It’s OK to make mistakes, experiments can lead to beautiful things.
Melissa received her CDL in 2001. Shaggy received his in 2006. Their paths crossed shortly after and greatness ensues.
They started teaming and, after a few trial and errors with large companies, they were given the means to get their own authority (and truck!). In October of 2008, Koch & Fields, LLC began transporting general goods in all 48 states.
The first thing they noticed once this happened — the tons and tons of phone calls — everyone is selling something and they want you to buy what they have because if you don’t (!), DOT, FMCSA, a few bobbies, the neighbor’s canary, and Barney Fife would all be after you.
They soon met up with a wonderful BFF out of MO (she’s in our network, don’t worry!) and took to learning all that they could from training classes in St Louis and managed to grow that one truck to 22 trucks in approx. 15 months. (trumpets flare!)
In June of 2010 with a move eastbound to Indiana, Shaggy’s Express, LLC was born to just a few elite drivers.
Sometime that fall, Shaggy noticed that he kept running into other companies that needed help finding loads so he started up a subsidiary of the trucking company, Shaggy’s Dispatch Service, LLC. This service was for owner/operators and small fleets with their own authority. He would help them with their back office by booking loads, filling out their carrier packets, and making sure they were rolling pretty smooth. BUT (there’s always a but, isn’t there??) then he realized those same carriers were having issues with their other office folders. So he told them to bring in what they had and his nearest and dearest – Melissa – would get things organized for a DOT audit. She helped MULTIPLE companies pass their initial DOT audit. (where are those trumpets??)
That wasn’t all those truckers were having issues with, however. Remember those companies that called and called and called so you would buy, buy, buy their fancy product that you just NEEDED? They were, in the long run, screwing these nice peeps that were just trying to be their own boss. AND (like that isn’t enough!) those companies didn’t care if those truckers even made it. Shaggy learned that over HALF of the small truckers just went out of business in their first year… because they lacked what they all REALLY needed — advice and information.
Enter: Shaggy’s consulting biz. stage left. scene 7.
He has formed a pretty big strategic alliance that can help anyone that just simply asks. …Even those that may not have a definite plan in their head.
Whether you’re a wife that wants to tell her trucker hubby where to go (tee-hee) or a single entrepreneur that needs a little insight to the ins-n-outs of not only starting but running a successful trucking company, dispatch company, or brokerage… whatever you want to do… call, email, stop in to the office and have a chat. What better way to accomplish your dream than to learn from our personal mistakes and our marvelous successes.