Built in the Midwest

Why This Former Marine Leader Started Over as an Apprentice

You want a stable career that pays well with room to grow — but with all the noise out there, it's hard to even know where to start. Johnny Rogers didn't have a map either. He left the Marine Corps at 28 and started over in the trades at the bottom. In this one we talk about the decision he made in a parking lot that set the next decade in motion, why he chose eight years in the Marines instead of four or twenty, and what it really feels like to go from being in charge to being the new guy who knows nothing. We get into the CDL he treated as a backup plan, the apprenticeship boot camp he showed up to with no training, and the advice he'd give his 18-year-old self about chasing goals too fast.Johnny Rogers is a Marine veteran, journeyman lineman, head wrestling coach in Escanaba, and a member of the National Guard. He started his trade career through Midwest Truck Driving School and a direct-entry line apprenticeship. 🔗 LINKS Listen wherever your get your podcasts: https://built-in-the-midwest.captivate.fm/listen [https://built-in-the-midwest.captivate.fm/listen] Midwest Truck Driving School: midwesttruckdrivingschool.com [midwesttruckdrivingschool.com ] North Country Heavy Equipment & Electrical Line School: https://ncheschool.com/ [https://ncheschool.com/] Submit your Questions: https://webforms.pipedrive.com/f/6WfGT9X1zlYC6WvssJqfWxOOkvVa1AjzqgnAIIHOq70WWiNo5czEWXpBMqxVTW7UST [https://webforms.pipedrive.com/f/6WfGT9X1zlYC6WvssJqfWxOOkvVa1AjzqgnAIIHOq70WWiNo5czEWXpBMqxVTW7UST ] 💬 CONNECT Email: marketing@midwesttruckdrivingschool.com [marketing@midwesttruckdrivingschool.com ] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CDLMidwest [https://www.facebook.com/CDLMidwest ] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/midwesttruckdrivingschool/ [https://www.instagram.com/midwesttruckdrivingschool/] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@midwesttruckdrivingskool [https://www.tiktok.com/@midwesttruckdrivingskool]

The Most Dangerous Job in America (That No One Wants)

He got his CDL nine years ago and went straight into one of the hardest, most dangerous corners of trucking there is. Kyle has hauled logs out of swamps, flipped a pup on its side, and trimmed loads with a chainsaw over his head — and he's still one of the youngest people left doing it. We sat down to talk about what the work actually takes, and why so few people his age are willing to do it. Kyle came through truck driving school nine years ago and has spent his career since in towing, logging, and over-the-road freight. He's seen the trade from inside the cab, on the loader, and out in the woods — and he doesn't sugarcoat any of it.

The Real Reason Trucking Companies Use Cameras

Josh Rouse came up through trucking, stepped away for a stretch, and got pulled back in by a buddy with an opening in operations. Two years on the board later, he moved into human resources and safety — and now handles the hiring, the safety tech, and the IT that ties it all together. A.M. Express is a locally owned, Escanaba-based carrier running vans, tankers, flatbeds, lowboys, and reefers across the lower 48, and it's one of the companies that comes into the school to recruit. Takeaways: * The use of technology in trucking, such as inward and outward facing cameras, enhances safety and accountability for drivers. * Having a clear long-term goal in the trucking industry can help prevent burnout and ensure career satisfaction. * Training programs can effectively turn new drivers into top performers, emphasizing the importance of learning on the job. * Cameras in trucks may seem intrusive, but they can protect drivers from unfair blame and improve their skills over time. * Opportunities for growth in the trucking industry are abundant, with various specializations available for drivers to explore, such as flatbed and tanker. * The trucking industry is a viable alternative to traditional college routes, offering potential earnings with minimal student debt. 🔗 LINKS Check out AM Express: https://amexpressinc.com/ [https://amexpressinc.com/] Listen wherever your get your podcasts: https://built-in-the-midwest.captivate.fm/listen [https://built-in-the-midwest.captivate.fm/listen] Midwest Truck Driving School: midwesttruckdrivingschool.com [midwesttruckdrivingschool.com ] North Country Heavy Equipment & Electrical Line School: https://ncheschool.com/ [https://ncheschool.com/] Submit your Questions: https://webforms.pipedrive.com/f/6WfGT9X1zlYC6WvssJqfWxOOkvVa1AjzqgnAIIHOq70WWiNo5czEWXpBMqxVTW7UST [https://webforms.pipedrive.com/f/6WfGT9X1zlYC6WvssJqfWxOOkvVa1AjzqgnAIIHOq70WWiNo5czEWXpBMqxVTW7UST ] 💬 CONNECT Email: marketing@midwesttruckdrivingschool.com [marketing@midwesttruckdrivingschool.com ] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CDLMidwest [https://www.facebook.com/CDLMidwest ] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/midwesttruckdrivingschool/ [https://www.instagram.com/midwesttruckdrivingschool/] * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@midwesttruckdrivingskool [https://www.tiktok.com/@midwesttruckdrivingskool]

Opportunity Doesn't Wait for the Perfect Time

This episode is for the kid being told he has one option. It's for the apprentice trying to figure out if going local is worth the pay cut. It's for the lineman wondering if the side hustle is real. Mike's career didn't follow a plan. It followed a series of decisions — and the ones that paid off weren't the ones anyone told him to make. WHAT WE GET INTO * The guidance counselor conversation that introduced him to the trades * Why he didn't finish line school — and why his teacher told him not to * What he made as an apprentice on the road vs. as a municipal lineman at home * The tree job at his parents' house that accidentally started a business * Why he walked away from the "gravy job" most lineman never leave * The advice rule he uses: "Be careful who you take advice from" ABOUT MIKE DOMBROWSKI Mike Dombrowski grew up around Jim's Music — his dad's store. He knew young he didn't want an office. He went from high school to CDL to line school to apprentice contracting work in Minnesota, came home as a municipal lineman, started a tree service on the side, and went full-time around 2021. He's also one of the founding members of the MTDS Lineman School. You may have seen some of his videos go viral on TikTok and Facebook. * https://www.tiktok.com/@dombrowskitreeservice * https://www.facebook.com/dombrowskitreeservice/ 🔗 LINKS Listen wherever your get your podcasts: https://built-in-the-midwest.captivate.fm/listen [https://built-in-the-midwest.captivate.fm/listen] Midwest Truck Driving School: midwesttruckdrivingschool.com [midwesttruckdrivingschool.com ] North Country Heavy Equipment & Electrical Line School: https://ncheschool.com/ [https://ncheschool.com/] Submit your Questions: https://webforms.pipedrive.com/f/6WfGT9X1zlYC6WvssJqfWxOOkvVa1AjzqgnAIIHOq70WWiNo5czEWXpBMqxVTW7UST [https://webforms.pipedrive.com/f/6WfGT9X1zlYC6WvssJqfWxOOkvVa1AjzqgnAIIHOq70WWiNo5czEWXpBMqxVTW7UST ] 💬 CONNECT Email: marketing@midwesttruckdrivingschool.com [marketing@midwesttruckdrivingschool.com ] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CDLMidwest [https://www.facebook.com/CDLMidwest ] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/midwesttruckdrivingschool/ [https://www.instagram.com/midwesttruckdrivingschool/] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@midwesttruckdrivingskool [https://www.tiktok.com/@midwesttruckdrivingskool]

The Invisible Barrier Every Trade Student Faces | BTS episode

> Quick heads up before you press play: we recorded this one inside a moving training truck during an active class day, so the audio gets scratchy in spots. We cleaned up what we could — some of it just is what it is when you record on the road. Bear with us. The conversation makes it worth it. THE PREVIEW > This one's a behind-the-scenes episode. No table, no studio, no script — just a mic in the cab and two students riding along on a real training day. > Both of them are in the middle of the course, and they came at it from completely different places in life. But somewhere around the middle of training, almost every student we've ever had hits the same wall — and almost nobody talks about it before they enroll. > Different ages. Different reasons. Different jobs on the other side of it. Same program. Same wall in the middle. Same way through. WHAT WE GET INTO * The wall almost every student hits around the middle of the course — and why Josh says it's a good sign, not a bad one * The night Nate had to "get the stress out" — and the gear that put him there * The job Jason interviewed well for and still didn't get — for one reason he couldn't argue with * Whether eight hours a day in a truck feels like a grind or a normal day once you're a few weeks in * A live look at something most schools never show you: reading a truck stop before you commit to pulling in TIMESTAMPS > 00:00 — Why this one sounds different 01:20 — The wall every student hits — and why Josh says it's a good sign 02:20 — Meet Nate 03:46 — The moment trucking got its hooks in him 06:06 — Why right now might be the best window Josh has seen to get in 06:48 — The night Nate had to "get the stress out" — and the gear that put him there 08:37 — A live look at the kind of detail nobody shows you on a brochure 10:35 — Driver switch — meet Jason 13:12 — Where 16 years in this industry can take you 15:10 — Does eight hours a day feel like a lot? Jason answers honestly 18:31 — The job Jason didn't get — and the advice that came out of it 22:16 — Where this drive was actually headed 23:21 — Signing off from the side of the highway 🔗 LINKS Listen wherever your get your podcasts: https://built-in-the-midwest.captivate.fm/listen [https://built-in-the-midwest.captivate.fm/listen] Midwest Truck Driving School: midwesttruckdrivingschool.com [midwesttruckdrivingschool.com ] North Country Heavy Equipment & Electrical Line School: https://ncheschool.com/ [https://ncheschool.com/] Submit your Questions: https://webforms.pipedrive.com/f/6WfGT9X1zlYC6WvssJqfWxOOkvVa1AjzqgnAIIHOq70WWiNo5czEWXpBMqxVTW7UST [https://webforms.pipedrive.com/f/6WfGT9X1zlYC6WvssJqfWxOOkvVa1AjzqgnAIIHOq70WWiNo5czEWXpBMqxVTW7UST ] 💬 CONNECT Email: marketing@midwesttruckdrivingschool.com [marketing@midwesttruckdrivingschool.com ] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CDLMidwest [https://www.facebook.com/CDLMidwest ] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/midwesttruckdrivingschool/ [https://www.instagram.com/midwesttruckdrivingschool/] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@midwesttruckdrivingskool [https://www.tiktok.com/@midwesttruckdrivingskool]