CCJ Innovators profiles carriers and fleets that have found innovative ways to overcome trucking’s challenges. If you know a carrier that has displayed innovation, contact CCJ Editor Jeff Crissey at [email protected] or 800-633-5953.
In 2012, Evan Pohaski was pursuing a master’s degree in business administration and was doing a case study when he spotted an opportunity. He realized the trucking industry is highly fragmented, with more than 90 percent of 1.2 million registered motor carriers in the United States operating fewer than 10 trucks.
At the time, Pohaski was working at a West Coast real estate investment firm, where he was managing a $4.5 billion portfolio of upscale hotel assets.
Fast-forward to 2015. Pohaski had quit that job to launch JLE Industries in Pittsburgh, Pa., with business partners from past endeavors. Their plan was to bring size and scale to flatbed trucking, a $150 billion market segment.
JLE is off to a fast start. Investors in Southern California joined as equity partners in the new trucking and logistics company that started with one truck. It now has a fleet of 250 tractors, and Pohaski expects growth to more than double in 2019.
