This week on the Oakley Podcast, host Jeremy Kellett welcomes Cruz Medrano, one of our Owner/Operators at Oakley Trucking. During the episode, Cruz shares his journey from the Marine Corps to becoming a truck driver, highlighting his experiences, family life, and hobbies. He discusses the challenges and rewards of purchasing his first truck and the importance of financial and maintenance management. Cruz also talks about his fitness routine and his life outside of trucking supporting his girlfriend who is a professional boxer. You won’t want to miss this episode.
Key topics in today’s conversation include:
- Previewing Today’s Episode with Cruz (0:12)
- Come See Us at MATS (3:02)
- Cruz’s Background and Journey in Trucking (7:33)
- Becoming an Owner Operator (12:09)
- Purchasing a New Truck (13:40)
- Cruz’s Girlfriend: Professional Boxer (16:11)
- Experience with Dump Trailers (17:31)
- Reasons for Staying in Trucking (18:44)
- Adjusting to a New Truck (20:24)
- Future Aspirations in Trucking (23:45)
- Advice for Aspiring Owner Operators (24:33)
- Building Relationships in Trucking (27:23)
- Final Thoughts and Takeaways (29:01)
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
Jeremy Kellett 00:12
Thanks for tuning in to the Oakley podcast, trucking, business and family. My name is Jeremy Kellett, and I’m your host for this podcast, which is brought to you by Oakley trucking, located in North Little Rock, Arkansas. Our goal is to inspire, educate and provide resources for our owner operators as well as outside truck drivers that may be interested in becoming a part of the Oakley family. So sit back, relax and keep your eyes on the road as we start this week’s brand new episode. Welcome to the Oakley podcast, truck and business and family. My name is Jeremy Kellett, Director recruiting here at Oakley trucking. I’m your host for this podcast. And in this episode, I got Megan sitting in with me for the intro. But
Megan Cummings 00:52
not on the episode, no, I don’t know what. I don’t know where to look anymore, but,
Jeremy Kellett 00:57
but in this episode, Cruz Medrano. He’s one of our independent contractors here. This is a great success story of him and how he got started in trucking, how he went from becoming a first time owner operator and all nervous about it, and the process, and now he’s in here three What does say three years later, he’s been here and he’s buying his first brand new flag. Ken Worth, man, did you see it sharp? Yeah, he’s looking good, nice. Yeah, he was really excited. So we’re going to talk to him. He and he’s really good about telling it like it is, as what I like about Cruz we sit in here and as the first time I actually sat down with him and had a long conversation. But you know, I get him to tell me about the dump trailers and operating an in dump, and he’ll just tell you exactly the way it is. It’s pretty funny. Is good, but, you know, and he talks about his career, military, he talks about his girlfriend as a professional boxer, really, yes, yes. So he talks a little bit about that, and his hobbies. Talked about his hobbies. It’s a great episode with Cruz. And he has his own YouTube channel, and we talk a little bit about that too. It’s called a Cruz tube. So everybody checks out the Cruz tube, us too, and checks him out. But good conversation with oak Cruz madreno. He’s a good guy.
Megan Cummings 02:15
He really embodies the Oakley spirit too. Always in a good mood. Whenever you talk to him, he called me a couple days after he came into trade, and it wasn’t about anything serious. It was just something that we were talking about when he was here, and he’s like, Hey, you have a second to talk. Like, yeah. And of course, I’m thinking, hey, I’m pulled over, and everything you gave me is wrong, just immediately thinking the worst. But he wanted to tell me about something on his loan that we had just discussed. Oh, while he was in there, he’s like, I just thought you might want to know we were talking about that the other day. Yeah, he
Jeremy Kellett 02:46
was super. He was calling us right and left about the truck and the weight of the truck and yeah, just right. And what he wanted, he did a heck, it’s
02:52
a good reminder, yeah, have you had a lot
Jeremy Kellett 02:55
of you had a lot of calls over that? Yeah, so we did truck trades. The
Megan Cummings 03:00
A week after it was, I was just watching your podcast, and I thought I should let you, or I’m thinking about in the future. I really appreciate those. So it did help a little bit. Yeah, it did help. And the weights just stress people, how important that is. So,
Jeremy Kellett 03:14
yeah, yeah. I think it helped a lot. Yeah, absolutely. Mid America truck show, yeah,
Megan Cummings 03:18
mats, Todd’s that time again already. It is
Jeremy Kellett 03:21
rolling around. It’s gonna be good. So we got the whole crew up, minus one, excuse me, we got most of the crew going to mats. Megan has to stay back. Go ahead and
Megan Cummings 03:33
make your formal apology now, because everybody’s gonna be
Jeremy Kellett 03:36
really sad. It’s gonna be bad. I dread answering all those questions of, where’s Megan? Make
Megan Cummings 03:41
sure, if you show up, that’s the first thing that you ask, Where’s Megan? Yeah, no formal Hello, or anything like that.
Jeremy Kellett 03:46
The big Hey, the big story is we are in a new location, really. Yeah. So every year we’ve been in the West Wing, well, they have gotten rid of the West Wing, so now we’re over in the new part South wing, which is, to me, that’s always been the fancy
Megan Cummings 04:04
part. Oh my gosh, really, yeah, and this is the year I’m not going when we’re in the fancy part, sure if I didn’t think about that. You’re gonna have a motley crew there without me. Anyway, South wing, fancy South
Jeremy Kellett 04:18
wing, Booth, 37 430-330-7430, 430-330-7433,
Megan Cummings 04:23
why don’t you tell us who’s all who? Who’s everybody’s gonna see there?
Jeremy Kellett 04:26
Well, we’re gonna have a couple guys, Corey and Dustin from recruiting, and I’ve got a couple dispatchers going, Yeah, man, well, and I forgot the other one. I’m not sure Kyle Kyle, that’s right. Cool. Kyle Haney from Oklahoma, is going to be there. So we got that I’m coming. Annabelle is going to be there. That’s probably it, right there. Keith, oh yeah, yeah, Keith from Arrow is going to be there. Really. He hangs out with us every year, and it’s a great opportunity for our listeners. If you’re interested in buying a used truck, I mean, you got us both right there. In the same place where you can talk to, yeah, the recruiter, and you can talk to the truck sales. It’s really good. Do
Megan Cummings 05:05
you think he could do some credit apps or something like that while he’s there? So he does get approved.
Jeremy Kellett 05:09
I think he does. Hey, go to a one stop shop. Yeah, it is. It really is. He has been doing it for years. John McCormick’s in the beauty contest, yeah, beauty pageant. I don’t know anybody. I think I heard they moved at location. No, same location. Annabelle, okay, maybe same spot. But John is awesome. I mean, he does it every year, and he’s always adding a little bit more to it. He’s got that Kenworth truck. I forget what your model is, but he is sharp now,
Megan Cummings 05:39
and he’s taking home some kind of prize every time he’s entered,
Jeremy Kellett 05:42
right? It’s like the smoke in bandit, yeah, theme. Well,
Megan Cummings 05:44
That’s what his truck’s name is. Is
Jeremy Kellett 05:46
bandit, yeah, yeah, right. Have you watched smoking bandits? Du, I thought it was
Megan Cummings 05:50
a prerequisite to work here, honestly. Well, I
Jeremy Kellett 05:53
had a I had somebody here that didn’t watch it, yeah, I
Megan Cummings 05:57
heard about that. Actually. That’s weird. I wonder if they don’t work here anymore. Oh, I thought that was
Jeremy Kellett 06:02
Annabelle. No. Oh, okay. Also giveaways, yeah, a lot of giveaways. You come by, you sign up for the giveaways. And we’ve got three big Arctic ultra light hard shell coolers, and they got wrapped with Oakley on them. Oh,
Megan Cummings 06:19
nice. And put a lot of bottled water in there. Yep, I’m sure that’s all that’s all that’s going to be
Jeremy Kellett 06:22
in there. It’ll probably be full. Great time. Great looking forward to it, March the 27th through the 29th in Louisville, Kentucky. So if anybody is around Louisville, Kentucky, any of those days, please stop in there. Come see us. It’s a great show. It has always been there for a long time. So yeah, all right, let’s get on to the Cruz Medrano’s episode, sat down with one of our owner operators. Cruz Medrano right? Yes, sir, and me, Cru is going to have a good discussion of his success story, not only here at Oakley, but through his life drugging him here because he came through with a new truck. And I thought, Man, what a great opportunity to get crews to sit down and talk about what’s going on in your life. So welcome to the podcast, man, I appreciate it. Yes, sir, thank you for having me. Yeah, thanks for sitting down now. Right out the gate. You got your own YouTube channel. Yes, Cruz tube. I watch it too. Thank you. You haven’t been doing it as much lately. You’re gonna have to get that thing back going.
Cruz Medrano 07:20
That’s why I’m here. So is it? So we’re gonna do this? Will re kick it off. Yeah, we’ll. And I
Jeremy Kellett 07:25
I want to talk a little bit more about that later on in this episode. But first tell me about yourself. Little self introduction, family, hobbies.
Cruz Medrano 07:32
Cruz Medrano, I’m from Arlington, Texas. I’m a Marine Corps veteran. Been around the world a little bit.
Jeremy Kellett 07:39
How long are you getting Marines? Four years active
Cruz Medrano 07:43
and five years in the reserve. So I did not. I did nine years awesome
Jeremy Kellett 07:47
Marine Corps. So you were there, four years in reserves, yes, sir.
Cruz Medrano 07:51
So I got out after my four years and joined the Reserves. After about a year of being out, I realized I needed something, and went back in and did that. So okay, maybe a little bit of taste from both worlds. Do you have a family? Yes, I still have my parents, brothers and sisters, and I have a daughter. Nice. How old is she? She’ll be 19 this month. Come on. Yep, congratulations.
Jeremy Kellett 08:13
She’s down around. Yes, is your family close to you down there in the same area? Yes, we’re all there in the same area. Oh, good. Are all of them Dallas Cowboy fans? Are you just you? Everybody’s cowboys. Man, if you’re not from Arlington, you’re in trouble, right? Yep, I get it. What do you do on your off
Cruz Medrano 08:31
time? Ride bicycles. No kidding, yep. Big Wheel, BMX bicycles.
Jeremy Kellett 08:37
Big Wheel. Now is that the kind that does? The track, the dirt track? No, or trails, no.
Cruz Medrano 08:41
We just social ride. Social ride. Back in the 80s with GTs and dinos. Were you into any of those bikes? No, no. There’s probably a lot of people listening there, like, Man, I used to have a GT and got stolen from me, really, same bikes, but adult size 29 inch wheels, okay,
Jeremy Kellett 08:57
and it’s just cruising around town, or We’ll
Cruz Medrano 09:01
all meet up at a certain location, and we’ll cruise around 10-15 miles, maybe then finish somewhere to grab, like eat and drink,
Jeremy Kellett 09:09
pedal in a bicycle, 10 to 15 miles, and you’re not broke down or anything, sure, not doing it for fun.
Cruz Medrano 09:15
Yep, that’s what I do for fun. It’s my socializing. It’s my it’s everything, my extra group of Yaw that do that. Sometimes there’s six of us. Sometimes there’s 100 of us.
Jeremy Kellett 09:24
No kidding, yep, that’s pretty cool. They actually do it here in Little Rock. Also, have you got a picture of your back? Oh yeah, okay, show that. I will. Annabelle, I want to see it too and put it up on TV, on here. I’d like to look at that. It may remind me of some of mine, my bicycle when I was a kid seemed to always be turned upside down on its seat, handle bars. And I was working on it, putting chain back on, putting some bearings in it, something all the time. We would ramp them up. It was fun. I’m
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Jeremy Kellett 10:27
Let’s talk about your career as a truck driver. At some point you decided to drive a truck. Yes, sir. When was that? I
Cruz Medrano 10:34
was in the Marine Corps and they paid for a truck driving school program. So back then there were the whole troops to truckers transitioning. That’s when the war in Iraq was winding down, okay? And so they offered all these programs. And so I just did it because it was free and I had no idea, no idea what I was going to do when I got out of the military. So it was free and I got my CDL in California. No kidding, yep, supposedly the hardest state to get your CDL.
Jeremy Kellett 10:59
And then after. So once you got out completely, you just started driving the company truck.
Cruz Medrano 11:04
Or, yeah, I was a company driver. I had a lot of company jobs. I was like, Man, I don’t like this at all. And I would quit a job in a heartbeat. I mean, quit. And that was before the whole deck, and ESP, PSP, is that what it’s called? Yep, that was before all of that. So they couldn’t really keep track. So I’d quit a job in a heartbeat. And I worked at General Motors, the assembly plant. I put up billboards. I was doing all sorts of jobs. And finally I said I’m gonna go back to truck driving, yeah. So got me a job at FedEx Freight full of doubles. Okay, that’s up too.
11:39
What was wrong with that?
Cruz Medrano 11:41
Well, it was a night job, and, oh, I wanted to be a truck driver, yeah, and that wasn’t truck driving, so, but I knew, because I wanted to be a truck driver, I had to stick it out, yep. So, you wanted to be a truck driver, yep. So stick it out. I had to stick it out. So I did what I had to do to get what I thought at the time I had about a year and a half experience. Yeah, I was shooting for two, but I couldn’t take it. So, yeah, that was it for that one. When did you get your own truck? Oh, I think this was in 2022, when I finally made the leap, took the faith. So
Jeremy Kellett 12:18
Is this your first job as an owner operator? Yes, you came to us, so you bought a truck and came to Oakley. Yes, got you Yes. Okay,
Cruz Medrano 12:25
after FedEx, I went and I was pulling a tanker for a few years, pulling sucrose, okay,
Jeremy Kellett 12:33
big step to become an owner operator, wasn’t it? Oh, yeah, scary? Was it? Well, scary about
Cruz Medrano 12:38
it, just uncertainty. You don’t know what you’re getting into. Don’t know the business. I mean, there’s a lot to know. You got to know maintenance, you got to know the business side. You got to know money management. I mean, you name
Jeremy Kellett 12:50
it, you probably still learn it. Oh, yeah. I mean it. I mean, really you do. I mean it’s a constant, ongoing learning curve of becoming an independent contractor on your own, realizing the truck you got is all yours now you’re responsible for all of it. Big difference, yeah, so which is you’re in here because you bought a new truck. Yes. What was a first truck you
Cruz Medrano 13:11
brought over here? It was a 2019, international, LT, flat top. Okay, look good, too. I know I’ve seen it from your YouTube channel. Yes, sir, I appreciate that. And keep it clean. I did. I’m a neat freak. Or, I guess that’ll go back to the military. So you wore it out. Yep, I was getting up there in miles putting them miles in because here at Oakley, they ran him. So it’s gonna go
Jeremy Kellett 13:36
up and you, you decided to, it’s time to upgrade. What’d
Cruz Medrano 13:39
you get it? I got a 2025, Kenworth w9 100. Oh man, big boy truck, nice. But that’s a little nerve wracking. It is. It is nerve wracking. It drives nothing like the other one. What made
Jeremy Kellett 13:52
you go that route and not yet another used international so
Cruz Medrano 13:56
I know I still want to stick with this for sure. So I wanted a new truck. So that way I know I’m the only person that’s been in that seat. I know what’s been done to it. I don’t have to chase anything else, wondering, why is this like that, or what’s been done to it? I know from this point forward, what’s going on with that truck. So that’s why I went to New Yeah. I
Jeremy Kellett 14:18
I see this so much here at Oakley, where, because we do a lot of first time over operators, they buy their first truck, a typically used truck, and get into it. And then after they’re here a couple years, two, three years, they realize, hey, I’m gonna get the truck I want. Now, now that I know what I’m doing, yeah, I’m gonna get the truck I want. And that sounds like what you’ve done. I can’t wait. I want to go out there and look at it. Oh yeah, before you leave, because I bet it’s short, but it is, yeah, when you put it on, you got pictures of it too, don’t you? Annabelle, good, good. Talk about on the road a little bit me, and you had talked, think I talked to you and Jimmy, and we’ve gone do one on exercising. I. You big on exercises? Yes,
Cruz Medrano 15:01
I am. Are you, although the last month I haven’t been able to do what I want to do, but yes, I’m big on exercise, and I run regularly, rope regularly, box regularly.
Jeremy Kellett 15:11
You do all this while you’re home or
Cruz Medrano 15:13
at home. Sometimes on the road it is really hard. Yeah, sometimes it’s not safe. That’s the main one. I don’t do anything out there because it’s not safe. There’s no limited places to walk, yes, exactly, exactly. And then if you find a spot to do something stationary, then you’re smelling urine, and it’s really tough. There’s a lot to take into consideration.
Jeremy Kellett 15:33
Yeah, that’s something I know you guys have a difficult time and able to do that. I mean, that’s the right challenge in itself. I’m sure what else is going on. Got your truck all excited about it. Got the wet kit put on today. Yeah, fix to get back out there on the road. You’re gonna start up your YouTube channel. You said that’s
Cruz Medrano 15:51
the plan. I’ve been recording this whole journey with the truck. So have you, yeah? So when I picked it up and I was out there at the shop recording, I will have a video coming out. Good, good. I’m anxious to see that. Yeah, that. I mean, when you were doing it regularly, that was pretty good. I’d look on there and I’d discover things about you, like, your girlfriend’s a boxer. Yeah? Tell me about that. Yeah, my girlfriend Carmen Vargas, out of Houston, Texas, she’s a professional boxer. Can I give a shout out to my girlfriend? Yeah, there. So everybody that’s into boxing, go follow her. Carmen Vargas boxing on Instagram. She’s a pro boxer. She’s been in the zone. That was her last fight. We went up to Detroit or Flint, Michigan for that fight. She won it. No, she didn’t win that one, but she fought hard. How many rounds ago? I think that was, it was either eight or 10 rounds. I can’t remember. That was a good fight. It was really, it was on TV. So I was on worldwide TV. Wow, so she’s looking for sponsors. Good that sounds like that’s an interesting story there, and I’m in it to win it with her. I mean, really, yeah. I mean, I’m there in her corner. I’m in her corner. Are you? Yeah? I’m her, I’m her water. Boy. Somebody gotta make Yeah? So, well, you’re probably her sparring partner, too. Gig. I’m not on her level yet. We’re talking professional level, man, it’s I do it for health and fitness exercise. Yeah, she does it for that’s her life. That’s her
Jeremy Kellett 17:14
life. How many times does she box a year? Or
Cruz Medrano 17:18
pro fights? You mean, could be a few times, really, a few times a year, maybe, if she’s lucky, shady business. I
Jeremy Kellett 17:25
bet it is. I bet it is something else, probably hard to get a oh yeah, a fight it is driving a truck, working at Oakley. What’s your experience been pulling a dump trailer? I should have said that in the beginning, yes, always pull the end up with us. Yes, tell our listeners out there, especially our owner operators or company drivers. I mean, what’s the best and the worst thing about
Cruz Medrano 17:46
It’s work. It’s not easy. It’s actually frustrating. Sometimes. What is pulling dealing with dump stuff? Okay, pulling up, the pulling part is no problem. I’m talking about the pain of loading and unloading.
Jeremy Kellett 17:59
Explain that a little bit like some of your situations. Well,
Cruz Medrano 18:03
you got to be able to climb on top of a trailer. So you have to be somewhat physically fit. So if you’re chugging down Bubba mugs, it probably ain’t going to work for you. So that is why I try to stay fit. Sometimes the stuff is piled on top of there. You got to do some shoveling, some moving, you got to worry about the loader smashing your trailer. Then you have to worry about calling somebody and reporting it. And it’s a lot, and that’s just loading. Same thing with unloading. You might not have nowhere to go, safe stuff doesn’t come out. Then you’re shoveling again. I mean, it’s a lot. It’s a lot of
Jeremy Kellett 18:40
work. Why are you doing it?
18:44
I don’t know
Jeremy Kellett 18:47
because, because it’s let you buy a brand new w9
Cruz Medrano 18:51
oh yeah, that’s why, yep, that is why I stuck with it, and here I am buying a brand new truck.
Jeremy Kellett 18:57
I’m glad you say that, because there are challenges in this job, yeah, absolutely, definitely challenges along with rewards, right? But definitely challenges when it comes to pulling a dump trailer. I mean, what else would you be doing if you weren’t driving a truck? I
Cruz Medrano 19:10
I really don’t know. So this little brief period when I did sell my other truck, I took into consideration not buying another one. I said, let me see what’s going to happen. So that little time off made me really realize I belong behind the wheel. Really, yes, it really did. I was going nuts. I didn’t know what to do. If I just, I like being on the road. It’s, it’s got to be, it’s really got to be in you for the passion of truck driving.
Jeremy Kellett 19:37
What’s the biggest challenge of being a truck driver right now, and there’s
Cruz Medrano 19:41
traffic. Yeah, traffic is a big one. I don’t know what’s happened in the last three years, but these people are driving like maniacs out there. I mean, it’s bad. And it’s not just everyone who says that like Man, they drive like maniacs here. It’s like this, everywhere, really, everywhere. Small towns, too. People not paying attention, driving. Ain’t maniacs. I’m serious. I
Jeremy Kellett 20:03
understand. I mean, I believe you. I see it every day, and I’m not there very long on the interstate, 2030 miles, and I see it happening. Yeah, I don’t know how you guys deal with it. I don’t know every day you got to be on your game. Yeah, absolutely do. I mean constantly watching the front and back side. I mean, you got to be on your game. Now this, this truck’s gonna be a little different for you
Cruz Medrano 20:24
to drive in. It. It already, immediately you can just
Jeremy Kellett 20:27
Now I hit the other truck with a slope. Yep, this is a hood. Yep,
Cruz Medrano 20:31
that other one, man, I’d whip a U turn, out of nowhere, pull into a Chick fil A. I get that thing anywhere on this one, I don’t I’m gonna have to figure something out. But I got a refrigerator in this one, so I ain’t got to worry about getting in tight places anymore like that. Oh, good. So that’s positive. Yeah,
Jeremy Kellett 20:46
this and you’re gonna, you’re gonna have to watch it when you go into places, yep, out of places, different places that you you go to, so you can fit that thing in there. Yeah,
Cruz Medrano 20:57
I’ve been told already by a couple of drivers what wheel base is 280
Jeremy Kellett 21:01
Oh, my gosh, 280 wheel base. Well, size sleeper. Oh, I think it’s 70 inches. Yeah, that’s the Mid Roof. How did you get your weight so light? I saw where you came in here. You were 19,700 pounds with half a tank of fuel. And that was probably before the wet kit, wasn’t it? Yes, that was before the wet kit. How did you find one? Get one that light? Do you have to spec it around? Well, I started
Cruz Medrano 21:28
dieting, and I made sure to drop
Jeremy Kellett 21:30
and went running. That’s unusual for a w9 really? Yeah, oh, wow. It is to be that light. I mean, you, you’ve done something. I found a truck. I mean, it’s just
Cruz Medrano 21:41
lighter. I think it was just all the stars aligned and it was meant to be, because I didn’t specify anything. It was there a lot, yep, on the lot. When
Jeremy Kellett 21:49
I appreciate you doing that. Me and Corey were talking about that a while ago because we came up here that you called back and forth with all of us to make sure the weight was going to be right before you showed up right. And that was, we appreciate it. We wish more people would do that too, because we’ve run into some problems with that, with these tractor weights and all getting heavier. But well,
Cruz Medrano 22:06
hey, I actually, thanks to that, was that YouTube video that y’all released on buying a new truck. Oh yeah, that was in the transition period I had when I was like, Man, do I want to sell this truck and not buy another one? Do I want to? Uh, that actually helped me with the process, with the decision making on that yeah,
Jeremy Kellett 22:23
I asked Megan the other day, I said, have you heard anything about us doing that truck trade podcast? She said, Yes, my phone’s ringing off the hook. That’s what it’s for to do things, right? But if you hadn’t listened to that episode, you need to go back a couple weeks to something like that. You need to listen to that episode on trading trucks. If you’re thinking about trading trucks while working here at Oakley, get some good input there for you. So
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Jeremy Kellett 23:43
What’s next for a Cruz?
Cruz Medrano 23:44
Well, start making some money. All right, get out there on this road. Hopefully I can get old Garrett to send me to California. So that’s actually one of my dreams as a truck driver in California, really? Yeah, I’ve always wanted to do it. I don’t know why, but I want to know that I got a cool hood. You haven’t been out there, no, ever. Well, when you got your CD Yeah, when I got my CDL station out there. But as far as truck driving, yeah, nope, never done it. There’s people
Jeremy Kellett 24:08
listening right now going, No, you don’t. No, you don’t want to go out there live and learn. I gotta at least try it. I bet Gary can get you out there. I hope so. I bet they can. Any words, if you think about this Cruz, there’s a guy out there that is thinking about buying a truck. He’s been a company driver for a while, and he’s thinking about buying a truck and coming to Oakley. What would you tell him?
Cruz Medrano 24:33
So you said, as a company driver, he’s wanting to come, yeah,
Jeremy Kellett 24:36
so he’s or Yeah, so yeah, he’s wanting to buy a truck and come. Okay, never been one.
Cruz Medrano 24:41
Okay? You have to weigh your options. You have to realize you’re making a decision that you can’t just walk away from. Well, I’m sure there’s some irresponsible people out there that do walk away from a big decision, but you’re in it to win it. You got, if you plan it correctly and take the proper steps and do the research, there’s. Reason: You won’t succeed, but you have to weigh your options. I mean, you’re gonna have to work on your own truck. You’re gonna have to find your own shops and mechanics. You’re gonna have to run your own business, learn how to manage your money. I mean, there’s a lot to take if, if there’s a lot of guys out there that have families that require them to be home and baseball practice and soccer and picking them up from school, this might not be the best thing.
Jeremy Kellett 25:26
You’re not coaching your kids. Basketball team, no baseball team out here, driving a truck,
Cruz Medrano 25:30
definitely not. Yeah, there might be a circumstance every now and then where you make about a house, but it’s not going to be regular.
Jeremy Kellett 25:38
So let’s see what else it’s something we always try to do here is help them be successful, just like you. I mean, you gotta take into consideration the place you’re going to go to work, and what all they take care of, and what all you have taken care of, right? Just an example, we provide the trailer at no cost to pull our trailer. That makes a big difference. Oh, yeah. Think about going somewhere, you know, and all the insurances we have and the fuel card and all those things that we have that you really got to dig down in the weeds and find that stuff out to see if it’s going to work for you. But I agree. I mean becoming owner operators, there’s a lot to it. Yeah, I wouldn’t go back. I was going to say I wouldn’t go back. Why? One
Cruz Medrano 26:23
of the main reasons is I can do what I want, not to the extreme, but if I have some vacation coming up or I just don’t feel like working, you have to get with your dispatcher, obviously. But there’s no calling your boss and requesting and then him saying, Oh, let me check the schedule. Oh, so and so is already requested off. That’s the main thing for me. That’s good. That’s the main thing, a little bit of freedom. Yeah, definitely. Freedom to an extent. Well, and you
Jeremy Kellett 26:51
I know, it probably feels good when you’re sitting out there in that truck. You’re not operating, and it’s your business, yep, your business. Man, yep. So, a lot of good quality, a lot of good things, of being an independent contractor, especially with Oakley trucking, right, which you’ve you’ve stuck in there, yeah, what? How many years now? Three April
Cruz Medrano 27:10
will be three years. Good for you. Yeah, good. Thank you. Anything else you’d like to add? We cover anything else you’ll think of when you get out. I know it. Let me see. Have you made any friends here? Yes, I have made some friends. Have you? Yep, and some of them were the reason why I wanted a hood, you know, because one of the guys that y’all paired me up with on my training week when y’all kicked us loose, was with a big J, Mr. Hightower. Oh, really, yeah, I rode with him that whole week afterwards, that first initial day, it was with water boy and John boy, yeah, just a quick overnight with them. And then after that, I met up with Big J and I saw all these guys with all these big bad trucks. And I literally was like, Man, I want to get me a big bad truck. Well,
Jeremy Kellett 27:56
He’s a big bad man. Oh yeah, I will tell you he’s big he probably just steps over in the trailer.
Cruz Medrano 28:05
So he trained you, yeah, he trained me. So he used to have that blue and white one, yeah, that he traded. I was like, Man, that’s bad. Yeah, he just came back to work here. Yeah, I didn’t even know he left.
Jeremy Kellett 28:16
Yeah, he left, and then for a short stint, and I just got started back up last month? Yeah, glad to have him back. Yeah, absolutely. I don’t know if he listens to this or not, but glad to have you back there. All right. Well, crews, I appreciate you sitting down with me. Man, it’s always good to get a perspective from our owner operators. That’s happening right now that people can relate to our listeners out there that we have. I feel like we have a lot of truck drivers that listen and they’re in the same, same predicament. You get in the same situations you’re in, and they can see success by just staying with it. Like you said. You’re in it to win it, you got to stay with it. So I appreciate you doing that and giving us a little bit of insight into your life and what you’ve done and accomplished so far. So
Cruz Medrano 28:59
man, thank you for hanging out with me. Oh, absolutely. I appreciate you having me on and one last thing on, what is it? Cruz tube. So that’s my YouTube channel. Cruz to c, r, u, Z,
Jeremy Kellett 29:09
yeah, get on there and check it out and comment and subscribe to Cruz two. He’s one of our owner operators, and he’s gonna be putting out some content for us too. So hey, I appreciate everybody listening and watching. If you watch this episode on YouTube, we will appreciate it. But I know a lot of you listen out there and don’t get a chance to watch it, and I appreciate y’all doing that. We have a lot of listeners every week. And I just want more of them. Want to touch some of these guys out there, especially these truck drivers that have any questions about Oakley. Do you have any questions about becoming an owner operator? Do you have any questions for crews? Man, send us a comment message. We’ll get it to him and I mean, we’ll do what we can to respond. I appreciate everybody listening to the Oakley podcast. We’ll talk to you next week. Thanks for listening to this episode with Oakley podcast, trucking, business. US and family. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to rate or review the show in the podcast platform of your choice and share it with a friend. We love hearing from our audience. So if you’ve got a question, comment or just want to say hello, head over to our website, the Oakley podcast.com, and click the leave a comment button. We’ll get you a response soon, and may even share some of the best ones here on the show. We’ll be back with a fresh episode very soon. Thanks for listening.