Alabama Trucker Finds Formula For Success
MUNFORD, AL… Frank Langston has been riding in trucks since he was 3 years old. His Dad and his Stepdad were both truckers, so it was no surprise that growing up all Frank wanted to do was to drive truck. Frank began his driving career in 1992 and drove company trucks off and on until he acquired his own authority and became an owner-operator in 2019. Frank also leased to US Bulk in 2019 running end dump freight under his own authority. Eventually all the loads he was running were for US Bulk, so Frank decided to let his authority expire and just run under Bulk’s. Frank says, “If a situation comes up, all I have to do is make one phone call to US Bulk and they take care of it in a timely fashion.”
While Frank has mostly pulled end dumps, he also did some tank and flatbed work, in fact, Frank was on the road full time until about 6 weeks ago. However, he still fills in on one of his 4 trucks if one of his drivers needs to take time off.
Frank has a goal and that is to grow his 4 truck fleet so that he can get off the road and focus on running his and his wife Vicky’s company, L&L Logistics, LLC. Frank says, “ I couldn’t do it without Vicky’s help.”
The Langstons have been buying a truck each year and plan to continue expanding their fleet. When asked about finding drivers, Frank stated, “Most of our new drivers are people our existing drivers refer to us. We treat our drivers good and pay them well, so we can keep them. We pay them extra to run the truck like an owner-operator. They have a company credit card so they can get the truck fixed fast and get back on the road. If one of my trucks goes down, I pay my driver’s salary while they can’t work. After all, they have a family to feed, just like I do. I appreciate them and they appreciate how I treat them. You don’t work for me; you work with me. We work together, I don’t look over your shoulder. I can’t control what happens on the road, but I can control what happens with my drivers. There are plenty of steering wheel holders out there, but not a lot of truck drivers.”
Frank works with the U.S. Bulk Terminal #15 in Birmingham, Alabama, they have a lot of great freight and work well with other terminals to assist my out of state drivers. Frank wants to give a big shout out to the ladies at Terminal 15. He says, “These ladies do everything they promise, and I can call them at midnight if I have to. You have to have a special bond with the people you work with to be successful.” If you want to learn more about L&L Logistics, give Frank a call at 205-505-0625.
100% Owner-Operator company US Bulk was founded in 1991 and has grown to have the largest network of terminals and logistics offices in the dump industry. The company operates all end dumps, hauling industrial, environmental, and hazmat bulk materials. Drivers receive 100% of the fuel surcharge as well as fuel and tire discounts. US Bulk welcomes owner-operators with or without their own authority. Hazmat endorsements are helpful, but not required. There are also some opportunities for company drivers with small fleet owners in the US Bulk system. If you are in another line of work, US Bulk can help assist you with the process of getting a wetline kit installed and rent, lease or buy a dump trailer if you would like to switch to dump work. Call Lewis at 800-609-6611, extension 122 for details.