Speaker 1: would have guessed, you know, that would have been building 111 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:21,080 Speaker 1: materials or groceries or something else, But I didn't think 112 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:24,120 Speaker 1: about cars. Yeah, and I mean eighteen wheelers were still 113 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:26,360 Speaker 1: a long way off in Winton's day, Like his trailers 114 00:05:26,400 --> 00:05:28,719 Speaker 1: actually only had two wheels and they could haul just 115 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:31,360 Speaker 1: one car at a time. But as the nation's highway 116 00:05:31,400 --> 00:05:34,640 Speaker 1: system began to take shape, other manufacturers took notice and 117 00:05:34,680 --> 00:05:37,080 Speaker 1: they expanded on the design and over the next forty 118 00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:39,240 Speaker 1: years they kept evolving it until it became what we're 119 00:05:39,279 --> 00:05:41,920 Speaker 1: familiar with today. That's pretty interesting. Well, it's weird to 120 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:44,920 Speaker 1: think about a time when Rhodes didn't actually connect. I 121 00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:46,920 Speaker 1: remember we did that story at Mental Floss about the 122 00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:48,800 Speaker 1: woman who drove cross country. I think it was in 123 00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:51,400 Speaker 1: the early nineteen hundreds. Yeah, her name is Alice Ramsey. 124 00:05:51,440 --> 00:05:53,680 Speaker 1: I love that piece. Yeah, that's right, So I I 125 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:56,200 Speaker 1: looked up the article again and she crossed the country 126 00:05:56,279 --> 00:05:58,560 Speaker 1: in nineteen o nine. It was on this road trip 127 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:01,719 Speaker 1: with three other young women, and it took them fifty 128 00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:05,240 Speaker 1: nine days. Why because there was no atlas, and you'd 129 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:07,720 Speaker 1: have to get local maps in each town, and the 130 00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:10,280 Speaker 1: roads didn't always have the same name, so you'd navigate 131 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:12,640 Speaker 1: and you have to backtrack then drive again, and it 132 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:16,039 Speaker 1: just sounds so confusing. They changed something like ten or 133 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:18,280 Speaker 1: eleven tires along the way. I mean, it's actually kind 134 00:06:18,279 --> 00:06:20,560 Speaker 1: of crazy they even made it. I know, it's insane, 135 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:22,599 Speaker 1: but you know, the thing I really remember from that 136 00:06:22,640 --> 00:06:24,440 Speaker 1: piece was that Alice had been set up to do 137 00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:27,000 Speaker 1: this for PR to show that women could actually drive, 138 00:06:27,080 --> 00:06:30,520 Speaker 1: because people were worried about all these insane things about cars. 139 00:06:31,279 --> 00:06:33,599 Speaker 1: You know. They traveled out about fifteen to twenty miles 140 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:35,760 Speaker 1: per hour, and it was this open air vehicle at 141 00:06:35,800 --> 00:06:38,080 Speaker 1: the time, which they thought was terrible for women's health. 142 00:06:38,120 --> 00:06:40,719 Speaker 1: They thought it could you know, impact their nerves and 143 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:44,200 Speaker 1: their mental health, or even worse, all that fast blowing 144 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:48,000 Speaker 1: wind could leave them with something they called automobile face. Man, 145 00:06:48,680 --> 00:06:53,400 Speaker 1: nobody wants to want me to have automobile face. So Tom, 146 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:55,240 Speaker 1: all right, Well all that to say, it's it's kind 147 00:06:55,240 --> 00:06:57,760 Speaker 1: of impossible to think about how bad the roads must 148 00:06:57,760 --> 00:07:00,839 Speaker 1: have been delivering cars back and wind's time, and you 149 00:07:00,880 --> 00:07:02,919 Speaker 1: can see why he was so inspired to create his 150 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:07,039 Speaker 1: truck bed. But speaking which, I'm curious, like, how interchangeable 151 00:07:07,120 --> 00:07:10,200 Speaker 1: are these terms? So so far we've said eighteen wheeler 152 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:13,880 Speaker 1: and semi, but you also see things like tractor trailer 153 00:07:13,960 --> 00:07:16,160 Speaker 1: and big rigs, So why do we call it a 154 00:07:16,240 --> 00:07:19,320 Speaker 1: semi Anyway, Well, I was surprised to learn this, but 155 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:22,200 Speaker 1: apparently all those terms pretty much referred to the same thing. 156 00:07:22,600 --> 00:07:25,440 Speaker 1: But talking about the semi, that's actually meant to describe 157 00:07:25,480 --> 00:07:27,880 Speaker 1: the trailer and not the truck. So I'm gonna find 158 00:07:27,920 --> 00:07:31,160 Speaker 1: the inventor in my notes here. Yeah, it's this guy, 159 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:35,200 Speaker 1: this Detroit blacksmith. His name's Charles August Freihoff, who first 160 00:07:35,200 --> 00:07:38,920 Speaker 1: coined the phrase semi trailer this is about and used 161 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:41,000 Speaker 1: it to describe a carriage he'd built for a customer 162 00:07:41,040 --> 00:07:43,320 Speaker 1: who wanted to move a boat. And the name comes 163 00:07:43,320 --> 00:07:45,320 Speaker 1: from the fact that the trailer had no front wheels 164 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:47,640 Speaker 1: and could only be used when hooked up to a truck. 165 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:50,160 Speaker 1: Got it. So so it's it's only kind of a 166 00:07:50,160 --> 00:07:52,840 Speaker 1: trailer because it's mostly useless without a truck to tow it. 167 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:55,400 Speaker 1: Of course, and and people now use the name semi 168 00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:57,600 Speaker 1: trucks to refer to the tractor part of a tractor 169 00:07:57,640 --> 00:08:00,240 Speaker 1: trailer too, But in this case, like you men Gin, 170 00:08:00,600 --> 00:08:03,360 Speaker 1: the truck half functions fine on its own. By the way, 171 00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:05,400 Speaker 1: when you were researching, did you come across the site 172 00:08:05,440 --> 00:08:08,680 Speaker 1: truck spills dot com? I can't say that I did, so, 173 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:10,440 Speaker 1: so what is that? I mean, I can guess what 174 00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:12,560 Speaker 1: that is. I know, and I mean it is a 175 00:08:12,600 --> 00:08:15,800 Speaker 1: little disturbing. It's mostly these tumped over trucks with things 176 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:20,360 Speaker 1: they've spilled. It's like pictures of a truck that's crashed, 177 00:08:20,440 --> 00:08:22,920 Speaker 1: but then you see all the butternut squash spilled over 178 00:08:22,920 --> 00:08:25,920 Speaker 1: the highway, or there was actually a molasses spill. It's 179 00:08:25,920 --> 00:08:28,080 Speaker 1: a little weird to be looking at these accidents, but 180 00:08:28,120 --> 00:08:30,000 Speaker 1: you do get a sense of how much stuff each 181 00:08:30,040 --> 00:08:33,320 Speaker 1: truck carries, Like if just one truck is carrying five 182 00:08:33,360 --> 00:08:36,240 Speaker 1: thousand gallons of molasses, it can actually take eight to 183 00:08:36,320 --> 00:08:39,079 Speaker 1: nine hours to clean up all that stickiness. Where there 184 00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:41,400 Speaker 1: was a truck that crashed and it was carrying eels 185 00:08:41,760 --> 00:08:43,760 Speaker 1: and the good that's spilled out onto the other cars 186 00:08:43,760 --> 00:08:47,280 Speaker 1: and the highway is so gross is discussing. Here's the 187 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:50,560 Speaker 1: caption from a local paper, so quote more than seven 188 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:53,600 Speaker 1: thousand pounds of hag fish also known as slime eels 189 00:08:53,840 --> 00:08:55,839 Speaker 1: codd a section of Highway one oh one with a 190 00:08:55,960 --> 00:09:00,560 Speaker 1: gel described as quote spider Man's webbing crossed with fish. 191 00:09:00,880 --> 00:09:03,320 Speaker 1: I have so many questions about this, Like I really 192 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:05,800 Speaker 1: want to know where they all in aquariums where they 193 00:09:05,840 --> 00:09:08,120 Speaker 1: just like stacked on top of one another. It's like, 194 00:09:08,160 --> 00:09:13,280 Speaker 1: how does this work? But either way, it sounds really disgusting. Yeah, 195 00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:15,959 Speaker 1: and the pictures are really grosser to check it out. Well, 196 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:18,319 Speaker 1: you know, actually, when you think about these spills and 197 00:09:18,320 --> 00:09:21,040 Speaker 1: and those kinds of crashes, think about how hard truck 198 00:09:21,120 --> 00:09:24,559 Speaker 1: driving is. It's kind of amazing there aren't more crashes. 199 00:09:25,080 --> 00:09:27,000 Speaker 1: But while we're on the subject, we should probably point 200 00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:29,400 Speaker 1: out that the term truck drivers is a much broader 201 00:09:29,480 --> 00:09:32,720 Speaker 1: term than you might think. Basically, we group large commercial 202 00:09:32,720 --> 00:09:36,320 Speaker 1: truck drivers into two main categories. So there's local and 203 00:09:36,400 --> 00:09:39,680 Speaker 1: long haul. Local drivers or short haul truckers as they're 204 00:09:39,679 --> 00:09:41,880 Speaker 1: also called. They're the ones that mostly stick to their 205 00:09:41,920 --> 00:09:44,520 Speaker 1: area around the city and that they might also venture 206 00:09:44,520 --> 00:09:47,840 Speaker 1: into more distant parts of the same state. Right, So 207 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:51,280 Speaker 1: these are the delivery drivers for companies like EPs and FedEx, 208 00:09:51,559 --> 00:09:54,400 Speaker 1: as well as the tanker drivers who refuel gas stations. 209 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:56,520 Speaker 1: And there are a host of other kinds of drivers 210 00:09:56,559 --> 00:09:59,200 Speaker 1: like this who service their local communities. So then you 211 00:09:59,240 --> 00:10:01,000 Speaker 1: look at the other to the spectrum and you have 212 00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:04,240 Speaker 1: long haul truckers also known as over the road drivers, 213 00:10:04,280 --> 00:10:07,040 Speaker 1: and these are the folks who transport goods across state 214 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:10,160 Speaker 1: lines from coast to coast and probably what most people 215 00:10:10,200 --> 00:10:13,200 Speaker 1: tend to think of when they picture truckers. Okay, so 216 00:10:13,320 --> 00:10:16,160 Speaker 1: the difference mostly boils down to distance covered. But are 217 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:19,640 Speaker 1: there other distinctions too? Well? Distance is definitely the main difference. 218 00:10:19,720 --> 00:10:22,439 Speaker 1: But you know, for example, the average semi travels about 219 00:10:22,480 --> 00:10:25,520 Speaker 1: forty five thousand miles in a year, but the trucking 220 00:10:25,520 --> 00:10:28,560 Speaker 1: industry and the Federal Highway Administration estimate that trucks used 221 00:10:28,559 --> 00:10:31,840 Speaker 1: for long distance halls, they average more than twice that amount, 222 00:10:31,840 --> 00:10:34,000 Speaker 1: at about I think it's like a hundred and twenty 223 00:10:34,080 --> 00:10:37,360 Speaker 1: five thousand miles per year, and that's roughly five hundred 224 00:10:37,360 --> 00:10:40,800 Speaker 1: miles per work day. That's crazy. So obviously that leads 225 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:43,800 Speaker 1: to this difference in lifestyle as well, no question about that. 226 00:10:43,880 --> 00:10:46,640 Speaker 1: And it's no surprise that long haul truckers spend more 227 00:10:46,679 --> 00:10:49,680 Speaker 1: time on the road than their local counterparts, which also 228 00:10:49,720 --> 00:10:51,880 Speaker 1: means they might make at home once every few weeks 229 00:10:51,960 --> 00:10:54,080 Speaker 1: or sometimes not even for a month, or maybe even 230 00:10:54,120 --> 00:10:56,880 Speaker 1: longer than that. It's really hard. So I also read 231 00:10:56,920 --> 00:10:59,720 Speaker 1: that long haul truckers make much more money than local drivers, 232 00:10:59,720 --> 00:11:01,680 Speaker 1: and I guess you can see why if they have 233 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:04,160 Speaker 1: to be away from their families for such long times. Yeah, 234 00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:06,080 Speaker 1: I was actually curious and looked into this. If you 235 00:11:06,080 --> 00:11:08,880 Speaker 1: look at the Bureau of Labor statistics, the average income 236 00:11:08,920 --> 00:11:11,880 Speaker 1: of a truck driver was about forty three thousand, almost 237 00:11:11,880 --> 00:11:15,440 Speaker 1: forty four thousand and two thousand sixteen, but local drivers 238 00:11:15,480 --> 00:11:18,040 Speaker 1: often make ten to fifteen thousand less than that in 239 00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:21,080 Speaker 1: exchange for being able to return home every night. Yeah, 240 00:11:21,080 --> 00:11:23,440 Speaker 1: that's one thing you always hear about truck driving, that 241 00:11:23,600 --> 00:11:25,600 Speaker 1: the money is actually pretty good, and they can deliver 242 00:11:25,679 --> 00:11:28,880 Speaker 1: this middle class level paycheck without a college diploma. But 243 00:11:28,920 --> 00:11:31,360 Speaker 1: if that's mostly true for only long haul truckers, you 244 00:11:31,400 --> 00:11:33,360 Speaker 1: have to wonder if the trade offs are worth it. 245 00:11:33,760 --> 00:11:35,640 Speaker 1: You know, we're definitely not the only ones wondering that. 246 00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:38,360 Speaker 1: According to a two thousand and sixteen report, the turnover 247 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:40,600 Speaker 1: rate for the biggest truckload fleets in the country was 248 00:11:40,640 --> 00:11:44,199 Speaker 1: a staggering eighty one percent last year. That's insane. I mean, 249 00:11:44,240 --> 00:11:46,400 Speaker 1: more than three quarters of the truck and workforce bailed 250 00:11:46,400 --> 00:11:48,720 Speaker 1: in a single year. Yeah, and here's the craziest part. 251 00:11:48,800 --> 00:11:52,040 Speaker 1: That from last year was actually the lowest turnover rate 252 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:55,400 Speaker 1: the industry had seen in the past five years. So 253 00:11:55,440 --> 00:11:58,160 Speaker 1: in reality, the majority of long haul truckers quit before 254 00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:00,600 Speaker 1: they even make it to the one year mark. So 255 00:12:00,640 --> 00:12:02,360 Speaker 1: you've got to thank that accounts for a big part 256 00:12:02,360 --> 00:12:05,200 Speaker 1: of that turnover. Like I read that sometimes truckers will 257 00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:08,240 Speaker 1: only see other people for an hour or so each day, 258 00:12:08,320 --> 00:12:10,240 Speaker 1: and that's when they stop for gas or stop to 259 00:12:10,280 --> 00:12:12,560 Speaker 1: use the restroom. But the rest of the time they're 260 00:12:12,559 --> 00:12:15,120 Speaker 1: alone in their truck cat and whether that's driving on 261 00:12:15,160 --> 00:12:17,679 Speaker 1: the highway or sleeping at a rest stop, even if 262 00:12:17,720 --> 00:12:20,080 Speaker 1: the money is good, that kind of isolation has to 263 00:12:20,080 --> 00:12:22,680 Speaker 1: be hard. Yeah, it is, and you know, to make 264 00:12:22,720 --> 00:12:26,719 Speaker 1: things even worse, the system itself actually kind of encourages 265 00:12:26,760 --> 00:12:29,920 Speaker 1: this seclusion. So why is that. Well, truckers are paid 266 00:12:29,960 --> 00:12:33,359 Speaker 1: by the mile, not by the hour, but federal regulations 267 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:36,079 Speaker 1: only allow them to drive for eleven hours within every 268 00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:39,000 Speaker 1: fourteen hour work window, so they have to rest for 269 00:12:39,040 --> 00:12:41,960 Speaker 1: ten hours before they can legally drive again. And so 270 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:43,680 Speaker 1: what that means is that the pressure is on to 271 00:12:43,760 --> 00:12:46,920 Speaker 1: cover as many miles as possible in those eleven hours 272 00:12:46,920 --> 00:12:49,720 Speaker 1: that they're able to drive, and that obviously means stopping 273 00:12:49,760 --> 00:12:51,960 Speaker 1: for breaks or to interact with people isn't really an 274 00:12:51,960 --> 00:12:55,040 Speaker 1: option exactly, So they need to spend as much time 275 00:12:55,040 --> 00:12:58,040 Speaker 1: behind the wheel as possible or else they're losing income. 276 00:12:58,120 --> 00:13:00,760 Speaker 1: And because there are fewer people on the oat after dark, 277 00:13:00,800 --> 00:13:03,320 Speaker 1: it also means plenty of truckers choose to drive through 278 00:13:03,320 --> 00:13:05,680 Speaker 1: the night so they can avoid traffic and cover as 279 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:08,200 Speaker 1: much distance as possible. What's weird is that so much 280 00:13:08,240 --> 00:13:10,160 Speaker 1: of the appeal of truck driving, at least for me, 281 00:13:10,240 --> 00:13:11,800 Speaker 1: is that you get to travel and see parts of 282 00:13:11,840 --> 00:13:14,280 Speaker 1: the country you wouldn't see otherwise. But I guess if 283 00:13:14,280 --> 00:13:16,560 Speaker 1: you're trying to squeeze as many miles into a day, 284 00:13:16,800 --> 00:13:18,840 Speaker 1: you don't really have that much time for sight seeing. 285 00:13:19,240 --> 00:13:21,280 Speaker 1: That's true, but you know, obviously it does work for 286 00:13:21,360 --> 00:13:24,360 Speaker 1: some people, and every trucker's experience is different. There are 287 00:13:24,360 --> 00:13:27,360 Speaker 1: plenty of reports and interviews, you know, about the stress 288 00:13:27,400 --> 00:13:30,760 Speaker 1: and the drudgery, but you know, that's hardly the whole story. 289 00:13:31,120 --> 00:13:33,320 Speaker 1: There's lots of long haul drivers that take the job 290 00:13:33,360 --> 00:13:36,600 Speaker 1: because they appreciate that independence and maybe that sense of 291 00:13:36,640 --> 00:13:40,560 Speaker 1: freedom that comes with cruising along the American highways. Anyway, 292 00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:42,440 Speaker 1: we've talked a lot about the pros and cons of 293 00:13:42,520 --> 00:13:44,280 Speaker 1: long haul trucking, But what do you say we get 294 00:13:44,360 --> 00:13:46,040 Speaker 1: Roger on the line and see what life behind the 295 00:13:46,040 --> 00:13:48,320 Speaker 1: wheel is like for local drivers. Yeah, let's do it. 296 00:13:54,559 --> 00:13:56,720 Speaker 1: So Mango, We've got a special guest on the line today. 297 00:13:56,760 --> 00:13:59,040 Speaker 1: We've been talking about truck drivers in this episode, and 298 00:13:59,040 --> 00:14:02,280 Speaker 1: we have someone who has a very interesting job driving. Now, 299 00:14:02,320 --> 00:14:06,439 Speaker 1: he's a farmer by day, farming grains, corn, wheat, soybeans, 300 00:14:06,480 --> 00:14:09,400 Speaker 1: and so forth, but he has a driving job many 301 00:14:09,520 --> 00:14:12,400 Speaker 1: nights the week. I'm not sure when he sleeps, but 302 00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:15,120 Speaker 1: we'll ask him a little bit about that. But Roger Chapelier, 303 00:14:15,240 --> 00:14:18,520 Speaker 1: welcome to part time Genius. Thank you. Now, Roger, where 304 00:14:18,520 --> 00:14:22,360 Speaker 1: are you joining us from today? I'm in southern Maryland, 305 00:14:22,400 --> 00:14:25,840 Speaker 1: about twenty miles south of Washington, d C. Okay, well, 306 00:14:25,920 --> 00:14:29,880 Speaker 1: I understand that. UM, in addition to farming, a couple 307 00:14:29,920 --> 00:14:33,960 Speaker 1: of decades ago, you started a very interesting job as 308 00:14:34,120 --> 00:14:36,080 Speaker 1: a as a driver. Can you tell us a little 309 00:14:36,080 --> 00:14:38,880 Speaker 1: bit about what you do? Yeah, I I haul the 310 00:14:39,040 --> 00:14:44,720 Speaker 1: milk from uh. It's actually fifteen Amish farms currently, but 311 00:14:44,840 --> 00:14:47,600 Speaker 1: I go I go to fifteen farms every other night, 312 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:50,560 Speaker 1: UH and pick up the milk that they have produced, 313 00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:55,000 Speaker 1: and then I take it to a processing plant and UM, 314 00:14:55,040 --> 00:14:58,560 Speaker 1: and I do that every other every other night. I 315 00:14:58,640 --> 00:15:01,720 Speaker 1: love that. Actually, I know that gave to the story 316 00:15:01,800 --> 00:15:04,240 Speaker 1: with you for Mental Flass magazine a while back, and 317 00:15:04,800 --> 00:15:06,600 Speaker 1: one of the descriptions he had in there that I 318 00:15:06,680 --> 00:15:09,520 Speaker 1: loved so much was just being able to take a 319 00:15:09,560 --> 00:15:12,640 Speaker 1: cup of cold, fresh milk and just how creamy and 320 00:15:12,640 --> 00:15:17,480 Speaker 1: delicious that tasted. And I always stuck with me. But 321 00:15:17,920 --> 00:15:20,520 Speaker 1: I didn't have a question. So obviously, these are two 322 00:15:20,560 --> 00:15:23,760 Speaker 1: different worlds that you're bridging, this driving a truck and 323 00:15:23,880 --> 00:15:27,080 Speaker 1: this community that doesn't really use electricity, So I was curious, 324 00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:30,400 Speaker 1: do you have any good stories from when those worlds interact? 325 00:15:30,920 --> 00:15:37,280 Speaker 1: Um is certainly the The actual communication process in itself 326 00:15:37,360 --> 00:15:42,400 Speaker 1: can be very difficult. Occasionally there are changes to the schedule, 327 00:15:42,560 --> 00:15:44,800 Speaker 1: i e. When when the milk is going to be 328 00:15:44,840 --> 00:15:47,240 Speaker 1: delivered or needs to be delivered, and stuff like that. 329 00:15:47,880 --> 00:15:51,800 Speaker 1: In that case, they have a pay phone or or 330 00:15:51,840 --> 00:15:55,120 Speaker 1: an outside phone. It's not not a likely corn operated payphone, 331 00:15:55,680 --> 00:15:58,760 Speaker 1: but they have a phone, and they'll call me and 332 00:15:58,960 --> 00:16:01,560 Speaker 1: if I'm available, course all answer. If not, they leave 333 00:16:01,600 --> 00:16:04,240 Speaker 1: me a message, but there is no way to contact 334 00:16:04,320 --> 00:16:08,800 Speaker 1: them to respond short of traveling down there. And actually, 335 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:11,960 Speaker 1: you know, physically talking to someone. Wow, and especially when 336 00:16:11,960 --> 00:16:17,200 Speaker 1: we're talking fifteen different farms. I'm sure that's a challenge, right, 337 00:16:17,280 --> 00:16:19,880 Speaker 1: that's right. And and you know, with milk being kind 338 00:16:19,880 --> 00:16:23,560 Speaker 1: of a perishable commodity, you have to you have to 339 00:16:23,560 --> 00:16:26,360 Speaker 1: have good, good communications so that you can make things 340 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:29,040 Speaker 1: happen when they need to how they need to. Yeah, 341 00:16:29,080 --> 00:16:30,880 Speaker 1: and I have to ask Roger, I mean, what what 342 00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:33,440 Speaker 1: kind of hours do you keep because I know farming 343 00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:35,800 Speaker 1: alone is a full time job, so how do you 344 00:16:35,920 --> 00:16:40,120 Speaker 1: do that and manage driving every other night of the week. Uh, 345 00:16:40,160 --> 00:16:46,400 Speaker 1: it's it's gotten harder as I've had more birthdays. I 346 00:16:46,840 --> 00:16:51,800 Speaker 1: typically start about midnight, and if everything goes well, I 347 00:16:51,840 --> 00:16:54,600 Speaker 1: get done by six thirty or seven o'clock in the morning. 348 00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:56,680 Speaker 1: When you know, on on the nights that I pick 349 00:16:56,760 --> 00:16:58,840 Speaker 1: up the milk. But then you're right back on the 350 00:16:58,840 --> 00:17:00,920 Speaker 1: farm that next day. Are you able to sleep during 351 00:17:00,960 --> 00:17:03,640 Speaker 1: that next day? No, I don't sleep during the day. 352 00:17:03,720 --> 00:17:06,600 Speaker 1: I typically if I got done at seven o'clock, I 353 00:17:06,720 --> 00:17:09,440 Speaker 1: might Uh, I might take a little snooze until nine 354 00:17:09,520 --> 00:17:12,520 Speaker 1: or so before I got back to it. Wow, that 355 00:17:12,600 --> 00:17:15,760 Speaker 1: sounds a lot like our jobs, except not at all. 356 00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:20,040 Speaker 1: So that's that's pretty amazing. That's remarkable, so excerious. How 357 00:17:20,080 --> 00:17:22,879 Speaker 1: did you start this trucking business? To begin with? The 358 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:28,119 Speaker 1: Amish community down here, UH was was shipping milks and 359 00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:33,000 Speaker 1: then their local plant closed. UH weren't out of business, 360 00:17:33,040 --> 00:17:36,040 Speaker 1: and so they were without a destination for their milk, 361 00:17:36,680 --> 00:17:41,960 Speaker 1: and they actually stopped milking for several years and um 362 00:17:42,119 --> 00:17:44,160 Speaker 1: and and they missed that. I think. I think it's 363 00:17:44,240 --> 00:17:47,360 Speaker 1: it's part of the fabric of of many Amish communities 364 00:17:47,359 --> 00:17:50,520 Speaker 1: that dairy dairy operation. It's how they it's how they 365 00:17:50,560 --> 00:17:52,879 Speaker 1: bring their children up, you know, to be uh, to 366 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:57,040 Speaker 1: be in the workforce and stuff like that. But but anyway, 367 00:17:56,840 --> 00:18:00,720 Speaker 1: I had a Thomas gentlemen that I saw from hay Too, 368 00:18:00,840 --> 00:18:06,000 Speaker 1: and he said, we need a a what they call 369 00:18:06,160 --> 00:18:09,760 Speaker 1: us English they're Amish and they refer to us as English. 370 00:18:09,800 --> 00:18:12,119 Speaker 1: But he said, we need an English farm to start 371 00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:15,399 Speaker 1: dairying so that we can get a milk truck in 372 00:18:15,440 --> 00:18:19,560 Speaker 1: the area. And um, and I just casually off the 373 00:18:19,600 --> 00:18:21,639 Speaker 1: cuffs said that, you know, there'd be something that was 374 00:18:21,680 --> 00:18:25,679 Speaker 1: interested in. I ended up not actually starting a dairy farm, 375 00:18:25,760 --> 00:18:29,280 Speaker 1: but I did did end up, I guess, deciding to 376 00:18:29,320 --> 00:18:33,280 Speaker 1: hault milk for them. Wow. Well, because of that job, 377 00:18:33,320 --> 00:18:36,760 Speaker 1: it now qualifies you to take today's big quiz and Mango, 378 00:18:36,840 --> 00:18:39,160 Speaker 1: What what quiz are we playing with? Roger? It's called 379 00:18:39,240 --> 00:18:41,960 Speaker 1: keep on Trucking? All right? So that's it. We'll we'll 380 00:18:41,960 --> 00:18:43,679 Speaker 1: give you a clue, Roger, and you just have to 381 00:18:43,680 --> 00:18:46,320 Speaker 1: tell us what type of truck we're talking about. Are 382 00:18:46,359 --> 00:18:50,920 Speaker 1: you ready? I'll try all right? Question number one. This 383 00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:54,719 Speaker 1: Minnesota toy Company's best selling toy is the bright yellow 384 00:18:54,800 --> 00:18:59,240 Speaker 1: Mighty Dump Truck, which at first released in nineteen Can 385 00:18:59,320 --> 00:19:04,080 Speaker 1: you name the company I'm gonna go with Tonko. Yeah, 386 00:19:04,119 --> 00:19:07,399 Speaker 1: that's right, and it's actually named for Lake Minnetonka. All right, 387 00:19:07,440 --> 00:19:11,600 Speaker 1: I did not know that. Okay. Question number two, the 388 00:19:11,680 --> 00:19:14,679 Speaker 1: drums on these trucks typically turn in one direction to 389 00:19:14,800 --> 00:19:18,000 Speaker 1: keep the contents mixing, and the other direction when they 390 00:19:18,040 --> 00:19:20,840 Speaker 1: need to pour the contents out of Shoot, what type 391 00:19:20,840 --> 00:19:24,960 Speaker 1: of truck are we talking about? That's the concrete mixture. Yeah, 392 00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:27,600 Speaker 1: that's right, cement truck. That's right. Already's two for two. 393 00:19:27,760 --> 00:19:31,359 Speaker 1: Question number three, what type of truck crushes about three 394 00:19:31,440 --> 00:19:36,679 Speaker 1: thousand cars in a lifetime? Truck brush the three thousand cars. 395 00:19:36,680 --> 00:19:38,520 Speaker 1: I don't know of a truck that does that, but 396 00:19:38,560 --> 00:19:41,800 Speaker 1: there is a trailer, there is a car fructure. There's 397 00:19:41,800 --> 00:19:46,000 Speaker 1: an actual trailer that does that, or or maybe you're 398 00:19:46,040 --> 00:19:48,680 Speaker 1: talking about big slot or one of those uh, one 399 00:19:48,680 --> 00:19:51,840 Speaker 1: of those things. Yeah, that's right. It's a monster truck. Yep, 400 00:19:52,000 --> 00:19:53,679 Speaker 1: you got it. You came back around to it and 401 00:19:53,720 --> 00:19:57,760 Speaker 1: they actually cost about what six thousand to build? Yeah, 402 00:19:57,800 --> 00:20:00,840 Speaker 1: that's crazy. Alright. So Roger is three three. We thought 403 00:20:00,840 --> 00:20:02,560 Speaker 1: he was going to miss that, but then he he 404 00:20:02,680 --> 00:20:05,000 Speaker 1: had it, and he dug deep and found the answer. Right, 405 00:20:05,160 --> 00:20:08,719 Speaker 1: you got two questions left, pulled it out at the end. 406 00:20:08,960 --> 00:20:12,679 Speaker 1: That's right, that's right. Question number four. After trying to 407 00:20:12,760 --> 00:20:15,280 Speaker 1: use blocks, ropes, and six men to pull a car 408 00:20:15,280 --> 00:20:17,560 Speaker 1: out of a creek, Ernest Holmes came up with a 409 00:20:17,600 --> 00:20:22,920 Speaker 1: design for this type of truck in nineteen sixteen. Yeah, 410 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:25,399 Speaker 1: that's right, to tow truck to truck. Alright, Roger is 411 00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:28,280 Speaker 1: four for four. Sleep deprivation doesn't do anything to this 412 00:20:28,280 --> 00:20:31,919 Speaker 1: guy already. The last question, question number five, here we go. 413 00:20:32,720 --> 00:20:35,880 Speaker 1: Harry Burt of Youngstown, Ohio is the inventor of this 414 00:20:35,960 --> 00:20:39,160 Speaker 1: type of truck, using it to sell and deliver chocolate 415 00:20:39,240 --> 00:20:46,720 Speaker 1: covered suckers two kids. That's right. Bert was actually the 416 00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:49,240 Speaker 1: inventor of the Good Humor brand. Wow. So how did 417 00:20:49,359 --> 00:20:52,800 Speaker 1: Roger do today? Mango? He went astounding five for five 418 00:20:52,880 --> 00:20:55,359 Speaker 1: and that entitles him to our grand prize, which is 419 00:20:55,400 --> 00:20:58,479 Speaker 1: an official Part Time Genius Certificate of Genius along with 420 00:20:58,520 --> 00:21:01,840 Speaker 1: an official T shirt. Congratulations Roger, and thanks so much 421 00:21:01,840 --> 00:21:04,440 Speaker 1: for joining us on Part Time Genius. You guys are 422 00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:20,760 Speaker 1: very welcome. You're listening to Part Time Genius and we're 423 00:21:20,760 --> 00:21:22,680 Speaker 1: talking about the highs and lows of being a professional 424 00:21:22,720 --> 00:21:25,800 Speaker 1: truck driver. Okay, so will you mentioned the sense of 425 00:21:25,800 --> 00:21:27,760 Speaker 1: freedom that any truck drivers site is one of the 426 00:21:27,760 --> 00:21:30,399 Speaker 1: best parts of the job. But since every hall has 427 00:21:30,400 --> 00:21:33,719 Speaker 1: a set destination and this very tight deadline, I'm curious 428 00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:36,000 Speaker 1: what kind of freedom we're talking about. Well, you know, 429 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:38,240 Speaker 1: there's the freedom of being your own boss. I mean, 430 00:21:38,320 --> 00:21:41,800 Speaker 1: long haul truckers ultimately answered to a dispatcher, but most 431 00:21:41,840 --> 00:21:43,399 Speaker 1: of the time they're on their own and it's up 432 00:21:43,440 --> 00:21:45,720 Speaker 1: to them to decide which route they take or where 433 00:21:45,760 --> 00:21:48,080 Speaker 1: and when to stop along the way. That makes sense. 434 00:21:48,080 --> 00:21:50,800 Speaker 1: And speaking of stops, ever since our palace, Stacy Conrad 435 00:21:50,840 --> 00:21:53,800 Speaker 1: told us about this massive truck stop she visited, I've 436 00:21:53,840 --> 00:21:57,040 Speaker 1: been fascinated by truck stops, just how there's these roadside 437 00:21:57,080 --> 00:21:59,800 Speaker 1: mecca's where truckers from all over gather and rest stop 438 00:21:59,840 --> 00:22:02,199 Speaker 1: and I'm just so curious what the culture is like 439 00:22:02,280 --> 00:22:04,080 Speaker 1: in there and how it all works. Yeah, and I 440 00:22:04,119 --> 00:22:06,280 Speaker 1: remember visiting some of those travel plazas, you know, on 441 00:22:06,359 --> 00:22:09,040 Speaker 1: car trips as a kid and being so confused about 442 00:22:09,080 --> 00:22:11,880 Speaker 1: some of the services that were offered there, like gas 443 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:14,520 Speaker 1: and snacks made sense, but there are things like barber 444 00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:17,320 Speaker 1: shops and movie theaters, and I couldn't understand why anyone 445 00:22:17,359 --> 00:22:20,440 Speaker 1: would drive to the middle of nowhere just for a haircut. 446 00:22:20,480 --> 00:22:23,960 Speaker 1: You know, I really wasn't thinking about it or understanding it. Yeah, 447 00:22:23,960 --> 00:22:26,080 Speaker 1: So I looked at the history a little, and apparently 448 00:22:26,119 --> 00:22:28,840 Speaker 1: truck stops started popping up back in the nineteen fifties 449 00:22:28,840 --> 00:22:32,640 Speaker 1: when President Eisenhower introduced his Highway System bill, and and 450 00:22:32,680 --> 00:22:35,320 Speaker 1: so they were really just a means for drivers to 451 00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:37,920 Speaker 1: refuel without having to go too far out of the way. 452 00:22:38,320 --> 00:22:40,359 Speaker 1: And you've got to remember there was no GPS at 453 00:22:40,359 --> 00:22:42,440 Speaker 1: the time, so it was daunting to venture off the 454 00:22:42,520 --> 00:22:45,280 Speaker 1: highway and wandered into some small town and and then 455 00:22:45,280 --> 00:22:47,800 Speaker 1: try to look for a gas station. And then as 456 00:22:47,840 --> 00:22:50,679 Speaker 1: the trucking industry grew and more long distance truck drivers 457 00:22:50,680 --> 00:22:53,200 Speaker 1: began to use the highway routes, the truck stop started 458 00:22:53,240 --> 00:22:55,480 Speaker 1: offering more services. And these are the things that catered 459 00:22:55,520 --> 00:22:57,880 Speaker 1: directly to the truck or crowd. The first of these 460 00:22:57,880 --> 00:23:01,120 Speaker 1: added amenities included places to park, sleep, and and then 461 00:23:01,160 --> 00:23:03,600 Speaker 1: restaurants to eat at and and finally showers to use 462 00:23:03,640 --> 00:23:06,200 Speaker 1: as well. Well. They've definitely come a long way since then. 463 00:23:06,240 --> 00:23:08,560 Speaker 1: And I decided to dig around for the most luxurious 464 00:23:08,560 --> 00:23:10,960 Speaker 1: truck stops I could find, and I'm happy to report. 465 00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:13,879 Speaker 1: I was not disappointed by this. For instance, one of 466 00:23:13,920 --> 00:23:16,639 Speaker 1: the most famous is in Iowa. It's the Iowa eighty 467 00:23:16,640 --> 00:23:19,400 Speaker 1: truck Stop in Walcut, Iowa, and it's been around since 468 00:23:19,480 --> 00:23:22,160 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty four, and it's pretty famous in the truck 469 00:23:22,240 --> 00:23:25,879 Speaker 1: or circles. It builds itself as the world's largest truck stop, 470 00:23:26,320 --> 00:23:28,440 Speaker 1: and that probably is true. I was looking at the 471 00:23:28,480 --> 00:23:31,000 Speaker 1: size of it. It's over a hundred thousand square feet 472 00:23:31,240 --> 00:23:34,240 Speaker 1: and it sees about five thousand visitors every single day. 473 00:23:34,640 --> 00:23:36,760 Speaker 1: I get that it's big, but where does the luxury 474 00:23:36,760 --> 00:23:39,879 Speaker 1: part come in? Well, for starters, it has eight different restaurants, 475 00:23:40,119 --> 00:23:43,240 Speaker 1: twenty four private showers, and it's got things you might want, 476 00:23:43,320 --> 00:23:45,680 Speaker 1: like you know, a workout room. But it's also got 477 00:23:45,680 --> 00:23:48,760 Speaker 1: a chiropractor and on site dentist. And it was a 478 00:23:48,760 --> 00:23:51,080 Speaker 1: trucking museum in case you're looking to get some culture 479 00:23:51,080 --> 00:23:53,440 Speaker 1: in while you're there. And if that isn't enough, the 480 00:23:53,480 --> 00:23:57,280 Speaker 1: truck stops legendary fifty foot salad bars should do the trick. 481 00:23:58,440 --> 00:24:00,199 Speaker 1: I don't even know, Like what you put it in 482 00:24:00,200 --> 00:24:02,200 Speaker 1: a fifty ft salad bar, that's a lot of salad 483 00:24:02,280 --> 00:24:04,439 Speaker 1: your luxury I don't know. I gotta check this out 484 00:24:04,480 --> 00:24:06,679 Speaker 1: at some point. But you know the best part maybe 485 00:24:06,680 --> 00:24:09,920 Speaker 1: that they've got all the major mats covered as well. 486 00:24:09,960 --> 00:24:12,320 Speaker 1: What's I mean? You know, you've got the laundromat and 487 00:24:12,359 --> 00:24:15,560 Speaker 1: the truck o Matt truck wash, and a dog a mat, 488 00:24:15,640 --> 00:24:19,560 Speaker 1: which I guess is a pet wash, oh Matt. Yeah, 489 00:24:19,560 --> 00:24:21,800 Speaker 1: and we should also note that the name is dogo mat, 490 00:24:21,880 --> 00:24:24,000 Speaker 1: but it's actually just a pet wash. So in theory, 491 00:24:24,040 --> 00:24:26,600 Speaker 1: they'll take your hamster, your turtle, and maybe your parent 492 00:24:26,720 --> 00:24:28,880 Speaker 1: and you mean they name other animals that I think 493 00:24:29,240 --> 00:24:32,159 Speaker 1: they don't discriminate at the dogo mat. So one thing 494 00:24:32,200 --> 00:24:34,400 Speaker 1: I find interesting about modern truck stops is that they're 495 00:24:34,400 --> 00:24:36,960 Speaker 1: sort of torn between catering to the actual truckers and 496 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:39,840 Speaker 1: then plain old motorists. Yeah, I was. I was reading 497 00:24:39,840 --> 00:24:42,879 Speaker 1: this article in Pacific Standard magazine and the author, his 498 00:24:42,960 --> 00:24:46,119 Speaker 1: name is Will Stevenson. He spent twenty four hours hanging 499 00:24:46,119 --> 00:24:49,400 Speaker 1: out at a truck stop. He interviewed truckers who passed through, 500 00:24:49,480 --> 00:24:50,960 Speaker 1: and he was trying to get a sense of what 501 00:24:51,040 --> 00:24:53,200 Speaker 1: it's like to spend a good chunk of time at 502 00:24:53,280 --> 00:24:56,480 Speaker 1: just one of these places. And that mix of clientele 503 00:24:56,600 --> 00:24:59,439 Speaker 1: leads to this uneasy culture. So just listen to how 504 00:24:59,440 --> 00:25:02,919 Speaker 1: Stevenson describes the contrast between truckers and you know, the 505 00:25:02,960 --> 00:25:06,480 Speaker 1: other truck stop patrons. He says, when I get back, 506 00:25:06,560 --> 00:25:10,000 Speaker 1: I discovered that the Pilot truck stop has unexpectedly transformed 507 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:13,480 Speaker 1: into a popular community dessert spot, and the soft serve 508 00:25:13,520 --> 00:25:16,240 Speaker 1: ice cream station is finally getting the attention it deserves. 509 00:25:16,680 --> 00:25:19,640 Speaker 1: High school kids and they're well dressed parents fill styrofoam 510 00:25:19,680 --> 00:25:23,040 Speaker 1: bowls of the stuff, covered in sprinkles and chocolate chips 511 00:25:23,040 --> 00:25:26,879 Speaker 1: and caramel syrup. Their exuberance contrast sharply with the zombie 512 00:25:26,920 --> 00:25:29,360 Speaker 1: gates of the truckers straggling in from the back lot, 513 00:25:29,840 --> 00:25:33,200 Speaker 1: clearly unsettled by the makeup and blazers and just general 514 00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:36,800 Speaker 1: good cheer. They steal glances at the family while shuffling 515 00:25:36,800 --> 00:25:39,439 Speaker 1: down the aisles, grabbing gallons of water and chips and 516 00:25:39,520 --> 00:25:43,720 Speaker 1: DVDs to watch while falling asleep. That really makes you 517 00:25:43,760 --> 00:25:46,160 Speaker 1: feel for the truckers who are just wiped out. And 518 00:25:46,560 --> 00:25:49,360 Speaker 1: obviously they're there because they have to work, but now 519 00:25:49,480 --> 00:25:52,280 Speaker 1: they've got to deal with these annoying vacationers as well. 520 00:25:52,520 --> 00:25:54,439 Speaker 1: But I have to say, even though I'm not a 521 00:25:54,480 --> 00:25:56,439 Speaker 1: part of it, I really do love that there's this 522 00:25:56,480 --> 00:25:59,040 Speaker 1: truck or subculture out there that sets them apart from 523 00:25:59,080 --> 00:26:01,480 Speaker 1: other people on the road. Like have you heard that 524 00:26:01,520 --> 00:26:05,000 Speaker 1: truckers only referred to other truckers as drivers? Everyone else 525 00:26:05,040 --> 00:26:07,560 Speaker 1: like you and me are called four wheelers. I'm guessing 526 00:26:07,600 --> 00:26:09,359 Speaker 1: it's kind of lingo. You'd hear, you know, when you 527 00:26:09,359 --> 00:26:12,120 Speaker 1: do you hear about them using CB radio and such. Definitely, 528 00:26:12,160 --> 00:26:13,919 Speaker 1: And and you know, I was looking to CB radios 529 00:26:13,920 --> 00:26:15,880 Speaker 1: for this episode. Did you know that the short wave 530 00:26:15,960 --> 00:26:18,680 Speaker 1: communication method was actually developed by the same guy who 531 00:26:18,720 --> 00:26:21,640 Speaker 1: invented walkie talkies? No, that's pretty cool. So actually I'm 532 00:26:21,640 --> 00:26:24,760 Speaker 1: curious why did he name it CB? Yeah, it stands 533 00:26:24,800 --> 00:26:28,200 Speaker 1: for Citizens Band And it took off among truck drivers 534 00:26:28,240 --> 00:26:30,520 Speaker 1: in the sixties and seventies both as a way of 535 00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:33,359 Speaker 1: alleviating boredom and is a way of like finding the 536 00:26:33,480 --> 00:26:36,800 Speaker 1: cheapest gas prices and also avoiding speed traps. Well, and 537 00:26:36,800 --> 00:26:39,160 Speaker 1: it was revolutionary and it today And this was long 538 00:26:39,200 --> 00:26:41,920 Speaker 1: before cell phones and smart devices made it easy for 539 00:26:41,960 --> 00:26:43,600 Speaker 1: all of us to keep in touch on the road, 540 00:26:43,680 --> 00:26:45,800 Speaker 1: and a basically it still has a place in the 541 00:26:45,840 --> 00:26:47,600 Speaker 1: truck or world. And part of that is because cell 542 00:26:47,600 --> 00:26:50,560 Speaker 1: phone used to is strictly monitored by the trucking companies. 543 00:26:50,880 --> 00:26:53,080 Speaker 1: You know, I think we mentioned that Betty Ford had 544 00:26:53,080 --> 00:26:56,440 Speaker 1: to CB handle like she went by the name First Mama, 545 00:26:56,520 --> 00:26:58,800 Speaker 1: and she used her CB to chat and campaign for 546 00:26:58,880 --> 00:27:01,720 Speaker 1: Gerald Ford, which which I love. It's funny how even 547 00:27:01,760 --> 00:27:04,800 Speaker 1: before there were chat rooms and Twitter handles and whatever, 548 00:27:04,840 --> 00:27:08,040 Speaker 1: you know, CBE handles were this fun way to identify yourself. 549 00:27:08,359 --> 00:27:11,600 Speaker 1: You see names like mud duck or bullfrog or whatever. 550 00:27:11,960 --> 00:27:13,520 Speaker 1: But I mean, the thing I didn't realize is that 551 00:27:13,560 --> 00:27:15,439 Speaker 1: part of the reason people use those names in the 552 00:27:15,480 --> 00:27:18,760 Speaker 1: first place was to avoid licensing fees. So when CBE 553 00:27:18,920 --> 00:27:20,920 Speaker 1: radios first hit the scene, you had to pay twenty 554 00:27:20,960 --> 00:27:23,359 Speaker 1: dollars for a license to use it. So most of 555 00:27:23,359 --> 00:27:25,840 Speaker 1: the users, especially truckers, came up with these handles as 556 00:27:25,880 --> 00:27:28,720 Speaker 1: a way of staying anonymous and ducking the fees. I mean, 557 00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:31,080 Speaker 1: I guess that taints the name bull frog a little bit, 558 00:27:31,160 --> 00:27:33,600 Speaker 1: but it's still pretty cool. And that reminds me that 559 00:27:33,760 --> 00:27:35,679 Speaker 1: we should talk a little bit more about the current 560 00:27:35,720 --> 00:27:38,040 Speaker 1: state of truck driving. You know, why some people choose 561 00:27:38,080 --> 00:27:40,520 Speaker 1: to be truck mats and what's going to happen when 562 00:27:40,520 --> 00:27:43,639 Speaker 1: trucks becomes self driving. Absolutely but before we do, how 563 00:27:43,680 --> 00:27:56,439 Speaker 1: about we pause for a little break. Okay. So we 564 00:27:56,440 --> 00:27:58,760 Speaker 1: were talking about the CB radio and how it coincided 565 00:27:58,760 --> 00:28:00,920 Speaker 1: with the rise of long haul truckers in the mid 566 00:28:00,960 --> 00:28:04,040 Speaker 1: twentieth century. It was really kind of the golden age 567 00:28:04,040 --> 00:28:06,359 Speaker 1: of American trucking, and this was when the U. S. 568 00:28:06,400 --> 00:28:08,920 Speaker 1: Economy started to lean more heavily on truckers for all 569 00:28:08,960 --> 00:28:11,359 Speaker 1: of its shipping needs, and so their ranks swelled with 570 00:28:11,600 --> 00:28:15,960 Speaker 1: enthusiastic drivers. But the nineteen seventies quickly brought trouble for 571 00:28:16,119 --> 00:28:19,520 Speaker 1: truckers in the form of this national gas crisis. There 572 00:28:19,560 --> 00:28:22,760 Speaker 1: was skyrocketing fuel prices and a government impost speed limit 573 00:28:22,800 --> 00:28:26,000 Speaker 1: of fifty five and so the trucking industry looked like 574 00:28:26,160 --> 00:28:28,959 Speaker 1: it was honestly heading for a cliff, right, And that's 575 00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:31,359 Speaker 1: when SMI radios actually took on this new importance for 576 00:28:31,440 --> 00:28:34,440 Speaker 1: drivers as a means of fighting back against government regulations. 577 00:28:34,720 --> 00:28:37,760 Speaker 1: I read about this one trucker in particular, JW. Edwards, 578 00:28:37,880 --> 00:28:41,120 Speaker 1: a k river rat, and he organized a national strike 579 00:28:41,240 --> 00:28:43,880 Speaker 1: that brought hundreds of drivers from around the country to 580 00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:46,760 Speaker 1: the I. A. D Highway in Pennsylvania, and the truckers 581 00:28:46,800 --> 00:28:49,560 Speaker 1: formed a blockade on the highway that lasted ten days. 582 00:28:49,960 --> 00:28:51,960 Speaker 1: I mean, the only reason it ended was that the 583 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:54,520 Speaker 1: governor of Pennsylvania called in the National Guard to break 584 00:28:54,520 --> 00:28:57,200 Speaker 1: it all up, you know. And after the strike, drivers 585 00:28:57,240 --> 00:29:00,200 Speaker 1: became these kind of like working folk hero was in 586 00:29:00,240 --> 00:29:03,120 Speaker 1: the eyes of the American public, and movies like Smoking 587 00:29:03,120 --> 00:29:06,479 Speaker 1: in the Bandit and Convoy portrayed truckers. Is these wily 588 00:29:06,560 --> 00:29:10,440 Speaker 1: cowboys of American highways speaking in code and fighting back 589 00:29:10,480 --> 00:29:12,680 Speaker 1: against the man. Actually, there's a movie, what was that 590 00:29:12,720 --> 00:29:16,240 Speaker 1: Sylvester Stallone movie where he was the arm wrestler over 591 00:29:16,320 --> 00:29:19,440 Speaker 1: the Top? I thought about that movie in years. Why 592 00:29:19,480 --> 00:29:22,000 Speaker 1: didn't we watch that for this because I have traumatic 593 00:29:22,040 --> 00:29:24,560 Speaker 1: memories of it. My older cousin made me watch it 594 00:29:24,680 --> 00:29:26,880 Speaker 1: and then he forced me to arm wrestle for like 595 00:29:26,960 --> 00:29:30,000 Speaker 1: an hour afterwards. It just keet beating me. I don't 596 00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:31,600 Speaker 1: think any of our listeners would be surprised to know 597 00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:35,360 Speaker 1: we're not champion arm wrestlers. But should we say what 598 00:29:35,400 --> 00:29:37,440 Speaker 1: happened after this? Folk? Here a bit? Because like, how 599 00:29:37,440 --> 00:29:39,920 Speaker 1: did the public go from glorifying truckers to flat out 600 00:29:39,960 --> 00:29:42,480 Speaker 1: ignoring them in just a few decades. Well, once the 601 00:29:42,520 --> 00:29:46,520 Speaker 1: fuel crisis was resolved, truckers got less national attention, and 602 00:29:46,600 --> 00:29:49,440 Speaker 1: just like with westerns or pirate films, people eventually got 603 00:29:49,440 --> 00:29:52,800 Speaker 1: tired of seeing movies about truckers in the public perception 604 00:29:52,840 --> 00:29:55,080 Speaker 1: of truck drivers also started to shift a little when 605 00:29:55,080 --> 00:29:57,800 Speaker 1: there were some reports of shady behavior truck stops, but 606 00:29:58,360 --> 00:30:00,840 Speaker 1: really mostly the public just kind of moved on from it. 607 00:30:01,240 --> 00:30:03,640 Speaker 1: So obviously the industries had these ups and downs over 608 00:30:03,680 --> 00:30:06,720 Speaker 1: the years, but we should talk about where it's at today. Yeah, 609 00:30:06,760 --> 00:30:08,560 Speaker 1: I thought we could highlight a few of the surprising 610 00:30:08,600 --> 00:30:11,120 Speaker 1: things we found out about today's truckers and what they 611 00:30:11,200 --> 00:30:14,200 Speaker 1: might mean for the future of trucking in America. Sure, So, 612 00:30:14,400 --> 00:30:16,880 Speaker 1: here's the fact that surprised me. Women now account for 613 00:30:16,920 --> 00:30:20,000 Speaker 1: nearly six percent of all long haul truckers, and while 614 00:30:20,040 --> 00:30:22,280 Speaker 1: that might not seem like much, it's actually a two 615 00:30:22,280 --> 00:30:25,360 Speaker 1: percent increase from just ten years ago. And although the 616 00:30:25,400 --> 00:30:28,920 Speaker 1: other of truckers might be unwilling to admit it, there's 617 00:30:28,920 --> 00:30:32,280 Speaker 1: actually evidence that female truckers do a much better job. So, 618 00:30:32,400 --> 00:30:36,240 Speaker 1: according to Werner Enterprises, female drivers outperformed mail drivers when 619 00:30:36,240 --> 00:30:39,920 Speaker 1: it comes to accidents, inspections, and compliance with safety regulations. 620 00:30:40,080 --> 00:30:42,000 Speaker 1: So I'm curious, did you come across any of these 621 00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:44,120 Speaker 1: truck driving couples that are out there while you were 622 00:30:44,160 --> 00:30:46,800 Speaker 1: doing your research. You know, I didn't know anything about 623 00:30:46,840 --> 00:30:50,000 Speaker 1: them before this episode. Well, apparently it's actually pretty common 624 00:30:50,040 --> 00:30:52,400 Speaker 1: and that the practice is called team truck driving, and 625 00:30:52,440 --> 00:30:54,840 Speaker 1: it's it's a really great solution for drivers who can't 626 00:30:54,840 --> 00:30:56,880 Speaker 1: stand the thought of being away from their loved ones 627 00:30:56,880 --> 00:30:59,280 Speaker 1: for that long. So how does it work Exactly? There's 628 00:30:59,320 --> 00:31:02,000 Speaker 1: only one person of the driving or they both employees. Well, 629 00:31:02,080 --> 00:31:05,080 Speaker 1: usually both people get their own commercial driver's license and 630 00:31:05,080 --> 00:31:08,000 Speaker 1: and then they swap between driving and sleeping. So, just 631 00:31:08,040 --> 00:31:11,200 Speaker 1: like with regular drivers, teams are paid per mile, while 632 00:31:11,240 --> 00:31:13,280 Speaker 1: they may split the pay. They're also able to cover 633 00:31:13,320 --> 00:31:16,000 Speaker 1: ground in less time than solo drivers, which you know, 634 00:31:16,040 --> 00:31:18,120 Speaker 1: it means they can finish one job and beyond to 635 00:31:18,160 --> 00:31:20,520 Speaker 1: the next much quicker. Yeah, that sounds like the way 636 00:31:20,560 --> 00:31:22,600 Speaker 1: to go, especially since it means you always have company 637 00:31:22,640 --> 00:31:25,320 Speaker 1: with you. Yeah, and you know, another benefit is not 638 00:31:25,360 --> 00:31:27,680 Speaker 1: having to find a place to stop every single night. 639 00:31:27,720 --> 00:31:31,240 Speaker 1: So there's a serious parking shortage along US highways and 640 00:31:31,280 --> 00:31:34,320 Speaker 1: it's causing a ton of frustration for today's truckers. So 641 00:31:34,440 --> 00:31:37,840 Speaker 1: just listen to these numbers. The Federal Highway Administration conducted 642 00:31:37,880 --> 00:31:40,600 Speaker 1: a survey among truck drivers and found that over seventy 643 00:31:40,680 --> 00:31:44,520 Speaker 1: five percent of respondents routinely have trouble finding a safe 644 00:31:44,520 --> 00:31:47,760 Speaker 1: place to park overnight when they need arrest, which is 645 00:31:47,800 --> 00:31:50,320 Speaker 1: no surprise when you consider they're only about three hundred 646 00:31:50,360 --> 00:31:53,920 Speaker 1: thousand parking spaces for the more than three million trucks 647 00:31:53,960 --> 00:31:56,240 Speaker 1: on the road. There's a major problem. That's insane. I 648 00:31:56,280 --> 00:31:58,080 Speaker 1: didn't realize there was not much of a shortage. But 649 00:31:58,400 --> 00:32:01,040 Speaker 1: if we're tackling the subject of problems faced by modern truckers, 650 00:32:01,120 --> 00:32:03,520 Speaker 1: we should also address this elephant in the room, and 651 00:32:03,600 --> 00:32:06,440 Speaker 1: that's that self driving trucks are on the way. I mean, 652 00:32:06,440 --> 00:32:08,720 Speaker 1: the short version is that self driving trucks are coming, 653 00:32:08,760 --> 00:32:11,280 Speaker 1: and it's really a matter of when. But how soon 654 00:32:11,320 --> 00:32:13,400 Speaker 1: we'll see them is still up for debate. On the 655 00:32:13,400 --> 00:32:16,000 Speaker 1: one hand, it's much easier to design these autonomous vehicles 656 00:32:16,000 --> 00:32:17,920 Speaker 1: for highway use than it is for city streets and 657 00:32:17,960 --> 00:32:21,080 Speaker 1: suburban neighborhoods. Yeah, that makes sense. I mean, highways have long, 658 00:32:21,160 --> 00:32:24,280 Speaker 1: straight stretches of road, no traffic lights, and much fewer 659 00:32:24,320 --> 00:32:28,000 Speaker 1: moving obstacles like pedestrians or bike riders, and it's a 660 00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:30,800 Speaker 1: lot less for a robot to keep track of exactly, 661 00:32:30,840 --> 00:32:33,080 Speaker 1: and a lot of these self driving cars can already 662 00:32:33,120 --> 00:32:35,760 Speaker 1: handle much of what's needed for highway driving, like they 663 00:32:35,800 --> 00:32:37,840 Speaker 1: know how to stay in their lanes and maintain steady 664 00:32:37,880 --> 00:32:41,160 Speaker 1: speeds and keep a safe distance from the cars around them. 665 00:32:41,160 --> 00:32:43,400 Speaker 1: It actually kind of makes me wonder, like, why aren't 666 00:32:43,400 --> 00:32:46,360 Speaker 1: truckers already out of a job? Yeah, so I was 667 00:32:46,360 --> 00:32:48,920 Speaker 1: wondering that too, And there's still some important aspects of 668 00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:52,760 Speaker 1: driving that autonomous vehicles haven't mastered yet, even for highway driving. 669 00:32:52,840 --> 00:32:55,680 Speaker 1: So like, once these self driving semis do hit the road, 670 00:32:55,840 --> 00:32:58,400 Speaker 1: there'll still be a place for human drivers, at least 671 00:32:58,440 --> 00:33:00,240 Speaker 1: at first. I mean, the truck would do most of 672 00:33:00,280 --> 00:33:02,520 Speaker 1: the highway driving, but it would see control to the 673 00:33:02,600 --> 00:33:05,720 Speaker 1: human when there's particularly sharp curve coming up, or when 674 00:33:05,720 --> 00:33:07,920 Speaker 1: it's time to exit off the highway, or when the 675 00:33:07,960 --> 00:33:10,520 Speaker 1: trailer needs to be nimbly backed into a warehouse to 676 00:33:10,520 --> 00:33:13,320 Speaker 1: be unloaded. All right, So initially there would be this 677 00:33:13,400 --> 00:33:15,440 Speaker 1: I don't know, kind of like a partnership between human 678 00:33:15,440 --> 00:33:18,720 Speaker 1: operators and these self driving trucks. But I'm guessing that 679 00:33:18,760 --> 00:33:21,800 Speaker 1: would just be a temporary truce during this process. That's 680 00:33:21,840 --> 00:33:24,440 Speaker 1: most likely case. I mean, the tech is out there 681 00:33:24,480 --> 00:33:27,200 Speaker 1: and companies like Google and Tesla and Amazon. They're just 682 00:33:27,280 --> 00:33:29,600 Speaker 1: so eager to put it to use as soon as possible. 683 00:33:29,880 --> 00:33:32,320 Speaker 1: And once it's rolled out in earnest truck and companies 684 00:33:32,360 --> 00:33:34,560 Speaker 1: are going to have a hard time competing. You know, 685 00:33:34,720 --> 00:33:37,400 Speaker 1: these trucks are never gonna speed or cause accidents, and 686 00:33:37,680 --> 00:33:40,760 Speaker 1: they don't need to stop for rest or food. Of course, 687 00:33:40,840 --> 00:33:42,880 Speaker 1: it could be a decade or more before semis are 688 00:33:42,880 --> 00:33:45,800 Speaker 1: fully autonomous, and they're still legal hurdles to be cleared 689 00:33:45,840 --> 00:33:48,280 Speaker 1: along the way. Yeah, just last month, I was reading 690 00:33:48,280 --> 00:33:50,840 Speaker 1: this piece of legislation that the Senate release that that 691 00:33:50,960 --> 00:33:54,240 Speaker 1: would allow the government to establish rules about self driving, 692 00:33:54,600 --> 00:33:57,560 Speaker 1: about the design and the usage of self driving vehicles. 693 00:33:57,920 --> 00:34:01,120 Speaker 1: But interestingly, there was actually no mention of autonomous commercial 694 00:34:01,200 --> 00:34:04,000 Speaker 1: vehicles at all in this legislation. So this was a 695 00:34:04,040 --> 00:34:06,440 Speaker 1: blow to companies who would benefit from a clear set 696 00:34:06,440 --> 00:34:09,479 Speaker 1: of national rules for how they can build and sell 697 00:34:09,560 --> 00:34:12,839 Speaker 1: these self driving big rigs. But naturally, teamsters have been 698 00:34:12,840 --> 00:34:15,759 Speaker 1: fighting against self driving trucks, so so this bill that 699 00:34:15,840 --> 00:34:18,200 Speaker 1: pushes the prospect further down the road, it's something of 700 00:34:18,200 --> 00:34:20,840 Speaker 1: a win for them. And the truth is, truckers feel 701 00:34:20,840 --> 00:34:24,480 Speaker 1: like such an important and overlooked community. There's actually one 702 00:34:24,480 --> 00:34:26,320 Speaker 1: more quote that I wanted to share from that Pacific 703 00:34:26,360 --> 00:34:28,920 Speaker 1: Standard article I mentioned earlier. Actually think it kind of 704 00:34:28,960 --> 00:34:31,480 Speaker 1: sums up what we've been talking about in this this 705 00:34:31,560 --> 00:34:34,840 Speaker 1: relationship and the difficulties of the truck or lifestyle, and 706 00:34:34,840 --> 00:34:38,520 Speaker 1: and the disconnect they sometimes feel between themselves and the public. Yeah, 707 00:34:38,640 --> 00:34:41,640 Speaker 1: so I'd love to hear it. All right, So Stevenson writes, quote, 708 00:34:41,880 --> 00:34:44,720 Speaker 1: there's a sense among long distance drivers of a universal 709 00:34:44,840 --> 00:34:48,160 Speaker 1: lack of sympathy for the utterly essential service they provide. 710 00:34:48,560 --> 00:34:51,720 Speaker 1: It's an old fashioned profession, but it remains more central 711 00:34:51,719 --> 00:34:54,160 Speaker 1: to the fabric of our lives than many would suspect. 712 00:34:54,880 --> 00:34:57,719 Speaker 1: These are the people who sleep in parking lots, showering 713 00:34:57,800 --> 00:35:02,760 Speaker 1: gas stations, and together sustain the tire American economy. It's funny. 714 00:35:02,760 --> 00:35:04,799 Speaker 1: I don't really think of it as old fashioned, but 715 00:35:04,880 --> 00:35:06,839 Speaker 1: I guess it is. And the fact that they keep 716 00:35:06,880 --> 00:35:10,840 Speaker 1: the entire economy afloat is pretty amazing. But speaking of amazing, 717 00:35:11,040 --> 00:35:13,399 Speaker 1: it's time for the part time genius backed off. Yeah, 718 00:35:13,480 --> 00:35:25,839 Speaker 1: that's right, all right, here we go. I'll start us off. So, 719 00:35:26,160 --> 00:35:28,799 Speaker 1: the average tractor trailer gets about six and a half 720 00:35:28,920 --> 00:35:31,960 Speaker 1: miles per gallon, which is not that great, right, But 721 00:35:32,400 --> 00:35:34,120 Speaker 1: there are hybrid models in the works that will get 722 00:35:34,120 --> 00:35:36,719 Speaker 1: a little over twelve miles per gallon. I mean, that's 723 00:35:36,719 --> 00:35:39,399 Speaker 1: a crazy improvement. And I guess those numbers sound small 724 00:35:39,480 --> 00:35:41,640 Speaker 1: compared to your car at home, But it isn't that 725 00:35:41,680 --> 00:35:44,520 Speaker 1: weird when you consider that attractor trailer wearries about eighty 726 00:35:44,640 --> 00:35:47,120 Speaker 1: thou pounds, which, according to the Truck and Museum is 727 00:35:47,160 --> 00:35:51,360 Speaker 1: about twenty eight cars or second graders. Well, considering we 728 00:35:51,440 --> 00:35:53,680 Speaker 1: both have second graders, that really hits home for us. 729 00:35:53,719 --> 00:35:55,880 Speaker 1: We can wrap our heads around it all right. Well, 730 00:35:55,880 --> 00:35:59,400 Speaker 1: when FDR repealed Prohibition, Yengling was so appreciative of it 731 00:35:59,640 --> 00:36:02,560 Speaker 1: that they sent a truckload of its freshly brewed winter 732 00:36:02,680 --> 00:36:06,839 Speaker 1: beer to the White House. So one of Steven Spielberg's 733 00:36:06,880 --> 00:36:09,960 Speaker 1: first movies was a thriller about a truck. It's called Duel, 734 00:36:10,280 --> 00:36:12,759 Speaker 1: And apparently it's this tense movie about a businessman on 735 00:36:12,800 --> 00:36:15,040 Speaker 1: the road who keeps getting stocked by a truck driver 736 00:36:15,160 --> 00:36:18,319 Speaker 1: he overtakes. Apparently Spielberg actually watches the movie twice a 737 00:36:18,400 --> 00:36:20,319 Speaker 1: year just to remember what he did. Have you ever 738 00:36:20,320 --> 00:36:22,719 Speaker 1: seen this movie? I can't say I've even heard of it. 739 00:36:22,719 --> 00:36:25,560 Speaker 1: It's called duel somehow missed it. All right, Well, I 740 00:36:25,600 --> 00:36:27,759 Speaker 1: know you were a big Esquire fan, and I know 741 00:36:27,840 --> 00:36:31,120 Speaker 1: you talked about the blinking electronic covers that the magazine made. 742 00:36:31,120 --> 00:36:33,399 Speaker 1: I think this was back in two thousand eight or so. 743 00:36:34,000 --> 00:36:36,000 Speaker 1: But something I had not read about before. Did you 744 00:36:36,000 --> 00:36:38,200 Speaker 1: know they actually had to hire a special fleet of 745 00:36:38,280 --> 00:36:42,360 Speaker 1: refrigerated trucks to get those magazines to the news. Apparently 746 00:36:42,400 --> 00:36:44,399 Speaker 1: all those magazines had to be shipped cold in order 747 00:36:44,440 --> 00:36:47,719 Speaker 1: to preserve that battery life. That's crazy, you know. In 748 00:36:47,880 --> 00:36:50,239 Speaker 1: China and Mr Softy ice cream trucks go by the 749 00:36:50,320 --> 00:36:53,600 Speaker 1: name Mr Softheart. Apparently soft he isn't a word in China. 750 00:36:54,160 --> 00:36:57,000 Speaker 1: Is it a word here? I mean, I know people 751 00:36:57,080 --> 00:36:59,160 Speaker 1: use it. But all right, So, as you heard about 752 00:36:59,160 --> 00:37:02,239 Speaker 1: this truck driver from Asissippi's name is Robert Gray. So 753 00:37:02,320 --> 00:37:05,520 Speaker 1: apparently he won the Democratic nomination for governor in two 754 00:37:05,560 --> 00:37:09,840 Speaker 1: thousand fifteen entirely by accident. After putting his name on 755 00:37:09,880 --> 00:37:12,799 Speaker 1: the ballot, he forgot about the campaign and he went 756 00:37:12,880 --> 00:37:15,680 Speaker 1: back to driving. He claims to have only spent about 757 00:37:15,680 --> 00:37:18,560 Speaker 1: fifty or sixty bucks on his campaign. He didn't even 758 00:37:18,640 --> 00:37:21,880 Speaker 1: vote for himself, but somehow he carried seventy eight counties 759 00:37:21,920 --> 00:37:25,320 Speaker 1: and earned the nomination. How is that possible? Job Mississippi. 760 00:37:26,880 --> 00:37:29,560 Speaker 1: So Samsung who's working on providing giant screens for the 761 00:37:29,600 --> 00:37:31,840 Speaker 1: back of their trucks, and the things which kind of 762 00:37:31,840 --> 00:37:34,680 Speaker 1: looked like flat screen TVs are meant for the drivers 763 00:37:34,719 --> 00:37:36,719 Speaker 1: behind the trucks. So you know how when you're like 764 00:37:36,760 --> 00:37:38,520 Speaker 1: trying to pass a truck, you have to edge into 765 00:37:38,520 --> 00:37:40,560 Speaker 1: the next lane to see if you can pass. Like 766 00:37:40,680 --> 00:37:43,440 Speaker 1: this prevents that and creates this giant window so you 767 00:37:43,440 --> 00:37:46,880 Speaker 1: can see the traffic the truck might be obscuring. That's interesting. Actually, 768 00:37:46,920 --> 00:37:49,560 Speaker 1: that'd be a really cool and helpful invention. But you 769 00:37:49,600 --> 00:37:51,960 Speaker 1: know what I think is cooler than that, Mango. I'm 770 00:37:51,960 --> 00:37:54,040 Speaker 1: not sure if you remember on Night Rider how the 771 00:37:54,080 --> 00:37:55,880 Speaker 1: car used to drive up onto the truck because they 772 00:37:55,920 --> 00:37:58,120 Speaker 1: were both moving down the highway. How could I not 773 00:37:58,200 --> 00:38:00,200 Speaker 1: remember that? It's like the coolest thing about the It 774 00:38:00,320 --> 00:38:01,839 Speaker 1: is kind of the coolest thing about the show. Well, 775 00:38:01,960 --> 00:38:04,640 Speaker 1: I remember hearing and reading that it was actually impossible 776 00:38:04,719 --> 00:38:06,680 Speaker 1: due to the physics of it all, like, you know, 777 00:38:06,719 --> 00:38:09,400 Speaker 1: you'd accelerate too fast and crash into the inside of 778 00:38:09,440 --> 00:38:13,520 Speaker 1: the truck. But actually it's totally possible. Thanks to our 779 00:38:13,520 --> 00:38:15,880 Speaker 1: friends over at MythBusters. They did this episode where they 780 00:38:15,880 --> 00:38:17,839 Speaker 1: did it at thirty miles an hour and then again 781 00:38:17,880 --> 00:38:20,960 Speaker 1: at fifty five miles an hour, and apparently the cars 782 00:38:20,960 --> 00:38:23,600 Speaker 1: inertia keeps it going at the same speed relative to 783 00:38:23,640 --> 00:38:26,239 Speaker 1: the ground and that lets it safely drive onto the 784 00:38:26,239 --> 00:38:29,440 Speaker 1: tractor trailer. That's that's amazing. Like I've actually got to 785 00:38:29,440 --> 00:38:31,719 Speaker 1: watch the episode because I always believe that the you'd 786 00:38:31,760 --> 00:38:33,960 Speaker 1: crash into the truck, but I think the fact that 787 00:38:33,960 --> 00:38:36,000 Speaker 1: you brought a night rider fact into the episode on 788 00:38:36,040 --> 00:38:38,279 Speaker 1: trucks seals the deal. So you get the trophy. I 789 00:38:38,320 --> 00:38:40,440 Speaker 1: thought that was gonna do it. Thank you very much. Well, 790 00:38:40,480 --> 00:38:42,359 Speaker 1: that's it for today's show, and if we missed any 791 00:38:42,400 --> 00:38:44,879 Speaker 1: truck facts you think we should have included, be sure 792 00:38:44,920 --> 00:38:47,120 Speaker 1: to drop us a line at part Time Genius and 793 00:38:47,160 --> 00:38:49,520 Speaker 1: how Stuff Works dot com or call and leave a 794 00:38:49,520 --> 00:38:53,200 Speaker 1: message on our seven fact hotline. That's one eight four 795 00:38:53,320 --> 00:38:56,120 Speaker 1: four pt Genius. It's been so much fun seeing the 796 00:38:56,120 --> 00:38:58,560 Speaker 1: facts that are coming in from listeners after the episodes. 797 00:39:00,280 --> 00:39:13,400 Speaker 1: H thanks again for listening. Part Time Genius is a 798 00:39:13,440 --> 00:39:15,920 Speaker 1: production of How Stuff Works and wouldn't be possible without 799 00:39:15,960 --> 00:39:18,640 Speaker 1: several brilliant people who do the important things we couldn't 800 00:39:18,680 --> 00:39:21,640 Speaker 1: even begin to understand. Tristan McNeil does the editing thing. 801 00:39:21,960 --> 00:39:23,919 Speaker 1: Noel Brown made the theme song and does the MIXI 802 00:39:24,000 --> 00:39:27,319 Speaker 1: mixy sound thing. Jerry Rowland does the exact producer thing. 803 00:39:27,640 --> 00:39:30,040 Speaker 1: Gay Bluesier is our lead researcher, with support from the 804 00:39:30,080 --> 00:39:33,440 Speaker 1: Research Army including Austin Thompson, Nolan Brown and Lucas Adams 805 00:39:33,440 --> 00:39:35,280 Speaker 1: and Eve Jeff Cook gets the show to your ears. 806 00:39:35,360 --> 00:39:37,440 Speaker 1: Good job, Eves. If you like what you heard, we 807 00:39:37,480 --> 00:39:39,600 Speaker 1: hope you'll subscribe, And if you really really like what 808 00:39:39,640 --> 00:39:41,719 Speaker 1: you've heard, maybe you could leave a good review for us. 809 00:39:41,800 --> 00:39:44,040 Speaker 1: Did we did we forget Jason? Jason who