On January 23rd, Jim and Debra Barrett (founders of Road Scholar Transport) had the honor of appearing on Season 5 of Northeast Pennsylvania Business Journal, a WVIA program that seeks out “remarkable business men and women here in Northeast and North Central Pennsylvania,” that have “stories of hard work, sacrifice and success…who started or built successful companies that improve our communities, employ our neighbors and are living examples for future generations.” 1
According to its host, Bill Kelly, the NEPA Business Journal “Seeks out people who have great stories” and Jim and Debra have just that.
“You are a bootstrap operations. Started with nothing. Had to put up your home to do it,” Kelly explains.
Work ethic is nothing shy of the Barretts. Jim had started driving trucks at age 14 and was the sole driver of a leased 30-year-old truck when the company began in 1988 as Debra dispatched, did accounting, etc. from the Barrett’s home.
Since then, the company has grown to include operations in six terminals with the same principle in mind, “If we give our word, it’s going to get done. This company has never been cited for a piece of defective equipment involved in an accident. We have an impeccable record,” says Jim.
Besides the services and strong emphasis on security that Road Scholar Transport provides, the company also stands out in its awareness campaign, whose goal is to “Bring help and awareness to people less fortunate,” growing to accommodate over two dozen different awareness trucks with about 30 trucks being part of this campaign.
“You not only own and run a trucking company,” Kelly explains, “you not only care about your customers enormously, you not only make sure that the promise you make that the freight will perform, that it will deliver the way that you want it to, but you create this idea between the two of you [the awareness campaign]. You know the causes, you know what’s behind them, the bottom story of it all.”
By clicking on NEPA Business Journal’s interview with Jim and Debra below, you will learn:
-How Road Scholar got its name
-How the company began
-Were they convinced they would make it
-How they went from one leased truck working out of their home to over 100 trucks and 300 trailers
-How the awareness program began
-Learn where the ideas came from behind the Breast Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer, Autism Speaks, Alex’s Lemonade, Marley’s Mission, RETT Syndrome, Children’s Craniofacial Foundation and Children’s Tumor Foundation trucks
-The technology and aluminum floor trailers utilizes to accommodate customers
We would love to hear your feedback on Jim and Deb’s interview. List your comments below!
1 http://www.wvia.org/television/local-programs/business
