Ground Transportation Podcast

Safety First: The Alligator Closest to the Boat, With Matt Maglio

James Blain and Ken Lucci Season 1 Episode 53

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Which alligator do you need to worry about? The one closest to the boat.

In this episode, James sits down with Matt Maglio, Regional Vice President at Greyhound. Matt shares his journey from bus driver to executive, emphasizing the importance of safety, mentorship, and continuous learning in the motor coach industry. 

They discuss the value of industry organizations like the Bus Industry Safety Council (BISC) and Bus Maintenance and Repair Council (BusMARC) highlighting networking opportunities and access to regulatory insights. 

Matt also offers advice for newcomers to the industry and reflects on the impact of mentors in his career. The conversation provides valuable insights into leadership, safety practices, and professional growth in the ground transportation sector.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 Welcome
00:27 Introduction
02:36 Getting Started In Motor Coach
03:41 Learning A Team Sport
06:00 Matt's Crawford Lasseter Story
09:55 Out of the Driver's Seat
12:47 Flix and Greyhound Acquisition
16:23 What Is The Scale Of The Operation?
19:06 The Must Haves
21:20 Good Health Matters
27:03 The Alligator Closest To The Boat
29:29 Common Pitfalls With Expansion
34:47 Benefits of the Bus Safety Council
38:03 Al Smith
42:24 Advice For Newcomers
48:17 BISC & BusMARC
55:50 Pivotal Moment

Connect with Matt Maglio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-maglio-a11450169
BISC - https://www.buses.org/about/special-interest-councils/bus-industry-safety-council-bisc/
BusMARC - https://www.buses.org/about/special-interest-councils/bus-maintenance-and-repair-council/

At Driving Transactions, Ken Lucci and his team offer financial analysis, KPI reviews,  for specific purposes like improving profitability, enhancing the value of the enterprise business planning and buying and selling companies. So if you have any of those needs, please give us a call or check us out at www.drivingtransactions.com.

Pax Training is your  all in one solution designed to elevate your team's skills, boost passenger satisfaction, and keep your business ahead of the curve. Learn more at www.paxtraining.com/gtp

Connect with Kenneth Lucci, Principle Analyst at Driving Transactions:
https://www.drivingtransactions.com/

Connect with James Blain, President at PAX Training:
https://paxtraining.com/

James Blain:

Hello everybody and welcome to another episode of the Ground Transformation Podcast. unfortunately I don't have Ken with me. Ken is off doing a financial deal, I'm sure, or educating someone on the proper way to run their finances. We'll have another episode together soon, but I'm super stoked about Mike yesterday. Uh, it's someone that I've actually known for quite a while. I've had the opportunity to work with him in some associations and some other places, and I think we're all really lucky to kind of hear from him. Welcome, Matt. How are you today?

Matt Maglio:

I'm doing great. How are I'm doing great. How are you, James? Thank you for having me. me.

James Blain:

I'm good. I'm excited about this one. This, we spend a lot of time on the safety side. We spend a lot of time on that world, which I know is where you live. I know that's where I live, so I'm really excited about this episode, but you actually have quite a bit of background in it. You're not even in the same company you were when we first met. So can you tell us a little bit about kind of how you got into the industry and how you get to where you are today?

Matt Maglio:

25, maybe 26 years ago. I started out as a bus driver with yet another company. and, uh, I drove for about a year and a half, and then I worked as a dispatcher. I was in charter sales. I was the outside sales manager and eventually was an operations manager for them. and then, uh, I was there for about eight years. I left there, went to work for a school bus company I was a GM for them for some time. And then I went to, uh, my last employer and I was there for. Over a decade and, uh, you know, great place and great folks there. And, uh, and then I came to Greyhound about a almost two years ago. Uh, it was November of 2023 that I started with them as the director of safety. and, uh, I have enjoyed it. I got promoted to regional Vice President in January thereafter, so January of 2024. And it's been a, an excellent experience overall. Really enjoyed it.

James Blain:

Well, and you're in a really unique place, right? There's a lot of people that don't kind of go down that same path. You've got this awesome opportunity and that you've sat in all of these seats, right? Pun intended. And you've gotten to see the business kind of from different angles. One of the things that I love to ask, especially for people that start on the driving side, is how exactly do you end up driving a motor coach? Is this something where you're like, Hey, I wanna drive a bus, or, or was this a stepping stone? what was that first step in getting into it?

Matt Maglio:

Actually one, one of my mentors along my way, Colin Johnson, who he was a vice president at, a company called Peter Pan. And, uh, he knew me as an employee of a casino in Connecticut. And, uh, he was a vendor and kind of talked me into coming to work there. And, uh, it was, uh, probably one of the best things that I, I did for myself, you know, and, uh, it, it sounded exciting. The pace sounded good. it just sounded like a different adventure. So it like, yeah, let's try this. And I, you know, I've had people tell me that I choose to work here because I wanna be on your team. uh, that's like one of the most flattering things that I think someone. Can say to me, and you know, it was kind of the same thing. It was somebody who I've seen as a leader, is really intelligent guy. I wanna learn what, what these people do. so I went into their training program and, and got my CDL.

James Blain:

so you get your CDL, you start driving. You start working your way through. I gotta tell you, I have found. That more cases than you would think are exactly what you're talking about, right? I want to work for this person, I wanna work with this person. it's kind of a leadership role. And what I always find interesting, and I'd love to get your perspective on this, is that a lot of being a driver, and it doesn't matter if you're in the coach world, doesn't matter what side you're in. A lot of it really isn't a team sport. And so I always love to talk to people that are able to see that leadership and feel that, because one of the things I hear when I'm traveling the country doing training and working with people is, well, you know, once we get out there on the road, it's just us and the customers, right? It's not, you know, I feel like I'm part of the team, but I'm kind of out there doing my own thing. So let me ask you, as someone who's been in all of those roles, what was it that this person was able to do that let you feel like you're part of that team that was able to bridge that gap? And then how were you able, you know, obviously you've had that same position of where you've gotten people to come work for you. How have you been able to kind of bridge that gap? Make that more of a team sport, knowing that it's really an individualized role.

Matt Maglio:

You know, it, kind of is like a, that coach player relationship. you would come with a problem that you didn't know how to solve or a situation that you had never been in before. And that coach figure or that mentor figure, he or she may actually not know the exact answer, but they know how to lead you down path. And you feel like, you know, I trust this and this the, you know, hey, I need fuel. And I am in, Altoona, Pennsylvania, and there is not a, you know, it, it, and well hang on, let's check this website, or hang on, you can go here. You know, they always knew how to guide you and it, it just, you know, you felt like, Hey, these are people that can help me along my way. and, uh, I can learn a lot from them. And then you wind up passing that knowledge on time and time again. I, You know, we were talking earlier about, Crawford Lasseter, he's gonna receive the 2025 CVSA International Safe Driver Award. Crawford and I actually met when I I was a driver

James Blain:

Oh, really?

Matt Maglio:

yeah. And I, I was horrendously lost that day. I will tell you. it was

James Blain:

So, so set the, set the stage for us. Right. Let, I could feel a good story coming. So, so set the stage. Where are we at?

Matt Maglio:

we're, we're, we're on our way into New York City to the Port Authority for the very first time in my life. Mind you, um, not, not understanding the correct way in and out of that building or where to go when you arrive inside of that building or anything for that matter. and had sweat through my shirt. I remember this. It was a hot day. It was, it, it had nothing to do with air It was everything to do with my nerves and being scared. Right.

James Blain:

Bus. Bus full of passengers or on your way for passengers. Yeah. Yeah. Loaded already. Already loaded.

Matt Maglio:

Some, some very, very patient, patient passengers, as you can imagine. Right. And, uh, pulled in Ann Crawford, uh, who was a Greyhound driver, even back then. You know, he started driving in 1979. and, Crawford was there and spotted me and said, need some help. And I said, yes. You know, like the most big yes I've ever Yes. In my Yes. Right. So he, uh. He very patiently, I mean, for no with, with no motivation whatsoever. The guy guided me, he gave me advice, he wrote out directions for me to get back. He was just, invaluable in that moment. And, and I walked away from that experience saying, I wanna be like this guy. he was so professional, he was so patient with me and, you know, with the passengers and my, my probably fumbling questions. I never forgot him. And I'll tell you just to, bring that together, you know, 20 some odd years later, I'm the regional vice president for, for this company. And, uh, I am addressing all the trainers in the classroom Classroom. I'm trying to get a, a feel for how the, the driver training school's going. And, um, this trainer looks at me and says, we've met before. And I said, I'm sorry, I, I think I just met you for the first time today. And he says, I remember your first time at the Port Authority. And it was, it was Crawford Lasseter. So, you know, I, I I was just like, you know, and, and immediately remember the entire experience. I don't know how I'll ever, I'll never forget that that goes with me till the day I die. But, um, you know, it was very interesting to see him in a different perspective in a different way. And, you know, it's incredible the, uh, the training that he gives to the students. And, you know, his mission is to create the next generation of bus drivers. So, um, he, it, it was, it was a great experience overall.

James Blain:

Well, and it's funny because one of the things that, and and you've, you've heard me talk before, you've, you've sat in some of my talks. My big thing is that you really want to be more of a coach, and you nailed it on the head, right? That coach player relationship. Because most people, when you think of a trainer and a typical corporate sense, it's, Hey, I'm gonna show you a bunch of stuff. You're gonna forget most of it. We're gonna turn you loose, you're gonna be on your own. Whereas people like that, that understand kinda that coach relationship, you have to have the patience. You have to empower people, you have to give them the opportunity. All of those types of things create a completely different experience on the learning side. And what's interesting is, you know, in, in his case, he, he remembered that day for you, right? For him that might have just been a Tuesday or a Thursday or whatever day of the week it was. And he sees someone and says, Hey, yeah, I'm gonna help this guy out. I remember my first day there for you. This is like this pivotal, take it to the grave type moment. And so I think the biggest thing for me, especially when I'm seeing stuff like this, is understanding that there's this awesome opportunity to pass on knowledge and to understand that even though we're all out there by ourselves, kinda like you said, there's that opportunity to, to coach and work together. So I think it's very fitting and very deserving that now he's winning that award all these years later. But he was actually able to help you at that point.

Matt Maglio:

Yeah, he's, he's an incredible guy and there's no one I know more deserving. So, he really set the standard, you know, uniform. His, his actions, his willingness to, you know, accommodate the customers and take time for the students. And he's a pretty incredible guy, so I think we're very lucky to, to get to work with him, you know,

James Blain:

Well, and I, I think it's interesting because clearly it sounds like his role has shifted, your role shifted. Let me ask you, in going from obviously that first early on day when you actually stepped outta the driver's seat, you said you'd held all these different roles. What is it that actually got you outta the driver's seat? What's the main reason that you were kind of pulled from the driver's seat and started moving into the other roles?

Matt Maglio:

the The same guy. You

James Blain:

It all comes back to one point.

Matt Maglio:

we have a a few jokes that, uh, that, that, uh, colon and, and, I know his wife and, uh, his wife refers to me as his like third son, you know? I still talk to him once in a while and they still actually go to some a, b, a events, so I'd love to introduce you someday. But, uh, you know, it was his idea and, and said, you know, this is something I you could do. And I said, right, let's go. You know, I, I was interested. and it's the same thing, you know, I knew if I followed him, you know, there was, there was a clear path, right? And he, he offered a lot of, uh, years of experience and, and was willing to teach me and patient. And then, you know, even, post that. So I, I leave that company and I worked for the school bus company for a while, and one day I get a phone call from a number that, that, you know, I had associated with, with a whole different thing. You know, I knew the company and it him. And, uh. He said, uh, you know, I'm, I'm, I'm the vice president at, at this company. And I said, wow, congratulations. I, you know, I'm really happy. And he said, I'm looking for a director of operations. Would be interested? And, and, and you know, this is years later, without hesitation, I said, yeah, absolutely. When do I start? You know, I wasn't worried about how much did it pay or, you know, all the things, you know, you're gonna worry about. Does it have insurance? You know, what are my hours? You know, all the things that you, you think about. I just knew I wanted to for him. Right? So it was that, you know, that would, that he was, that he was the coach of the that you knew was gonna win. So you wanted to be on that team. there's a few things that inspire me to do what I do now, and that's one of them. I, I wanna the vp, you know, the regional vice president of region that everybody wants to work in because we're, we're doing great things. And because we're, we're doing it the best, we're putting in maximum effort. We know we're, we're treating our customers right. We're, we're doing it safely, you know, safety first with everything we do. and it's a good place to work. and, that's, you know, that's part of my inspiration is to kind of be like him, you know? And, you know, I think a lot of people felt that way about him. He's still obviously alive, but he's retired since. And, uh, incredible guy. I, I won't lie to you that I've worked for some really incredible people in my career I've learned a lot from. And, uh, you know, I, I've been very, very fortunate. and in my current capacity, our COO Rodney, very inspirational leader, you know, really knows how to, uh, get the best from people, I think. and that helps feed what I do in my region. I think that I'm fortunate to get, to continue to have, you know, great mentors and great leaders, that I get to work with. So,

James Blain:

I've gotta tell you, you know, it seems like every single, right? If you, if, if we ever had to rename the podcast, I think it would be the go get a Mentor podcast, right? Because every single episode that we have, every time we have conversations with people, there's always kind of a pivotal moment and there's always kind of a pivotal person. You know, I always tell people when they ask me about me, you know, I think of when I first came to Pax, right? And the idea that we were gonna do ongoing training and a certification in the industry and do it online, everybody's like, are you nuts? Right? Like this, this is totally new, totally crazy. And I went back to like this Jim Rone quote that I'd heard, right? It's not about what you are getting, kinda like you said with the pay, the benefits. You're not worried about it. it's not about what you're getting, it's about what you're becoming. And knowing that you're gonna be on that right team knowing you're gonna be in the right place. So I think you're really kind of hitting on what I hear so often with people that have found success in the industry is finding the right people tends to put you in the right place. So. you've gotten to the point now where you're over at Greyhound now. I know that for a lot of people, you know, they saw Flix and Greyhound coming together. There's kind of some confusion there, I think in general of people trying to understand, okay, did Flix buy it? Was there a merger? What did that look like? do you come in before or after that takes place?

Matt Maglio:

After, so Flix acquired Greyhound in 2021. Um, you know, Flix is an amazing company. just from the, you know, my perspective and my experience with them, you know, they're very big on equality. Um, you know, very customer-centric, you know, all the things that any great business could be. relationship with Greyhound and Flick is I think absolutely fantastic. And, uh, you know, it, it, it, it gives us, I think, a lot of potential for big growth. FL is all over the place. I mean, I, I meet passengers who are from Germany or a, any part of Europe. and, uh, when they see the, uh, Flick logo on the Greyhound bus. you know, They're like, oh, fl And, and it's almost like a sigh of relief. Like, because they're unfamiliar with Greyhound and, uh, but they see Flix and they associate with it and, and they're like, this trip is gonna be fantastic. You know, things are gonna go very well. and, uh, you know, I, I think that that is great for Greyhound and, uh, you know, I think the partnership amazing.

James Blain:

So correct me if I'm wrong, Flix starts over in Europe, obviously now with you guys here at Greyhound, they're operating in the United States. does Flix operate globally? Then what are kinda the markets that Flix has?

Matt Maglio:

I'm not a Flips market expert, but I can tell you

James Blain:

Just in general. Right. We'll, we'll have the mar, we'll have the market expert guy on later, but just just to give people an idea of kind of the scale of Flix.

Matt Maglio:

Europe, Turkey, Chile, and there's several more countries. it's a very, very big Company and it's, it's uh, you know, there's also the flick train element of the company. It's, you know, I, I have forever, uh, admired the, the business concept and, uh, I really think it's, it's ingenious.

James Blain:

Yeah. No, and, and as, as someone that has family in Europe, I mean it, like you said, it's one of those things where if you're coming over from Europe. They're gonna have the brand recognition, they're gonna know the name. So it's, it's neat to have kind of a global rant. So with that in mind, you've got kind of your region here in the us. What does it look like for you day to day? I mean, obviously, you know, you're working with a larger company, but what does it look like for you day to day when you're thinking about how you guys are operating, what you guys are doing, kind of those areas. What are the things that you're focused on? Because, you know, I think especially a lot of the operators that are wanting to reach scale, you know, they, they might not have aspirations to reach the level of Greyhound where they're all over the country, but you guys manage an incredibly large fleet. You guys have got units all over the US trips going on at any one point in time. So what does it look like? Kind of operating at scale?

Matt Maglio:

I will tell you that, uh, it all comes back to the beginning. the thing that I focus on the most is, uh, drivers.

James Blain:

Yeah.

Matt Maglio:

You know, our motor coach operators are, are, are we doing the right thing with them? Are we putting them in, you know, the, the, the best possible scenario all the time? Are we, we, you know, giving them the tools that they need to job to do the job? Um, you know, it's always safety and drivers. That's, it's what it comes back to. And, and, you uh, a driver instructor, when I was learning to drive a bus once told me, you gotta him the sleeping pill. And I said, what does that mean? And he said, when you're driving the bus smooth and your actions are safe, and you look in the mirror and all your passengers are having a good nap on the way, he says, that's when you've made it, that you are a good driver. you know, those are the kinds of things that I think we can, you know, focusing on safety, I think really begins in the training aspect of, of driver

James Blain:

Oh, a hundred percent.

Matt Maglio:

and you have to, uh, you have to give them the skills they need do their job.

James Blain:

No, and, and I have to tell you a couple things. One, I think you've hit on what and impacts, we call it the biggest compliment you can ever receive, right? If you are driving so smoothly, so safely that people are falling asleep, like you said, you're doing exactly what you should be. Because what's interesting is even though it's a motor coach, everybody drives a car. Everybody's on that same road, right? It's it in most of the cases, that's a road they may have driven on, they could drive on, right? It's not like you are somewhere they're never gonna be. And I think people notice more than you think when you know there's a truck that's too close or you know, you are riding the guy in front of you, you're following too closely. I think a lot of people also forget we've got at the front of the bus, a giant windshield. So if I'm, you know, one bumper length off, the guy in front of me, everybody on the back of the bus that's looking forward can see that. Um, and, and I'm obviously, I'm more sensitive. The most, there's been times I've been on a bus and I'm kinda leaning in the aisle going, oh. I think knowing that is huge and understanding that ultimately it's the driver. You know, it doesn't matter what you are doing in terms of your structure, your policies, your this, your that, your drivers have to take everything that you're putting together, everything you're doing, and ultimately they're kind of that face to the passenger. And I've gotta tell you, I think one of the big advantages that you've got is having sat in that driver's seat, you know, we see a lot of people that come into the, at industry that don't ever get to really sit there, that don't ever get to really see it that way. And sometimes you kind of see a disconnect as a result. So I think one of the things that I would ask is, you know, if you had to pick what is the single most important aspect when it comes to training or safety or, or whatever it might be, being able to come from that driver role. What are some of the kind of the top things that you see that are, Hey, these are the keys. These are the big things. These are the absolute must have haves to do that I've seen from all of my experience.

Matt Maglio:

You know, I couldn't possibly focus just to one thing and, in my mind, but some of the things that I tell the drivers, like in driver training is that, uh, plan ahead for And I don't mean that. And, and it's no. Just get ready for your turn before you're on your turn. And, you know, it's, do you have your clothes for tomorrow? Is your uniform set tomorrow? Did you set an alarm? Did you get yourself to bed on Did you have a good meal? did you say goodbye to your significant other when you left the house? Right. You know, prepare yourself at all times and give yourself the biggest advantages that can, by never putting yourself in that scenario where you're in a rough. I think that that is kind of pivotal to, to having a, a good career as a driver. you know, I, I still this day, I can tell you what I'm wearing tomorrow. I can tell, you know, my, my, my shirt's already ironed. you know, prepare yourself in advance and, uh, you know, always, as you know, in, in whatever role I've had, I'm such a firm believer. and if I can't be on time, I'm gonna be Right? So, I, I would rather be a half hour early for something and be waiting around and, and ready and relaxed. And I just think, you know, set yourself up for success as, as often as you can, as you know, in any position. But, you know, I think it's especially helpful in a, in a role like that where everything is about time and, and precision and safety and, doing the safest possible thing all the time. and you know, when, when we talk about like, what does safety mean to you and, and things like that, you know, it's always, you know, doing the right thing all the time, even when nobody's paying attention. those are the things if you, if you're prepared and you, you're mentally ready for those things, I think it, I think it gives them an advantage in that role. So, you know, those are the kind of, you know, helpful pointers and stuff like that that I try to people.

James Blain:

Well, and, and I'm gonna take us completely like total left field here, but I always think back to the movie Limitless, right? For anybody that hasn't seen the movie Limitless, there's this pill and you take this pill and it unlocks, right? Your, your full potential. It basically, it's a smart pill. you're suddenly focused, you're smart, you're intelligent. And you know, I watched that movie and I thought it was great. I'm like, oh man, we gotta get the limitless pill. But the cool thing about it is, if you watch that movie, the very first thing this guy does, he takes this pill. He's suddenly the absolute smartest, best version of himself. The very first thing this guy does is go on a cleaning spree, an organizing spree. He gets everything organized, he gets everything clean, he gets everything in place. Right? Exactly what you're talking about now, just kind of bring it back to where we were, right? Not just talk about movies, but the big thing there is. Being intentional. It's if I'm gonna be the most powerful, the most intelligent, the best version of myself, I'm gonna be intentional. I'm gonna know where things are, I'm gonna be prepared. I'm gonna have everything at my fingertips. And I think especially when it comes to, and I think this probably is great advice for anyone beyond driving as well.'cause I see it with a lot of people for work, right? It's, well, you know, I go to work, I get that done. But they're not thinking about, okay, what do I have to do to get ready at the end of my day? What do I prepare for tomorrow? What do I have coming? How can I be intentional about everything that I'm doing? And I think when you start doing that, you start seeing real change. So I think that's from a driver's standpoint, it's something that a lot of people don't think about. But I can tell you one of the big things that I hear come up all the time is diet and exercise. It is so easy on the road to just eat junk.

Matt Maglio:

Oh, it is. you know, I don't, I don't know if you know this or not, but in that era of my life, I also weighed four pounds.

James Blain:

No way. There was three of you, uh, or maybe four of you with, with how your current weight. Right. So for anybody that's, that's listening right. Matt looks like he could probably fit two or three times into someone 400 pounds. Right? I I, I had no idea. I, and, and that said, uh, we've known each other for years now.

Matt Maglio:

Yeah, yeah, it's been about, uh, 17 years since I lost the weight. Um, but, uh, yeah, yeah, I was, I was, had definitely created some health issues for myself and I decided that, uh, you know, I wanted to a better version of myself and, uh, you know, diet and exercise and just, you know, it, it, it's incredible as you go with a journey like that, how much better you feel throughout it. and I think I have a, a, a greater understanding than some about that, you know, when, when all you make available to yourself is, is junk food, right? You, you're gonna eat it. And, it definitely, you don't realize it's the time, but diet, exercise and, and proper rest are so important. You know, it, will change your outlook on life. You know, I was talking to a vendor yesterday who said, uh, I don't know how you're not exhausted all time. and I just kinda laughed. I said, when you love what you do, not hard. And he said, you know, you're upbeat, you're positive and all that. I, I think more so now than ever, but. Um, you know, I like what I do. I like the people that I work for. and, I enjoy my job, so it makes it easy to truly it. but it also, uh, speaks to like, you know, eating proper and, and getting proper rest. And, you know, I think we all are a better version of ourselves when we take care of ourselves.

James Blain:

Well, and and I can tell you that at least I've recently, in the past couple years, right. I've started getting a lot more active. There was kind of that point in my life where, you know, it was nothing but travel, but work. But you know, and you're eating whatever's there and you're doing whatever's there. Now that I'm, you know, I'm actively golfing again. I'm playing hockey again. Right? More so the hockey than the golf is probably responsible for keeping me in shape. I, I don't know that me driving a cart around is helping much, but, you know, last night out playing hockey, you know, all these things. I think the big thing that I find is when you become active, it's easier to stay active when you're eating right. It's easier to keep eating. Right. Let me ask you something, you know, having been on that transformation, I've been on that journey, what would you say the impact was when you were at that point versus now on your reaction time, your ability to, do those types of things that you need to in terms of react and think ahead, and have you felt a massive difference in your ability to do that?

Matt Maglio:

Absolutely, absolutely. You, you, I think, mentally and physically, I think I feel much more nimble than I did back then, if that makes sense. More able to react, more able to, uh, you know, engage in things. my concentration, I think is much better it was back then. You know, I, I do have a little touch of a DD where I wanna kind of follow the, uh, follow the as they say.

James Blain:

That's why we get along so well. I have that same problem.

Matt Maglio:

And, you know, you know, I, I wanna, working from the garage today, you know, we were, we were talking about components on a vehicle and, uh, I wanted to learn everything there is to learn about that particular component. Right now, those are things that I think I had a difficult time doing in. In that era of my life where now like, okay, well, you know, I have now satisfied my need for that, right? So let's what's next? You know? So, one thing about this industry is it's, it's, full of challenges and there's, always new new issues, new developments. And, you know, when you work with the right team, you find that you're able to conquer them more easily and you're able to get through them. you know, which, which goes back to another thing that I say all the time. Uh, my team hears this very, very frequently from me, but none of us are as smart as all us, right?

James Blain:

Oh, a

Matt Maglio:

Um, and we talk about that a lot. We also talk about the alligator closest to the boat concept that we, we, we use here. You know, it's

James Blain:

Oh, okay. You're, you're, you're gonna have to explain that one'cause that's, that's a new one to me. And, and that one, that one strikes me as a bit odd because we were talking about New York, Connecticut. I don't know, the alligator closest to the boat is something I would've expected to hear up that way. So, so lightness. What is alligator coast to the boat,

Matt Maglio:

Well, what alligator is the most important one to you? It's the one closest to the boat, right? So you're, you're always, uh, you know, you always have to focus on that, that most thing, and that, you know, that that most important thing, the core of everything we do has to be safety. you know, safety for the, the passengers, safety for our drivers, safety for everyone on roads. You know, That, always the core of what we do. but, you know, it, you know, employee satisfaction or, you know, this, this driver's, uh, you know, this, operator's current biggest problem in the world is x. is that a problem we can, assist him with? We may not be able to solve but let's least, you know, show them that it's important to us be empathetic to their situation. and you know, I, I'm sure you've heard that quote. you have to be careful because you never know what somebody else is going through, right? So what, what for, to your point earlier, but for Crawford was probably an idle Tuesday wa was like this pivotal, you know, day for me that I'll never forget in my whole life. to this day, I still look up to him. Um, you know, he, he just had such grace under But yeah, so that's the alligator closest to boat. And we, we talk about that, all the time. We have a, you know, my team and I have a couple calls every day, seven days week, we talk and, we start having an issue of any kind and we, we say, okay, well what's the alligator closest to the boat? And, and, okay, that's the biggest problem. Then that's where we're all gonna focus and we're, we're gonna work together to come up with a solution and we're gonna get past that. And then we'll move on to the next alligator. until there's no more alligators to worry about. it's just kind of a fun way of saying, Hey, let's, let's find our priority and let's work on our priority together. I'm very, very fortunate. I won't lie to you. I, I work with some really talented individuals, not only in the leadership, but you know, that I report up to. But, but on my team, I have some really impressive people, with amazing backgrounds. I have a lot of folks who were drivers and have, worked their way up in the world, so to speak. uh, you know, they, understand what our operators do. Um, they respect what our operators do. I think important. feel blessed with the team that I have. Um, and I, I wouldn't change them for. the world.

James Blain:

Well, and I, I think you're hitting on something really important and something that I see becomes a bigger and bigger deal as companies scale and you get larger, having a team that you can trust, having the ability to delegate, like you said, being able to sit down and say, Hey, what's the alligator closest to the boat? What are we worried about now? What are we taking care of? I think that becomes a much bigger deal, especially as, I'll give you an example. One of the things I see all the time is when companies go from one location to two, one of a couple things happen. The companies that figure it out and are ready to move to the third locations are typically the ones that stop and say, Hey, what worked in one location, what we were kind of shooting off the hip doesn't work. We start getting outta sync. And I see a lot of companies, especially'cause in my world of training, there are companies that I work with that might have four or five locations that feel like four or five completely, totally different companies. They don't run the same way. The brand feels different, the safety feels different, the culture feels different. The ones that are really able to kind of scale and develop it are the ones that are able to say, Hey, we've got the right people in place, we've got the right systems in place. We've built everything out in a way that we are all rowing in the same direction. And then we're coming together, like you said, and we're, we're tackling those things. I think one of the neat things, and this is a group that you and I have both been a part of, is I think you've got resources out there that often get overlooked. Um, you know, you and I are typically at all the bus industry Safety Council events. You and I are very involved there and I think understanding that you have. Resources and people you can go to is huge. and by the way, for anyone who's not familiar, bus Industry Safety Council is a council under the American Bus Association. And kind of our whole goals of Bus Industry Safety Council is to educate and really work on that safety piece. Now, you've been involved, actually, I believe you're actually involved with Boston Safety Council even longer than I've been. cause I know you were, I believe you might have already been involved with them. When, when I came on the scene, how, yeah. I,'cause I, if I remember right, that's where we originally met when you were with your last employer. So let me ask you, how has that kind of impacted the trajectory of your career and what are of some of the values or pieces that you get from being involved in that council, from going to those events?

Matt Maglio:

Well, assumed you knew this, but now that I'm thinking back, I you, didn't. But, so Al Smith, longtime member of the Bus Industry Safety Council was the safety director at, Greyhound. And, uh, I the vice chair of the, his committee.

James Blain:

Oh, I didn't know that part. I, I, I was lucky enough, you know, God rest, I, I knew Al, he was great, but I didn't

Matt Maglio:

so that was kind of the thing that, got me interested in coming Greyhound and, uh, Al kind of. Pushed me along and, uh, here I am. But, uh, and, and I got to work with Al Gear up for a while as well before he retired. Um, and, that was, pretty huge. and I've really it. Um, you know, I will say that, uh, you know, some people from the council that, that brought me into it originally, um, and kind of promoted the idea of me participating in it. you know, I, I, I couldn't be thankful for it. I think learned, you know, a tremendous amount. I think that hearing the information that's presented, and I don't know if I can name drop some of'em, but I'm gonna, anyway, guess. But, uh, you know, like, uh, Mike McDonald for example, from Salcon Amazing Knowledge. I've learned a lot from the materials that he's presented over the years. Pam Marez from Daco, she has delivered some very intricate, human resource. Presentations, many about and things like that companies have brought forth. Um, you know, so very interesting stuff and, and learned a great deal from them. but the list goes on and on. There's so many talented people there that have so much experience. And when you attend, it's not just going to be sessions, you get networking time with them, you get to know these other folks. And, uh, you know, for me, in the beginning it was really, you know, Al Smith and just learning from Al and I would have 4 million questions for Al every time I would see him. It was like, I kind saved him up. and, uh, Al would very patiently, you know, well, you know, this is how I would handle this. And, you he, he, you know, well, if you look in the regulation, Matt, you would see X, Y, Z, right? And, uh, you know, it, it, it, it it al was pretty fantastic as a, you know, he was kind of a mentor of mine well. But, you know, in Bisk. we have a mentor program. Um, and I, think that one of the hardest parts about when you start out in a council like that is you don't anybody. You feel like the new kid in school. Right. And, by connecting with a mentor when new, you, it of goes'cause you almost immediately have somebody, right? you have common commonalities with everybody who's there you are on kind of the same mission, most likely to, you know, learn and grow and develop and help make the world a safer place, really. Um, and I, I think what we do is very important. So, you know, I I, I, I think that, uh, The Bus Industry Safety Council has been n not only good for, you know, my education, but kind of growth as a person as well. Um, so it, been a fantastic experience for me. And I, I feel very privileged that, uh, that Greyhound allows me to continue to do that. and very happy to serve as the Vice Chairman of council. And, uh, you know, I, I, I'm very appreciative of that opportunity.

James Blain:

Well, and I, I've gotta say, you know, I've been to a lot of different groups, you know, and, and I think you've hit on something really big. You know, you go for your first time ever to a new association, a new group. You're nervous. I've been on both sides of that, right? I've been there as a vendor. I've been there as a member, and I can tell you, you know. the big thing is always trying to kind of get over that hump of the first day of school, right? I always think back to when I was a kid and it's the first day of school at a new school and you don't know anybody and you're terrified. And back to what we said earlier, for everyone else, it's Tuesday, Wednesday, whatever day of the week it is. Right? They're all seeing their buddies, they're all, but that first one is always really tough. And one of the things that instantly let me know I was in the right place for the Boston Safety Council is that it really is very much about learning and seeking knowledge. you go to a lot of sessions where it's, I'm the guy that knows everything. I'm gonna tell you everything. You gotta go through me. I know it all. whereas what I find is in the bus industry safety council. It's a lot more of, you know, you've got all these different people from all these different parts. You know, you've got Pam, who's an HR expert. You've got Mike, who's a compliance expert. You know, you've got Jeff Shanker who came from law enforcement, has got, you know, the safety background. He's got the operations background. You've got all of these different people, right? Sal is the OSHA expert. You know, you've got all of these different walks and all these different perspectives and you bring them together and suddenly you start getting all of these different viewpoints and everybody is more worried about educating and networking and communicating, and not necessarily about who's right. Now. That said, I think we've all seen a couple heated discussions over how, you know, whatever point, whatever was interpreted and how it applied. And, but it's, it's one of those, it's one of those things where I can tell you, I've had situations where, you know, I was, So I was out west and I was the client and they were asking me some questions about hours of service and you know, they had a very specific super niche, super odd, you know, position on it. I said, well, you know, this is my gut instinct, but I'm gonna phone a friend, right? Who did I call? Mike McDonald. Hey Mike. I know. Yeah, right. Thank you. Thank you. I said, Hey, you know, Mike, Mike hours of service are really one of his things. This is a super niche and one of the cool things is because the way this council's structured, instead of just like giving me the answer, it was, alright, well let's walk through the scenario. Let's look at it like it became this teaching moment. And I'm forever grateful to people that do that.'cause I think you and I share this commonality that we love to learn. You know, you want to learn, you want to figure it out. You've mentioned Al, which if, if you wouldn't mind, I'd love for you to talk a little bit more about Al because he was great. He was one of those guys that really got it. I think understanding that there's resources like this out there is half the battle. you know, when it comes to Al are you able to share some of the things that, that he was able to teach and bring you on and, and more so can you give us a little bit of background? He was, he was a heck of a character when it comes to someone who gets it. Knows it, does it. He was, he was right there.

Matt Maglio:

He had big personality. I think was a part of it. I, I can share, uh, some about Al certainly. you know, Al Smith worked for Greyhound for 40 plus years, and he started as a, a driver in a company that, I believe it was a trailways company that was acquired by Greyhound throughout the history. And, uh, Al Al started out west. And, uh, you know, Al was just, he knew. One of the things I think I I most appreciate Al Smith was his ability to relate to the driver. Be reasonable, but look for the right way. You know, it wasn't, uh, you know, it, there was never like a a just boom, this is solution. He always put a lot of thought things. he wanted the drivers to do the best possible job. He wanted them to go out and do the safest possible, and he wanted them to treat the customers well, and he wanted them to represent the company well. and, you know, he would look for a way to do that. And Al Smith, you, you, you just, you know, I don't know how well you knew him, but you didn't wanna Al. but not because you were scared of him. You just, you know, I think people just wanted to live up to the man's expectations.

James Blain:

Well, I mean, he was also a tall man. I mean, Al I think both of us are safe in saying we both looked up to Al, literally.

Matt Maglio:

most people did. I think Al was probably went six three or six four.

James Blain:

Yeah. He's pretty tall guy.

Matt Maglio:

But he was, uh, uh, just a phenomenal individual who, um, you know, drivers to this day, you know, within the company, still, still talk about him. you know, he was well respected in the community just, people really, looked up to him in many ways. And, uh, you know, and regarded him as an expert in the field, you know, and, uh, you know, it was an honor to get to work with him and be his vice chair on committees. Um, you know, and I, I always looked forward to, uh, to talking to Al and, uh, uh, I'll be honest with you, I was very flattered, when Al thought that I could quote, replace him. and I told then that I don't think anybody could ever you, Al, but, uh, you know, it, uh, it was, uh, it was an honor for him to, even think of that for me. So, you I, I, I've always really appreciated that he thought of me in that. regard.

James Blain:

Well, and I think that goes back to the mentorship piece that we talked about earlier, right? I think we, and, and, we'll, we'll call it what it is. although neither one of us would consider ourselves like the really young guys. You know, we are in an industry where the average age of people, especially on the safety and the training side, are much older than you and I, you know, I, I consider myself middle aged, but a lot of times, I dunno about you, I get, I get told, Hey, you're the young guy, you're the kid. I'm going, Yeah, yeah. 40-year-old kid over here. but I think, there's a lot of knowledge that right now is at risk of being lost in our industry because of the fact we're not seeing as many younger people come in. we do have some that have come through, especially in terms of, you know, ownership and the next generation taking over. but I think there's a huge amount of people in our industry that are willing to share that knowledge. When I first came over to the motor coach side, I wasn't involved in BISC yet. but I, I got put on the driving force. So, so shout out to, to Aaron Bloom, who, who runs the, the driving force and now we're a council there. but I got put on the driving force and when I say I was the least experienced, that's an understatement. So we had Brett Maitland, we had Adam Hall, we had Pam Martinez, we had Mike McDonald. you know, the list just goes on of all of these people that have all of this years and years and years of experience. And here I am coming towards motor coach industry, obviously, you know, with Pax moving into that space. And very quickly it became, well, we're going to BISC You need to do bis well, you need to be involved over here. Well, you need to be doing this, you need to be looking at that. And very quickly that kind of helped steer you in the right direction. So I think it sounds like you kind of had similar experiences so. Let me ask you something and, and I know what my answer would be, but I'd love to hear yours. what would you tell somebody that is newer to the industry, or maybe even they're a driver and they're looking to get into a different role, or, you know, maybe they're in one role now, wanna be involved in a different part, or maybe they're just trying to learn more. How, how would somebody, you know, you were very lucky in that it almost seems like these guys found you. What would someone do if they wanted to be in that place to be found or to learn more or to pick up a mentor? What, what advice would you give someone that's looking for that?

Matt Maglio:

Ask questions, curious. You know, don't, accept an answer as you know, as what it is. Ask why. Um, and, and you know what, I, I think a lot of this business is networking, you know, and getting to know others and, and, uh, you know, don't be bashful. That's the other It's, uh, you know, don't be scared to say, you know, what is this? What is a VA all about? What is. BIS all about. And, I, I always encourage when I talk to other operators who part of, you know, BIS or a or, you know, try it, come to a meeting. You, you, you, you, I think you'll find there's a lot being offered there. Um, you know, and you know. And you were on all the, the bi executive committee halls? Yeah. Where you know I We are as a team trying to jazz it up a little bit. The best contest. I still think that was a lot fun. I hope that that catches you know, it's like kind of my baby, but I, I, I I think it's a cool Hey, throughout your best idea and, hopefully you win some cash, right? but, you know, being part of those things I think will, will very quickly, you know, bring out for folks the, the opportunities that are there and, and help them get the exposure to it that need. to learn. I mean, you know, a being new to this can be difficult for the same reasons that we're worried about losing that knowledge. You know, everybody who's been here has been here a time, and, uh, you know, not all of us are quick to warm up to new people. so, you know, I think that, uh, the BIS mentor program helps with that. I just, you know, reaching out and talking to BIS members or, you know, any of that is a helpful thing. you know, I, I, gotta say 20 something years ago, you know, when I was, you know, brand new to industry, I never thought that social media would play such a role, but are some absolutely amazing, you know, uh, motor coach operator groups out there. And, I know we talked about Rachel Greenwell on, uh, on some of our

James Blain:

Yeah. Big shout out to Rachel. She's, uh, she's doing great on social media. For anybody that's not following, that's a driver that, that is posting videos. Who, Rachel, if you wanna be on podcast, let us know. But

Matt Maglio:

I'm, I'm sure she'd be open to it, but, uh, you know, it, it, that, that's the kind of stuff, and I think that by bringing that to the, you know, the things like when you tell somebody about a BA marketplace for the time, you know, how many people are there, all of the vendors that are there, the marketplace itself, the Broadway piece of it, the, the, you know,

James Blain:

it can be overwhelming.

Matt Maglio:

it's, it's such an amazing opportunity. You know, I am still ever thankful to, uh, Dennis Lyons, who invited me to come to a BA for first time years ago. And, uh, you know, I, I have been almost every year since then, but, uh. You know, I, I remember getting back from that trip and, and telling him, thank you for letting me do that. And, you know, I met so people. You interface with vendors and, you know, as an operator, you're always at, you know, am I buying the best this, you know, is this the best way for us to handle thing? And, uh, you know, we, we, it's always good to see what's there. And that, that was part of the motivation and bringing those vendors that we're at, uh, at the BIS conference. You know, it was, uh, bring some faces in and, you know, they really seemed to enjoy their experience there. And, and they got some really good quality t uh, time to talk folks. But a lot of operators who were there had the opportunity to, to talk to them, ask questions about their products, uh, and then some of them gave really good educational, uh, sessions. You know, and, and, and I think that knowledge is, is important and, uh, we can all learn each other. And, uh, you know, I, I think that by continuing doing that and, and bringing some fresh faces in, I hope that we attract some more people. And I, I that the, the folks listen to this, if you're not part of Bisk and you're, you're curious, please reach out to James, reach out to myself. We would be absolutely happy to talk you about it. Um, and tell you about the experience. And, uh, you know, I, I think, you know, it's very educational, it's great networking, and also fun, you know, so. I, I, you know, reception that we went to, uh, that a, b, hosted it. It's so interesting, you know, as somebody in the industry to see the behind the curtain of some other part of the right? So the tour ABC's Place, um, thought was, you know, I, I thought it was great. Um, it was so, uh, it was so interesting to me and so, so enjoyable, right? So see where those parts are being stored, how things come together on their end. And then, you know, you see those things roll into garage and it's like, wow, I, I know where you came from. I know your whole life story before you got here now. So I, think this Bisk has been one of the best things that, uh, that I've been able to, uh, to attend my, uh, actually, and, and, and, and fun story for you, a little side quest but, uh, I have a son named Matt, also, you Matt Junior, and he got to go to Bisk once, uh, when he,

James Blain:

How old is he?

Matt Maglio:

he's 25 now. and he has CDL got a CDL when he uh, the tender age of 20 years old. And, uh, he got to go on a couple charters with me, you know, years before, um, as a driver. And then, uh, he got to drive some trips, uh, and, uh, he still actually works in the industry, so, and he, loves he does and, uh, you know, it, it's, it's always kind of fun because he, he got to go to Bisk once and, he enjoyed it and he always asked me, you know, how it, what, you know, who was there? And, and all of those things. So it's, kind of a, I guess it's a family business for us now. You know, we're all gonna work in transportation maybe. But it's, uh, it, it it was always cool to see him kind of come up in. that business.

James Blain:

Well, I think, I think you've kind of hit the nail on the head, right? Part of this is, is having that fire there. Um, you know, obviously not, not to withhold the love because we haven't mentioned them yet, but I think one of the coolest part about our bisk events for me is that. You have bis, which is the bus industry safety council, me being training you, being right. Both of us are in that same safety training space, so that's where we tend to put a lot of our focus. But then you have bus mark that tags on right to the back of it, which is the bus industry maintenance council. And what's really cool for me about these events is that unlike a lot of other shows, you've got these moving. So you might be in Florida, you know, we were in Minnesota, you know, California, you've got all of these different places and typically what you're gonna see. Is you are going to have meetings on the BIS side that are educational sessions. You know, you've got safety compliance director one-on-one. You've got all of these different pieces there that are really focused on the safety. But then one of my big things that I love doing is on Bus mark, we basically have Field Trip day, right? And clearly not the official term for it, but field trip day for us big kids, you know, and we do our site visits. And so, you know, when we were in Minnesota, there were three incredible operators that we got to go and see. And so we're getting to see their location, their vehicles, you know, they're touring you through the facility, they're sharing everything that they're doing, how they have stuff structured. And so you're getting to see it from a whole different point of view. And so. I always really liked that model and that you are learning and, and me, of course we have both mentioned low A, d, D, right? I want to touch it, feel it, see it run around. Uh, for me that's always the coolest part of that is you're getting to learn on the safety side, but then you're getting to see those operations. You're getting to go and be there. And I think that's something that's really unique. Um, fun story. You know, for us, we have a partnership with A B, C, where they have all of their vehicle specific van H training in the PAX training platform. So any operator that's running Van Hs, you have all the training videos directly from the manufacturers. And that actually came from, you know, Ryan Cornell. I got lucky. We were in, um. So we're out in Florida and we're at their Florida location, which for anyone that hasn't been, it's almost like a little campus, right? They basically got a campus there with all the different parts and we started talking there and we were able to, to get something figured out. She put me in touch with Danny, who is the guy that takes care of their in-house training material. And we were able to put something together. And that happened as a result of the Bus New City Safety Council.'cause we were doing a tour there. And so for me, I think a lot of this is just really getting out there and getting involved. now let me ask you, what, if anything, do you think has been one of the most valuable things you've been able to get from that group? I know you mentioned your, your time with Al and you've got things there. Is there any one thing that kind of stands out for you?

Matt Maglio:

You know, I, I think that, uh, the visits are something that you always take something back from that

James Blain:

Oh, there's always something new. It's

Matt Maglio:

And if it's not the way that, you know, company X, Y, Z decided to their parts in a room and label them this way that nobody else has thought of. You know, it was, uh, or, or it's a very unique idea that they've had that is, is applicable to your, your facility. you it, it's, or if it's, you know, talking to one of their folks that, has the exact same challenge that you have, and they, you know, they're like, well, this is what I did. And it's like, wow, wait a minute. I didn't think of that. You know, and, and you always walk away from them with something. even that, and one of the things that I've always enjoyed is, when they. The, you know, Jeremy Dispo from the CVSA when he comes out and his updates that he provides to the, the council. I, I think that's an invaluable service that he provides because, you know, he is telling you from the enforcement perspective what is gonna happen roadside and that that gives you the ability to, you know, to prep your driver or to understand it, or to be ready for it in whatever capacity. to have the folks from F-M-C-S-A there to hear from them directly why a rule made. what that means for you as an operator and to get to ask them the questions that probably, you know, could never ask, right? standing right in front of you and they're so understanding and patient. and they have such talented folks that, that are of that. You know, it, it, it, it's great opportunity to clarify those things that you're just not sure because, you know, this is new and, and, you know, what does all mean? Um, you know, when, when the Drug and Alcohol Clearing house came out, I don't know that I would've ever held the understanding of that whole philosophy like I now, if it wasn't for all the presentations that I got to go to, and all the people from F-M-C-S-A that, that were there, where you could say to, you know, to Smith when before she retired, you could say to her, Hey, what, what does this mean for this scenario? You know, and she would explain that, very patiently to you. And, uh, you know, I, I, I just think that. Those are, some of those opportunities are, you can't force, you know, and going to Bisk or to bus Mark or all above, gives you that, you know, that kind of doorway to, you know, and then you, you go to the reception in the afternoon and those same people are and wait a minute, I didn't ask about. Right. So now you have, you can get a quiet audience with them and, and you can kind of say, Hey, how does this affect this company, my company, in this capacity? And, and they'll patiently for you, you know, and, and that's amazing. You're never gonna get that at any other event that I've attended. So I, I think that's almost indispensable. It's invaluable. you know, a big thing that was interesting to me is I could ask the actual people from those, those places and say, you know, how do I deal with this Or, you know, what, what is everyone else doing? You know? So that's a huge part of what I think folks really get at a bis and bus mark. I think we did that exercise at this meeting, um, the, the one we were at together, uh, about how many years of experience we're the room as far as like mentors. And it was like thousands of years of experience, right?

James Blain:

bonkers.

Matt Maglio:

Yeah. So, you know, I, I, I don't know where else you can go, where you have those people all in the same room, and they're all there for the same thing. So I, I, I just think that it's a, a huge opportunity for folks, to come in there and to, uh, to get that knowledge. Ask the questions you have, bring that back to your company, and help make your company, you know, the best possible company could be.

James Blain:

No, absolutely. You know, to what you're saying about the years of experience, you know, I, I was thinking to myself the other day, man, 10 years, I've been in this industry for 10 years, right? My kids haven't even been alive 10 years. But you go to Bisk and they're like, all right, so five years sit down, 10 years, sit down, half the room is still standing. 20 years, half the room is still standing, right? You've got all of these people that have been in these roles that know this backwards and forwards, and like you said, I think your, my answer to that would've mirrored yours almost perfectly. You've just got so much experience. You've got people that you can call on. Um, you're able to find people that are, they're dealing with a lot of the same challenges you are, but they've got that lens of time that they're looking through, and I have yet to meet anyone that wasn't willing to share it with you. So, I, I couldn't agree more. So we're, we're, we're coming close to the, the very end here. You know, as someone who has been in this industry, who started as a driver, who's kind of gone here now, let me ask you something. If you had to say, there's one thing that has been your key, right? This is, this is what got me through to where I am today. This is that pivotal moment, or that pivotal action, or that pivotal thing, what do you think that would be, and how do you go about trying to find that in your own career?

Matt Maglio:

along the way, you, you, you do, most people hold more than one job, right? You, you try something a little different and, and when you find something that interests you and that you're truly to, I, I think you have to do that thing. Um, know, from the time I was a little kid, I had interest in mass transit, buses, trains, things like that

James Blain:

Hold on, hold on. You were, you were the kid drawing the buses on the binder.

Matt Maglio:

yeah, that was

James Blain:

You're, you're the, you're one of the few. I I, I've met three in my life. Most of us end up here by accident.

Matt Maglio:

We, uh, you know, I was always interested in it. And, uh, you know, it, it just, so it, it was an easy fit for me in that, you know, I, I could, uh, I could somehow participate in it, you know, and it was, you know, I wanted learn about the buses, the models, the makes, the, you know, why, why do you choose, uh, why do you wanna choose an Allison transmission over, you know, whatever. What, what about that? You know? And I, I would always have all the questions that probably, especially in my early days, I'm sure I drove a lot of people nuts. Um, but, but, but why? You know, and, uh. It's, um, you know, if if you're interested in something and, and you continue to have a thirst for knowledge in that area, I, I think you, you stay it and you, you put your heart and your soul into it and, and, you know, you do everything you can to make the biggest impact in the best way. And, uh, you know, don't forget about people. I see that meme all the time on LinkedIn. If you're not fighting for your people, do you deserve to be a manager? And, and, you know, I, I think you have an obligation, to, not only teach them the right way of doing things, but to look out for them in, in appropriate ways, know, and, to try and help them on their quest for their next move or their, their education or, you know, help them grow into the next thing. And, uh, you know, you just, That part of the game. And, uh, my, one of my favorites is also until you a manager who is, who is capable of creating another manager, have you succeeded? um, so I, I mean, if enjoy this, and if you like a challenge, you like an ever changing business with people, safety is important to you, I, think the, motor industry is, is, a very satisfying career.

James Blain:

Yeah. I, I agree. I, I think you've absolutely nailed it. think as far as seeing someone that's really gone through what you've gone through as far as leaving with something, I, I don't know that we could have left this episode any better. So Matt, I can't thank you enough for coming on. Obviously you and I have fun doing this kind of stuff. I think we've both kind of got the passion. for anybody that wants to learn more about the bus industry Safety Council, Bisk, or the Bus Maintenance council, bus mark, I would say buses.org is the ABA website. You can go there. I'm on the executive committee with Matt for Bisk, so you can reach out to either myself or to Matt, uh, Matt, if anybody has questions they want to get ahold of you, anything like that, what's the easiest way for them to get ahold of you?

Matt Maglio:

Shoot me an an email, um, Matthew, m ae w maglio, MA Greyhound, And, you know, just know you're, you're, you're interested in hearing about. And, uh, we can some time to talk.

James Blain:

Awesome. Well, Matt, I can't thank you enough for coming on. Thank you everyone for listening. if you enjoyed this episode, leave us a, like, leave us a comment. If you wanna see more episodes like this. If there's a topic that you wished Matt would've talked about that we've just absolutely gotta come back to, leave us a comment, let us know, and we look forward to seeing you guys in the next episode of the Ground Transportation Podcast. Thanks. Bye-bye.

Thank you for listening to the ground transportation podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please remember to subscribe to the show on apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. For more information about PAX training and to contact James, go to PAX training.com. And for more information about driving transactions and to contact Ken, Go to driving transactions.com. We'll see you next time on the ground transportation podcast.

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