Hauling Grain to Touring with Alabama: Josh Gentry's Journey

Jared Flinn: You're listening to the boat floats podcast, your number one resource for everything. Bolt, freight trucking. Josh Gentry: Hey, guys. Jared Flinn: Jared Flynn with the Bulk loads podcast. Got Tyler in here with me. Tyler Allison: What's going on? Jared Flinn: There are people in this country that work hard every day not for fame and fortune. Do you know what band that is? Tyler Allison: That is the one and only Alabama band. Jared Flinn: Today we're going to bring on Josh Gentry. He is the son of Teddy Gentry of the band Alabama. This is going to be awesome and you are going to love this show. Tyler Allison: Yeah, this is. I mean, we were just talking the other day. I mean, you're telling a story about how you just remember driving in truck with your dad or grandpa and, you know, listening to Alabama. I think if you're raised right, you have that story right. Jared Flinn: Yeah, this is one of those. Oh, my gosh. And I know not everybody grew up in. I mean, the same, but I think a lot of them grew up similar. Again, if you're my age, know, grew up. I was born in 1980, but in the 80s, this band took off. I mean, they set the stage for country music. I mean, the, the multiple songs that went number one and still played today is just awesome. Tyler Allison: So. Yeah. Jared, were you starstruck at all when. When talking to Josh and, and how he was talking about his dad and. Jared Flinn: You know, believe it or not, I wasn't as much as I thought I'd be. Now maybe if the dad, if Teddy was on there with him, I may have been, but it's just a cool story and it's just a good old boy story, you know, that tells kind of the. The. A little bit about the band and his experience. I think a lot of people may know Josh. He's big on social media. He's been a lot of the truck shows. Obviously Alabama has been on that. Jared Flinn: We're gonna digest more of that, probably more on the end as we always do. I don't want to get away. We do have a truck feature today. Tyler Allison: Yep. Today's truck feature is Zach Weeks with ZW trucking out of whole hbert Oklahoma. Zach's been a member with us since 2020, so going on five years now. What a. Yeah. What a beautiful truck. This has to be a show truck or I mean, if you pick this. Jared Flinn: Because it's blue, right? Tyler Allison: I did not. But it is good looking. Jared Flinn: Yeah. Beautiful setup. Tyler Allison: I love that. It's got the matching fenders on the tanker. It's nice to get a tanker. Jared Flinn: It all comes together, I mean with the chrome and the blue and the tanker and the truck, well done. Tyler Allison: Yeah. What a sharp rig. Jared Flinn: What a beautiful truck. Tyler Allison: Yeah. As always, guys, if you want your truck featured on this podcast or on our social media, definitely just send it into us. You can send it on any of our social channels or simply email it to us podcastokloads.com and we'd be happy to feature you. Jared Flinn: Okay, cool. Well, I don't want to talk more about this. Josh Gentry: Let's do. Jared Flinn: We'll talk more on the outro. And I got a little secret. So watch to the very end because there is something that I didn't even know was going to happen and we're going to talk about it at the end. So with that said, here is my conversation with Josh Gentry. Oh, play me some mountain music. I had to throw that in there at the very beginning that. So I have to tell you, that was the very first song I can remember as a child and my dad lived on a farm and three brothers, but we would ride with him and he had an old red power wagon, Dodge power wagon. And I remember, we know nobody was in a seat belt, but there was my three brothers standing up on the seat, that bench seat. Jared Flinn: And my dad would be listening to mountain music. Alabama. He had an Alabama cassette tape. And that was like the first song that and the other ones that were on that cassette track. And it just still today, anytime I hear that song come on, it just brings back those flashbacks. Josh Gentry: Those memories like that will be the ones that you'll. You'll remember for the rest of your life, though. They don't go anywhere. Jared Flinn: I got Josh Gentry on your son to Teddy Gentry, right? The band member of alab. Josh Gentry: Yes. Jared Flinn: And, man, I just consider this a privilege, a privilege and honor to bring you on today. Hopefully I can stay focused here, but, man, I think we're going to have a lot to cover primarily because, man, you're. You're one of us. Just, I mean, in trucking, but dealing with agriculture and bulk trucking and livestock. So we're going to, we're going to branch into that. All of the above. But Josh, just to kind of set the stage for those that may not know you specifically talk about your story. Josh Gentry: Well, my story was realistically I started, I, I was born into the. The lineage of. Of Alabama. The group Alabama signed a record deal in 1980, and I was born in 79. We've had. I've had so many experiences over the course of my life that, that I contribute to the, the life and love that that my dad has had for the music that they have performed and it has just kind of progressed into many different things. Like we. We've spent summers traveling, going to concerts. Josh Gentry: And then when I was. When I was a kid, we used to show cows and. And my dad has a absolute love and a. And a desire for good cattle and. And we've got some amazing cattle. And that's kind of. Kind of spawned over into. To my love and my obsession of music and ag drugs has just been something I've loved since I was old enough to know what they were. Josh Gentry: So it's. Everything's just kind of like throughout my life it's like one thing has kind of fed off of another off of another. And it's just been kind of like a defining thing that I'm so blessed in so many ways that I've been given this. Aside from getting to. To live in the lot of. Of my dad and, and see what he does and see his passion come to. Come to the surface of what he does and getting to kind of like share in his love and his passion for the agriculture. And then my truck, my side of the trucking thing has just always been. Josh Gentry: That's just been an obsession. I mean that's just. That's just all that's been so well talk. Jared Flinn: I want to back up just even a little bit more because you know the band Alabama, it is a. A family business I was reading up on. I didn't realize that. But can you just talk kind of high level how that all started? Josh Gentry: Well, the it's. It started as far as like the. The band Alabama. It's three cousins, dad Randy and Jeff were. Were all related. They're all related. Jeff passed away about three years ago, but they all started as. I mean it's been. Josh Gentry: Is the only way to say it is it was three guys that absolutely loved music and they loved playing music together. And that's kind of sort of what started the whole entourage of Randy, dad and Jeff in the early days. And I seriously would love to get dad to tell you just like the basement stories, like the stories of when they started and. And what all that entailed when they were at the Bowery and they played at the Bowery for in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. And all the things that they went through and endured and grow and grew into being what the group Alabama became. And but as far as for me, like I was like I said, I mean I was born in 79 and Alabama was signed a record deal in 1980 and from there, I mean it was just kind of like, I think the thing is with me that. That I've always done is I've never, You know, people ask me and I've had people ask me over the years. They've asked me. Josh Gentry: It's like, what's it like, you know, with your dad being who he is? And it's like, I ain't got no idea. I said, he's just always been my dad. And like, I've never. I've never viewed him any differently than a son looks at his dad that gets up and. And does row crops every day or goes and works at the carpet store every day. I mean, he's. He's just always been my dad. And. Josh Gentry: And I've. I've gotten to realize over the course of. Again, going back to like, the. The reality of. Of life is. Has always been to me is like, even when I'm like, I drive Alabama's truck now and. And go to all the shows, and I still. When I'm there at those shows, I just. Josh Gentry: That's my dad. Jared Flinn: So, yeah, before. I mean, the band really hit. Hit it big. What were. What were their occupations? Because I thought I heard somebody. Were there some. Was there some trucking involved even before. Josh Gentry: They the only, like, my in on my side of the family? No, the. What we did was dad. Dad laid carpet, okay. For. For. And that's actually how he met my mother. They. They actually. Josh Gentry: He worked for a carpet store here in town in Fort Payne, and he got. They got contracted to go lay carpet at my grandmother's house, and that's how he met my mother. And then as far as trucking goes from, like, extended family. Oh, it's. Yeah, like, that's. That's the. That's the crazy thing about my whole situation is, like, in my immediate family, like, I'm the only one that's truck nuts. I'm the only one that's like, there's no one in my immediate family that's like. Josh Gentry: Like Randy's sister. They drove for years. They drove Alabama's. Her and her late husband. They drove Alabama's merch truck for years for Alabama. And then other than that, that's it. That was it. I mean, that's. Josh Gentry: That's the crazy part about it is like, like me coming out of the woodwork and it's like, oh, Josh. Because I'm. I'm. That's the other thing too, is I'm a drummer. I've played drums since I was 3, 4 years old, and I've never had a lesson before in my entire life. Completely 100 God given talent. And I moved to Nashville to pursue that and literally I realized then I was like, no, no, no, I. I need to be back around like diesel fumes and cow pies. Jared Flinn: Hey guys, Jared Flynn here. Thank you for listening to the Bulk Loads podcast. We know that a lot of you subscribe and are members of Bulk Loads, but if you are not and if you haven't created an account, click down in the link below. And we want to get you signed up on Bulk Loads. We have thousands of loads posted every day. A lot of content to help you improve your business. So if you get a chance, go right below bulkloads.com, click on the link to sign up and we will get you all taken care of. Thank you and God bless. Jared Flinn: You mentioned Fort Payne. Obviously we know Alabama. What part of the state are you guys located in? Josh Gentry: Northeast. Northeast. I'm about 50 miles south of Chattanooga, Tennessee. That's where I'm at. Jared Flinn: I know you mentioned cattle. So in. In that area specifically and I should probably know this, but I assume fair amount of cattle row crop kind of. What's wrong? Josh Gentry: My. My cousin. My cousin they. Or a cousin of mine. They. They row crop about 2000, 2500 acres. And that was actually my first trucking driving job was hauling corn for them and then soybeans. Hauled soybeans for them just from the farm to the elevators. Josh Gentry: And us, we've done grass cattle my whole entire life. My. The cousin of mine that I was that I labeled is Ken Murphy and Sandrock, Alabama. And he is the first one that gave me a. A grain hauling job. And that's when I felt. That's actually when I fell in love with the actual. That form of the industry was because of going to the elevators and. Josh Gentry: And chicken feed meals and. And meeting all the people that I met there and just. They were me. They were just good old boys and love trucks and loved farming and it's just like I'd sit and talk to them for the whole entire time I was there. So. Jared Flinn: So really your first start in trucking? Because I thought. I remember you got your. Your CDL 28, is that right? Josh Gentry: Did I did. Jared Flinn: But really your first form of trucking was like grain hauling. Josh Gentry: Yes. Jared Flinn: 100 what talk about the first truck. Josh Gentry: Oh my gosh. It was a 80 if I'm not mistaken. It was a 86am General, which is military. It was. It was. We. I had a. We had a. Josh Gentry: It was a 40 foot empty. It was a ag hopper and it had. It was the. Oh, I can't remember, it's been so long ago. I can't remember. It was an older hopper, but it was a. It was a golly bum. I can't even remember what size of the dimension it was. Josh Gentry: It was an old trailer. It was, it was like. It was one of the. The corn. I call them cornhoppers is what I call them. Like they're the small sides. They're not the. The. Josh Gentry: What is the 78 and 70. Is it 72? Does it go down to 72? And then it's. But anyway it goes. It was that. And then like we literally would go. And if anybody has never drove an AM General, I strongly recommend if you want to appreciate what you have, go drive an AM General with about 85, 000 pounds of. Of either soybeans or corn on and I promise you'll appreciate a cinder block with a sheet of plywood. I mean, like, seriously, you would have so much appreciation because that was actually the first. Josh Gentry: That was the first truck I drove the first year. It was. It was like a short wheelbase, like springs on it that could make a Goodyear tire bounce to the moon. I mean, and I mean it just roughest riding. But I mean I loved it. It was my first actual trucking at actually I think I was 20 because I mean your ag Exempt. Yeah. So I. Josh Gentry: I think I was 25, 26. Jared Flinn: Okay. Josh Gentry: So. Jared Flinn: But yeah, talk about. Probably get a little deeper here. But like growing up, obviously, you know, 80s band takes off, but I mean you're witnessing all that. But I still. You got to figure out where your career is going to be and where, you know, where God's going to lead you, lead you in life. But like kind of talk about that because again, obviously your dad, Your dad's dad was having crazy good, I mean crazy success. And like how did. How did you figure out where to land in. Jared Flinn: In life? I guess if I can be so, so deep with you on that question. Josh Gentry: Well, I. I think the thing is, is I've always known. I've always known that trucks trucking in any form. Like, I mean, because I've. I've kind of dabbled in and not everything. I can't say that I've dabbled in everything in every aspect. But the thing is, is the Hopper. The Hopper gig has always been like a love. Josh Gentry: I've just always had a love for that, that style and form. I mean, however you want to label it of trucking and it's. I've said since I was. Since back then when I first had my first job with my. On my cousin's farm, hauling grain for them. I've said for many, many years, I said, this is. This is what I want to do. Like, this is. Josh Gentry: This is the life that. That I absolutely love. I mean, it could. And I know realistically, like, in. In today's world, I mean, like, you can. You can look at it as the way my grandfather used to always tell me. My grandfather said, if you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life. And I think a lot of people live by that example, even today. Josh Gentry: But he said. He said, don't make exceptions for what you don't want to accept. And I've always took that as being like, don't do something just for something, like. Like love it or either. Like, don't do it kind of thing. Don't do something just for the money. Don't do something just because of the status or whatever the case may be. And it's like. Josh Gentry: I mean, to kind of come full circle is like, I went to. I went to college, and my first avenue that I went when I got into college was I was going to become. I was a biology major, and I was going to go into sports medicine. And the sole reason, it kind of goes back to, like, where I was saying, like, I was the only one in, like, my immediate family that was like, oh, I love trucks, you know, and then it's like. And then, like, when I. I went to college and I thought, you know what? I want to do this. I've never, ever had a desire to want to do it. Never had a desire, like, never was a passion or anything like that. Josh Gentry: And I realized I was like, I'm not going to spend 10, 12 years of my life doing something just because of the status of it or just because of the money or whatever the. The financial freedom or whatever the case may be. And I realized that I would rather, if it took it, I'd rather make a dollar to do something I love than to make a million doing something I hate or despise or. Or don't have a passion for. And so the. The trucking has always been. It's just always been one of those things that it's just been an absolute love. It's not just a love. Josh Gentry: I don't think it's. It's more like. It's a. It's what I feel like the Lord's called. Wants me to do. And because, like, you can't love something and desire something in the way that I feel like that I do. Without. Without it being a love and a passion that God has put on your heart. Josh Gentry: And. And it's like, regardless of whether that be driving an AM General the rest of my life, if that's what it takes, I'll be happy doing it. And I. I sure hope that he doesn't hear this interview because then he'll be like, all right, here you go. Jared Flinn: So you want me to test you? I'm gon now, right? Josh Gentry: You're gonna be like, josh, I need another interview. Jared Flinn: And you're. Josh Gentry: I'm gonna be like, I don't know. You're like, well, I guess I'll just send it to your old boss. And I'll be like, nope, I'll be ready. Jared Flinn: Yeah. And I mean, what you said is just gold. Because I think so many of our members listen to this and we're dealing with all stages of trucking companies and we deal with a lot of guys just getting into it, just starting up with that dream of running a hopper bottom or whatever bulk trailer it is, but really trying to figure out can I. I. And I think too, a lot of people do this because they absolutely love the trucking. But are they going to be able to make it? I think is the bigger question. Like, I can, I can. I have a passion for this. Jared Flinn: I love the trucks. I love everything about it. The diesel fumes, the, you know, deal with grain facilities. But I mean, is there. Is there the. The money in it to support me and my family and everything else? Josh Gentry: I firmly. I believe that anything, anything you do, if you. Again, if you don't love what you do, it doesn't matter what kind of money you make, you're never going to be happy. And I think that if. If you can find contentment in being complete in a sense to where you are fulfilled. Because the thing is, is like our. Our. Our desires are always going to be to want more and more and more. Josh Gentry: Like it doesn't matter what we do, we're always going to want more and more and more. But that should also be the stage that you leverage yourself to do better, be better in. In all aspects. And, and it's like, I don't want to just be like, my goal is to not just be a one truck operation. I would love to eventually get to where I've got six, seven, eight trucks. I mean, that's. That's what I'd love to do. My goal in life is. Josh Gentry: Is. Has to been. I mean, has always been to a. Have. Have a truck that I can make a living with but to the B side of A is to have something that my hands, that, that my heart has derived up and like a desire that, that God puts in my heart that I can, I can actually put that into fruition and make it a reality. And that's, that's truly what my. That's where my heart is. Jared Flinn: So, yeah, talk about the day in the life of Josh Gentry because again you're, you're, you're pulling the, you know, driving the, the band, the equipment around. I actually, I don't know what specifically because I'm sure there may be multiple trucks with all the equipment and merchandise and all that. So I want you to speak on that. Is there just one? Okay. Josh Gentry: Just one truck. Jared Flinn: So yeah, I guess in the day, in life, talk about the balance between that. Because again, that's seasonal. That's not all the time. Josh Gentry: Right. Jared Flinn: With the other jobs you got the, the farming operation. How does, how does all that work in, in the schedule? Josh Gentry: Well, Alabama as, as they've got. I mean years ago like when their schedules were more, I guess you could say intense, their schedules, they were doing 250 dates a year. Kenworth jumped on as a sponsor for Alabama in 1988 and they sponsored Alabama from 88 till 2004. And then when Alabama came off the road in 2004 as a, I, I call it a, a trial retirement. But they came off the road from 2004 and they started touring again in 2012. And they've been touring ever since 2012. And their schedule is actually majority of all their shows now are between Thursday and Sunday. Every, Every like whenever they book shows, sometimes they'll have them consistently, but realistically no, they don't have them. Josh Gentry: Like more than like they'll have a weekend of two shows, maybe three and then they have a week off and then they maybe do another weekend. So it's, it's actually really good. It levels it out to where like we, everybody that's in the organization, we have our normal life which my normal life is coming off the road from shows and go work on the farm, go take care. We run 300 and 350 head. I guess maybe close to 400. But we're, we're literally like we've got a guy that, that manages everything pretty much on, on his own by itself. Like if he ever there's anything that needs to be done, if we need to move cows, vaccinate cows, sort cows, wing calves, whatever it is we need to do, we, he, he's got somebody that he can Call to come in and help him if I'm not here. But the. Josh Gentry: The. It's. It's such a. It's such a easy flow because it's like I'm gone, and then I'm home. So it's like, I've got ample amount of home time, but I've also. I'm like. The longest I think I've been out was 30 days. I was going for 30 days straight, and that was when we did a west coast run last year, and I was on. Jared Flinn: I want to interrupt you right there, because I was trying to think of my head, too, because if you have, you know, these little gaps, but if you're on a west coast run, like, are there times where you just leave the truck park and you fly home and then come back? The truck always comes back home. Josh Gentry: I stay. I stay with the truck until the truck is done. And then the truck. The truck. I'm actually. Where I'm at right now is I'm at the Alabama fan club in Fort Payne in the conference room, and the truck is actually sitting out, and the. There's a bay the truck sits inside. And yeah, every time the truck leaves, the truck comes back with me, no matter where we're at. Jared Flinn: Okay. So, I mean, it could work out where you're, you know, out west, and then you may bring that thing back and go right back out west with it again. I mean, they. Josh Gentry: The way they normally try to set their shows up is when I leave out. Like, when I left out, we went. I can tell you exactly where we went. Last year, it was South Dakota. Then we went to Iowa, Arizona, California, Oregon, Washington, and then we finished out at the Calgary Stampede in Calgary, Canada. Jared Flinn: But that, you know, I don't want to get in the weeds. But there were several of those trips, though, like South Dakota, the truck comes back, then goes back up to Iowa, then comes back and then goes out. Josh Gentry: I stay out. I stay out the whole entire time. Jared Flinn: Okay, so that's all stacked in there pretty close on. Josh Gentry: Yes. Like, there might be, like, there might be like four, three or four or five days in between, like, say, one show and another, but I stay with the truck because then what they're in. Realistically, it's. It's smart. Instead of me taking. Having to take the time to go from there home and then turn and go all the way back, like, a few hours later. Because, I mean, I technically probably would have had to. To do that. Josh Gentry: They just. I just stay out, and I just. I get a hotel room, and that's where I camp out for a few days and then go to the next show. So it's. It, it's good because by the time I come, like when I leave, I'm like, gosh, I can't stand this town. And by the time I'm ready to come home, I'm like, yeah, that's pretty good. Little town. Jared Flinn: You know about camping out. So do you ever stay in that truck or is it usually now? Josh Gentry: I sleep in the truck probably. If we're gone. If we're gone on. I say seven days. On a seven day run, I sleep in the truck. Probably three nights of that seven day run. Like whenever we get, whenever we get to the show. Like I've got a hotel room. Jared Flinn: So you said just that it's just that one trailer with all the equipment. Is that right? What about the merch and all that? Because I mean I Sometimes you see all that. It's all stacked. It's all compartmentalized. Josh Gentry: And the thing is, is like there's nothing that's stacked. Everything is rolled in straight. Like there's nothing stacked on top of another. Everything is rolled straight in. The merch is on the dance floor of the trailer because it's a drop frame trailer. The merch is all on the dance floor and all the gear is on the main floor. It's crazy. Jared Flinn: Your dad and uncle and I mean the other band members, I assume they are they on a bus separately or. Josh Gentry: However they do they, they do they. The. Depending on the distance, they will ride a bus. They'll get a bus to the shows if it's far off. They. They call them fly dates. And we've got all pelicans and cases. Like if they need to take their instruments or guitars, I carry all like the. Josh Gentry: Their drums, their amps, their mics, their PAs, their stuff like that. That's what I carry and that's what I haul to all the shows. But all of the sound lights, the main, like your digital wall, stuff like that, that's all usually contracted out. They do. We don't. All we haul is our own stuff. I mean, pretty much. Jared Flinn: I was just trying to think too. You know, I met one of our members up in Kansas. They. He was one of the drivers for one of Toby Keith's trucks. Like he did. He was on tour for that and then he was not there. He was in central Kansas hauling sand and rock and then he'd go back on that. But I guess how does someone, if they have that ambition, get lucky to land a job like that? Like Is it just luck of the draw or like, how does someone, if you have an ambition or drive to say, man, I'd love to be part of a band or driving that. Jared Flinn: You know, driving a rig for one. Josh Gentry: For like a tour or something? Jared Flinn: Yeah, for a tour. Because you hear about like I just saw and this is. I'm gonna get, I'm gonna get booed by saying this, but it was just on the news like Taylor Swift was bonus her truck driver or something like that. I mean, it was, she did. Josh Gentry: And I, yeah, like, I went. And I've held that over like dad Randy, like everybody's head and like y'all hear what Taylor Swift's driver's got. Jared Flinn: I, I would assume. And that's what I was gonna ask too. I want you to answer that question. But then also an technically is your boss. Who do you report to? Josh Gentry: Our road manager is pretty much the only one that I deal with. Jared Flinn: Okay. Josh Gentry: I don't, I mean like, as long as I'm there, dad Randy and the rest of the band, they don't give a. As long as I am. As long as I am, I'm there. That's, that's, that's what they care about. The one that, that handles all of my scheduling. Like, as far as like getting to the venue, backing up to the dock, getting from the venue to the hotel, getting from the hotel back to the venue, that's all road manager. That's all of our road. And he is absolutely. Josh Gentry: His name's Jeff Davis and he is absolutely. Him and Alabama stage manager are two of the best people in the business, in my opinion. Like, they, they make what I do so simple and so easy. And, and it's just, it's just like when you have people in your, in your corner that they, they want to help you to be better at what you do and that you can help them do their job better. I mean, it's just, it's. It's just like we're just a very well greased machine. And, and it's. We work like it's a dream job. Josh Gentry: It truly is a dream job. Jared Flinn: Well, and that's why I want to go back to that question. Like, for someone out there that like, would love to have that dream job, what would you recommend? How would they even maybe get started or think about trying to get on or get on a list to maybe get selected to be a driver? Josh Gentry: Well, there's, there's touring companies out there. You've got upstaging and I don't. If you want me to send you links to these places. I definitely can upstaging their stage call. There's. There's set. There's all kind. There's all kinds of touring companies out there. Josh Gentry: It's just a matter of the thing is and the reason why a lot of people and I've actually told several people this that entertainment hauling is not your normal form of trucking. You just. It's not. You have. A majority of of your driving is at night. Like because you go from one show to another and you've got to be at the show, leave the show, go to the next show and you got to be there the next morning. And so it's. It's more of a critiqued end form of. Josh Gentry: Of trucking. This. What I do with Alabama was being just a one truck deal. It's. It's a. It is absolutely. Like I said, I mean I've told many many people like I've got several friends that are in the entertainment hauling business and I told them they like or when Alabama retires are you. Are you going to continue doing entertainment Hall? And I went no, no, no. Josh Gentry: I. I'll. No, I don't want to have anything to do with. Because of the fact that it's like when you have this atmosphere like this on this stage and when you do major. You do it on a major scale. Like I. I've just. I'm more of like a. Josh Gentry: If I. If I wanted to be a one truck, one hopper bottom guy, I'd do it and be happy the rest of my life. That's the reason why I like this so much. Because it's just me. Like it's so like I said and like I said I. I'm probably not the best one to too because of the fact that it's like like I said. I mean this has just been absolutely a dream come true because I get to drive a. And I've got to say this. Josh Gentry: I get to drive the best truck brand in the country in my opinion. And that's the Kenworth truck. And. And it's an absolute honor that Kenworth has jumped back on and jumped back in to the. To the dance floor with. With us. And it's. It's been an absolutely honor and a privilege because I've gotten opportun. Josh Gentry: I got to go through the Kenworth plant and chili coffee and I got to go through the Kenworth plant and Renton. Jared Flinn: Yeah. Josh Gentry: And just. I just. I gotta give. I gotta give Kenworth some absolute roses because they have been absolutely amazing to us. Jared Flinn: So so Kenworth they donate the truck. Josh Gentry: And I mean it's a lease truck. I mean it's. It's a. It's. It's a. It's a sponsor. Like we. We've got got Kenworth on emblem on the side of the truck and we play Alabama does a their hundredth year anniversary. Josh Gentry: And you can find that video on. I think it's on YouTube, the 100th anniversary video that. That video gets played before every show and. And then it's just kind of. Jared Flinn: It's. Josh Gentry: It's really been. Honestly and truthfully it's almost kind of been a. Like we've gotten to. I've gotten to drive around this. This. It's a 2021 T 680 Kenworth and I get to travel the country in the. In this truck. And it's just been like I said it's just been a dream come true because. Jared Flinn: Yeah, I was just gonna say but it's like what better sponsor? I mean I'm thinking of Kenworth. Like this is like a dream for them because you know this one of your iconic songs deals with trucking. One of the. One of the most famous songs in in trucking. And I mean so I mean I think it's equal a privilege for Kenworth to be selected to be a sponsor. Josh Gentry: For the band Alabama. Well they. They're the ones that literally like in 1987 they came pretty much Kenworth came to Alabama and said like Alabama was like Winnie trucks. And Kenmore said hey, we'll do it. And so it just. It just started from there on. And like the Alabama played at the Mid America Trucking show in Louisville Kentucky from 88 till 2002 I believe. 2021 or 2001. Josh Gentry: 2002. I can't remember when the last time they played there. I think it was 2020. 2002. I keep want to say 2022 but. But that was just. That was just my growing up with the Kenworth logo on the front of those trucks is really what kind of started my love and my passion for. For Kenworth trucks. Josh Gentry: And. And now like I'm old enough that I actually get to be. I get to be the one that gets to like intertwine and interact. And I sent you, I sent you a picture of when I was at the Chili coffee plant. I told the Alec guy that that was. I think he's the plant maybe manager place. I can't remember what his title is. He's gonna kill me if he hears this. Josh Gentry: But he, but he. I told Him. I said, anybody that had anything to do with today, I said, I want their picture in front of this truck. And they got the plant to come out. And I saw that picture. Jared Flinn: Yeah, we'll show it right now for people that are watching on YouTube. Josh Gentry: And they. Yeah, they. They. They. I had them. I wanted them to come out and get their picture made in front of the truck. And it was. It was absolutely, like, so surreal. Josh Gentry: And because there's a picture or actually trucks that Alabama got back in late mid-90s, somewhere in that neighborhood, they actually. It's actually a funny story. They had everyone in the plant sign the back of the trucks. Well, fans at the shows were thinking, oh, these are fan sign. Well, fans started signing the back of. Fans started signing the back of these. Back of these trucks. Well, they ended up taking those off and actually put regular panels on the back of the sleepers because, like, the fans were coming up and signing the back of these sleepers of Alabama trucks. Josh Gentry: So it was. It was. It was amazing, but it was. It's just getting to, like I said, getting to finally experience that as, you know, growing up and I was 8 years old the very first time I rode in. In one of Alabama's trucks. And I just. I've been hooked ever since. Jared Flinn: Well, talk about. And this is. I know it's more of a story, more of a question for your dad or the other band members, but the song Roll on, super iconic. And again, it's got to be one of the top, in my opinion, top three trucking songs or top five. But, like, where did that come from? Josh Gentry: That was. That was actually a song that I believe was pitched to them. Oh, my gosh. I'm getting. I feel like a big, big spotlight just kind of got shined on me just then. But it. They wanted. In that. Josh Gentry: That era of their career, they wanted a trucking song. And. And it's like. Honestly, I think that if I remember, like, dad and I had had the discussion about certain songs, and I think that was one of the songs that he and I had actually talked about. And he. I think he didn't think that it would be. Yeah, they didn't think that it would be as big of a hit as it was or as recognizable as. As Roll on actually became. Josh Gentry: And. And it's just. It got to be like, now, even now, today, if when they go to a show, like, audience will, like, they'll be like, play Roll On. Or, like, roll On. Like, I mean, they want them to play Roll On. So as far as it being the, the heritage of it, I could not tell you. I know, I know that it was legitimately at the moment and in the time, like, I mean, I think there's even like interview where they actually talked about that, like solely about how like in that area because we're. They were the good old boys, the down home boys, country boys, farm boys, you know, kind of thing. Josh Gentry: And they wanted, it's the reason why like they had 40 hour week. I mean like they wanted to, to talk about that. Yeah, yeah, the, the, the blue collar, you know, gets up at, you know, 5:00 in the morning and goes to work and, and then they wanted to like, they wanted to reach out to the trucking industry too. Because I mean like dad said that dad's the one that's like, we know that our music is played a lot probably by truckers, you know, and, and so that's the reason why they wanted to have a song that, that was relatable to those guys. Jared Flinn: But I mean today too, but back then, so many of those truckers were, were farmers. Josh Gentry: Oh yeah, a vast majority back then. Yeah, absolutely. Jared Flinn: I mean there's still a big percentage today, but I think back then even greater of how many of those guys that grew up on a farm or still farm had the farm, but trucking was just an offshoot, another part of their business that they kept busy. So man, I'm going to read respect of your time. I'm gonna kind of segue here, but just a couple other things I want to talk about just because I'm envisioning this like when obviously you've been to hundreds of shows, maybe more thousand. But talk about like obvious when you're there, you're obviously, you're not watching the whole show because you've been there. So many, like what do you normally do but talk about the fans? Because I think that's the thing too because like I love being around. I say this all the time. My people, you know, my wife, my wife did not grow up in ag. I grew up in Iag on farm. Jared Flinn: And there's times I go to these shows, I'll go to the fair or whatever. And she's like, Jared, you're. You're with your people, right? And I'm like, yeah, I'm with my people. There's just something I love about that and. Right. But I can visualize when you're at these shows, like you're looking out across and. Or the people you interact with. It's the cowboy boots, it's the car hearts it's the Wranglers. Jared Flinn: It's the good farm kids and men, women talk about that. Josh Gentry: The. Jared Flinn: The. Josh Gentry: That's. That's such a. A surreal surreal question because the whole aspect of the, the people that have encompassed that support the group Alabama have been. They're. They're maze. It's like a, It's a, It's a crowd full of maze. It's crowd full of views. It's crowd for. Josh Gentry: Full of everyone that's listening. It's. It's the ones that, that, that get up and fight every day and, and have like a smile on their face and when trials come and like these songs like that Alabama sings, I mean they, they sympathize, but they also tell a story then I think that everyone can relate to. And I think that when you look at the broad picture of whether it be a thousand people, five thousand or ten thousand or twenty thousand people that are, that are sitting and listening to these, these songs, everybody is going to relate to these like to those three guys standing on stage differently. And like from the farmer or from the pharmacist or from the doctor or from. It's all going to relate differently based on the fact of experiences that each individual person has went through. And I think from a farmer standpoint and from a country boy and a down home boy and, and like, I mean I, I had cow crap on my boots this morning when I left the farm before I came down. And it's like just realizing that it's like the life that out the. Josh Gentry: The band and the, the brand that Alabama has has just kind of like built up is. Is. It's exactly like what, what you just said. I mean, it's just a bunch of. It's just a bunch of us. I mean that's all it is. Jared Flinn: And I think that's a, it's a perfect segue to end because like when I opened up the line talking about mountain music, when I go back and I still hear those lines of using sawmill slabs. We owned a sawmill growing up. We, we had sawmill slabs that we made into, you know, bats and everything else, like skin and cats. I remember we lived on a river. I mean we had a river that we grew up on catching catfish and doing that. So that's why I, I think about those and it's like you just said it, like when you listen to songs, it, it. It's who you are. It's like, man, I was that person growing up on that farm. Jared Flinn: Those hot summer days, those nights, those. I mean everything described in the Songs and. And that they just did such a great job. I think there's great songs today too, but now I think there's. There's just that little bit of that good old boy, maybe they got lost that you don't hear maybe in today's music. I've always said this, and I'm going to end on this one. Like, I have a vision one day of even like helping create like a good, like country or a good truck, the new trucking song. Because it's been a while since we've had like an iconic trucking song. Jared Flinn: We need to get one on there that gets back on the top, you know, top 10, whatever, billboard. And man, if we could. If, you know, and tell the story. Josh Gentry: Yeah. Jared Flinn: I mean, tell the stories of the people like you and. And the. The truckers out there that, That, I mean, don't get talked about anymore, quite frankly. And I think there's. Yeah, I just think there's something to it. So it's. I'm a dreamer and a creator and a visionary, and I think I still have high hopes that find the right people. Maybe God's telling me that right now that we can make something happen. Jared Flinn: But, Josh, man, this has been an absolute pleasure, man. Thank you for taking the time. I've been following you for a while and thank you for graciously coming on the show. I honestly really look forward to continue conversations with you down the road. Love what you're doing out there. It is like, right in line with our core business and what we do out there for trucking and agriculture. So, man, thank you so much. God bless you. Josh Gentry: Jared, thank you so much for the opportunity. And it's been an absolute. It's been an honor and I appreciate you coming to me and saying, like, this is something I can only dream of. And I. I appreciate you more than I can say. Jared Flinn: Cool. Thank you. Josh Gentry: Thank you. Jared Flinn: Tyler wanted to be respectful for Josh, but, like, I just started there was like question after question. I had some bolted out. But when he was talking about especially going on the road and even just the logistics, I mean, you don't have to be, even if you're in trucking, just learning how all that work. Because I always was curious, when those bands go on tour, you know, do the trucks come back? Do they go? Do they stay out? How does. How does all that work? So fascinating story. Tyler Allison: Yeah, super cool. And the fact that he's wanting to continue his trucking career after the tour and stuff. And you said that he was trying to get in grain hauling and Exploring this industry. But they're just a bunch of good old boys that. I mean they love ag and I mean it's Alabama. Jared Flinn: There was just something about it. He said this at the end, but those songs, they're so iconic and there's other bands with these iconic ones. But there's something I guess personally because of Vike, my relationship with my father and him loving the band. Tyler Allison: Yeah. Jared Flinn: And then listen to those songs like mountain music and man, you just go through the whole list. But it just resonated because you could hear those lyrics. And I think he said at the end that like they really tried to find songs that were for that everyday working man and how cool that is the industry that we're in. Tyler Allison: Yeah, exactly. Jared Flinn: Those are our people. Tyler Allison: Yeah, exactly. Jared Flinn: So cool. I don't want to spill the beans, but I think Josh is going to come to the bulk freight conference. Tyler Allison: Oh yeah. Jared Flinn: And he may. I'm not saying he is, but may also bring some member of the band possibly or somebody. So it's up in the air. But I just want to say come to the bulk freight conference. Tyler Allison: Yep, we're going to. Jared Flinn: Coming up. Tyler Allison: Man, that's exciting. Yeah, I hope. I hope that happens. Jared Flinn: I'm not. Yeah, it's not for sure but we talked afterwards and they actually Josh and then they get on the road. They love and this is a cool thing. Dude loves agriculture, loves trucking. Yeah, that's what we do. And when I told him about that, he's like, I want to be there. I want to come to this. He goes, man, there's. Jared Flinn: We want to be there and we love promoting agriculture and trucking and this is where you can do it. So get your tickets. Bulk Freight Conference, April 16th through the 18th. The link will be in below bulkfreightconference.com get registered. There's still tickets available. Available. Again, we're going to be getting in the new year and there I think people are going to really start putting. Looking at their schedules, getting that on there. Jared Flinn: So be there. This thing just keeps getting better at the conference and I think you can. Tyler Allison: Have a try to get a race car in there. And I mean this thing is just. Yeah. Imagine drinking a beer, looking at a race car. Maybe a member of the Alabama band is next to you. Jared Flinn: It's just like all of your favorite things all coming together in one spot and not. Yeah, so. So we've even. Yeah, the race car. We may even have some other kind of motor vehicle there that. That we're working on as well. So yeah, Bulk Freight conference coming up April 16th through the 18th. Go to the link, get your tickets, get your reservations at the hotel. Jared Flinn: It's going to be awesome and we want you to be there. Tyler Allison: Yeah, yeah. Also, Happy New Year. This is the start to 2025 here. And if you don't have any goals or resolutions set that you definitely want to make sure to sit down and do that, whether it's to grow your business or to work on anything, personal life, you know, spend more time with your kids, be more present, anything like that, I definitely think it's a good idea. And Jared, you, you, you firmly believe in this too. Sitting down, writing down your goals, putting a timeline to them, it helps you kind of execute those goals throughout the year. Jared Flinn: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. New year, new goals, new plans we know people have. I am very optimistic for 2025. I think this is going to be an awesome year for our industry. Tyler Allison: Yeah, I agree. Jared Flinn: I think, you know, we just see the market goes up now. And if you watch any of our podcasts, Jesse Runyons has been saying, and others been saying it, so what better time to be in bulk trucking? And if you need, we have all these services. I'm not going to go over it on this podcast, but, man, we can help you from beginning to almost end everything involved in trucking. So get a hold of us. We want to help you out this year. We want you to be successful and, man, we want to be a part of that. We want to serve you to the best of our knowledge. Tyler Allison: Last thing I'll cover real quick is that our 2025 calendars, you know, we ordered a thousand this year. We keep ordering every year. We order more and more. We had 946 submissions requesting the calendar, which is awesome. But yeah, just so much. So we are going, we are still shipping those out. We want to make sure that everybody gets a calendar, but if you end up submitting the form, you don't get one, by the way. Definitely let us know and we'll try to make it right by sending you a T shirt or some. Tyler Allison: Some other thing that we can get our hands on out to you. Jared Flinn: Yeah. And get them pretty quick now before, like it's the start of the year and we want to get rid of them. We have no use for them otherwise. So reach out to that. So cool. Anything else before we head out of here? Tyler Allison: I think that's it. Jared Flinn: Yeah. Awesome video. I'm still, like, shaking. Tyler Allison: Yeah. Jared Flinn: It was so much fun. Tyler Allison: Yeah. Jared Flinn: How do I do that again? Tyler Allison: We need them to come to the. Jared Flinn: Conference, it's getting really close, so. And you never know, we still got that four months to. There may be more, may have others. So yeah, super excited. So cool. You want to close us out in prayer? Josh Gentry: Yep. Tyler Allison: This year, Lord, we come to you today. Just thank you and praise you, Lord. Lord, we ask that going into this new year, you just continue to bless us, Lord. And we ask that, Lord, you just be with us, Lord. I ask that anybody out there who is struggling with anything, Lord, we lift them up to you, Lord, and we ask them to lean on you, you, because we know that you are a big God who can do big things, Lord, and we know that you know, nothing that we do is ever without you, Lord. So, Lord, we ask that you just bless this industry, Lord, that we have a great year, Lord, we ask that the agriculture industry, the trucking industry, all of our members, anybody who's listening out there, Lord, is able to know you. If they don't know you this year, Lord, and we ask that whoever we interact with on a daily basis, Lord, they know immediately that you know, we have one mission is it's to serve you, Lord. We love you and thank you. Tyler Allison: Amen. Jared Flinn: Amen. Thank you as always for listening to the Bulk Loads podcast. If you haven't yet, make sure and subscribe by clicking in the link down in the left hand corner. Also, if you find know somebody that would love this video, maybe an Alabama fan, share this with him. I think they would love this. It'd be a thank you from us. And also make sure and subscribe. Joe has released another video. Jared Flinn: We got a big deck of videos lined up for 2025. We're going to be out there visiting, showing, and these videos, man, I think. Tyler Allison: They just keep getting better. Jared Flinn: This last one he released is even better than the one before, so. And I think we're just learning what people want to see. He's learning the angles. And I am super excited about these upcoming videos, these shoots that we're going to across the country. If you do and you're listening to this and you want to be featured, we do have a form for you to fill out if you want us to come and visit you. We still have openings in 2025. It is getting filled up. But man, if you want us to come out and visit, showcase yours, it's a win, win, win. Jared Flinn: I won't go into that, but reach out to us. We would love to come visit you as well. Tyler Allison: So awesome. Jared Flinn: Thank you for listening to the Bulk Loads podcast. Happy New Year 2025. Thank you so much. God bless. Tyler Allison: It.