Profile For Brett Aquila

It doesn't help that the person writing the article sounds like an intern who knows little or nothing about the trucking industry or the business world in general, uses the wrong terms throughout the article, and couldn't even do basic spell-checking or editing.

She has written articles recently that include:

"Facebook accused by lawmaker of aiding Chinese Communist Party"

"Wheat exports are Trump administration's latest 'win' for American farmers"

So she knows nothing about trucking, unfortunately.

She keeps using the term "Owner-Operator" when she's really referring to "Lease Operators" which are two completely different business entities. It's lease operators that California is trying to convert into company drivers so these companies won't take advantage of their workers by leasing them a truck and then pawning off their risk and burdens onto them. We've been warning people for over a decade to avoid these lease programs because they're rigged to make the company money at the expense of the driver. Thankfully, many people have gained an understanding of this without having to learn the hard way.

She also used the word "salary" to describe lease operator revenues and compared a lease operator's revenues to a company driver's wages.

So thank you, Brittany De Lea, for making an even bigger mess out of an already challenging topic.

The bottom line - if you're not a lease operator living in California, this doesn't apply to you and you shouldn't care. If you are a lease operator living in California, now is your chance to either buy your own truck outright and become a full-fledged owner-operator or become a company driver. Hint: become a company driver.

Today went smoother but he sorta gets impatient if I want to take things slower than he would

That's his problem, not yours. Don't let his impatience concern you. It doesn't matter if he's screaming at you, crying like a baby, or laughing hysterically. Who cares? Let him handle his own feelings. You should stay focused on the things you can control. Focus on being patient, doing things safely, and learning all you can. That's it.

Anytime you're concerned about something, ask yourself:

1) Is this something I can control?

2) Is this helping me become a better driver?

If you can't control it and it isn't helping you become a better driver then don't worry about it. Remain focused on what's important. Don't sweat the small stuff.

You've already made phone calls. I would send him one text stating you will meet him at the time and place specified, and make sure you repeat that time and place in the text, "At 3:00 a.m. I will be at 123 Main St, Georgetown, IA looking for a red truck #14556. See you there!"

That's it. You've communicated clearly and you're doing your job. Expect others to do theirs. If you show up and he's not there, call dispatch and let them know you've arrived but he hasn't. Then go back to bed and let the company sort it out.

Communicate clearly and do what you've been asked to do. That's all you can do. Don't worry about anything you can't control.

Victor, I've noticed something about you from the description you've just given us, and I think it may interfere with your goals. You obsess over everyone's feelings and intentions. You're constantly analyzing what your trainer is thinking and feeling. You feel it's important for him to be in a good mood, to talk with you when you feel like talking, and to be welcoming toward you at all times. In your mind, it's important that he makes every effort to ensure you're feeling comfortable and that you're well taken care of.

I would feel the same way if I was paying someone good money out of my own pocket to be my personal guide.

If I went to Vegas and hired a guide to show me around town, I would expect that person to always be super friendly, empathetic, and make sure I'm always having a great time. That's what I'm paying for, right?

You haven't hired a personal guide. You're being paid to learn how to drive a truck. This man is risking his life, giving up his privacy, and sharing the only tiny space in the world he has with you so you can learn how to do your job. Sure, it would be more enjoyable if he was super friendly and considerate all the time. But that's not his job, and it's not fair or reasonable for you to expect that of him.

I know you're feeling the pressure of the situation. You must prove you can do this job safely, and you've had a rough go of it to this point in your career. Well, he's also under a tremendous amount of pressure. He's responsible for both of you. If something goes wrong, it could be his job or his life on the line, and he can't control what you do behind the wheel. Training is a brutal job. I had no interest in doing it. I admire the people who do. You should understand why it's so hard and show some empathy yourself.

When I was on my trainer's truck, he took a nap one day while I went inside to take a shower. When I got back, he went to take a shower. While he was gone I cleaned the entire inside of the truck with the cleaners he had in the bunk and used Windex to clean the windows and mirrors. It delighted him. I wanted to let him know I understood and appreciated the sacrifices and the efforts he was making so I could learn how to drive that rig.

You said this:

I tried calling Connie but she would not pick up and I tried calling Nichole Robinson and she refused to pickup.

I'm curious. How do you know the reason they didn't answer their phones? Are you a mind-reader? How do you know they weren't performing CPR on a co-worker or rushing their mother to the hospital? You act as if you're being paid to critique everyone's mood, personality, performance, and intentions. You seem to believe everyone is being paid to coddle and please you, and they should jump to attention whenever you call on them.

Victor, I would recommend that you stop worrying about what everyone else is thinking and focus on doing the job you're being paid to do; learn how to drive that rig. That's all you should be worried about.

Anytime you have a concern about something, ask yourself, "Right now, am I focused on making myself better and learning how to do my job or am I critiquing someone else?" You're not being paid to critique anyone. Focus on yourself and what you're being paid to do. Nothing else matters.

You will likely see a question: have you ever failed or refused, at some point. While we advise people TO BE HONEST on applications and paperwork - if you answer NO - and it's on your DAC, DOUBLE TROUBLE. Failed test AND lying on an app.

Don't forget they now have the FMCSA drug and alcohol clearinghouse:

FMCSA announces drug and alcohol clearinghouse website

FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse Website

The website isn't fully operational, yet, but I don't know if companies are reporting to this or not. I'm also not sure if pre-employment drug tests count toward this or not.

Charles, we care deeply about helping others understand this industry, enjoy their time on the road, and make fantastic money while they're doing it. We want to to see that happen for you, and I have a few thoughts that will help.

Let's start with the recruiters. There is a golden rule for working with recruiters or doing business - get it in writing. If you don't have it in writing, it doesn't exist. You believe they said you would make 41 CPM. It's entirely possible he worded it carefully to include the bonus, like "you can make 41 cents per mile." That would mean you have that potential. That's isn't lying. That's the truth when you include the bonus. Now you might say, "No, that isn't what they said," but no one remembers conversations word for word the way they believe they can. You said you talked to recruiters for hours. It's easy to walk away from extended conversations like that with misconceptions or misunderstandings.

You had the same issue with the transmission:

My recruiter said that getting me a manual truck wouldn't be a problem at all

It's also possible he said, "It shouldn't be a problem at all" or something similar. Those recruiters aren't fools. They're crafty. If you mishear or misunderstand one word of the conversation, it can change the meaning entirely. You believe the recruiter, "just said whatever he thought I wanted to hear to get me to come to this company." I'm guessing he told you the truth but worded it in a crafty way. People often hear what they want to hear or assign their own meaning to things they're told. We all do this, and salespeople know it. They design their pitches with this in mind. Recruiters are in fact salespeople. They're crafty. They don't just blurt out anything. Everything they say is crafted carefully.

From now on, always get important agreements in writing, which includes email and Qualcomm. In fact, whenever you're discussing something important with dispatch, make sure you're doing it over Qualcomm so there's a record of it. Then there will be no confusion. Here's one additional tip; when you're wrapping up the conversation, repeat everything back to the recruiter in very clear wording. Say something like,

"So you're guaranteeing me a base salary of 41 cents per mile for all miles driven?"

"You're guaranteeing me a standard transmission truck right from day one?"

Make it perfectly clear. You'll still need to get it in writing afterward, but make the person commit to the agreement using your own clear terms. Be wary of their phrasing.

Regarding that five cent per mile bonus:

do you really think they are going to give me over 2800 miles a week to actually get that number?

I certainly do! Charles, trucking companies must utilize their trucks efficiently to operate a successful business. The more freight they haul the better chance they'll turn a profit. They may need their trucks to average 2,300 miles per week across the fleet just to break even. Maybe turning 2,500 miles per week or more puts them into profitability. They're willing to pay you a share of that profit as a bonus. If you're a pretty good driver they'll pay you 37 cpm. If you're an outstanding driver they'll pay you 41 cpm.

I believe you're skeptical because you don't understand the difficult position your company is in or why the bonus exists. They need motivated drivers to keep that company profitable, so they're willing to pay the better performers more money. You've been driving for four years now. You know those numbers are easily achievable. So go out there and make it happen. Grab that bonus and prove to them you're one of the strongest performers in the fleet. If you'll prove that consistently it won't be long before they're raising your base pay and throwing extras at you from time to time.

Prove you're an elite performer. That's how you make the big money in this industry. The best performers make the most money. It's as simple as that.

My cost of living in the City/State that I live in is pretty high. I need 2500 a week just to pay my bills. That's based on the .37 CPM rate without the bonus but still.

Then you have a fantastic incentive to reach the same goal your company has. That's perfect! You need 2,500 miles per week to pay your bills, and so do they. Develop a strong relationship with your dispatcher and make sure those miles are available to you. Then do your part, turn those miles safely, and you both reach your goals together. It's a win-win situation. That's the best situation to be in.

Charles, there are people here in our community that have less time behind the wheel than you do but they're going to make more money than you will this year. I want you to understand the reasons why that's happening and how to fix it:

1) Make smart decisions. You abandoned your truck. I don't have to come down on you for that. You understand what that means. If you continue to make poor decisions you'll never reach the level of happiness and success that the top performers are having. A great life is built on a foundation of good decisions. Start today. Promise yourself that you'll make good decisions like the professional that you are.

2) Do business the right way. Always get important agreements in writing. I strongly suspect they never lied to you, they simply worded things in a crafty way. But we'll never know for sure, will we? Never let that happen again. Repeat things back to people so you know you're on the same page, then get it all in writing afterward. That's how you do business.

3) Understand the business side of trucking. You're under the impression that your company doesn't want to pay you that bonus. That's not true. They do want to pay you that bonus. They have the same goals you do and they're giving you the incentive to reach those goals. I would encourage you to speak with people at your company like the operations manager or the terminal manager. Let them know that you'd like to understand how the company operates and how their business model works. Ask them things like:

• How many miles do our trucks need to average in order to make a profit?
• What are the average profit margins?
• Where do we get our freight from?
• What is the process for distributing freight to drivers?
• Why did you decide to pay a bonus for reaching 2,500 miles? What's so special about that number?

The better you can understand the trucking business and how your company operates internally the better you'll understand what you can do to maximize your earning potential by helping the company succeed. Those who help the company make money become important players to the team. They command a higher salary and more perks, just like in professional sports where the best players get the bulk of the playing time and make the most money.

Raise your game to a higher level Charles and before long you'll be at the top of the performance charts with the big dogs earning top dollar.

Turns out I can transfer to Entertainment Division in as little as 6 months solo if it goes well. We are hauling for Mariah Carey tour.

Think about this for a moment. They're offering what seems to be an amazing opportunity to someone just a few months into their career, right? Aren't you wondering why there isn't a waiting list full of veteran drivers vying for those positions? I know that's what I'm wondering.

I know you remember how that amazing opportunity turned out that JB Hunt was offering you as a new driver, even though they normally only offered it to experienced drivers.

Do you know why most people travel the well-worn path? Because it's the best path to take. Stick with the well-worn path. Go OTR and get your career on solid footing. Then look for that unique opportunity.

the guy that OWNS this place, assures me my contributions are welcomed and valued

They most certainly are valued and welcomed in a very big way.

Peoples LIFE EXPERIENCES are of value here too - so while I (and others) may not actually "know trucking" - from a full time OTR perspective, that doesn't mean they (we) don't have anything of value to contribute.

That's also true in a big way. Everyone here has something special to contribute. We all have unique personalities and life experiences that give us insights and perspectives only we can have. The strength of this community comes from the combined knowledge, experience, and insights that each member contributes to the group.

Jamie, I love your plan. Focus on turning 2,500 perfect miles per week, every week.

What's a perfect week look like for you at this stage?

• Be early to every appointment
• Don't put a scratch on that truck
• Keep dispatch updated at all times
• No logbook violations
• Get good rest at every opportunity
• Keep searching for ways to get the job done more efficiently

If you'll keep doing that, you'll build a great reputation and you'll continue to get the job done more efficiently. Before long, you'll turn 3,000 miles per week as easily as you're turning 2,500 miles per week now. Dispatch will sing your praises and you'll be at the top of the pay and performance charts for your fleet.

Great job!

Given that you appear to relish "heated contrarian exchanges," I have often thought about how I would like to engage you should we ever meet.

Gentlemen....welcome to heated contrarian exchange club. The first rule of heated contrarian exchange club is: you do not talk about heated contrarian exchange club.

I'm sure Rob was joking, but he probably enjoys a healthy and passionate debate from time to time, as do most of us.

Understand this, too - no one will rat you out faster than drivers at your own company. If the policy says no dogs over 40 pounds, your company will have dozens or even hundreds of drivers that would love to have their big dog with them but don't because of the policy. If they see you with a dog that doesn't conform to the policy, they'll rat you out in a heartbeat. They figure if they can't have theirs on the truck, neither should you.

If a dog is overweight by 5 or 10 pounds, no one is going to notice or put the dog on a scale. But if the dog is obviously much larger than policy allows, someone will report it.

Check this out:

Trucking Companies That Allow Pets

If my delivery approach impacts someone's ability to understand the message, or distracts from the message entirely, then in reality, I am basically ineffective.

That's the realization I've come to lately about myself. I've always disliked the saying, "It's not what you say, it's how you say it" because I feel people should focus on the message, not on their feelings about the delivery. But I've come to accept that it's impossible to separate our feelings from the equation. We're all affected by the tone and the intent of the message.

We often try to get our message across using a virtual smack upside the head if someone is reluctant to accept our advice. We know what we're talking about so we've taken the view that people should accept our advice without argument. Our visitors feel disrespected by that approach so they dig in their heels and fight back. It becomes a downward spiral.

If we always focus on being empathetic, encouraging, and inspiring, we won't have that tone and we won't take that approach so people won't feel disrespected. I've really focused on that lately and it's surprisingly easy to do. It also feels good, and it's more effective.

it's a fine line we walk...the division between accepting only truth and squelching the untruth.

This has been another problem for us. We don't take the approach that Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Amazon take where anyone can say anything they like and the reader must figure out who to believe. We set a much higher standard for ourselves. We take responsibility for everything on this website, no matter who says it. If you read it here on Trucking Truth, you can trust it.

That has led to big problems with people who spread misinformation, have misconceptions about the industry, or recommend an approach that will not produce good results. We feel the need to correct people so our information remains high quality and trustworthy. Setting a high standard and ensuring the integrity of our information is the right thing to do, but we must do it the right way. We will no longer beat people over the head with our truth. We must be better than that, and we will. It will be easy if we focus on our motto - to empathize, encourage, and inspire.

I’m so thrilled we’re having this conversation. We love this community and we’re so passionate about helping new drivers succeed in this industry. Thank you to everyone for the awesome feedback. 

Let’s get back to being informative, helpful, INSPIRING and FACTUAL. Bringing the TRUCKING TRUTH can be RAW TRUTH, without being RAW IN DELIVERY.

Very well said, Rick. I totally agree.

I have some coaches I work with myself, and I just had a conversation with one of them about this situation. I told him, “I’ve always felt we should give people the cold, hard facts without worrying about being sensitive in our delivery.” 

He said, “Well that’s just your ego talking. That’s how you absolved yourself from the responsibility of being compassionate and delivering your message with empathy and thoughtfulness. You’ve put the blame on the listener. You blamed them for being too soft to handle your truth instead of holding yourself to the higher standard of delivering the truth in a way that made them feel supported and good about themselves.” 

He’s damn right I did. 

I thought it was easier to deliver the message the way I wanted to deliver it instead of delivering it the way our community wanted it. I thought the information was the only thing that mattered. I should have realized that a person won’t hear our message or act upon the information if they’re offended or embarrassed. They won’t come to us again if they don’t walk away feeling like we support them and that they’re safe coming to us for help. 

Brett! I’m with packrat I thought you were leaving for a second and I was like “NNNOOOOOOO!!!!!”

Thanks! I can assure you we’re not going anywhere. We have many years of work ahead of us yet, and we love what we do!

Many of you mentioned how important it is to have a thick skin and approach this career with a high level of personal responsibility. Both are true. Over the years we’ve used “tough love” as a wake-up call to people who weren’t taking the right approach to trucking or treating it with the proper seriousness it deserves.  

On that note, I’m a big fan of sitcoms and twice this week someone slapped a close friend across the face for having a terrible idea. I was howling with laughter. On television that kind of tough love is hysterical. In real life, it’s the wrong approach. 

We must stress personal responsibility and toughness. They are essential ingredients to success in trucking. We must make sure people have the right perspective, approach, and expectations. But we have to do so with empathy and through encouragement and inspiration. We can no longer use the excuse that it’s ok to blast someone because they needed it. 

We must give people what they need in a way that makes them feel welcome and supported. We must leave them feeling good about themselves and confident they can come to us for help anytime they need it. If we do that, we’ve done our job at the highest level, and that’s what we aspire to be - the very best. 

I’ve noticed over the past few days that the tone in our forum has improved dramatically and the participation level has increased. I also feel far more relaxed than I have in the past. I used to worry that people weren’t getting the message. I felt like we really had to drive our message home. 

Now I feel people will be excited to hear what we have to say because they know they’ll walk away with great information and the support of our entire community.

I’m obsessed with getting better at everything we do, and we all love helping people succeed in this industry. I have an enormous amount of pride for what we’ve accomplished over the years and tremendous admiration for all of you who have contributed your time and knowledge to make this possible. It’s a blessing to have so many amazing people donate their time and share their knowledge with the community. You’ve helped more people than you can imagine get their careers off to a great start and you’ve raised the level of professionalism for our industry. 

What you’ve accomplished is truly amazing. You should be incredibly proud. I can’t thank you enough. 

Sean, don't worry about making a bad decision. The large carriers are all fantastic companies to work for. The main things that matter are:

1) How often do you want to get home?

2) What type of freight do you want to haul?

3) What regions of the country do you want to run?

That's about all you have to worry about when choosing one of the Paid CDL Training Programs.

I would also recommend that you Apply For Paid CDL Training and see who gives you an opportunity before doing more research. People often believe they can work anywhere they like, but that is never the case. You may get more than one offer, and that would be nice, but don't waste time researching until you've been accepted by more than one company. Then you can decide which ones suits you best.

what you can make [in] training is important to me [because] I have child support responsibilities to consider.

Getting your career started is very challenging and stressful. We highly recommend you get at least two months' worth of finances set aside before you begin your career. If you walk in the door on day one thinking, "I have to hurry up and start making some money" you're going to stress yourself to death. You don't want to be distracted from learning this trade. You'll be overwhelmed with challenges from the training already.

Victor, you have a good idea about videos or audio recordings, and it was an idea I have been considering myself. I think it would help people get to know us a little better if they could see and hear us. Unfortunately, it's no easy task making a professional-quality recording of either sort. Sure, you can just hit "record" and start talking or shooting video, but I'm concerned it won't produce professional-quality sound and video.

I appreciate the idea and I will continue pondering this myself.

this R.E. West post has definitely piqued my interest.

It has piqued your interest because you're still learning how successful drivers make top pay, get the most miles, drive the best equipment, and get all those special perks they get. That's what we're here for - to help you understand how it all works.

Let me tell you why you'll want to commit to a company for a minimum of one full year and should be happy about being under contract.

To get started in this industry is a huge commitment. Commitment is a two-way street. The company that takes you off the street, trains you, and then puts you behind the wheel of their 80,000-pound rig is making a massive commitment to you. They're taking a huge risk, losing productivity, and investing a ton of money into your training. Then they're losing even more money waiting for you to learn your trade well enough to become productive at a level that is profitable for the company. It's a massive commitment they're making to you.

That puts you in a fantastic position. You now have a very successful major carrier behind you with a vested interest in your success. If you don't become a safe and productive driver for the company, they lose their entire investment in you. They need you to succeed. You are now part of their business strategy. That's a wonderful position to be in.

But man, you have a tough path to follow. No one can make that first year an easy one. It's hard. It's hard for everyone. You'll see that having a company like that behind you makes all the difference in the world. You won't fear losing your job if something little goes wrong. You'll have a big support team behind you that is tasked with watching out for you.

What you're thinking right now, and many people think this way at first, is that you want to move around from company to company to get your best advantage. On the surface that makes sense. But think about what's happening. You're losing that strong position. If you train for one company and then leave to go to another, you're no longer with a company that has an investment in your future. If they fire you it doesn't cost them anything. So they're not going to spend the money supporting you or allow you to make many mistakes. They're going to throw you behind the wheel and expect you to go make things happen. If you can't they'll simply let you go and let the next guy try. It's no skin off their back.

You also have to develop relationships with the people at your company and build a strong reputation as a safe, productive driver if you want the great miles and the wonderful perks that the Top Tier Drivers get. That takes time. If you change companies you'll have to start again at the bottom as a nobody and build your reputation and relationships from scratch.

There's much more to this story. Follow these links:

Busting The Free Agent Myth In Trucking

Episode 4: Why Stick With Your First Company One Full Year?

Best of luck, Victor.

I agree with everything Old School said.

I believe keeping your goals simple and attainable is very helpful, especially early in your career. I would like to see you set two simple goals:

1) Make all of your appointments on time

2) Don't hit anything

That's it. If you can do those two things then you have plenty to be proud of. With those achievements, you'll establish your career on solid footing. With time you'll learn many ways to be more efficient and turn more miles, but that's not a priority for you right now. Reliability and safety are the two most important things for you to focus on. The rest is small stuff. Focus only on what matters and don't sweat the small stuff.

I think it should drop off your record in another year. Most states only hold the record for that long. If that's the case you should be able to get back into driving once it drops off.

Have they convicted you already or can you still fight the ticket? Is it possible to get it removed or reduced somehow?

If you're stuck with it you will have a tough go of it. I would try Western Express. See what they say.

Any business owner will tell you that the biggest misconception people have about business owners is that they're all just fat-cats riding the gravy train, relaxing, and getting rich. Because the business owner is the boss, they do whatever they want to do, and don't do anything they don't want to do.

That's hysterical! It's the furthest thing from the truth for 99% of business owners.

Do you really know the facts about small businesses? How about some of these facts:

• 85% of small businesses are not profitable
• 90% of small businesses fail within the first 3 years
• Many small businesses that fail were actually profitable but ceased operations because they ran out of operating capital (cash)

There's an irony in becoming a business owner that's similar to gold mining; somehow people become convinced they'll get rich doing it, even though nearly everyone that tries it goes broke. That's in large part because almost everyone sees themselves as being above average, even though by definition that's impossible.

I'm glad most people don't take that same approach to the success they might have if they tried jumping off a building.

Also, keep in mind that the profit margin numbers of 3% - 7% for the largest, most successful carriers in 2018 happened in one of the best years in the history of trucking. Freight volumes and freight rates were utterly fantastic. So those profit numbers are the best possible scenario. Wait until you see what they were for 2019. It will be a very different story for most companies.