Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Michael Lombard. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Michael, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with important influences in our lives. Is there a historical figure you look up to?

Napoleon Bonaparte is someone I really look up to. He was Emperor of the French from 1804-1815. I recently read Andrew Roberts’ biography of Napoleon, which is the most well researched biography of the Emperor to date. It separates the man from the myth and tells the true story that he was not a tyrannical menace, nor was he a war monger given more wars were declared against him then he declared, but a once in a millennium benevolent dictator who brought France, and the rest of Europe into the Modern Age. It’s the ultimate story of the self-made man, who was born of obscure nobility in Corsica, a recent French territory, and rose to the highest station he ever could. In a time period where birthright was what foretold the trajectory of your life, he forever changed that course by instituting merit over that of birth. An Imperial Guard, Captain Blaze has been quoted in saying, “Louis would have asked if the brave man was noble, where Napoleon would ask if the noble was brave.” As a leader Napoleon would pin his own awards onto the chests of his men, would joke with them, invite them to eat with him, instilling true espirit de corps. After the Battle of Wagram, his boots covered in mud, An Austrian officer not knowing it was Napoleon exclaimed how the fighting must have been rough, to which he responded, “Your master wanted to remind me that I am a soldier. I hope he will own that the Imperial Purple has not caused me to forget my first trade.”

This was a man, not machine, who had the power to compartmentalize each of his responsibilities, and was able to give full attention to any task at hand. He reformed education, liberated Jews from Hapsburg ghettos, and changed legal codes through the Napoleonic Code. Where the American Revolution gave the United States Washington, Jefferson, and Madison, the French Revolution gave Europe all three combined in Napoleon. Many people question if his ambition was too great, but if you were to ask his fallen soldiers, they’d all come back and say they are honored to be apart of one of history’s most greatest epics. To this day more books have been written about Napoleon than there are days since his death in 1821. So I’d say there is a lot to admire and look up to, and clearly I’m not alone!

Michael, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Michael Lombard, and the most important thing about me is the story my last name has. Anthony and Angeline Lombard from Naples, and Caserta, Italy gave birth to Nicholas Lombard on August 9th, 1891. In 1898 they relocated to Connecticut where they gave birth to their second son Joseph Lombard. By 1904 the Lombards had finally settled in Waterbury, CT. At 13 years old, Nicholas was helping his father load a drive a horse drawn wagon with sand and building materials to construction sites. He later began to deliver ice to restaurants throughout the Litchfield Hills, with the help of his 8 year old brother. In 1919, Joseph would drive a “jitney” for local citizens at 5 cents per ride, but finally in 1923 with two old trucks the brothers began their transportation business. One of the first to challenge the railroads who had monopolized the freight industry, they navigated through the Great Depression by expanding into “over the road” service. In 1932 Joseph drove a company truck for their historic first run from Waterbury to Philadelphia, PA. That expansion grew to owning 12 terminals in 7 states, from Baltimore to Portland, Maine, making them one of the largest Motor Carriers in the East.

Shortly after the Motor Carrier Act of 1980, Lombard Bros. Inc was sold in 1984, and the Lombard story took a hiatus until I entered the supply chain in 2017, and in 2020 I decided to go over the road as a truck driver myself. Along the way is when I began training for endurance events like marathons, I started creating content, including a podcast show. I became a personal trainer and coach, an advocate, and a motivational speaker. Since getting off the road I worked full time in the fitness industry, while still raising awareness for truck driver health. This led me to my current role on the marketing team of a company called Truck Parking Club. On my own I engage with brands and companies in the health and fitness space on why they need to get in front of the health crisis truck drivers face. For any company to thrive it relies on trucks, but at the same time many brands produce better for you products that truckers can benefit from. Through athletic achievements I hope to bridge this gap between both industries and help everyone win.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

In May of 2023 while parked in Clive, Iowa, I was backed into by another truck which put me out of service for nearly a month. This meant my business couldn’t generate revenue. This is when I obtained my fitness certification, and to keep money coming in I worked security at a bar and worked for Door Dash. After I got back on the road the economy had continued to spiral down and I was losing money for months driving me to sell my truck. Three days after I got off the road I was at Coaches Training for OrangeTheory, pivoting from Trucker to Coach.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

What helped me build my reputation was consistency, and showing up. When I started making content, whether it be on tiktok or my podcast show, I not only put myself out there digitally, I put myself in the physical arena as well. I joined trucking associations such as OOIDA and CDL Drivers Unlimited, I attended trade shows, and industry events such as the Freightwaves F3 Festival, Broker-Carrier Summit, Mid America Truck Show, and more. I put myself out there on LinkedIn which got me invited to AMBEST’s (a Travel Center) conference. At each of these events I speak to as many people as possible explaining who I am, what I do, and why. No one is going to advocate for your brand better than you, and for as powerful social media is, nothing will top going out and seeking relationships with the industry’s prominent thought leaders.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lombardtrucking.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lombardtrucking/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mlombard1/
• Twitter: https://x.com/LombardTrucking
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LombardTruckin