From Construction to Driver Recruitment with Rodney Spillman | Ep 36

In this episode of Miles and Mentors, host Alex talks with Rodney Spillman, Driver Recruitment Manager at TransAm Trucking. Rodney shares how he found his way into the trucking industry by accident—after working in construction, he was offered a chance to interview for a logistics company. That opportunity turned into a career. Over the past eight years, Rodney has worked his way up in transportation, learning the ins and outs of sales, recruiting, and fleet operations.

Rodney opens up about what his job looks like today, managing a team of recruiters and helping bring drivers into the fold at TransAm. He emphasizes that transparency is everything in recruitment now—being upfront with drivers, staying on the phone through the whole process, and making sure nothing is left unclear. He reflects on his time working with owner-operators and what separates the successful ones from those who struggle. One key difference? Understanding what it really takes to run a trucking business, from fuel costs and insurance to wearing every hat—HR, safety, dispatch—while still driving.

The conversation dives into the financial side of trucking, especially for new owner-operators. Rodney breaks down the biggest challenges drivers face when trying to go independent, including delayed payments, high startup costs, and managing cash flow. He explains how services like factoring can help, but only if you understand your numbers—particularly your break-even point. Too many drivers focus on what they want to make, not what they need to make.

Rodney also shares how fraud is becoming more sophisticated in the industry, especially in the spot market, and how new drivers are most vulnerable. He talks about the importance of using tools like credit checks and working with reputable companies to avoid getting burned. As someone who’s helped many drivers transition to fleet ownership, Rodney highlights how hard it can be to find trustworthy drivers when growing your team—and how one bad hire can ruin a business. For him, recruiting the right drivers is far more important than just hiring fast.

Mentorship, networking, and mindset also come up throughout the episode. Rodney credits his early mentors with helping him grow and challenges others in the industry to go beyond surface-level connections—adding people on LinkedIn isn’t enough; real conversations are where value is found. He leaves listeners with a reminder that two things are always in your control: your attitude and your effort.

To close things out, Rodney talks about what’s ahead at TransAm, including their new partnership with Prime and their focus on growing the independent contractor side of the business. With 500 trucks on the road and more to come, he’s focused on listening to drivers, making smart changes, and helping others succeed—because without drivers, he says, there is no company.