Brad Young 10 Rules

When life drifts, when purpose fades, when the days start blending together, it's rarely because we don't care. It's because we've lost the structure that keeps us aligned. These first four rules are the reset button. They're the recalibration. They're the moment you stop drifting and start deciding again. Today, we're breaking down how these rules — born in the trenches of dispatch, leadership, a...

Today's revisited episode takes us back to a moment that reshaped how I think about growth, discipline, and the choices that define who we become. Not because the lesson came from a mentor, a book, or a leadership seminar — but from an unlikely source whose mistakes, missteps, and moments of clarity revealed a blueprint for becoming better. We're breaking down Ten Rules — rules forged in the trenc...

Every once in a while, if you are lucky, you cross paths with someone who changes the entire trajectory of your life — not by handing you the answers, but by having the wisdom to step back and let you discover them yourself. For me, that person was Little Bart. He was my first manager in transportation, and by every honest measure, he was one of the wisest human beings I have ever known in this in...

Kyle Mhoor came in on what felt like a routine day. Average build, late twenties, nothing flashy, nothing concerning. He sat down, answered every question with precision, confidence, and genuine warmth. The kind of presence that makes you think, This is the guy. I almost hired him on the spot — something I rarely do. Kyle just clicked. Recruiting had already completed most of his paperwork. The on...

From the very first day Dave came through the door, the energy in the room changed. He was a man in his early seventies, bald, with a posture that seemed permanently set to confrontation. He was not what you would call the picture of health and fitness, but he did not look dramatically out of place either — just a weathered older man who had clearly lived a full life. The problem was not how he lo...

Now here is where the story goes from bad to worse. After the collision with the bridge, the driver opened the trailer. Maybe he was assessing the damage. Maybe he panicked. But what happened next was something that is unfortunately not uncommon when a large cargo vehicle is disabled on a public road — people started stealing the contents. Half a million dollars worth of seafood. Gone. Taken by op...

In today's revisited episode, we're rolling back the clock to one of the most chaotic, head‑spinning moments of my career — a pre‑holiday Friday that turned into a real‑life operational meltdown thanks to a driver we came to know as The Vacation Kid . If you've ever worked in transportation, logistics, or operations, you already know the vibe: the phones are screaming, planners are scrambling, dri...

In today's revisited episode, we're going back to one of the most sobering stories ever told on this show — the night Hour Violator Opie reminded us why the line between urgency and hurry can be the difference between life and death. This isn't just a trucking story. It's a human story. A story about patterns, pressure, fatigue, and the consequences that unfold when all three collide at the worst...

Today's revisited episode takes us back to the wild, unpredictable saga of Nick Hutchinson and Angie — a duo whose real‑life drama could've rolled straight off a Jerry Springer stage and into a dispatch office. Their story wasn't just messy; it was a collision of choices, emotions, and consequences that tested every one of our ten fundamental rules. Looking back, their journey shows us something i...

Buffalo Lou wasn't your typical truck driver — and revisiting his story reminds us why. He was sharp, calculating, and wrestling with issues far deeper than the job itself. But here's the truth: in dispatch and in life, you will cross paths with people like Buffalo Lou. People who bend every rule, push every boundary, and force you to operate at a level you didn't know you had. In this revisited e...

Shedlund Big Coat earned his nickname the moment he stepped into our operation wearing an oversized winter coat in one‑hundred‑degree July heat. In the American South, that kind of choice isn't just unusual — it's a signal that something in the picture doesn't line up. The transportation industry attracts every type of personality, and we take pride in giving people chances regardless of their bac...

When Joe first walked into my office, I saw exactly what he wanted me to see: a scruffy, rough‑around‑the‑edges biker type who looked like countless other hardworking drivers I had employed over the years. He presented himself as someone who knew the road, understood the job, and could be counted on to deliver. In those first conversations, Joe seemed competent, reliable, and straightforward. I ma...

Meth Addict Kenny was exactly what his nickname suggests—a man deep in the grip of addiction to crack cocaine and methamphetamines. When our organization recruited and hired Kenny, I'll admit something that goes against my usual approach: I was immediately judgmental. And unfortunately, my worst fears came true.

Randy was silent for the most part—hence the nickname that would stick with him. We never found out exactly what happened to his vocal cords, but based on the scars we could see, we could only imagine what that man had been through. His voice, when he did speak, was shallow and scratchy, making communication a challenge that most people didn't want to deal with. But here's what I learned that firs...

Meet Dynamite Don—a character who taught me one of life's most critical lessons: the power of being ADAPTABLE. He remains one of the most compelling figures I've ever known, a man whose significant mental health challenges coexisted with an unwavering loyalty and a deep sense of honor. The thing to understand about Dynamite Don is he got the nickname because he thought people were trying to blow u...

David Park was a person of considerable depth, a quality I came to appreciate only after getting to know him on a much more human level. Initially, my perception of David was shaped entirely by his reputation as a "problem driver" at the terminal where I worked. His personnel file was thick with several write-ups, and it was common knowledge that the dispatchers openly disliked him due to what the...

  Last time we talked about planning carefully, and how life will kick your door in no matter how good your plan is. Today we're going one step deeper. Because once you make your plan, you've got to actually pull the trigger. You've got to decide. And then you've got to own it. Rule 7. Make decisions, be accountable, and hold others accountable. Simple to say. Hard as hell to live.

Let me start with a truth that I've learned the hard way, over and over, for my entire career. Logistics is brutally complex. And so is life. Both of them will chew you up and spit you out if you walk in without a plan. That's Rule 6. Plan carefully. Because logistics and life itself are so complicated, so full of moving parts, that if you're not planning ahead you are already losing. And I don't...

We've covered a lot of ground so far. Communication. Empathy. Adaptability. Finding real value in your relationships. And today we get into one that's honestly the most personal one for me, because I've lived it, I've screwed it up, and I've fought my way back to it more than once. Rule 5. Take care of yourself mentally, take care of yourself physically, and never stop trying to improve yourself....

Last time, we broke down the value of the first four rules. Communication. Empathy. Adaptability. And finding value in your relationships. Today, I want to make those rules come alive. Because rules on a page are just words. Rules lived out on the road, with real people, with real messes and real breakthroughs, that's where the truth actually shows up. So today I'm going to tell you four stories....

Today we're talking about something that hits close to home for me and, honestly, close to your wallet. We're looking at the value of the first four rules. Communication. Empathy. Adaptability. And finding value in your relationships. These four rules have a direct line to how much money you make, because they all come back to one thing: relationships. Relationships can make you or break you in th...

Today we revisit the first 4 Rules from a different perspective and show how we can examine them more deeply for lasting impact. 

The trucking industry offers us a powerful lesson here. Professional truck drivers don't just hop in their rigs and hope for the best. They meticulously track every aspect of their journey: cargo status, fuel levels, route conditions, delivery schedules, and vehicle maintenance. Why? Because in trucking, losing track of even one element can result in delayed deliveries, damaged goods, financial pe...

Rule 6: Plan Carefully The Meaning (Improved & Shortened): Winging it might work for trivial choices, but meaningful goals demand intention. The world is too complex and unpredictable for success to hinge on luck alone. Careful planning provides clarity, direction, and resilience. It starts with defining your goal precisely, then breaking it into actionable steps, anticipating obstacles, and a...

Some of life’s most unshakable truths aren’t uncovered in the quiet aisles of a library, tucked inside philosophy books, or during carefully choreographed corporate team‑building retreats. They reveal themselves instead in high‑pressure, real‑world environments where every decision carries weight and every mistake has immediate, tangible consequences. Few arenas embody this reality more starkly th...