Why We're Not Worried About the Future of Trucking

Diesel is breaking records, and the headlines make trucking look like the last industry anyone should walk into right now. Josh just got back from a trucking conference in Dallas, and what he heard from the carriers doing the hiring doesn't line up with what you're reading. RJ brought questions from people who are on the fence about getting a CDL, and Josh hadn't seen a single one of them before we hit record.WHAT WE GET INTO- Who actually feels it when diesel spikes, and who mostly doesn't- Why there are more loads than drivers right now, and the rule enforcement that's quietly shrinking the driver pool- Why "everyone's hiring" doesn't always mean they're hiring you, and how an old DUI can undo a job offer after HR already said yes- How to size up a CDL school in about an hour of research, and what a suspiciously cheap price might be telling you- What you can do with a CDL at 18, and the rule that could change soon- Why legal weed and a CDL still don't mix, and the student who wanted to start on Monday- The lease-purchase question Josh called "loaded," plus a roadside breakdown with a five-figure billABOUT THE HOSTSJosh Barron is the School Director at Midwest Truck Driving School. He got his own CDL there close to 20 years ago, then drove, worked in safety and maintenance, and taught full-time before running the school. RJ Parrish produces Built in the Midwest and asks the questions people are actually typing into search bars.TIMESTAMPS00:00 — Cold open00:58 — Why Josh doesn't see the questions ahead of time02:40 — Is now a bad time to get into trucking?03:58 — OTR, regional, or local: picking your lane05:52 — What the rate sheets say about diesel06:36 — Who high fuel prices hit hardest08:04 — Why there are more loads than drivers13:01 — "Everyone's hiring, so why can't I get hired?"14:58 — Driving records, DUIs, and the insurance company19:44 — How to vet a CDL school before you pay23:15 — The real cost of a cheap school29:57 — Can you get a CDL at 18?35:35 — Legal marijuana and the DOT drug test42:03 — Is a lease-purchase a good deal right now?48:12 — The owner-operator learning curve49:48 — Running the numbers on a new truck53:40 — Where owner-operators actually make it work54:26 — Part 2 is coming next weekLINKSFMCSA Training Provider Registry: https://tpr.fmcsa.dot.gov/ FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse: https://clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov/ Future Trucker's Playbook: https://www.midwesttruckdrivingschool.com/before-the-wheel-future-truck-drivers-playbook/ CONNECTGot a question you want us to tackle in Part 2? Know someone who should be on the show? Reach out at midwesttruckdrivingschool.com/podcastGet trained at midwesttruckdrivingschool.com