The Power of One: What Truck Drivers Can Learn From Michael Lombard

I met Michael Lombard at the Iowa 80 Truckers Jamboree this summer. I already knew of Michael through his work in the trucking industry and his online presence as Lombard Trucking, but seeing him at Iowa 80 gave me a chance to hear his story in person.

And Michael wasn't just there talking about driver health.

He was practicing what he preaches.

During the Jamboree, Michael took part in the Trucker Olympics sponsored by Samsara. While other people were watching from the sidelines, Michael was out there competing, pushing himself and, at one point, literally dragging a truck.

When I interviewed him afterward, he told me something that perfectly captured his attitude:

“I've gotta lead by example.”

That stuck with me.

I've Seen What This Lifestyle Can Do

I've worked in transportation for about 15 years, and over that time I've worked with hundreds of professional drivers.

I've also seen a lot of good men struggle with their health.

It's not difficult to understand why. Truck driving is an occupation built around sitting for long periods of time. Drivers spend hours behind the wheel, sleep away from home, deal with unpredictable schedules and often have limited healthy food options on the road.

We can talk about what drivers should do differently, but doing it while living that lifestyle is another matter entirely.

That's why people like Michael are important.

He isn't someone standing outside the industry telling truck drivers how they should live. He earned his CDL. He spent more than three years driving over the road. He knows what it's like to live in a truck and structure your day around miles, appointments and hours of service.

And he managed to transform his health while doing it.

From 280 Pounds to Running

Michael told me that he hit a low point in 2018 after losing a close friend he had served with in the Marines.

At the time, he weighed around 280 pounds.

Later, when he became an over-the-road driver, he made a decision about how he was going to use the limited time he had outside the driver's seat.

As he told me during our conversation:

“If I wasn't driving, I was walking or running.”

Eventually, Michael lost 100 pounds.

Today, running and fitness have become a major part of his life.

But what I found most interesting wasn't the 100-pound transformation.

It was his advice about how to start.

The Power of One

When I asked Michael what he would tell a truck driver who wants to become healthier but doesn't know where to begin, he called it “the power of one.”

Pick one thing.

Don't completely rebuild your diet tomorrow. Don't decide you're suddenly going to spend an hour in the gym every day. Don't create a complicated plan that becomes impossible to maintain after a week.

Choose one small thing and keep doing it until you don't have to think about it anymore.

Maybe that's walking for 10 minutes.

Maybe it's 15 minutes.

Maybe you start with one minute.

Because one minute of walking is still better than zero minutes of walking.

Once that becomes normal, build on it.

Michael also gave another simple example: stop drinking your calories. Don't try to change everything you're eating at the same time. Start with one change, see how you feel, make it part of your routine and then move on to the next one.

I think that's powerful advice well beyond trucking.

You Don't Have to Transform Your Life Tomorrow

We tend to celebrate the dramatic result.

Michael lost 100 pounds. That's the number that gets people's attention.

But nobody loses 100 pounds in one day.

The real transformation happens through hundreds of small decisions that don't seem particularly impressive individually.

Walk instead of sitting for another 10 minutes.

Choose water instead of a sugary drink.

Do it again tomorrow.

Then do it again.

That's why I think Michael is such a good role model for professional drivers. His story isn't about having unlimited time, perfect working conditions or access to a gym every day.

He did it while working in the same industry and dealing with many of the same realities other drivers face.

More Than a Fitness Story

There's another reason I wanted Michael on CK Drive.

His connection to trucking goes back much further than his own driving career.

The Lombard family has more than 100 years of history in transportation. Michael told me how his great-great-grandfather's operation started with eight horses and two carriages before transitioning to two trucks in 1923.

Michael eventually earned his own CDL and spent more than three years over the road. Today, he works with Truck Parking Club, helping tackle another problem he experienced firsthand as a driver: finding truck parking.

His story connects the past, present and future of this industry in a fascinating way.

But one thing he said probably explains his relationship with trucking better than anything else:

Getting his CDL gave him purpose.

That's why this conversation stayed with me.

It's about trucking, but it's also about legacy, purpose, health and what can happen when someone decides to make a change.

And sometimes that change doesn't have to start with 100 pounds.

It can start with one.

Watch my full conversation with Michael Lombard on CK Drive to hear his story, his family's century-long history in trucking, his perspective on the truck parking problem and his advice for drivers who want to start changing their health.

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