Justin James Trucking

 

Dislocated Mill Worker Starts Trucking Business that Supports Local Farmers

Justin and Morgan James were living their dream when the unexpected closure of the local 100+-year-old paper mill in 2023 jeopardized that dream. In one fell swoop, Justin, like the other Pactiv Evergreen mill employees, lost his main source of income and health benefits. Justin was a third-generation millworker who planned to work his way through the ranks and retire there. This devastating event would make the future seem grim for most. Instead, Justin and Morgan rolled up their sleeves, took stock of their respective skills, and started planning to keep their dream alive.

Justin and Morgan were not new to hard work and smart planning. The couple married in 2015 after Morgan had completed dental hygiene school, and Justin had already been working at the local mill. Then, their family and their dreams grew. They had their first child in 2016 and their second in 2019. By 2022, the growing little family was happily moving forward. Justin had worked his way up in the mill, changing from swing shift to maintenance mechanic, with better hours and more money, and Morgan was thriving as a dental hygienist in a local dental office. The next logical step for the young family was getting their dream home. And they continued to work hard and sacrifice to further that dream.  The couple sold their home and, while temporarily living in a travel trailer, built their dream home on family property. Unfortunately, the mill closed within a week of moving into that home.

But that setback did not stop this industrious couple. In 2024, Justin and Morgan registered their business, Justin James Trucking LLC, with the state of North Carolina. To reach that point, a series of events had to happen. First, owning a business had to be a realistic plan for the family. Morgan James explains, “Justin has always wanted to be his own boss but never really knew where to start or what business to open. After the mill closure, he fell into trucking due to a family member owning a trucking business and hiring him as a driver. He allowed Justin to learn about the trucks and how the business runs.”  Second, Justin had to obtain his commercial driver’s license (CDL) to drive a commercial truck. Justin invested the time and money to do just that. Third, that family member hired Justin and showed him how to run his own trucking business. This family member was the first in a series of individuals to help the couple move forward with their plan.

When the busy couple began work with Vicki Ashley at the Small Business Center at Haywood Community College, they were in the process of applying for a Federal Employer Identification Number, registering their LLC with the North Carolina Secretary of State, opening a business bank account, and working with an accountant. Upon a referral from their accountant, they came to the SBC to inquire about potential funding sources that they might be able to access for the purchase of a tractor-trailer, insurance, and all the permits/licenses required to put it on the road.

Vicki wasn’t sure about where or how they would obtain funding, but she had this to say after their first counseling session, “From the first meeting with Justin, Morgan, and their two children, I knew they had what it takes to be successful business owners. They had a plan, and nothing would stop them from pursuing their dreams. I’m excited about their future and plan to be with them for as long as they need me.”

And determined they all were. Morgan, using the resources at hand, drafted a business proposal on an old computer. It is so old that the document would not open or convert on the computer at the SBC. Vicki stepped in to assist. She began by providing them with an effective business plan template, helped them turn their proposal into a plan, and retyped the document in a newer format to assist until Morgan purchased a new computer for the business.

Vicki then went in search of potential funding for the business. Since Justin is a dislocated worker, she logically started by contacting the Southwestern Commission’s Dislocated Worker Team, which has access to federal grant funding to support various programs for former mill employees. It proved to be just a starting point, albeit helpful. This organization then directed Vicki to another team within the Southwest Commission, who in turn sent Vicki to the MountainWest Partnership, where there was the potential for funding through Sequoya Funds. With Vicki’s help, the couple submitted an application, all required financial documentation, and a solid business plan to Sequoya Funds to request for enough funding to get their trucking business started.

The waiting took patience because somewhere along the way, a human error occurred, the application fell through the cracks, and it was not processed. After several weeks of no response, Morgan followed up. The application was located and processed, and within a short time, they received a denial. This was disappointing but Morgan knew right away that she had to contact Vicki and at the same time MountainWest Partnership also contacted Vicki to discuss resubmitting the application with changes to the business plan.

With this additional information, Vicki was armed with what she needed to assist Morgan with developing an even stronger business plan that included additional financial and economic development details. Vicki and Morgan spent a weekend revising the business plan, making edits, and providing the details that Sequoya Fund requested. A final draft was submitted to the lender and they waited.  Unfortunately, they never received an answer from the lender after repeated attempts.

In the meantime, with direction from Vicki, the couple continued to work on their skills and knowledge for the business. One important need for these new business owners was bookkeeping. Vicki gave them a couple of options for classes through the SBCN. Additionally, she identified training opportunities in the SBCN for classes specifically related to starting a trucking business and the trucking industry, in which Morgan and Justin participated. Vicki noted to them:

I want to explore all options for you. For now, I recommend that you be very conservative with your spending, get a copy of your credit report from freecreditreport.com, make sure there are no errors, pay down as much debt as possible, and save, save, save. Also, as a full-time employee with two young children, it can be difficult to find time to read, but I recommend you and Justin read the book Who Owns the Ice House – Eight Likely Lessons from an Unlikely Entrepreneur. I can lend you a copy of the book if you want. It’s a pretty quick read and one that you can read to your children.

Overall, Vicki spent 12.75 hours working for this couple, with five hours in direct contact and 7.75 in prep, working on their business plan, providing them with training and resources, and seeking funding, which was Justin and Morgan’s biggest hurdle. The couple certainly appreciated her dedication, as Morgan states:

Vicki and SBC and HCC were amazing. From the free education she helped me sign up for that included bookkeeping and actually finding me a free online trucking class!!! She also helped us write and enhance our business plan. She led us to a nice potential SB funding institution, but it was a dead end due to not fault of hers or SBC! Our accountant had actually told us about SBC which is how we were introduced to Vicki.

Justin and Morgan’s clear vision and planning and Vicki’s dogged determination to help them start their business made them great candidates to get funding. On Justin and Morgan’s side, knowledge was power. Because of their family connection and Justin’s work, they knew that there was a real need for short haul delivery of agricultural items, such as lime, gypsum, and animal feed to local farmers in Haywood County. They also had the foresight to start with a used, rather than a new truck, one with a proven record and one that Justin himself could maintain because of his work experience. They had the foresight to establish relationships with local farmers and plants in Tennessee and South Carolina that produce animal feed, lime, and even sand. They thoroughly researched their needs and costs and projected their gross profit.

For Justin and Morgan, the hard work and smart planning are beginning to pay off. They obtained a loan through other means and purchased a PeterBilt truck and dump trailer. They are a business of two employees - Justin as owner/operator and Morgan as owner/administrator – with plans to add more employees and another truck. However, they are still facing some hurdles. Morgan explains, “It’s been a challenge learning everything that goes with running a business and staying up to date with the government regulations for large trucks.” To illustrate, getting a tractor-trailer tag meant traveling to Charlotte to apply in person. However, these hurdles do not stop Justin and Morgan; they face them and move forward.

Vicki Ashley sums up this young couple’s experience, “Through sheer determination, Justin and Morgan turned their dreams into reality by securing the funding necessary to purchase a tractor-trailer and paving the road to their own trucking business.”  And Morgan James positively predicts their future, “We are confident this will be a successful business to provide for our family.”