DALLAS — Expediter Services (ES) has met its goal of creating and growing 150 women-owned businesses and is expanding the initiative to continue to finance and support women-owned businesses in the transportation industry, according to a news release.
ES Co-Founder and CEO Jason Williams made the announcement on Nov. 14 at the Women In Trucking Association’s annual Accelerate! Conference held in Dallas.
“First announced at the 2017 Accelerate! Conference as a collaborative initiative between ES and the Women In Trucking Association, the 150 Business Challenge became a proven platform for the creation and expansion of women-owned businesses in trucking by utilizing the ES Path To Ownership program model, as well as the support and resources available to members of the ES Community. In August 2022, the program reached its goal of 150 women-owned businesses assisted,” the news release stated.
Wiliams added that “from the time that we launched Expediter Services in 2006, part of our mission has always been to work with professional drivers who want to pursue the American Dream of owning their own business. Over the years, we have worked to create programs and support systems through our ES Community that are designed to level the playing field for anyone who has the desire and the commitment to start and operate their own trucking business.”
As part of the program, ES offers participants competitive market-rate financing via the relationship lending model established through ES Equipment Finance. With the completion of the initial 150 Business Challenge and the decision to continue this effort through the Women-Owned Business Initiative, company leadership notes that ES has made an overall commitment of over $40 million to this program.
“The success of the 150 Business Challenge served as a great platform that further proved that women can be successful as business owners in trucking,” Ellen Voie, president and CEO of the Women In Trucking Association, said. “We applaud ES and the carriers in the ES Community for their continued commitment to this important program, and we are excited to see where ES can take this initiative as they continue to promote opportunities for women in the future.”
The program is designed to have the participants run under the authority of the motor carriers participating in the program through the ES Community. Truck ownership is typically achieved over a four-year period with an affordable payment plan and with program participants receiving consistent miles from the participating carriers as well as business support from the ES Team.
Forward Air, FedEx Custom Critical and Panther Premium Logistics (a service of ArcBest) were the first carriers within the ES Community to utilize the non-asset capacity generated by the 150 Business Challenge.
“We know there is more work to be done in opening the doors of business ownership for women in the trucking industry,” Williams said. “This is why we are continuing the important work started through the 150 Business Challenge under our new ES Women-Owned Business Initiative. As always, we want to continue to be a trusted resource for making truck ownership and business creation opportunities for trucking professionals and for those people who are thinking about entering the industry.”
ES has a landing page on the company’s website that details their commitment to assist in the creation of women-owned businesses available through the following link: https://essuccessintrucking.com/women-in-trucking/. Testimonials from program participants is one of the features of the landing page.
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.
