The OuterBelt's Podcast
The OuterBelt's Podcast
Debunking the Flip-Flop Driving Myth
The flip-flop myth stops here! In this eye-opening episode, we expose the truth behind viral social media claims that DOT officers are putting drivers out of service for wearing flip-flops. Spoiler alert: there's no such regulation in FMCSA code. We share our personal driving footwear preferences and debate what actually constitutes safe options behind the wheel.
We dig into Ohio's ambitious $150 million investment to create 1,400 new truck parking spaces across 33 rest areas by 2026. This initiative aims to reduce accidents caused by drowsy driving, but we raise a critical concern: will drivers use these spaces if they fear being targeted for inspections? We passionately argue that rest areas should be "hallowed ground" where tired drivers can safely rest without enforcement intervention.
The conversation turns personal when we discuss our strategic location in the national freight network. With major interstates crossing through Ohio, we serve as a critical hub approximately 600 miles from major East Coast destinations – about one driving shift for most commercial drivers. This geographic positioning explains why truck parking infrastructure is so vital to highway safety.
Our lighter moments include camping plans, fishing adventures gone hilariously wrong (involving a kayak flip and lost fishing gear), and mustard preferences that somehow lead to deeper discussions about road safety. We close with a heartfelt remembrance of Sylvia from Enroute Expediting, a passionate advocate for drivers and friend of the show who recently passed away.
Whether you're a professional driver navigating regulations, someone interested in transportation infrastructure, or just enjoy authentic conversations about life on the road, this episode delivers insights, laughs, and a deeper appreciation for those who keep America moving.
Email us: theouterbeltpodcast@gmail.com
Website: www.hyfieldtrucking.com
Interested in joining our team? Email us at info.hyfieldtrucking.com we have open trucks! You must be part of a team. No solo drivers.
Call us at 1-833-493-4353 Option 1
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I was reading an article earlier.
Speaker 2:Yes, turns out, a barber down the street from me got arrested for drug dealing. I was surprised. I've been going to that guy for years and never knew he was a barber.
Speaker 3:Oh no, hey everybody, welcome to the Outer Belt. I'm Patrick and you're on MF Runes Chewy.
Speaker 4:Buttermilk Eric Zucchini bread.
Speaker 1:And Jerry.
Speaker 3:And we're back episode two of season four In unison.
Speaker 2:I like it. It was like harmonious.
Speaker 3:It's so great to be back on this show. We had a lot of fun last week. Didn't get to cover a lot of business, but we got to catch up. That was always fun, although, melissa at Buttermilk rather you tend to be more of a mustard fan, not so much the ketchup.
Speaker 4:Right yeah.
Speaker 3:What kind of mustard do?
Speaker 1:you like Haagen-Dazs French's? That's not the right one.
Speaker 5:French's. I think that's ice cream. I think it's ice cream.
Speaker 4:Well, you heard it from my ventriloquist voice across the room. It's French's for sure.
Speaker 2:I'm a fan of that stuff from Wisconsin, the beaver mustard they got all the different flavors, they got a nice spicy one.
Speaker 4:Is that the one you put on your?
Speaker 3:beaver tot, what are they called?
Speaker 2:Beaver nuggets From Bucky's. I've never done that. I don't go to Bucky's.
Speaker 3:I don't either.
Speaker 2:I've heard about it.
Speaker 4:Beaver Creek is like short, squatty little gourmet bottles.
Speaker 3:Beaver Creek.
Speaker 4:Beaver, what did you call it?
Speaker 3:Beaver. Beaver Creek is.
Speaker 2:It's a town in Oregon, isn't?
Speaker 3:it no in Colorado.
Speaker 4:Oh, now we're way off. Tangent French no in Colorado. Oh well, now we're way off. Tangent French's is the right answer. Just good old yellow mustard.
Speaker 3:Have you ever had Grey Poupon?
Speaker 4:I have, and it's good, you should wipe it off, but you'd rather French's. Well, I guess it depends on what you're having mustard on.
Speaker 2:I'm a big fan of spicy beaver.
Speaker 3:I believe it. I believe it, but you got to do the sesame free type.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you do.
Speaker 3:I think if you're going to do that, do you put like blue cheese on the spicy beaver?
Speaker 2:You can. I mean, it depends on the mood. Okay, I get that, I get that, I get that.
Speaker 3:But like a saltine cracker right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, saltine cracker, a little spicy beaver. Yeah, a little bit of blue cheese.
Speaker 3:I think some Ritz would actually be really good.
Speaker 4:So we actually had mustard tonight, or even some pepperoni.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, pepperoni, we had mustard tonight.
Speaker 4:So we had hamburger salad. So basically it's a hamburger minus the bun in the form of a salad and you still put all the condiments on it. That's kind of your dressing, and I did French's mustard. However, if we're doing like a charcuterie, I'll crack out the grape poupon or a Dijon of some sort. So again, it really depends on what you're eating in our house, what goes where for mustards, but we probably have like three different kinds of mustard.
Speaker 2:I didn't have any mustard.
Speaker 3:Well, I get that I had mustard. We have French's because I do believe in French's yellow. However, we also have fake Grey Poupon. Yeah, we do too yellow.
Speaker 4:However, we also have fake Grey Papon yeah we do too.
Speaker 3:Ours is a really boutique brand. I don't know if you've heard it it's Kroger.
Speaker 4:I think we have the same one.
Speaker 3:No, it's good stuff. I do like it. But I tell you what. We had dinner the other night with Kayla and Eric. So Eric works in our maintenance department. Kayla is our Panther fleet coordinator. She came to town and we met up with them and they had a mustard, but it wasn't like a sauce. That was whole grain, whole grain, just solid mustard. It was fantastic.
Speaker 4:And that was on a charcuterie board. So again, whole grain is one of those kind of like Dijon that you can go either way with a charcuterie. I bet it would be good on a hamburger, could be. You know it was the right kind of cheese. It's very pungent and strong Gorgonzola. Yes, no.
Speaker 3:I thought gorgonzola and pear.
Speaker 5:Isn't that a thing, gru? I thought gorgonzola and pear Gruyere maybe.
Speaker 3:Oh, Gruyere would be nice, that's like cheddar right Very similar, but different Okay. Yeah.
Speaker 4:And you can eat the rind.
Speaker 3:I do like the rind. Yes, actually, last night was it last night, I don't know, a couple days ago, I don't know Eric got some cheese. We were watching a movie and he went and he came back at the plate and he had his cheese or whatever, and he's like, would you like this? And I'm like, oh, the cheese. He's like, no, that right there. And I was like what is that? I took it, I ate it. And I was like, oh, this is good, what is it? And he's like it's the rind.
Speaker 5:I knew you would like it.
Speaker 3:He cut the r? Tia strips that you have in a salad sometimes.
Speaker 4:They kind of look like that, but no, I ate all of them. They were super delicious.
Speaker 3:Rind is where the flavor is at, yeah, but sometimes it looks like pure mold.
Speaker 5:Sometimes yeah, you don't always want to eat it.
Speaker 3:No, no, I can't imagine anybody still listening to us. So let's talk about something a little more serious. The weather outside it's frightful, is it not wonderful?
Speaker 4:I've had the doors and windows open the last three days.
Speaker 1:I cut my AC off.
Speaker 3:It's been off for a few days. You're like take that AEP, record profits.
Speaker 1:Thank you.
Speaker 3:You're welcome.
Speaker 1:Thank you. Yes, you said it, you're welcome.
Speaker 3:Get to the truth, that's right. I'm going to hit that minimum payment, whatever that is. No, we still have that. So like, our house is great, but the back window, back of the house is all windows and it faces west, so we, and there's no trees or anything covering it, so we get that afternoon sun and it is brutal, our house. When I got in from the yard today I walked inside the house and I'm like, oh my gosh, it's an oven in here, an oven, and the weather outside was what? 71? Yeah.
Speaker 3:Something like that and it was like 76 degrees inside the house so I had to kick the AC on and pull it down.
Speaker 3:But yeah, no, the weather outside is awesome.
Speaker 3:I actually inside of our trucks not all of them, but a lot of them have the induction cooktop and every now and then we'll get a truck back, or someone will just come to the yard and need a replacement because the cabinets above the countertop some of them are set back just a little bit and when you're driving down the road things can shift in your cabinets and you open the door and a can of what I can only assume are black olives will come out of the cabinet and just bam, right in that glass surface and it shatters. So I did another or we buy them by like the eight to ten at a time, and so I got to order those, brought them down to the yard at a time, and so got to order those, brought them down to the yard and I stepped outside to start bringing them inside and I was like, oh, I should have worn jeans today, and I'm glad I didn't. But just the initial shock of like it's not hot at all, like I was expecting it to be hot.
Speaker 4:Right, and it wasn't in the least bit. I think it was like what 49 degrees this morning when Vince and Heather went to the yard.
Speaker 1:North, like Bucyrus and stuff. They actually were like 41, 40.
Speaker 2:I talked to some folks up at Panther Medina today they had snow.
Speaker 4:I did read on the Ohio News and Weather Facebook channel that the lowest temperature, I think, was in Zena, and it was 39 degrees this morning, wow.
Speaker 3:Y'all ready? It's that time of year.
Speaker 1:I'm ready.
Speaker 3:It'll be 83 degrees in like two days right.
Speaker 4:I'm already ready to put the air back on. I've been calling that the false fall.
Speaker 5:Yeah, I love fall.
Speaker 3:I do too. This time of the year it's my favorite time to sit in the backyard because at night it cools down. The only problem is we are at that time of the year where you kind of got to do a wardrobe change. You do so you're sitting outside the sun's out Again. It faces west, so you're not sweating, but it's warm. And then, as soon as that sun is below the horizon, you walk inside, throw a pair of jeans on, go right back outside again, because it changes that fast.
Speaker 2:What kind of shoes do you wear when you're outside Tennis?
Speaker 3:No flip-flops, you know. No Flip-flops to me are something I wear to the pool.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 3:You go swimming. That's about the only time I wear anything like that, but it's funny you mention that. So, Kenny Redd, you were saying that you wear thongs right.
Speaker 5:Yes or slides or flip flops, whichever term you want to use.
Speaker 3:Those are different.
Speaker 2:They are different, completely different.
Speaker 3:Completely different.
Speaker 2:So as a kid, we would call the shoes with the little plastic things that go over your feet, that go between your toes, thongs or flip flops, either one, the others that just had the big band across your foot and the Nike swoosh, or the Adidas stripes. Those were we called those slides Under Armour didn't exist when he was a kid. No, it didn't.
Speaker 5:Sorry.
Speaker 2:Nike barely existed when I was a kid.
Speaker 4:It was big where I grew up. Well, I can imagine oh you were in their backyard. I know right, Exactly you knew Mr Nike.
Speaker 3:He used to hang out with Harry and David. That's funny.
Speaker 4:I wore flip-flops last Saturday with my summer dress when we went out.
Speaker 2:Well, that's appropriate.
Speaker 4:Mine are glittery from loves. I'm still rocking my loves flip-flops.
Speaker 2:What are your thoughts on wearing flip-flops when you're driving a truck?
Speaker 3:So okay, I got to say I don't like flip flops. In general, I do find them very uncomfortable. If I walk a long distance in them, they will typically rub my toe raw.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 3:And so it causes me quite a lot of pain, and I've had the fancy leather ones that are not supposed to do that and they still do it, and yada, yada. I've only found one pair ever. I think it was a company called Brazos B-R-A-Z-O-S.
Speaker 2:Brazos. That was a TV show that featured Steve Martin.
Speaker 3:Someone's been watching Only Murders Left in the Building. They were an Australian company or something like that, and Academy Sports in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, sold them Interesting and then they stopped selling them and I was never able to get them again and I've never found a comfortable pair. So I will wear them to like a swimming pool, but it's literally just hotel room to the pool, that's it, and then I take them off, get in the water and then put them back on, go to the hotel room and then immediately change into something more comfortable.
Speaker 2:Well, here's the reason I asked that question it is an odd question. It's a very odd question.
Speaker 3:Especially coming into fall.
Speaker 2:There have been stories going around on social media that the DOT officers are putting drivers out of service for driving while wearing flip-flops. Can you believe that?
Speaker 4:No.
Speaker 2:You shouldn't. I would have, because those stories that no you shouldn't, I would have, because those stories are indeed false, are they?
Speaker 3:Yes, they are. So I saw those stories and I was playing along because I thought you had a joke to go with it. But those aren't real.
Speaker 2:Those stories are indeed false.
Speaker 3:Oh, I legit thought they were real.
Speaker 3:So years ago, when I actually went swimming at a friend's house, left there this was before I said no more, I can't wear flip-flops for an extended period of time I was in my Toyota Tundra driving back to my house, okay, and I was getting ready to get off at my exit.
Speaker 3:So I took my foot off the accelerator and went to move it over to the brake, but the left side of the flip-flop got caught under my brake and so I had an instant moment of terror go through my heart. Sure, why is my foot not going to the brake? So it only lasted for a half a second, but a half second was enough, and I was able to shake my foot and then get on the brake and then, once I got off, I actually took my flip-flop off and I just drove the rest of the way home barefoot and I have not worn them since because I'm afraid that's going to happen again. So I only like, even if I went to the beach or something and I was going to wear flip-flops out there, I would wear tennis shoes. Get to the beach, change shoes, not while driving. So I legit thought that was serious.
Speaker 2:I did not know that was. It's actually not illegal. There are experts on these stories and comments that are saying that they're quoting an FMCSA code. Yes, and that code doesn't have anything to do with footwear. So if you want to wear flip-flops, you're going to drive barefoot.
Speaker 3:if you're going to wear stilettos, it's perfectly legal to do stilettos yeah yeah, just don't I could see that because if it's coming to a point, rocking between your gas and your brake would be kind of easy.
Speaker 2:You never have to take your heel. Just swivel, just swivel your foot right now. Just swivel your foot um I could see that.
Speaker 3:Do they make stilettos in wide?
Speaker 5:They do.
Speaker 3:I'm sure they do.
Speaker 5:Chunky heels too.
Speaker 3:I don't ever plan on wearing stilettos, but if I do, they will not be the chunky heel, they will be the tiny pencil thin. If you're going to get me to do it and I'm probably only going to do it for charity, like someone's giving someone a lot of money would be the only chance I would do that.
Speaker 5:I think we just came up with a fun reason.
Speaker 3:You've been a lovely audience.
Speaker 5:We'll see you next week.
Speaker 4:Jerry, you can delete that out of the podcast, even the flip-flops and stilettos, went as far as Crocs, because ultimately, they're wanting you.
Speaker 2:ultimately, the story was saying from what I read is that they want you to wear a sturdy shoe that's what people are saying, that the fmcsa is rule requires correct is that your shoe have a a sturdy hard bottom. But that's not true no yeah, it's not true at all, but the the um. The code people are citing is fmcsr 392. Which actually states every commercial motor vehicle must be operated in accordance with the laws, ordinances and regulations of the jurisdiction in which it's being operated.
Speaker 3:It has nothing to do with your footwear of small town USA and in my small town USA we said you couldn't wear flip-flops while driving a commercial vehicle. Then in my small town USA you would have to obey that rule. Is what they're saying? Yes? But if it's so like you come into my town, you kick your flip-flops off, because we do allow barefoot driving, because we're gentlemen, and then as soon as you cross out of my city limits, then you can put your flip-flop back on.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 3:Fascinating, yes, fascinating. Is there a small town anywhere in America that has such an absurd rule?
Speaker 2:No, According to this article. No, there isn't, there isn't.
Speaker 3:But yeah, they can do that, Okay so, like in some places in Louisiana I know there are still towns because I read these ridiculous rules that still exist in towns. So I know if a woman is driving a car in some towns in Louisiana we've talked about this before on the podcast actually there must be a man with an orange flag in front warning people. And this comes from, of course, south Louisiana, very back in the turn of the century, the other turn of the century, because it's the turn of the other century, two turns of the century ago.
Speaker 2:Two turns.
Speaker 3:They were obviously very racist and very misogynist, right, and so that's where kind of that rule comes from. It's still in the books in a lot of places. It's not enforced anywhere. They just have realized there's no real reason to waste money or time or anything to even take it off the books, but it's still there. So that means when Buttermilk or Heather are driving through that town, they're not obeying this rule, this law. Okay, well, it's ridiculous, but you know the law is the law. So no, that's fascinating. I did not know. So they're just completely making this up. They're just completely making it up.
Speaker 1:I've heard this rumor growing up as a kid all my life, like it was always told, like even when you drive a car, you're not supposed to do it because it could get caught or you get into an accident and your foot could be cut off or something like that. It's so absurd.
Speaker 4:But I think that's the common sense side of it, and maybe, as a child, parents are trying to scare us straight. You know their tactics Gaslighting. This is really what they're doing, but it worked for a while, until you maybe adult enough and go I'm wearing flip-flops.
Speaker 3:Mom wore flip-flops all the time. She would never say that. She would never tell us, like, don't drive with flip-flops, because she's doing it.
Speaker 2:There's lots of strong opinions around footwear in the trucking industry.
Speaker 4:Sure.
Speaker 2:Drivers walking into shippers or receivers in flip-flops Slides, and sometimes those facilities can be dangerous. They're not designed for people walking around in flip-flops. You know their. Their staff is mandated to wear a still-toe shoe and you're coming in with your toes exposed.
Speaker 3:I've been to places and maybe you have where they require still toes, and if you don't have still toes, they'll give you a okay, a cap to go over your footwear too, too, to be able to get on site. I've seen that in the notes. Before we go to pick up a load up and they would say like steel toes required, or only closed-toed shoes, or something like that they would put that on there.
Speaker 4:I think again, common sense they were talking about, should a law be made? That was kind of more of the article was. Is this something that should be addressed and FMCSA should come up with the law?
Speaker 2:Did you read the rest of that? I did, but what purpose does that serve other than just more regulations on?
Speaker 3:drivers. I need to see the. I want to see the data.
Speaker 4:Well, they were saying it would be so hard to train law enforcement officers on what on basically becoming a footwear expert. You know what does that look like? Does everybody have to have a say, make model and brand? I mean, you know what? What are you looking for? How?
Speaker 1:would you enforce it? How would you? Well, that's the question is how do you enforce it? And then, what do you?
Speaker 3:consider safe and not safe. So, like when I was working in kitchens, uh, obviously, every, almost every kitchen, especially the fancy ones, you have to wear closed-toe and you have to have non-skid. And if you've ever worked in a kitchen, non-slip is important.
Speaker 3:Like you need to be able to walk over a nice skating rink and not fall, because those kitchen floors are dangerous. And Crocs good old-fashioned black Crocs they made them, as they still do make them, with the solid toe, not the one with the holes, but the solid that for most restaurants works. They're fine with that. They are non-slip.
Speaker 2:They're non-slip.
Speaker 3:And your feet are protected because they're thinking like if a knife falls, it needs to be able to protect it. Now, if it falls point-first down, if I have a tennis shoe on or if I have a leather shoe, it's going to go through. A steel toe, it might protect my toe, but if it goes any higher it's going to cut through there, right? But they're thinking like if a knife just falls and lands flat, the croc is going to protect. But they're saying they don't even want Crocs.
Speaker 4:No.
Speaker 3:But meanwhile that's a non-skid shoe and to me that makes sense. I think of where is skidding, where is slipping a possibility, and I think the fuel bay. Yeah, a lot of times the fuel bays are pretty slick. That diesel gets on the ground a little bit drips out when you move your handle from sometimes from the pump to the tank, sometimes from the tank back to the pump, and that area just gets real slick and they pressure wash them every now and then but it's still.
Speaker 2:I've gotten out in tennis shoes, closed-toed regular tennis shoes, and moving a little fast and have a little slip and go surfing on the field. So they're not non-slip, they're not required for non-slip anyway. Ultimately, this is not a law, it's not a rule in the csrs. Um, they are not looking to come after your shoes. It's just people are making up fake news posts and putting them out on social media. I read it, thought it was fun, thought I shared it with you guys. It was interesting what.
Speaker 3:What did you drive in I?
Speaker 2:drove barefoot if I could I get that.
Speaker 3:My preferred was steel-toed boots I had bought. I did a construction job in New Orleans years ago If you've been to the Superdome. Right next to the Superdome is a huge park. I mean it's all black asphalt, there's no trees, but it's a place where they do concerts and parties and stuff. So if you go before or after a game there's a band out there playing and there's tons of people. There's a bunch of restaurants and places to get booze and stuff. So it's a fun place. I helped build that. So when we built it that was a rule like period still toes on the job sites and so I had those and I bought Red Wings and they were super comfortable.
Speaker 3:I love my Red Wings so I brought those on the truck with me. I liked them even over a tennis shoe because they were heavy. So if you have never driven a commercial vehicle, the gas pedal especially the brakes on our trucks, are heavy. They take more force than what your car does to use because they're actuating an air valve. They're not going to a brake booster, and so I liked it because it was way easier to use the brakes, it took less effort on my part, and so that's why I always had them. The only thing I ever had an issue with those steel toes was in the dead of winter, when it's so cold, you're running your heater on full blast the whole time, so it's negative 15, negative 20 outside. At negative 20, your glass has no insulative property, so you're running your heater wide open and you're comfortable, but you just have to keep it wide open and that heater just blowing right on my foot with those steel toes, ooh.
Speaker 3:I had to put the cruise control on and, like, tuck your feet back to keep your toes from catching on fire, and I did have a pair of composite toes too. Those were always handy, yeah. But I always thought safety like especially some of these places. I've seen how some of these people operate and sometimes it's a culture of safety and sometimes you're like happy to be out of there. Sure, Because you're like these people are going to kill someone.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we carried. I had steel toes on the truck they might have been composite A pair of Keens, three-quarter like six-inch boots, waterproof. I wore those like twice, yeah, and that was because it was ice and snow outside, so I would keep my shoes, I'd throw them on and I needed to be outside for a period of time. Yeah, otherwise, I had tennis shoes in the truck. I had slides in my shower bag, shower shoes that I'd wear in the shower, and if I was driving though, if I'm on the road for eight hours, shoes would come off, socks would come off, and I'd go barefoot. I hate wearing socks for one, my feet don't like them. So, yeah, I was barefoot.
Speaker 3:Well, it's probably a healthier way. Honestly, like you know, they say you're not supposed to keep your feet in socks or shoes all the time.
Speaker 4:I think they just want you to be safe.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 4:Ultimately FMCSA.
Speaker 2:But the FMCSA has nothing to do with this. This is Completely made up, completely made up.
Speaker 3:Well it was a big hoax. It went everywhere.
Speaker 2:And I thought it was real.
Speaker 3:I really thought it was real. That's fascinating.
Speaker 4:What are you driving the viewers Go ahead.
Speaker 3:We're waiting.
Speaker 4:Type your answer in now.
Speaker 3:Jerry, you're probably the one that drove the longest of all of us. You remember back when you had to go outside and crank the engine manually. What were y'all wearing back then?
Speaker 1:You know, I had my Siltos for whenever I needed but again, like Ben said, I wore them maybe three times in my whole entire career. But yeah, 15 and a half years of driving. It was always tennis shoes or flip-flops and I only wore the flip-flops whenever I had cross-country runs. If I knew I was going to be doing an 11-hour shift and I wasn't going to be getting out of the truck other than fueling or something and not even the fuel A lot of times Don would fuel before we switched or something I could run an 11-hour shift without stopping besides a break.
Speaker 3:Even back in the day, when I first started, there was no 30-minute break. Exactly, I absolutely remember running 10 hours and 50 minutes.
Speaker 1:And then I love my flip-flops to you know, you wake up in the middle of the night, just flip on your flip-flops and go inside to use the restroom and not have to put on tennis shoes.
Speaker 5:I always put on tennis shoes. I did not trust what was on the ground? And so you know.
Speaker 3:I didn't trust the flip-flop.
Speaker 5:I was always afraid you ever had a blowout in the flip-flop or you kick it off as you're walking because you don't have it on right, oh and then you step on yellow asphalt.
Speaker 3:It's like, yeah.
Speaker 5:I couldn't.
Speaker 3:I'm with you. I was always tennis shoes. If I was getting out of that trick Tennis shoes or my still toes that was the only options.
Speaker 1:It was just too much of a hassle to have to sit down and put on shoes and get ready, and I can just flip flops and go.
Speaker 5:I kept them right next to me. Or you have people who keep their shoes tied and just slip them on, or non-tied shoes Slip shoes I was going.
Speaker 1:Now I have kicks, or they're called kicks K-I-C-K-S, and they literally just slip on. They don't have to be tied or anything. So I love those.
Speaker 3:I never untie or tie my shoes Until they get loose. Then I'll retie them, but I just always slip mine on. I'm lazy and I always have them by the bed. Now, if I get up in the middle of the night and go use the restroom and we were at a truck stop or whatever I wouldn't put socks on. I would just, you know bare minimum to get me there. But it was always the shoes and my flip flops, which are my shower shoes, which are handy because there were times we got hotels and, like you, would go to a pool or whatever those. So I'd use these, my shower shoes, but I always just the $1 flip flop Walmart bin.
Speaker 3:Oh, yeah, do you remember that bin?
Speaker 4:Oh, yeah, do you remember that bin?
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, it's like four foot by, four foot by three foot tall. And there's about 900 pairs of shoes.
Speaker 5:And I had to get a size half bigger because they don't have the halves.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I wear a size like a tennis shoe or a 13 flip-flop from Walmart.
Speaker 5:You know what I mean, but in my shower, she's a little bit bigger anyway, you got to have a buffer.
Speaker 3:You got to have a buffer. Exactly, I understand most showers.
Speaker 2:You don't want your foot overhanging. No, no.
Speaker 3:And we talk about the bathrooms, we joke about them. Truck stop showers are actually pretty darn clean for the most part and there's such a big competition for truck drivers' businesses. Now that's a place where truck stops really like we really do try to keep our bathrooms clean, the showers clean. So I know if you're hearing this you're like, oh my gosh, we're thinking about going on the road, but showers, no, they're like super nice and clean. Do you have a video of a shower on Loke Shower?
Speaker 4:I think we do.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we probably need to go take some showers and redo that video, uh, but let y'all see what it's like, because it is, uh, they're, they're very clean, yeah, and they come through between each person and they do re-bleach and, boy, you can tell it's bleach in some places. You walk in. It's like whoo, yeah, yes, sir uh, it's like a swimming pool yeah, so you know if there was fungus, because that's what we're all worried about right Sure.
Speaker 3:On the shower pan. It's gone, but I just never could come to grips with taking that chance Nope.
Speaker 4:It was always shower shoes I had to wear shower shoes, no matter what. And then shower shoes always had their own bag.
Speaker 3:And then shower shoes always had their own bag. Oh, and I blew mine out one time. Like getting into the shower, my shower shoes blew out and they like ripped in two places, so I couldn't like make it work, you know because, if only the toe breaks out in a shower, you can struggle for one shower, but they really blew it bad and so we were taking the. They had two towels in there. I took one of the towels and threw it in the bottom of the shower to get through the shower.
Speaker 5:I skipped a shower one time because I forgot my shoes.
Speaker 3:I had to figure something out. I'm like I gotta Back then.
Speaker 4:You could have stood like a pelican. I could have. I'm kidding.
Speaker 3:A little flamingo action.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I could have Actually did you in it A little flamingo action.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, yeah, I could have Actually did you see? A lot of y'all know that I love to travel and fly and Tampa's airport if you've ever had a chance to go through Tampa their airport, it's okay. Their Instagram and their Facebook page is hysterical. They have some really good social media people doing it and the big thing inside of the airport is they have a gigantic flamingo. When I say gigantic, eric, if it stood up how tall would it be? 100 foot.
Speaker 3:I'd say five stories tall yeah it's massive, and they have it where the legs and very little bit of the body is into the ceiling and it's like a three-, four-story atrium. And then its neck is coming down on the other side. Look at it, actually. You know what? There's a picture of it right there. That's cool, isn't it? That is cool. That's very cool, and so they did one recently and they said we're looking for the person who vandalized it. And they showed the picture of it and the flamingo was wearing Crocs.
Speaker 5:Awesome.
Speaker 3:So yeah, that's the flamingo with the Crocs and doing that in the shower. I can see that.
Speaker 4:Well, I'm glad that the story is debunked and people can wear whatever they want to wear While driving.
Speaker 5:Or not wear.
Speaker 3:One last thought.
Speaker 5:Yeah.
Speaker 3:When you are driving a commercial truck, the uh accelerator pedal and the brake are actually further apart than they are in your car, which does beg the question how much of a safety risk is it really?
Speaker 2:I think if you, if you go to move from one to the other and you just don't get your foot up high enough, you can certainly slip underneath the brake pedal.
Speaker 3:I'd love some data. I'd love to see.
Speaker 2:I don't think anybody's recording this data, though It'd be hard to Like how many accidents have happened because of Because of flip-flops.
Speaker 5:Because of flip-flops. Well, footwear in general.
Speaker 4:Yeah, what kind of footwear? The lack of footwear.
Speaker 3:I remember one wreck my mom got into and she didn't get in many. It wasn't like one of her many. That's what it sounded like I think she had two wrecks her whole life, or at least since I was alive.
Speaker 3:One of her wrecks was accidents. She was driving, had a Tupperware cup with a snap-on lid and then had a little straw that went through and you could drink out of it. It's kind of like what Eric's drinking out of or what y'all are drinking out of right now, just like the 1992 version of it. Sure, and she was holding the lid and going around a corner and the lid popped off. The bottom of the cup fell, mountain Dew went everywhere and she was like oh no, tried to grab it and then when she looked up she just right into a light pole. Yeah, one of her less moments. But like did they document that as wreck caused by cup?
Speaker 2:opening.
Speaker 3:Like probably not, so they probably didn't record it that way. They probably just said driver fault, you know, and driver error, and left it at that. So the footwear thing might be the same deal. They might just put it down as driver error and nothing else. That's fascinating.
Speaker 4:Interesting.
Speaker 3:Melissa, you had an interesting article that you sent over and I have some thoughts, as always always, but I thought you would introduce it.
Speaker 4:the great state of ohio, our state, is about to invest 150 million dollars and if you would please let us know what they're doing well, it's for semi-truck parking project and they announced that it's going to create at least 1,400, that's a lot new parking spaces for semi-truck drivers, obviously in hopes of preventing crashes. So just trying to be more safety aware, spaces will be constructed across 33 rest area sites throughout the state and provide additional support for truck drivers traveling long distance, and they did start the project right away.
Speaker 1:so that's about what I know you know, ohio had that many rest areas yeah, 33 rest areas.
Speaker 4:Uh, since 2015, the department has identified at least 689 crashes in ohio that have been attributed to drowsy semi-truck drivers.
Speaker 3:That was 689 crashes, crashes.
Speaker 4:Yeah, leading to 345 injuries and, sadly, two deaths. So they're just looking for more spaces for the drivers to pull off and get that rest that's needed, which, as we all know, parking is an issue at nighttime, and rest is also an issue. You got to get that no.
Speaker 2:Ohio has redone a lot of their rest areas, yes, and not just like a remodel torn down ground up dug up the dug up the concrete yeah everything's gone and they do them like they.
Speaker 2:Usually they're right across the highway from each other or very near each other. They do them both and you can watch, you can go by. My thinking is going up 33 when we go to fort wayne. Yes, and the westbound one is a little further ahead than the eastbound one, so it's like they're using the same crew to go in and do do demolition and they move across the highway while the next crew comes in and starts grading and paving and then they move across the highway while the next crew comes in and starts grading and paving and then they move across the highway. So you can watch them go up in stages. Um, I was going to bolt the other day and on 75 um there's that one between where you get on at 33 and get off at 23.
Speaker 2:I think it is um oh yes, they're doing road construction through there, and then the rest area northbound is closed. And then, coming southbound, there's a sign that lists the next two rest areas, and both of those were closed for construction. Wow, so it's a little frustrating when they have that many closed. You know it's there and you get there and it's closed. Okay, the next one's 40 miles up, oh, that one's closed too, but they are tearing them down to the ground and rebuilding brand new rest areas.
Speaker 3:Well, I like they're giving you the heads up that far in advance.
Speaker 2:Oh sure, Because you do pass a couple truck stops that you could pull over and take those.
Speaker 3:I agree, it is weird they're doing them so rapid fire, which I'm'm again from south louisiana.
Speaker 2:They did the opposite they just closed a bunch of them. Yeah, and that was, that was it. That's it. There was, there was no rebuild, no remodel just closed.
Speaker 3:No, they sold the land and it became an on-ramp for a shopping mall.
Speaker 3:Um, but I I was surprised there were so many, so I just did a trip up to uh grand rapids and detroit and then on my way back I went through uh finley and yeah, and a couple other places, but it was mostly back roads and there were a couple of rest areas out in the middle of nowhere on those highways and I'm like, wow, not even an interstate, this is just a random highway that they had them and I did actually pass. I don't remember what it was, I wish I could remember, but I did actually pass. I don't remember what it was, I wish I could remember, but I did actually pass one. That was the old style rest area that was still open and I'm like wow, it's time will come.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're like you're about to be done. I wonder if they go through there and like they don't do this, but if they went through there and they like scrapped everything so they removed all the toilets and all the sinks and they're like we'll use you again and they redo everything demolish rebuild and put them all back in there. No, I don't think they're doing that. I think they are taking a Caterpillar front loader and just tearing it down.
Speaker 2:Just tearing it down.
Speaker 4:They're supposed to have the project All the spaces are supposed to be completed across all the sites by 2026. Like you said, it's very fast moving.
Speaker 2:I was going to be cynical and say you know they're talking about 1,400 new parking spaces. Is that new? After they tear down the old ones, they put 100 spaces in and call that 100 spaces. Or is it 1,400 additional?
Speaker 4:Well, I I think it's additional.
Speaker 2:I think it's 1,400 additional. Yeah, just the way that we read the article. I think it's 1,400 additional.
Speaker 4:New 1,400 new parking spaces yeah.
Speaker 3:Well they are. That makes sense because, if you actually think about it, the old rest areas when you pulled in they had one lane for trucks and it's parallel parking on both sides.
Speaker 3:The new ones do have legit parking spots at diagonals, so that has changed. And some of them I've noticed too are off to the side. They don't quite fit. It's almost like it was an afterthought. Sure, they were going to just go back in with those strips and maybe because this is happening right now on some of the brand brand new ones that they've done, they're kind of off to the side. But you know what? Parking's great, no matter what.
Speaker 2:When I drove by the one on I-75 south on the way back, it looked like they had more land that they were working on than that original truck stop rest area had.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so it looks like they are doing that, but not deep, wide, wide yeah.
Speaker 2:Along the frontage of the interstate. It was wider. That's what I saw too, yeah.
Speaker 3:My original thought was $150 million for 1,400 spots doesn't sound like a lot, it doesn't. It sounds like a ton of money for very few parking spots, but when you actually do the numbers it's like $1,100 a spot. That's pretty cheap, I think. So I don't know that you could get a parking spot poured on your property for $1,100 today.
Speaker 2:Like that does break down to very reasonable the groundwork and the grading and everything. No, I don't think you could. It's a bulk rate. It is a bulk rate.
Speaker 5:They're like we'll do it, but here's the catch.
Speaker 2:We have to do all of them back to back, exactly.
Speaker 3:I think that's why they're moving so quick. It's because building prices are going up so fast. I think they're like let's just get it all done. I was talking with Fida Freightliner when they built their new building out in West Jefferson. Thank you, west Jefferson. They got in a spot where they had to pull the trigger on their building, buying everything, and there were a couple mistakes that were made and they were fine with it, because the price of the building was going to go up like 20% if they waited an additional week. Wow, like the company that was providing the steel and the structure and everything. They reached out to them and said in like a week, these new pricing, whatever come through, and you're talking about a 20% increase. A 20% increase on millions of dollars is a lot of money. Talking about 20% increase? A 20% increase on millions of dollars is a lot of money. So, even though they had a couple hundred thousand dollars of, we got to fix this or change this, it saved them in the long run, a tremendous amount of money.
Speaker 3:I'm assuming that the ODOT is probably going through the same thing, but you know what's cool. So I have a criticism and I have a compliment. I'll go compliment first. Odot is really proven to be forward thinking. We talked, I think, last season, about the new accessible changing spaces that they're putting in these.
Speaker 3:And now we see that they're also looking at truck parking and how can we increase that and make that better? So they really are focusing on how can we do this and not just do it for the sake of modernizing or maybe making it a cheaper place to run. They're looking at it as like what can we do to actually help the general public? What can we do to help our citizens or residents? What can we do to help people traveling through a state? And I love that aspect. That like no, we want you to have a respectable time here, a comfortable time here, and it's really cool to see that. The other comment I had about it was it's 1,400 more spots.
Speaker 4:Over 33 rest areas Over 33 rest areas.
Speaker 3:There's still a ton of trucks moving through here that are not going to have access to those spots. The spots will still fill up. You know, sure Like spread across the entire state's fourteen hundred spots isn't a lot. I don't know how many 18 wheelers pass through Ohio in a given day, but I guarantee you it's more than 100,000 easily.
Speaker 4:I'm wondering if they've done some statistics, like if Ohio is a kind of like a hub between certain distances between other states.
Speaker 4:So we know, is it so many hours for a solo? And they finally land in Ohio before they deliver to the East Coast, like if they're coming from the West Coast, like is Ohio landing right in that perfect space for certain types of travel? Obviously even with cars, because, as you were just stating, they put in some handicap accessible with lifts and whatnot, stating they put in some handicap accessible with lifts and whatnot, so they're even thinking about passenger cars. But are we that perfectly destined stop space for a state?
Speaker 3:So you've got a few states that have this phenomenon, right. Ohio's one of them. I mean, you look at it on a map when we are at in Columbus, we're almost dead on 600 miles or 620, something like that, to new york city, right?
Speaker 2:so that's a shift.
Speaker 3:That's a shift, a driving it's a driving shift um, and you see it like we're, we have a lot of truck stops around columbus, and then if you go up to um, youngstown, and uh, there's a bunch of truck stops, and if you go to toledo, there's a bunch of truck stops. So it's almost like your people that are governed at 65, here's where they're going to go, your people that are governed at 70, here's where they're going to go. So you do have that. We are Columbus's specifically. Columbus is very central to it's something like 60% or 70% of the population of the US. But because the interstate highway system is the way it is, louisville, kentucky, also gets to claim that. Cincinnati, ohio, gets to claim that, indianapolis gets to claim that. Gary, indiana and Chicago, they also claim part of that right.
Speaker 3:Detroit's a little too far north where they don't quite get to claim that right um, but so those are kind of your major and if you think about where so much of the freight is, there's a reason why those are super common places for us to go to. Yeah, we go to cincinnati all the time. We go to columbus a lot of time. We go to louisville all the time. We go to indy all the time, like that's where they can get to the most amount of people. So, especially if you're a company, you're like okay, I want to build a warehouse to get the most amount of people covered with solo drivers that I can, because solos are way cheaper than teams. Sure, um, how do? Where do I want to put myself? And that's why you see these giant distribution centers. Cardinal health just built a gigantic uh distribution center over near one of our shops in obets. Like, um, big lots had it for the longest time, had a huge distribution center here before they went under. Um, it's just that's uh.
Speaker 3:So, yes, we're, we're a major trucking hub if you think about 80, 80s, uh, 80, 70 and um, yeah, 80 and 70 are like two of the busiest interstates period. They both come through our state. And then Louisville has 65. 65? It goes through it. That's one of the busiest shipping channels as well, so you also get who's the other one out there. St Louis also has the same kind of proportion. They lose the East Coast but they gain like into Texas and that.
Speaker 3:So that's kind of how they get to say the same statistic, but they do lose a part of the population. That makes sense, yeah.
Speaker 2:I was out at the new Love's out in West Jefferson, just west of town here, and there are, just as you can see from that Love's, there are, three gigantic Amazon warehouses out there.
Speaker 3:Yeah, not just one Amazon, three huge Amazon warehouses plus other warehouses as well yeah, FedEx Ground has a gigantic presence out there and they're building All of that is becoming warehouses.
Speaker 5:So I did look for Columbus Ohio I-70 to 71 corridor. They said about 17,000 trucks per day. That's all trucks, not just 18-wheelers, and that's just in that one spot. Right and then statewide they're saying for the entire length of I-71, there's around 12,000. And for 75, 15,000. That's per day.
Speaker 3:Yes, and then I-80?.
Speaker 5:So they don't have 80 on here.
Speaker 3:Because we have 80 and 90 that come to here right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but 90 cuts across to 80 just east of Cincinnati 80 and 90.
Speaker 3:No, Cincinnati Cleveland. I get those two mixed up.
Speaker 4:I'm like wow.
Speaker 2:There's so many sea cities.
Speaker 4:The 80-90 is dipping way down low. I don't remember it coming that far.
Speaker 3:So part of the Ohio Tollway it is 80-90. So they share the same road yeah.
Speaker 4:I think it changes when you hit Indiana.
Speaker 2:No, I think when you come down into it. Going west, when it drops down below Lake Erie is where they merge together.
Speaker 4:And then it's merged for quite a while.
Speaker 2:It's merged for quite some time. Yeah, Is it all?
Speaker 4:of Indiana.
Speaker 2:I don't know. I don't know it looks like. No, I think Detroit picks up part of it.
Speaker 4:Oh my goodness, it's been such a.
Speaker 2:Oh it's.
Speaker 4:Oh, my goodness, that was my least favorite section of any highway to ever drive outside of the 12 in Louisiana.
Speaker 2:I was going to call BS on that when you said that.
Speaker 4:Outside of the 12 in Louisiana.
Speaker 5:So it's Gary, gary is where 80 and 90 split again.
Speaker 3:So that's a long stretch of, and those rest areas are no joke, they're huge, they are huge. Well, they're toll plazas up there too. That's a long stretch of, and those rest areas are no joke, they're huge, they are huge. Well, they're toll plazas up there too, they're toll plazas, they're not. Yeah, that's a different story.
Speaker 5:Okay, i-80, 90, it says 11,000 daily.
Speaker 3:So we're at what? So not 100,000. We're at what? 40-something thousand were the three numbers you said so far. And that doesn't include I-70. I-70. It doesn't include 75. It doesn't include what's Well, she did say it was 75.
Speaker 2:It's 15,000. Okay, per day.
Speaker 3:What is over? West of here it is 77. Or east of here, rather 77. Yeah as well. And then all the highways, Because I saw there I actually talked about making it an interstate.
Speaker 5:Yeah, talking about making it an interstate uh, yeah I said 73.
Speaker 3:Yeah, throughout the 23. That's a major hub and that 23 is where I saw that rest area, by the way. Okay, uh, so yeah, it's, uh, it's fascinating. Like columbus, I always joke like you leave uh st louis and you head, so you leave in st louis, across the mississippi river. Now you're in illinois. There are 18 interstates, it feels like.
Speaker 2:There are right there that come together, right there, that all intersect it is insanity.
Speaker 3:If you're not on your game, oh, your GPS is like take the left lane for 77 and 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Speaker 2:Far right lane for it's like whoa, hold on what's going on here.
Speaker 3:Exactly, if you're at home or if you're just listening and you don't know what I'm talking about. Pull up an interstate map, or pull up a map, your Google Maps or your Apple Maps. Look at St Louis and just look immediately across the river from St Louis. There is a ton of interstates in a very, very little area.
Speaker 4:That's what's going to end up happening to Ohio. I always did from the north. You kind of drop down, you do a hard U-turn and then you're back swooping down over here, and then you're on your way to. It felt like no man's land. You leave the city really quick.
Speaker 3:You do the river, it's like you cross the river. It's truck top city and then fields.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's like there is. What is it East St? Yeah, it's like there is. What is it East St Louis? There's not much there at all. There used to be a casino. Is that a casino? I don't know if the casino is still there. Yeah, there's not a lot. But it's funny too, because when you're on the Mississippi River, if you go to the arch and you actually go up to the top of the arch, everything west is like a huge city. There's downtown, there's skyscrapers, there's just buildings as far as you can see. On the east side there's soybean fields. It's quite the line we talk about the dividing track of the railroad tracks or the interstate divides the city or something. That river completely changes everything interesting but uh, yeah, no, so that's.
Speaker 3:That's cool to know. I'm glad they had that. The other thing I was wondering too. So here's my two complaints or comments or thoughts that are kind of on the negative side. One is you know, they talk about 685 accidents by people who are drowsy. Drowsy drivers don't always pull over, so we're still going to have some of that.
Speaker 3:Oh sure, Because there are people that are like oh, I just need a little more five hour, a little more coffee, a little more satisfaction, whatever. It is just something and I will be able to power through this. Or you know, let me get the. I remember years ago when I was doing sound, uh, I was uh leaving a gig, um, and I was not pulling the trailer and I was just trying to get home. People that were pulling the trailer actually stayed the night. I just wanted to get home.
Speaker 3:I had get home itis, and I was dead tired and it was a christmas gig, so it was ice cold outside. I rolled the window down, I turned the heater on full blast ice cold, hair, air in my face. Driving down the road, just, I should have pulled over and stopped and slept Like I was dying. That was before the age of five hours, so it was like Red Bull and that was all I could stomach. There are people that do that Driving and that was like a two hour drive home. There are people that do that on their whole shift.
Speaker 3:And an 80,000-pound and an 80,000-pound or a 46,000-pound truck like we run, like yeah, and being able to have people realize I'm tired, I need to pull over. This does solve the issue for people that I'm tired, I need to pull over. There's no spots here, right. But it's also trusting the drivers to know I'm a professional driver, I'm tired, I need to pull over um.
Speaker 3:the second thing and this is my, my complaint against the state of ohio, and I don't know how to fix this is that I, when I'm driving a truck to um, fort wayne or something, I don't like stopping at rest areas Because Ohio Motor Carrier Patrol.
Speaker 3:Sits at those rest areas and they will pick people coming in and do random roadside inspections, and I think that's wrong. I think that should be no man's land If you are at a rest area. If they want to be there to protect the peace or keep the peace, sure, but they should not be pulling people over and doing roadside inspections at a rest area. Because that makes me not want to stop.
Speaker 5:And then you're cutting into your rest time.
Speaker 3:Exactly so. I will go to a truck stop Because Pilot or Flying J is not going to let those people on their property, sheets will, sheets will.
Speaker 2:Well, yeah, interesting. Yeah, I didn't want to cut you off, it's your story, but we had a team that was at a Sheets the Sheets just in West Jefferson, just west of us here, that's brand new too.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they needed something and they did not want to leave because they said that DOT was in the parking lot. And they did not want to leave because they said the DOT was in the parking lot. I'm like, okay, this is horse pucky, but I'll take it out there. I take it out there and I pull in and there's two DOT officers sitting in truck parking spaces in the back of the lot and what they were doing was, as you pulled into fuel, when you left the fuel line and went around the lot to leave, they were sitting there and there was an exit onto the road and you'd pull onto the road and there's another one sitting outside that would wave you over and send you back to the two that were in the back for an inspection. Yeah, saw it with my own eyes. I thought they were giving me a line. Saw it with my own eyes.
Speaker 4:I think that's ridiculous. I do too.
Speaker 3:Again. I do think that's cutting into your. That sounds to me like we need some emails to Sheetz. If you're out there listening to this story, you need to send some emails out to Sheetz Because. Sheetz is new to the truck stop world. They are. They're not Like Loves and Pilot and Flying J. I've seen cops roll through but I think it's mostly again keeping the peace.
Speaker 1:I've never seen the scenario you're talking about happen it happened to me twice in Ohio with the rest area Pulled in to do a rest break or use the restroom or something. And I'm pulling to a parking spot and I go to get out and I look in my mirror as I'm opening the door and there's an officer behind me pulling up with his lights.
Speaker 4:Do they let you go use the bathroom before they do your inspection?
Speaker 3:Nope, no. Inspection, nope, no.
Speaker 1:and there is something what if you're already doing the, the dance right so the second time that it happened to me, I was actually almost out of hours. I was coming up on my 30 minute break. I had literally like probably seven minutes on my clock and I had to do a break. And whenever I stopped I immediately went into off duty to start my rest break. And then I was going out to go to the restroom. He pulled up behind me and I told him. I said I just started my 30-minute break. I said you're welcome to do whatever you need to do, but I got to do my break first and he actually sat there my 30 minutes, wow. And then afterwards he did my inspection.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he took his 30-minute break too.
Speaker 4:And I guess that's what he did.
Speaker 3:So they're not weighted the same. So if you do pull into a rest area with one minute left on your clock and they do force you to do an inspection so you have to log on duty inspection, it does not count against you. It's not a log violation.
Speaker 3:Oh, that's good A cop can do that, but still it's, and that's assuming you have a motor carrier that knows the rules. I mean, motor carriers are not always right with all this stuff, but that's yeah. So that's a huge problem I have with Ohio is you're putting in a lot more parking spaces but you've got people who won't use them.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Because of that. So you know that's. That's one of my criticisms. Until until they fix that, I don't know what to say, because you know, I get that they don't want to pull someone over the side of the road because the rest area is safer for the cop to do a walk around or whatever. But that should be hallowed ground unless you are committing a crime. They should not be allowed to do that to you on a rest area. That's my belief.
Speaker 2:So what if? What if you're on the interstate and they don't want to? If you're on the interstate and they don't want to pull you over on the side of the road, but there's a rest area coming up and they pull you into the rest area to do the inspection.
Speaker 3:I mean that's a really good question. I don't know For safety purposes.
Speaker 2:There are rest areas in other states that are rest area slash Way station. That's different. I know I get that. I just want to clarify that we're not talking about that.
Speaker 3:Some of those way stations they even say like we have driver rest areas, you will not be inspected. Driver rest areas you will not be inspected.
Speaker 2:Well, I mean, there's somewhere you know they're signed parking available, but you pull through the weigh station first and go around the park.
Speaker 3:Sure yeah.
Speaker 2:There are others where it's a car and truck rest area and the weigh station's at the end.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I've seen that too.
Speaker 2:But I mean, we're not talking about that, we're talking about strictly a rest area Strictly a rest area and not a rest area way station combination. Correct If they light you up on the highway and pull you in there for safety. That to me is like doing a roadside inspection.
Speaker 4:Yes, I agree.
Speaker 2:As opposed to camping out waiting for you.
Speaker 5:I would feel safer that way as well.
Speaker 3:Sure, besides being on the side of the road, I've seen that Tennessee is probably the other offender. I think about that. Does this a lot with rest areas? So like Ohio and Tennessee stick out in my brain as the worst ones to pull you over in a rest area or to come get you in a rest area. But I hear you saying that's a little gray there for me. Okay, because I could see the pulling over and getting safe or whatever. But to actually like I pull into a rest area and then you light me up.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's a different situation, pardon me.
Speaker 3:Ohio loves to do it. Well, fuck you. They do so until they get that fixed. You know, I hope, even if you're drowsy, you'll pull over.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 3:But I get it like. Here's where it gets even more complicated. I'm drowsy, I'm tired, I need to pull over and take a nap. So I'm going to pull into a rest area to go take a nap because I am drowsy, and it's obvious that I'm drowsy. A cop lights me up. He comes over and does a roadside inspection, decides I'm not fit to drive because I'm tired.
Speaker 3:Even though I knew I wasn't fit to drive, which is why I'm not driving. So you know what I'm saying. Sure, I just think, yeah, I think that's hallowed ground. You shouldn't be able to do anything there. I completely agree with you there. So I'd love to know y'all's feedback on this. If y'all seeing two other states that are doing this, what are those other states? Share it? Let your other truck driver friends know, like, what are the places not to go to? Where are you concerned with? Uh, if I go to this rest area I might get pulled over. Or are there other truck stops? You know about that? This, this happens where you know loves. A pilot of flying j or jim bob's local uh truck stop is allowing this to happen, because I could see that too with a local someone. So I'm very curious. I'm very curious what y'all's thoughts on this are.
Speaker 4:I want to be sure that you're not avoiding rest area because you think there might be a violation on your vehicle or yourself, that you're only avoiding it. For what reason?
Speaker 3:Come again.
Speaker 4:Why are you avoiding a rest area when it has a DOT officer in it?
Speaker 3:Because I don't want to get inspected.
Speaker 4:Why Are you doing something nefarious?
Speaker 3:Yes, no, no, I don't think it's nefarious.
Speaker 4:I think the viewers are hearing something.
Speaker 3:So we're all truck drivers here, right, like every one of us has driven a truck. How many of y'all with a show of hands or an eye because if you're listening to the podcast, don't use the show of hands With an eye or a show of hands how many of y'all enjoy?
Speaker 4:getting stopped by a cop and doing a roadside inspection. I never minded it after the first one that I was unprepared for. Okay, Like I think it's part of the job. Okay, I think it's part of the job.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 4:Sure, it's part of the job.
Speaker 3:Let me give you an idea here. So you're driving a truck to Bolt. You've got to be at Bolt Trucks, which is Fort Wayne, indiana. You've got to be there for noon that's what time your appointment is. So you left Columbus at 8.30. It takes three hours to get there, so you gave yourself a little bit of a buffer. But there was a little traffic leaving town.
Speaker 3:33 got you caught up a little bit right there at the Dublin Interchange. You weren't expecting that and you know that you really need to get diesel before you get there. You might be able to get there first and then go to the Flying J that's next to it, but then you're paying the expensive diesel and you're going to pass by a love. So you'd like to go there. So you're going and you're like all right, I'm going to pop in this loves real quick, get my diesel, and then I'm going to go and on your way out there, when you get up to 33, that water you got at loves. Now you got to use the restroom real quick and loves, now you've got to use the restroom real quick. And you're like, oh, it's going to be so close, there's a rest area, so I'm going to pop in that rest area real quick and I'm going to use the restroom.
Speaker 3:You see a cop there and you know they're doing DOT roadsides. You know I go there If I get a roadside. I'm missing my appointment, which potentially means I am now in an overnight stay in Fort Wayne. Now I might. If I miss that appointment, I might actually have to stay over the night in Fort Wayne versus being able to get home tonight. Are you stopping? Are you thinking to yourself? There's a pilot, a couple exits down.
Speaker 4:I get what you're saying.
Speaker 1:And the other side of that coin as well. Even if you are doing everything that you're supposed to do, there's always that possibility of that officer finding something. And you just don't need that headache, you don't need that on your record or anything else, because even though you know that the truck in your mind at that moment, everything is safe there's always that possibility that they find something when they do that roadside.
Speaker 3:So you don't want to take that chance absolutely and look random roadside inspections side of the road, light me up, pull me over. I've done it a thousand times. I've done a thousand times. I've done it 30, 40 times. I did it once, uh, the funniest one I ever ever got done, uh was pulling through a turnpike on my way down to uh, texas, I picked up a brand new truck from fighter freightliner. Had a double, a sleeper on it brand new truck and I went through it and found a couple things that need to be fixed on the sleeper and we were going to put a team in it and I'm like, okay, I'm going to take this straight to Texas. I've already got to go down to Louisiana because that's back when we lived in Louisiana. So I'm like I'll take it to Texas, get these couple things knocked out and then I'll go home. And so it's only going to add if I do that, it's only going instead of making dedicated trips. So I head down there. I get to the Oklahoma Turnpike there outside of Tulsa On 44?
Speaker 3:On 44. Yeah, this is before the days of pre-pass best pass. So I still had to pay the toll. So back in the day, people that drove for us if you've been there for a while, you know what I'm talking about You'd actually pay the toll and then you would send us a receipt, and then you would send us a receipt and then we would reimburse you for it, and so that was a long time ago, anyways.
Speaker 3:So I get to the toll plaza, I see there's a cop car. But that's normal, it's not crazy, right? I pay the toll and then, as soon as I pay the toll and she gives me the receipt, the cop steps out and says, hey, I need you to pull over there. And I'm like, all right, we're getting roadside. So I pull over and he comes over here and talks to me and he's like man, your truck's really nice Yachty. And I'm like, as I said, it's funny, it's brand new. He's like what I said, yeah, I picked it up two days ago or a day ago, it's brand new Like, all right, well, this should be quick then. And so we go through. I mean, this is the first time I've ever seen it. He actually had, like, the mechanics.
Speaker 3:What do you call that board Creeper he had a creeper on him and he actually got on the creeper and climbed one of the trucks and I'm like, oh, we're doing it for real, yeah, like if you've been through of level one based on the officer you're with.
Speaker 3:Well, I went to maximum overdrive. He was like we're going to do it. He was fast and everything. It was cool. He was a super nice guy. He complimented me on the truck, all this stuff. I was out of there with no problem Clean inspection, brand new truck, got a sticker on the windshield. It was cool, like I, I get it. We've all been there. I've been pulled over on the side of the road. I've gone to weigh stations and been told bring your permits inside. I've been told to go over to that shed. Sure, uh, boy, the ones of the sheds are nice too.
Speaker 3:Yeah, those are real nice um, and so especially in the cold winter.
Speaker 4:Yes, so you're just saying that I areas are off limits, correct?
Speaker 3:Exactly so. If I'm pulling over because I need to use the restroom or I want to rest, or I am just not feeling wanting to deal with someone, I shouldn't be hassled at a rest area.
Speaker 4:I get what you're saying.
Speaker 3:So that's my point. I'm not trying to say if you have something illegal in your truck or something that's not going to pass, get it fixed, get it fixed. I'm telling you this you got a tire that's like I don't know. It's a little below tread. It's way cheaper to pop into Loves and have them replace a tire than it is to have Loves bring you a tire and put it on your truck out on the road. Not only that, it's faster. It's faster, uh, it's safer. That tire is not safe. It's on your truck, you know, a steer tire blowout could kill you and other people on the road.
Speaker 3:Yeah, like that's a big deal, so you need to be getting those things fixed. A light that's out. You know, most of our trucks now have leds, so we don't run into as many light issues as we used to, but we still have some we do, um, and deal with them now yeah, we are right now actually.
Speaker 3:Uh, so if you have a light that's out, get it fixed. You're driving down the road and you're like huh, I did my pre-trip this morning. All my lights work, but now it looks like only the right side is lighting up, and sometimes you go and you look and you're like nope, it's just an optical illusion, but if it's not get it fixed, like absolutely do not drive a truck unsafe.
Speaker 3:That is crazy to me that people do that. But there is certainly a hassle factor that I may not when I'm driving and I'm going into a rest area Because a rest area is not a truck stop, I'm not going to a rest area because I need fuel. I'm going to a rest area because I need a rest, be it a restroom break, be it a nap, be it a 30-minute break that I'm required by law to take.
Speaker 4:I get it.
Speaker 3:Or if I just even need to go down and sleep for the night. Now, I don't know that I've ever seen a cop at night doing roadside inspections at a rest area, like in the middle of the night.
Speaker 4:Yes, switching hours.
Speaker 3:Correct. But because we run teams, my night may be the middle of the day, Sure, so I may be like I need a nap, because we drove through Indiana yesterday with the most horrible roads ever and I didn't get a good sleep and it's like you know what I'm going to pull over and I am going to take myself a nap and get there and there's a cop. Let's do a roadside Like. That's where I have issue. Sure, Now you're really screwing with someone's morale and they didn't need to use the restroom, you know, or whatever it's just, yeah, I take issue with that. So that's my point on that.
Speaker 4:Thank you for clarifying that.
Speaker 3:So, yeah, I'm glad you brought it up, because in my head I'm not thinking anything nefarious because that's not how we operate, but I do understand how people could see that. Yeah, so great point to bring up.
Speaker 4:Thank you.
Speaker 3:So, heather, you are going camping this weekend. I remember we talked about that last week, are you?
Speaker 5:prepared Half.
Speaker 3:Half.
Speaker 5:Half prepared. So you've got the tent but no sleeping bag. I have the sleeping bag, no tent. The other person I'm going with has the tent.
Speaker 3:Do you have their sleeping bag too?
Speaker 5:No, they have their own sleeping bag, so they're fully prepared. I'm saying I'm half prepared because there's some fresher items, fresher food items.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, they're doing the s'more thing. Did you just add to the s'mores the banana?
Speaker 4:Oh she was talking about those around the dinner table the other night. I'll let her talk about it.
Speaker 5:There's some different kinds of bananas you can do too, besides just marshmallows and chocolate chips. There's like a Samoas one.
Speaker 3:Oh, stop it. But you gotta buy a coconut and then you're out there and you're like. You realize we didn't bring a salt. Did you bring the reciprocating?
Speaker 2:salt. With you At least a mallet and a screwdriver or something.
Speaker 5:Or peanut butter as well, peanut butter and chocolate chips and marshmallows.
Speaker 3:I like peanut butter and jelly. I like peanut butter straight out of the jaw on a spoon. I like peanut butter on a Ritz. Yes, and that's really where it ends for me Like the peanut butter on the ice cream oh no. I'm sorry, I do like it in a peanut butter cup. I ain't going to lie.
Speaker 2:I haven't had a peanut butter on a Ritz in so long. Well, oh, that's good.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we will it sounds like we're going to in about 15 minutes we have, so we have creamy and then we have extra crunchy.
Speaker 2:Can we get Don to get those set up in the green room next time, right Next week?
Speaker 4:I'm an extra crunchy, can we just get?
Speaker 2:Don. Yeah, let's get Don.
Speaker 5:But yeah, so I'm going to make up some of the food beforehand.
Speaker 3:Nice. Go and yep, just got to get you going to have the foil packets pre-made that way, you just throw them on there.
Speaker 5:I might, we'll see.
Speaker 3:I bet you could do that and put them into a Ziploc. They'd probably hold just fine.
Speaker 5:They probably would.
Speaker 3:Mm-hmm.
Speaker 5:Yep. So you know, things like ice, water, wood, that kind of stuff probably get right before I go.
Speaker 3:You get ice a few days ahead of time.
Speaker 5:I could sure.
Speaker 3:And then you'll have water, and then you'll have water.
Speaker 4:There it is.
Speaker 5:See, yeah, god what was I thinking?
Speaker 3:Right, yeah, and then they don't like. Allow you to harvest wood at campsites, right.
Speaker 5:They prefer. You do not correct.
Speaker 3:That's changed since I was a kid. So when I was a kid they encouraged you. It was part of how they kept the forest clean. They didn't want you to bring your wood because it may have bugs or something.
Speaker 2:There's a lot of places that don't want you to bring wood from out of state, at least, if not locally, because of bugs and diseases.
Speaker 5:Some of those private ones those private campgrounds. I'm like you just want me buying your $9 worth of four sticks of wood. Yeah, so, yeah, so we're going to try and bring some because, like you said, a lot of things are going to be more expensive if you get it from them?
Speaker 3:Sure, not all the time. I've been to some campgrounds that are great, but there are some that are definitely like.
Speaker 5:And it is a state park. They've got a marina or a store, general store, I think they have a little store right there, are you?
Speaker 3:bringing the kayaks.
Speaker 5:Just be careful if you decide to, yeah, don't tip over, don't tip over.
Speaker 3:That'd be so embarrassing. Can you imagine?
Speaker 5:how embarrassing that would be. Could over on it? That'd be so embarrassing, can you?
Speaker 3:imagine how embarrassing that would be. Can I borrow yours and put it on the top of my car? You can, yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 1:I'll let you borrow a couple Season three if you're interested in him.
Speaker 3:He'll probably put a link to it right here I'm just so mad, I didn't have the wherewithal to take a photo, or even a video. Well, it happened. So quickly, it did happen so quickly, we Even a video.
Speaker 4:Well, it happened so quickly. It did happen so quickly. So we joke when we get ice cubes out of the freezer that one always manages to hit the floor. It's like as you're filling your cup, one goes squirrely and then it shatters into a zillion pieces. So we call it, you know, giving a gift to the ice god or whatever.
Speaker 3:Okay, a sacrifice, yes, a sacrifice to the ice god or whatever, Sacrifice.
Speaker 4:yes, so Vince. In the world of fishing, there is a certain amount of tackle that you're allowed to lose while fishing as a sacrifice to the fishing gods.
Speaker 3:No one told Vince this.
Speaker 4:No, no Vince told it.
Speaker 2:I've lost lures and stuff.
Speaker 4:You're wrapped up in lilies, or you grab a stump in the water that you can't see. There's a certain amount of fishing tackle that you're allowed to give to the fishing gods. Well, on this specific episode three or season three adventure where we went camping, vince gave a lot to the fishing gods that day that did.
Speaker 2:Rod and reel. Rod and reel, prescription sunglasses, yep, oh, my Rod and reel Prescription.
Speaker 5:Sunglasses, yep oh my, you should be set for life now.
Speaker 4:Yep. But the main tackle boxes, those were spared.
Speaker 2:I did grab the backpack.
Speaker 4:You did.
Speaker 2:Yep, I did grab the backpack.
Speaker 3:Oh my gosh, this wet backpack. He tried to hand it to me. He's like can you put this in your canoe?
Speaker 2:And I'm like no, I'm going to flip over Because this thing now weighs 19 tons.
Speaker 3:Yeah, because all the water.
Speaker 2:All the water, yeah it was fun.
Speaker 3:It was a good day. It was a great day. You were a good sport. We still hung out.
Speaker 2:We still went. The funny thing in my mind, that whole thing after I went over and I'm treading water and there was a guy who had just just put in right next to us and he goes you're wearing a vest, you can float. Oh, you're right, I can float, yeah.
Speaker 4:It was a fun time.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I still went and paddled around with you. I couldn't fish anymore because I didn't have any gear, but I paddled around and hung out.
Speaker 3:And it was a good, decent wind, so you dried off pretty quick. I did.
Speaker 2:It was a fun day, except for losing $100 in fishing.
Speaker 4:Again, you have to give a certain amount to the fishing gods and you also have to wear a life jacket.
Speaker 3:It's a good idea.
Speaker 2:I'm a strong swimmer. So holding on to the boat, I'd have been okay. But when he said, reminded me that I'm wearing a vest, it's like, oh okay, now I can do what I need to do without having to try and hold on with one arm and the boat floats it does take a second to remember, though, that you are wearing a life jacket.
Speaker 3:So you know, we used to sail. My aunt and uncle made a 45 foot boat and you don't wear a life vest. Out there, a boat that big, you're not wearing a life vest. You know where they're at. In case you need to, because boats like that aren't typically flipping over quickly, there's usually like oh, something bad's happening. Everybody put your life vest on. You know you have time. A kayak goes over like lickety split Just just, and he's gone.
Speaker 3:So Eric and I were doing a kayaking out in I don't remember where. We were, some island, and so we were kayaking in some, uh, off some island or something, and the current was pretty bad. We were on tour. So we're like following, there's like 15, 20 of us and, uh, there's just one little spot where the water, like it's it's going up and down, probably like six or seven feet up and down, like it's that strong of a current, and so we're like okay, we can do this, we this, we can get through it. Everybody else did. And nope, we timed it wrong and we went through it and the tide started rising on one side and going down on the other and we just flipped right over and got in the water and it did like.
Speaker 3:So you pop out of the water pretty fast with life jacket on, but it does take a second to like. You're like paddling, and then you're like, oh, this is not necessary. So then it's like I remember yelling, are you okay? And Eric was like yeah, I'm fine. And then it's like okay, well, let's get over here. We flipped our kayak over and we were like all right, we got to think about how we're going to get back on this thing, and about the time that I'm like we need to figure out how we're going to get back on this thing. I hear the gas engine of the Kodiak, like the boat that's following us, like going to full speed, and I'm like, oh, they see us and sure enough, they come over there, they grab us, they pull us out of the water and then they put us right back on the kayak and they're like all, right, off you go. And then we had to do the same thing all over again.
Speaker 3:But, this time we were successful and it was really cool because I did lose our little bag that had the GoPro in it, had a few other things in there, maybe my phone even, and it actually the current was strong enough. It blew it against a rock and it was stuck on the rock and so our guide was able to go over there and grab it so we didn't lose everything. We lost a hat and some other stuff, but not the important things, the part of the story that you're neglecting to tell everyone.
Speaker 2:That I think is just amazing is that when the Kodiak came over, the way they got you out of the water and back on your kayak was with the little crane they had that they hooked to a loop on your, on your, on your, your life vest and raised you out of the water and held the kayak and just put you down, back down the kayak, and you were good to go.
Speaker 3:That would have been nice. No, it was an equa. It was an ecuadorian man who, like, reached in and was like he, even in in. In yanked us back on over like, like I'm not a small person, but uh, clearly this was not their first rodeo.
Speaker 2:Not their first rodeo, and then they grabbed.
Speaker 3:So one person in the front of the boat grabs the front of the kayak, the other person grabs the back of the kayak and they're like get on, it happened fast.
Speaker 4:Like they're like we're going to keep the tour going, get back on that boat quickly Like it was like go go, so we were able to get those. That was quite the experience.
Speaker 3:We did that on a cruise. When you get back on the cruise, everyone's like you're the guys that fell into the water. At least you didn't have that. We've only told everybody listening to the podcast.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly, I'm waiting for somebody to come through the yard and go. You're the guy who fell in the water.
Speaker 3:It will happen every single time now, please, please, please, please, every single time. Next time you see Vince, I'm going to try and record it when I have.
Speaker 5:Yes.
Speaker 4:You're going to have so much fun camping. I know I keep telling you that?
Speaker 3:but you are, they just start bringing you rods and reels.
Speaker 2:Yeah, okay, the little short ones like the Fisher-Price. They have Snoopy, they've all got a use. The Woodstock, they've all got a use.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I'm jealous of you. I'd love to go camping. I haven't been in quite some time.
Speaker 5:Well, just because it's Labor Day weekend doesn't mean it's over.
Speaker 3:There's no. No, you go the next weekend. Labor Day weekend there's no rope. I'm like Labor Day weekend, you're not going to find any camp, but the next weekend you might be able to. But I will be able to you know, we've got Bellum.
Speaker 4:Creek right here. I don't know why we don't go more often. Yeah, we should More often ever you mean ever, not at the end of the season.
Speaker 5:Just because it's Labor Day, it's not the end of the season, Well we're white anyway. So I mean that's a whole.
Speaker 2:For me it's sit on the Chris Craft boat in my all white, you know, with my hat on.
Speaker 5:I really want to see that.
Speaker 2:Well, I wore all white. Just recently, in December, I wore all white.
Speaker 4:That's almost a year ago.
Speaker 3:Okay, just recently.
Speaker 2:It's eight months ago.
Speaker 3:Well, that was when we were in the tundra and you were trying to blend in.
Speaker 2:Yes, that was when we were in the tundra and you were trying to blend in. Yes, it was. It was my camouflage, it was your camouflage.
Speaker 3:Well, real quick, before we go. A couple weeks ago, unfortunately, in the expediting community, eric and I lost a good friend of ours and a really great fleet owner. Sylvia owned Enroute Expediting or Trekking, with her husband, mike. It happened really fast. We were actually going to be hanging out with Sylvia and a few days later found out that she had passed away. Really kind of a kick in the neck, 57 years old, gone way too soon.
Speaker 3:We just want to take a moment to acknowledge that. I really want to wish Mike, you know, as much comfort and you know whatever you can say when this happens. I've never lost a spouse, but I have lost a parent and I do know what that felt like and how much pain that was. Her funeral was this past week and unfortunately I was not able to make it, but my memories of her are still very strong. Yeah, really miss her, really miss. She was a whippersnapper, a firecracker man. We'd go to these FedEx fleet enter meetings and she would light them up. I mean light them up. She had no shame when it came to calling FedEx out when they were not doing something right. Being a friend of ours, friend of the show, I just wanted to acknowledge her. I know she's up there now watching us live this rat race that we're in.
Speaker 5:Sympathies to the families.
Speaker 3:Absolutely, absolutely, mike. We're praying for you.
Speaker 1:Make sure you hit that thumbs up button. Hit the like button and the subscribe button if you like everything that we are talking about. If you would like to learn more about Highfield Trucking, you can check us out at highfieldtruckingcom. That's H-Y-F-I-E-L-D truckingcom. You can also give us a call if you're interested in talking to one of our recruiters or learning more about Highfield. That's 833-493-4353, option 1. That's 833-HIGHFIELD 333, highfield. Send us an email if you have any questions, comments about the show, suggestions, topics that you would like to hear about, and that is at theouterbellpodcast at gmailcom.
Speaker 3:Alright then. Well, in the meantime, everybody stay safe, make good decisions. Don't leave money on the table.
Speaker 1:And keep those wheels a-turning.
Speaker 4:Keep wearing them. Flip-flops Bye. Bye Keep wearing them flip flops Bye, bye, we'll see you next time.