Jim De Armond founded JSD Express in April 1990 with one truck and barely made enough money the first year to make the truck payments. Now, however, he expects to close out 2015 with more than $4 million in revenue, and he anticipates growing 45-50 percent per year over the next decade thanks to online retailers like Amazon and big box stores like Wal-Mart.
You’re on a Pennsylvania highway, wheel-to-wheel with muddy, salt-crusted trucks. And then, a pristine, gleaming red Mack dump truck bursts into view. If you’re from the Keystone State, then you know you’ve just spotted one of the Glenn O. Hawbaker Inc. trucks.
Highway Transport has always been a big user of Mack Trucks, Edwards says, and the fleet operates 70 percent Mack. He likes the Mack brand for its heavy-duty strength and durability, but there was one catch: As other haulers moved to automated transmissions, Highway Transport balked, worried about specs and driver response.
