Beyond the Bulldog

Kevin Westmoreland, President of Kevin R. Westmoreland Trucking in Cartersville, Georgia, joins Beyond the Bulldog to talk about building a family trucking business, growing a fleet, and staying 100% Mack.

Kevin shares how he started working in trucking at 16, bought his first truck at 20, and learned the business through driving, maintenance, dispatching, and long hours. He explains how the company grew from a single truck into a ...

Dennis Valverde, lead hauler driver with 23XI Racing, joins Beyond the Bulldog to explain what it takes to move race cars, tools, safety equipment, and team support from the shop to the track. He shares how he found his way from refrigerated freight and owner-operator trucking into NASCAR transportation.

Valverde also discusses the culture at 23XI Racing, the many responsibilities hauler drivers handle during a race weekend, and th...

We sit down with the Last Alarm Foundation in Tucson, Arizona, to talk about their mission, their 1954 Mack L-Series fire truck, and the powerful way they honor fallen first responders. The foundation uses a restored Mack fire apparatus, retrofitted as a ceremonial hearse, to carry first responders to their final resting place at no cost to their families.

Sarah Barcelo, Gary Bynum, Daniel Matlick, and Dwaine Jungen share the story...

We sit down with John Lynch, senior vice president of Federation Relations with the American Trucking Associations and president of the Trucking Cares Foundation, to talk about advocacy, public awareness, charitable impact, and the essential role trucking plays in American life. 

John shares how his career path led from transportation work at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics to Capitol Hill, government affairs, ATA’s federation...

We sit down with Tom Menges, owner of Sweet-Smooth & Sassy, his restored 1986 Mack Superliner show truck, to talk about classic Mack power, truck restoration, and a lifetime spent in the trucking industry.

Tom shares how he found the Superliner after it had been sitting in a field for years, brought it home, and worked with his family and trusted craftsmen to bring it back to life while preserving as much of the original truck ...

We sit down with Tina Klein and Allen Boyd, professional truck drivers with the American Trucking Associations’ Share the Road program, to talk about highway safety, accident-free trucking careers, and the life-saving lessons every driver should understand.

Tina and Allen share how they each found their way into trucking, what keeps them passionate about the industry, and why they volunteer their time to educate students, law...

We sit down with Elizabeth Overmann, defense litigation attorney with Ragsdale Liggett in Raleigh, North Carolina, to talk about nuclear verdicts and the growing legal pressure facing the trucking industry. These multi-million-dollar judgments are driving up insurance costs, threatening smaller carriers, and creating ripple effects that reach far beyond the courtroom.

Elizabeth explains how her work in transportation defense ranges...

We sit down with Jeremy Whatley, social influence manager with 4 State Trucks, home of the Chrome Shop Mafia, to talk about custom truck parts, social media, trucker culture, and the community behind one of the most recognizable names in chrome.

Jeremy shares how 4 State Trucks grew from an International parts business into a major aftermarket truck parts supplier, how Chrome Shop Mafia became a national name through Trick My Truck...

We sit down with Dan Boeke, secretary and treasurer with Cookie Carriers in Butler, Indiana, to talk about driver recruitment, retention, family business culture, and why professional drivers are the foundation of a reliable trucking company. Dan shares the story of Cookie Carriers, from its unusual name to the company’s work hauling prefab steel buildings, job site deliveries, dry van freight, and even trucks tied to Spangle...

We sit down with Stephanie Davis, also known as Red, a truck driver with SME, to talk about the world of experiential marketing and the trucking that makes major events possible. From NFL activations and racetracks to golf courses, military bases, pop-up structures, and large-scale event builds, Stephanie explains what it takes to deliver more than freight. She delivers experiences.

Stephanie shares how she found her way into truck...

We sit down with Matt Balazs, Director of On-Highway National Accounts at Mack Trucks, to talk about growing Mack’s presence in the highway market, supporting large fleet customers, and answering one of the biggest questions in trucking: Why Mack?

Matt explains how national accounts work with large fleets, why the long haul market matters, and how the Mack Pioneer gives Mack a purpose-built product for customers who need comf...

We sit down with Phillip Atwood, principal of Vessel, a branding and marketing agency, to break down what a brand actually is, why owner-operators need one even if they never set out to build one, and how a consistent brand becomes the engine that drives new business through the door.

Phillip shares how his agency pulls a tagline out of an owner's head with what he calls a "friendly interrogation," why a brand is really just what p...

We sit down with JJ Owen, Executive Director of Skills Jam, a non-profit built to reach Gen Z where they already are and show them what a reaal career in the trades looks like. JJ spent seven years inside a major foundation from 2011 to 2017, learning what storytelling can do when it comes to galvanizing a community, changing hearts and minds, and reframing the trades as a first-choice career, not a fallback.

JJ walks us through wh...

We sit down with Tony O'Connell, vice president of sales and marketing for Mack Trucks Australia, to go behind the scenes of what makes the Australian market fundamentally different from North America, from right-hand-drive manufacturing to road trains, tipper and dog configurations, and the MP11 platform pushing 780 horsepower.

Tony shares his day-to-day leading the Australian Mack business, explains how the Wacol plant in Brisban...

We sit down with Tom Bryant, vice president of racing operations with NASCAR, to go behind the scenes of what it takes to deliver a race weekend. From security and medical support to credentialing, rule enforcement, transportation, catering, and broadcast coordination, Tom explains the massive operation that fans rarely see but every race depends on.

Tom shares how 21 years in the U.S. Army, including time in the special operations...

We sit down with Adam Knight, vice president of sales and marketing at First Gear Inc., to explore how detailed diecast trucks go from full-size CAD data to collectible models that capture the identity, history, and personality of a brand.

Adam shares how he grew up around the family business, pursued a career in art and animation, then returned to First Gear and gradually took on responsibilities across design, production, sales, ...

In this episode, we sit down with Averell Laird, better known as Mr. TrashMan, owner of Mr. TrashMan Dumpster Rental in the Houston area, along with "MackDaddy Mike" Sandifer from Vanguard Truck Centers. This conversation is all about business, hustle, and what happens when the right relationship turns a big dream into real equipment on the street.

Mr. TrashMan shares how he started in 2021 with a trailer and two dumpsters, worked ...

This episode brings a different kind of guest to Beyond the Bulldog. We sit down with Nadine and Walter the Bulldog, the official Mack Trucks mascot, to talk about how a skateboarding bulldog went from weekend workouts to a movie role, then into the Mack family as a fan-favorite part of the show experience.

Nadine shares her lifelong love for bulldogs and the unique personality that makes them feel like “little people.”...