A Guide To Safety & Incentives in the Trucking Industry w/Keith Sabel

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:05.040 You know, if the wages for driving a truck or get to to a 2 00:00:05.160 --> 00:00:10.919 point, then people that thought it was beneath them or not a good job, 3 00:00:11.519 --> 00:00:15.839 I think you'll change your mind. Welcome to the road forward, a 4 00:00:15.880 --> 00:00:20.839 podcast for trucking industry leaders. This is the show for industry that's like you, 5 00:00:20.920 --> 00:00:26.239 hard working, honest leaders who know there's promise around the next bend and 6 00:00:26.359 --> 00:00:30.359 exciting future for the trucking industry and a chance for your company to thrive. 7 00:00:30.399 --> 00:00:34.200 If you see the opportunity ahead but don't want to travel the tough road alone, 8 00:00:34.280 --> 00:00:37.479 join us, as we talked with business leaders finding their way forward and 9 00:00:37.560 --> 00:00:44.399 a changing industry. Let's get into the show, all right. So welcome 10 00:00:44.439 --> 00:00:50.320 to the road forward podcast. I'm here with Keats sable and we're going to 11 00:00:50.320 --> 00:00:57.159 be talking about, I think, mostly looking at ways that transporters are improving 12 00:00:57.159 --> 00:01:02.679 their safety or integrating safety into their processes and and what that looks like in 13 00:01:02.719 --> 00:01:11.120 today's world. Sables the owner president of Sable Steel Service ink and that's a 14 00:01:11.200 --> 00:01:15.920 six generation company. He's number five, his son's number six. been running 15 00:01:15.920 --> 00:01:19.840 it since make sure I have this rod key. One thousand eighteen fifty six. 16 00:01:19.359 --> 00:01:23.719 That's the bounding day. Yes, I haven't been running it since one 17 00:01:23.719 --> 00:01:26.200 thousand eighteen fifty six. I know I'm old, but I'm not that old. 18 00:01:26.280 --> 00:01:30.239 Oh, I thought you've okay, that was my bed. I I 19 00:01:30.280 --> 00:01:36.680 was confused. Under I bought the the company was sold to a New York 20 00:01:36.680 --> 00:01:42.319 company in the late S and I bought it back. I was here and 21 00:01:42.439 --> 00:01:47.159 president in one thousand nine hundred and ninety, but I bought it back from 22 00:01:47.200 --> 00:01:51.319 the New York concern in two thousand. The into two thousand. So I've 23 00:01:51.359 --> 00:01:57.599 been owner, manage, manager, managing for the last twenty one years or 24 00:01:57.680 --> 00:02:01.879 so. Twenty one years, and you know in that time what's changed? 25 00:02:01.959 --> 00:02:07.680 Unto Your Watch. Wow, you mean in regards to trucks specifically? Sure, 26 00:02:07.879 --> 00:02:14.479 specifically, I think trucks. Yeah, well, we one thing is 27 00:02:14.560 --> 00:02:22.400 we stopped company ownership, except except specialty trucks like like load luggers or roll 28 00:02:22.840 --> 00:02:29.680 roll up container trucks. We own those, but otherwise we least and we 29 00:02:30.360 --> 00:02:35.520 we have a turnover rate of about well, our leases run six years and 30 00:02:35.560 --> 00:02:40.199 at that point we replace them with newer vehicles so that our drivers are always 31 00:02:40.280 --> 00:02:46.639 driving good equipment and that goes a long way to the safety we also have 32 00:02:46.560 --> 00:02:53.360 many safety programs directed to all the workers, but drivers in particular. We 33 00:02:53.400 --> 00:02:59.759 gave out we gave out leather jackets, bomber type jackets, last year for 34 00:03:00.199 --> 00:03:07.520 drivers who had had no accidents or you know that that that were their fault. 35 00:03:07.719 --> 00:03:09.479 Okay, if you get run into at a at a stop signed, 36 00:03:09.599 --> 00:03:14.639 you know it ain't your fault. So so we did that and that went 37 00:03:14.639 --> 00:03:19.360 over well. We also included every employee that had been here twenty five years 38 00:03:19.439 --> 00:03:24.159 or more when the total ended up being forty three jackets. I'm trying to 39 00:03:24.319 --> 00:03:30.280 visualize these jackets. You said Jack's is like the Tom Cruise on the motorbike, 40 00:03:30.400 --> 00:03:36.080 you know, top gun bomber jacket kind of thing. Yes, yeah, 41 00:03:36.159 --> 00:03:38.319 that's cool. Yeah, does it have? Does it have any any 42 00:03:38.400 --> 00:03:43.759 logos or patches on it? Or is it you know, there canvas and 43 00:03:44.159 --> 00:03:51.159 it has stable steel and our logo, but it's embossed on it as as 44 00:03:51.240 --> 00:03:55.879 opposed to you know, Soda On. So it's there but it's not glaring, 45 00:03:58.159 --> 00:04:01.919 you know what I mean? Yeah, I wanted it so son actually, 46 00:04:02.199 --> 00:04:09.479 and the merchandise or told me it was going to look cheap, so 47 00:04:09.680 --> 00:04:12.840 I didn't. I don't want to be all the money for to look cheap, 48 00:04:13.319 --> 00:04:18.600 but we try. We compensate our drivers almost exclusively by the hour. 49 00:04:18.800 --> 00:04:25.879 We have one unit that's miledge that we had kind of inherited. We recently, 50 00:04:28.000 --> 00:04:32.839 about a year ago, gained some of our service fees and we we 51 00:04:32.959 --> 00:04:40.800 have a what we call a stop charge for customers that are buying under five 52 00:04:40.920 --> 00:04:46.240 hundred dollars worth product, and so they're quoted two ways or quoted fob our 53 00:04:46.319 --> 00:04:53.399 warehouse or the or delivered, and there's a seventy five dollar fee for delivered, 54 00:04:53.480 --> 00:05:00.680 which is cheap frankly. And our drivers we raise their stop Pai from 55 00:05:00.720 --> 00:05:08.519 a dollar a stop to five dollars a stop one because there's a lot of 56 00:05:08.519 --> 00:05:14.160 work involved in stopped and unchaining the load you've guide and making sure the right 57 00:05:14.279 --> 00:05:19.680 products unloaded off the truck and then, of course, retrain rechaining or binding 58 00:05:20.279 --> 00:05:29.360 the load after and also we wanted them to have a positive note if the 59 00:05:29.399 --> 00:05:34.279 customers question the charge. And so it worked very, very well. We've 60 00:05:34.319 --> 00:05:44.439 also gone to automatic transmissions when our units roll over from Standard Shift and we've 61 00:05:44.480 --> 00:05:49.680 been stock. We've installed cameras. We also have a lot of training courses. 62 00:05:49.800 --> 00:05:58.800 We just had a drivers training session last in the last week and we 63 00:05:58.839 --> 00:06:02.319 had them come in bury her lay in our safety person, who's a real 64 00:06:02.519 --> 00:06:08.480 cracker Jack are ball. Well, you know, she's like the cheerleader of 65 00:06:08.480 --> 00:06:14.879 safety and it's really, really good compared to where we were. The last 66 00:06:14.920 --> 00:06:19.639 safety manager was a Talker, but doing seem to be not part of his 67 00:06:19.720 --> 00:06:25.360 job performance. So now I have a doer and a Talker, which is 68 00:06:25.360 --> 00:06:30.079 okay, and she's very into it and it comes across to the workers, 69 00:06:30.120 --> 00:06:34.720 which is, you know, what's important. We're trying to change the culture 70 00:06:35.000 --> 00:06:40.399 here from being you know, yeah, we want to be saved, to 71 00:06:40.480 --> 00:06:46.040 buy Guid we're going to be safe, and so we've installed cameras in the 72 00:06:46.079 --> 00:06:50.920 trucks, particularly forward looking cameras. I can't say it's prevented any accidents. 73 00:06:50.959 --> 00:06:56.199 I mean I don't know that, but they've been some close calls that were 74 00:06:56.240 --> 00:07:01.360 captured on video. They really demonstrated our driver doing what he's supposed to do 75 00:07:01.680 --> 00:07:06.279 and how to avoid a problem. And you know, avoiding an accident is 76 00:07:06.920 --> 00:07:11.560 how do you put that into books? If you have an accident, you 77 00:07:11.600 --> 00:07:14.079 know how it goes to books. It just you know, it's a big 78 00:07:14.120 --> 00:07:19.000 dollar hit and nobody happy. Yeah, and that's, I think, something 79 00:07:19.040 --> 00:07:25.160 that a lot of operator struggle with is, you know, correlating safety to 80 00:07:25.319 --> 00:07:28.800 the books. It's, like you say, if you have an accident, 81 00:07:28.839 --> 00:07:34.040 obviously nobody's happy and that'll definitely show up on the on the bottom line. 82 00:07:34.199 --> 00:07:39.160 But if the books even even still there, if the books even still in 83 00:07:39.199 --> 00:07:44.319 the room. But in what ways do we look at safety financially, I 84 00:07:44.319 --> 00:07:46.040 guess, and you know, how do we? How do we make that 85 00:07:46.079 --> 00:07:51.959 calculation? How do we know what's smart investment and what's not? Well, 86 00:07:53.000 --> 00:07:57.120 I mean some of it just has to be gut level. I mean because 87 00:07:57.279 --> 00:08:00.319 you know, you can't prove things. You can't put a price on things 88 00:08:00.319 --> 00:08:03.240 that have it happened. You there are a lot of things in business kind 89 00:08:03.240 --> 00:08:07.839 of like that, where you have to make a decision about investing in something 90 00:08:07.959 --> 00:08:13.600 that's not actually a generator of profits that but it might be a savor of 91 00:08:13.720 --> 00:08:16.240 profits. And that's the way I look at it. And the thing is, 92 00:08:16.279 --> 00:08:22.839 if you have a bad driving record, your insurance costs go through the 93 00:08:22.959 --> 00:08:28.000 roof. And in my lovely state, we're headquarters, is an Alabama tort 94 00:08:28.079 --> 00:08:33.039 reform has not to have been an effort made by the legislature. So they're 95 00:08:33.360 --> 00:08:37.600 some crazy awards that are given and appealed and you know, still a lot 96 00:08:37.639 --> 00:08:43.960 of money changes hands, and so we're trying to avoid those kind of problems 97 00:08:45.000 --> 00:08:50.000 and I've never figured out how to, you know, monetize it, but 98 00:08:50.200 --> 00:08:58.559 it's just common sense. Are Driving record through. About five years ago we 99 00:08:58.600 --> 00:09:05.600 had a couple of incidents that were bad and not necessarily our driver's fault, 100 00:09:05.600 --> 00:09:11.600 but you know, we ended up in suits and the insurance coming he paid 101 00:09:11.639 --> 00:09:16.559 off and you know, so they just Jackhammeron our rates and so in a 102 00:09:16.639 --> 00:09:20.639 way, you know, if you want to, you can justify your expense 103 00:09:22.039 --> 00:09:28.440 on the premise that if you record is gets to be excellent, your your 104 00:09:28.519 --> 00:09:33.919 radill go down. Until tort reform is universal. I mean in my mind, 105 00:09:35.320 --> 00:09:45.000 truck accidents other than wilful negligence should be like workmen's compensation, where there's 106 00:09:45.039 --> 00:09:50.960 a you know, there's a table of payouts for various asundry injuries or damage 107 00:09:52.120 --> 00:10:00.279 caused or you know, whatever the parameters would be. But so that cases 108 00:10:00.600 --> 00:10:05.039 don't go to court just because they can, it needs to be they go 109 00:10:05.159 --> 00:10:09.519 to court because there's a definite reason for it. You know, if my 110 00:10:09.720 --> 00:10:16.960 drivers driving a hundred miles an hour and runs over a school bus, I'd 111 00:10:16.000 --> 00:10:20.360 say we were the cause. You know I mean, on the other hand, 112 00:10:20.399 --> 00:10:24.559 at the school bus pulls out in front of my driver and he's driving 113 00:10:24.600 --> 00:10:28.039 the speed limit. Whose fault is that, you know? And and so 114 00:10:28.240 --> 00:10:35.039 it's it needs. It be very good for the trucking industry if some, 115 00:10:35.320 --> 00:10:39.919 if some of these changes were made. I've heard the scenario before, but 116 00:10:39.000 --> 00:10:43.759 I always liked it whenever we added the school bus full and nuns. That 117 00:10:43.799 --> 00:10:46.600 one always quatia. Yeah, we're those are the good nuns, are the 118 00:10:46.639 --> 00:10:56.759 bad nuns? But anyway. Also, I also have a major gripe with 119 00:10:56.080 --> 00:11:05.840 dot in that they're generally they like all government rules there. They seem to 120 00:11:05.879 --> 00:11:13.039 be made for every you know, it fits everyone, when when they don't, 121 00:11:13.720 --> 00:11:18.279 like now we have a driver shortage, I was looking back at some 122 00:11:18.360 --> 00:11:26.720 notes for another reason and stumble upon a conversation that we had in North American 123 00:11:26.799 --> 00:11:31.159 Steel Lines Board Room, and this was eight, nine years ago, talking 124 00:11:31.200 --> 00:11:35.960 about driver shortage. So it's obviously gotten worse and some of it is the 125 00:11:37.039 --> 00:11:41.919 rules that dot put in and some of its age factor and some of its 126 00:11:41.039 --> 00:11:48.320 covid but what they haven't done is change the hours of service that are driver 127 00:11:48.519 --> 00:11:56.159 can drive. When you have containers stacked up at the port where they're not 128 00:11:56.279 --> 00:12:01.799 hauling them to Kansas City from long beach each but they're going to outside of 129 00:12:01.799 --> 00:12:07.240 the city to a distribution center some sort, you know where an hour trip 130 00:12:07.360 --> 00:12:11.799 would if you got an hour of extra service, you could make a one 131 00:12:11.840 --> 00:12:15.399 more trip. Times how many other drivers they are doing this, which is 132 00:12:15.440 --> 00:12:20.200 a lot, I mean, and that's just an example, but that hasn't 133 00:12:20.279 --> 00:12:24.279 been brought up in any conversation I've heard. I mean I've called my senator's 134 00:12:24.360 --> 00:12:30.279 office and talked to the staff, of course, because you know, getting 135 00:12:30.279 --> 00:12:33.679 a senator I think you could get the pope quicker than a senator. So 136 00:12:35.879 --> 00:12:39.480 anyway, I mean. So I've tried from my avenue, you know, 137 00:12:39.679 --> 00:12:45.799 to plant the seed and you could make a temporary you know, you sure 138 00:12:45.919 --> 00:12:50.519 you could say for the twenty two we're going to do this and then it'll 139 00:12:50.559 --> 00:12:52.799 be reviewed at the end of two thousand two. If the driver shortage is 140 00:12:52.879 --> 00:12:58.320 much better, which I doubt, then you could cancel it and go back 141 00:12:58.320 --> 00:13:03.960 to the old rule. But that seems like see, that would provide flexibility 142 00:13:03.960 --> 00:13:13.480 for our owner operators and the government doesn't get it, particularly discovernment. Couple 143 00:13:13.519 --> 00:13:18.000 of things. I think what you're bringing up remind me of our read something 144 00:13:18.080 --> 00:13:22.919 recently about a little bit of tort reform in Texas, State that I'm located 145 00:13:24.000 --> 00:13:30.000 in, so it's came across my feed and but it was related to doctors. 146 00:13:30.200 --> 00:13:33.799 They limited maybe ten years ago, the amount of pain and suffering that 147 00:13:33.840 --> 00:13:39.519 could be paid out in Texas to two hundred fifty thous and what that did 148 00:13:39.559 --> 00:13:46.360 was drastically reduce the number of malpractice claims that were filed in Texas because pain 149 00:13:46.440 --> 00:13:50.320 and suffering, I mean other than medical expenses or what those suits pay out 150 00:13:50.320 --> 00:13:54.720 in legal expenses, but pain and suffering, was that that kind of that 151 00:13:54.879 --> 00:13:58.840 empty or that never, never empty bucket. They could just make it as 152 00:13:58.879 --> 00:14:03.279 big as they want to and that's what the the lawyers really went after for 153 00:14:03.399 --> 00:14:09.320 that big payout. But now that that's capped two hundred fifty thousand, nobody, 154 00:14:09.519 --> 00:14:11.720 you know in the the big time payout world thinks it's worth it defile 155 00:14:13.000 --> 00:14:18.320 malpractice claims in Texas. And so legitimate claims are still filed, but the 156 00:14:18.320 --> 00:14:22.360 the huge you know a million dollar, the multimillion dollar claims. It just 157 00:14:22.399 --> 00:14:28.840 doesn't happen anymore. So there's definitely examples of what you're talking about and I 158 00:14:28.879 --> 00:14:35.279 think they could directly apply. I grew up in the world where incentives work 159 00:14:37.600 --> 00:14:41.759 and their question is is a good intend they were Baddington it many if you 160 00:14:41.759 --> 00:14:46.840 pay people not to work, a lot of people are not going to work, 161 00:14:46.960 --> 00:14:50.279 and the same thing with lawsuit to if you take away the easy money. 162 00:14:50.799 --> 00:14:54.960 You know, I'm sure there's some cases said are worth more than two 163 00:14:56.000 --> 00:15:01.159 hundred and Fiftyzero, but not very many. And how do you qualify pain 164 00:15:01.279 --> 00:15:05.639 and suffering anyway? I mean I've had three surgeries in last six years. 165 00:15:05.799 --> 00:15:11.480 I know a lot about pain and what it does to you. Old Can 166 00:15:11.559 --> 00:15:15.080 do to you or does do to you for a period of time, and 167 00:15:15.240 --> 00:15:20.720 so it's hard to qualify something like that in two dollars. But the concept 168 00:15:20.799 --> 00:15:24.799 is correct. You know, it's like in California. Well, you have 169 00:15:24.919 --> 00:15:30.159 to go up and steal a nine hundred forty eight nine dollars worth and we 170 00:15:30.279 --> 00:15:35.919 won't prose to keep you at all gid. I wonder what happened with shoplifting 171 00:15:35.000 --> 00:15:41.320 rate so right and sure we're well. I guess before I put this forth, 172 00:15:41.360 --> 00:15:46.600 maybe I'll ask you. Do you think our transportation industry right now, 173 00:15:46.639 --> 00:15:50.080 our logistics, is in a crisis? If you think we're still in a 174 00:15:50.120 --> 00:15:56.279 crunch, that we need to do things like take temporary measures on hours of 175 00:15:56.320 --> 00:16:00.919 service, or do you think that it's largely started to dissipate? No, 176 00:16:00.159 --> 00:16:06.600 it's here. It's still here. It's going to take a long time. 177 00:16:06.639 --> 00:16:12.240 I mean some of the Democrats. I think it's Democrats and anyway doesn't matter. 178 00:16:12.720 --> 00:16:18.919 We're trying to promote tractor trailer drivers or CDL license applicate applicants could start 179 00:16:19.000 --> 00:16:26.080 eighteen. I'm I'm really against that, not because I don't want more drivers, 180 00:16:26.080 --> 00:16:30.799 but you know, eighteen was a long time ago for me. Okay, 181 00:16:30.879 --> 00:16:36.399 but I still remember having lived through. My son is now thirty five, 182 00:16:36.440 --> 00:16:41.000 but half a lifetime ago he was eighteen. I wouldn't have wanted him 183 00:16:41.000 --> 00:16:45.279 in a truck, I mean other than a pickup truck. I mean it's 184 00:16:45.799 --> 00:16:52.039 the the ability. The mind has not formed fully at that age and there's 185 00:16:52.120 --> 00:16:56.159 too many distractions. So I that's not going to I don't think that's going 186 00:16:56.200 --> 00:17:02.600 to fly. The answer is, what's happening, I think, which is 187 00:17:02.639 --> 00:17:12.240 the price of hiring a driver is gone way up and it's going to continue 188 00:17:12.279 --> 00:17:18.839 to until we it's supplying to man in my boat. You know, if 189 00:17:18.880 --> 00:17:23.599 the wages for driving a truck or get to to a point, then people 190 00:17:23.799 --> 00:17:30.480 that thought it was beneath them or not a good job, I think you'll 191 00:17:30.599 --> 00:17:33.680 change their minds. I mean, if they can make eightyzero dollars a year 192 00:17:34.279 --> 00:17:40.000 without driving from coast to coast, they'll be more applicants for the work and 193 00:17:40.079 --> 00:17:45.319 it'll the market will solve it if the government doesn't screw it up. That's 194 00:17:45.400 --> 00:17:51.680 just the way reality is and it takes time and it's unfortunate. I mean 195 00:17:51.759 --> 00:17:57.640 we struggle for the hire drivers as well as it. You know, workers 196 00:17:59.079 --> 00:18:03.079 buzz. As a business owner, you know you have to adapt and it 197 00:18:03.119 --> 00:18:07.920 sounds like you guys have been pretty slick on adapting to these changes and from 198 00:18:07.920 --> 00:18:14.440 what I'm hearing, you guys have focused on safety and driver satisfaction kind of 199 00:18:14.440 --> 00:18:18.839 at the same time. With the leases every six years you have new equipment. 200 00:18:19.640 --> 00:18:26.359 You're focusing on improving your equipment. You mentioned that you've incentivized your drivers 201 00:18:26.519 --> 00:18:32.400 on that the drops to kind of be more customer service focused with how you 202 00:18:32.440 --> 00:18:37.240 structure those, those types of things, and it's it's slightly tweaking what you're 203 00:18:37.279 --> 00:18:44.519 doing to change attitudes. It sounds like, to make the attitude from we 204 00:18:44.559 --> 00:18:47.640 have to do this to, you know, we get to, we want 205 00:18:47.720 --> 00:18:52.559 to. This is part of our professional work. Yes, it, you 206 00:18:52.599 --> 00:18:56.559 know, morale. That's another thing. Hard. How do you measure the 207 00:18:56.599 --> 00:19:00.839 good or the bad? You know, with Moralem if you have good morale, 208 00:19:03.079 --> 00:19:07.880 your your business, your operation, whatever it is, should be is 209 00:19:07.920 --> 00:19:17.119 efficient as your tools allow. If you have bad morale, it's you bleed 210 00:19:17.160 --> 00:19:22.119 money in places you don't even realize you're bleeding from until there's too late. 211 00:19:22.799 --> 00:19:30.039 It's it's critical to me. It's critical for every level of I work force 212 00:19:30.359 --> 00:19:37.640 to be rewarded appropriately, incentivized where possible. Like we have a man hour 213 00:19:37.759 --> 00:19:42.440 per ton and saying if that rewards the the warehouse workers, but also the 214 00:19:42.480 --> 00:19:48.039 truck drivers, since they're handling it, delivering most of the product. It 215 00:19:48.119 --> 00:19:56.079 is certainly outbound, inbound. We use mostly the mills, arrange the trucking 216 00:19:56.359 --> 00:20:02.599 for inbound materials and we handle all of the outbound, you know, with 217 00:20:02.720 --> 00:20:07.960 a rare exception, and if my if my guys don't, you know, 218 00:20:07.119 --> 00:20:14.839 do the job right, then either the customer doesn't get the material they wanted 219 00:20:15.200 --> 00:20:22.519 or they get it but it's the incorrect size or length or with or whatever, 220 00:20:22.599 --> 00:20:26.240 the dimensions of the type of steel it is. And so, you 221 00:20:26.319 --> 00:20:34.519 know, the whole process is is everybody is involved, and what I've told 222 00:20:34.559 --> 00:20:41.359 my managers is, you know, you guys think y'all are great inside selling 223 00:20:41.440 --> 00:20:45.599 steel and and you're good, I grant you, but if the guys outside 224 00:20:45.599 --> 00:20:52.599 don't get it done, you won't have a job because you'd lose your customer 225 00:20:52.680 --> 00:20:56.160 base. It's really easy. I don't understand why people fight it, but 226 00:20:56.640 --> 00:21:03.559 mostly they don't. Anymore. When I put the man our present men are 227 00:21:03.640 --> 00:21:12.119 pretuning sending Ben we had two hundred and ninety something employees. After putting that 228 00:21:12.240 --> 00:21:21.119 in, I've added two branches since then, really cree and we now have 229 00:21:21.319 --> 00:21:26.200 two hundred and forty two employees. And the reason is when we used to 230 00:21:26.240 --> 00:21:32.319 lose a guy, good old joe would retire, say all the workers that 231 00:21:32.400 --> 00:21:34.559 man, we got to get Joe's replacement. Yeah, I get Joe's replacement. 232 00:21:34.680 --> 00:21:38.039 Well, when you and it's not easy to find people. So when 233 00:21:38.119 --> 00:21:41.519 Joe left and there was a you know, quote a whole in the employment 234 00:21:42.240 --> 00:21:47.119 and then they saw their check go up a little bit they went would a 235 00:21:47.160 --> 00:21:52.119 minute, maybe we don't need old Joe so much. And you know, 236 00:21:52.279 --> 00:22:00.079 over time better material handling equipment to but over time, you know, we 237 00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:04.440 were able to reduce our workforce to the appropriate level and we're still a little 238 00:22:04.480 --> 00:22:12.519 short, frankly, but we're able to overcome it with overtime. And you 239 00:22:12.559 --> 00:22:18.279 know, one of the hardest things to find. Well, it's like I 240 00:22:18.319 --> 00:22:23.000 told my son before he started work right after college. You know, it's 241 00:22:23.039 --> 00:22:30.079 all about give a shit. And that's true and every level. If you 242 00:22:30.119 --> 00:22:34.480 have employees that really care, you're going to be a much better company. 243 00:22:36.160 --> 00:22:38.759 If they don't give a shit, you're going to be much worse company. 244 00:22:40.200 --> 00:22:45.359 And trying to find people that really care is it's hard enough to find a 245 00:22:45.359 --> 00:22:51.240 warm body that will pass a drug cast, but it's less somebody that really 246 00:22:51.279 --> 00:22:56.559 wants to work. That one government. It's true. I mean son, 247 00:22:56.119 --> 00:23:03.680 I've a huge promoter of the employee level, truck drivers. Maybe a little 248 00:23:03.720 --> 00:23:08.480 extra for the truck drivers just because of the job they do. You know, 249 00:23:08.559 --> 00:23:12.799 in our and we're not delivering band loads of stuff, you know, 250 00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:17.440 from point a to point B, dropping the trailer, picking up and empty 251 00:23:17.480 --> 00:23:22.799 and going back to plant. You know, point A. we're we have, 252 00:23:22.680 --> 00:23:26.160 you know, from one stop to say, twelve, thirteen, fourteen 253 00:23:26.240 --> 00:23:32.880 in cases per per route, per day, and you got to be hustling 254 00:23:32.920 --> 00:23:40.519 and, you know, polite and and adhere to whatever health situations or in 255 00:23:40.680 --> 00:23:45.920 order at that particular plant, like mask and social distancing and all the other, 256 00:23:47.039 --> 00:23:52.720 you know, little rules people adopt. So I don't know the answer, 257 00:23:53.160 --> 00:23:57.400 except I think. I think one of our problems has been our education 258 00:23:57.559 --> 00:24:10.200 system for decades, promoting college over anything else and working with your hands, 259 00:24:10.319 --> 00:24:17.839 being a drug driver is was look down upon, even though without drug drivers 260 00:24:17.839 --> 00:24:22.759 we'd all starve. I mean, except those who live on a farm that 261 00:24:22.839 --> 00:24:27.640 actually produce something. Maybe they could get by on their own crop, but 262 00:24:27.839 --> 00:24:32.880 the rest of us, we got to go to the store and it gets 263 00:24:32.920 --> 00:24:37.319 there by truck. I mean maybe a little rail, but very low. 264 00:24:38.119 --> 00:24:45.599 I can't imagine fresh produce arriving by rail because it would never be free. 265 00:24:45.680 --> 00:24:49.359 Maybe the the top stock would be and stuff that's been sitting on the bottom 266 00:24:49.359 --> 00:24:53.279 of the rail car might be a little tough. But just for our listeners, 267 00:24:53.319 --> 00:25:00.240 one thing I will mention that just a little bit more about Keith's business, 268 00:25:00.279 --> 00:25:03.319 since we delved into some of the the other operations. Keith, you 269 00:25:03.359 --> 00:25:07.519 guys distribute steel to the mills, like you mentioned them. I'm sure you 270 00:25:07.519 --> 00:25:15.799 have other customers as well. You also receive recycled scrap parts back and you 271 00:25:15.799 --> 00:25:21.759 work with those. You're able to organize them do some light fabrication out of 272 00:25:21.799 --> 00:25:26.400 them as well as some some rebar fabrication. You mentioned two construction sites. 273 00:25:26.440 --> 00:25:30.240 You guys de Liver. So there's some some warehouse and some US, some 274 00:25:30.519 --> 00:25:34.240 fibork, it sounds like, on your premises, along with the other logistics. 275 00:25:34.319 --> 00:25:37.839 Yes, I mean we do not deliver to the mills. We deliver 276 00:25:38.920 --> 00:25:44.680 to our customer base that doesn't buy from the mills, can't buy from the 277 00:25:44.720 --> 00:25:48.480 mills or chooses not to buy from the mills. But we buy from the 278 00:25:48.519 --> 00:25:55.160 mills and so that that part of the trucking from mill to us is handled 279 00:25:55.160 --> 00:25:59.640 by the mill. It's from us out to our customer base. In the 280 00:25:59.759 --> 00:26:08.359 scrap recycling division we have hundreds and hundreds of hands containers, for everyone to 281 00:26:08.400 --> 00:26:15.640 call them, that are spotted at industrial sites would for their productive for the 282 00:26:15.680 --> 00:26:19.960 scrap production that comes from making their product, whatever that is, as well 283 00:26:21.000 --> 00:26:27.640 as trailers and demolition site that kind of thing. We also are open to 284 00:26:27.680 --> 00:26:36.480 the public and so they deliver to us and their conveyance. Then we take 285 00:26:36.519 --> 00:26:44.240 the scrap and process it to the steel mill or foundry specifications, which has 286 00:26:44.319 --> 00:26:48.680 to do with thickness of the product, width and length and, of course, 287 00:26:48.680 --> 00:26:53.079 type of steel product it is. There's lots of alloys. We've been 288 00:26:53.119 --> 00:27:00.160 doing that the longest. We really got into the scrap business because, as 289 00:27:00.240 --> 00:27:07.160 after the civil war down south anyway, there wasn't any money and confederate money 290 00:27:07.160 --> 00:27:15.200 didn't buy anything and it took a long time for US dollars to come to 291 00:27:15.279 --> 00:27:19.400 the south and the same volume that it was in the north. So farmers 292 00:27:19.400 --> 00:27:26.440 who needed leather goods, which is what our original business was, harnesses and 293 00:27:26.519 --> 00:27:32.200 that kind of thing. And you know, mules, oxen and horses was 294 00:27:32.279 --> 00:27:37.119 the motor so they had to have new harness wear and they patched as long 295 00:27:37.160 --> 00:27:40.960 as they could, but it, you know, things we're out. So 296 00:27:41.039 --> 00:27:47.519 well we did is we would trade, you know, a set of harnesses 297 00:27:47.759 --> 00:27:52.920 for scrap iron that they or metals, any metals that they may have on 298 00:27:52.960 --> 00:27:59.559 their farm. And that's really how we got into the metal side. So 299 00:27:59.599 --> 00:28:07.519 we bartered it first and then it it became, you know, money transaction, 300 00:28:07.319 --> 00:28:11.279 not on they wasn't that long. But when I started, when I 301 00:28:11.319 --> 00:28:15.400 was a teenager out here and I was taken to look at stuff. The 302 00:28:15.480 --> 00:28:22.480 owners wanted us to bid see had pilosed up over there. Boy, yes, 303 00:28:22.559 --> 00:28:29.440 sir, what's it worth? They wanted a lump some price and I 304 00:28:29.440 --> 00:28:34.920 wouldn't do it because I can honestly admit I can't tell how much that ways 305 00:28:34.960 --> 00:28:38.880 over there. I meaning if if I'm going to buy it that way, 306 00:28:38.920 --> 00:28:44.599 I'm going to head it to protect myself. So why don't we just weigh 307 00:28:44.599 --> 00:28:48.839 it as it comes in and I'll tell you what it's worth? A hundredweight 308 00:28:48.000 --> 00:28:52.519 or by the pound or whatever, anyway you want it and we weigh it 309 00:28:52.599 --> 00:29:00.079 and that's it. And that in our area took over. I think it's 310 00:29:00.160 --> 00:29:06.480 nationwide now. Not that I'm the originator of the concept, but that's a 311 00:29:06.519 --> 00:29:10.119 big change that was made. So anyway we get the materially and cut it 312 00:29:10.240 --> 00:29:14.559 up, bail it up, shear it up, tort it up to hand 313 00:29:14.640 --> 00:29:21.119 separated. If at times separated into the different commodities. With that we have 314 00:29:21.240 --> 00:29:26.799 buyers for and make sure it's ready to go and then ship to the consumer. 315 00:29:26.720 --> 00:29:34.640 Rebar Fab is actually my father started that part of our business and about 316 00:29:34.680 --> 00:29:47.279 sixty years ago now. And we take plans from the architect and take off 317 00:29:48.240 --> 00:29:52.480 what's in the plan, what the what the stroke of the engineers and architects 318 00:29:52.640 --> 00:30:00.000 designed for the slab and any any other parts that need reinforcing bars and we 319 00:30:00.079 --> 00:30:07.160 take it off, meaning we when you look through the drawings, you'll see 320 00:30:07.440 --> 00:30:12.440 indications of what bars, what size bar and how many and how long, 321 00:30:12.920 --> 00:30:18.319 and we accumulate all that data and tap, you know, totals and then 322 00:30:18.519 --> 00:30:26.680 bid to the contractor, or contractors. Actually, that business has changed a 323 00:30:26.759 --> 00:30:32.799 lot. Used to be the contractors pretty much, you know, did all 324 00:30:32.839 --> 00:30:37.920 that work. Now it's more specialized where kincrete and rebar or kind of bid 325 00:30:37.920 --> 00:30:45.200 together for the contractor, which makes sense on their end, and and if 326 00:30:45.240 --> 00:30:51.000 we win the bid, then we fabricate according to their schedule and delivered to 327 00:30:51.079 --> 00:30:56.519 the job site. That's a tough business, frankly, but because we compete 328 00:30:56.559 --> 00:31:03.640 with rebar manufacturers, the guys that make bar, they claim they sell us 329 00:31:03.680 --> 00:31:10.799 at the same price that they sell their own facilities. I've got some bridges 330 00:31:10.839 --> 00:31:15.519 I like to offer you if you believe that Shit. And I actually had 331 00:31:15.559 --> 00:31:23.119 an insider at a major steel mill who now work for someone else, told 332 00:31:23.160 --> 00:31:29.079 me what they did and the invoices were the same. It was just done 333 00:31:29.119 --> 00:31:34.000 on the books at the end of an accounting period. They you know, 334 00:31:34.039 --> 00:31:38.880 they just make a book entry and then they could lie to their customers who 335 00:31:38.920 --> 00:31:45.839 will buying bars from them, without exactly lying right correct it's off from some 336 00:31:45.920 --> 00:31:48.720 kind of rebait or something. Yeah, volume discount whatever. Yeah, I 337 00:31:48.799 --> 00:31:56.920 mean, anyway, trucking is essential in our business. There's we could do 338 00:31:57.039 --> 00:32:02.160 nothing without it, you know. So when I took over the scrap department 339 00:32:02.359 --> 00:32:12.720 in s this is my forty eight year here and my fifty year as actually 340 00:32:12.799 --> 00:32:17.880 be fifty one years, and with steel. But when I started here the 341 00:32:17.880 --> 00:32:24.200 scrap department had all the whole hand me downs from the Steel Department because the 342 00:32:24.240 --> 00:32:29.680 steel department was much bigger and more profitable. And I mean I understood the 343 00:32:29.720 --> 00:32:34.000 logic, but the fact of the matter was that the scrap industry was changing 344 00:32:34.079 --> 00:32:40.559 to and when I took over we ship ninety nine percent of our product by 345 00:32:40.680 --> 00:32:47.519 rail right now. The it's about ninety nine percent by truck. Well, 346 00:32:47.519 --> 00:32:55.799 the railroad doesn't particularly like small shippers and they make that known by the rates 347 00:32:55.880 --> 00:33:04.640 they charge for car, for Hall's, and they're so inefficient for small shippers. 348 00:33:04.960 --> 00:33:07.319 I won't say they are for the trainload guys because I don't know. 349 00:33:08.400 --> 00:33:13.960 Imagine they're pretty good on those. But so if I load a railroad car 350 00:33:14.160 --> 00:33:22.119 today shipping into Birmingham, which is ninety hundred miles, it's two weeks before, 351 00:33:22.160 --> 00:33:25.880 at the minimum, before I get a weight so I can't bill it 352 00:33:27.039 --> 00:33:31.559 for minimum a two weeks. With a truck we go up today, we 353 00:33:31.640 --> 00:33:37.200 have the weight ticket this afternoon and if we were in a hurry we could 354 00:33:37.200 --> 00:33:40.799 invoice it this afternoon, you know. So there's a lot of reasons that 355 00:33:40.880 --> 00:33:47.319 we went to truck. In fact, we redesigned our scrap yard to not 356 00:33:47.400 --> 00:33:55.319 to exclude rail but to foster more and better truck loading and unloading so we 357 00:33:55.359 --> 00:34:01.519 could, you know, get our tons out and steel mills went from any 358 00:34:01.599 --> 00:34:09.559 kind of trailer was okay to only dump trailers now or allowed to deliver scrap 359 00:34:09.639 --> 00:34:14.320 to the mills and boundaries. So you you know you really have to buy 360 00:34:14.360 --> 00:34:20.000 the right kind of equipment also to be able to continue, you know, 361 00:34:20.079 --> 00:34:22.239 to continue to ship them, or you have to go back to rail, 362 00:34:22.320 --> 00:34:28.760 which obviously doesn't self. Dumb and D paid much more money per ton to 363 00:34:28.800 --> 00:34:32.960 deliver it and eight, you know, many times longer to bill it. 364 00:34:34.079 --> 00:34:37.800 And for us, the city of Montgomery, which is the only place we 365 00:34:37.840 --> 00:34:43.599 operate scrap yards, doesn't have a rail scale, so when it gets to 366 00:34:43.639 --> 00:34:51.480 Birmingham or wherever is going, we have nothing that we can't really claim anything 367 00:34:52.039 --> 00:34:57.800 if we think it's been pilfered. And when scrap prices are high, there's 368 00:34:57.880 --> 00:35:04.119 a lot of off track mischief we just called back going on where they throw 369 00:35:04.400 --> 00:35:07.360 stuff off the top. Two guys on the bottom who load it in their 370 00:35:07.440 --> 00:35:13.360 trube could manage. It's an active business in some places, but as long 371 00:35:13.440 --> 00:35:16.519 as it's not worth, you know, more than nine hundred and ninety eight 372 00:35:16.559 --> 00:35:21.199 dollars. Right, it's fine. It's not. What's that? The prome? 373 00:35:21.400 --> 00:35:24.400 And Forty Eight, not forty yeah and fifty. You, you know 374 00:35:24.840 --> 00:35:30.559 your bad boy. Now, forty nine, you okay. Right, so 375 00:35:30.679 --> 00:35:36.119 trucks. Trucks are essential to your business. I mean obviously to the the 376 00:35:36.199 --> 00:35:40.840 nation. We know this and we've got we've got a couple of hurdles to 377 00:35:42.320 --> 00:35:46.719 jump through, jump over with our laws and and with our legal system, 378 00:35:46.719 --> 00:35:52.039 but we're managing to to navigate it. It sounds like you guys have done 379 00:35:53.000 --> 00:35:58.800 fairly good job at rolling with the punches some what's next is on my mind. 380 00:35:58.840 --> 00:36:02.159 What what do you guys looking forward to? And Your Business, you 381 00:36:02.199 --> 00:36:06.920 know, with with truck says a key component of it. That that you'd 382 00:36:06.960 --> 00:36:09.920 like to see your maybe that you're you'd like your son to dive into. 383 00:36:10.000 --> 00:36:15.519 Well, you know, there's a lot of talk about self driving trucks. 384 00:36:15.559 --> 00:36:22.920 That gives me the absolute Willie's. I just I don't think I could handle 385 00:36:23.000 --> 00:36:30.519 it driving on that. So if that comes, you know, it certainly 386 00:36:30.559 --> 00:36:34.719 won't be in my life, business life, or life for that matter. 387 00:36:34.840 --> 00:36:42.000 I mean maybe it happened. Electrification of trucks will happen when the battery bit, 388 00:36:42.119 --> 00:36:47.400 the battery storage side, is worked out. I mean my trucks drive? 389 00:36:49.239 --> 00:36:53.840 No, I don't know about probably both ways roughly average a couple of 390 00:36:53.920 --> 00:37:00.239 hundred miles a trip. Sometimes it might be up to three hundred. There 391 00:37:00.239 --> 00:37:07.960 the infrastructure for electric trucks is, you know, not there. Yeah, 392 00:37:08.039 --> 00:37:13.599 you can charge them. If we least electric trucks, we charge him at 393 00:37:13.639 --> 00:37:19.079 the leasing company and then how many of her miles you get, which is 394 00:37:19.159 --> 00:37:22.599 actually I don't know a number yet. I mean I've heard automobile numbers, 395 00:37:22.679 --> 00:37:29.559 but not dr trailer numbers. And you know this year alone, well, 396 00:37:29.639 --> 00:37:39.039 last year twenty one my fuel bill was probably north of half a million dollars. 397 00:37:39.119 --> 00:37:49.760 And under the current administrations goals that is not going to come down and 398 00:37:49.920 --> 00:37:58.000 in fact it'll probably go up because you know, they're they're buying into the 399 00:37:58.320 --> 00:38:05.639 Oh my God, the sky is falling theory. and to replace the infrastructure 400 00:38:05.639 --> 00:38:12.000 that's in place is not a one year deal. I mean we're talking decades 401 00:38:12.199 --> 00:38:20.519 here. So you know the modernization of technology. We have whiget, we 402 00:38:20.719 --> 00:38:25.519 just changed over for the LD management and all that stuff, and we're going 403 00:38:25.679 --> 00:38:34.719 to tablets. That are that we buy, but basically we are rebated that 404 00:38:34.760 --> 00:38:45.760 amount during the contract year and that will help us. And also, you 405 00:38:45.800 --> 00:38:52.880 know keep we have cell phones and they're all three GE's what I've been told 406 00:38:52.920 --> 00:38:58.320 for our drivers, and so we're going to will be replacing that with a 407 00:38:58.320 --> 00:39:02.280 tablet that can act as a Dolph and limited use, which is another positive. 408 00:39:02.679 --> 00:39:07.239 So they aren't calling their sweet thing and, you know, Selma or 409 00:39:07.280 --> 00:39:12.960 wherever again, a little lunch and a little happy time, you know, 410 00:39:13.079 --> 00:39:15.840 but where were so? And also, you know, for instance, in 411 00:39:15.880 --> 00:39:22.360 our warehouses we put in it's like a railings made from aluminum, structural aluminum, 412 00:39:22.440 --> 00:39:28.559 but you can put it in the on the sides of the flat beds 413 00:39:28.760 --> 00:39:35.519 to eliminate a work or falling off the trailer and so he, you know, 414 00:39:35.599 --> 00:39:39.280 he has something stable to grab onto he loses his balance one reason or 415 00:39:39.280 --> 00:39:45.320 another, which is an advance is slows downloading a little bit, but not 416 00:39:45.480 --> 00:39:50.920 a lot, and many commodities we don't have to worry about that, but 417 00:39:51.000 --> 00:39:53.960 when we do have an issue, we have that available to us. You 418 00:39:54.000 --> 00:39:59.360 know, it's hard to read the future. Personally, I wish we had 419 00:39:59.400 --> 00:40:05.719 truck only highways. I mean I wish we had a lane. You mean 420 00:40:05.800 --> 00:40:09.440 to create a whole new road system would be, I don't know, unimaginably 421 00:40:09.480 --> 00:40:15.360 expensive. But if we had a if we had a lane on the interstates 422 00:40:15.440 --> 00:40:20.519 that was truck only and, you know, keep them off of the main 423 00:40:20.519 --> 00:40:27.159 interstate except to enter or exit, obviously, but it would sure help traffic 424 00:40:27.239 --> 00:40:30.960 and be safer, I think for all concerns. I think I've heard even 425 00:40:30.960 --> 00:40:38.440 discussion of that idea to improve the self driving technology that you know that that 426 00:40:38.440 --> 00:40:45.559 would really close the gap if there was sort of dedicated lanes for these auto 427 00:40:45.679 --> 00:40:50.079 driving vehicles to be able to not have to have so many interactions, so 428 00:40:50.159 --> 00:40:54.119 much risk with with other public as well. We see people that are just 429 00:40:54.639 --> 00:41:02.320 don't think, or never have thought about the breaking power and time and distance 430 00:41:02.480 --> 00:41:10.400 that in a fully loaded truck takes to stop safely and they just kept right 431 00:41:10.400 --> 00:41:16.159 in front of the driver, the truck driver or Tailgate to trailer. Me 432 00:41:16.360 --> 00:41:22.800 Bad driving habit and you know, if they're not on the same lanes then 433 00:41:22.920 --> 00:41:30.199 you obviously going to cut that way back and its speed things up. I 434 00:41:30.320 --> 00:41:34.440 mean I don't know. I mean how many recks are there every morning, 435 00:41:34.559 --> 00:41:40.440 just in the morning, blocking traffic? It's incredible. Sure. So the 436 00:41:40.480 --> 00:41:45.159 thing you've got your eye on for the road forward the next twelve months sounds 437 00:41:45.239 --> 00:41:50.559 like what you've already started working on. The the smart trucks, the the 438 00:41:50.599 --> 00:41:55.039 smart factory conditions, you know, just kind of taking those next steps towards 439 00:41:55.039 --> 00:42:00.920 safety, towards a little bit better data, little more or trying to fight 440 00:42:00.159 --> 00:42:05.400 and then collectively take the year after year. We think, you know, 441 00:42:05.760 --> 00:42:09.119 vision casting will get into these new technologies, but for now you're just trying 442 00:42:09.119 --> 00:42:14.039 to do it a little smarter. Yes, well, you know, in 443 00:42:14.920 --> 00:42:20.679 to perform our business function, we have to have drucks. So there's no 444 00:42:20.760 --> 00:42:24.519 if, Hans or butts, I mean so that's a critical part of our 445 00:42:24.519 --> 00:42:34.239 business and therefore our efforts are only to promote our ability to serve our customers 446 00:42:34.280 --> 00:42:37.880 and keep our people healthy and safe. It's like every year we have a 447 00:42:37.920 --> 00:42:46.199 safety drawing for those eligible for it and we give out some pretty serious money. 448 00:42:46.559 --> 00:42:50.559 It is a you know, it's only a one. We also have 449 00:42:50.679 --> 00:42:57.719 monthly things, cornly things, but the bigger prize is we're giving away pretty 450 00:42:57.719 --> 00:43:01.920 good money. In they're pretty excited about it, except when another branch wins. 451 00:43:02.039 --> 00:43:07.239 Right then I'll like that. But we hold the drawings in Montgomery because 452 00:43:07.280 --> 00:43:13.480 that's where I am and and it made your eligible. No matter where you 453 00:43:13.519 --> 00:43:17.480 work for us, you're eligible as an employee if you haven't had a lost 454 00:43:17.519 --> 00:43:23.639 time accident yourself, and that that from. That's another way of promoting, 455 00:43:23.679 --> 00:43:30.639 you know, safe behavior. We have a clean the clutter campaign where am 456 00:43:30.639 --> 00:43:38.400 I safety manager shows up at our branches unannounced and does an inspection and I 457 00:43:38.519 --> 00:43:49.960 shifts type inspection and over the quarter, whichever warehouse has the best score wins 458 00:43:50.159 --> 00:43:57.320 thousand dollars to be spent on the employees for lunch or dinners or whatever. 459 00:43:57.639 --> 00:44:00.519 Well, they just give them the cash if they want to, and if 460 00:44:00.519 --> 00:44:04.400 there's a tie, and exact tie, then they both win because of the 461 00:44:04.440 --> 00:44:07.800 ties are going to be at the hundred percent level. How do you not 462 00:44:07.840 --> 00:44:12.119 reward a hundred percent compliance and then you know? So we do. But 463 00:44:12.280 --> 00:44:16.960 that also helps our truck drivers not run over crap that's in the driveway or 464 00:44:17.000 --> 00:44:21.960 in the roadway that, you know, causes them to have flat tire and 465 00:44:22.000 --> 00:44:27.000 then you lose hours, you know, getting that fixed and ready to go. 466 00:44:28.119 --> 00:44:32.480 So you know, it's all these things that we do, or in 467 00:44:32.599 --> 00:44:37.920 my mind, I mean our for the betterment of my workforce. But they're 468 00:44:37.960 --> 00:44:45.119 there to enhance our business model, which is service. I mean, frankly, 469 00:44:45.320 --> 00:44:51.199 my steal in any better or worse than anybody else's if they're selling primary 470 00:44:51.199 --> 00:44:57.400 products. So what differentiates us? We're not big enough to be the price 471 00:44:57.559 --> 00:45:04.760 leader, so we have to compete with our service level being high and when 472 00:45:04.800 --> 00:45:07.760 we promise you something, you get it. I'd like to say we're a 473 00:45:07.880 --> 00:45:13.639 hundred percent, but nobody is so, but we're close. That's good, 474 00:45:13.679 --> 00:45:17.800 that's good. You truly, truly, you're an economist. You've mastered, 475 00:45:19.159 --> 00:45:23.880 at least well advanced on some of your incentives and how you you work with 476 00:45:23.920 --> 00:45:34.079 others. You know, it's it's funny how managers sometimes think they're incentives are 477 00:45:34.159 --> 00:45:38.960 okay, but why are you incentivizing those guys, you know, without the 478 00:45:39.039 --> 00:45:45.519 reality that those guys or would make your incentive even possible? And when I 479 00:45:45.880 --> 00:45:53.039 introduce the man our per time we were sitting actually at this table and several 480 00:45:53.119 --> 00:45:59.079 of my managers complain they anyone to do it. Finally I got a little 481 00:45:59.079 --> 00:46:02.760 piss excuse me, as laying my hand down on the table and I said 482 00:46:02.880 --> 00:46:08.599 Stop Asad. Whose money is it that we're spending here? Is this your 483 00:46:08.639 --> 00:46:13.400 money or is this my money? And they said, well, it's your 484 00:46:13.440 --> 00:46:16.800 money boss. I said then this is the way I want to spend it. 485 00:46:16.960 --> 00:46:22.000 We'll see if it works. If it doesn't work, okay, maybe 486 00:46:22.039 --> 00:46:29.480 we change it. Well, it worked and nobody's complaining anymore, unless it 487 00:46:29.519 --> 00:46:36.079 in big enough. Okay. Well, I think we're just about wrapped up. 488 00:46:36.119 --> 00:46:39.639 One time just as a reminder to listeners, and if you subscribe to 489 00:46:39.679 --> 00:46:45.880 our email list you're going to get the fast five responses. Keith and I 490 00:46:45.880 --> 00:46:49.239 are about to go through those here and next but until next time, this 491 00:46:49.360 --> 00:46:52.360 is the road ahead podcast. You've been here with Nick and Keith Sable of 492 00:46:52.480 --> 00:46:58.119 Sable Steel Service Inc and Alabama, and we appreciate your time, Keith. 493 00:47:00.719 --> 00:47:04.000 If you manage a truck fleet, you go to bed every night driving that 494 00:47:04.159 --> 00:47:07.800 three am phone call, because that call is never a good one. Either 495 00:47:07.880 --> 00:47:09.960 your drivers tell you they have a flat tire and the shipment's delayed, or 496 00:47:10.000 --> 00:47:13.719 they were shut down and take it it at the way station. If the 497 00:47:13.719 --> 00:47:15.840 thought of those middle of the night calls keeps you up at all hours. 498 00:47:15.880 --> 00:47:21.719 Trucks by can help. Trucks by gives managers total visibility into what's happening on 499 00:47:21.760 --> 00:47:24.480 the road. Companies use our hardware to make sure their fleets are productive and 500 00:47:24.519 --> 00:47:29.360 safe, so that managers like you can see in real time where their trucks 501 00:47:29.400 --> 00:47:32.320 are and what they're doing. More trucks make it on time and without issues 502 00:47:32.440 --> 00:47:37.719 or losses, helping you rest easy. Learn more at trucks by DOT IO. 503 00:47:38.119 --> 00:47:42.440 You've been listening to the road forward, the show for trucking industry. 504 00:47:42.480 --> 00:47:45.840 That's like you. If you want to hear from other business owners who've seen 505 00:47:45.920 --> 00:47:51.400 trends come and go, all the while building lasting businesses that keep America running, 506 00:47:51.440 --> 00:47:53.880 make sure you're subscribed to catch more episodes. To easily find the show 507 00:47:53.880 --> 00:47:58.920 on your favorite podcast player, go to the road forward podcastcom. Until next 508 00:47:58.960 --> 00:48:02.320 time, keep your eye is on the road forward.