During this week’s episode of the Oakley Podcast, host Jeremy Kellett is joined by Jay Dearing. Jay has been with Oakley for six months and talks about his journey to becoming an owner-operator, getting TikTok famous, and more.
Key topics in today’s conversation include:
- Oakley Update: Discussing Oakley’s Rider Policy with Dustin Barnett (3:12)
- Jay’s background and the backwards way he became an owner-operator (7:15)
- Why Jay chose Oakley (13:24)
- Getting a 2020 International Lonestar truck through Arrow Truck Sales (17:45)
- Benefit of being home more at Oakley (23:17)
- How Jay got famous through his TikTok account (toy_trucker) (27:36)
Oakley Trucking is a family-owned and operated trucking company headquartered in North Little Rock, Arkansas. For more information, check out our show website: podcast.bruceoakley.com.
Transcription
Jay Dearing 00:12
I just feel good all the way around. And in that first month, there’s so much unknown. So So I would say, you know, just that nice big warm security blanket. Knowing that Oakley has got more work and they’ve got drivers. And I’m out here. Now running these loads, I don’t have to worry. My wife and kids don’t have to worry.
Jeremy Kellett 00:33
Welcome to the Oakley podcast, trucking, business and family. This show is brought to you by Oakley trucking headquartered in North Little Rock, Arkansas. The purpose of this podcast is to communicate with Oakley owner operators and their families by giving them up to date information concerning Oakley trucking and the trucking industry. From business advice to safety updates to success stories. Also to give an insight to outside truck drivers who might be interested in joining the Oakley family. I was Jeremy kellett director recruiting here at Oakley trucking. I’m your host for this podcast. This is the Oakley podcast, trucking business and family. This is episode 133. So on today’s episode, we got a real special one for you. We sit down with Mr. J. Dearing from Amity Arkansas. He’s an owner operator here at Oakley trucking and we’re just going to hear his story. He started back with us in May of this year and we want to talk to him how he got into be calm and owner operator because Jay tells me went at it backwards, whatever that means. And we’re going to visit with him on that. Also, he just tried to trucks and we’re going to talk about the truck that he purchased. It’s got a little story behind it. So some good stuff coming up with Jay but first before we do that, let’s give you an Oakley update sponsored by Arrow Truck Sales. Let’s listen to one of Oakleys owner operator experience with Arrow Truck Sales
Commercial 01:54
called Kenworth offer 440. Called Peterbilt call Freightliner. None of them wanted to work with me. So Jeremy kellett got me and got me over to Trey. Trey visor, me and him had a conversation. He had sent me to Keith Wilson and never looked back from that point. I was upside down 29,000 and changed. They paid off all but $5,000 of my loans on a blown truck. That right there said a lot to me. You know they’re you were willing to step outside of their comfort zone to get my deal done. I’ve never felt like a customer. Yeah, it was more like a family feeling. He took care of every aspect of the deal. He was completely transparent. There was no hidden, no hidden nothing.
Jeremy Kellett 03:02
So if you’re in the market for a used truck, you owe it to yourself to call Keith Wilson at Arrow Truck Sales in Springfield, Missouri. Tell him you heard it on the Oakley podcast. So on today’s Oakley update, I want to discuss the rider policy. I don’t think we’ve ever discussed this on the Oakley update, and I had to bring in Dustin Barnett to help me clarify a few things from the safety department. And, you know, because we want to be, all I want to do is make sure you know how we first of all, we do have a router policy here at Oakley and I want you people to understand how to sign up for it if you get somebody that you want to ride with you. So Dustin, you want to give us the particulars on how the rider policy works.
Dustin Barnett 03:44
Yes, sir. Yeah, so if anyone wants to ride with me, there’s only one passenger allowed in the vehicle at a time. As long as that parameter is met, and they’re at least seven years old, then all you’ll need to do is fill out a router policy, you submit it to the safety department, we can make sure all the correct boxes are checked and the information provided is accurate. We’ll sign off on it. And then as soon as you receive the signed copy back, then the policy is effective immediately. A few things to note, the easiest way to go through the pin, receive it and fill it out on your end is going to be through DocuSign you know nine times out of 10. That’s the preferred method, but we can send you a PDF copy if you need it to print out and fill out with the wedding signature. But you don’t have to hunt for a fax machine. No, sir. No, not anymore. You can just do it right through DocuSign email, so
Jeremy Kellett 04:36
I’ll just need to call the safety department and say hey, I’ve got somebody gonna ride with me this week, this month, whatever. And you will send them through their email, the electronic Pipers.
Dustin Barnett 04:49
Yeah, that’d be through your email and it’ll come in two separate emails. The first one is going to be the owner operator’s information specifically. And then the second email is the pastor’s information and signature. But there’s directions on the first one that kind of itemize out how to fill out the two forms. And if you have any questions while you’re filling it out, just feel free to call us and we’ll make sure that we can get
Jeremy Kellett 05:12
the hell out to pay, what does it cost and how does it work.
Dustin Barnett 05:17
So the pay is $11 a month, and it is per calendar month. So that doesn’t matter if that rider was in there for one day that month, or you know, all 3031 days. And how that works is at the bottom of the second page, it has a start date and end date that the rider is going to be in in your CSV. So if you do, you know start date today, the 16th and then you do an end date as open, then what accounting will do and what we’ll do, we’ll just process that as $11 a month for that passenger and they can come and go as they please so you know a lot of husband and wives prefer that just because you know the wife has had some time off from work or maybe they get in and out pretty frequent over the course of the year then that way they don’t have to worry about filling out a new form each time that he or she wants to ride with. That’s kind of convenient but if there is just a short trip, you know being Christmas break coming up, there’s a lot of kids that have the week off and we’re already receiving a lot of those calls this week. You can just do a you know a start date and then an end date when they are planning to leave and then you’ll only be charged for that period.
Jeremy Kellett 06:27
Okay, so simple enough. That sounds pretty good.
06:30
Yeah. Either anything else to add to that?
Dustin Barnett 06:33
No, I don’t think so. If y’all have any questions just feel free to call and ask for safety and we’ll make sure to get
Jeremy Kellett 06:38
your main thing to remember is don’t forget it. Yes. Don’t get somebody in your truck and then have an accident and then we find out
Dustin Barnett 06:45
Yeah, because there’s yeah, there’s a lot of problems that can arise from that but there’s coverage in place for you know, you never want to think that anything’s gonna happen and injury is going to occur but it does cover Accidental Death and then also accidental on medical too, so it’s very important to it is insurance.
Jeremy Kellett 07:04
Thank you much Dustin Barnett and that is the Oakley update sponsored by Arrow Truck Sales. Now we’re gonna sit down with Mr. J Dearing and hear his story. Jay Dearing, J what’s going on you doing?
Jay Dearing 07:15
I’m doing pretty good today man. Getting this new truck all set up. I like it timed out ready to take her down the road and see how she pulled a load.
Jeremy Kellett 07:23
I appreciate you coming in here and doing this with me. Kind of spur the moment here driving trucks and trapped you up in here so we could talk a little bit about it. First, let the listeners know where you are from, your family and hobbies.
Jay Dearing 07:40
I live in Amity Arkansas, which is right down by Glenwood Springs area. I got a wife and two daughters at a yes, thanks. It’s our dad. He’s a hero because I’m a truck driver. So I’m alright with that. And, you know, we’re big campers. We’d like to. We got a new camper a couple years ago. So it comes time to go camping. You know, my wife’s on the phone with me like you better be home this weekend. Or? Yeah, where y’all like to go camping? Well, my wife wants to know, she wants to go everywhere. But around here. Probably late grace and over in Kirby Arkansas is our favorite place. We live right next to the gray. So, you know, sometimes we will hit the sides around there. But Grayson is probably our favorite spot because of the fun stuff. My own fun time, man. It is quality time. And when you’re a truck driver, and you’re going all week, you know, you want that quality time when every chance you get.
Jeremy Kellett 08:41
So I’m curious about how you became an owner. Operator. We talked briefly about that earlier, and I was kind of stopping you because I want to hear this for the first. Do you tell me you went at it backwards? What does that mean?
Jay Dearing 08:54
I tell everybody who asked me, How did I ever get in the truck driving? And I tell him I’m the wrong person. I asked if I did everything wrong, you know, as far as these guys out on the road that are giving advice, and then they hear me give advice. They’re like, man, you’re lucky, you know, basically, I took my life savings and bought a truck and a trailer and didn’t even have a CDL. So, you know, that’s the first change that I took was the first mistake. Right? All right. Yeah. Why don’t you do that? I knew what I wanted to do. I had a background and I got a degree in from Arkansas Tech and business. And I tried that, and I didn’t enjoy it a whole lot. And my father in law was an owner operator. And my grandpa, you know, he’s, he drove since the 50s. And he drove until two years before he passed away. You know, I’ve been around trucking and I knew I was interested in it. So I just went for it. You know, basically took that truck and trailer and was what little bit of money I had left, went and bought it. I just needed to buy to, you know, get my CDL and take that skills test. And when I got that CDL handed to me across the counter, I was alright, it’s time to go to work.
10:17
I was an independent, I knew I didn’t want to work for a company,
Jay Dearing 10:22
as a company driver, which is why I bought my own equipment.
Jeremy Kellett 10:25
I didn’t go to CDL school or anything. Now here’s when took the test and right and they gave it to you got to see the that way and then you just went out already had a truck and trailer now you get figured out how to make money with it,
Jay Dearing 10:37
right. And I had three weeks of waiting period, for my authority to go through, you know, you get your D O T number and all that stuff was in, you know, half an hour after applying for it, but you have a waiting period for it to go through. So for three weeks, I was out working, trying to find work, you know, something to make money because you spin everything. You know, all these, all these guys out on the road that you talk to or on social media or something, you know, they’re telling you save your money, don’t do anything until you have at least you know, $20,000 After you purchase everything, and just that another and I’m like, Well, I hope this truck runs good because I ain’t got nothing to fix it. So that’s why I tell everybody, I did everything the wrong way. You know
Jeremy Kellett 11:27
You survived it sounds like?
11:29
I did. I had some good contacts.
Jay Dearing 11:33
When I was in the business world, I worked in procurement management, you know, purchasing and supply chain. So I knew a lot of people that would ship and stuff. And there’s a guy here in Little Rock called and I said, Hey, I’m getting ready to do this, and how can you help me out? And he said, You just let me know when you’re ready. So he was my first contact. And then over as time went, I built more contacts. And then I you know, as an independent, you have to learn things, you know, like, Oh, if I go out west, I’m not going to be able to get back this way. Real easy. So he has a big learning process, but I weathered the storm.
Jeremy Kellett 12:20
Was that with a driving flatbed?
Jay Dearing 12:23
48 footer spread axle. That was another thing. You know, I didn’t know anything about pulling that spread axle. You got a 10 foot spread, actually, you know how to get that thing back, you’re gonna tear it up, call yourself some money. And so I was just another learning curve. I was out there learning how to how to, you know, make money and also keep my equipment one piece,
Jeremy Kellett 12:47
like you said to self teach yourself to do that, I guess.
Jay Dearing 12:50
Yeah, yeah. It was just figure it out on my grandpa being old school the way it was. That’s what he always told me. They listen, if you’re owner operator, ain’t gonna be nobody out there holding your hand telling you what to do. You just gotta figure it out. Sometimes. That was kind of my motto for that first 12 months, 24 months, you know,
Jeremy Kellett 13:11
so you did that for two years.
Jay Dearing 13:14
From 2018 until this year talking to Oakley.
13:20
So this is my firstly,
Jay Dearing 13:24
I talked to a lot of different companies. I was talking to Oakley but I was also talking to a handful of other people. And my educated guess or my educated assumption, you know, said Oakley is the best place to go with it wasn’t? Well, you know, as owner operator, the first thing you want to know about is money. Now, when I’m talking to guys out on the road, that’s, you know, they don’t say hey, how is it working with those guys at Oakley? I know that, you know, that’s not the first thing on their mind. First thing they want to know is how much money are you making at Oakley? So that’s what I wanted to know. And hands down. You know, as I’m discussing, this was my why I said there’s nobody out there that I can make the same amount of money as I could with Oakley, they’ve got the most promise. And Cory was my recruiter and such a nice guy. And a straight shooter. I can honestly say through the recruiting process. Once I got here, you know, everything was everything he told me was true. And, you know, I wasn’t surprised or taken aback by anything. Which was a relief to me because I’m a first time lease operator and
Jeremy Kellett 14:44
that matched up with what the drivers were telling you to, I guess.
Jay Dearing 14:47
Yeah, I was flatbed and so you know Oakley does a lot of roofing granules. And I was hauling a lot of shingles and my dispatcher, you know, after being here for a couple of weeks You know, really kind of expressed how happy he was that, man, you’ve been in every single plant in the country, you always know where you’re going. I’m like, Yeah, I’ll flatbed. You know. So I’d be at these, you know, whether, you know, is whoever, whatever plant and wherever I’m at, there’ll be a Oakley truck there. And I get parked over there in the staging area, and then I’ll just back in right next to Oakley guy, I’ll hop out of my truck, and we’d sit there and talk, you know, until it was one of our turns to go and ask a lot of questions. And, man, these robbers were honest to know, and, you know, even the negatives, you know, I don’t care where you work, who you work for. Nobody’s perfect. No company is perfect. To share that, you know, you might, you know, well, this is, you know, us having a weight, you know, with a hopper ball. And that’s not the most fun thing in the world. And you don’t always have to do it. You know, I think I waited less than a person, you know, normally, you can get there and pull right in. But sometimes you gotta wait. And that wasn’t fun. And they were honest with me about that, like, it’s gonna happen. It’s not a matter of if it’s when, yeah,
Jeremy Kellett 16:17
I mean, that’s part of it, then you’re gonna have some negatives with every job. So, so you’ve made this journey, you went and bought your own truck and trailer, and then you got to see the All right, and then you, you had a contact, and you made some other contacts and did it for yourself for a couple of years, with your own authority. And then you made the jump to Oakley. And you did that back in May. And now you’ve already upgraded trucks. So before I want you to tell us about your truck. Let’s take a quick break and hear from lubes Oh, you know, you’ve been hearing me talk about Lube Zone for a couple of years now. Well, now it’s time you hear from one of our owner operators. Listen to Mike Durbin talk about his experience with LubeZone. The price
Mike Durbin 17:04
is great. The service is great. From time when I pulled in the door all the time I pulled out with less than allowed best I’ve ever had, as far as an owner operator having more chains, checks the wall that showed me at all, at all the portion owned or renters showed me my rear end wall on paper and they did their job. They were just it was very nice to go somewhere, get what you wanted done and and go, I was very pleased about it. And like I said, very satisfied. I won’t go out of my way from now on to go
Jeremy Kellett 17:38
check out lubezone.com for all their services and all their locations and tell him you heard it on the Oakley podcast.
17:45
So you upgraded trucks. Now.
Jeremy Kellett 17:51
I know he was telling me a while ago that some of the new hires are standing around and thanked his Gulkand ad. So tell us about your truck that you just traded for man as
Jay Dearing 18:01
a as a 2020 international Lone Star was not the truck I was looking for. But I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it. Now, I have my heart set on a Peterbilt 389 Or a kW everybody does, you know if your truck and you see them trucks. That’s what I want you to come across this international lone star that was built exactly like I wanted. I had help with Arrow Truck Sales. You know, they were, you know, searching for trucks. And to kind of help me with that too, when I’m watching their inventory. And Keith called me one day and he said, Man, you know, I actually called him and he told me about this international day just so we’ll send me some pictures. He said, Well, we just got it in and I knew it had been detailed. I said good. I can see how it looks when it’s working. And he sent me some pictures. I was on a white truck. And this one’s white and maroon, you know, it’s got a maroon inlay on and that he said well maroon on it. And I said well just let me see some pictures. And when he sent it to me, I was like that’s a truck. You know, his thing was that he said it’s got everything you asked for, you know, it’s that I wanted the build of the truck to me is the reliability of the truck. So I wanted the 14,000 pound front axle. The most important thing was that I wanted that big Cummins performance engine with a 18 speed transmission. And I wanted a good set of gears in the back, you know, 350 pounds or as close as I could to it. I’d rather drive a truck wheel to haul a load. Then buy a truck that’s for fuel efficiency and every truck driver is different. Some of the guys it’s all about, you know, saving every penny on fuel to me. When I come to a hill, I want to be able to pull that hill so Now, that’s kind of, I guess old fashioned. Everybody’s different. Yeah, you know. And so Keith told me he’s a manager, everything you wanted, everything you asked for. So I said, Well, let’s get paperwork started on it. But I want to say it was cleaned up and make sure it’s not forgotten. Seeing the pictures and seeing it in person gave it no justice when I got up there to Arrow to pick it up. I was like, wow, really? Yeah. And even the guys in the shop up there. They’re like, Are you the one who bought that lone star? I said, Yeah. And they’re like, that’s an ice truck. And I said, really in there. Like I said, I’m glad you’ve seen it, because I haven’t, I’ve just seen pictures, though. So it was good to hear that before I saw but when they had a few recalls, I had a couple campaigns on it. So they sent it out and got that taken care of. So when I got there, they were on the way with the truck. Back from international and they roll very real slow with the right path. Now it’s like, get out of this thing.
Jeremy Kellett 21:05
You know, the first time when he told me that it was a 2020 Lone Star. Red flags went off in my bra. Hey, my mind, I’m sure you don’t want to write the white. So there’s no telling how many people we’ve rejected because of loan stores being heavy. And you told me that your truck weighed what
Jay Dearing 21:26
to be exact 19,008 80 With half tank, and that’s about 100 gallon. And
Jeremy Kellett 21:32
And that’s a pretty long story International Lone Star because most of them we see are heavy. I was just talking to a guy the other day on the phone about him wanting to buy a brand new one. But the dry weight was not obtained. And like, you know, how did you find it? What’s a lot about uh, do you know?
Jay Dearing 21:53
Well, you know, I don’t have a whole lot of extra stuff on Scout one step on the side. I don’t have 150 gallon tanks. It’s got a 100 gallon tank, and there’s no head rack on it just got that big bowl rack on the front of it, which scared me. But it’s okay. I said, I can’t do anything until you give me the weight on this thing. You know, I gotta make sure I can use this truck at Oakley. It’s the first thing you thought to Yeah, because I know lone stars are notorious for being heavy. Yeah. And he already had, he’s a man, I got it right in front of me. It’s 19 Six. And I was like, Okay, well, when I got here, maybe it was my weight, you know, in the truck that made it 1980. But I don’t weigh 280 pounds. And there was a difference there. But I was still under 20, which made me happy.
Jeremy Kellett 22:42
Very unexpected when it comes to those last doors, right. So you get in your swapping from hopper to an end up now getting wicked but
Jay Dearing 22:49
today, yeah, they’re getting the wet get put on and getting all the homemade, you want to do that? Well, I’m going from a modest payment to you know, to pretty large payment now, a lower payment than I was planning on still. But I know, Mike a little more money, I needed to make the extra money to justify making a bigger payment. So, you know, my wife is in the hole. One of the big things about coming to Oakley was, you know, for my wife, but, you know, you can be home more, you know, running your own authority. You know, you gotta go out there and work hard and cover all that overhead. Yeah. So. And, you know, that was taking time away from the family. It was something that we weren’t really used to at first because, you know, I was in the business world. So I said, you know, I’m gonna go to Oakley. They say the thing that gets me home on the weekends. And Oakley has always got me home when I asked.
Jeremy Kellett 23:53
So which brings up my next last point was the minute Oakley six months. give our listeners a description of that six months I could maybe the first month compared to the last month and the difference man learning
Jay Dearing 24:12
curve. Honestly, I’d say the my first month here. I’ll tell everybody as an independent is just you and your truck. There’s nobody out there to blame. There’s nobody out there helping you out, you know. And I had to learn a system. I know when I met my dispatch, during orientation, my dispatcher, I tossed him and you got to be patient with me. Because I’ve never had a system to learn. You know, I don’t know anything about making CIT calls. I don’t know anything. You know, what if my truck breaks, I don’t know what to do. And that happened, you know, not long. I was like three weeks, you know, through a fan belt and I’ve got a load on what do I do, you know? And you know, a dispatcher worked me through it. And I learned it through him so you know that first Last, I’d say, No, that was the, it was getting used to the system that’s in place, never having to do that before. And I’m, you know, currently. And I know when I hit the road, that when I dropped that load, I’m confident in my Drive, and I’m confident with where I’m going. I know that when I dumped that trailer, I’ve already got another load weight on me. I just feel good all the way around. And in that first month, there’s so much unknown. So So I would say, you know, just that nice, big warm security blanket. No one that Oakley got more worked and they’ve got drivers. And I’m out here. Now running these loads, I don’t have to worry. My wife and kids don’t have to worry. As you waffle Aki working here. My wife enjoys Oakley, for the simple fact that if I call in on Monday morning, and say, Hey, I’m getting ready to dump this load out. Give me the next one. Oh, and by the way, you know, I need the weekend off. Oh, we got some stuff going on. There’s no questions asked, you know, dispatch saying like, Well, you didn’t let us know two weeks that, you know, nothing like that. They’re like, Alright, man, we’ll have you we’ll make sure that your home no fighting the war game. Right. You know. So that’s what she likes about it there. You know, which, you know, she doesn’t have experience with other companies. But her dad being an owner operator, and oh, you know, sometimes he was out, you know, when he didn’t want to be so.
Jeremy Kellett 26:36
So she’s been in it long. She’s been associated with it a long time.
Jay Dearing 26:40
I married a truck driver’s daughter. She’s very understanding. We’ve been married over 13 years now. And people are like, how do you make it last as a truck driver? You know, how’s it not affecting your marriage? Well, I’m married to truck drivers. Daughter. Yeah, you ought to go do the same thing.
Jeremy Kellett 26:56
See if you can find one. That’s the hard part. Jay good fun.
Jay Dearing 26:59
Yeah. Yeah, we’ve been, we’ve had a great run, you know, very happily married. And I don’t make any decisions without her. And I always get her opinion. So you know, she was part of this decision process that came in Oakley as well.
Jeremy Kellett 27:17
Right let in the truck and well, you got a good partnership player made a good marriage that y’all make good decisions together.
Jay Dearing 27:23
What are you supposed to do? 100%.
Jeremy Kellett 27:26
Let’s wait supposed to be. Man. I appreciate all that info. Anything else you’d like to add?
Jay Dearing 27:31
Just a funny story about, you know, this truck that I just got.
Jeremy Kellett 27:38
Oh, yeah, I was gonna ask you about that. And your TikTok?
Jay Dearing 27:41
Yeah. So I’m on TikTok. I got 40,000 followers or so on there. And I will tell them what it is? Well, it’s basically how they find it. It’s a toy_trucker. And basically, oh, my content is about, you know, just the life of a truck driver. And, sir, out that people have seen you know, that I’m working for Oakley, and things like that. It’s been a great process for me, because a lot of people are asking me, you know, how’s things going here? What are you doing now? Where are you at? Blah, blah, blah. So through my TikTok I have made friends with this guy. We’ve been friends for about three years. He doesn’t own the company. But he’s part of a company out in Amarillo, Texas. Oh, they’re running reefers in Holland, some cattle but that they collect trucks. No big semi truck. I think they got like a 50 model, Peter bill. And then there’s like a 60s and, and a 17. And of course, they keep them all in a shop. They’re not out running loads. But you know, a really nice, gorgeous truck. So when I picked up this international jump on my TikTok, you know, when I make a TikTok hey, look, what I’m bringing home, you know, is that in another? And then I drive home, I get home. And I have a message from this guy. And he’s like, hey, you need to call me. You just bought my old truck. I was like, man, no way. Are you serious? And he’s like, that’s my old truck. He said, You call me I’ll get you all the maintenance records on it tell you anything you want to know about it
Jeremy Kellett 29:23
in that song.
Jay Dearing 29:24
So that was pretty neat. It’s a big world, you know, but it’s a small world. Yes.
Jeremy Kellett 29:32
Oh. Well, that was nice that he reached out to you. Yeah. And I mean, just for you have and TikTok you find out where that truck came from and get all the info scoop on it didn’t know the history right?
Jay Dearing 29:44
Yeah. You know, anytime you buy a truck, you want to know everything about it. You know, Arrow gave me the best information that I could, you know, they let me know it was an individual truck and things like that. though. Now we’ll know that no, that’s good stuff. And you know, when you’re buying a truck when you can get good information like that, oh, it makes a big difference.
Jeremy Kellett 30:08
Yeah, it does. We’ll check out Jay on TikTok. So Myles has a question.
Myles Mason 30:13
Hey, guys, this is Myles, I’m sitting at the end of the table recording.
Jeremy Kellett 30:21
No video for Myles yet.
Myles Mason 30:23
How did you get into it? How long have you been on TikTok? And how did you get started wanting to do something like that?
Jay Dearing 30:35
Man, it was, it was in the middle of COVID season. And at that time, you know, I was actually paying attention to TikTok because my oldest daughter wanted to download it and I won’t let me see what this is about. Anyways, I just made a video real quick on my truck and trailer and tell him about it and stuff. And, you know, to me, it was boring. And when I woke up the next morning, my last video really blew up. What are you talking about? And I think you got like, 177,000 views on there and like 17,000 followers or something like I was like, No way. And I just started going through. And sure enough, they really liked it. And it seemed like, at that time, truck drivers were calling heroes to the nation during COVID.
Jay Dearing 31:21
It really took off as far as what they call trucker TikTok. You know, it took off and I just happened to be one of the first to do it. There’s a couple other, you know, big creators on there. That was doing it, but I just gave it a shot, you know, and just to try it out. And by chance, here I am, you know, and it’s been a trip. I’ve had it happen with Oakley, luckily, but when I was running flatbed, I’d have people follow me into plants, and things like that, you know, they recognize my truck, and then just follow me into my delivery. So micro celebrity. Yeah.
Jeremy Kellett 31:59
i just want to talk to you, right?
Jay Dearing 32:01
You know, a lot of times I’ll be out of, you know, out of fuel Bay pump and fuel and somebody will want to, you know, talk or even a couple times people want to pick yours and stuff like that. And I’m like, Guys, I’m driving a truck down the road. Okay, I’m shifting gears, I got highway and horizon in front of me, just like you, you know. But some guy, two people and TikTok split that platform out there, you know, where a lot of people have rose to fame independently. So I don’t want that to happen. Like being a truck driver too much, but it’s fine.
Jeremy Kellett 32:34
Well that’s good. That’s, you know, just amazing. What, what freedom we have in this country that you can do that. And yeah, and be a celebrity I have. Well,
Jay Dearing 32:46
I guess so.
Jeremy Kellett 32:47
It’s a good story, though, Jay. I mean, you go from a college degree, to buying a truck and then getting a CDL doing it all on your own and because it’s obvious you got it’s obvious you got two brains, you know, to do it and then and a strong marriage to do it. And you get the mind it’s all come together now. And you’re at Oakley, been here six months and have a great story, buy a new truck, awesome truck and hope you keep doing those TikTok. And keep, keep it keep the positivity going in trucking that that you have because I can tell this by talking to you, you know, you love being a truck driver.
Jay Dearing 33:25
I live. You know, I never knew that was in me to be honest. There’s always something I was interested in. I don’t know the first time you get behind that. And going down the interstate. It’s just so contagious. But I appreciate you guys having me here. And yeah, I’m glad that I found a company that can support me the way that I need them to. And I’m glad that I found a company where I can buy such a nice truck because you guys treat me right.
Jeremy Kellett 33:54
Well, we’re glad to have you, man. And we appreciate all our listeners out there too. You guys are awesome. And tuning in with us every week and leaving his comments and, man we really appreciate all that you do. If you ever got questions about Oakley trucking, be sure to let us know up here and we’ll even hook you up with TikTok man here. Check him out on TikTok. Myles will put his info up there for sure. So you guys know how to get in touch with him. And as always, we appreciate it, Oakley family and we’ll talk to you guys next week.
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