Beyond The Rig Podcast: Talking All Things Trucking
Beyond the Rig is the “un-corporate” voice of the trucking industry. You’ll see and hear what it’s like to be a professional trucker from two carrier insiders who are not afraid, to be honest. Through interviews, stories, and industry topics, you get a refreshing tell-it-like-it-is approach to life on the road.
You can hear the love, friendship, respect, and fun banter our hosts share on every Beyond the Rig podcast episode. Whether competitive “smack talk” or covering serious issues affecting truck drivers today, Beyond the Rig delivers an authentic look into the trucking industry and being a professional driver.
How Beyond the Rig Podcast Came Together
When the idea of a Knight Transportation podcast was first introduced, two people instantly came to mind – Will Phipps and Linda Dominy. Linda called Will and insisted, “We’re starting a podcast, and you’re doing it with me.” Will describes the conversation as “I was ‘volun-told’ to be the co-host.”
Filling the roll of co-host for Beyond the Rig isn’t the first time Linda recruited Will to fill a position at Knight. When a position for a DQP Facilitator became available, Linda insisted Will apply because she knew he could positively impact the driving associates with his relatability and natural people skills.
Will Phipps, Beyond the Rig Host
Will is a truck driver and facilitator with over twenty-two years of OTR experience with large and small carriers. Will is known to tell it like it is and shares real stories of what it’s like to be a truck driver – the good, the bad, and the ugly. He doesn’t hold back and delivers a raw look into the fascinating world of truck driving. Look for Will to champion the role of the truck driver both on the road and at home. Plus, Will has a knack for relating life lessons he’s learned on the road to non-truck drivers as well. Will attributes his gift of gab to his mother, who hired him to interview people after starting a private investigator business.
During his career, Will has developed deep relationships in the professional truck driving fraternity. A testament to his outgoing personality, Will has over 1100 truck driver contacts in his phone who he often stays in contact with. Working as a mentor to “new-to-the-trucking industry” drivers, Will spends much of his time connecting with rookies and helping them adjust to life on the road.
In 1998, Will was looking for a way out of his small hometown in Tennessee and its limited career choices. One day while at his grandmother’s house reading the career builder section of the local Sunday newspaper, Will came across an ad for a trucking company looking for drivers. The phone call with the recruiter went so well that three days later, Will found himself in Charlotte, NC training for three months. Driving a truck was his ticket to go anywhere in the country, and he was going to make it work.
Sitting beside a 53-foot trailer for his first time out, Will remembers thinking, “How in the heck am I going to navigate this big thing through cities! I was very intimidated and more concerned for the public’s safety rather than my safety.” Never one to turn away from a challenge or give up on goals, Will decided right then to tackle whatever the road ahead delivered.
One of Will’s early learning experiences was driving a bob-tail truck through North Carolina in the rain at a spot called “The Gorge”. After hitting the brakes, his truck started doing three-sixties through a busy intersection. “I remember an older couple pointing at me, like what in the heck – that is not supposed to happen.” Thankfully, no one was but, Will can still picture the onlookers’ faces as he skidded by.
Will’s most memorable load was $3.2 million to be incinerated. He had to give over his cell phone to government officials and promised not to stop for anything. After traveling 300 miles and arriving in San Antonio, TX, he backed into a half-mile underground tunnel. During offloading, Will was not allowed to get out of the truck. Only after completing the trip did he discover it was millions of dollars to be destroyed.
After working as a Transportation Manager for a company, Will returned to trucking and managed a fleet after being recruited by a sales representative at Knight.
Will feels that trucking has blessed him and his family. He genuinely loves every experience as a truck driver – the good and not so good. The trucking industry has taught him maturity, leadership, and how to follow his passion. Will wants to share his experiences and help other drivers get the same things out of the industry. “I tell people I’m not just a truck driver. I’m a counselor, a friend, a confidant. I answer questions. We share much more than trucking.”
Linda Dominy, Beyond the Rig Host
Linda is the co-worker and friend you’ve always wanted in the trucking industry. As the Vice President of Driver Development at Knight Transportation, you can expect her to champion truck drivers for their dedication to an essential service, the sacrifices they make for their families, and the often-misunderstood lifestyle they lead.
For the past seven years with North America’s largest truckload fleet, Linda arrived at the carrier as a Payroll Tax Manager. Her passion for solving payroll problems soon made Linda a driver favorite. A promotion to Director of Payroll soon followed. And before she knew it, CEO and President Dave Jackson hand-picked Linda to work with him directly. Longing for direct access to drivers and helping them solve problems, she returned to helping drivers in the driver development department.
In addition to talking to drivers about payroll issues, Linda would spend hours at the Buckeye, AZ terminal, watching and listening to drivers interact with each other and Knight Transportation staff. It was during this time she developed an appreciation of truck drivers and how special they are. The Beyond the Rig Podcast allows Linda to amplify how vital truckers are to our daily lives and the reasons we should respect and admire them.
Behind the Rig Podcast Spotlight
Nothing shows how trucking helps overcome life’s toughest challenges than the story of Paul Lien. Paul shares how losing his accounting job led to being homeless and how the trucking industry saved his life.
