On their own

 

Finding a truck quickly could be challenging because the trucking industry is facing severe shortages. The national trucker shortage is expected to reach 111,000 drivers by 2014, according to American Trucking Association. Currently, there is a short age of 20,000 drivers nationwide, according to the trucking association.

Instead of depending on outside trucking companies to haul their goods, the partners decided to bring the operations in-house. That's when they created TAS Logistics, a sister company to the Asset Store.

Shuman and Bondroff bought three tractor trailers for nearly $200,000 and thought they were ready to go.

But when the new entrepreneurs started filling out the tax, insurance and state licensing papers, Shuman said he felt a little overwhelmed. He began a search for a trucking industry veteran to build the new division of the business.

Mark Walker was the man for the job. A Baltimore native, Walker had 20 years experience in the trucking industry. Shuman said when he saw Walker's resume it was exactly what he was looking for.

Savvy entrepreneurs that are excelling in the asset trading business are adding more processes to help their companies grow, said Gailen Vick, CEO of Reverse Logistics Association, a California-based trade group for companies that resell liquidated goods.

Most people that have gained in the process are forward thinking, Vick said. "They use every technology at their finger tips," he added.

Shuman and Bondroff started TAS Logistics in March with Walker at the helm. In the three months since its inception the trucking division's revenues have quadrupled to $170,000 a month, Shuman said. Their fleet increased to 12 trucks and TAS is taking on jobs independent of the Asset Store. They ship metals for a company that consolidates two smaller loads into one tractor trailer at TAS's warehouse.

The partners said they started the trucking division to improve their primary business. Now it is just as important to their bottom line as the Asset Store, Shuman said. TAS recently began hauling freight to and from the Port of Baltimore. The company purchased a 10,000-square-foot warehouse on Pulaski Highway. The combine companies have 16 employees.

Bondroff said he hopes the companies will have a national presence in the next three to five years. Immediate goals included growing the trucking fleet to 25 trucks at TAS and adding 10 brokers to sell merchandise for the Asset Store and coordinate trucking jobs for TAS.