Entrepreneurial drive keeps Justin Jenkins' trucking dreams rolling
Faith, hard work, ambition and timing have set Justin Jenkins on the road to success.
“I'm an entrepreneur by spirit,” Jenkins says. “I’ve promoted hip-hop concerts. I sold cars, and my goal was to open a car lot.”
But a family member suggested that Jenkins switch to trucking.
“My uncle drove trucks for 15 years,” Jenkins says. “I counted trucks. I saw the demand for trucking. We don’t get anything in America without trucks.”
He had a solid job selling cars but made a leap in 2017.
“I built up my courage because I wanted to be my own boss. I wanted to create something to leave behind for my kids. I knew that working a regular job wasn't going to make that happen,” he says.
Jenkins named his company Paveway Express Ltd. Co. because, “This is going to pave the way for my future. This is the foundation."
“We ran our first load on Feb. 9, 2017,” he says.
In September, Paveway was named Minority Business of the Year by the Greenville Chamber of Commerce.
Today, five and a half years after that first load on that first truck, Paveway Express operates 25 trucks. He runs 20 trucks a day, with five in reserve in case of mechanical problems or other delays.
His goal for the next 36 to 60 months is even more ambitious … grow to 100 to 150 trucks.
“I think we're one of the fastest-growing truck companies in the Southeast,” Jenkins says. “I'm going to claim that narrative. With the will of God and hard work, all things are possible. And I think that narrative will come true.”
Jenkins’ first break came two months after Paveway Express hit the road for the first time. He connected with a company that shipped headliners for the interiors of Volkswagen vehicles. The shipper picked up the parts at the manufacturer in Spartanburg, delivered them to VW’s plant in Chattanooga, Tenn., then returned with the shipping racks.
Paveway began covering weekends – eight loads. With only two trucks, Jenkins hired weekend drivers for what became a weekly relay: One driver would pull in after completing a round trip, and another driver would jump in to take the next load.
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“I had to be creative to make it work,” Jenkins says.
Jenkins said he realized that shipping for the auto industry was an opportunity and began thinking about BMW and its suppliers – and the companies that supply its suppliers, known as Tier 2.
“I started trying to get more traction in the automotive industry. Before you know it, we were up to 10 trucks in 2020.”
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Jenkins lost a major contract.
“We had all of our eggs in one basket,” he says.
The contract ended on March 28 – the same day that BMW and other companies shut down because of COVID.
“BMW stayed on ice for about four months. When everybody came back to work, we gradually started working,” Jenkins says. He landed a contract with a Duncan company, ProTrans, which provides transportation services for BMW.
“We won another project a month later. So we scaled from 10 trucks to 20 trucks within two or three months – during the COVID year.” He now delivers parts for BMWs, Volvos and Volkswagens -- seats, bumpers and other components.
While the pandemic was no less devastating for Jenkins than for other business owners, it’s what he did during the pandemic that was different.
“The whole time, I was in the Minority Business Acceleration program through the Greenville Chamber of Commerce,” Jenkins says. “If I wasn't in that program, I wouldn't have been able to scale that fast.”
The Minority Business Accelerator was founded by the Greenville chamber in 2012.
The program supports high-potential, minority-owned firms by providing training and access to business coaches. Its mission is to strengthen and expand the minority business community.
Business owners apply to the program, and the chamber selects those most likely to benefit. Entrepreneurs who complete the program leave with a three-year Strategic Growth Action Plan.
“Because we had to create a Strategic Growth Action Plan, we had policies, procedures, processes and systems already in place. The beauty of the MBA program is that you can learn something today and implement it in your business the same day,” Jenkins says.
“My biggest advantage was having the MBA program, having that knowledge, having that support, having the mentors. My coach was Carlo White, and he has a trucking company. Being a participant of the MBA program geared me up for the opportunity that was presented.”
Jenkins’ younger brother, Davis Kirby, joined Paveway after graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill during the downturn in 2020. He is now the Administrative Director.
“He's a great asset,” Jenkins says. “The goal is to transition him into becoming COO.”
Jenkins credits his team of about 40 drivers and office staff for his success.
“We don't treat a driver like he's just a driver. He's a family member to us. They can make good money and can be home every night because we’re local,” he says.
Adding administrators means that Jenkins doesn’t make all of the decisions himself. “I've got other minds that can help me think.”
In July, the company purchased the property it occupies on White Horse Road. “One of the last things on my action plan was purchasing this property,” he says.
A Greenville native with 2-year-old and 13-year-old daughters, Jenkins says he is working for the future of his family.
“This is about creating generational wealth for my kids and their kids and their kids. It's not about me.”
He wants others to believe that they can achieve their goals. “You can do whatever you want to do in life. You just gotta believe in yourself and get out there and do it – and do the work. Nothing comes easy.
“Have your goals, have your dreams, have faith, and just get out there and go after it.”
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Entrepreneurial drive keeps Justin Jenkins' trucking dreams rolling
