Brian "Polar Dear" Elmquist

What did 2025 really look like behind the wheel? In this New Year's Eve special, join Mike Stanfield, Mikal 'Donut' Duncan, Polar Bear, and Jason DeFoor for the most honest conversation you'll hear from pro drivers this year. These Liquid veterans don't hold back sharing their biggest accomplishments, the goals that slipped away, broken resolutions, and unforgettable moments from 2025. We dig deep into what worked, what didn't, and the aspirations driving us into 2026. No corporate fluff, just real drivers talking real life.

Join us as we welcome Martin Leone, Liquid Trucking's new Environmental Health and Safety Manager, to discuss his career transition from Omaha Steaks to the trucking industry. Martin and Director of Compliance and Risk Jesse Keebler break down critical topics every professional driver should know: OSHA compliance, risk management, environmental safety protocols, and how trucking companies keep their fleets safe and compliant on America's highways. Jesse also shares his own journey into safety leadership, offering valuable insights for drivers considering career advancement in compliance roles. Learn what it takes to manage safety operations for a major trucking fleet and how proper training protects drivers every day. Then, buckle up for our brand-new segment: Trucker Trivia! Professional drivers Polar Bear, Milton West, and Vic Walker compete in an action-packed battle of wits covering trucking regulations, pop culture, and road knowledge. Who will claim the championship title?

The Liquid Trucking Podcast hits a spooktacular 100 episodes with our most requested episode, an exclusive Halloween roundtable featuring seven of our most frequent CDL drivers. Our tanker professionals get brutally honest about what makes this podcast essential listening, what needs improvement, and their raw first reactions when they heard about a show built specifically for truckers. Then we kick back for a spooky campfire storytelling game that reveals the humor, creativity, and brotherhood defining the professional driver community. This anniversary episode celebrates the road warriors, truck and trailer shop crews, and trucking families who've powered 100 episodes of unfiltered conversations from the cab.

This week on The Liquid Trucking Podcast, we’re diving into one of the most important debates in America—Where is the best BBQ? Join Marcus, Liquid drivers Matt Kleich and Polar Bear, and recruiter Jake Debo as they talk about all things regional barbecue styles, their favorite BBQ joints across the country, and what truly makes a perfect plate. Matt’s the grill master, Polar Bear comes hungry, and Denny’s the self-proclaimed BBQ expert (but can’t cook for a damn). Plus, don’t miss Jake and Marcus going head-to-head in the first-ever BBQ Side Dish Draft, where they battle it out to claim the ultimate lineup of barbecue sides. We also kick things off with a CVSA Operation Safe Driver Week alert—because even in a BBQ debate, safety comes first. If you love ribs, brisket, or just good food talk from the road, don’t miss this one!

This week on the Liquid Trucking Podcast, we’re going OTR with some experienced drivers to talk about what makes OTR at Liquid a great way to earn your living. Liquid OTR drivers Polar Bear, Matt MacKellar, Rob Schroeder and Tim Spencer will join us to talk about the job itself, the ways they maximize their earnings, and how they manage their time over the road. If you’re thinking about heading OTR for Liquid Trucking, this is the episode for you!

Happy New Year from all of us at The Liquid Trucking Podcast! We’re celebrating back-to-back government holiday episodes with a wrap up of some of our favorite clips of the year! We’ve got a clip from our episode about Liquid’s treasured Senior drivers (Episode #38 - Senior Driver Appreciation) with Dan Pijanowski and Polar Bear. A clip from our conversation with Tim Hindes, co-founder of Stay Metrics and Project Manager for Tenstreet (Episode #43 - A Chat with Tim Hindes). And finally, Matt MacKellar and Matt Langford dropped by the show on episode #47 (Where You Take Your 34) to talk about their favorite stops for a reset! Enjoy ringing in the new year with the best The Liquid Trucking Podcast has to offer!

When you spend your life on the road, where you stop matters. This week on the Liquid Trucking Podcast, we’re talking with drivers about the best AND worst truck stops in America. Liquid drivers Nathan Dobrenz and Polar Bear join us to walk us through where they love to stop, and where they avoid at all costs. You’ll want to tune in to this one so you know where the hot spots are on your next load!

This week on the Liquid Trucking Podcast, we're going to have some fun and make some commitments to our goals. 4 drivers, Drew Hearn, Christopher Palmas, Mikal Duncan and Mike Stanfield, will join us to talk about their New Year's resolutions and tell us about their motivations for them. Right smack in the middle, the Teenage Hotline will have a go at roasting our host with the most.

This week on The Liquid Trucking Podcast, we’re touching base with a couple drivers with a lot of experience in the snow. Liquid drivers Polar Bear and Matt Kleich will join the show along with VP of HR and Safety Jason Eisenman, who has some experience driving big rigs in bad weather himself. We’re going to touch on some things we haven’t mentioned in prior inclement weather episodes, so be sure to tune in for some great tips and tricks to stay safe on the road during the winter months.

This week on the Liquid Trucking Podcast, we're letting drivers answer drivers. A couple months back, we offered Drive for Gold points to drivers that suggested topics for the show, and we're making good on our promise. 3 Liquid drivers, Terry Smith, Burt Morris and Nathan Dobrenz are the proud owners of 50,000 Drive for Gold points, and their questions will be answered by the Teenage HotLine, otherwise known as Polar Bear, Matt Kleich, John Frey, Jason Krayenhagen, and Burt Morris, who will be pulling a double!

This week on the Liquid Trucking Podcast, we’re showcasing a driver suggested episode. Liquid Driver Damon Maravilla will join the show to pose the question: How do you seasoned vet drivers prepare for winter? We’ll welcome Liquid’s longest tenured drivers Polar Bear and Dan Pijenowski to answer that question, among many others. Dan and PB give a lot of good advice, as they’ve seen it all, so grab your tire chains and your kitty litter and buckle up!

Liquid has a fleet of well experienced drivers that we talk to on the show all the time. What you may not know, is that some of Liquid’s most knowledgeable drivers are eager and ready to help you get out of any jam you may find yourself in. Liquid drivers Dan Pijanowski and Polar Bear will join us to discuss their years of service for Liquid, how the company has evolved over those years, and how willing they are to help out the new crop of drivers. After that, drivers Matt Kleich and Jason Krayenhagen join the show as tenured drivers with a few less miles under their belts. Matt and Jason will talk about seeking help themselves as well as developing into drivers who can help out the new guys.

This week on the Liquid Trucking Podcast, we’re bringing you the best from our first nearly 40 episodes! We’ll replay segments from episode #8 - Driver Hotline: Stories from the Road, Episode #11 - Marijuana Legalization and its Effect on Trucking, Episode #23 - The 500 Year Flood, and Episode #28 - The Teenage Hotline. It’s a long episode with a bunch of fun segments and a few that make you think!

This week on the Liquid Trucking Podcast, we're handing out date above from a driver with a lot of miles under his belt. Polar Bear will join the show, along with Liquid drivers Josh Hunt and Ryan Stewart. Josh and Ryan will tee up questions and pick Polar Bear's brain About all things Liquid!

This week on the Liquid Trucking Podcast, we’re pulling back the curtain on the Teenage Hotline! Liquid Drivers Polar Bear, Matt Kleich, Wendell Yoder, Jason Krayenhagen and John Frey will join us all at once, to help us understand why their teenage hotline conversations mean so much to them. We’ll also bring you the Top 5 Worst Top Ten Lists, according to Marcus.

This week on the Liquid Trucking Podcast, we’re going to hear from some people that make the day better at Liquid Trucking. We welcome Kyle Hales, VP of Sales for EpicVue, to talk about all the awesome products EpicVue offers, and which of those Liquid utilizes. After that, Polar Bear will join us to discuss his tips and tricks for watching TV using his EpicVue system, and how he NEVER misses a Kansas City Chiefs game. Finally, we’ll hear from VP of the Transportation Group for Cottingham and Butler Matt Ferris, who will talk about how Cottingham and Butler have formed a long lasting relationship with Liquid Trucking.

This week on The Liquid Trucking Podcast, we’re talking to Liquid drivers about the worst of the worst. From ignorant 4 wheelers to terrible weather, from getting covered in Lysine to crawling around on pee-stained asphalt, you drivers deal with a lot. We’re welcoming 5 drivers, Josh Dabrowski, Mike Stanfield, Polar Bear, Drew Hearn and Matt Kleich, to walk us through what they think is the worst of the worst.

This week on the Liquid Trucking Podcast, we're talking food on the road. Drivers Matt Kleich and Polar Bear will join us to discuss their culinary talents and how they prep their meals for some time OTR. Marcus shares an award winning chili recipe with us, and Alex Shevchuk stops by to dish on how he stays eating healthy on the road.

In part 1 of our 2 part episode on Winter Driving, we chat with driver Drew Hearn and Driver Training and Development Leader Beau Hanke. Beau spent time in the oil fields in Alaska, and shares some great advice on driving in inclement weather, and Drew tells about a time he got in a little over his head on a back road. After that, we’ll hear from drivers Tony Brown and Polar Bear, as they share with us some tips on keeping the shiny side up and keeping customers happy in the ever-changing landscape of hauling Liquid.

So what’s in the tank right now? We’ll hear from Barto Terminal Manager Chris Baltushis, Dispatchers Payton Rockwell and Cory Lyles to answer that question. Then we have a great driver profile with the man you all know as Polar Bear, Liquid driver Brian Elmquist.