Commercial Carrier Journal 1120

BUSINESS | SMALL FLEET CHAMP

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES Getting smoked out of Oregon latest hurdle for small-fleet owner

“I

BY MAX HEINE

’ve always enjoyed challenges,” said James Davis, owner of JDT Trucking. As any smallfleet owner knows, the nature of the job brings enough of them, like it or not, though Davis hasn’t minded adding a few high bars of his own.

One was his vision for rebuilding a 1993 Peterbilt 379, one of about 14 custom trucks in his Oregon-based fleet that specializes in construction materials. Not only has that favorite and others won many show truck awards, but their availability also accounts in part for JDT’s strong recruitment and retention.

34

commercial carrier journal

“I took that kind of mindset to the business side of things,” Davis said. “I wanted to do it right or not do it at all.”

That translated into getting an attractive bundle of insurance and retirement benefits that most small fleets couldn’t afford.

Achieving those and other goals, as well as growing steadily over a decade, making extensive contributions to his community, diversifying into truckingrelated businesses and remaining stable during predictable and unpredictable slowdowns were factors in JDT being named Overdrive’s 2020 Small Fleet

| november 2020

JDT Trucking founder James Davis with some of his driver team (from left): Chris Cooper (who also works as a mechanic), Ed Davis (father of James), Robert Hall, James Davis, Chet Mitchell and John Boyd.

Champ in August.

Basic good service drove the growth.

“They do an incredible job of getting trucks where I need them, when I need them,” said Chris Loucks, product manager for Huttig Building Products in northern Oregon. “For a relatively small company, they seem to have a huge fleet.

They usually have a truck or can make one available.”

As of September, JDT had 23 company drivers, three owner-operators and five trucks leased through Davis’ father.

“The drivers are always personable and in good moods,” Loucks