The Liquid Trucking Podcast

Clock Management: Getting Paid for Detention Time

Sitting at a shipper waiting to load is not wasted time if you know how to work your clock. At Liquid Trucking, drivers get paid hourly for that detention time. The problem is, not every driver is taking full advantage of it. In this episode of the Liquid Trucking Podcast, two veteran drivers, Matt Kleich and Polar Bear, join Marcus and Amanda to walk through the strategies and tips that maximize detention pay, manage the 34-hour reset, make the most of a 10-hour break, and turn what most drivers consider dead time into real money in their pockets. We cover sitting at shippers and receivers, waiting at washouts, downtime during repairs, and every scenario where your clock is ticking and your paycheck should be too. These are two drivers who know exactly how to work the system the right way, and they hold nothing back. Fair warning, these drivers are very comfortable on the mic, so there are a few tangents and rabbit holes along the way, and honestly, that just makes it better. New episodes every Wednesday at podcast.liquidtrucking.com. Share this one with every Liquid driver you know.

Father's Day Special: Dads Behind the Wheel

Every dad has a story, and four Liquid Trucking drivers are here to tell theirs. In this Father's Day special of the Liquid Trucking Podcast, Mikal "Donut" Duncan, Matthew Stevens, Brian Gilkey, and Jason DeFoor gather to brag about their families, share the stories of growing up, and speak honestly about the impact their dads had on the men and drivers they became. Three of them are dads themselves, and one of them is the kind of father figure to his nephews that every kid deserves to have in their corner. This is a fun one from start to finish. We play Finish the Dad Sentence, take on The Dad Transmission, and laugh our way through the kind of Father's Day conversation that reminds you exactly what this day is about. If you are a dad pulling miles this Father's Day weekend, a family member of a driver who just wants to share something real, or anyone who has ever had a great dad in their life, this episode was made for you. New episodes every Wednesday at podcast.liquidtrucking.com. Share this one with your dad today.

Summertime Safety: Surviving the 100 Deadliest Days

The stretch between Memorial Day and Labor Day is known as the 100 Deadliest Days on American roads, and if you are pulling a tank through construction zones while teenage drivers flood the highway and the heat index climbs past 100 degrees, you already know why. In this episode of the Liquid Trucking Podcast, two experienced drivers, Mike "Red Beard" Stanfield and Paul Norrid, work through 9 essential summertime safety tips sourced directly from Liquid Trucking safety expert Cole Brown. We cover proper hydration, heat exhaustion, staying cool in the cab, eating healthy OTR, PPE in hazmat situations, distracted driving, construction zone awareness, and what every pro driver needs to watch for as spring turns to summer. These drivers bring real experience, honest stories, and a few laughs along the way because that is just who they are. Serious tips delivered by people who actually live them. New episodes every Wednesday at podcast.liquidtrucking.com. Share this one before the season gets away from you.

Yanking Tanks Out of Iowa: Why Liquid is Home

If you are an Iowa driver looking for your next move, this episode was built specifically for you. In this episode of the Liquid Trucking Podcast, three experienced drivers, Polar Bear, Wendell Walker, and Tim Spencer, share what it is really like to run tanks out of Iowa for Liquid Trucking. We dig into the miles, the loads, the home time, and the kind of OTR experience that keeps drivers coming back to Liquid year after year. These are drivers with real Iowa roots telling real Iowa stories about why this job works so well from where they are based. Then VP of HR and Safety Jason Eisenman joins the conversation with an important update on open enrollment for benefits that every current and prospective Liquid driver needs to hear. If you have been thinking about making a career move and tanking has crossed your mind, this is the conversation that could make the decision a whole lot easier. Marcus and Amanda open things up with some genuinely fun facts about the great state of Iowa that set the tone for one of the more laid back and enjoyable episodes we have put together in a while. Real drivers. Real talk. Real Iowa. New episodes every Wednesday at podcast.liquidtrucking.com. Share this one with every Iowa driver you know.

World Cup, Hometown Movies and the Open Road

We open Episode 130 of the Liquid Trucking Podcast with a moment of gratitude for Memorial Day before shifting into one of the most entertaining conversations we have had in a while. Three Liquid drivers, Elias Arzu, Vic Walker, and Matthew Stevens, join Marcus and Amanda to talk about World Cup soccer, personal connections to the sport, and bold predictions for the tournament. We dig into the growth of soccer in the United States, what makes this World Cup different, and why the beautiful game has found a whole new audience on this side of the Atlantic. Then we pivot to something nobody expected to be this good—movies filmed in your hometown. From the legendary lore of Tommy Boy to the nostalgia of Homeward Bound and Animal House, we explore the rich film history of Nebraska and beyond, the crime stories that inspired real movies, and the personal connections our guests have to the films that put their communities on the map. It is sports, cinema, storytelling, and road life all rolled into one genuinely fun hour. New episodes every Wednesday at podcast.liquidtrucking.com. Share this one with anyone who loves soccer or movies.

Proper Paperwork: Get It Right and Get Paid

If your paperwork is not right, your payment will not come, and that is the bottom line. In this episode of the Liquid Trucking Podcast, Administrative Assistant Estelle Ross and Accounts Receivable specialist Ashley Bailey join driver trainer John Lohan to get everything out on the table about proper paperwork filing and organization. We are talking about BOL, Blind Bill of Lading, washout documentation, the DeliveRecon App, ISAAC tablets, Kemin Sheets, COA sheets, and every hiccup that has been costing drivers and the company time and money. Estelle and Ashley each bring their Top 5 paperwork issues that need addressing, and the solutions are simpler than you think. This is essential listening for every Liquid driver, office staff member, fleet manager, and anyone in accounting or billing who wants the process to run more smoothly. Then, Marcus and Amanda close things out with a Burning Questions segment where they ask each other the kind of get-to-know-you questions that always end in more laughs than answers. Practical knowledge up front. Pure fun at the finish. New episodes every Wednesday at podcast.liquidtrucking.com.

Cooking in the Cab: Real Recipes for the Road

The roller grill is not a food group, and three Liquid Trucking drivers are here to prove it. In this episode of the Liquid Trucking Podcast, Jeramie Countryman, Polar Bear, and Matt Kleich bring serious cab cooking energy as we dig into their best tips, setups, OTR recipes, and the moments when things went sideways in the cab kitchen. If you have been trying to figure out how to eat healthier on the road without living off truck stop food, this episode is exactly what you have been looking for. Amanda gives us a fantastic breakdown of Project 61 and how drivers can get involved in something bigger than the miles. Then we get into the food. Real recipes for the road, the gear that makes it possible, and the cooking disasters that nobody talks about, but everybody has lived through. Marcus and Amanda close things out with two easy crock pot recipes that any driver can pull off, no matter where they are running. Fun episode. Real food. Zero truck stop hot dogs. New episodes every Wednesday at podcast.liquidtrucking.com.

Mother's Day Special: The Moms Behind the Miles

Every mile has a story, and behind most of those stories is a mom who shaped the person behind the wheel. In this Mother's Day special of the Liquid Trucking Podcast, Marcus and Amanda open things up with a heartfelt conversation about motherhood before welcoming two Liquid drivers, Mikal "Donut" Duncan and Burt Morris, to share the stories of the women who raised them. We talk upbringing, trucking family life, and what it really means to carry your mom with you out on the road. We play Would Mom Approve, imagine what a week on the road with Mom would look like, and take a serious and meaningful moment to talk about Alzheimer's disease and the toll it takes on trucking families who have lost a mother to it. This episode is heartfelt without being heavy, real without losing its warmth. If you have ever wanted to call your mom mid-route and just say thank you, this episode is going to make that feeling impossible to ignore. New episodes every Wednesday at podcast.liquidtrucking.com. Share this one with your mom today.

Tanking 101 and The Season 1 Trivia Championship

Tanking is one of the most technical and unforgiving jobs in trucking, and if you think it is just driving a truck with a different trailer, this episode is going to change your mind fast. Three Liquid drivers, Polar Bear, Matt MacKellar, and Mikal "Donut" Duncan come to the mic ready to get every nuance of the job. We are talking hoses, check valves, pressure valves, offloading, caustic materials, hazmat protocols, blowouts, and the kind of close calls that remind you why verifying everything is not optional. These are the details that separate a tank driver from every other driver on the road. If you are a new CDL holder thinking about tanking as a career, a pro driver curious about making the switch, or a safety manager building your next training session, this conversation is essential listening. Then we close things out with our Season 1 Trivia Championship as Vic "The Brown Bandit" Walker goes head-to-head with Darian Mateo for DFG Points and full bragging rights. Serious job. Serious episode. Unforgettable finish. New episodes every Wednesday at podcast.liquidtrucking.com.

Distracted Driving: The Crashes Nobody Talks About

Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of fatal trucking accidents, and yet it is still one of the least talked about topics on the road. In Episode 125 of the Liquid Trucking Podcast, we sit down with two liquid drivers and a trainer who have seen firsthand what happens when attention slips for even a second. Cell phones, Netflix, novels, you name it, if it has caused an accident, we are talking about it today. This is not a dry safety lecture. We had some fun with it while still giving you the straight truth about just how prevalent distracted driving really is. Then Josh Schmidt, GM of Liquid Trucking, joins us for a direct conversation about diesel costs and fuel consumption that every driver and fleet owner needs to hear. Idle time, fuel solutions, and a genuine call to action for the people keeping this industry moving. Pro drivers, safety managers, and risk and compliance professionals will find real answers here from people doing the job. This episode delivers. New episodes every Wednesday at podcast.liquidtrucking.com.