48 Hours to Los Angeles with the Turntable Trucker
This Sunday morning, I’m getting picked up in downtown Des Moines by a truck driver named Charles and we’re riding together to Los Angeles.
Charles goes by DJ Joonie C, or “The Turntable Trucker”, as I’m pretty sure he’s the only trucker in the US that’s also a DJ.
Joonie C has been a professional driver for 20+ years and keeps two turntables in the back of his truck’s cab. When he’s not driving he pulls out his turntables and scratches a few sets that he records with his GoPro and posts them online.
Sometimes, Joonie C does guest DJ sets in places like Las Vegas. In the summers he gets asked to DJ several festivals. You can usually catch him in Des Moines on Saturdays holding down a DJ residency at a local nightclub.
So Sunday, I’m jumping in his big rig, a Peterbilt, and we’re hitting the road.
We’ll have 48 hours to deliver the freight he’s hauling in his trailer.
On the way, we’ll be passing through Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, Las Vegas and finally make our way to LA to make the delivery.
Some of America’s most beautiful country separates us and our destination.
We’ll be stopping at truck stops, jamming out to music, grabbing some bites at the best roadside diners, meeting folks from all walks of life, taking showers at truck stops and sleeping in the cab.
While we’re on the road, I’ll make sure to capture as much of the experience as possible. It’ll be fascinating to see how we entertain ourselves during that time.
When we’re not driving, I’m going to do my best to get some footage of Joonie C scratching a few sets. Many of you know that I happen to rap a bit myself, so we’ll try to get a freestyle cypher or two in.
We’ve got 48 hours to make it all happen. I’m excited to share the adventure with you all.
So the big question:
Why the hell am I riding with a trucker to Los Angeles?
Funny you should ask! Here are a few reasons:
- I’m launching a new startup called WorkHound to tackle some of the biggest issues in trucking and this is the best way to learn about our users: the truck drivers.
- I’ve been digging into the trucking industry over the past few months, talked to countless people in the industry, but never rode in a truck.
- There is a 97% turnover rate in the trucking industry. This is insane! I’ve heard reasons why, but I want to know more.
- There’s a 35,000 driver shortage in the United States. I want to discover the beauty in the experience of a driver to bring this number down.
- There’s urgency in this industry unlike any other in the United States. This is a fascinating challenge.
- Joonie C is a super cool dude and I look forward to jamming out together.
My ask to you (the reader):
Follow me along on this journey.
I’ll be traveling from Sunday May 24th to Wednesday May 27th.
Please connect with WorkHound so I can share our adventures with you as we travel to LA.
Connect: by email //// on Twitter //// on Facebook //// on Instagram
My personal handle for Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Periscope and Meerkat are all @MaxOnTheTrack. I’ll be doing livestreams throughout the trip.
Follow the hashtag: #workhound
Send me any questions or ideas you may have to make the ride more interesting and we’ll make it happen.
My promise to you:
- I promise to provide some fascinating insights into a world many of us never explore: the world of a truck driver.
- I promise to get our questions answered about the trucking industry. Make sure to ask!
- I’ll do my best to get Joonie C to do an Ask Me Anything session live on Periscope or Meerkat.
- I’ll rap at least once.
In closing:
To solve some of the problems WorkHound is setting out to tackle we have to do our best to understand the driver’s experience. This will be a solid start to get an intricate idea of the trucking industry.
There are many conversations to be had around automated and self-driving trucks, the evolution of the role of the driver and how to change an outdated industry like trucking.
But for now, I’m prepping for my trip west.
Max Farrell is co-founder of WorkHound, a software company tackling driver retention issues in the trucking industry. Max also spends time driving innovation inside corporations with Create Reason. Prior to WorkHound, he worked with Iowa-based payments startup Dwolla. In addition to professional efforts, Max is also a facilitator for Startup Weekend. In his spare time, Max is a sound hip-hop artist and avid sportsman.
