This is not a nine percent of visible I'm ruined Mars is one of the missions of nine idea is to give you the tools to decode the built world in cities in the country and the always in between its those highways and the truckers that drive the american economy. That is the subject of the new radio Tokyo called over the road upon cast is a window into a world that you, last Monday in sixty five miles an hour without giving much thought, but it is so fascinating. You will never see so my truck the same way again every night ivy I bit of emergent tribe, is right up your alley. First episode of over the rough hosted by long Haul palm. Four years ago I was northbound on I. Seventy five and Knoxville Tennessee my cargo alone, imported watermelons it sailed on a container ship from Guatemala to South Florida, where they were too

inspired by forklift on the big trucks driven by folks. Like me, these were those tiny. Heedless designer types. They call personal watermelons I always wondered about the marketing cat who came up with that one personal watermelons cycle. Watermelon you can have as a friend I was pulling a refrigerated trailer back then I refer as we call them. I referred a heavily insulated box, trailer equipped with a giant diesel powered Temperature Control unit. It's actually go the capacity to maintain more than forty thousand pounds of perishable freight at temperatures. Coldest, twenty below It was rush hour, Knoxville or Keaton. Tucker Code,

traffic came to a screeching hard at the junction of eyes. Seventy five and I six forty. I got in time, but the trucker behind me well. That's so much shoot therein. I took a minute to collect myself and to the back of it to check first on the other driver. He said ok, then when the bent hatch to check my load. What seconds before had been a perfectly picked personal watermelon was now pro lapsing through its ruptured, rind down crumpled exterior of what had once been the trailer stainless steel door and To my trembling hand, sorry friend

I've been known to me at the time this baptism and a period of a personal watermelon. To my own creative, big bang. Strangely, as a result of this event, I would come to be a part time. Recording artist, a contributor for overdrive, magazine, even a card carrying podcast producing great utopian.

I'm long haul Paul here listening to overturn road, I got a little see. You see up a bit about baby, let's drop it up by now on the top of the mountain, and I know I still gotta get the on the other side somehow and I'm so scared him shaken. But I know quite a few drivers swear by roasting salmon over there and we were willing to take upon valid pay. We tried even kick up. Sixty pay on toward us find your change that way what? Why should that? Be here's how this is going to work? We ve been traveling all over the country down the highways and the hedges collecting the real story of a real people live and work over the road. You got a episodes for you and each one we explore how tracking is changing today and along the way. I'll tell you a few of my own stories. I might even sing you a few songs.

Let's start out at a place called the Kentucky Expos general level to the MID America, trucking show or man for short thick of a home depot about twelve times. It's normal size, then fill it with trucks truck drivers. And every possible thing. Anyone as ever thought up to make up block off a trucker, its automatic transact. So what we're cell in his bedroom caters for truckers that have tabs throwing ninety thousand people with some concerts and swag uneven, the men America Trucking Shoe. What's wrong you got your air fresh produce, odor eliminated products for the highway professionals and not those guys. We say three sprays. Last four days tell me about this picture

boys will make the beef jerky me every that actually help those guys too. We are ensuring think I'd, be a specialised. The owner operator there, the international underage hoping to land that pig contract shock. I was big truck makers. Are here, Kenworth and Peter, will have our new five zoning. I note your laughed in its black. Modern trap, I'm proud to tell people. I can't afford a real one, but I can hook up with a real my story: ways but for many long time, gear jammies signals something more! It's a whole book. Mention of sorts. To see all trucking bodies and a swap stories, and that's why we're here. If you want to know what's going on in the tracking world, this is a

place to start that's cumbersome basics. There are four point: two million Americans who hold a studio. The commercial driver's license a allows us to drive a vehicle weighing over twenty six thousand. Together with Seventy percent of all domestic trade. Think of everything you she at the store. Everything You buy online moves, truck at some point at it all up. Talking about a seven hundred billion dollar industry moving literally fifty five billion pounds of stuff every day at tat rate

american truckers could hall off the great pyramid of Giza Stone by stone about five times a day. Of course, there are lots of different types of truckers and trucks out there.

Refrigerator Rachel. I got a reflex roads. You know like what I try flat bad was calling skateboard ass, big flat trailers with loads of lumber and steal the counterpart laid buggers furniture, holler tanker trap. We call a tanker canker. I do have one of those sometimes to the how border caught a ball. There's all down the terminology, for, as you can imagine, we have our own factions clicks and hierarchies five betters, usually associated with refer guys like me, and the borders could never see themselves as freight hollers part door. Swingers has a common because all a door Swinger does is back up to the darkens swing, the doors open and shut our show. They say, but here

for three days at least none of that matters we're all just drivers And not one of those came here to have a bad time, although dynamic staring with stability assist is a new innovation from Volvo trucks alone. Talk mats issue about technology. When a truck starts to skip, it seems every part of the truck has got a computer and it now suspension cedars through even the sheet movie. So much. Easy ballooning, mighty active suspension, seeds, computer controlled motor and there the feeling the technology has not just changing the truck changing us and the way we a business that the codes and culture looking are eroding before our eyes

we met his real every, like, I think it up into a face friend, on the show floor named Craig Murphy, now works for over through a resident of all this. I never gonna happen. Yes, the right sure company and here I am now Gregg you You have a unique story, because you are a long time truck driver ain't exactly become like that public relations lies on four rumours that exactly kind of the interpreter beef and I would call it between trucking Kennedy and refrain clinkers affable middle aged pepper beard and a cool fedora, more truck driver than computer personnel. Sure. All around him is a veritable phalanx of goobers black shirted millennials Gregg speaks fluid trucker and so he pulled out his phone and shows me

Another middle aged guy in yet another fedora it is opens up. How do you see Google free knows it, I'm in local today! So now thinking about it, and so it has little cards for each load Some sort of connecting cars with writers frame is connecting trucks with low. Then after us great, if you were so this one's from Walden Kentucky, to LOS Alamos California for three thousand seventy ass, the price, that's love! two hundred miles it has it type frailer the load number and all that what it is the weight online. To do is tat their card and a load is mine. I'll phone calls haggling. Knowledge is coming and its, but we need to embrace it in and be part of the conversation. I have to wonder, though,

three thousand bucks on a state, a distance of eighteen hundred miles, No haggle simply mean take it or leave it We have no choice under this convention. There is a primal fear about the power a company like this, I think chain. Gee. Overall, is this difficult for people to embrace its unfamiliar we don't know what it's gonna look like and that creates anxiety that said truckers embracing new technology and using it for their own benefit Why the hack collection well way back when I gave myself he stroked by being stupid take Sondra Yoshi! Basically you tell him how the people- treated. You like you were professional. If there was a bathroom that you could use cuz, there's a lot of places that don't allow truckers to use the bathroom.

She's telling me about doc for one one, but a reading, basically like help for loading docks, you kind of help. The trucker after you or the person few they ve surveyed over ten thousand truckers about their experiences. Sondra Harris for one once number one reviewer. If they have forklifts that ease forklifts. What are some of the other attribute, Stephen that you can think of if there's overnight parking? If you can sleep an overnight parking saunter drives us a team with her husband, Stephen was and how you were treated professional. If, if I was, read the review that I put in for this one doc. I would never take frayed into the stock We went in there the first time and we waited three hours to get unloaded, which that's, ok, second time we went in there, we waited thirteen hours, no bathrooms no facilities and couldn't leave the truck If you like, Danner, ended up and turn

into a score card for every doc. They do business with Doc for women. It's one of those things that it It's never going to be complete because there's always gonna be new docks, but it's gonna be relief dollars. Truckers but there still another technology on truckers. Mines at the sheer right now when you log something much more consequential than a new app electronic log situations become a pretty big issue. I called and e g mandate has electronic login to thy suddenly than you are verses. Allow them he was married. We love the biggest thing, should any ran. This e log issue is playing out right now and it's pretty much.

The biggest change such come to our culture, at least since I started talking to me no hundreds of big rigs took over highway. Ninety nine in protest today creating a sham Tucker. Shabby then put on protests about how these guys. Ninety five southbound is shot. It's one of those things just keeps coming up in our conversations with drivers our first date. Mats we find ourselves at the vintage Maroon Peter bailed out. I guess at work is already someone has been at the centre of so much of the protest. Yeah so my name's MIKE Landis from my little Pennsylvania, Amish country, town, Lancaster County. I got in the truck in a high school, pretty much about my studio after I graduated from

behind the wheel of driving school, the local their attack. It was all downhill from there are all about how truckers record their driving and working hours so yeah we have what the car hours of service, which is You come on duty, you're allowed fourteen hours of working time. Eleven of that fourteen can be driving, but then you have to take the ten hours off before you can go back to work. So every day you get fourteen hours on duty and you have to ten hours off problem. That is, is that won't you, start your day. Your clock for the day doesn't stop. Now in the past, those hours were recorded in paper logbooks, every driver, kept a set of books in the cab recording, their time with a pen on four line grid and may,

log available to inspectors and state patrol. Basically, violated herself? So to me, that's important, because I thought the old way of tracking you, do what you gotta do to get the job done, but you sleep when you're tired and truckling you're awake. If you took a quickly when your shift or ran a little over the time limit, you could jungle. That clinically. I mean you, don't turn It was zombie just because your five minutes past your time and fell asleep and drive off road. That is, you could chocolate, until the electronic logging device basic. See what that does it hooks into the computer on the motor of the truck, and it requires Everything you do. Are you on the throttle? How hard you're on your break, if you're, moving, if you're stopped for speed the whole nine yards, it counts down every second of your day. So where is before on a paper logbook, if you're fine

pastor time pulling a truck stop. Nobody knew the difference, no harm, no foul, but now I mean I've seen people back halfway in a parking spot and trucks stops already, because if they finished backing up their yield, easy and put them in violation to go another fifty feet and back the truck up in the parking spot You hear stories like this all the time truck speech like Wales, in the most God awful places, because their drivers ran out of ours. You ve, probably she knows trucks yourself, that's because in December twenty seventeen, a new man They came into effect requiring virtually all trucks on the road to run an electronic log and, to me it's a slap in the face when a truck at eighteen years, old and now thirty, three closing two million miles. I have a clean driving record He then all comes down to the way I was taught comes down.

To the responsibility of knowing your operating in eighty thousand pounds machine. The fact they're. Gonna tell me that I mean the thing in my truck to keep me safe on the road doesnt, well with me at all I hear you loud and clear. We do this. Ex Ohio, Texas Florida Triangles Alot donations, step mother is dying, she's in a Louisiana, nursing home. And we want to see her she's days away from dying literally days away from I'm on the already we stopped sphere and Essentially, we ve got to say goodbye to her in about forty five minutes because Our fourteen, our clock is ticking and I just have this moment of complete clarity that some gotta give

and uh there's a lot of people that will say: hey, that's not true. They don't force you to drive tired. I don't force you do not take a shower yadda yadda! Well,. I mean you're right thing, doesn't reach up and grab me and tell me: I need to keep track, but The sad reality is, as they kind of do now, should say here that MIKE does not run any luck. The reason my drug don't need one is because the cut off date of two thousand and newer need them, and ninety nine in order do not Ninety nine Peter Beltis just to all to connect to a computer, but me because done more than just a boy, the new regulation is actually fighting it. So we see the United States, transportation alliance, and the unique thing about us is that, all of us, your drivers that met through doing protest, type stuff, you know, for the industry

and nobody out here that is made. These rules or regulations or pushing for rules or regulations have ever sat behind the wheel for Em the time and definitely not any time recently. So when we go to D C, We go every month right now. We park our trucks we meet with congressmen and Saunders. I fancy I say: that's a federal motor Carrier Safety Administration, truckload carrier leave, met with the Teamsters. Its ban has been a pretty good thing and we were fortunate enough to help with the hours of service sectors. To be changed- I'm actually expecting an announcement here mats for that, in fact, the keener Speaker for the weekend is none other than a lane. Chow do you know state secretary of Transportation, so well, for now has to do some of that.

I realize things change of the times and technology guy by truck and still truck and I chose me personally. I chose a driver truck because I grew up around trucks. I love trucks and for me it sounds kind corny, but the other. We got invited to a concert by someone that we know backstage stuff Where's your hanging out and like watching this guy up on stage you could tell he was just in his zone I said the best way I could describe watching you on stage is like me, riding across the California Arizona Desert, with a truck pressed out in the moonlit, the chicken lights on sing and draw crews, and some people like I don't get it DR and a truck down a road, no might give it to me it's more than just driving a truck down the road. You know it's the a it and that's kind of being taken away is what the man port is

We don't do anything to help fight this stuff. Guys like me are gonna be gone after them. Or hear that big announcement from a lane chow, but for We venture out onto the parking lot at match. We're here. Why this log thing is such a big deal I'll tell you what game for me yo. These lead at least actually to the making of this part cast you're listening to over the road, a nine percent invisible.

Ninety nine percent invisible supported by better help online counselling- I'm sure you like me, know a lot of people and counselling or are in need of counselling or bavarian counselling yourself and one of the biggest challenges is. I am not being able to carve out even an hour a week to deal with challenges like stress sleep, grief and relationships with better help. You can connect privately with a councillor through phone and video horse or even text in Chad. Better help offers licence councillors who specialise in issues including depression or anxiety, get help on your own time.

Your own pace and at an affordable rate. Ninety nine percent invisible listeners we'll get ten percent of their first month with discount code. Invisible, that's better help, dot, com, slash invisible! Why not get help better help dot com? Slash invisible here, again as ever the road they folks tat deals here on the senior editor with Overdrive magazine, which is helping to produce this part guest, for those viewer knew this trucking world overdrive is basically a trade publication for independent truckers. Once you own the rigs a hall with for many years, we got ourselves the voice of the american Trucker and so part of what we wanted to do with this podcast was actually build. A little brain, it between the highway, hollers red, read, overdrive and well the uninitiated. Among you, some

be hosting especial series of many episodes or I'll take questions from those view outside the business and put them directly to our trucking, listen, we're going to channel one nine special after this he be radio channel used for trucker trucker information sharing First, gentle, one. Nine episode will show up in your feed next week, but I'm dropping in now to ask a quick favour. You ve got questions about Trucking Syria, got anything at all having to do with it. No question is too simple or too strange. Give us a call at seven hundred and sixty five, two hundred and forty five, four thousand eight hundred and forty four and leave us a message again: seventy six thousand five hundred and twenty four I've for thousand for four be sure state, your name and location with your question and thanks ok, so back to the minimum America Trucking show. I want to pick things up. The next morning outside in the

parking lot were. Drivers are busy polishing their trucks. I love truck and move with the lifestyle. It's not a job lifestyle. There are actually two parking lots of trucks match each with its own. Bye. There's the shoulder Papa Johns law will explain It's called out in a minute but the show lot is home to the pole. Key young truck beauty, ambient chip and then where we start our money in every young American on excessive behaviour. Number one name is Eric Turner: never my drugs showdown, yet roguish pressure down here for you now you are checked out my scrabble triggers out. This is a place where trucks have names. The dough Does it not day? Ninety six, five honour classic exile,

she's, my big girl, Phyllis Sigma level, soon those little amber bulbs. We call chicken might ever got round take a light, Why, carpeting, would floor Thank you too, would afford a from home on really for the competition itself. Trucks are organized into different sections. Martov with plastic rose, there are categories like anti custom limb. Mileage, bottle working class, Bob TAT, working combo, meaning I put miles on my trip. My favoured the taken regional, I cut my teeth on. One of these taxes are Trans STAR International, theirs, Nothing like the M radio reception on an all Steel made all school

stop Our teams who work an entire year to proper truck for this show of Saint guys, abolish all day and a half and are still Robin now limit. Loveth worry that bleeding if you believe, as I do that, can be a work of art and this the Guggenheim, there's a lot of history that a lot of our lives as british buryin it under it over it bring a squirrel noted Jerry. We ve got an extra unless we do that happens. I do not agree sort of instalment plan which I consider it didn't do that Yes, as we leave the show what I know that two hundred ran Peter Bill will never be mine. Let's face it. I more

Papa Johns type like this, serves a universally available football stadium. Formerly known as a pauper, John Stadium, the university, up, that name after the pizza magnates, found himself in hot water, but for truckers, the shorthand stuck in any case, picture a stadium parking lot with rose upon rows of tractor trailers. Only thing is these: are who trucks these are just the trucks people drove here to attend jail, but that one would the hue strings on this during the statute rotations her all out here now with our camping chairs, gas, grills and coolers walking. Dogs in the Kentucky Spring AIR while it may be the biggest tailgate in trucking big enough actually lose your truck in it,

at the shoe lot: see a single person. I knew down here and steerage. It's different! heavy dig in that new chrome, bumper weren't telling us what was it a deer, events. I remember that hour was just dream later that night, there's even an impromptu concert. Let's get back to it, guess who gets invited to sing a flat bears out there, better, ok, great yeah, another side, gag I'm a singer songwriter. What were you gonna? and he felt deeply in love with a female flat. Better but when she learned that he pulled a refer, she rejected em cause. He did know how you know the chains and the binder

and it's God I'll- never run that back door anymore, where she died down and drought MILAN NASCAR says when the girl, while we done an anti in about an hour, never back, no one, like this are reenactment of a bygone age Andrew this would be laid over at some truck? Stop some. Bring out a corral, someone would We had a case of beer, someone commandeer, a chicken or two after load. Someone just have a guitar time

like this maybe that's why this log thing is such a big deal, because their chests It seemed to be time for those encounters anymore me that's why I still come back here the stories the store, He said seduce me in this life so long ago there I start drab in eighty eight out of Mississippi Furniture that same night you talk to a tiny TIM ed. They were tell you rat quick life. If you cannot turn five thousand miles, we we don't need you. We ve got a stack applications over here this. They will replace she debar it. Of course, then you take note, you know our take a great deal of good cry. No,

ed. I would do a lad ever three or four hundred miles for some. There really was this dark side to the old days. I mean taking whatever terms you could take to stay awake store like this of trappings, wild or days ruling. Aren't that hard to come by around here we stop exit dirty Tennessee. Ace too, energy and for some reason it by now, which is aches it more than ever. I think we ve been heard and onto the digital reservation of the logs psych. We have to talk these stories. I remember one time: I went all the way to Boston: try to get their traffic trying to get back Massachusetts. State police post me over he passed but pockets. I hadn't cargo paths that the bottle was down at the bottom of it. He missed it. I can get you

the penitentiary there. So I go down to the rest, AIR Rhode, island in us celebrate not. There were two lads, though just to get back, but then it was it to get high. It was to do a job fort for your work. It wasn't recreational is charged it miles started by my how'd. You get off that stuff. There's three ways you get off: crank, math jail, grave or Jesus. How was it ever really had been up to three days, and I pray God. You no help me and he spoke to me- a citizen, is through the grace of God that I've got off of it. So the ear and now you're off the crank. Yes, he's prayed, intervene,

what are you tell your boss? It needs five thousand miles a week from you don't Ok, don't allow work from Austria, I'm brighter than eight or nine God. He delivered from that aspect to bail out when I walked too they gotta be delivered. No my first he already back and twenty sixteen months after that watermelon rack. I told you about a Knoxville the fleet. I four announced that we would rule out any law pilot programme. Guinea pigs were needed, something about Knoxville charred may more than it should have,

for years, I have pushed myself to the limit as a produce. Holler had never been bothered by the what ifs, but after will it just seemed, like my nine lives were at that time. The log- I kind of away out of all that toilet Brenda our safety officer. Now I would give it a try. That's right I've almonds here when the taking they trained me on how to operate the along, which recorded the trucks data straight on to a basic Samsung tablet. The company told not to go crazy, Netflix and off. I went sure childish. Now carding around this brand new tablet, I started. Recording some of my songs and pushing them on Youtube. Song came to in a dream? some ideas.

Began writing about my experience of being an old trucker who had to make the logs switch. I most it did. This has a cathartic exercise, but on a whim I sent some of these ramblings to an editor at overdrive. Magazine named Todd deals from Todd earlier today not giving me a shot on this blog now. On this I cast shorter? the risk of being shown by all my treasure friends, I have to say in a way all this to e logs greatest rolling down, much good, The issue must solve just pollution. That answer you sleep about me all weekend. Drivers are waiting for the big uptake MIKE was telling us about on the new rules for e

We come out of service yeah, we bad you, people sign up to be members and stuff. So far, while we buy my Gladys even has been set up on the show room. Floor of mats dropped couple thousand dollars out of my own company to build the boost that retracted here and that is gonna whole crew here dressed in their matching black shirts. To get the word out, there are people who we are and what we're doing and what better place to do. It well you're styles, as a truck drivers at one spot. Spinning year now, since the eel demanding went into effect of feeling in one way or the other, sit through long seminars by government administrators but no news then our last day at mats, transportation secretarial lane child gets up to give us Keynote address

if the duty has something to say this would be the time but right away, that power our eventually, comes back I hope you really love your stay and we going to spend lots and lots of money. It's what we're all waiting to hear. Today. At the department of moving forward with an Esta which is a notable proposed rulemaking regarding hours of service rules here hard.

Still nothing. No news just then alarm sounds some internet tell us something. Instead, the speech turns to the usual platitudes were I'm so tyres that line you here blah blah blah. Applause. So without really saying much of anything at all. Elaine child gets us all farewell

in America Trucking show close the next day, the shell, drove out information. While the puppet Johns logged gradually disbanded, this was done just getting started. We're going keep following this eel issue across the series we're here. How might Landis brought his fight to the streets of Washington D C and found him likely allies in the process. The context will go deep into the history of talking with one of my favorite writers will hang out stops and meet the family of truckers to understand how this business affects the people around us and will peer into a future where the trucks may just drive themselves, but first,

we're going to Grand Island Nebraska to find out why anyone but want to drive a truck in the first place, in trade, and so I called

and I said now now come again about the structure I may know. What did you say thanks to everyone entrusted us with their stories we'll catch you again over the Mamma said and assign you know you can do whatever you want me to my knowledge breeding ground for her to see what became she imagined was rather than by land. Call me long day. Now it's down in the blood flowed takes its way when it takes a lot of people make upon cash. I'm gonna tell you about all over them

crew, includes producer and sound designer Ian COS and contributing producer Lazy Roberts, transmitter media our editor for overdrive magazines. Todd deals are digital. Producer is Aaron way. Our pride manager is Audrey Martyr in our executive producer for Radio Tokyo, Julie, Shapiro, I am long.

All the music on the shell is why, in Carson Myself, featuring performances by travellers, snake man, woman, Terry to Shocks, Richardson the late Great Roger Clark, Jangling Jim Whitehead and Andrew Marcia, additional engineering by Donnie, Gullet and Musselshell Alabama Especial thanks to these drivers and vendors, whose voices you heard throughout Judy Howard of the Ohio, great lakes, regions, line of these small fleet owner operator, Turner, dangling Phyllis Snow, goose, freight liner, Classic Chad Bob from Kentucky Horse Country, Robert Palm creator of turkish final mild, Don Org, Christopher Burnett, Burnett Farm Toys and Debbie Dingle Desert. We also heard from every Jones Jason really wine Jamie's Range Bobby Davis, fellow singing truckers, Brad James Taylor Margaret, and that Jake Break junkie himself. Parents masses over the road is made possible by support from the folks. I've worked for for a really long time, mauler Trucking,

now celebrating over thirty years of safe and reliable transportation for the food industry. More information check out mauler tracking down over the road is a collaboration between overdrive, lies and pr exercise. Radio Toby the collection of the best independent podcast around I've term a lot of overnight refer loads listenin to shows like the memory palace and criminal seriously. Fine more about the whole network, radio, Toby a dot, fan

four overdrive magazine at overdrive, online dot com, Rincon, Retards Channel, nineteen blog, the overdrive, radio podcast and explore more about trucking. You can find over the road online at over their own dot. Fm is sure to follow us on all those usual platforms to Facebook. Twitter and Instagram over the road You can see some of my videos on Youtube by looking for long haul, Paul music, thanks for listening hanging into the end of the run I'll be back next week with a channel one, nine special. Then in two weeks with me

stories over the road rail knows you hear something: ball Sunday would squandered their souls in the sand by the sweat of the brow. The terrible wagon road wagon cycle watermelon enables a friend like a water. We can have a friend you can have a friend friend watermelon can have as a friend

radio do.