Profile For Brett Aquila

The "gig economy" is playing right into the hands of trucking companies. Many people nowadays have resorted to working for themselves through places like Uber and Lyft, AirBnB, Doordash, and Upwork.

That will translate to way more lease drivers and owner-operators as people give up hope of finding a job and start their own business. Of course that will be catastrophic for most who try, which will only make things even worse for our lower and middle classes.

It won't show up in the jobs numbers, because these people will not be on unemployment, but they won't be able to pay their bills either.

Not to mention, most of the jobs out there are government jobs, which drains the pockets of Americans through taxation but produces no wealth for our country:

Job Openings Unexpectedly Surge, Driven Entirely By Government Jobs

So we'll continue to see the statistics show that our economy is strong, while we sink deeper into the mess that started in 2008 and still hasn't been resolved.

It's really ugly out there.

Wow, that's really something to hear from a company like Prime.

Back in the day, they were almost 100% lease drivers and owner-operators. It seems things are so rough out there that they're able to round up enough lease drivers to return the fleet to almost 100% lease again.

Have you heard any numbers about the total size of the fleet at this point? I'd be curious to hear that.

The economy is so much worse than the government has stated. I dig into the economic picture daily and have for many years, and our economy is a train wreck at this point.

Wow, all the best to you BK! I'm praying for a successful surgery and quick recovery!

Also, I hit my 300,000 mile mark with JS Helwig. It took me 27 months to do that. 75,000 miles in my first truck and 228,000 in my current truck as of the 27 month mark. That averages 11,222 miles per month and 2,805 per week during that time span

Wow again! Man, I'm impressed by the pace you're keeping up! That's some good, hard running. Nice work!

Hey, that is really cool! I love to hear that you take her on runs with you. She'll remember those trips fondly the rest of her life.

The responses I've gotten so far do not surprise me at all. The drivers who came into this career looking for a little adventure and more than just a paycheck are the ones who have stuck it out the longest, had the most fun, and found the most success.

I've always felt this career was far too difficult for the paycheck alone. The sense of accomplishment and the pride in doing a job that genuinely helps our society and turns your life into an adventure is important to those who intend to stay around for many years.

I'm glad you guys enjoyed the video. I'm gonna get a little more footage and do a few more.

The aerial footage. Is that Upstate NY? Do you have a drone and did you get that footage yourself? BTW, Upstate NY is breathtakingly beautiful, if you’ve never seen it.

Great job, keep ‘em coming!

Thanks BK!

Yap, that's Upstate NY and I took the drone footage myself. Almost no one would believe Upstate NY is so beautiful. The mountain wilderness and all the lakes and rivers are incredible!

Starting trucking was the scariest decision I ever made. I left the stability and comfortable lifestyle of the only career I knew. I knew my life would continue relatively easy if I stayed. But I grew to hate it and leaving that sense of security behind was worth the risk.

The decision to leave behind something you've outgrown but is still comfortable is always hard. But those decisions turn out to be the ones that propel our lives forward more than any other. Congrats on having the courage to go for it!

Welcome, Roger!

Sandman really nailed it. Perfect advice.

Take all the time you need to get backed in. That's the key - patience. New drivers get nervous and sometimes try to rush it so they don't hold anyone up or look like they don't know what they're doing.

Unfortunately, you can't hide it. When a driver with years of experience watches a rookie backing, he knows within five seconds he's watching a rookie.

All that matters is that you don't hit anything. Make that your only requirement when backing. Get it into the dock with no damage. Act like your life depends on it. Soon enough you'll be as good as anyone out there, and then you get to tease the rookies!

Thanks, Turtle!

This career has changed my life significantly for the better in ways both tangible and intangible.

Same for me. The fun I had and the lessons I learned were invaluable. Not to mention, the paychecks made life a lot more fun as well!

I think trucking should be more of a young man's game than it is. I always found it surprising that the average age in trucking is nearly 50 years old. When I started, I was 21, and the average driver was my dad's age.

I think every 21-year-old without a career plan should consider trucking, at least as a starter career. They can build a career they can always count on, build up some savings, and have one hell of an adventure at the same time. Eventually they can move on to something else if trucking no longer suits them, with a fallback plan already in place.

But I've watched a long list of people come from other careers and start trucking later in life like yourself, and I think you guys are the happiest truckers out there. I think the lessons you've learned along the way contributed to a deeper understanding of how to make your way in trucking. Experience is often the best teacher.

Hey folks,

I just put together my first video called “The Great American Adventure: Why Truck Driving Is The Coolest Job Ever!” where I share my story about why I got started in trucking and the way I approached trucking as a career. I want to help people understand that trucking is far more than just a job; it's also a unique lifestyle and an amazing adventure.

Whether you’re considering a career in trucking or simply curious about what it’s like, this video will give you an inside look at why I fell in love with this incredible profession and life on the road. If you're an experienced driver, I hope you'll enjoy the video and share your story about why you started your trucking career.

I’d love for you guys to check it out and share your thoughts!

Hey Brandon,

I think what's more important is the reason for changing companies. People move around a ton in this industry. Heck, we're famous for it with nearly 100% turnover at many companies. So even if you changed companies once per year, that would make you about average.

If the new job isn't what you had hoped, I wouldn't let your concern about changing jobs keep you from pursuing a better opportunity. It's not like you're being fired from these companies. No one will think anything of it if you look for something else.

I changed jobs quite often early in my career, but in the end, I was with one company for 6 years and then went local with a company for my last two years of driving.

So once I figured out what I wanted, I found the right companies and stayed with them.