This week on the Oakley Podcast, Jeremy Kellett sits down at Oakley’s Reserve Terminal in Louisiana with dispatchers Dillon Falgoust and Matt Arceneaux to highlight the people and operations behind the scenes. They share how they started in the shop before moving into dispatch, what they learned about trucking, hours of service, and safety, and how much respect they’ve gained for professional drivers. The conversation dives into what makes an Owner Operator of the Year, including communication, reliability, clean equipment, and strong customer relationships, as well as how they review settlements and partner with drivers to hit income goals. They also discuss the tight-knit culture at the Reserve terminal, coordination with the North Little Rock office, the importance of safety in end-dump operations, and how Oakley’s high standards for appearance and professionalism set their owner-operators apart. Overall, the episode gives listeners an inside look at how dispatch and drivers work together as a team to build successful, family-supporting careers in trucking.
Key topics in today’s conversation include:
- Welcome to This Week’s Episode And Driver Appreciation Week (0:53)
- Highlighting Reserve Louisiana Terminal And Jeremy’s Early Story There (4:23)
- Dillon’s Background, Family, And Path From Shop To Dispatch (6:03)
- Matt’s Background, Time In the Shop, And Move Into Local Dispatch (9:58)
- Lessons Learned Moving From Construction To Fast-Paced Dispatch Work (13:00)
- What Makes an Owner-Operator of the Year And Qualities That Stand Out (17:30)
- Reviewing Settlements, Driver Income Goals, And Handling Slow Weeks (20:12)
- Hours Of Service, Driver Clocks, And Planning Loads Around Time Limits (26:30)
- Opportunities Around Reserve Terminal And Need For More Owner Operators (30:45)
- Showing Drivers As Normal Hardworking Neighbors (33:25)
- Possible Upgrades To Driver Showers And Making Terminal More Comfortable (35:09)
- High Standards For Oakley Owner Operators (37:30)
- Comparing Oakley Trucks To Other Carriers And Attracting Potential Recruits (39:02)
- Closing Thoughts and Appreciation For Drivers (40:41)
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.