In 2017, I dated Matthew Gutierrez, a long-haul truck driver. During this time, I hopped aboard as his “rider,” and we together traveled over 25,000 miles along his routes throughout the western United States.
Having freshly awoken from a bad dream, Mike makes the long walk across a Montana truck stop parking lot to use the restroom and grab a coffee, admiring the splendor of the mountains nearby.
This episode captures Mike and Matt on their trucking journey, bobtailing south of Tacoma, Washington, after delivering corrugated steel. Their travels take them towards Portland, Oregon, where they anticipate a fun evening and plan to meet friends.
This episode captures Mike and Matt on their trucking journey, bobtailing south of Tacoma, Washington, after delivering corrugated steel. Their travels take them towards Portland, Oregon, where they anticipate a fun evening and plan to meet friends.
They discuss driver etiquette among different states, highlighting issues like California's aggressive but efficient drivers and Texas's unique shoulder-passing custom. They also briefly touch upon current events, including the aftermath of a storm in Houston, and share a philosophical thought about embracing the naive outsider's perspective in the workplace.
Suffering from the early stages of heat exhaustion while helping Matt secure his flatbed load, Mike reflects on the recent solar eclipse that they viewed from Arizona.
Suffering from the early stages of heat exhaustion while helping Matt secure his flatbed load, Mike reflects on the recent solar eclipse that they viewed from Arizona.
Mike begins piloting a video commentary series "Trans/America" to chronicle his months abroad his boyfriend's flatbed tractor-trailer, as they traverse the western states of the United States together.
Mike begins piloting a video commentary series "Trans/America" to chronicle his months abroad his boyfriend's flatbed tractor-trailer, as they traverse the western states of the United States together.
Matt and Mike share one of their routine trips along Interstate 15 delivering goods for Walmart from their distribution center to the various stores across the state of Utah.
Matt and Mike share one of their routine trips along Interstate 15 delivering goods for Walmart from their distribution center to the various stores across the state of Utah.
Matt and Mike spend a few days in San Francisco, delivering rebar to the construction site of a new water treatment plant in Pacifica, California.
They discuss the concept of "pride” and the fluidity that one’s personality can take, adapting to various social situations. Mike mentioned Matthew's "bro mode," acknowledging the influence of others' personalities and accents.
Mike: Good morning, Facebook Live! This is Mike George here with Matthew... well, Matthew, let's just say "Equality" isn't his real middle name. For those of you wondering, his actual middle name is a mystery for now.
We're on I-580, one of the ring roads around San Francisco. I guess they have ring roads even with the water surrounding the city. We're heading towards Modesto, California, from South San Francisco, near the airport. It's about 8:00 AM, so we're in some rush hour traffic, but it's not too bad considering.
Matthew: Yeah, and I have to watch the mirrors here.
Mike: We've got someone coming up in the right lane. Anyway, the left side is the passing side, and the right side... well, let's just say it's riskier.
Matthew: My rule is, if I see an open right lane, I'll take it. It's the truck driver's responsibility to be in the right lane, not mine to worry about it.
Mike: In some states, you can get a ticket for passing on the right.
Matthew: Would the responsibility be on the driver to be in the right lane then?
Mike: You'd have to talk to a lawyer about that. Anyway, good morning, Bernie! We're excited to hopefully meet you soon.
Matthew: Bernie's been this fictitious character to me, so I can't wait for a proper introduction.
Mike: Yesterday was an interesting day. Our original plan was to deliver a load to Pacifica, California, south of San Francisco.
Matthew: The delivery was rebar for a drainage project, but they couldn't accept it at that time due to an active job site with limited space.
Mike: This rebar was for reinforcing concrete for a water diversion project. It's interesting how important water diversion is, especially with what's happening in Houston. Our prayers go out to the people there.
Matthew: Yeah, stay safe, everyone.
Mike: They sent us to a nearby parking lot to stage the trucks. The manager there got upset and kicked us all off the property. We had to find a new place to park. I was worried about making it up some hills with the heavy load.
Matthew: We did stop moving forward a couple of times, but the truck didn't stall.
Mike: Right, crucial correction. We finally made it out of Pacifica and rescheduled the delivery for the next day. We decided to go into San Francisco. We took a Lyft to the BART station.
Matthew: The BART was incredibly loud. It was like nails on a chalkboard. I think it was going too fast or was lightly loaded.
Mike: Shout out to Montreal for their comfortable Metro system. We took a Lyft back later because the BART gave me a migraine. We went to the Castro. We were hungry, so we went to a Thai place recommended by a local.
Matthew: I got pad see ew, my go-to Thai dish.
Mike: We went to the HRC store and got some things. Matthew got a compass necklace.
Matthew: So you can find me on the road.
Mike: According to Grindr, you're 13 miles away. We met at neither a bar nor online.
Matthew: We went to the Twin Peaks bar, which is a local landmark.
Mike: The ginger ale was terrible.
Matthew: It's in the opening credits of Sense8. We sat there and used Grindr and Scruff. It was like gay bingo. It's great to have a boyfriend I can do that with.
Mike: It's always just for fun.
Matthew: We decided to get pedicures. It was my first time.
Mike: It was fantastic. It was like a "Sex and the City" barbershop vibe.
Matthew: They trimmed your toenails, which was stressful for you.
Mike: I bite my toenails. I'm not ashamed.
Matthew: After that, they massaged and painted your toenails.
Mike: They're green.
Matthew: We met a guy named Patrick and had a good conversation. Then we went to dinner at Flore.
Mike: I had a $14 cheeseburger, but it was the best burger ever. It was made with Wagyu beef.
Matthew: I had a flank steak salad. We had a delicious hot chocolate and a gluten-free peanut butter chocolate cookie.
Mike: We heard about a karaoke place called Mint Bar, which is on our list for next time.
Matthew: We had an amazing trip to San Francisco. It was a nice break. It's great to be back in a place where we can be ourselves.
Mike: It's interesting how we adjust our personalities depending on where we are.
Matthew: Mike said I go into "bro mode" sometimes. I don't hide who I am, but I do change my mannerisms a bit.
Mike: It's funny how people's accents and habits rub off on you.
Matthew: It's important to have role models. I met a Swift driver who was out and proud. I wrote her a note and signed it "the mo flatbedder."
Mike: Don't be afraid of change.
Matthew: Sometimes I'm a “McKinsey 6,” sometimes I'm “McKinsey 4.” It doesn't mean I'm betraying anyone.
Mike: We're outside Modesto now. We're going to sign off. From the San Francisco area, this is Mike and Matt.
This episode chronicles Mike’s commute from a truck stop in Salt Lake City to the airport via public transit. He navigates the city streets, highlighting the challenges of being a pedestrian amidst traffic and the surprising speed of the light rail system.
This episode chronicles Mike’s commute from a truck stop in Salt Lake City to the airport via public transit. He navigates the city streets, highlighting the challenges of being a pedestrian amidst traffic and the surprising speed of the light rail system.
Throughout this commute, Mike offers observations on local infrastructure, shares personal anecdotes, and even provides a brief news update, capturing the mundane yet often humorous aspects of travel, concluding with Mike preparing to check his bag and navigate the airport.
While crossing over North America’s continental divide, Mike and Matt discuss the political divides in our country and how we can better forge consensus among diverse people.
From a truck stop in Phoenix shortly after a dust storm, Mike reflects on learning his rider duties assisting with truck deliveries. Also discussed are the commonly mistaken distinction between power and energy, as well as procrastination habits, and remembering back when talking about nazis used to be comical.
From a truck stop in Phoenix shortly after a dust storm, Mike reflects on learning his rider duties assisting with truck deliveries. Also discussed are the commonly mistaken distinction between power and energy, as well as procrastination habits, and remembering back when talking about nazis used to be comical.
Broadcasting aboard his car in Portland, Mike vents on his recent breakup with Matt and welcomes special guests Dakota Conduct and Mya James. He highlights Dakota's new podcast series "Thots and Shares" and navigates a cluster of technical difficulties while driving.