The OuterBelt's Podcast

HyfieldTrucking

We discuss all things and ramble on about news, to current events with a focus on the trucking industry and #hyfieldfamily. 

  1. 12/27/2025

    New Shop, New Era

    Send us a text A storage unit can only take you so far. We finally planted roots with a real two-bay shop—and the difference is immediate: safer turnarounds, faster service, organized parts, and a driver lounge built for actual rest. We break down the search in a booming Columbus market, why so many “perfect” buildings failed the test, and how we ended up with the right mix of space, power, and potential to scale our Tech Ops the way drivers deserve. Inside, we tour the upgrades that matter most. Heavy-duty pallet shelving for clean inventory. A real steel workbench for vice-and-hammer fixes. An 80-gallon compressor and manifold plan so impact tools replace dead batteries and slow hands. And the big one: solving tire pressure right at the shop, turning dangerous 80s on steers into safe 120s before anyone hits the road. Safety isn’t a slogan when you cut the risk of blowouts and wasted miles just by having the right gear in the right place. We also made the space livable. Fast T-Mobile business internet to power iPads, updates, and calls. An 86-inch TV for sports in 4K. Laundry, coffee, tea, and clean water so downtime feels like downtime. The goal is simple: reduce friction for drivers while we do the work—swap a microwave, replace dock bumpers, or prep a truck for its next team. Plus, we’re gearing up for community: weekend cookouts, casual meetups, and a place where road stories meet good food. Speaking of food, we detour through Louisiana staples, low-glycemic Parish Rice, and a spirited fried chicken debate, because culture and community fuel the work just as much as tools and torque. Want more of this behind-the-scenes journey as we build? Tap follow, leave a quick review, and share the show with a driver who’d appreciate a smarter shop and a warmer lounge. Your support helps more people find us—and helps us keep leveling up for you. Email us: theouterbeltpodcast@gmail.com Website: www.hyfieldtrucking.com Interested in joining our team? Email us at info.hyfieldtrucking.com we have open trucks! You must be part of a team. No solo drivers. Call us at 1-833-493-4353 Option 1 Facebook: The Outer Belt Podcast Instagram: The_OuterBelt

    1h 26m
  2. 12/13/2025

    Holiday Roads, Pecan Loads

    Send us a text Bad intel travels fast. Facts travel farther. We kicked things off with post‑Thanksgiving stories—quiet weekends, Southern “polite bites,” and a heated dessert debate—before unboxing a generous pecan sampler from a listener team. The table lit up: praline versus cinnamon sugar, chocolate that overwhelmed the nut, and a mysterious white‑coated half that divided the room. Food memories opened a portal to regional nostalgia and the economics of everyday life on the road: Blue Bell versus local dairies, shrinkflation in the freezer aisle, and the slow march of squeeze bottles from ketchup to mayo to peanut butter. Then we swapped the kitchen for a coastline. Picture a poolside lobster roll that actually lives up to the hype, crispy fries that stay crisp, and a Jeep chasing a map’s promise of a perfect loop. Reality? Permit‑only segments, cliffside gravel, and a strategic U‑turn. It made for laughs and a lesson: risk management isn’t just for dispatch. Whether it’s a mountain road or a soft rate board, good judgment pays. That lens helped us decode the headline of the week: chatter that CRST was “shutting down” over‑the‑road. We walked through the original report, the company’s clarification, and the fuller picture that followed—roughly 200 trucks removed, some redeployed, and several hundred jobs impacted. Painful, yes, but not a collapse. We dug into fleet math, parked tractors, and why this contraction phase is thinning the herd before the widely forecast 2026 recovery. The practical takeaway for drivers and teams: anchor to stable, diversified carriers; protect cash; keep utilization high; and choose freight that aligns with resilience, not just rate. Along the way, we offer gratitude for the people who keep critical shipments moving and the small rituals that keep spirits up. And for the curious: the white pecans were white chocolate, not yogurt—proof that even tasteful debates deserve a proper reveal. If this mix of road truth and real talk hit home, follow the show, share it with a driver who needs company, and drop a review so more folks can find us. Your support keeps the wheels turning. Email us: theouterbeltpodcast@gmail.com Website: www.hyfieldtrucking.com Interested in joining our team? Email us at info.hyfieldtrucking.com we have open trucks! You must be part of a team. No solo drivers. Call us at 1-833-493-4353 Option 1 Facebook: The Outer Belt Podcast Instagram: The_OuterBelt

    1h 10m
  3. 11/29/2025

    From Surprise Snow To MD-11 Crash: How Weather, Aviation, And Trucking Intersect

    Send us a text A blue-sky Friday turned into a surprise blanket of wet snow, and that weather whiplash set the stage for a wide-ranging, grounded conversation about safety, judgment, and the systems we rely on. We open with the simple joys—fireplace, sweats, and a Jurassic Park rewatch—then weave through Stallone’s underrated writing, Taylor Sheridan’s expanding universe, and what “renaissance” careers teach about grit. The pivot is abrupt and necessary: a detailed, plain-English breakdown of the UPS MD-11 crash at Louisville, why tri-jets ended up in cargo fleets, the DC-10 pylon legacy, and how regulators moved to park aircraft while investigators sort engine failure from structural failure. If you’ve wondered how an engine detaches at rotation, how compressor stalls steal thrust, or why freight carriers balance fuel burn against acquisition cost, we lay it out without jargon. From there, we bring it back to the road. Black ice doesn’t announce itself, bridges freeze first, and shaded underpasses stay slick hours after sunlit lanes look fine. We share what actually helps when winter hits: carry winter-rated washer fluid and spare blades, keep anti-gel on board if you fuel warm and drive cold, and treat route planning like a skill, not a checkbox. Truck GPS units with traffic and radar beat guesswork; carrier maps are safe but often outdated; consumer apps aren’t for routing big rigs but are excellent early warning for traffic. State DOT sites and radar apps can be the difference between a clean pass and a shutdown in blowing crosswinds. And yes, sometimes the smart move is a longer arc around a metro that saves stress and time. Underneath it all is a single idea: safety is a culture of choices. Aviation cancels flights rather than stretch thin; trucking can mirror that by slowing down, staging smart, and rerouting with intent. We wrap with a preview of a full winter preparedness deep dive, plus a practical PSA about CARB testing with OTR Services for anyone running California. If this resonated, subscribe, share with a friend who lives on the road, and tell us the one tool or tactic that’s saved your bacon in bad weather. Your tip might help someone else get home safe. Email us: theouterbeltpodcast@gmail.com Website: www.hyfieldtrucking.com Interested in joining our team? Email us at info.hyfieldtrucking.com we have open trucks! You must be part of a team. No solo drivers. Call us at 1-833-493-4353 Option 1 Facebook: The Outer Belt Podcast Instagram: The_OuterBelt

    1h 17m
  4. 11/15/2025

    USPS, Non-Domiciled CDLs, And Capacity Crunch Explained

    Send us a text A windy hop to Fort Wayne set the stage, but the real turbulence hit when USPS clamped down on non-domiciled CDL drivers and watched service clog almost overnight. We walk through the ban, the backlash, and the DOT’s emergency interim rule, then connect the dots to capacity, safety, and why a slow correction might finally nudge rates higher after a grinding freight slump. We break the jargon into real-world choices: how lowest-bid USPS contracts implode when diesel spikes, why CDL mills and lax English proficiency testing create safety and fairness gaps, and what happens when visa timelines don’t match CDL validity. You’ll hear how states with friendlier rules amplified the problem and why contractors leaned on non-domiciled license holders to make thin margins work. It’s not a blame game aimed at drivers; it’s a look at the systems that pushed many into bad deals and how enforcement could rebalance the market. Then we zoom out. Three forces are shrinking capacity even without a demand boom: tighter English-proficiency enforcement, the non-domiciled CDL crackdown, and a major pullback in new truck builds as OEMs cut shifts and big fleets delay refresh cycles. That combination retires older equipment faster than it’s replaced and pushes out noncompliant operators, setting the stage for a gradual lift in rates. Expect a slow burn, not fireworks—more like an instrument approach than a sprint to the runway. Along the way, we keep it human: instrument training with foggles and 200-foot minimums, the surreal sight of wind turbines from 4,000 feet, and the eternal truck-stop coffee debate that every driver holds strong opinions about. If you care about safety, compliance, and getting paid fairly for the miles you run, this conversation gives you both the story and the strategy. Subscribe, share with a driver who needs the update, and drop your take: will tighter rules help or hurt your lanes this quarter? Email us: theouterbeltpodcast@gmail.com Website: www.hyfieldtrucking.com Interested in joining our team? Email us at info.hyfieldtrucking.com we have open trucks! You must be part of a team. No solo drivers. Call us at 1-833-493-4353 Option 1 Facebook: The Outer Belt Podcast Instagram: The_OuterBelt

    1h 13m
  5. 11/01/2025

    From Beef Jerky Taste Test To Predictive Truck Parking On I 5

    Send us a text A thunderstorm, a table full of jerky, and a big promise from Washington State: find safe truck parking up to four hours ahead. We kick off with a care package from David and Ramona and a spirited taste test—lemon pepper’s bright pop, jalapeno honey’s gentle burn, Texas heat’s serious kick, and bohemian garlic’s bold, road-worthy flavor—before steering straight into the news that could change nightly parking hunts on I-5. We break down how a predictive system might actually work for drivers: sensors at rest areas and weigh stations, real-time counts blended with historical patterns, and the need for alerts that adjust when a crash or surge flips the script. The idea is simple—less circling, safer stops, smarter spacing—but execution matters. We talk accuracy, hands-free prompts, public vs private lot coverage, and the reality that a five-spot miss can blow a tight clock. If it’s going to help, it has to be transparent, fast, and driver-first. A recent AWS outage adds context. When the cloud hiccups, maintenance platforms, phone systems, airline tools, and apps wobble with it. We share what went down, why services came back in odd patches, and how dependent modern trucking has become on a few giant backbones. That launches a lively sidebar on cyberattacks, hacker movie nostalgia, and the balance between embracing new tools and building analog fallbacks. We round things out with practical fuel talk: hidden sugar in road snacks, why many travelers feel better eating abroad, and small choices that keep energy steady. Subscribe, share with a teammate who’s fought for a spot at 10 p.m., and tell us: would you trust a four-hour parking prediction to plan your night? Your take could shape what gets built next. Email us: theouterbeltpodcast@gmail.com Website: www.hyfieldtrucking.com Interested in joining our team? Email us at info.hyfieldtrucking.com we have open trucks! You must be part of a team. No solo drivers. Call us at 1-833-493-4353 Option 1 Facebook: The Outer Belt Podcast Instagram: The_OuterBelt

    54 min
  6. 10/18/2025

    Why Flexible Hours, Smarter Drones, And Self-Driving Tests Could Reshape Trucking

    Send us a text A dead fiber line, a panicked smart oven, and a workday ground to a halt—sometimes the little failures reveal how much our lives lean on invisible networks. We open with the chaos of connection loss and follow the thread into a much bigger story: drones washing concrete walls, spraying fields from mobile trailers, choreographing citywide light shows, and even navigating war zones with tethered fiber. The sky is getting crowded, and the rules are racing to keep up. From there, we tackle a hot safety question: what happens when drones and small aircraft share airspace without universal ADS‑B? Spotting a Cessna is hard enough; spotting a palm‑sized quadcopter at 90 mph borders on impossible. We break down ADS‑B basics, right‑of‑way implications, and why any new policy has to reckon with human perception and worst‑case physics, not just ideal conditions. On the ground, we switch to practical trucking. We share a clear, no‑nonsense walkthrough of CARB testing before entering California: dash lights that will fail you, the five warm‑up cycles that protect you, and the fine that makes cutting corners a terrible idea. Then we unpack the FMCSA pilot for more flexible hours—6/4 and 5/5 sleeper splits and pausing the 14‑hour clock—explaining how it can reduce pointless downtime at docks, sidestep rush‑hour traps, and give solo drivers more control without erasing safety. Autonomy gets a reality check. Hands‑free driving in a new SUV looked brilliant in clean weather, then quietly bowed out when snow and heavy rain blocked sensors. That informs our take on “driverless” freight runs in Texas: long, straight interstates are perfect testbeds, but national scale requires robust redundancy, weather resilience, and honest plans for edge cases. The tech is promising; the safety case still needs daylight. We close on heart: a 50th birthday, one last tutu, and the permission to stop a tradition when it’s served its purpose. It’s a reminder that change is constant—on the road, in the air, and in our lives—and that resilience is equal parts planning and courage. If this conversation sparked a thought, subscribe, share the show, and leave a review with your take on HOS flexibility and autonomous trucks. Your stories make this community smarter. Email us: theouterbeltpodcast@gmail.com Website: www.hyfieldtrucking.com Interested in joining our team? Email us at info.hyfieldtrucking.com we have open trucks! You must be part of a team. No solo drivers. Call us at 1-833-493-4353 Option 1 Facebook: The Outer Belt Podcast Instagram: The_OuterBelt

    1h 8m
  7. 09/20/2025

    When Your Truck Betrays You: The Fear of Red Check Engine Lights

    Send us a text The long-awaited return of Ice Road Truckers after an eight-year absence has the crew buzzing with excitement. We dive deep into the fascinating world of trucks navigating frozen lakes in northern Canada and Alaska, where drivers must maintain painfully slow speeds to prevent creating pressure waves that could crack the ice beneath them. These brave souls transport everything from school buses to 100,000-pound pipes to remote communities that would otherwise only receive supplies by small aircraft. Motorcycle enthusiasts will appreciate our discussion of Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman's adventure series, particularly their newest journey "Long Way Home" where they tour Europe on vintage motorcycles. The challenges of maintaining decades-old bikes adds an extra layer of complexity to their already impressive journeys that have previously taken them across continents and through remote regions of the world. For bourbon lovers, our preview of the Kentucky Bourbon Festival in Bardstown reveals what makes this annual event special. With approximately 300 different bourbons available for tasting, it's a celebration of craftsmanship rather than excess. We share our experiences from previous years and our plans to visit historic distilleries like Castle & Key - once abandoned and reclaimed from nature, now restored to its former glory - and Woodford Reserve during this year's festival. The conversation takes a technical turn as we examine what terrifies truck drivers most: warning lights. We break down the progression from amber warnings to the dreaded red "Stop Engine" light that can strand drivers mid-journey. This leads to our analysis of recent EPA announcements addressing Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) systems that have plagued the industry. By 2027, trucks must be engineered to avoid sudden power loss from DEF issues - a change that balances environmental concerns with practical operational needs for truckers nationwide. Curious about trucking opportunities or have topics you'd like us to discuss on future episodes? Reach out to us through our website or email theouterbeltpodcast@gmail.com. The team at Hyfield Trucking is always ready to answer your questions and share our passion for life on the road. Email us: theouterbeltpodcast@gmail.com Website: www.hyfieldtrucking.com Interested in joining our team? Email us at info.hyfieldtrucking.com we have open trucks! You must be part of a team. No solo drivers. Call us at 1-833-493-4353 Option 1 Facebook: The Outer Belt Podcast Instagram: The_OuterBelt

    1h 20m
  8. 09/06/2025

    Debunking the Flip-Flop Driving Myth

    Send us a text The flip-flop myth stops here! In this eye-opening episode, we expose the truth behind viral social media claims that DOT officers are putting drivers out of service for wearing flip-flops. Spoiler alert: there's no such regulation in FMCSA code. We share our personal driving footwear preferences and debate what actually constitutes safe options behind the wheel. We dig into Ohio's ambitious $150 million investment to create 1,400 new truck parking spaces across 33 rest areas by 2026. This initiative aims to reduce accidents caused by drowsy driving, but we raise a critical concern: will drivers use these spaces if they fear being targeted for inspections? We passionately argue that rest areas should be "hallowed ground" where tired drivers can safely rest without enforcement intervention. The conversation turns personal when we discuss our strategic location in the national freight network. With major interstates crossing through Ohio, we serve as a critical hub approximately 600 miles from major East Coast destinations – about one driving shift for most commercial drivers. This geographic positioning explains why truck parking infrastructure is so vital to highway safety. Our lighter moments include camping plans, fishing adventures gone hilariously wrong (involving a kayak flip and lost fishing gear), and mustard preferences that somehow lead to deeper discussions about road safety. We close with a heartfelt remembrance of Sylvia from Enroute Expediting, a passionate advocate for drivers and friend of the show who recently passed away. Whether you're a professional driver navigating regulations, someone interested in transportation infrastructure, or just enjoy authentic conversations about life on the road, this episode delivers insights, laughs, and a deeper appreciation for those who keep America moving. Email us: theouterbeltpodcast@gmail.com Website: www.hyfieldtrucking.com Interested in joining our team? Email us at info.hyfieldtrucking.com we have open trucks! You must be part of a team. No solo drivers. Call us at 1-833-493-4353 Option 1 Facebook: The Outer Belt Podcast Instagram: The_OuterBelt

    1h 22m
5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

We discuss all things and ramble on about news, to current events with a focus on the trucking industry and #hyfieldfamily.