One of the most alluring characteristics about Expediting is the fact that it’s a career that practically anyone can get into at just about any point in one’s life. If you want to begin your career fresh out of school, it’s a great place to get started. If you’re leaving a previous line of work, but not ready for full retirement, Expediting can be a great second career. Just ask Lisa and Ernest Nix, a couple who saw the opportunity to start a business in Expediting after her husband was winding down a career as an educator.
“I’m a Jill of all Trades,” said Lisa Nix. “I’ve worked a number of jobs over the years, including stints as customer service agent, waitress and nurses aid. You name it and I’ve done it. My husband spent thirty years in education and is now looking to retire, but we weren’t ready to just lay down and quit. We’re too young for that!” So, what was their next step? Expediting! But it wasn’t their first time on the road as truckers. “Many years ago, Ernest and I were long haul truckers. We worked for a couple of owners during that time, including FedEx Ground. We really loved being on the road and spending time together and we just knew that whatever he did after his retirement, some type of trucking career was to be in our future. That’s when we found Expediting and Expediter Services.”
Lisa heard about the lifestyle advantages and income potential of Expediting through friends and last October, she buckled down and began doing research on the industry. “I had heard so many good things about Expediting, so I began looking into the forums at Expediters Online, which led me to Expediter Services. Ernest and I really wanted to own our own truck and work for ourselves. So, I called Josh Swindoll at Expediter Truck Sales to find out what our options were. He was incredibly helpful and found a great 2012 Cascadia from Expediter Services fleet. He also got us in touch with Jeff Tacker who helped arrange our financing through Expediter Equipment Finance.”
But, according to Lisa, there was one “catch”. “Since Ernest and I live in Utah, we were buying this truck sight unseen. We were totally relying on what Josh was telling us about the truck, which was a little bit scary. But we needn’t have worried. We hopped in our car and drove to ES’s office in Southaven, Mississippi and picked up our new truck, drove it to FedEx orientation in Ohio and so far we’re thrilled. It was everything he said it would be.”
The Nix’s plan on driving their new Cascadia for a year or so to learn about the Expediting business, with the goal of expanding into fleet ownership in the not too distant future. We wish them luck in their new second career!
As with most things in life, getting started is usually the hardest part — and Expediting is no exception. No matter what route you take, the road to success is a journey built one step at a time with valuable experience being gained along the way. Lynn Colebrook’s story of success began in 2012 driving as a contractor with Panther Premium Logistics. As he points out, it was a great leaning experience and his first step into Expediting. “I began my Expediting career at Panther driving vans. It was a great way to learn about the industry, and being a contract driver prepared me to take the next step as a van owner.”
Colebrook’s next step for his business was indeed as the owner of a small fleet of vans, but he soon found out he wanted more. “After gaining experience as a contract driver, I achieved my goal to build a fleet of vans. This made me realize that there was even more opportunity and money to be earned by owning Class 8 trucks, so that was the next logical step. I looked around the marketplace and purchased two Class 8 units, which I would categorize as “starter trucks”, they were both pretty well used, but they did get me started in the direction I wanted to go.”
Soon afterwards, Colebrook ran into Josh Swindoll at the Expedite Expo in July of last year, and a new chapter of truck ownership soon started. “I attended the Expo last summer and began talking to Josh from Expediter Truck Sales. He told me about the used trucks available from Expediter Services fleet; how they were well-cared-for, even having full maintenance records. I started doing research and found a 2012 Cascadia that I bought in January. It was everything they said it would be. I got a great lightly used truck for a fraction of the price of a new one. It has “value” written all over it. I’m really pleased with the purchase. The next time I want to expand my fleet, I will definitely go back to Expediter Truck Sales.”
To top it off, Colebrook took the step to use Expediter Equipment Finance to finance his new truck. “One of the things that made buying a truck so easy was that financing was on the spot from Expediter Equipment Finance. It made the process so much easier. I would recommend anyone needing to expand their fleet to give them a good look.”
What’s the best reason to add a new truck to your fleet? Do you need another unit to expand your business? Will another truck create an economy of scale, allowing greater profits? Or maybe It’s just “time” to add another truck. Every Expediter has his or her own reasons. But Steve Glisson’s reason for adding a new truck to his fleet is for backup and long-term stability.
“Over the past couple of years I’ve built up a fleet, mostly of used equipment. I decided to add a 2012 Cascadia from Expediter Truck Sales as a backup just in case one of my trucks went down.” As many of you may remember, we spoke to Glisson in the July 2014 edition of Spotlight News.
The concept of adding an additional truck as insurance to continue his business may seem a bit like overkill to some owners, but Glisson sees it differently. “When you’re carrying loads for an exacting customer like FedEx Custom Critical, you need to be ready to service that client at all times. This new truck will be earning money just like every other one in the fleet, but it will be good insurance in the event one of our older trucks goes down, my entire business model won’t be jeopardised. I feel it’s money well invested.”
Why does Glisson continue to supplement his fleet with a truck from Expediter Truck Sales? “We’ve relied on Expediter Truck Sales to help us create a redundancy in our fleet. Their inventory of used Class 8 trucks from Expediter Services fleet puts this ability within reach because of the great pricing of these units. It’s a great value all the way around. You combine that with their ability to finance your truck through Expediter Equipment Finance and you have an unbeatable combination. We also utilize all of the resources in ES’s Owner Operator program. It’s still the best business move I’ve ever made.”
In January of 2014, Jimmy Moore and his wife Bobbi purchased a used Kenworth T660 from Expediter Services fleet. Their new purchase was in addition to a truck they already owned — starting them on the path as Fleet Owners. The following June, they purchased another T660 (also from Expediter Truck Sales), bringing the number of trucks in their fleet to three. We reported their success last October in Spotlight News.
Today when we catch up with the Moore’s, we find that they’ve been busy adding even more trucks to their growing fleet! “Back in November of last year we added a Cascadia, giving us a total of four trucks. And as of a couple of weeks ago, we added another 2012 Cascadia, said Moore.”
When asked about why and how they were able to expand their business so quickly, Moore was to the point. “Our ability to grow so much in such a short amount of time is directly attributed to Expediter Services: their confidence in our business and how we work; and our confidence in them. Without their support we would never have been able to grow like we have. Ever since we began using Expediter Services, they have always come through whether it is with their selection of affordable used equipment through Expediter Truck Sales or with financing through Expediter Equipment Finance, they’ve always done what they say they are going to do. Also, the support we get from their Owner Operator program is helpful by letting us concentrate and focus on driving and making money. We don’t worry about settlements or getting paid. I can’t tell you how much easier it is to grow when you have someone in your corner like Expediter Services.”
Even though the Moore’s have grown and achieved much in just over a year, they don’t plan on stopping. “Bobbi and I now have five trucks in our fleet and we don’t plan on resting. We feel like this is just the beginning and with support from Expediter Services there is just no telling how much more we can grow.
Some folks compare the Expediting business to a marathon rather than a sprint. But some people actually get into Expediting from a “sprint” — a Sprinter van that is! Such is the story of Lee Burkhalter who recently made the leap into a slightly used 2012 Cascadia from Expediter Services’ very own fleet.
“I’ve been running a Sprinter van for a couple of years and business has been pretty good, but its hard to ignore the income potential of the Class 8 trucks,’ said Burkhalter. “I decided that in order to take my business to the next level I would need to upgrade. I contacted Josh Swindoll at Expediter Truck Sales who sourced a great used 2012 Cascadia. ES just makes the buying process so easy — they have the inventory readily available that includes maintenance records, so you know the truck has been taken care of. And Expediter Equipment Finance means I can get everything done at one time. The entire process was straight forward and hassle free.”
Burkhalter has big plans for the new unit that includes building a fleet. “I already have a driver in place to run my new truck. I’ve signed on with PTL as our carrier and we should be hitting the road within the next couple of weeks. Short term, my plan is to build a fleet of five trucks by the end of the year and there is no telling how large it will eventually grow over time. Expediter Services’ Owner Operator program definitely factors into our growth plans because of their back office support that lets us focus on driving and generating revenue. The fuel card is also a real plus, too.”
The moral of this story? Even if you’re a “sprinter”, Expediter Services can help you upgrade!
