Browse Tag

trucking

1 min read

How to Make $5,000 a Month Running a Trucking Business From Home

Pierre Laguerre is the founder of Fleeting, a trucking and fleet management services company that he grew to $4.5 million in revenue in just 3 years. He is also the first Black man to raise over $1 million via crowdfunding platforms.

In this interview, Pierre shares:

  • Thoughts on the current state of the trucking industry
  • How to get into trucking without being a driver
  • Removing the misconceptions attached to trucking
  • Why investors like the trucking industry
  • How a personal tragedy inspired him to educate others
  • Topics included in his new trucking course

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-Tony O. Lawson

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8 mins read

This Sibling Duo Runs a Trucking Consulting Business That Has Helped Launch over 100 Trucking Businesses

Lashanta and Lateasha Witherspoon are the owners of LLG Transportation Consultants, a Dallas-based trucking consulting business and a one-stop shop for all your trucking and transportation needs.

We caught up with the sisters to find out more about them and their business.

Trucking Consulting Business
Lashanta and Lateasha Witherspoon

What inspired you to start your consulting business?

Our father is one of the primary reasons we started our transportation consulting business. He has been in the trucking industry for over 30 years and has been an owner-operator for over 20 years. Traveling on the road with him every summer and experiencing the ins and outs of trucking inspired us to start our own trucking business.

Our dad also inspired us to help other individuals such as our family and friends in the trucking industry. We started helping with dispatching and then transitioned into organizing documents, retrieving funds from unpaid invoices from factoring companies, and compliance items.

From there, we began reaching out to other trucking companies and asking what assistance we could offer that allows them to focus on driving.

We knew we didn’t want to own a truck initially due to the financial obligation and wanted as low overhead as possible, so we started our transportation consultant business.

What services does LLG Transportation provide?

LLG Transportation Consultants helps motor carriers start their trucking companies. We also offer training and courses on LLG University, our education platform.

We provide several step-by-step, instructional curricula to help individuals who want to learn how to start their own back-office support and compliance consulting business like LLG, learn how freight dispatching to start their own company, or simply looking to make additional income.

The services we offer can be purchased individually or as a package. We help people obtain their Motor Carrier number, USDOT Number, BOC-3, UCR registration, IFTA Registration/Quarterly Taxes, FMCSA Clearinghouse, Drug & Alcohol Consortium Enrollment, etc.

How would you describe the current state of the trucking industry?

The trucking industry is at a decline due to the rise in diesel prices and low rates per mile. Another issue is the shortage of drivers and growth in the implementation of self-driving trucks.

These changes may cause a slight shift in the way the industry operates; however, we don’t foresee self-driving trucks being effective for a few more years and we don’t think truck drivers will be removed.

Even though the industry is slow, people are still starting trucking companies daily with the expectation that the economy will get better and drivers seeing an increase in rates. The gas prices are starting to decrease which is a good sign for many motor carriers and companies.

Can you describe the type of growth you’ve achieved since your business launched? What do you attribute that growth to?

We have had to adapt to unexpected growth right from the start. During the first week of launching, we received several inquiries and calls from motor carriers looking to start their trucking company.

In response to an overwhelming amount of interest, we modified our business model in order to keep up with the demand.

God has truly favored us. It has been almost 2 years as business owners, and we have had the pleasure of being featured and interviewed on several major platforms including Shoppe Black!

What we attribute our rapid growth to is being authentic, informative, and knowledgeable. We initially started our trucking business in January 2019 but didn’t officially launch until November 2020.

We wanted to make sure before we launched that we knew the industry well enough to be able to change the trajectory of what was missing and ultimately needed to make a difference in the trucking industry.

What are your individual roles in the business?

Lateasha is our marketing/training Director. She oversees marketing/advertisement, creates all courses and material, sends out campaigns on promotions, onboarding trainers, processes all package and compliance services, and the mentorship coaching for our company.

Lashanta is our financial/accountant consultant. Her 13+ years working as an accountant for a nonprofit organization, a loan officer at a well-known credit union, and a supervisor for a major corporation have helped her master the role of being a bookkeeper, budget analyst, business credit coach, and financial planner.

We are something like your Venus and Serena Williams of Trucking. Being in two separate industries has helped us to understand our individual roles and master them without feeling overshadowed by the other.

How do you balance being business partners and siblings?

It was difficult at the beginning. However, with continuous self-development, therapy, and leadership coaching, we have grown to understand and respect each other’s boundaries. We have also learned the importance of effective communication and decision-making.

Where do you see the business in 5 years?

In 5 years, we see LLG Transportation Consultants as a major corporation with locations in several states that offer ongoing back office support and compliance services and training but also owning a successful CDL trucking school and offering CDL training.

In addition to that, possibly having a parking lot where drivers will be able to park their trucks and feel safe and secure.

Also, one day we would like to have our own trucking show with other amazing, boss women in the trucking industry traveling the world educating on trucking in general and helping other companies with compliance issues to avoid audits and fees.

What advice do you have for entrepreneurs in the trucking industry?

Before starting your trucking company, make sure you are knowledgeable about the entire process and understand the financial responsibilities of starting a trucking business.  Yes, anyone can YouTube and Google this information, but some things come from experience.

Invest in an expert(s) such LLG Transportation Consultants to ensure you are doing the process right the first time. Trust us, it will save you a lot of money and headaches. My dad always tells us, “A bought lesson is the best lesson”.

Lastly, we want readers to know that we are having our 2022 Compliance Conference on September 3rd in Dallas, Texas at the Hilton DFW Lakes Conference Center in Grapevine, TX.

Tickets are on sale now for in-person and virtual options on our website. Also, be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook @llgtransportationconsultants for tips.

And, feel free to give us a call at 1-888-799-3055 ext.1 for any help starting your trucking company or general inquiries.

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4 mins read

Pierre Laguerre Launches Academy To Show How He Created a Multi-Million Dollar Trucking Business

Pierre Laguerre is the founder of Fleeting, a trucking and fleet management services company that he grew to $4.5 million in revenue in just 3 years. Pierre is also the first Black man to raise over $1 million via crowdfunding platforms.

To show others how he raised capital for his trucking business and how he has managed to run it so successfully, he is launching  Pierre’s Academy, a comprehensive entrepreneurial trucking academy.

We caught up with him to find out more about this new venture and why he is passionate about it.

Pierre Laguerre
Pierre Laguerre

Why did you decide to launch Pierre’s Academy?

After spending 19 years in the trucking industry as a driver and a successful entrepreneur myself, I eventually learned that 40% of the workforce in this $800 billion industry are minorities. Notice, I said workforce, not business owners!

I quickly realized this was an untapped market for minorities to become entrepreneurs and build generational wealth. Not that minorities don’t know this market exists, they just never have been exposed to the business side of the transportation industry.

I decided to launch Pierre’s Academy to teach aspiring entrepreneurs about the business opportunities in trucking. I want to teach as many people how to build their own trucking dispatching business or their trucking companies right in the comfort of their homes.

I want to show them how to make six figures while adding value to one of the most critical stakeholders in trucking, our truckers.

Who is this course for?

This course is pretty much for anyone that’s seeking financial freedom. Everyone from stay-at-home moms that are looking to maximize their earnings, to young men and women from underserved communities who are desperately looking for a way out of their current circumstances.

How is this course different from others?

There are a lot of social media influencers who teach trucking but the majority of them have never spent a day in a trucking operation, nor have they built or managed a business and a team. Their goal is to sell courses instead of adding value and solving a specific problem in trucking,. They often do this at the expense of minorities looking for an opportunity.

So, one of the main reasons why my courses are different from others is the fact that I actually drove trucks for 19 years, I built a staffing agency and a trucking company to $4.5M in revenue in 3 years, and I’m currently the founder and CEO of a transportation tech company called Fleeting which I launched in 2019 and already did over $5m in revenue.

In other words, they get to learn directly from an industry veteran who has done the work and also failed numerous times. With my courses, they can start earning right away after completion.

What information can potential students expect to receive from the course?

The first and most important information students can expect to receive from this course is how to make money in trucking without being a driver. They can expect to learn about every stakeholder in transportation and the challenges they face daily.

They will learn how to build and maintain relationships with key partners ( shippers, carriers, freight brokers, and truck drivers),  the industry dos and don’ts as well as how to communicate effectively.

Students will learn how to start their business from scratch with no prior experience and how to quickly scale. I will also provide one-on-one coaching and support.

Visit Pierre online for more information about course registration or a one-on-one consultation.

2 mins read

Black Owned Trucking Startup, CloudTrucks Raises $115 Million, Now Worth $850 Million

CloudTrucks, a Black owned trucking startup that helps truck drivers make more money, optimize their schedules, find better-paying loads, and manage their businesses for better financial health and a more successful and empowering life.

Launched in May 2020, the company caters to the 3.4 million small or single-person businesses run by independent truckers.

“The trucking industry is truly the backbone of America, yet small independent truckers are at a major disadvantage due to lack of technology solutions and increasing operating costs, such as insurance and maintenance,” said Tobenna Arodiogbu, founder and CEO of CloudTrucks.

“We empower truck drivers who want to be independent and help them develop strong relationships with vendors [truck rental and leasing companies, insurance, brokers and shippers].”

black owned trucking Startup
Tobenna Arodiogbu, founder and CEO of CloudTrucks

On Tuesday, CloudTrucks announced that it had raised $115 million. The new funding values the San Francisco-based startup at $850 million.

Tiger Global and Menlo Ventures led the latest CloudTrucks funding round, while freight forwarding platform Flexport also participated, as did previous investors Khosla Ventures, Caffeinated Capital and David Sacks’ Craft Ventures. The company will use the money to enhance its suite of product features.

“We believe that the future of the trucking industry lies in the hands of the trucking entrepreneurs, and with this new investment, the largest ever dedicated to building business management solutions for trucking entrepreneurs, we intend to help build that future,” said CloudTrucks CEO Tobenna Arodiogbu in a blog post announcing the investment.

Tony O. Lawson


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2 mins read

Black Owned Trucking Company Grows to $4M in Revenue in three years

Fleeting is a Black owned trucking and fleet management services company with a vision to create a platform that improves the commercial freight industry by leveraging technology to match truck owners, drivers and shippers and brokers.

black owned trucking
Pierre Laguerre, Founder of Fleeting

In May of 2021, the Brooklyn, NY based company received a seed round investment of $500,000 from Kyrie Irving, NBA superstar and founder of new consulting firm, KAI 11 Consulting, and venture capital firm, Lockstep Ventures.

“I knew Pierre before he launched Fleeting and served as one of his mentors, so it was a no-brainer for me to stand behind him and invest in his company. He is an innovator and has taken great leaps to address the gaps in the trucking industry that have been overlooked for years. In addition, Pierre is using his company to help those ignored in the trucking world, such as women and formerly incarcerated individuals,” said Marcus Glover, co-founder of Lockstep Ventures.

In this interview with Fleeting’s founder, Pierre Laguerre, he shared:

  • How he ended up driving trucks early in his career.
  • What inspired him to start his own logistics company.
  • His thoughts on the current state of the trucking industry and where he sees the industry in the future.
  • Some of the biggest challenges in the trucking industry and how his company addresses them.
  • His motivation behind  helping disadvantaged people including the formerly incarcerated to get a commercial driver’s license (CDL)

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Tony O. Lawson


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3 mins read

Black Owned Trucking Company Partners With Uber to Help Drivers Get Trucking Jobs

CloudTrucks is a Black owned trucking company that combines software engineering, and data science to help truck drivers keep more money in their pockets, faster and with fewer headaches. 

They operate as a virtual trucking carrier that helps owner-operators maintain their independence while providing them with the back office support that is typically reserved for a large carrier.

On May 5th, the company announced a partnership with Uber Freight and COOP by Ryder to help qualifying rideshare drivers on the Uber platform break into the freight industry and keep essential goods moving across the country.

black owned trucking
CloudTrucks co-founder and CEO Tobenna Arodiogbu.

How it works:

Rideshare drivers on the Uber platform who have a valid commercial driver’s license (CDL), will be able to earn with the support of CloudTrucks.

As a leased-on driver on CloudTrucks, they will be able to use the CloudTrucks app to search for and book loads from top freight brokers including Uber Freight. Drivers can apply at app.cloudtrucks.com and can learn more about Uber Freight here.

For truck drivers with their own equipment:

Drivers will be able to sign up for CloudTrucks and lease on to our authority. As a leased-on driver on CloudTrucks, they will get access to the CloudTrucks mobile app to manage and book loads from major brokers around the country, free instant payment from CloudTrucks, cheaper insurance options as well as other key features to run their business smoothly.

For truck drivers without their own equipment:

CloudTrucks has partnered with COOP by Ryder to enable drivers to lease a tractor and trailer. CloudTrucks will handle the deposit so drivers can get up and running quickly and easily.

“Truck drivers are the backbone of our economy, and communities are depending on them now more than ever,” says Laurent Hautefeuille, Head of Business Development and Strategy & Planning at Uber Freight. “Our objective at Uber Freight is to support all truck drivers whether they are industry veterans or just starting out, and we hope this partnership with CloudTrucks and COOP by Ryder will open up more opportunities for those already on the Uber platform.”

Founder/CEO Tobenna Arodiogbu commented, “Thank you to all of the truck drivers around the country who have continued to ensure that our supply chain continues to run smoothly during these difficult times. We are looking for more ways to help. Please let us know if you have ideas.”

If you are not a rideshare driver on the Uber platform and you are interested in CloudTrucks, you can sign up at their website

-Tony O. Lawson


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13 mins read

This Entrepreneur Went From Being Homeless To Running a Million Dollar Logistics Company

Raised in a military family, Amari Ruff literally saw the world. At 16, his father left Amari’s mom to raise their three children, forcing Amari to balance a heavy work schedule with the demands of High School.

During this unsettling period, Amari’s family moved between relatives and homeless shelters. At one point, Amari had to commute over four hours a day, via public education, to maintain continuity at his High School.

Accepted to college, Amari was unable to cover the costs, forcing him to take a job as a cable company technician. He quickly moved up the ranks and began negotiating significant enterprise contracts.

Realizing he had a knack for establishing relationships and crafting mutually beneficial business deals, Amari began a telecommunications company in 2010, with $300 and a 1990 Ford Ranger. He built the business to almost 200 trucks and five locations across the U.S. However, Amari realized that a larger opportunity existed for a tech company to connect minority, women and veteran led businesses with large corporations.

In 2015, Amari launched Sudu. Never one to think small, Amari landed Wal-Mart as his first enterprise customer. He subsequently cut deals with P&G, Delta Airlines, Georgia Pacific and UPS. Sudu now has over 300,000 trucking companies within its network and is generating millions in revenue.

Greathouse: Amari, thanks for taking the time to share your entrepreneurial journey with me and my readers. You’ve demonstrated a level of focus and perseverance that every entrepreneur can learn from. Let’s start by providing a brief overview of Sudu’s value proposition.

Amari Ruff: My pleasure John. First off, Sudu is a marketplace that leverages technology to connect small and medium sized trucking companies, which make up 90% or the trucking market, to corporations that ship goods. When we first entered the market, our initial focus was on minority, women and veteran owned trucking companies. We work with all trucking companies, but we identified these groups as the majority of the underserved market.

In the trucking industry today, in order for small and medium sized trucking companies to gain access to quality freight opportunities, they have to go through a freight broker. This is due to their capacity, access to capital, infrastructure and scalability. Also, large corporations don’t have the bandwidth to work with small companies. So, we developed a platform where that leverages the size of the network and allows for shippers and truckers to transact seamlessly.

We, of course, have competitors. But we differentiate in the way we communicate with our trucker network. Our competitors rely on a mobile app for sole communication with their truckers. Sudu doesn’t require our truckers to change their current behavior. Our platform allows truckers to choose their most comfortable means of communication. This has helped us when it comes to platform adoption.

Greathouse: What motivated you to start the company – startup origin stories often provide insight into a venture’s mission and culture.

Ruff: Agreed, that’s certainly the case with Sudu. I choose the name because it means “speed and tempo” in Chinese. I’ve always loved and respected the Chinese culture and it spoke really well to the speed and efficiency we provide the industry from a tech perspective.

After exiting my previous company, where I owned over 200 trucks, I had a vision to start a traditional asset-based trucking company. The goal was to build a company that was heavily focused on company culture and create an environment that owner operator truckers would want to be a part of.

I connected with a local trucking association here in Atlanta to gain more knowledge around the industry and discovered how fragmented and inefficient the industry was. Ninety percent of all trucking companies had 6 or less trucks within their fleet and diverse truckers (minority, women and veteran owned) made up a large portion of that underserved market.

In order for the ninety percent to gain access (to) quality freight opportunities, they would need to have at least 100 trucks, access to capital, quality infrastructure and be scalable. So, they go through freight brokers, which are glorified call centers. Their only goal is to maximize margins off of every transaction, (offering) no value add back to the trucker or shipper.

Looking at this $700B industry problem, I knew there had to be a better way to drive speed and efficiency. The plan was to harness diverse trucking companies and layer technology on top. This would help corporations with Supplier Diversity initiatives meet their goals, provide better pricing, due to leveraging tech and not human capital and also help an underserved market be in a better position to make additional revenue without having to do anything different. With this biz model, I felt that it would be a no brainer for both sides of our marketplace to choose Sudu.

Greathouse: You had an turbulent  childhood, moving around a lot. As the product of a military family, I can relate. I’ve always felt that having to constantly make new friends provided me with social skills that I later leverage as an entrepreneur.

In what ways has your nomadic childhood impacted your entrepreneurial journey? To be more specific, you lived in Korea, Alaska… did your exposure to atypical cultures help you to close deals and expand your company?

Ruff: Absolutely! (laughing) When you move to a different city or country every few years, you have to learn how to make friends fast, otherwise you will not have any. You have to learn how to adapt quickly and make the best out of any situation.

I absolutely learned those skills from being a product of a military family. Today I leverage those same skills to excel in biz dev and sales and (I’ve become) extremely strong in dealing with multiple personalities.

I’m proud to say that I’m an extremely open-minded individual because of all my experiences in a military family.

Greathouse: In addition to moving often, you also shouldered the responsibility of financially helping your mother and sisters, while you were still young. In what ways have you used your experiences as a young breadwinner to successfully build your multi-million-dollar company? 

Ruff: When your back is against the wall, us as individuals have two choices, we could give in to the circumstances, or do what it takes to work our way out. And I choose to do what I could for my mother and sisters.

I really just followed in the footsteps of my mother. She went from being a military wife and home mom, to working 2 full-time jobs to support 3 kids on her own, in a city where she had no family and no one to lean on. I was at the age where I could understand the hard work and sacrifice and it just rubbed off on me.

Surviving those trials and tribulations gave me the mindset that we as human beings can handle any situation placed in front of us as long as we know it’s temporary. And that has been my mindset ever since. I believe that’s the type of mindset you need to be an entrepreneur.

Greathouse: Agreed – though it seldom feels that way at the time, every stage in life is temporary. What kept you motivated to take that leap into entrepreneurship… especially given that you grew up in a household without business role models? 

Ruff: I knew that I wanted more out of life than just the minimum. My mother always instilled in us that we weren’t regular and to never just do the minimum. Always give it everything you got and always strive to be the best that you can be. So, when I look to start a biz venture, my thinking is always BIG! I can’t remember who said it but, “if your dreams don’t scare you, you’re not dreaming BIG enough.” I really believe that!

Greathouse: Amen. Comfortable dreams are good for sleeping, but not for building a business. Speaking of acting “big,” I admire how you were fearless, especially in your early days. What gave you the courage to reach out and secure major clients such as Wal-Mart and UPS when you had no prior experience?

Ruff: I had no prior logistics or transportation experience, but I did have experience in doing business at the enterprise level. So, I had a good understanding of the enterprise procurement process and how they buy. Plus, I really believe in what we’re doing here at Sudu.

I knew we could bring additional value to corporations and I just needed a chance to bring awareness to who we were. I just needed that one shot! This also goes back to my beliefs from growing up where I didn’t build this company to just do the minimum.

Greathouse: Yea, doing the minimum usually results in minimal results. (laughs)

A lot of companies talk about the importance of diversity. However, you and your team have based your business model on ensuring the success of minority, women and veteran led companies. Do you have any suggestions as to what companies with well-intentioned, but ineffectual diversity initiatives can do to impact the tech community’s diversity imbalance? 

Ruff: My suggestion would be to build better relationships with inner city High Schools and HBCU’s (Historically black colleges and universities).

Get more involved, do popup events to educate diverse students on what a career within their corporation would look like and what they look for in employees. I’m sure the schools would be open to it.

Greathouse: Makes sense. I’m currently working with the Black Studies department at UC Santa Barbara to see what I can do to facilitate the recruitment of minority students by Santa Barbara tech companies. Many companies want to diversify their workforces, but they struggle with basic outreach.

Thanks again Amari, you’re an inspiration. Continued best of luck to you and the entire Sudu team.

 

Source: Forbes