Financing a Flatbed Just in Time!

Background

Mike started driving in 1994 and drove for 10 years over the road. The passion began early, but Mike
ended up taking a 17-year break from the industry and joined the world of corporate construction safety.
But he couldn’t ever quite kick the itch to stay out of trucking forever. From his experiences during the
safety and compliance phases of his career, he knew some of the obstacles to overcome included the
technological advances of the industry and costs and government oversight that just were not as
prevalent prior to 2000. He knew that by taking the time to study the current regulations and once again
getting a class A CDL, he could once again be successful in the industry. The steps taken to once again be
a CDL holder were necessary to allow Mike to go on the road under these regulations as a driver to
better understand what drivers face first hand. After obtaining his CDL he continued working in the
safety industry for over a year full time and planning the business model for Turn One Transportation.
running mock numbers every week, joining load boards, shopping for the right equipment and saving
every penny, he and his wife learned as much as they could.

They started with a hopper truck and a hired driver, ran their first load and it worked well for two days
until their driver quit on the second day. But they were in it for the long haul, literally. Mike and Molly
continued to run their hopper truck with a second hired driver for another month until that driver quit.
“We pay really well, and get our drivers home every weekend and treat them as valued team members
and really give them the opportunity to let us know what we can do to make them thrive, but in both of
those cases, their home life was the obstacle to them performing this job.” Unfortunately COVID caused
cutbacks in the safety field and Mike had already committed to driving for a friend’s company right
before the second driver quit. At that point he was committed to the other company so hired a third
driver who really wants to be a lifelong part of Turn one, Tommie Lee. Having Hopper and Flatbed
experience, and the desire to run over the road we were eager to start that relationship.

The Need

Mid-February, 2021, Mike, Molly and Tommie identified some recurring issues in the hopper business.
They noticed that the wait times at loading and unloading facilities were averaging 12-16 hours and
brokers/shippers just weren’t interested in committing to detention pay. Rates were non-negotiable and
were not sustainable for them and after only two weeks of seeing that led him to the idea to expand the
business with a flatbed. Tommie had experience so it made sense. Unfortunately, there were many
factors that made it very tricky to actually find a company that would help finance a flatbed for Turn One
Transportation. Mike said, “We were a new authority, paying the high insurance rates, no commercial
lines of credit yet, and no one would work with us just based on that first five minute conversation, no
one would even listen to us.” Renting wasn’t an option either because oddly enough for many companies
you needed to own at least three pieces of equipment before you could rent something. Thankfully, a
route salesman from TMC Transportation gave Mike Randy Petersen’s name from KLC.

The Partnership

“Randy wanted to listen to us,” said Mike. Molly added, “Because no one listens anymore, and no one
cares. The fact that Randy cared and took a chance on us, now he has our loyalty.” At KLC, we pride
ourselves on providing high customer service with boutique style offerings. It’s a big company with a
small company feel. Over and over in the conversation about their experience Mike and Molly reiterated
that Randy asked the right questions like, tell me about your driver, and your dispatch, what about your
brokers? for example.

The Equipment

2008 Benson Flatbed Trailer
● 36 month
● 6% down payment
● Purchase and lease options were offered

The Success

Mike and Molly were excited to share that since adding the flatbed, they have doubled their revenues
every week. We asked Mike and Molly what sets Turn One Transportation apart.
Their answer:
● Our driver appreciation and compensation is much higher than industry averages
● Communication with our customer is paramount
● Politeness and kindness in everything we do and everyone we meet

Molly, who has experience as a realtor, has really set the bar high for delivering exceptional customer
service. It has kept people coming back to Turn One Transportation. Molly’s passion for the industry has
certainly exploded. In her words, “I have really developed that passion!”

So, what’s next for Turn One Transportation?

They’re always expanding and looking for direct shipping opportunities. They’re eager to continue to
build on the great relationships they’ve made and ideally land direct customers as they expand their fleet
in 2021 with the help of their finance partner KLC.

For more information on how to reach Mike and Molly from Turn One Transportation. Connect to them
via Facebook or call Molly at (815) 354-1880. You can also connect with them here at turnonetransportation.com