Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/506679
30 | Overdrive | May 2015 Owner-Operator of the Year also is simple: four minutes of vigorous workout first thing in the morning, such as sit-ups, pushups or running in place. "It's all stuff you can do right in or in the immediate area of the truck," he says. The program calls for eating the first of the day's six small meals immediately after breakfast. "It will spike your metabolism right up, so that your metabolism is riding high all day long," he says. "You try not to eat at least a couple of hours before you go to bed." After going through one training session, drivers are mostly on their own to stick to it for the next three months. The program's founder and leader, ex-Prime driver Siphiwe Baleka, designs the program for each driver. He then tailors each one based on data commu- nicated electronically on calorie consumption, heart rate, sleep and other factors tracked by an armband. "It's like having a fitness coach in your truck," Miller says. After 13 weeks, he lost more than 30 pounds, getting down to 245 pounds. Encouraged by that, he con- sidered breaking the smoking habit he'd had since he was 15. "After a while, I thought, 'It's time for this,' " he says. A year ago, he kicked cigarettes, relying partly on vaping as a substitute, partly on brute willpower. His wife, Misty Miller, was not surprised at the accom- plishments. "When he gets something in his head to do, he goes forward with both barrels," she says. Thomas Miller says the tobacco-free year has made a big difference. "My lungs always feel a lot clearer," he says. "I used to get winded jogging." He's stayed clean on the smokes, though he has gained back about 20 pounds. He plans to get back on the program and bring his weight down since he still faces the challenges of staying healthy while driving over the road. "I don't plan on driving a truck forever," says Miller. He can see himself working in the safety department, though it's "still some days off." The positive image exemplified by good health is "what Thomas stands for," White says. With that outlook, as well as his expe- rience training more than 75 Prime drivers, Miller "has the potential to be very good," White says. "He'd be a great addition." Former Prime Inc. driver Siphiwe Baleka heads the company Driver Health and Wellness program that helped Thomas Miller lose weight and, in turn, motivated him to stop smoking. Baleka was a competitive swimmer at Yale University, then gave it up while traveling the world for 18 years. After that, he began driving for Prime, where he noticed how his job negatively affected his health. He began to train for a triathalon by changing his diet and doing exercises in and around the truck, eventu- ally producing CDs of his fitness program. Prime learned about his accomplishments and hired Baleka full-time as a health coach. MILLER'S ADVICE FOR OWNER-OPERATORS Thomas Miller says he usually clears about $80,000 a year after expenses and taxes. As with any smart owner-operator, a good chunk of that profit comes from keeping expenses as low as possible. Here are his tips for success: 1 FIND A CARRIER THAT'S AGGRESSIVE WITH RATES. The Prime Inc. sales force works diligently to keep rates high so that everyone benefits, Miller says. "I have an incredible support staff here," he says. "Everybody is trying to make the driver more money." He advises doing careful research before choosing a fleet partner. 2 KEEP UP YOUR EQUIPMENT. "The biggest thing that can kill an owner-operator is repairs to equipment that's not maintained properly," he says. 3 WATCH FUEL PRICES. Make sure you're finding the lowest possible prices on diesel. "The only expense I can truly control is my fuel, and that just happens to be my biggest expense," he says. 4 HOLD DOWN YOUR SPEED. "A lot of owner-operators have a hard time wrapping their head around it," says Miller, who trains newcomers at Prime on how slower highway speeds produce big savings. Thomas Miller and his wife, Misty, have two daughters: Kylie, standing between her parents, and Mackenzie. In addition to taking his daughters on motorcycle rides with other families, Miller has helped with or attended his daughters' activities, including softball games, cheerleading competitions and church youth group.