Off the top of this week's Overdrive Radio edition, a little of the voice of owner-operator Robert Forsyth, not bragging one bit about a very long career that stretches back to the 1970s and his pre-CDL chauffeur’s license, log-truck driving and more.
With as many times as he's traveled coast-to-coast over those decades, if he doesn't know how to get to where he's going without a GPS assist, he said, I "really don't need to go."
It's just a manner of saying there's not much he hasn't done when it comes to a reefer route throughout the U.S., today running the lane between Dallas-Fort Worth and Lewiston, Maine, for lontime biz partner brokers, then seasonal platform work between Maine and Florida for direct customers.
Forsyth was Overdrive's Trucker of the Month for September, and this week's podcast features parts of his talk through the biz and his history trucking with Senior Editor Matt Cole.
In Cole's feature story about Forsyth last month (link above) he detailed what’s remained a well-profitable operation through fuel’s 2026 run-up, as Forsyth benefits from trust in those customer partnerships built through years of high-quality service -- and frank conversations about costs. He keeps watch on fuel's fluctuation and adjusts rates accordingly, renegotiated as often as possible. "They understand, they're buying fuel every day themselves," he said of his longtime customers.
[Related: How much will diesel go up tomorrow?]
With an agreement between two businesses, then, follow through, perform. It’s just a simple truth that owner-operator Forsyth keeps high in mind in everything he does. His theory of success, working now for him in business for decades, is based on simple core principals drilled into him at a young age.
Overdrive Radio's sponsor is Howes, longtime provider of fuel treatments like its Howes Diesel Treat anti-gel and Lifeline rescue treatment to get you through the coldest temps, likewise its all-weather Diesel Defender and Howes Multipurpose penetrating oil, among other products.
Listen on for Forsyth's journey to a home base at the veritable center of the United States in Missouri after a Canadian childhood, then growth to multiple trucks only to find his perfect trucking business size at one man, one truck.
And no small number of miles trucked coast to coast and back between it all:
As mentioned in the podcast:
- The Partners in Business guide to beating back "predatory" tow rates and practices
- Michelin's Advantage service/tire network for small fleets and owner-ops
- The full collection of Trucker of the Month honorees in addition to Forsyth for 2026 so far
[Related: Owner's push past near-disaster to 45 years: Trucker of the Month]
