Turning Pain Into Power with Monica Byers

Dionne Malush sits down with eight-figure entrepreneur, trucking industry strategist, and Mother Trucker CEO Monica Byers for a raw conversation about resilience, leadership, and building a multi-company ecosystem from the ground up. With more than thirty years in the trenches, Monica has rebuilt engines, navigated brutal cash-flow swings, scaled ninety-plus trucks, and transformed nearly every hard-earned lesson into systems, solutions, and revenue streams.

This episode goes far beyond trucking. It is about wealth building, surviving adversity, leading in a male-dominated industry, and becoming the person capable of carrying a big vision. If you are building something of your own, facing obstacles, or searching for the mindset required to keep going, this conversation will meet you exactly where you are.

Connect with Monica here:

Website: https://www.mothertrucker.life/

https://sugarcreektransportation.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Monica.byers

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/monica.byers.333/

Chapters

• 0:02 Monica Byers And Sugar Creek
• 0:27 Survival To Strategy
• 1:32 Lifelong Learning And Teaching
• 3:23 Origin Story Of Sugar Creek
• 5:49 Adversity As A Constant
• 5:49 Creating Mother Trucker
• 7:26 Leading In A Male-Dominated Industry
• 9:55 What Sugar Creek And Mother Trucker Do
• 11:33 Culture, Drivers, And Customer Focus
• 12:47 Scaling To A 24/7 Fleet
• 14:25 Divorce, Loss, And Starting Over
• 16:29 Mindset, Optimism, And Lawsuits
• 18:25 Redefining Success And Boundaries
• 20:40 Her Entrepreneur Dad’s Influence
• 22:05 The Hidden Costs Of Trucking
• 25:03 Passion, Grandkids, And Freedom
• 27:00 Never Give Up: Core Lesson
• 27:48 Growth Plans And Where To Find Monica
• 33:42 Closing Gratitude

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:02

Some entrepreneurs build companies. A rare few build movements. Today's guest, Monica Byers, is one of those rare few. She's an eight-figure entrepreneur, trucking industry strategist, and the powerhouse CEO behind the entire Sugar Creek family of companies. Sugar Creek Transportation, Sugar Creek Enterprises, Sugar Creek Logistics, and the fast-growing lifestyle and tech brand Mother Trucker, which is one of my favorite, favorite names of all trucking companies. But Monica's story isn't just about success, it's about survival, strategy, and stepping into leadership long before she ever felt ready. With more than 30 years in the trenches, scaling fleets, rebuilding engines, navigating brutal cash flow swings, and building truck parking real estate. Monica has lived every problem most entrepreneurs only read about. And she figured out how to turn each one into a system, a solution, or a revenue stream. Today, she oversees 90 plus unit fleets, 90 multi-million dollar yards, an emerging trucking as a service investor model, and a brand that's quickly becoming a cultural force mother trucker. It's not just a merch, it's leadership, lifestyle, education, and empowerment wrapped into one. What I love most about Monica is this she's honest, she's raw, she's real. She talks about the weeks when cash flow went negative, the nights she rebuilt engines, the pressure most people would buckle under, and she talks about how she turned all of it into growth. She's a grandmother, which you can't even believe, a dog lover, and a natural-born operator with heart and grip baked into everything she does. And she's redefining what leadership looks like in a male-dominated industry. Today we're not just talking trucking, we're talking wealth building, resilience, strategy, and the mindset it takes to turn one truck into a multi-million dollar ecosystem. This is gonna be a good one. Monica, I am so glad to see you. It's been so long, and I miss you, and I miss talking to you. So I am so excited you're here today.

SPEAKER_01: 1:49

I am excited to be like, oh my gosh, I can't talk to you soon enough. It's been, like you said, so long since I've seen you in person, and I'm so happy for social media, so we can connect there. But sure, I miss you. I'm I I miss you do to schedule something together for sure.

SPEAKER_00: 2:04

And even if we fly halfway and meet in the middle, that would be amazing. That would be like that. We need to make a plan. And do it. So what is one thing you want people to know about you beyond the business?

SPEAKER_01: 2:17

Beyond the business, gosh, as an entrepreneur, don't all of us have nothing beyond our business.

SPEAKER_00: 2:23

I don't know, I don't have much. Too short.

SPEAKER_01: 2:27

We live, oh my gosh, I'd say beyond the business, you know, beyond the the business itself, I am like the person who how do you say it? Like I I never stop trying to learn, I guess is probably it. Oh, but she's a learner. Like we're connected. Forever learn. For sure, I'd say that's it. Like I it's that's the most important thing in life is to forever learn, you know, because things are always changing. And I think it's important to know that you don't know everything.

SPEAKER_00: 2:54

Yeah, it's what we can teach what we learn, right? I I learn so I can teach, and I think that's really a great place to be in in my life, and I'm sure that you feel the same. The more people we can help, the better, right? And it's just betters our surroundings, it betters like them and helps them and their, you know, their journey. So I love that about you. And you know, myself, I don't really have a lot of things beyond the business. I do love working like you. So even though it's stressful. So, how did you get started in trucking and what kept you in it for 30 years?

SPEAKER_01: 3:23

Well, I got started in trucking uh years ago when I was married back in 2012, is when I started, actually 2011 is when I started Sugar Creek. But prior to that, I was doing sales back in the early 90s for uh it's called an NVOC. It's a company where all the containers go into and they break bulk them out and then ship them to various customers. So that's where I started back in in the early day, and then was married, segued into being a broker, and we needed a good carrier, and we didn't know of any. So I was like, well, let me just start Sugar Creek, and there we are.

SPEAKER_00: 4:00

Yeah. So did you have some adversity along the way? Because I think I remember us having some conversations about along the way.

SPEAKER_01: 4:07

Wait, continuously, not along the way. Well, I guess it's the same thing. It's like continuous adversity constantly, 100% of the time, all in. That's it.

SPEAKER_00: 4:19

It just it's the way it is, right? Is our life, it's just constantly a roadbuster riding. Yeah, well, I don't know if I could survive the other way. I just don't know if I'm built to not have adversity.

SPEAKER_01: 4:30

I feel like it it that seems to be it with being an entrepreneur, you know. And I I was talking with somebody this morning about he was talking to someone about, you know, being a woman in in the construction field, and and you know, he was surprised at how well she was doing and then had talked to me about it. I'm like, shh, you know, like it doesn't matter if you're a male or female, it's just whether you've got the guts to be able to do it. But, you know, adversity is something that comes with the territory. And I've got stories for days, and like you said earlier, I have learned things the hard way so many times, time and time and time again, and things that happen to me, I know they say for you, but I feel like every time I go through some horrible gut-wrenching thing, I have to use that experience to help somebody. And it's like, okay, I'm learning this because I have to now teach it to somebody who doesn't know how to maneuver their way through it, you know. So it's like, okay, I guess that's just part of my life.

SPEAKER_00: 5:29

Yeah, I feel like I'm talking to myself. And yes, you know, so if I feel the same, like I go through all this and people don't only know parts of it, right? You go through all of these things so that we can better equip someone else to go through it easier. And yeah, yeah, so it's a lot, but was there a specific moment that sparked the creation of Mother Trucker and your Sugar Creek ecosystem? Is there something that happened in your light that really sparked that?

SPEAKER_01: 5:52

I think, yeah, for me, it was one of those wake up in the middle of the night with Sugar Creek when I had it underway. And I was like, Mother Trucker. I I mean, it just kind of fell off, you know, the brain and onto a piece of paper. Like I try to remember things when I wake up in the middle of the night, but this was one where I couldn't stop writing about it that night. And I it was like, you've got to start this, you've gotta, you know, get a website, you've got to help trucking companies and truckers and where your weak points are or where everyone's weak points are, everybody gets shut down over it, everybody has issues over it. And it's just interesting how that has helped other people with this. And plus, of course, I have the merchandise and I've got other dreams to do other things, you know. But I'm only one person and it's difficult to do all of it. But, you know, really it was I I swear, it's like the story we heard about God coming down and saying, You will do this, you know. So it's like, okay, I like this mother trekker, it is then, you know.

SPEAKER_00: 6:57

That you were able to do that.

unknown: 6:59

How could that happen? Right.

SPEAKER_00: 7:01

We've put people names like close to that a lot in our lives. Right. So it was really cool. After people see this, they're gonna want one too. So you've definitely lived through the hard side of this industry, and it's not easy. I can't believe I mean it's it's definitely m male dominated, and you've you've done things that people probably can't even believe. But what's a challenge that maybe you face that shaped the leader that you are today? Any challenge? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 7:32

Um You know what? I'll say this. Back in the day, you know, being a woman is not normal in trucking. You know, there's a lot of people that own trucking companies that are women. And even back in the day when I started it, it it was, you know, where I was kind of an anomaly. And and even when I was younger, I wanted to do something that I was told not to. I I wanted to be an airline pilot and I had went to join the Air Force. And men are like, no, guess what? You're approved. Hey, you scored the highest score on the what is it called? Ask Bab test or something like that. And and um, yay, so we're gonna put you in to be a nurse. I'm like, uh no, blood is not my thing. So, you know, it's like back in the 80s, the women didn't fly planes, you know, for the military, and no matter what, Navy, Air Force, now I'm at so far.

SPEAKER_00: 8:20

No matter what now I can't stop watching those little those reels on on TikTok of the Navy, the women that are well, I know there's a lot.

SPEAKER_01: 8:29

Yeah, yeah, there's a lot now. It's great. So but yeah, so then I kind of segued into you know, trucking and you know, same thing. It's like being a pilot's not normal for women, and neither is owning a trucking company, but I kind of just fell right into it. And something about this industry, it's like once you get in, you can never leave, you know. It's it's that like fascinating because there's always so many things that can go right or wrong. And, you know, it feels good to be able to deliver. I've got a lot of big box, you know, businesses and that are customers, and it's nice to be able to deliver freight for things that I know, you know, like like this week we're we are at the beginning of peak season and it's we're super busy and we're helping people get their products delivered from FedEx to UPS. And we have, you know, Chewy and Home Depot and the post office and like everything that you can think of. And, you know, we're delivering freight to be on people's shelves so that they can buy stuff for Christmas. So that part's fun.

SPEAKER_00: 9:28

Yeah, I don't know what this country would do without the trucking industry. It's just it's so important. And every time it comes up that something's gonna shift that, you know, I I think about it and I think about you and what you're doing there and how hard it is when, you know, they're like they're gonna shut down the truckers. No, no, we can't. We can't shut them down. It just can't happen. We can't, we can't survive. Like we gotta think about all of that. So for people that aren't in the industry, so tell them exactly what Sugar Creek and Mother Trucker actually do.

SPEAKER_01: 9:55

Yeah, so you know, Mother Trucker is really what I've started to help um trucking companies and carriers to be able to hire um their own truck drivers through an app that we designed. So that's that's the mother trucker side to help carriers. And then of course on the Sugar Creek side, that's my trucking company where I am, like I mentioned earlier, hauling freight for for for big box customers. So I just do dry van, it's like the lowest paid of all the dry van freight, but yet, you know, it's super consistent and it's easy. And and so we just drop trailers at these shippers, they, you know, load up the trailers and then we pick it up and deliver.

SPEAKER_00: 10:29

So what makes your company, both of your companies, different from everyone else on the road?

SPEAKER_01: 10:33

Well, for one. For one, I'm in it, but for another, you know, it's like I'm like super focused on on making sure that you know we're customer focused. You know, it's it's that's more important than anything. And also I treat my truck drivers like they're my customers. And I don't think that a lot of trucking companies do that. So I I feel like that is the edge because the people that are here, they feel like they belong, you know, and they're not just a number. A lot of the bigger, big, big, huge thousands of truck guys, they're they're just a number. And and you know, if they don't do what they're asked to do, then next, there's another one, you know. So that's something I I'd really kind of really enjoy is being able to communicate with our truckers. As a matter of fact, one of mine came in that started with me. He was truck number seven. He literally just left about 10 minutes ago and just brought up all these memories of all the fun things that that we've done over the years and dangerous things that he almost died, you know, over him going. He was like, please call my wife and my daughter and tell them I love them. He got caught up in the snow and his trail going down the hill birds, you know. He's he's headed this way and he's coming down. So it was those years ago, but yeah, it's it's been a lot.

SPEAKER_00: 11:46

It's been fun. So you have 90, is it correct, 90 trucks that you have out on the road? Yeah. 90 drivers.

SPEAKER_01: 11:54

That's we yeah, we're 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We did have most of Thanksgiving Day off this year, so that was good. Most of the like Christmas days and holidays, they we pick up at maybe 10 or 11 o'clock at night for certain customers. And so, you know, we're definitely 24-7. So I've got a team of people that are available literally 24-7. So it makes it easier to handle 90 trucks because I can't do it all by myself, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_00: 12:22

Yeah, for sure. So let's talk a little bit on the personal side. So you've had some personal adversity, and you know, you were married a long time ago, right? And did you work your business together?

SPEAKER_01: 12:33

We did a prior company that was the the brokerage that I had owned 5050 with my ex-husband. I know you know that. And um, so I that's where we started. Uh, I started Sugar Creek. So, and it was really a beautiful thing that his name wasn't on it because it was the only thing that I got to keep. And, you know, so I was like, okay, well, I may just build this up going from, you know, going through my city riverside's longest known divorce, which is me, and uh going through, you know, not getting child support or alimony and receiving 32 cent checks that were supposed to be 50% of the profit of the business, which used to earn thousands a month to 32 cents. So he seriously sent checks out for 32 cents? He would send them out. Yeah, the stamp cost more than the than that, you know. And and I mean really how do you describe that? How how do you push through that? It was terrible. And and you know, my daughter, my youngest daughter, Madison, she um she, you know, she was in high school. She was 14 when we split up. She just turned 14. And um, you know, how do you pay for anything? So um I was court-ordered not to take anything from my company because he was supposed to pay me from our company, and um, and that's what I got. So, you know, he at one point called me into court because I was a terrible mother because he heard my daughter was living without electricity and water. It's like, uh-huh, you know. I mean, what are you thinking? Supposed to do that. So, yeah, it was interesting too how the government didn't help me either because they thought I should sell my house before they would give me any public assistance, you know, after paying thousands of dollars, hundreds of thousands into taxes. And it's like, okay, you know, I learned a lot through that experience, that's for sure. And I've definitely helped a lot of people through that too. But you know, at one point I was like, how do I get rid of this guy so I can move on with my life and get rid of that negative stuff? And you know, so here I am.

SPEAKER_00: 14:29

Yeah. So I mean, mindset if you if you didn't have a positive mindset through something like that. I mean, our listeners need to know that we all go through things, right? It just bouncing back and building on top of that. That is so amazing. And so tell me a little bit about like mindset and how how did you deal with that huge negative experience to then turn it around like you have today?

SPEAKER_01: 14:53

Yeah, you know what? And I I it was it was miserable, you know. Uh it really was. And I I just thought, you know, gosh, I could understand why men take their lives, why men really struggle with, you know, the the hard part of going through that. And I'm picking on men because I always saw them as the ones that couldn't get you through a whole lot of normal functioning things that women could get through. And, you know, it made me see very, very clearly what I was incapable of doing because I was always focused on, I gotta go to court, I gotta talk to this attorney, I gotta go here, I have to prove this, I have to provide a bunch of documents and like all the stuff that took me away from trying to just earn a living. Not that he paid me anything. So it's like, how how could I just do what I could do to earn a living? And I was just always sucked into this negative, you know, thing here. But you know, after that, I just kind of, I don't know, kept on going and and thought that the briar side of things would, I mean, it was terrible. It was terrifying. It was, I have almost been unalived a couple times. Like it was terrible. And I'll just say, like, my daughters kept me through this, my business, my people who work for me, you know, they knew that they needed their boss. My kids needed their mother. And so I just did everything in my power to be able to, you know, keep moving forward so that, you know, I I don't know. I I think my dad was this way too. It was, um, my sister used to call it he he was optimistic to a fault. Like, I see the greatest things in life when the worst things are happening to me. And and I think, you know, that was something too that I kind of just went through. And it's like maybe I just inherited that from him to where it's like, okay, yeah, well, this is really terrible, but this is happening and this is happening, and and that's kind of the way that you have to look at things, like forget the negative stuff. That's all terrible trash, you know. It's the positive. I mean, being sued, like you know, as an entrepreneur that you've made it when people sue you, you know?

SPEAKER_00: 16:51

I guess I made it because we get sued, it seems like every other week. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 16:54

Same. Same. And it's like, okay, well, next, you know, like, oh, like they're like, oh, we're serving you, and you have these documents, and you're like, okay, cool. And you just set it down and go on with your day. Back in the day, it was you were terrified, you know?

SPEAKER_00: 17:08

And now it's like, okay, stand in line, right? I mean, that's what it is. I mean, here's always a way a couple things. I always look at things like there's always light in the darkness. So if you're going through something that's bigger than yourself right now, there is a light in the end of it. And also, this one always hits me. What if you just burned the boats and think you had no other choice? And that's what happened to you. It's kind of like the birds, but the boats were burned around you, right? If we had no choice, get out of it. When with that happens, it's those of us that are entrepreneurial that seem to pick up the pieces and keep moving. Trust me, I'm with you. Like, I feel there's days that I felt like, oh my gosh, I don't even know what I'm doing here anymore. Like I am so tired mentally, physically, emotionally. But you know what? Every day I get up and I still try to start it on a positive note. But then the phone rings or the text message comes or the email gets there. You know, it's to the point some days I wish we didn't have phones anymore, like I can't stand up, you know. But I do realize that there's so much good in this world still, even through all of this. And I think you do too. That's why obviously you take after your dad, and you know, I've been through a lot like you, and we're we still pick up the pieces, and but the the alternative just doesn't sound fun to me, letting it all go, right? I just don't completely yeah. So how do you define success now versus when maybe 15 years ago? What does it look like?

SPEAKER_01: 18:30

Well, as I'm older, success is I get to wake up each day. Wake up and my God wants still here, so all right, you know. But um, no, I think like you had just mentioned, you know, I I know people that live and die by the calendar, and I and I know them and you know them. And I'm I can't, you know, like it seems to be that I have my list, you know, like you have the power list and you can do all of that. And and as long as you accomplish two out of five or three out of five, you know, you're you're doing great. But a lot of people are like, five out of five, or you're a loser, put an L on that for the day. And it's like, I'm sorry, but in I and you made it sound like you were dealing with the same thing. It's like there's always a fire that has to be put out. There's an emergency, the highway patrol's on the phone, the DOT's on the phone, some government something, there's a person who shows up because a neighbor complained, like whatever it is, and you do have to just go, this is part of being a business owner. And I was just telling someone just over the weekend that every day I have all of these this list of things to do, and some days I don't even I can't even get to it because you're in here, and it's almost like you're being selfless by helping other people and helping them get the the things done that they need to get done. But on the flip side, you know, you're also hurting yourself because you're not getting the things that will move your needle forward, you know? So I kind of learned to shut my door and I'm also not that person. Like, you know, just now I'm like, all right, guys, I shut the door, please. You know, I'm gonna be on a podcast. And I can hear them while we're talking. And I'm like, okay, as soon as I get off the phone, I've got to do all or off this thing, I've got to do all these things. But still, that's not at my core, the things that I need to get done, but it also is things that helps them, which also in turn will help me. So I don't know.

SPEAKER_00: 20:23

It's just it's been around a lot too. And juggling. Yeah, it's juggling such a and I I don't know if I said this the other day on a post on social media, but I finally realized about three weeks ago that I'm never gonna get everything done in my lifetime. And I'm thought that's deep. It's because I never run out of things to do. Because I always keep more and I keep learning more and I want to be more. So if we're if we are that person, our life may end and we may not get it all done.

SPEAKER_01: 20:47

And that's I'm fine with that because I know people that retire and uh they have really no agenda or anything like that. I know people that I went to high school with, they're like, Oh, I'm retired, you know. Like, what do you do all day? You know, hang around. I don't know. I I just feel like I've got too many things to do to accomplish in life, and I'm I'm uber competitive, and I know you are too. And, you know, that's part of it. And and that's like I'm not ready to give up and and go down that. And and literally on my dad's dying last breaths, he was like, Oh, I've got to go see a client tomorrow, you know. And I'm like, oh my god, you know, like I think I'm gonna be that guy, right? For sure. I've got stuff to do.

SPEAKER_00: 21:31

So wild.

SPEAKER_01: 21:32

And what did your dad do? My dad, he was an entrepreneur that he did so many things in his lifetime. And when I was a kid, uh he owned a uh chain of video stores up in the Seattle area, that's where I grew up, and they were VHS tapes and beta tapes. If you know anybody remembers those. He did those and he had laserdisc players in these movie stores, and he did that, and then he he put the videos inside the grocery stores up there, and somehow he had all that concept, but he he was never a blockbuster or a red box, you know. But it was back in the eight seventies and eighties that he he did that, and then he had an ostrich farm and he bought and sold gold and ostrich farm, yes, yeah. I've heard of that, everything, and then you know that he thought that they'd make money on, you know, selling the leather, like they ate every bit of it and used every bit of it, you know, as a product, and so that was something that he did. And uh towards the end of his life, he was a um what do you call that? He got uh approved on the SEC so that he could um do exchanges, and then I I guess in Washington they changed the law, so he was just doing living trusts and things for people in the end.

SPEAKER_00: 22:48

Wow, he's very versatile.

SPEAKER_01: 22:49

He's trying to I know I forgot stuff, but I mean that that was the highlight for me when I was a kid seeing these things that he did. You know, he did everything. It was here you are a forever entrepreneur, just like yeah, he used to take me up to you know, Canada and all these places where his clients were, and you know, just being a little kid, you know, I he used to take me with him everywhere. I just think that was fascinating. Like, who's this guy? You know, my dad's meeting with this guy that's gonna help us, you know, get things going a little bit further. So it was kind of fun to watch that as a kid. Maybe that's where I got it from.

SPEAKER_00: 23:25

I think it's kind of cool because I I don't know if that happens a lot in today's world. There's so much going on that parents and kids, like I don't have kids, so I really can't be a judge of people, and I'm not trying to be, but I'm saying that I don't see a lot of that, you know, what you're talking about and that intimacy, right? It's the cell phone with kids having cell phones at you know, five years old, and you know, all these things that that you do and you just don't pay attention as much. And there's because our attention is pulled by 2,000 different directions every single day. It's it's a difficult space to be in, I guess as a parent, I would not love this. I love being I love being little and my mom being there. And it was really cool, you know, growing up like that. And I look at it now and I see there's just people have to work. There's so much, you know, because you have you have three or four kids, you're gonna have thousands of dollars a month and things you have to do with the kids. So it's just so different. Life is so crazy. Yeah. But I have a question for you. So, what is one challenge in your business that would shock people who have never worked in trucking?

SPEAKER_01: 24:25

I would say, gosh, there's too many challenges. There's not just one challenge. I would just say, because most when people really truly don't know anything about trucking, something that's that would be up there, let me just say, is when there's uh a breakdown, right? So it's not too tragic. I'll just talk about a breakdown. You know, when you're getting your your product, let's say groceries, from, you know, uh a whole truckload of groceries from point A to point B, and you have a breakdown, and you know, like you like you have a certain amount of money that you have set aside for breakdowns. Well, when you have breakdown after breakdown after breakdown, you know, your money dries up. And so you have to be very resourceful when it comes to trucking because those grocery stores are reliant on your service. And if you have a breakdown and you have to pay to tow a truck back, you know, that's thousands of dollars just to get somebody to pick up their their the whole truck and trailer and bring it back and then repower it with someone else. And then there's hours so they can only drive for so long. And you know, all of that is is really difficult and it's hard to really explain that to the average person. Like they, you know, you just go and pick your stuff up off the shelf. You don't understand, you know, what it took to get there and how much money it really costs for a trucking company or a truck driver to get there. If they, you know, I had last week a transmission went out, you know, it's 5,500 bucks. Uh, you gotta replace a clutch, that's about 3,500 bucks. Um, you've got to replace a motor, that's 30 or 40,000. To do an in-frame, it's 15 to 20,000. It's not none of this is cheap. Even I've had tires that have cost me a thousand dollars to get them delivered out in the middle of nowhere, you know.

SPEAKER_00: 26:17

Um, so I mean, like, but I guess when they're they break down in the middle of nowhere, then all of a sudden, thank goodness we have cell phones. So you really don't think of that when you are grabbing the things off the shelves or when your Amazon package is late and you're freaking out at Amazon because they're well, what happened from point A to point B? They have no idea. Because that behind the scenes, we never know, right? Right.

SPEAKER_01: 26:41

So I I think I learned back in the day too, the word the words fail faster. That's kind of what what I really have adapted to a lot. It's like, what, you know, you're out like I run a lot a lane from Southern California to Arizona, and there is a dead area, like you said, and that's almost always where stuff happens, is in the dead area where someone has to drive a hundred miles just to go help you and then find out they don't have the part and they gotta drive a hundred miles back, and that's all being paid for by you, you know. But um, that's that's really part of this. And, you know, you've just got to figure out, okay, this guy's stuck here. Who do I have that can go and and meet them along the way and help and and try to make sure that this stuff gets delivered, you know, and and some customers, if you're 10 minutes late, they won't touch you. And then you're on their agenda to be put in the schedule for, you know, a day or two later. And it's like, who pays for that? The drop truck driver pays for that. Nobody pays him. It's crazy.

SPEAKER_00: 27:42

If it breaks down and it's not his fault, he still has to pay for it.

SPEAKER_01: 27:46

Absolutely. Me or or him, me andor the truck driver. So if it's just an individual by himself, an owner operator, and he breaks down and he's stuck at one of those companies that won't work him in or that won't deliver. You know, I always thought that was insane. Like, you're the one that wants this stuff. Like, why are you punishing my won't let you in?

SPEAKER_00: 28:04

Like they they actually like push you at the back of the line kind of idea.

SPEAKER_01: 28:08

Yeah, if you have an appointment, you have an appointment to get there. But let's say you have a one o'clock appointment and you miss it and it's 2 30. Well, they've got their two o'clock guy in there now. So now it's like this whole domino effect, you know, no one on a dock wants to work overtime because you were late and they don't know what you did. You there could have been an accident, there could have been, you know, all a million different things as to why just traffic alone. So yeah, it's kind of shocking to me.

SPEAKER_00: 28:36

Like I never once have I heard anybody explain it like that. My cousin's been a truck driver for many years. I guess I should, and my uncle, but I guess I never really talked to them about what happens on the backside of it and the costs. I mean, the cat they're extraordinary. It's like for rental properties, we have, you know, when something goes wrong, we have to pay to get a fix. But this is like 10 times that, you know, what you're doing with these trucks. So it's important to keep your truck in good condition, right? So versing it and keeping it up to date, making sure everything's in good shape is important. You can't just drive some old jalopy across the country, right? Or else you're not gonna be able to make the time. So wow, that's interesting. Yeah. So tell me what you're most passionate about today personally. My grandchildren?

SPEAKER_01: 29:20

Oh my gosh. How many do you have now? I have two grandkids, and it's crazy. I never thought I'd hear myself say, like, when my grandkids, you know, my grandson is two, my granddaughter's one. And when, you know, my daughter FaceTimes me, I'm like, someone's in my office or something. Oh, grandkids on the phone, like, I don't even care. Back in the day, my kids were like, Yeah, mom, this was you when you were at my practice, when you're at my competition, when you're at my whatever, this is you in the background on the phone the whole time. And now I'm like, forget all that stuff, you know, like so much, you know. But no, I in and besides that too, I think, like you said, I I'm just super passionate about my career and what I have chosen. And, you know, how can I do this? And it's like I I just compete with myself, you know, and it's like, okay, cool. I want to get to here, and when I make this much, I want to get to here, and when I have this much, I need this many more trucks, and I need this many, this, and what do I need to retire? And then, okay, no, I mustn't have more. And you know, like I just for me, it's just it's the fun part of it. It's fun as much as it's difficult and gut-wrenching, it's also fun, don't you think?

SPEAKER_00: 30:33

I know you do. Definitely there's fun in it, a lot of fun, and there's freedom in it too, which is wild to say when we're kind of strapped to our you know, careers. Like me, I've tried like I've always wanted to start a new business. I I love creating and doing new things. So, you know, I get it, but I and I don't feel like stopping. Like, I don't when I sit in front of the computer all day long and people are like, What are you doing? I'm like, I'm working and I like it. You know, I want to do it, I want to create, I want to do things that will help other people. Whether they appreciate it or not, because most of the time they probably don't, but I do, and it makes me feel good.

SPEAKER_01: 31:07

I think it's only when they want to be helped and and you know you're there right at the right time. And something too is you are so creative and you are always coming up with something, you know, that blows my mind. I'm like, what the heck? You wrote a book, you did this, you did, you know, all of the the posts and all the things that you come up with. And I'm just like, gee, how did you think of all this stuff? It's crazy.

SPEAKER_00: 31:27

I don't know. As soon as I someone talk anymore, I hear something and I'm like, oh, that would make a good post. And then I create a post, and then I think that was really interesting, you know, and you just never know what's gonna hit either on social media. But at the end of it all, I just really want people to get to know who I am as a person to know that when someone says she really liked that, everyone around her would say, Yeah, she actually is.

SPEAKER_01: 31:47

Yes, they actually are.

SPEAKER_00: 31:50

So let me ask you this what's the biggest lesson you want our listeners to take away from your story?

SPEAKER_01: 31:54

Oh, I would bet it's probably let me say it like this never give up. And that seems like that's something that I I that's just gonna start out with was I'm always saying the same thing. It's like never give up, keep going, whatever you do, because even when things are terribly negative and you're really down and you wonder how am I gonna do this and how is this, how am I gonna make this happen? You'll make it happen. If you try hard enough, it will happen no matter what. So just keep moving.

SPEAKER_00: 32:25

So, what's next for you and Mother Trucker and Sugar Creek? What's next? Anything on the ride?

SPEAKER_01: 32:30

I'm just trying to grow my business at this point. You know, I was I was doing a lot better years ago, so I'm just focusing on on the growth engine again and um looking for a bigger place to put my p business in. And, you know, I mean, just constantly growing.

SPEAKER_00: 32:45

I think you gathered that already. Yeah. I love it. So where can people find you or connect with you and your company?

SPEAKER_01: 32:51

Uh I think I'm more uh I'm on uh LinkedIn, Sugar Creek Transportation, and Monica Byers on LinkedIn, and then I'm Monica.biers on Instagram, and uh super easy to find me. Monica at motherTrucker.life is my other website. So yeah, easy.

SPEAKER_00: 33:08

Google me. We're very easy to find. So thank you so much for reminding us what happens when grit meets purpose. You saw a gap in an industry, you filled it and built a company that proves reliability still matters. I think your story is a masterclass in resilience, leadership, and not waiting for permission to build what you believe in. So I want to say thank you again for I love seeing your face. You are really the real deal. And I love that about you. You're so from the first day that we met, I just love spending time with you in Texas. It was such a great part of my life. I hope, I hope I get to see you in person again someday. But you know, either way, I see it today, and I'm happy to see you. And tell those girls that I I love to see their faces and the little babies too, while we're at it. Enjoy your holidays and thank you so much for being here with me today.

SPEAKER_01: 33:56

Thank you. Uh thank you so much for having me. I miss you too, and yes, we have to plan to see each other again. Thank you.