We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Torie Wiley a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Torie , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

The idea for 18 Wheels all started after a great night in Miami.
One day, my good friend Donnell Grimes from Washington, D.C., flew into Florida to hang out. As we were chopping up ideas for a brand, Donnell said to me, “You should call it 18 Wheels.”
Ding ding ding — the light was lit, and the journey began.
From that moment, the vision for the brand started taking shape.

The first step was building the 18 Wheels Talk Show Podcast during the pandemic — a time when everyone was stuck inside and needed a voice.
I started the show with three other hosts: two women drivers and one other male driver, along with myself.
I made it a point to have women involved because I didn’t want the conversation to be male-dominated, especially since the trucking industry had been that way for so many years.
And it took off — our voices were finally being heard, and we were having fun talking about the real life of truckers on the road.

But even though trucking is my lifestyle, I wanted the podcast to be about more than just the trucking world.
I wanted to discuss business, hard labor industries, relationships, fitness tips, financial literacy, comedy, and hot topics in society — real conversations that could help and inspire everybody, not just truckers.

Of course, the road had its bumps.
Eventually, our two original female hosts left the show.
They no longer wanted the big social media attention, which I completely understood — social media can be a gift and a curse, especially when significant others can’t handle the spotlight that comes with being a public figure.
But even that didn’t stop the vision.
We recruited two new hosts, and together, we took the show to an even higher level of success.

Now, the 18 Wheels brand has grown beyond the podcast.
We launched The 18 Wheels Store, offering lifestyle gear made for the hardworking spirit of the road, and introduced our all-natural 18 Wheels Spring Water.
Today, the 18 Wheels Talk Show Podcast is available on all major platforms and is heard all around the world.

God works in mysterious ways, and I truly believe this journey is just getting started.
From a simple idea to a worldwide brand —
18 Wheels is here, and we’re just getting warmed up.

Torie , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

The 18 Wheels brand was born out of the life and passion of Torie Wiley — a true believer in the grit, pride, and spirit of the trucking world.
Spending countless hours on the road, Torie saw firsthand how truckers weren’t just moving freight — they were moving America. But their voices, their stories, their experiences? They weren’t being heard.

Torie knew it was time to change that.

Inspired by the long hauls, the roadside talks, the brotherhood and sisterhood that only truckers understand, Torie Wiley created 18 Wheels to give the trucking community a true voice — loud, proud, and unapologetically real.

Starting with the 18 Wheels Talk Show Podcast, Torie built a platform where drivers could tell their stories, share their struggles, celebrate their wins, and lift each other up.
It wasn’t just about trucks — it was about life, loyalty, freedom, and the open road.

18 Wheels is more than a brand.
It’s a movement.
And it’s only just getting started.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

One of the biggest lessons I had to learn on this journey was not everyone is built for the spotlight — and that’s okay.

When we first launched the 18 Wheels Talk Show Podcast, the energy was electric.
We were excited, passionate, and ready to put real voices out into the world. But as the show grew, so did the attention — and that’s when reality hit.

Some of the original hosts — especially the women — started feeling the pressure of public life.
Suddenly, it wasn’t just about having conversations anymore.
It was about the comments, the opinions, the eyes watching everything.
Social media attention can be a blessing, but it can also expose the parts of your life you thought were private.
Relationships got tested. Personal lives got pulled into the public eye.
And eventually, some of the team decided to step away.

At first, it was tough.
I questioned everything: Was the dream falling apart? Was this the end of the show?
But God showed me something important: Not everyone is meant to finish the journey with you — and that’s not a bad thing.

Some people are meant to help you start.
Others are meant to help you grow.
And some are meant to stay until the mission is complete.

That moment taught me resilience. It taught me leadership.
Most importantly, it taught me how to keep building even when the foundation shifts.

Instead of giving up, we found new voices, fresh energy, and kept the wheels rolling.
Now, 18 Wheels is bigger, stronger, and reaching farther than I ever imagined.

And I’m still learning, still growing — still rolling.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Building my audience on social media didn’t happen overnight — and it definitely wasn’t easy.
At first, it felt like I was talking to a wall. I would post and barely get a few likes. Sometimes it felt like nobody was watching or listening.
But I realized something early: Consistency beats popularity.

When I first launched 18 Wheels Talk Show Podcast, I made it a mission to show up — every week, no matter what.
Even if only five people watched, I treated it like 5,000 were tuning in.
I stayed posting, promoting every new episode, behind-the-scenes clips, motivational quotes, trucking lifestyle shots — everything that tied back into the brand.
I kept showing my face, kept telling my story, and kept being real. No fake lifestyle, no gimmicks — just the grind, the ups and the downs.

I also learned you can’t just post and disappear.
You have to engage — comment back, like other people’s content, DM people thanking them for listening or supporting.
You have to build relationships, not just rack up numbers.

And when moments came where the numbers still weren’t moving, I didn’t quit.
I adjusted.
I studied what my audience responded to. I started posting more about entrepreneurship, life advice, fitness, relationships, and real-world topics that went beyond trucking.
That opened the door to new followers who respected the hustle and connected with the bigger message behind 18 Wheels.

Advice for anyone just starting out:

Show up every day — even when nobody’s clapping.
Be yourself. People smell fake from a mile away.
Engage with your community. Don’t just post — connect.
Learn and adapt. Pay attention to what works and adjust, but stay true to your voice.
Be patient. Building something real takes time, but real always lasts longer than hype.
Today, we’ve built a brand that reaches people all over the world — but it started with a few posts, a few real supporters, and a whole lot of faith.

If you stay consistent and stay true, the right audience will find you.
Trust the process. Keep your wheels turning.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.18Wheels1.com
• Instagram: 18_Wheels1
• Facebook: The 18 Wheels Talk Show Podcast

Image Credits

We want to send a special thank you to our amazing 18 Wheels Podcast Team:
The Innovator Lover Boy Lamont, Lyric B, Trasel Holmes, Andrane Gordon, and Diamond in the Rough — your creativity, passion, and drive keep this movement alive.

And to all of our 18 Wheels Podcast fans —
Thank you for riding with us. Your support keeps us inspired, motivated, and pushing forward every single day.

The journey is just getting started.
Stay tuned — the best is yet to come!

#18WheelsPodcast 🚛🎙️🌎