Our guest today did 5 military tours in the Middle East, including 2 in Afghanistan and 3 in Iraq. Favion Howard is a veteran of the Army and a proud former member of the 82nd Airborne. His experiences in the armed forces produced a functional discipline and work ethic that have proven instrumental to his success in Trucking. And Favion is still jumping out of planes! He loves skydiving to this day. We’re grateful for his incredible service to our nation, proud to have him on the show, and are eager to lean in to glean from his experiences on this episode of the #SixFigureTrucker
Show Notes:
Highlights from this week’s conversation include:
- “FaviON Time Howard†rejoins the show and shares his military background (0:40)
- 5 Deployments (2 in Afghanistan, 3 in Iraq) (3:31)
- The Skydiving bug (7:45)
- The Thrill of getting Stuck in the Mud (10:13)
- Roll Tide (12:45)
- Favion pitches Driveaway as we wrap (14:50)
Keep Trucking, Favion!
The Six-Figure Trucker is a weekly conversation that shares the strategies and stories that successful drivers have used to build lucrative careers in the driveaway trucking industry. For more information or to subscribe, please visit https://www.six-figuretrucker.com/.
The Six-Figure Trucker is a weekly podcast about driveaway trucking brought to you by Norton Transport.
Full Conversation Transcript
John Madewell 00:27
Hello, everyone, and welcome to the six-figure trucker brought to you by Norton Transport. And you know, if you join us each and every week, this is a format where we elevate and celebrate the drivers of Norton Transport. They make us what we are. Couldn’t do it without them. And last week we had Fabian Howard on the show, and he’s been driving for 11 years, and drove a big record in 18 speed for us last week. First time in an 18 speed, but he did his research, did his work on YouTube, talked to another driver who kind of coached him through. Everything went smoothly, and Fabian’s joining us now, Fabian. How are you?
Favion Howard 01:02
I’m doing all right. I’m doing all right.
John Madewell 01:04
Now, you had mentioned last week your on time percentage. We talked about it. We bragged on you a little bit. 89% on time. That’s very good. And you said a lot of that comes from your background in the military. Tell us a bit. A little bit about how you got into the military and what it has taught you that is effective and important to your life as a professional driver.
Favion Howard 01:27
Oh yes, sir. So yes, military is my background. I joined the military in 2001. Right when I joined the military, I joined in April. So April, and then once I got through with my basic training, went to my AIT individual training. I also took another leap, and I went. I went to airborne training, so I learned how to jump on airplanes. September 11 happened right when I was in airborne school. Learned how to jump on airplanes, and then we. I did get to finish. I did get to finish that, and then eight months later, well, I did. I went into the 82nd. Well, right after Airborne school, I went to the 82nd Airborne Division. Eight months later, I was in Afghanistan. But with with that being said, the teaching I had from the military, of course, they teach you to have a plan, have a backup plan, and then have another plan if that plan was to fail. So I start using that in my day-to-day lifestyle. Not knowing 15 years later, when I when I did in my military career, I would still use them same tactics and in my day-to-day life. So then I start driving trucks, probably six to eight months after I got out the military, and then I still use those same skills and and training that I did from the military. I just applied it to the trucking, and then it’s it’s been working ever since. Because everything that I did from my deployments, having to learn how to route plan, you got to do the same thing here. You got a route plan. If you if a road or something is blocked, or they have to take an alternate route. You can’t, as a as a truck driver, you just can’t get on any alternate route. So you got to also have a plan. If I do got to take an alternate route, then I’m taking a route that the truck can go under because you still can go under. You know, you can have bridges that you can’t get up underneath. So that was the one of the things that I always have done is plan my route, playing me a backup route. If that was to fail, and then okay, if that don’t fail, I got to have a third route. But I’m probably do that one on the spot if I had to.
John Madewell 03:30
Gotcha. Now you, we were talking earlier off camera. You went to Afghanistan, but you also went to Iraq. Is that right?
Favion Howard 03:40
Yes, sir. I went to Afghanistan. I went to Iraq. I went back to Iraq. I went. I went more to Iraq than I did Afghanistan. One tour with two tours in Afghanistan, and then it was three tours in our in Iraq. And then with the 82nd, we it was on a rotational basis, so we were eight months on, eight months in garrison, eight months back in deployment. Eight months, so so I was in and out. So it was a little bit stressor on my family, but we we was able to push through it. Actually, I once once I I’m blessed to say I went. You know, for me to be deployed five times, come back and then go back again. You know, throughout the rotations, a lot of my battles didn’t make it back, but so I I am I am proud and privileged to say that the things that I went through, I’m still able to take heed from it and understand. And then being back in the on on the trucking aspect, it remind me of being on my convoys and how I would do things, and then I just apply those skills that I learned into my dating routine now, and it makes it makes trucking a lot smooth.
John Madewell 04:49
You were talking about being on the convoys. What was your assignment when you were? I mean, what what kind of things did you do in a rock? So
Favion Howard 04:58
when I was on. Convoy, especially when I was in Iraq, I was the lead gun truck. So as lead gun truck, you have to plan your route. You have to plan the route, and you have to plan your your backup route. So that’s why I got that skill from at least on route planning. Then you have to brief the route to the whole convoy, so they can understand. Hey, look, if something was to happen, these are the procedures of what we’re gonna do if if something happens. So if I call on the radio and say, “Hey, we got to take the alternate route, they already have it on their maps of what the alternate route looked like. And what we, of course, you cannot go through every scenario because the scenario happens in in real time. But we are we are practice and go through some scenarios as if that will happen, so we’ll know what we’ll do. So that was the biggest thing that I was as my MOS was fuel, but as I progressed up into the military, I end up making it to the rank of e6, which was a staff sergeant. You kind of go away from being the operator and being the the coach or the teacher, as you may say it, and then I became the leader, and then so I had what we call the soldier that was underneath me. Then I had to make sure they was up to par. So I had to teach my skills. So in any any moment, if something was to happen to me in the convoy, somebody could take my spot and still understand and keep the convoy moving.
John Madewell 06:19
Gotcha. If you’re comfortable sharing, I’m sure that you ran into in five tours of duty some hairy situations in the Middle East.
Favion Howard 06:29
Yes, sir. Yes, sir. So some of those routes that I took, well, back then, what we had, what we called is you had to get route cleared. So if we had to do a operation, then we had to make sure that either the route was either going to be cleared or is not going to be cleared, and that was briefed to us prior to us going out there. Most of the time, the route was cleared, but you still got to keep your your head on the swivel for any indicators that you know still come up on it. Fortunately, I didn’t get into nothing that was too hairy. Of course, I’m still I’m still here, but I did I did did get in a few things I don’t like discussing about. But it was it was it’s not enough that to say that hey, if if duty calls again, would I go? Yes, I’ll definitely go again. But it was it was an experience coming from a small town that you wouldn’t think that you would get yourself like wow I’m actually overseas like these guys are not friendly make sure that you know how you said seeing the red white and blue and understanding your brothers at arm it is real as I take real pride into that
John Madewell 07:35
well thank you so much for your service we really appreciate you you doing that
Favion Howard 07:41
yes sir you’re welcome yes sir.
John Madewell 07:45
And I’m going to guess. I’m going to make a leap here. One of your passions is skydiving. Did that was that something that came out of being in the 82nd Airborne Division? Yes, sir. How did you fall into that?
Favion Howard 07:58
Yes, sir. So I tell a quick story. Growing up, I didn’t never ride on an airplane. So the very first time I rode on airplane, I didn’t land on the airplane. I jumped out of it. So I had for the first three years, I rode an airplane and I never landed. Always jumped out of it. And then it was it was of course it was a military airplane, but you have to. I start building up that adrenaline, that adrenaline step. You know, as I I end up getting, I had a motorcycle, and that keeps my adrenaline going. But moving at 150 miles per hour, and you just jump out of an airplane, it’s not coming for your body. But you, you, I built that adrenaline rush up so high that when I got out the military, I couldn’t just go back in the military and say, “Hey, look, I want to get on a plane and jump out again. So I wanted to do civilian. So then I went to, I think I went on one of the brochures I seen pop up on on the website, and then I actually took my girlfriend at the time. We went together, and that that adrenaline was a lot greater than the adrenaline that was coming out of a c1 30, but you free fall for a lot longer than I. It was only six seconds in the military before the parachute came open. Here you free falling for two and a half minutes, at least a minute, and then the parachute. He pulls the parachute and it comes open. So I took a pride in having adrenaline. You know that’s not coming for you know a guy that want to do it. But it’s like being jumping out of an airplane for 15 years. You can’t take that away from you. So I just and and so doing that for you know on the on the civilian
John Madewell 09:38
aspect
Favion Howard 09:40
of the last time I went, I think I went right before COVID happened, and then when COVID happened, I didn’t. A lot of stuff wasn’t shut down, and then I think I think I took a little bit when all these planes started going down a couple years ago. I kind of like took a break back from it, but I do plan on going. Again, this coming up spring. That’s another so everything to kind of calm down a little bit, and I do miss that that that adrenaline. So yeah, that’s one of my one of my hobbies is to go skydiving.
John Madewell 10:11
That’s awesome, man. And you’ve got another passion we were talking about earlier. That’s your real go to. Tell us about another adrenaline thing that you do, but tell us what keeps you busy when you’re not on the roads driving.
Favion Howard 10:25
The other thing that keeps me busy when I’m not on the road driving is I go mudding. So what mudding consists of is pretty much you four wheeler ATVing or what they call now a side by side, which is a four city like doom buggy. So me and the buddies, we link up. We got some trails that we have made. We have some ATV parts that’s already have made trails, and and the craziest thing is we go out there to see who can get stuck. So you you buy the vehicle, you you you outfit it out, and then you go to try you try to you try your best not to get stuck. But we go out there to get stuck, so we going into some of the craziest mud holes, and and then get your stuff pulled out, and then we just be you know full of mud. And I would I would never think at I’m 45 now, I’ve been doing it now for four years. I would never think that growing up as a kid, you always been told to you know stay out the mud, and then now, when I get to adult, I run into the mud. So it’s kind of it’s it’s kind of a funny situation.
John Madewell 11:26
My my brother in law is into that, and when you’re talking about getting stuck, a lot of the friendships and the bonds are formed from getting unstuck because that’s a that’s a whole thing. Once you get stuck, everybody pulls together to get you out. Yes,
Favion Howard 11:44
sir. Yes, sir. And one thing that I have noticed about that too, because is is you you you once it’s how you say you go back, you ride along, and all of a sudden you get stuck. People come out the woodworks that’s on the trail that’s that’s that’s that’s trying to help you get unstuck. So I’ve had some people just run out there in the mid and they they waist deep, you know, still trying to help you out. Hey, you okay, buddy? You okay? Hey, we finna get you up out of here, you know. And then they just automatically, you know, they don’t even know you, and they just willing to come out to help. And you build that bun, and you you know, of course, you thank them, and we sit there and hug each other full of mud, but it’s the camaraderie that that that goes along with that that I love. I love, you know. We just you know a whole bunch of guys in the middle of the woods. We don’t know each other. Some know each other, some don’t. But you know, we we just we we we have fun doing it, and then we make the day out of you know the stories. Of course, they get the videos and then they talk about it, but it’s all fun and laughter and humor, though.
John Madewell 12:43
That’s great, man. You’re listening to Fabian Howard here on the six-figure trucker brought to you by Norton Transport. Now, Fabian, we talked about some of your passions: skydiving, ATV, mudding. Now, you and I had talked about this before. You’re from Alabama. What part of Alabama? You said a small town. I’m
Favion Howard 12:59
from Alexander City, Alabama is is north of Auburn and south of Birmingham.
John Madewell 13:06
Now, being north of Auburn, that’s not your team, though, is
Favion Howard 13:09
it? No, sir. Road
John Madewell 13:12
Tide. Now we’re on the edge of football season, about to kick off here. How do you think the tide’s going to be this year?
Favion Howard 13:19
Well, the tide. I feel every year. I think we have the the the edge on us. Ever since you know our head coach you know retired and we have a new coach come in, everybody’s eyes on the tide. So I’ve seen I watched their recruiting and they recruiting um their recruiting is real good. Actually, they have a a gentleman that’s from my hometown, from my high school, that’s being recruited. That was recruited by Alabama, and I’m I’m I’m looking forward to see him play this year.
John Madewell 13:51
That’s awesome to have somebody from your high school there. I know Alexander City. I follow recruiting myself. I know that’s a hotbed of talent down there in Alexander City,
Favion Howard 14:02
yes, sir, it is. It definitely is. We have one Hall of Famer that’s from my actual hometown, Terrell Owens. He’s from my hometown, and we have other, yeah, we have other other celebrities that’s from their surrounding town too. That’s from you know coming from a small town, you know, and you you do something on that aspect to get your name out there, and then you come back home, and you know you’re being represented. And then now we having a new leadership that’s coming into Alabama, recruiting from my hometown, and I’m pretty sure you’re finna see his name going across the billboards.
John Madewell 14:37
Okay, we talked about Terrell Owens. You know he played for Chattanooga, played for the Mox, and a lot of people know him well. And sounds like there’s some good talent coming out of your part of the woods there.
Favion Howard 14:48
Oh yes, sir, it is. Yes, sir, it is.
John Madewell 14:51
Well, Faith, and we’re going to sign off here. But one thing I wanted to ask you before we leave: you’ve got a great background, great military career. Like to have fun when you’re not on the road. What would your counsel or your advice be for someone who may be considering going into driveway? If you bring together all your past experiences, what would you say to someone who’s thinking about, you know, maybe I should try drive away?
Favion Howard 15:17
The the the thing I would tell somebody coming to the driveway is understanding what driveway can do for you as a whole, and that’s what I came from being on on truck and trailer moving freight. And then I was, you know, I did my research on driveways. So once I did my research, and then I put the pieces and puzzles together. Now coming in the driveways, I’m actually having a passion for it because not only that you’re you’re not still you’re still moving America, but you’re just moving America in a different way. If if somebody’s coming into driveways, is understanding that you know it’s going to in anything, it’s going to be ups and downs, it’s going to be challenges, but then have a plan put together, and that’s one thing that the driveway industry has shown me is to have a plan because you know you’re not you’re not you’re not staying in the vehicles, so and you’re not going to be in every you know the same. You’re still going from city to city, but you know having a plan, you may know somebody in the area and you may not know somebody in the area, but just have a plan and do research, you know, and so even like with today, today’s plan was not for me to be in this hotel tonight. I had already planned to be in Chesapeake in a different hotel, but you know, plans change, and that’s the thing. Understand is when something change, don’t get upset or don’t get frustrated. Just regroup your and regroup your plan, and and then and then execute a new one, and so and that’s one thing that you know in driveways you don’t you’re not going to get the the the luxury you don’t like a sleeper truck or you’re not going to get something got the best suspension. So you understanding that hey look I’m going to come in here with my best foot forward I’m going to do my job, which is to get it from A and get it to B. I’m gonna do everything that’s in my power, and if something comes up that’s not in my power, I’m not gonna get upset about it. I’m gonna just make sure I I report everything up to the hire, which is the dispatch, and then and then keep going moving forward, and then you will be great in driveways if you got the passion to travel.
John Madewell 17:20
That’s some excellent words from Fabian Howard. Fabian, thank you so much for sharing with us, sharing your professionalism on the road and your backstory. Thank you for your service. We really appreciate you being one on the Norton team. We’re lucky to have you.
Favion Howard 17:34
Oh yes, yes, sir. I’m glad to be here.
John Madewell 17:36
All right. Have a good day and be safe out there on the road.
Favion Howard 17:40
Okay. Yes, sir.