Fallen soldiers, first responders earn highway dedications

Q&A: Anthony Wallace, CEO/Founder of Am Trans USA

Anthony Wallace Photo: Am Trans USA

HDT chatted recently with Anthony Wallace, CEO and founder of Am Trans USA, which provides freight transportation and logistics services. Within one year of launching the company, in 2014, Wallace guided it to surpass sales of $6 million. He expects that number to triple in 2016 along with the number of employees. In starting up the family-owned firm, he drew on his 12 years of prior trucking experience, which included serving as operations manager at US Xpress.

Q: Am Trans USA opened for business in October 2014 and notched sales of over $6 million by the end of year one. What did it take for a privately owned startup to do that?

A: An incredible support staff made AmTrans USA what it is. We made sure to give our employees the support they needed to be successful. We also show our customers that they are our priority by building personal relationships with them.

Q: What one piece of advice would you give to an entrepreneur thinking of launching a trucking operation?

A: Make sure that you have plenty of working capital for growth and purchasing power. Be ready to treat your customers like they are your family. Treat your employees how you want to be treated. Roll up your sleeves and don't ask anybody to do something you would not be willing to do. And just dive in!

Q: Tell us a little about yourself and how Am Trans USA came to be launched?

A: Local Chattanooga boy with big goals and big dreams with a very competitive background stemming from many years of playing football [including varsity at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville]. Outside of football, I found a passion in transportation. I wanted to make a difference ...Read the rest of this story

Bradley, drivers honored during OTA gala

Aon Transportation & Logistics to Affiliate with Trucking Alliance

The Transportation & Logistics Practice of Aon Risk Solutions has accepted an invitation to join the Alliance for Driver Safety & Security (known as the Trucking Alliance), beginning in 2017.

The Trucking Alliance is a leading proponent of safety reforms in the freight transportation industry, such as mandatory electronic logs, speed limiters, and hair analysis for drug testing.

“Aon is a premier company in the way it serves the freight transportation industry to lower risk and improve safety and we are grateful to have Aon's counsel and support to achieve the safety reforms the Alliance is pursuing,” said Steve Williams, chairman/CEO of Maverick USA and Trucking Alliance president.

Mark Brockinton, CEO and Practice Leader of Aon Risk Solutions' Transportation and Logistics team, will join the Trucking Alliance's Advisory Group. “The road transportation industry faces a host of dynamic risk issues, and the policies and technologies the Alliance supports have the potential to greatly improve the financial and operational health of the industry,” he said.

Aon's Transportation and Logistics Practice began in 1987 and its benchmarking system for clients now provides access to loss and limits data on trucking fleets totaling more than 42 billion miles and $11 trillion in payroll.

Companies represented on the Alliance board of directors are Maverick USA, Knight Transportation, JB Hunt Transport Services, and Dupré Logistics.

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Baylor Trucking Honors Veterans With Pay Increase

Baylor Trucking is a fourth-generation family-run company, founded by a veteran in 1946. Photo: Baylor Trucking

Baylor Trucking, Milan, Ind., has expanded its Veteran's Recognition Program with a pay increase honoring all of those who have served.

Baylor drivers who have served in the Armed Forces are getting an additional $.01 per mile increase. Local drivers get a $1 per hour increase, and office associates get a 1% salary increase.

"For the sacrifices these brave men and women have made for our country, this program is another way our company can say thank you," said Cari Baylor, president.

The Veteran's Recognition Program at Baylor also includes specially wrapped trucks decorated with the U.S. flag, the Constitution and patriotic themes for veteran drivers. Company drivers and owner-operators are honored in speial veteran ceremonies. Each Veteran receives a star truck decal notating his/her branch of service. Veterans returning from recent deployment are provided specialized training to further develop their truck driving career.

Cari Baylor had the opportunity to spend time with General Stanley McChrystal and questioned, "What can we do to support those coming home?" McChrystal's response, "Hire them."

Baylor Trucking was founded in 1946 by Chester Baylor, who started out with just one truck after returning from World War II.

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Aljex releases AP solution for transportation industry

Aljex Software has released a new Accounts Payable (AP) solution catered specifically to the needs of the transportation industry. Aljex provides web-based TMS for brokers, carriers and third-party logistics providers.

The new AP solution is crafted to organize and automate the payment process in a state-of-the-art user interface. It is integrated directly into Vision, Aljex's flagship product, and can also integrate as a back-end solution for third-parties looking to streamline their accounting.

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Dead cats bouncing—statistically speaking

I know that I learned in college that even if you've just flipped a coin 10 times and it came out heads each time, the next time you flip, it still has a 50-50 or 50% chance of being heads again. My gut refuses that logic and wants to believe it's something like a 90% chance it will be tails. It's as if I started out saying, what are the chances of getting heads 11 times in a row. That likelihood is only 0.05%. So my gut wants to believe it's even 99.5% chance it will be tails next.

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