Dean and Jenice Andres are a husband and wife transportation team whose dream was to own their own truck. After a short retirement, they overcame health and financial issues to become a Success In Trucking — with support from the right motor carrier, ES’s Path To Ownership and a trip to the SITE. This is their story of success.
Dean, how did you and Jenice get started in Transportation? I started in the transportation industry thirty eight years ago. When I was younger, I drove a truck for a car rental company picking up equipment. Later, I managed an automobile dealership and just got tired of wearing a suit and tie everyday. I got to thinking about how much I enjoyed driving a truck and got a job as a company driver. I also taught people how to drive a truck and that’s how I met my wife Jenice. That was twenty years ago and we’ve been together ever since, driving and having our own transportation business.
How did you hear about ES and the Path To Ownership? After being on the road for many years, I decided to retire from driving in 2016 at the age of sixty-two. During my retirement, Jenice drove a truck locally. After about eight months, I was tired of being retired and got my medical card back and decided to get back on the road. This time we were looking for an opportunity where we could be owners. We did a lot of research and found Forward Air. We told their recruiter about our business goals and our desire to become owner-operators. They told us about ES and their PTO (Path To Ownership). We contacted ES right away.
We spoke to the ES recruiter who told us how the PTO worked. He explained how we could drive one of ES’s trucks (while running for Forward Air), for a specified amount of time. During that time period, our attitude, aptitude, work ethic and work history would be evaluated, along with our ability to generate revenue. And if we met all of the criteria, we could qualify to buy our own truck. It sounded like a great opportunity, but we were still a bit apprehensive because a few years ago Jenice and I had experienced a financial setback due to some health issues. The ES recruiter set our minds at ease, explaining that the ES program was different than any other in the industry because they take the above factors into account in order to overcome past financial problems. We were so excited at the opportunity to prove ourselves!
Approval and Visiting the SITE In February of this year, Jenice and I began our Path To Ownership, driving a truck from ES’s fleet. During our entire evaluation period, we had been in close contact with our Service Coordinator, Lee Brukhalter. During our fourth month, he told us our revenue was strong and we had the attitude, aptitude, work ethic needed to become owners. We were thrilled and ready to take the next step on our Path To Ownership! He also told us about the SITE (Success In Trucking Expo) in Indianapolis, Indiana at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on June 6 & 7th, and asked if we’d like to attend. Even though we hadn’t gotten our new truck yet, we immediately agreed to attend!
Attending the SITE helped us learn even more about ES, the Path To Ownership and their programs designed to support us so we Never Stand Alone. We got the opportunity to talk with ES Equipment Finance folks, as well as other members of the ES team. We also learned about important industry trends from the ES panel experts who spoke at the SITE. It was great to meet and speak with other owners and drivers, too.
The food and fellowship at the SITE was first rate. We got to meet the keynote speaker, Pro Football Hall of Famer, Anthony Muñoz — my wife even won one of his signed jerseys! The SITE was a great experience and I would recommend that anyone looking into entering the transportation business should attend future events hosted by ES.
Tell us about getting your new truck? Shortly after attending the SITE, we got with Danny Vernon, ES Truck Sales Manager, who helped find us a brand new 2020 Peterbilt 579 tractor. It’s everything we wanted in a truck. It’s well equipped with lots of room, a nice sleeper and a TheremoKing APU that helps us save on fuel. Once we found our truck, we submitted our paperwork to ES Equipment Finance. Within a short time, we were approved and we picked up our truck on June 16th.
Since being in our new truck for only a few short weeks, we can already see that truck ownership has its perks. Our truck is set up the way we want it, and we greatly enjoy working for ourselves. And the greater earning potential is a definite plus. I can see building a small fleet of trucks over the next few years, while utilizing the support offered by ES. We’re extremely excited about the opportunities that lie ahead.
A Woman in Transportation’s Perspective
Jenice, what has your experience been like as a woman in transportation? It’s been good! I enjoy running my own business. It’s a field that a woman can get into and do well. It’s also a business that I can share with my husband. It’s great being able to work with your spouse.
What advice would you give women who are looking to get into the business? The best advice I can tell women is to just go for it. If the trucking business is something you’re interested in, do your research and jump in with both feet. There is a lot of opportunity for women nowadays (especially with ES’s support and their 150 women-owned business challenge), and you can make a very good living. I’ve been at it for just over 20 years and I’ve just now found the best opportunity with ES. I also appreciate the fact that their fleet is 38% women-owned, an impressive number in this industry! Read more about the WIT/ES 150 women-owned business initiative by clicking here.
ES is proud once again to have been the Title Sponsor of the 19th Annual Expedite Expo in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Our team was pleased to meet everyone who visited our booth and to share information about our unique programs and discounts on fuel, insurance and more, so you Never Stand Alone. We were also happy to tell everyone about the unique opportunities we offer, including the fact that with ES, If You Can Drive a Truck, You Can Own the Truck!
Danny Vernon, ES Truck Sales Manager, was also on hand to show our line up of new and used trucks on display. A number of people took advantage of this opportunity, as drivers became owners, owners became fleet owners, and fleet owners grew their fleets — with financing provided through ES Equipment Finance.
This year’s Expedite Expo was a tremendous success, and we look forward to seeing you again next year.
It was a Great EGG at the Expo!
ES hosted our sixth annual EGG at the Expo, as we once again greeted those we know, and got to know those we don’t. Everyone enjoyed a great meal and fellowship, as relationships were built, strengthened and renewed on a personal level.
The focus of this EGG emphasized our appreciation of the expedite community — and even though ES has expanded our services to the general truck market, expedite is still near and dear to our heart and our expansion of services and capabilities will continue to bring great benefits to this community.
The EGG also focused on growth opportunities for Contractors (Contract Drivers, Owner Operators and Fleet Owners), and were able to help Drivers become owners and Fleet Owners grow their fleets. In addition, Paul Williams, our CEO and COB, gave an update of our company. This included an overview of our expanded services and offerings to the community. We’d like to sincerely thank everyone who attended.
ES would also like to give a heartfelt shout out to the Carriers who attended the EGG: FedEx Custom Critical, Panther Premium Logistics, Premium Transportation Logistics (PTL).
We look forward to seeing you at the next EGG!
Check out the photos below to learn more and to see what happened at the EGG.
Don’t wait for the Expedite Expo or the next EGG to access the opportunities offered by ES. Call us now at 1-877-349-9303. It’s what we do every day!
Open to Current & Prospective Qualified Contractors
Considering a Career in Transportation?
Considering Growing Your Business? Looking for Success in Trucking?
If we missed you at the first inaugural Success In Trucking Expo (SITE), held June 7 & 8 in Indianapolis, we’ll see you at the EGG at the Expo! Come enjoy good food and good fellowship. See old friends and make new friends. Wonderful and timely information is shared.Come join this community.
Opportunities at the Expedite Expo
If you are considering entering the transportation industry, growing your business, transitioning from a traditional lease purchase and looking for Success in Trucking, you’re in the right place. ES understands that your business is making money. And we’re here to help you achieve this goal with business opportunities backed up by support programs that save you money on fuel, financing, insurance and much more, so you Never Stand Alone. Whether you’re a new or experienced Contract Driver, Owner Operator or Fleet Owner, ES offers you the opportunity to maximize your potential at your level of choice, so you can succeed Your way. Also, be sure to check out our impressive selection of new and pre-owned equipment at the ES Truck Sales booth located outside in the parking lot.
What to Expect at the EGG
We feel the best way to tailor programs that support you is to get to know each other on a personal level, and that’s what the EGG (ES’s Group Gathering) is all about. We want to build relationships in order to better serve you with programs and offerings that create Opportunities to help your business grow. We hope to see you July 19, 2019 at the Expedite Expo in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Register Now!
Business Opportunities & Success in Trucking Truck Sales & Financing • Premium Driving Opportunities • Industry Leading Owner Operator Program Solo & Team Tractors • Team Straight Trucks
–Limited Space Available– Register Now! It’s FREE to Attend! or call 877-349-9303 for more information
Women Continue To Find the ES Community as a Home for Opportunity
Over 38 Percent of ES Program Participants Are Women
The inaugural Success In Trucking Expo (SITE) held earlier this month served as the perfect platform to highlight this stunning fact about the ES Community: While the national average of women working as professional drivers within the trucking industry currently stands at 7.9 percent, the number of the fleet owners, owner-operators or independent contractors involved in the programs offered by ES now exceeds 38 percent.
With a participation rate that is nearly five times greater than the industry average, the ES Community has become a beacon of opportunity for women seeking to achieve success in trucking, and the small business owners who were featured during the SITE served as living proof that the programs offered by ES have the proven power to deliver.
Among the many highlights from the SITE, which was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Complex on June 7-8, was the industry panel discussion. The group, which included ES President Jason Williams as the moderator, was evenly split between men and women. Women In Trucking CEO and President Ellen Voie and National Transportation Institute Chief Operating Officer Leah Shaver served as two of the industry experts on the panel, while long-time fleet owner Donna Sleasman and first-year owner-operator Jackie Rocha provided their valued insights on the success they have found through their experiences as participants in programs offered through ES.
“It was great to be able to share the experience we’ve had with ES during industry panel and the other discussions we had at the SITE,” said Jackie. “It was a real honor to be on the panel and have Donna there, too. She was one of my mentors as I began to go through the ownership program at ES. Being a part of the SITE was a terrific experience. The SITE showed the strength of the ES Community and the commitment that ES has for creating owner opportunities in trucking.”
Both Jackie and Donna are participants in the 150 Business Challenge, a collaborative initiative between the Women In Trucking Association and ES to create 150 women-owned businesses in transportation. The program, which utilizes the infrastructure and expertise that ES has developed in more than a decade of providing ownership opportunities within the trucking industry. During the program’s first year, the 150 Business Challenge was able to reach the halfway mark in achieving its goal.
The 150 Business Challenge follows the proven working model that ES utilizes in offering truck ownership opportunities and assisting the program participants in establishing profitable small businesses through a variety of support mechanisms found within the ES Community. Professional drivers interested in the ES truck ownership programs, like the 150 Business Challenge, go through a screening and qualification process, including an evaluation period that puts an emphasis on attitude, aptitude, work ethic and work history.
The success of the 150 Challenge is one of the most recent examples of why ES has become a leader in creating ownership opportunities for women in the trucking industry. Since the company’s inception in 2006, ES has been focused on opening doors within the trucking industry for people who previously had found barriers to ownership. In fact, the inaugural edition of the SITE highlighted those efforts and ripple effect of the impact that ES has made in the industry.
The power of creating opportunity for women can be seen in the makeup of the participating fleets in the ES Community. FedEx Custom Critical, Forward Air and Panther Premium Logistics, a Service of ArcBest served as the exclusive motor carriers at the SITE. All three of these industry-leading carriers are well above the national average of 7.9 percent for women behind the wheel and in management positions, and the non-asset capacity ES provides to their fleets has helped to contribute to those positive results.
The staying power of the people involved in the programs from ES might be even more impressive than the opportunities offered through the ES Community. According to the American Trucking Associations, the national average for driver turnover in 2018 rose to 89 percent. Meanwhile, the turnover rate on an annual basis of program participants in the ES Community currently stands at just 12 percent.
“One of the core principles of our company is to provide opportunities for people to create small businesses, and, in trucking, there is a lack of opportunity for women from a financial standpoint. We have done our best to work with Women In Trucking to help encourage more women to become business owners in this industry. It’s been very fulfilling for us as a company to see so many women enjoy success through our programs and in becoming part of the ES Community,” said ES President Jason Williams. “Women In Trucking has become a valued partner for ES. We were thrilled that Ellen could be a part of our first Success In Trucking Expo, and hearing the experiences of the women business owners in the ES Community was a definitely an important topic during the event.”
“The opportunity that ES provides for women to own their own business in this industry is truly amazing. The programs that ES offers go far beyond financing trucks. ES matches participants up with top carriers and ES provides business support as well network discounts on fuel, maintenance and insurance. ES sets up all their program participants for success,” said Voie, who hosted an on-location edition of her Women In Trucking Radio Show on SiriusXM’s Road Dog Trucking Radio Channel live from the SITE. “The SITE was a great event. We had a lot of fun bringing our radio show to the event, and the SITE was a good opportunity to share the message of Women In Trucking, to talk about what we do for our members. ES has become a great partner for Women In Trucking, and we are already looking forward to coming back and participating in the SITE next year.”
Looking Back at The Success In Trucking Expo
Jackie Rocha and Michael Barclay, owner-operators in the ES Community and the founders of Millennials In Trucking, share their thoughts after attending the Success In Trucking Expo. Jackie is a participant in the 150 Business Challenge offered through Women In Trucking and ES. Watch Our Video to learn more.
Listen Up: Women in Trucking Radio Show Broadcasts Live from the SITE
On June 8, Women In Trucking President & CEO Ellen Voie hosted a special edition of the Women In Trucking Radio Show On SiriusXM’s Road Dog Trucking Channel. During the second day of the Success In Trucking Expo (SITE), Ellen and the Road Dog Trucking Channel team broadcast the show live from the SITE, which was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway complex. This edition of the show featured interviews with a variety of attendees at the SITE. To listen, click on the SoundCloud icon.
Join ES at the Expedite Expo, July 19-20
ES will once again serve as the title sponsor for the Expedite Expo, the the only event focusing exclusively on the expedited trucking industry. This year’s Expedite Expo will be taking place at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Ind. ES will be hosting our annual Expediter Group Gathering (EGG) at the Expo. To Register and learn more about what ES has planned for the Expedite Expo, Click Here.
After the successful launch of the inaugural SITE (Success In Trucking Expo) at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on June 7 & 8 (See what happened at the SITE here), ES is rolling into the annual Expedite Expo on July 19 and 20, once again, as the event’s title sponsor.
The Expedite Expo is a great place for drivers, owners and fleet owners to learn about the unique opportunities and support offered by the ES community. And remember — if you can drive a truck, you can own the truck. The Expo is also a great place to learn about the incomparable support offered to everyone operating under the ES umbrella of companies, so you Never Stand Alone.
In addition, ES is hosting its annual EGG (ES’s Group Gathering) at the Expedite Expo, the evening of Friday the 19th. According to Jeff Tacker, Expediter Services, Chief Operating Officer, this year’s EGG will discuss topics that are important to the community. “At this year’s EGG at the Expo, we want to show our thankfulness and gratitude to everyone, while welcoming those we know and getting to know those we don’t. We’ll talk about the current state of freight, and discuss the opportunities ES offers to let all contractors know that we’re here with support and discounts on fuel, insurance and more through our wonderful programs. And we’ll also discuss upcoming industry trends and ES’s future plans.”
One of the most important features of any EGG is that each gathering is tailored to meet the challenges of changing market conditions. This year’s EGG will highlight and summarize the ES community’s experiences, which focus on real support and real services. We look forward to seeing you at our booth (Booth 470), and we hope you join us for dinner at the EGG at the Expo!
The EGG at the Expo is open to current and prospective qualified team expediters.
Register Now or call 877-349-9303 for more information
One of the most important features of any EGG is that each gathering is tailored to meet the challenges of changing market conditions. This year’s EGG will highlight and summarize the ES community’s experiences, which focus on real support and real services. We look forward to seeing you at our booth (Booth 470), and we hope you join us for dinner at the EGG at the Expo! 