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<h1>Tex Talk</h1>
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<h2>Tex Talk August 2018</h2>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Tex Talk – Sept. 2018</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Highway Howie</strong>
Well, hello everyone this is your host highway Howie and do we have a jam-packed show for you today. It's entitled Tex talk -- and no it's not a show about the Housewives of Texas or Texas politics, thank goodness. This my friends is a show geared for professional truck drivers. So just buckle up, hang on to your seats, let's get these wheels a turning. I have with us today -- the Tex talk man himself --Lone Star CEO, Mr. <a href="http://lonestar-llc.biz/about-lone-star-heavy-haul-drivers/">Tex Robbins</a> – Tex, good to have you here my friend.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Tex Robbins</strong>
Thank You, Howie, look forward to our conversation.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Howie:</strong>
Tex, what's your take on the outlook for the trucking industry in 2018 and tell us about on into the future?</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Tex:</strong>
Well, Howie, I think that overall I think we're in some unchartered waters. I think that you know our economy is growing and that's giving us opportunities that we probably haven't had or been able to experience and in the previous years so -- I think the future's bright in our industry. We have some challenges ahead of us obviously -- no different than other industries as well -- labor is going to be a challenge for us and I think that's what makes Lone Star somewhat unique that we have opportunities that will attract people to our -- our business.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Howie:</strong>
Now there continues to be a truck driver shortage in the over-the-road part of the industry as more and more baby boomers retire and leave the industry. What can carriers do to attract younger generations into choosing professional truck driving as a career?</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Tex:</strong>
Well that's a good question Howie -- I think that all of us are being challenged to look at who we are and what we do and I think one of the things that we are at Lone Star doing is looking at our environment and trying to challenge ourselves in our environment that will attract the Millennials into our type of business and our type of work culture. Things that are important to us obviously is our people and our team. Without those drivers none of what we do works. So -- it's a focus that we're looking at trying to create those drivers that want to come and be a part of who we are, what we do, and at the same time give them a challenge.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">If you look at what's going on -- the baby boomers, you know, they rose to a challenge. And I think Millennials in this particular environment also want those type of challenges and I think that's what Lone Star brings to the table is <a href="http://lonestar-llc.biz/flatbed-driver-jobs-what-we-haul/">the opportunity of a higher challenge</a> with the type of cargo and the type of things that we handle and that our customers throw at us -- we create those opportunities that bring those challenges to the new workforce.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Howie:</strong>
Now not a lot of people know this -- but you were a truck driver in an earlier part of your life. Could you take some time to share with our audience here how you got started as a truck driver -- and how did it ultimately lead you into becoming the CEO of Lone Star?</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Tex:</strong>
My family, my dad was in the transportation business and I just grew up around trucks and we were in the oil field industry and you know connected with a lot of different aspects of the business and storage pipe and handling pipe and moving drilling rigs and that business cycled in and out. We graduated into other areas of business that were to kind of help balance our business portfolio and he got out of his business and we migrated and worked for another company and being exposed to a few other companies allowed me to be placed into the industry.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">And in 1994, Lone Star called on me and I transitioned from where I was at to Lone Star Transportation, with the opportunity to be involved more -- and little did I know where that was going to go. Ultimately moved up through Lone Star from a manager of an operation on up to the vice president of operations and then in 2004, I ended up purchasing the company from the former owners and you know -- and here we are today.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Howie:</strong>
As a past professional truck driver, do you believe this has helped you connect better with your drivers? I guess what I’m saying, do you feel like you have a better understanding of their needs such as pay, getting them home to spend time with their families and other needs that are just part of the lifestyle of being a truck driver?</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Tex:</strong>
I think anytime that you can relate to the scope of your employees and what you’re asking of them and what they have to experience and you can relate to those experiences -- I think that all helps you better connect with those people. You talk their lingo – you can walk the walk with them -- you get it -- and you understand what’s important to them and they understand what’s important to you – so, you know obviously <a href="http://lonestar-llc.biz/">it comes down to pay</a> and that’s obviously an important thing and that’s something that has challenged our industry for a long time -- and I think with again as we talked earlier were in unchartered waters, and we’re taking steps necessary to ensure that our team members are compensated for what they’re being asked to do.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Howie:</strong>
Is it fair to say that your drivers come first at Lone Star?</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Tex:</strong>
Drivers do come first. It starts with how we attract them, it starts with when they first get here, how they’re treated, how they’re viewed, through the first impression of somebody joining our team -- we want that to be <a href="http://lonestar-llc.biz/flatbed-driver-jobs-reasons-to-drive-for-lone-star/">the best experience that they can have</a> -- and that’s what we focus on now.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Howie:</strong>
Now here’s one that really hits home. We all know that truck drivers are no different than any of the rest of us. They have bills that come due throughout the month that need to be paid on time, however -- you know that paychecks can sometimes vary from week to week. At Lone Star you’ve really addressed this head-on by implementing a guaranteed pay program for your company drivers – explain how the program works a little.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Tex:</strong>
Howie what we’ve done is obviously with our business it’s cyclical it goes up and down and obviously the market the industry has a scenario where the norm is a cents per mile pay. And we understand that and we do that as well.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">But -- what we tried to do is we put in this what we call a guaranteed minimum, which allows that driver to know exactly what his least amount of home pay is going to be -- so if you kind of equate it to a 40-hour work week based on an hourly wage, this is how we’ve kind of looked at this and so this driver coming into our company, he knows that if I’m here to work and available to work, this is the minimum I’m going to make – he has an upside to that because along with that he will make more than that if he’s willing to work and he’s willing to engage in the opportunities that we provide to him.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Howie:</strong>
Lone Star is always looking for qualified flatbed and OD drivers. But you also offer a paid training program for company drivers with less experience. Now, these are drivers that may have been hauling dry van or refrigerated goods that now want to move up in their career and begin hauling loads that require a higher skill set that also pays more. Now, this sounds like a great opportunity -- why don’t you tell us about it?</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Tex:</strong>
Well, you know in reference that Howie what we do is we do have a <a href="http://lonestar-llc.biz/flatbed-truck-drivers-terminology/">paid training</a>. Typically a lot of these guys they have the over the road experience that you need – they can handle and manage the equipment, the truck, the driver they know all the ins and outs of that – they’re just <a href="http://lonestar-llc.biz/top-reasons-to-become-otr-flatbed-truck-drivers/">looking for a little different challenge</a> in life. They’ve got tired of for all practical purposes – they’ve been in a box – so they want to expand outside of that box a little bit and I think that’s just human nature.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">You know, we want to challenge ourselves and so that’s what these guys are looking for. So we provide and created an opportunity where we can take that driver and give him load securement training and at the same time with our level progression, have the opportunity through that to work their way up to a different challenge into each level.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Along with that comes a different pay scale that goes with that. So, they are encouraged and we encourage them to be able to get to those higher levels as quick as they can, but again, it all comes down to the person and that person’s ability to be able to manage and handle their work duties. And if they do that well -- they can get to a level five.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">To give you an idea most of our level five drivers today all started from a level one or level two category and have been moved up in a progression to that. So it works. It’s done, we see it done every single day, every week, every month -- it happens. And we look forward to that and encourage that. So we feel our system allows and provides that opportunity for those to be able to take advantage of that.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Howie:</strong>
All right Tex, now give me several reasons why a truck driver would <a href="http://lonestar-llc.biz/flatbed-driver-jobs-for-company-drivers/">want to drive for Lone Star</a>?</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Tex:</strong>
A quality environment -- as well as quality equipment -- and quality pay. You can say what you want to -- but people look for a quality environment and I never ask anybody at Lone Star Transportation to do anything I wouldn’t do or haven’t done. And so that’s how we try to treat our drivers.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Howie:</strong>
That’s all the time we have for today. Tex I want to say thank you for being here and sounds like great things are happening at Lone Star.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Tex:</strong>
Thank you , Howie, appreciate it.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Howie:</strong>
You too my friend. And all professional truck drivers looking for a great home why don’t you give us a call here at Lone Star Transportation – 866.750.8520, again, that’s 866.750.8520 -- Or you can simply fill out an application by going to, Ride4LoneStar.com. Highway Howie signing off and remember -- keep driving safe out there.</p>
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