Owner-operator Matthew Velasquez on the best parts of trucking

It’s hard to believe that the Mid-America Trucking Show has come and gone. We spent our time in Louisville learning from the trucking community and re-energizing ourselves to continue our work empowering carriers and shippers. From owner-operators to small fleet owners, we’re sharing the stories of some of the old friends and new faces we met at MATS 2019.

Matthew Velasquez

Hometown: Cleveland, Tennessee

Role in the industry: Owner-operator with Green Miles

Been in the industry: For seven years

Future goal: Build a fleet of trucks

What brought you to MATS this year?

Some of the guys over with the carrier decided to drag me along.

What are you most excited to see at MATS this year?

Looking at different products and stuff that maybe I can buy for my truck. And a lot of seminars too.

What advice do you have for someone who wants to break into the trucking industry?

The best advice I would give them is to do their research beforehand, make sure they sign up with the right company at the start, and just really pay attention to what they’re doing.

When you think about the trucking industry, what’s your biggest hope for the future?

For me, the industry is all about supply and demand, so my hope for the industry is that we become more demand. As more autonomous features and stuff like that become available, we’ll see how that all turns out.

What do you love about your job?

What I love most about the work I do is more of the business side of it now. Now that I’ve made the transition to owner-operator from company driver, I like having my own customers and negotiating with brokers and just doing what I say I’m going to do.

Anything else you’d like people to know about trucking?

Trucking is definitely a unique lifestyle. Most people that are not in the industry don’t fully understand that and ask us questions. What is it like to be over the road all the time, away from your family? I have no problem answering people’s questions and stuff like that, you know, because there’s a disconnect between the transportation industry and the rest of the world, and it’s just good to bring it all together, you know?