Jason Michels, CEO of Long Haul Trucking, headquartered in Albertville, Minnesota, began his journey with the company as an owner-operator in the late 1990s.
“I don’t pretend to have any street cred,” Michels said. “I was only an owner-operator for five years.”
One individual who embodies the true spirit of the open road is Gary Schloo, an owner-operator leased to LHT. When Michels first crossed paths with Schloo in West Virginia, loading cargo during one of Michels’ inaugural trips with the company, Schloo was already well into his third decade of long-haul trucking.
“I followed him back to Minnesota,” Michels said. “I probably learned as much on that run as any young owner-operator could ever be fortunate enough to learn.”
Michels, then a new truck driver, learned many things from Schloo.
“When you see all that revenue on your settlement, it’s not all yours,” Schloo told Michels. “You’re going to see some big checks coming your way, and don’t go blowing all that money.”
Schloo is renowned for his attention to detail, able to recite his overall cost-per-mile and break down expenses such as fuel, maintenance, and tires down to the cent. His dedication to record-keeping is evident in the day-minder books meticulously archived in his office and shop in Austin, Minnesota.
“I’ve got a calculator in the truck,” Schloo said. “Right now, I do things by the week. I can tell you last week, last month. I can grab one of my day minders, and I can tell you what I did 17 years ago for the same month. I’m kind of a nut about that. I guess I’m a numbers guy.”
Schloo, who purchased a two-acre property near his childhood home, has adhered to his own sage advice over the years, setting aside funds for unforeseen circumstances, taxes, equipment, and retirement. Now, at the age of 74, Schloo reflects fondly on his more than three decades of leasing to LHT.
“I’m financially well enough off to walk away if I want to and have been for the last 10 years, really,” he said.
Despite plans to retire at 66, 69, 70, 71, and 72, he’s still in the industry – and loving it.
“I wasn’t going to work this past winter, but God, there’s sometimes I just love it out here,” he said. “I like that self-employment check. I like the challenge of keeping the truck going.”
As a testament to his commitment and excellence in the industry, owner-operator Gary Schloo, nominated by Michels, has been named Overdrive’s Trucker of the Month for April. This places him in competition for the title of 2024 Trucker of the Year.
Source: Overdrive
Photo: Overdrive
