The Cypress Truck Lines Podcast

Cypress Orientation: What They See and What It Takes

Every driver who comes through Cypress orientation has one job: prove they are ready. Randy Wells and Blaine Carver have seen hundreds of drivers walk through that door, and they can tell almost immediately who will succeed and who will not. In Episode 18 of the Cypress Truck Lines Podcast, Marcus sits down with the two men who built Cypress's orientation program into one of the most respected driver development processes. Randy and Blaine are no-nonsense. They do not sugarcoat, and they do not hold back. You will learn what new CDL holders get wrong before they ever climb into a truck, what the orientation team at Cypress wishes every driver knew walking in, and what the drivers who go on to build long, successful careers at Cypress have in common from day one. This episode is for drivers in CTC right now, drivers heading into Cypress orientation, and anyone who wants to understand what separates the drivers who thrive from those who do not make it. New episodes drop every Wednesday. Subscribe now and come prepared.

Life360 on the Road: Safety, Community and OTR Life

The Life360 app started as a simple way for OTR drivers to keep tabs on each other out on the road. What it became for Tony Miller, Kevin Barritt, and Adolf Metzer is something a lot bigger than that. In Episode 17 of the Cypress Truck Lines Podcast, Kevin reached out after Tony mentioned the app in a previous episode because he wanted the world to know just how much it has meant to him and the drivers around him. What followed is one of the most genuine conversations we have had on this show. Tony, Kevin, and retired Cypress driver Adolf Metzer walk you through the tips, tricks, and real-world experiences that have made Life360 one of the most essential tools in the OTR driver safety belt. They talk about the camaraderie it builds among Cypress and Sun Belt drivers out on the road, the friendships that have grown from it, and the peace of mind it gives to the families waiting at home. And then Adolf tells a story. It is heavy. It puts everything into perspective. New episodes drop every Wednesday. Subscribe now and keep your circle close out there. 

Bet on Yourself: Three Cypress Truck Lines Success Stories

Living out of a car. Down to your last $100. Borrowing money from friends and family just to get through the week. For some people, that's rock bottom. For three Cypress Truck Lines drivers, it was the beginning of something they never saw coming. In Episode 16 of the Cypress Truck Lines Podcast, Trevis Gary, Mateo Van Holten, and James Yoder share the kind of stories that don't get told enough in this industry. Where they were before they found trucking. What it took to get here. And what building a career with Cypress has meant for their lives and the people they love. These are not polished-up success stories. There is real heartache in this episode and real grit. But there is also real hope. The kind that comes from watching somebody who had nothing figure out exactly what they were capable of when they found the right road and the right company to drive it for. If you have ever felt like your back was against the wall, this episode was made for you. New episodes drop every Wednesday. Subscribe now and never miss a mile.

Owner/Operator Truth: What Nobody Tells You First

Lease purchase programs promise freedom, ownership, and the big money. What they don't tell you is what's waiting on the other side of that signature. In Episode 15 of the Cypress Truck Lines Podcast, three Cypress drivers who have seen the owner/operator life up close share what nobody tells you before you make the leap. One driver left Cypress for seven years to chase the O/O dream and came back with a story that will make you think twice. Another watched his brothers navigate trucking authority, insurance, maintenance costs, and the kind of breakdowns that don't just stop your truck, they stop your income. And a third didn't file his taxes for two years as an O/O and found himself staring down a $160,000 IRS bill. Knowing the difference between those outcomes is exactly why this episode exists. You also hear directly from Cypress leadership on why Cypress doesn't offer a lease purchase program and what that decision says about how they treat their drivers. New episodes drop every Wednesday. Subscribe now and never make a six-figure mistake without doing your homework first.

Sasquatch, Black Dogs & the Paranormal Road

Sasquatch. Cryptids. A black dog so terrifying it stopped a truck dead in its tracks. Episode 14 of the Cypress Truck Lines Podcast ventures into territory we've never explored before, and honestly, we're not sure we're coming back. Cypress driver Steve "Gibby" Gibson sits down with Marcus to share his real-life encounter with what he firmly believes was a Bigfoot or some other cryptid out on the road. Gibby details everything. What he saw, what to watch for, and why he has no doubt about what happened that night. Afterwards, we welcome Drew Hearn, a professional truck driver who recounts his own frightening paranormal experience with a black dog that literally brought him to a halt on the highway. Two drivers. Two stories. Zero explanations. If you've ever felt like something was watching you out there on a dark stretch of road at 2 a.m., this episode is going to hit differently. The open road has always held its mysteries, and the drivers who log the most miles see things the rest of us never will. New episodes drop every Wednesday. Subscribe now and keep your eyes open out there.

OTR, Regional or Local: Which Trucking Lane Is Yours?

OTR, Regional, or Local, it's the question every new CDL holder asks, and almost nobody answers straight, until now. In Episode 13 of the Cypress Truck Lines Podcast, we brought in three Cypress drivers who live in each lane every single day to break it down for you the right way. Kevin Barritt runs OTR. Brad Hollinger runs Local. John Weideman runs Regional. Together, they walk you through schedules, home time, earning potential, the biggest challenges in each lane, and most importantly, what drove each of them to choose the path they're on. This is the episode that drivers finishing up at Cypress Trucking College need before orientation even starts, and it's essential listening for anyone who's CDL-curious and trying to figure out where flatbed trucking fits into their life. The first 90 days behind the wheel look very different depending on which lane you choose, knowing that going in changes everything. Whether you're eyeing the open road or trying to be home every night, this conversation gives you the insider information to make the right call for you. New episodes drop every Wednesday. Subscribe now and never miss a mile.

Bank Manager to Flatbed Pro: One CDL Changed Everything

What does it take to walk away from a 25-year career and start completely over? For Tony Miller, it took a CDL, two sons willing to make the leap alongside him, and a flatbed trucking company that felt like family from day one. In Episode 12 of the Cypress Truck Lines Podcast, Tony shares one of the most unique stories we've had on the show, a feel-good journey from Regional Bank Manager to professional flatbed driver and trainer at Cypress Truck Lines. Tony talks candidly about what made him leave the banking world behind, what CDL school was really like as a career changer, and how a Cypress team member named Pam from Safety stepped up and solved a major problem for him right at the start. If you've ever wondered whether it's too late to make a move, or if a trucking career could work for someone like you, Tony's story answers that question better than we ever could. This is what Sun Belt trucking looks like when a company genuinely takes care of its people. New episodes drop every week. Subscribe now and never miss a mile.

Drug Screening in Trucking: What You Must Know

Hair follicle drug screening, the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, and random drug tests. In Episode 11 of the Cypress Truck Lines Podcast, we sit down with Joe Reilly, founder of National Drug Screening Inc. and a recognized expert witness in the field, to break down everything drivers and fleet operators need to know about modern drug testing. We're talking test types, look-back periods, how each screen works, and frankly, how well they can or can't be beaten. Then, Cypress Truck Lines Safety Director Sharee DeHart steps in to bring it home, explaining exactly why Cypress uses the hair follicle test, what the company’s drug screening policy looks like from the inside, and sharing a few cautionary tales that every driver needs to hear. Your CDL is your livelihood, and this is the episode every driver wishes they’d heard before it was too late.
New episodes drop regularly. Subscribe now and stay ahead of what the road demands.

New Country, New Career: Immigrant Voices at Cypress

Two countries. Two journeys. One home at Cypress Truck Lines. In Episode 10, we sit down with Abdul Waheed, a former lawyer and U.S. Government contractor in Afghanistan who traded courtrooms for load boards, and Tyler Goodwin, a flatbed driver who hopped over from Manchester, England, at just 15 years old, only to discover his high school diploma meant four more years of American classrooms. These aren't just immigrant trucking stories. They're proof that the Sun Belt trucking industry has a place for people willing to work hard, no matter where they started.
We dig into the real challenges of starting over in a new country, building a career in flatbed trucking, and why both Abdul and Tyler have stuck around for the long haul at Cypress Truck Lines. If you've ever felt like an outsider trying to find your footing in this industry, this episode delivers. New episodes drop regularly, packed with real voices from the cab, the office, and everywhere in between. Hit follow and join the Cypress community. Your next chapter might start right here.

MirrorEye & SMARTdrive: Trucking Tech from the Cab

MirrorEye cameras and SMARTdrive systems are becoming more common on trucks each year, but what is it really like to drive with them? In Episode 9 of the Cypress Truck Lines Podcast, we hear honest insights from two drivers who have experienced it firsthand. Angel Escoto and Kevin Barritt, both drivers and trainers at Cypress, share their real-world experiences with driver-facing cameras and advanced driver assistance systems: the adjustment period, the genuine safety wins, the frustrations, and everything in between. No corporate spin, just cab-level honesty from guys who have logged the miles with this tech. Then, Tech Director Shannon Brougham flips the lens, sharing what it's like to select drivers as test pilots for emerging trucking tech before it’s rolled out fleet-wide. New episodes are released weekly. Subscribe now so you never miss a mile.