MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Expediter Services (ES), a provider of capacity solutions and ownership opportunities within the trucking industry, said last week that a collaborative program with the Women In Trucking Association to create 150 women-owned businesses in transportation is now one third of the way toward reaching its initial goal.
In welcoming its 50th entrepreneurial participant, the 150 Business Challenge further established its credentials as an effective and reliable platform that offers accessible financing as well as operational and business support for women who have an interest in a career path within the trucking industry, according to Ellen Voie, president and CEO of the Women In Trucking.
In using infrastructure developed through the expertise of Expediter Services (ES), women who would like to learn more about how they can start and grow a trucking operation now have the opportunity through the 150 Business Challenge to launch their own small businesses as owner-operators and fleet owners in a trucking market that, according to the latest industry estimates, has a shortage in excess of 50,000 people behind the wheel.
Through the efforts of the Women In Trucking Association and ES, the 150 Business Challenge is opening the doors of opportunity for women professional drivers who have the desire to become owner-operators and fleet owners, Voie said.
Participants in the 150 Business Challenge have access to competitive market-rate truck financing, a broad range of new equipment choices and fuel discounts.
ES also provides participants with industry-leading support featuring a maintenance program and operational expertise as well as back-office services and business planning assistance.
“The Business 150 Challenge is fast becoming the kind of impactful program that is beginning to shatter the glass ceilings that have existed for women entrepreneurs in the trucking industry,” Voie said. “Thanks to this program being facilitated by the excellent work of Expediter Services and the ES Community, the participants in the 150 Business Challenge are truly being empowered through the access to best-in-class resources and support. The businesses being established and those that are expanding in this program are being positioned for long-term success. We are now one third of our way to reaching our stated goal of helping to launch 150 women-owned businesses in transportation, and I believe this program will continue to make a life-changing difference for entrepreneurs while creating even more momentum across the industry as we move forward.”
The gross revenue generated by the 50 new businesses established through the 150 Business Challenge is certainly one of the reasons for Voie’s optimistic outlook toward the program, she said, adding that when placed together as a group, the operations launched as a part of the 150 Business Challenge are generating a combined revenue total well in excess of $1 million per month, according to officials at ES.
“Our main mission as a service provider is to make sure the participants in our programs, the members of our ES community, have every tool they need to achieve success in their business pursuits. We have tremendous respect for the Women In Trucking Association, and it’s been extremely rewarding for everyone at ES to see the response to the 150 Business Challenge and the results the participants in the program have realized so far,” said Jason Williams, president of Expediter Services. “The impact of the 150 Business Challenge has not just been limited to bringing women-owned trucking operations into the transportation industry. The great work of the entrepreneurs utilizing the program has created a series of ripple effects. The tight freight market is benefiting from much-needed additional capacity. This is especially important in the expedited market where the additional capacity is often called upon to make time-critical deliveries.”
For more information on Expeditor Services visit www.ExpediterServices.com.
For more information on Women In Trucking, visit http://www.womenintrucking.org or call (888) 464-9482.
PHOTO CAPTION
Courtesy: EXPEDITOR SERVICES
Diana Jorgensen, one of the participants in the 150 Business Challenge, and her husband, Ed, get ready to hit the road in their new truck, which is part of the Panther Premium Logistics fleet. Panther Premium Logistics is a service of ArcBest.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
