In The News

Expediter Services Welcomes National Transportation Institute & Leah Shaver To Consult On Efforts To Grow Truck Ownership Program In OTR Market

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – June 27, 2018 – Expediter Services, a leader in capacity solutions and ownership opportunities within the trucking industry, is pleased to announce that the company has retained the consulting services of the National Transportation Institute (NTI) and the organization’s Chief Operating Officer, Leah Shaver. As Expediter Services (ES) expands its overall program offerings within the general trucking market under the SuccessInTrucking.com. market brand, NTI and Shaver will be providing ES with insightful market analysis focused on truck ownership opportunities for professional drivers and the growing need for non-asset capacity among carriers.

The working agreement that Expediter Services has established with NTI is related to the continued growth ES is experiencing within the over-the-road trucking market. An increasing number of professional drivers interested in truck ownership are discovering the highly accessible programs that are providing opportunities that create small businesses run by owner-operators. The programs from ES also create non-asset capacity for fleets. The general trucking initiatives featured through SuccessInTrucking.com utilize the same proven principles that allowed Expediter Services to become a leading provider of owner-operator capacity within the expedited transportation sector during the past decade. Expediter Services works with some of the most recognizable names in the trucking industry, including Panther Premium Logistics (a service of ArcBest), Forward Air, FedEx Custom Critical and XPO Logistics.

“As we begin to take the next steps within general trucking through SuccessInTrucking.com, we are looking forward to working with NTI and Leah. We value the resources and knowledge NTI brings to the table, and we have found that our two organizations share a similar mindset in the desire to place an intense focus on the overall success of professional truck drivers,” said Expediter Services President Jason Williams, who serves on the Board of Directors of the Women In Trucking Association (WIT) with Shaver. “I’ve had the opportunity to get to know Leah and to learn more about NTI through our work for the Women In Trucking Association. I have been continually impressed with the insights Leah has developed through her years of experience and the expertise she has displayed in analyzing the trucking industry, especially within the over-the-road market segment.”

The in-depth process that ES undertakes in examining carriers seeking to become part of the ES Network and to secure the highly-valued, non-asset capacity available through the ES community reminded Shaver of the work NTI does with carriers seeking NTI’s Top Paid Carrier Certification. In Shaver’s view, ES serves as a champion for professional drivers seeking success as small business owners in the trucking industry.

“ES provides the opportunity to live the dream and not the façade of a dream that we have seen in the industry with so many lease-purchase programs. One thing that is very different about the ES program, which is quite impressive to me, is that many lease-purchase programs are identified as a walk-away lease, which inherently terms it as temporary. ES doesn’t allow lease-purchases,” said Shaver. “The programs at ES are basically the opposite of what is prevalent with lease-purchase programs. ES offers true ownership of the truck and a strong platform for building a business. ES places the focus on relationships with the participants in the program. Most importantly, they view the way that they work with professional drivers and support the members of the ES Community as a long-term investment. ES offers professional drivers who have a desire to become owner-operators a clear path with ready access to competitive, market-rate financing, industry-leading discounts and comprehensive support. They work to position the participants in their programs for success. They want to help people. It’s very inspirational to see how service-minded the attitude is for both the leadership and the staff at ES. They understand that owner-operators are more successful when they can focus on driving the truck at a great-paying carrier.”

In its 23rd year of operation, NTI provides accurate and authoritative mission-critical benchmarks to LTL and truckload carriers across the United States. NTI has established a highly-respected position of leadership within the trucking industry with subject-matter expertise in the areas of company driver and owner-operator compensation history, changes and benchmarks. The Top Pay Carrier Certification developed by NTI has become one of the most coveted designations for truck fleets throughout the industry. NTI’s proprietary research publications serve as vital industry resources for insurers, consultants, carriers, shippers and the vast majority of equity analysts tracking transportation sector stocks. NTI’s research has been cited by publications including the Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek and USA Today as well as many other national, regional and local media outlets.

As NTI’s Chief Operating Officer, Shaver oversees all business operations within NTI, and she serves on the organization’s Executive Committee. Shaver’s career has been spent supporting long-term growth and expansion of the transportation industry while reinforcing what she considers the industry’s best resource – professional truck drivers. As previously noted, Shaver serves on the board of the Women In Trucking Association. A chief principal in the development of the Women In Trucking Index, Shaver continues to manage WIT’s ongoing efforts to measure the percentage of women who are working as professional drivers. Shaver is a frequent speaker known across the trucking industry for her expertise on driver compensation and strategies addressing driver recruiting, retention and development of the driver candidate pool. She was one of the featured presenters at the 2018 ES Spring Group Gathering.

“ES offers professional drivers an amazing opportunity to be successful as owner-operators, and I am thrilled that I will be leading our NTI team as we work together with ES to expand the reach of the offerings available to the general trucking market through the SuccessInTrucking.com platform,” said Shaver. “The ES leadership team is impressive. They stand behind the concept that, if you can make a living driving a truck for a company, you are capable of earning even more and becoming a successful business owner by owning your truck. The opportunities ES features and the model they have built with the comprehensive support offered through their programs are ideal for professional drivers who have a desire to become owner-operators. And with the current demand for capacity in the marketplace, as well as the growth in economy, there has never been a better time to become an owner-operator in this industry. The proven program that ES operates removes many of the initial hurdles drivers encounter in making the transition to become an owner-operator.”

One of the newest programs offered by ES seeks to have a positive impact on the Women In Trucking Index that Shaver manages. The 150 Business Challenge was launched during the fourth quarter of 2017 by ES in collaboration with WIT. The program is focused on assisting in the growth of 150 new women-owned small businesses within the transportation sector. Participation in the program is approaching 40 new women-owned businesses. Forward Air and Panther Premium Logistics, a Service of ArcBest, are the participating carriers in the program, offering consistent freight opportunities to entrepreneurs in the 150 Business Challenge.

While further discussing her initial impressions of working with the leadership team at Expediter Services, Shaver made particular mention of the strong relationships that have been forged between that ES and its carrier partners.

“ES has gained a reputation in working for more than a decade in the expedited sector of trucking as being a fair, honest and hard-working organization. I immediately saw those same qualities in my initial work with ES, too,” stated Shaver. “As I’ve had the opportunity to get to know the management at ES and observe the operation, I found it noteworthy that the carrier partners who visit them display the same amount of respect for them as we do at NTI. I’ve been impressed that those carrier partners will come back to ES and ask about additional ways they can work together. From what our team at NTI has observed, everyone has such a high regard for the way that ES runs its business.”

About Expediter Services: A full service, one-stop support company with expertise in financial services, relationship lending and general business support, Expediter Services has developed highly effective programs focused on creating opportunities for independent contract drivers and owner-operators in the trucking industry. ES features support in the areas of contract driver services, equipment finance, truck sales, management services and insurance services. In addition to serving as the leading provider of capacity in the expedited sector of trucking, ES has also built a strong network of independent contract drivers, owner-operators, fleet owners and partner carriers within the over-the-road, general trucking sector of the transportation industry. For more information opportunities in expedited transportation, visit ExpediterServices.com. For information on opportunities in general trucking, visit SuccessInTrucking.com.

About The National Transportation Institute: The National Transportation Institute (NTI) was founded in 1995 with a goal of providing accurate and authoritative mission-critical benchmarks to truckload carriers on company driver and owner-operator compensation history and changes. While NTI’s publications are used by insurers, consultants, carriers, shippers and nearly every equity analyst who follow transportation sector stocks, their largest audience remains in the transportation sectors Private and For-Hire LTL and truckload fleets where they are widely used as a tool for fleet executives to understand the direction and velocity of the Class A CDL market wages and emerging pay strategies. To learn more, visit www.DriverWages.com