Mile Marker 62 – JJ Owen on Closing the Connection Gap with Gen Z and Skilled Trades

Mile Marker 62 – JJ Owen on Closing the Connection Gap with Gen Z and Skilled Trades

We sit down with JJ Owen, Executive Director of Skills Jam, a non-profit built to reach Gen Z where they already are and show them what a reaal career in the trades looks like. JJ spent seven years inside a major foundation from 2011 to 2017, learning what storytelling can do when it comes to galvanizing a community, changing hearts and minds, and reframing the trades as a first-choice career, not a fallback. JJ walks us through why he sees the labor gap as much as a connection gap as anything else, how Skills Jam builds trust with 14-to-29-year-olds through TikTok and YouTube, and what that trust looks like when it converts into actual apprenticeship signups, like the Colorado welder who landed five recruiter interviews inside 48 hours. We get into real-world examples of how showing up in middle schools, donating tools, hosting field trips, and posting raw day-in-the-life content online work together to make the trades "Plan A" for the next generation. We also dig into the parent side of the funnel: why the supportive relationships at home matter, why griping about work in front of kids cuts both ways, and why the 16- or 17-year-old who graduates high school with 2,000 hours of welding under their belt and a six-figure job offer is the best marketing the trades will ever get. JJ discusses: - His path from the foundation world into Skills Jam and what he learned about using storytelling to reframe a generation's perception of the trades - Why "skill based hiring," text recruiting, and easy landing pages beat email and resume requirements when you are trying to reach Gen Z - How Skills Jam's content engine on TikTok and YouTube turns casual scrollers into actual applicants, with a real example of how one ad led to interviews in under 48 hours - The mechanics of closing the connection gap: showing up in real life and reinforcing it online, not one or the other - The parent, mentor, and family role in framing trades as a primary career choice instead of "Plan C" - High-school registered apprenticeship programs, community college dual credit, and how those pathways reposition the trades on a level playing field with a four-year degree - How accelerating earning years can swing a half-million to a full million dollars in the first five years of a career compared to the cost of a five-year degree - Where Skills Jam is going next: rebuilding trust, normalizing "the work," and showing, not telling, what life in the trades really looks like This episode is a look at a generation gap that is really a connection gap, and what it takes to close it with a 14-year-old's attention span in mind. JJ makes the case that the trades are not Plan C: they are a primary career path, and the next generation will only believe that when we show up in real life and back it up online. What's next? Tune in weekly for new episodes! Visit the Mack Shop to use your discount code: https://mackshop.com/ [https://mackshop.com/] Book a virtual truck tour! https://www.macktrucks.com/live-tour/ [https://www.macktrucks.com/live-tour/]

Mile Marker 61 – Tony O'Connell on Road Trains, Extreme Trucking, and Mack in Australia

We sit down with Tony O'Connell, vice president of sales and marketing for Mack Trucks Australia, to go behind the scenes of what makes the Australian market fundamentally different from North America, from right-hand-drive manufacturing to road trains, tipper and dog configurations, and the MP11 platform pushing 780 horsepower. Tony shares his day-to-day leading the Australian Mack business, explains how the Wacol plant in Brisbane assembles both Mack and Volvo trucks in the same facility, and walks us through the rugged demands of operating in the outback where 360-tonne (~397 ton) mining combinations run at 90 km/h (~56 mph) in 45°C (113°F) heat. Tony discusses: - How Mack Trucks Australia is structured, including the Wacol plant's right-hand-drive production, local engineering and purchasing, and a dealer network that is 60 percent company-owned and 40 percent long-term private partners - The unique road, rail, and trailer configurations Down Under, from 26-meter B-double bubble combinations for east coast freight to multi-trailer road trains and 60-meter super quads for remote mining applications - How customers actually decide between road and rail, why most freight in Australia moves by truck - The current Mack Australia lineup, including the Anthem, Trident, and Superliner, why the new-look Superliner is winning over Kenworth customers, and the path to 10 percent overall market share by 2030 This episode is a look at how a global brand adapts to a vastly different landscape, and why the same engineering and customer focus that defines Mack in North America translates just as well to highways, mine sites, and outback roads in Australia. What's next? Tune in weekly for new episodes! Visit the Mack Shop to use your discount code: https://mackshop.com/ [https://mackshop.com/] Book a virtual truck tour! https://www.macktrucks.com/live-tour/ [https://www.macktrucks.com/live-tour/]

Mile Marker 60 – Tom Bryant on NASCAR Operations, Logistics, and Mack Pioneers

We sit down with Tom Bryant, vice president of racing operations with NASCAR, to go behind the scenes of what it takes to deliver a race weekend. From security and medical support to credentialing, rule enforcement, transportation, catering, and broadcast coordination, Tom explains the massive operation that fans rarely see but every race depends on. Tom shares how 21 years in the U.S. Army, including time in the special operations community, shaped his leadership style and prepared him for the pace, pressure, and complexity of NASCAR. He explains how racing operations works across 38 race weekends, why communication and empowered teams matter, and how NASCAR plans for everything from cross-country hauler movements to race-day contingencies when the yellow flag flies. Tom discusses: -How his Army career translated into NASCAR leadership, including mission clarity, developing leaders, and giving talented people the resources to execute -What racing operations actually covers, from event security and driver medical support to credentials, governance, rulebooks, timing, scoring, and post-race inspection -The logistics behind moving NASCAR across the country, including 17 Mack trucks, Featherlite trailers, 90-day movement planning, maintenance coordination, and no-fail delivery to each track -How Mack Pioneers support the operation, with drivers praising the ride quality, visibility, comfort, safety technology, and dependability needed for a demanding race schedule This episode is a look at the planning, precision, and teamwork behind every green flag. Tom shows that NASCAR is not just about what happens on the track. It is also about the people, trucks, systems, and leadership that make the race possible. What’s next? Tune in weekly for new episodes! Visit the Mack Shop to use your discount code: https://mackshop.com/ [https://mackshop.com/] Book a virtual truck tour! https://www.macktrucks.com/live-tour/ [https://www.macktrucks.com/live-tour/]

Mile Marker 59 – Adam Knight on Diecast Trucks, Collectibles, and Building a Brand in Miniature

We sit down with Adam Knight, vice president of sales and marketing at First Gear Inc., to explore how detailed diecast trucks go from full-size CAD data to collectible models that capture the identity, history, and personality of a brand. Adam shares how he grew up around the family business, pursued a career in art and animation, then returned to First Gear and gradually took on responsibilities across design, production, sales, licensing, and product development. He also reflects on First Gear’s relationship with Mack Trucks, which stretches back more than 30 years and includes everything from vintage models to replicas of Mack’s newest vehicles. Adam discusses: -How First Gear transforms real truck data into scaled models, including design adjustments, 3D printing, metal casting, painting, assembly, and packaging -Why authenticity matters, from matching fleet specifications and paint schemes to recreating graphics, chrome details, engines, sleepers, and equipment configurations -How companies use custom diecast models for employee gifts, safety awards, trade shows, product demonstrations, anniversaries, and customer promotions -What makes a model collectible, including limited production runs, serialized editions, special packaging, certificates, pins, family stories, and hard-to-find private releases This episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at the craftsmanship, engineering, and storytelling packed into every model, and why these miniature trucks can carry just as much pride and emotion as the real machines they represent.   What’s next? Tune in weekly for new episodes! Visit the Mack Shop to use your discount code: https://mackshop.com/ [https://mackshop.com/] Book a virtual truck tour! https://www.macktrucks.com/live-tour/ [https://www.macktrucks.com/live-tour/]

Mile Marker 58 – Mr. Trashman on Building a Dumpster Business and the Power of Relationships

In this episode, we sit down with Averell Laird, better known as Mr. TrashMan, owner of Mr. TrashMan Dumpster Rental in the Houston area, along with "MackDaddy Mike" Sandifer from Vanguard Truck Centers. This conversation is all about business, hustle, and what happens when the right relationship turns a big dream into real equipment on the street. Mr. TrashMan shares how he started in 2021 with a trailer and two dumpsters, worked one dumpster while renting the others, then reinvested everything to scale up. He explains the grind behind running a 24-hour operation, how marketing and word of mouth keep the phone ringing, and how his trucks became rolling billboards that helped push his brand to the next level. We also hear the other side of the story from MackDaddy Mike, who breaks down what it means to sell more than a truck. He sells the relationship and the follow-through after the sale, helping customers stay on the road because downtime costs real money. Together, they show how trust, consistency, and taking the leap are at the center of the American dream.   Mr. TrashMan and MackDaddy Mike discuss:     •    Starting from scratch with a trailer and two dumpsters, then building momentum by reinvesting, improvising equipment, and staying relentless through the early grind     •    How brand and visibility drive growth, including building “Black Knight” and “Pinky” as attention-grabbing trucks that generate calls, referrals, and credibility     •    What a great dealer relationship looks like, from spec’ing the right truck for heavier work to service support after the sale and solving problems fast when issues happen     •    The mindset behind the American dream, including building the right team, refusing to quit, and being willing to take smart risks to level up What’s next? Tune in weekly for new episodes! Visit the Mack Shop to use your discount code: https://mackshop.com/ [https://mackshop.com/] Book a virtual truck tour! https://www.macktrucks.com/live-tour/ [https://www.macktrucks.com/live-tour/]