Speaker 1: 0:09

Hi everybody, Welcome back to another episode of that's Delivered. I'm your host, Trucking Ray, and today this is where the road meets real talk, where we're going to be back for another powerful conversation from Ada. A lot of the spotlight that we're going to put on this series is going to capture a lot of individuals behind the scenes of ATA. I know we got a chance to enjoy a great episode with Lotta Love Hopkins and we also had Imani Witcher on the show, and today we're going to roll out the red carpet for another one of the great behind the scenes. It's going to be Carissa Carter, known for many things that she's doing. That's going to be insurmountable as the intermodal queen.

Speaker 1: 0:44

Carissa brings 23 years of experience in the transportation and logistics. She owns CM Transportation and also CM Consulting. She is the founder of Charleston Trucking Expo. She got that started, an annual event that is quickly becoming one of the Southeast's most important trucking gatherings. So she also created Transportation Industry Foundation, TEF, Open Doors for Others, an industry of actively mentors through leading ladies of logistics. So if you're ready to hear more about this wonderful woman and how she has helped the freight industry inside and out, her dedication and creativity is an opportunity for the next generation. This episode is for you, so let's get into it. Carissa, welcome to the show. How are you doing today?

Speaker 2: 1:37

I'm great, I'm great. Thank you so much for having me. It's my pleasure to be here.

Speaker 1: 1:41

Yeah, pleasure's all mine, man. You guys are doing great things over there, ada. I'm so happy to be a part of it and have this series out there to help other people understand what it is that you guys are doing over there. I mean because every time I see you guys and I see a post, I get excited. It's like, man, what are they cooking up? Let's go, let's talk about it. Like I said, everybody can eat, yeah. So I mean, one of the first things we want to talk about is well, what to take you back? I mean what? How did it all get started? What drew you into the transportation industry and logistics in the space of 20 years ago?

Speaker 2: 2:12

Wow, how much time do we have I? I really usually answer that question and tell people that I don't know, that I chose trucking. Trucking chose me. So I am definitely a success story of how you know all things are possible. I mean like with God, all things truly are possible. To be honest, I was making $7.50 back in 1999. My husband and I got married young, 21 and 23 years old and of course you know, when you play house you start having babies. And so we packed up and moved to Charleston, south Carolina.

Speaker 2: 2:57

I'm from a small country town called Big Spring, kentucky. We weren't even on the map. I had a general delivery address. Growing up I think we got an official address. Like my senior year, I walked across the street to the post office to get our mail.

Speaker 2: 3:13

So once I met my husband, who was stationed in the military at Fort Knox he's originally from Charleston and we relocated to Charleston, I was making $7.15 as a holiday and reservation agent and one of the gentlemen that was on my team he walked in. He was like he got a new job. He had a desk, he had his own phone. I was like where are you going to get a job at, you know? So he said it just starts off as a temp. But I'm working for OOCL. That's one of the ocean line containers that come into the port. As many of you all know, and those of you that don't know, charleston is a major port city for the southeast. That's the name, the intermodal queen. So I was like, are they still hiring? So I put my little application in and I thought I was doing something, making $10 an hour.

Speaker 2: 4:06

So I actually fell into the position in their equipment department. But when I tell you that I loved it and I had a passion for the truck drivers or, excuse me, the trucking companies that I dispatched for, I worked my way up from the equipment department to customer service and dispatching and one of the trucking companies out of Atlanta, one of the gentlemen, said Carissa, not everybody has that it factor, he was like, but you, you got that it factor, so if you ever want to leave OCL, so I left my good job with my good benefits, because he put a comma, you know, in that salary and I opened a trucking terminal for him in Charleston he was based out of Atlanta and after that I went on to open six other trucking companies for terminal or six other trucking terminals for companies that wanted a terminal. The relationships that I built with the drivers. They were like well, you know, carissa, we're going to go wherever you go.

Speaker 2: 5:07

So I was like okay, and you know that was one of my selling tools. It opened so many doors for me. 14 years ago I was blessed enough, I actually stepped out on faith and I opened my own terminal and so I've been an entrepreneur. And CM Transportation was created 14 years ago here in Charleston, south Carolina, and so it wasn't I, you know, like when I speak and especially when I talk to you. I started.

Speaker 2: 5:37

I got married young, you know. College was no longer in the plans when we had mouths to feed and we had rent to pay and we had lights to pay, and I was blessed to walk into the door of OOCL and begin a career in transportation and logistics. And so from OOCL, which is the steamship line, I went into trucking and I haven't looked back since then and I just have a passion for people. I was looking back at so many faces that look like me, you know, and then you know kind of working for those admin, working in administration for those offices. I was like they take their money, you know, and these guys they deliver, they keep the world moving and they have no idea how much power they have as drivers.

Speaker 2: 6:23

So when I was blessed to open my own terminal. I vowed, you know, I made my promise to myself and to God and to my drivers and my staff, that I believe in treating people how you want to be treated. I don't take a dime. That's not mine. I make sure that they get paid what they're supposed to pay. I try to share information with them like yo. How is your business set up? You got a business bank account? You?

Speaker 2: 6:47

got an EIN number. I have 43 owner operators that work under me, so that means that's 43 individual companies, you know and I think that a lot of times they're not given the credit for that they were small business owners a lot of them before I was. So yeah, I don't know that I necessarily chose trucking. When I was four years old, I would tell people I'm going to be the first Black woman president of the United States and now, looking back then, I'm kind of glad trucking chose me.

Speaker 1: 7:19

In our current state, yeah, it's tough out there, man. Uh, you did. I think you did too. I think you picked the right course. Thank you so much for contributing all that you know for drivers. You're helping us out. You know from beginning to end. Uh, what's some of the things that? Uh, what keeps you going over the early years, when many people you know they burn out, they leave the industry, but you're still in there and you can and, as you know you like being a part of this industry.

Speaker 2: 7:47

burnout is easy. You get frustrated. There were many nights that I cried myself to sleep. There were many nights that I felt like you know, like what am I doing? Because the one thing about trucking is I read a post that someone said that we may love trucking but trucking doesn't love us. You know, because one day, the people that are in power, they can change our industry at the drop of a dime. The customers, my staff, I feel like I have, you know, probably hundreds of people that rely on me and that is a heavy burden to bear sometimes. But you know, I definitely share that burden in my faith and I also know that it's what I was called to do.

Speaker 2: 8:43

I was called to make a change Throughout the trucking industry. I've been blessed to be able to do that. Of course, I have three beautiful children. They're grown now. Actually, my grandma had my first grandchild February the 7th. She's a blessing. The saying when you know better, you do better.

Speaker 2: 9:03

So I learned I wanted to create generational wealth. I wanted my children to realize that you can be anything that you want to be, just like my grandmother. You know and my family implemented into me, my grandparents, my grandparents were sharecroppers. I mean this. This is real life. You know, I was born in 1977 and the outhouse was still in the yard. So that the drive to have that opportunity, that this is what they worked hard for, to be able to put me in a position that I could be a blessing to other people, as long as I'm blessed, that's really my huge goal. I want to create that generational wealth. I want to change society. I want to change our community. I want to create that generational wealth. I want to change society. I want to change our community. I want to save youth. I want to change the world.

Speaker 1: 9:50

That's great. That's awesome. I'm a seventies baby as well. So, yeah, you see some things over the years because I mean these last 20 years or so I mean things have changed so fast, so drastically and yeah, thank you for hanging in there. They call you the intermodal queen. Can you break that down as what that means for people out there listening? What's the thing that happens in the intermodal freight? That's critical for supply chain.

Speaker 2: 10:16

So the niche intermodal is not something that everybody is familiar with. It's not something that everyone you know. You see the dispatching courses that are out there. Hey, for $199, take my dispatching course and it's done. Dropped down to $29.99 after COVID.

Speaker 2: 10:35

But the port system and understanding imports and exports, understanding our economy, it really does. I'm constantly learning. So I believe that Lada actually dubbed me the intermodal queen because with my experience, there's not a lot that I don't know about imports and exports after now reaching 26 years in the industry. So, being in the supply chain industry, starting with the ocean line, the seam supply, OCL, ocean line containers, getting familiar with the day-to-day processes of the ports, what's required by our federal government for my drivers to get in off the port, what's required by the federal government for me to be able to haul freight off of the port. It's a little different than domestic carrier, you know, so that I believe that I got that term because of the experience. So you can call me and say hey, Carissa, I've got a customer who's asking about, you know, delivering a container that's arriving to the port and I don't know what to do.

Speaker 2: 11:47

Well, there's a lot of red tape. I mean, to be honest, everyone can't go in the port. They are federal facilities. You have to be approved by the federal government with the TWIC card, which stands for the Transportation Workers Identification Cred credential. So they run background checks on our drivers. They have to get that TWIC card to be able to vote in and off of the terminal. Freight has to be customs clear.

Speaker 2: 12:13

I have to understand imports versus exports, shippers versus consign needs. So, yeah, I was definitely blessed to be able to start on the ocean line side and then get into the trucking side. I've also been an equipment depot manager for, like hazardous cargo. I ran the inventory department for a 3PL, so I've been on the warehousing side, I've been on the steamship side, I've been on the trucking side and 26 years I've gained a lot of knowledge and so I can say that I finally I'm starting to get my flowers. I'm starting to be recognized that you can't just open a company and know how to move intermodal freight. There is definitely a lot of ins and outs when it comes to dealing with imports and exports and the federal government and the ports, not only here in the US but abroad.

Speaker 1: 13:20

Can you give us a little sneak peek as to what a conversation would be like when you try to get a load or try to talk to someone across the port there to get something going in?

Speaker 2: 13:30

Absolutely so. The customers are actually usually customs house brokers. We have had some domestic brokers who have entered into the industry, probably since COVID, you know, when there was a spike of freight. But when you heard people talking about the shelves being empty from toilet paper, I always like to say that it's a circle. You know, like the trucking industry is a circle and it starts with intermodal. So whatever we don't manufacture and produce here in the United States, it has to be imported from another country. Just like you know, tariffs is a big topic of conversations now and a big topic in the media. So you know, like, the reason that those larger companies such as Target and Walmart are leaning on our political administration is because whatever we don't produce and manufacture here in the United States, we order it from somewhere else. So when the shelves were empty, that's because we're purchasing it from someone else. We're importing it into the United States. Once it arrives to the ports then we get to truck it out. So the customers that are buying those products my largest customer is actually an exporter, which is International Paper, I'm proud to say a Fortune 500 company. I've been a carrier for International Paper for going on 15 years.

Speaker 2: 14:56

But those you know, like, let's just use Mercedes, for example, volvo, they have to get their part. They're getting their parts from other countries. So when I reach out to Volvo or when I reach out to Mercedes, then I'm able to sell my experience and let them know. You know, like, hey, if you've got this coming into the port, we can watch it for you. We understand the releases. There has to be customs entries. We understand the releases. There has to be custom entry numbers filed with US Customs. Some of them are pulled for exams. All of the equipment is owned by the steamship lines. So that's really one of the major differences with domestic freight. So I have to be knowledgeable on how many days that container can sit in the port before it delivers to its destination. Then we only have a certain amount of days for it to return to the port. So I'm able to sell that.

Speaker 2: 15:52

But when, when I'm calling them? You know that's one of the biggest things that you know, one of our biggest selling tools. I have a road dispatcher, a local dispatcher, and between the three of us we probably have over 100 years experience. You know, so we can, we know how to maneuver through the port system and my 43 owner operators are great. A lot of them have been with me for 15 or 20 years. Like I said, they traveled with me so they're familiar with the port operations. They're familiar with the Department of Transportation's regulations.

Speaker 2: 16:25

So I can pretty much tell you. You know, like once you send it to us, we can take care of it. We will let you know what's wrong. If something's wrong when it arrives to the port, we'll let you know what you need to do to get it released, we'll get it picked up, we'll get it delivered, We'll get it returned, that empty container returned back to the port within a free time. So you don't get any additional charges. It's not like a load board, you know. It's not like you just go. You go on a load board picking up something from the shipper and delivering it to the next warehouse or making seven stops. There's definitely a lot that goes into intermodal and that is what the conversation looks like. So it's easier to be able to tell you that I can take care of you because we've been doing this for so long.

Speaker 1: 17:09

That's beautiful. I like it. I mean, you even got a consulting business as well. You know CM Transportation and you've got CM Consulting. You run both. What does these businesses provide and focus on for the day-to-day?

Speaker 2: 17:23

So CM Transportation is my subsidiary company, since I am a trucking agent and I lease the owner-operators. We do business under Cowan Intermodal. So, you know, at some point it was like do you want your own trucking company? Well, I worked in enough trucking companies to know that I didn't want my own trucking company companies, to know that I didn't want my own trucking company. I didn't want the headache of waiting on the customers to pay their invoices within 30, 60, or 90 days. There's no quick pay when it comes to intermodal, you know, and the safety, the hiring requirements. So I opted to find a company, one of the best companies in the world I love Cowan and I said, hey, I have the drivers, I have customers, so I'd like to partner with you and run under your authority. So CM Transportation actually moves the containers from the port. Again, I have over 40 older operators that work for me. So my job on that side is to recruit the guys and say, hey, I'll take care of you, all you have to do, you take care of me, I take care of you, we handle your safety, we handle the invoicing, I'll find the loads for you. You just get my stuff there on time.

Speaker 2: 18:37

And then, when it comes to seeing consulting, as I mentioned earlier also, there are a lot of people that don't really understand the requirements to get into intermodal. So once the news started sharing the fact that there's a driver shortage, there's no toilet paper on you know, ain't no toilet paper in the stores Then people were like hey, carissa, what do I have to do to move loads out of the port? You know, people can open a trucking company and pull loads off of the load board all the time. So my mentoring business was birthed from the fact that they wanted to know the details and the requirements to become an intermodal carrier or actually get on and off the ports.

Speaker 2: 19:18

And not only do I teach intermodal, but there are some people who opt to. You know they may contact me just because they want to open a trucking company. There are some people who contact me that say I don't know what I want to do in trucking. But I know I want to do something because I heard that you know the trucking company is what pay. I mean trucking is what pays. So I also give people evaluations. I give them different avenues. To make money in the industry you don't have to have a CDL. I've never driven a truck. I don't own a truck, you know, and that's a lot of stuff that the world doesn't know. But from freight forwarding brokering, freight brokering, dispatching, fleet ownership there's there are a lot of different avenues to make money in this industry, so that's what my mentoring business can help you with.

Speaker 1: 20:10

Wow, that's a piece of the pie that you can't get everywhere. Your knowledge, your experience, I mean that says a lot. I mean you're making moves out there and then you know that's impressive. I really think that you, along with Ada, that's a lot of great things happening here, so I'm very proud to be in the company, of your presence here. This is nice. So thank you so much for doing all that. And then also, when you talk about building these companies, what are some of the early roadblocks that you had to navigate through, especially as being a black woman in the industry and space? I want to give you time to talk about that as well, because there's other people like yourself that want to make those moves. What would you say to them, or what would you share has been your experience?

Speaker 2: 20:55

And just for just the statement that I am a Black woman in this industry, that was the original roadblock. I mean even since I've had my own terminal. That was the original roadblock. I mean even since I've had my own terminal. I would say it might have been three or four years ago. I went to a meeting with one of the customers and they directly spoke to my counterpart, who is a male, you know. And we're talking three or four years ago. So they're, the industry of trucking, as most people know, is considered a white man's industry. So you know, I didn't get very many invitations to the table. Even in management I worked for some gentlemen who thought that they had to bring in a Caucasian woman in order to go to these meetings with their customers because that might cost them the business. So that was definitely a big challenge.

Speaker 2: 21:49

And what I tell people is master your craft, because you can put me up against. You know what I mean. I mean, let's do intermodal jeopardy, let's do trucking jeopardy, because you can put me up against there and I'm going to answer those questions. And then they're forced to recognize the fact that I have the information. They're forced to recognize that I know the processes and the procedures. So that was one of the major. One of the major obstacles that I faced is just being able to be recognized, because they you know, you know a lot of the customers, a lot of the people in the industry, were looking for a white man to be on the other end of the phone. Now, on the other end of the phone they may think I'm a white woman, but you know, and then when they meet me they're like oh, you're Carissa. Yes, I am Carissa, but by then they've already fell in love with me anyway. So you know, that's that's cool, but that was definitely one of my um, definitely one of the biggest obstacles.

Speaker 2: 22:50

And what I would tell people is to master your craft. Uh, don't you know like, don't sell yourself, don't oversell yourself. Make sure that you know the information that you are able to give that customer so that you don't fall on your face. One of my mentors told me something that I quote on a lot of the podcasts that I do, any interviews, that I do do what you're good at and pay somebody else for what you're not. So if it's not something that I handle I don't handle oversized, overweight freight I'm going to refer you to someone who handles oversized, overweightrate rate.

Speaker 2: 23:22

That's just an option that I took as a business owner. So what I do, I'm very good at what I do. I know the information on what I do. I know the regulations on what I do. So when you are put in a position and you are questioned about it, I don't want to be set at the table because of affirmative action, which we know no longer exists. I want to be set at the table because I actually have the experience, the knowledge, the will and the know how to make both of our companies successful.

Speaker 1: 23:57

And that's great. That's that's a lot to be said there. Many people think you know, when you hear racism, I want to talk about it, or you know that's something that think you know, when you hear racism, I don't want to talk about it, or you know that's something that possibly you know. Is that something that is?

Speaker 1: 24:10

in your head, but you know body clues. You know there's people that read the room very well by being observant. What would you say to individuals to say man, some of those things that you're talking about uh is more so on the individual side, what uh give a little bit more.

Speaker 2: 24:28

Maybe can you do that I think, yeah, and I and I you know what. To be honest, I don't even really blame them, you know, um, because it is, it's a precedent that was set. So if a lot of these deals are closed on the golf courses, a lot of these deals, a lot of these handshakes are made at church. So if I'm attending the AME or the Baptist church and you know they're attending another church, then well, they, it's the we call it the good old boy network. Let's be honest, you know. So Jim knows Bob, knows John, and Jim brings his son in and he trains his son and his son now knows Bob and now knows John. My kids aren't introduced to them, so they don't know. You know it's not something that has happened for us generationally, but now I believe that you know we are in a different, we're in a different time and a different world and people are respecting knowledge, you know, just over the fact of who you are and who you're connected to. But that is one thing we used to say at the Port of Charleston when you went after those big accounts. That's why I respect companies like International Paper. They gave me the opportunity based on the service that I provided, not based on. You know who I knew. Now there are still companies in Charleston and they're thriving because of who they know and and I, you know I know that to be a fact I can put up the same. I can put up the same amount of services. Then, however, their dad knew each other. Their dad worked at the port so they could open a trucking company. They had some different inside connections and that is one of the things that I pride myself with being affiliated with AADA. You know like, so we can bypass the who you know. When we can show you what we can do, you know so we can, we can get in those doors because now the collaborations that we do, the people that are teaching and educating, can bring information to show that you do deserve a seat at that table.

Speaker 2: 26:42

It's still not, you know, it's still not easy. It's Nicole, the founder of Audit my hat goes off to her and Miss Donna, but you know she got us at the Mid-America Trucking Show and she was like, hey, listen, there's, you know, women in trucking is becoming a powerful movement. There's, I mean, we're not going anywhere. And she said and not only are we not going anywhere, we're holding leadership roles. We are making changes within this industry. So why don't you have a women's leadership panel? A Black woman would have been hosting a woman leadership panel at the Mid-American Trucking Show in Louisville, kentucky, which is the biggest trucking show, you know, biggest transportation industry event of the year.

Speaker 2: 27:35

And so, yeah, times are changing. We've definitely been blessed. But, just like you know, it doesn't matter what news station that you pull up or you know some of the shows that you pull up when you say that, when we say we have to work harder, we do have to work harder. It is going to take us five emails to get recognized. And then sometimes we still, you know, even after they recognize you, once they find out that you're a black woman, then the conversation kind of stops. It is still going on. So we do have to work harder and all I can say over and over and over is master your craft, don't give them a reason to not invite you.

Speaker 1: 28:11

Right, you know, educate, educating yourself, getting that knowledge is going to make you invaluable. You know, like you said, what can I bring to the table? You know you want to. You know the frustration, the hesitancy of not knowing something that could take you out right there. So when you master your craft, like you say, I think that's going to help resonate with so many people to help them see that you know, if you can rub shoulders with individuals like yourself, be in those circles, like when you guys put out those invites for the Power Hub and things like that, I think it's going to be a huge game changer for a lot of individuals that want to play the game seriously and make moves for themselves, that want to play the game seriously and make moves for themselves.

Speaker 2: 28:57

And we want to. And another one of the things that I used to hear all the time is that you know, nobody will help me, nobody will train me. Ata is here because of that. We are here because we know what it's like to feel alone on an island. We're here because we weren't invited to those tables.

Speaker 2: 29:17

So we want to help you build your business. We want to help educate you in the industry, and so we have so many different variations of companies that are within this organization so that you can build your business. And it doesn't matter if you're an African-American woman, you can be white, black, blue, purple, yellow. We just want you to be good at what you're doing. We want you to know that you're not alone, and one of the things that we tell our kids all the time oh, mom, I know, I know, but, honey, I'm only telling you because I've already done it, so why do you have to make the same mistakes that I made? So if we can help you not make those mistakes, if we can give you a little insight on how to better yourself from the beginning, then maybe you can reach that goal a little faster than we did.

Speaker 1: 30:03

Wow, perfect. You know they got to be able to listen and hear what you're saying there because you're giving them a break. You know, don't, don't repeat what I did. You can actually make your own mistakes. Yes, bypass, yeah. So how do you use your counseling platform to help others, especially those who are just entering the logistics field and the freight game, when they're when they're new?

Speaker 2: 30:38

And you mentioned that too. Maybe they just don't know with social media. Social media changed the game. So now you've got people out there selling courses, telling you that you can work from home, telling you that they're traveling and working while they're on the beach in Punta Cana. I will end up working. While they're on the beach in Punta Cana they're heading to the Gucci stores and everybody wants to call me and say so hey, carissa, how do I do that? You know that wasn't me, because I was still working in my office. But they, you know they're they're asking me hey, how can I do that? And I was like man, god, I know, I know there's something that I, something that I should be doing, but that's when the Charleston Truck Expo was birthed. I'm going to talk about birthing a lot, because you know, when you have something in you that you just sometimes you don't know how to get it out or the process that it's supposed to be. I was driving across one of the beautiful bridges in Charleston and I was like what, if I can get different people in this industry together in one room to answer these questions for the people that are in my inbox, to answer the questions for the cousins. They're talking. You know there's a driver shortage Now after COVID, the influx of freight.

Speaker 2: 31:50

You know people couldn't get their deliveries fast enough. Everybody wanted their stuff right then. So what can I do to make, what can I do to bring the community up to speed on what it is that we do? There are some children, young people, young adults, not just children. You know there are some people who don't want to go to four years. You know, after 12 years that was enough school for them. But they think of the trucking industry as just driving a truck.

Speaker 2: 32:20

So that's where the scholarship program came in. So I called some of my best friends and my family members called my husband and said I want to have Expo. And they're like, okay, they follow my shenanigans, but that was the platform, I was like, if I can put $10 million worth of game in one room and all you got to do is pay $25 to come and meet us in person, stop by the vendor tables and shake hands, listen to them, listen to the leader speak at breakout sessions. And then also, a part of the trucking community and a part of the TransEd Foundation is to make you knowledgeable on what it is to be an entrepreneur, because you know it wasn't easy.

Speaker 2: 33:03

The IRS bills changed. Nobody's taking taxes out of your check for you. You're responsible for that. You don't have good company insurance anymore. You're responsible for that financial planning.

Speaker 2: 33:15

So if I could put all of that under one roof, how do you buy a house as a 1099 contractor, mortgage lenders, real estate brokers? And then, as you could probably tell from this conversation, I like to have a good time too. I like to see people smile. I've got three kids and now the new grandkid. I didn't go very many places without them, so what can we do to bring the community out and make it family friendly? So that is one of my passions is to educate and inspire and to let people know that if there is, if you want to make a change in your life, that and you want to talk trucking, we're here, and so this will be the third year that we bring back the Charleston Trucking Expo.

Speaker 2: 34:06

We did take a year off. You know kind of like with the world and you know life be life in, as they said. So I needed to take a reset and figure out how do we drum up the support, how do we reach across the color barriers, because this isn't just an all-Black event, this is a community event, this is about entrepreneur, this is about educating, this is about helping one another, because it does take a village, and so that was one of the reasons that I started the expo is because a lot of people are asking how do I do this, what steps do I take? And then I wanted to go a step further and say, okay, and if you do, are asking how do I do this, what steps do I take. And then I wanted to go a step further and say, okay, and if you do do this, now let me tell you what you're going to find out on the back end. Let's talk about taxes, let's talk about insurance, let's talk about financials, let's talk about business development, let's make sure that your business is set up correctly, so that I guess that would be, you know, the biggest ploy and one of the things that another thing, another reason that I'm blessed I just wanted to be able to reach the community. I want to take it to different communities. You know, like the smaller version of MADS and Audit has been great with that.

Speaker 2: 35:11

You know, showing the support, the collaboration within Audit is not just women that have trucking companies or work in trucking companies or dispatching services. As you mentioned, the great Lada Hawkins she's she's a commercial insurance broker. You know that was her. That's her original job description. So there are so many different industries that work together within transportation and logistics. I don't know that people are aware. So I said let's bring awareness and have a good time while we do it. So we do some line dancing, got a DJ, got the food truck park out there. We got a kid zone so you can bring your kids out. And I'm not going to lie, most of the time gentlemen aren't on Facebook looking at the events that's going on this weekend, but mom is like what can I do to get the kids out of the house?

Speaker 2: 36:01

And then it's also nice for the wives to be able to meet people within the industry to see what their husbands are doing, and vice versa, husbands that need to meet people within the industry to see what their wives are doing.

Speaker 1: 36:14

Nice, that's beautiful. Wow, I mean the first year you guys pulled over 1,500 attendees. Man, that was a great vibe going over there. What stood out to you the most? When you say the expo helped individuals, I know you said that a lot of the young ones are giving them that access to be able to ask questions and go to those expos. What are some other things that stood out for you?

Speaker 2: 36:40

The things that stood out is that people actually applied what they learned there. So when I started getting the messages throughout the year that hey, miss Carissa, I got my CDL, you know, hey, miss Carissa, I enrolled in school we give away scholarships, for originally it was to the CD, to those that wanted to get their CDL, to the technical colleges that provided CDL programs, and then, you know, we even extended it if you just want to get into the transportation and logistic industry. So I just spoke to one of the scholarship recipients who's on like his third or fourth company with his CDL and he's going out on the road and you know they say like it changed my life, like they thought about it but didn't really know how to do it. So that's what really stands out the most is that we produced something.

Speaker 2: 37:36

You know, a lot of people like my team, especially my marketing team, they were like well, carissa, this may not be an annual event, because sometimes people think you know that they met, that they went to that first one and they met who they were going to meet. You know they got the information that they needed and so there's no reason for them to come back to the second one. But this is even. You know, even as the intermodal queen, I'm always learning. I'm just. I know I mentioned tariffs quite a few times, but that you know our industry can take a turn at any time, that what's going on in the world affects us as a whole, it affects the supply chain industry. So I believe that the response that we're getting this year is because people are understanding that it's not just about how to get in and how to get started. It's also about how to continue and how to be successful, and not just in trucking or transportation, but as a business owner, entrepreneur and creating generational wealth.

Speaker 1: 38:38

Nice. I think that's awesome, great Wow, especially when they say, hey, I got my CDL. I mean that's a great feeling, a great victory.

Speaker 2: 38:47

I think I got a little teary-eyed when one of the young ladies. She said I don't know if you remember me. I said I remember you and she was like I did it, I did it, I got my CDL. I was like, oh, she did it and I was one of the first calls that she made, so that really touched me.

Speaker 1: 39:03

Nice. So, looking back over the years, is there any that stood out, any stories from the past that you want to share, maybe as a speaker, a workshop or a moment that really moved you?

Speaker 2: 39:22

I know you mentioned the CDL story, but I also want to see if you had some others that you would like to share. Well, I actually want to share the story about ATA. Like you know, how everyone, everyone knows you get the Facebook ads and you see Facebook promotions, you know, and so the first time that I saw an ad for Aude, I was like is this real? You know, there's really an African American woman's trucking association. Because I've been doing this for a long time and once again I felt alone on an island, I signed up too quick I think Nicole teases me. She was like I didn't even know that you were a member as long as you were a member. But I was just like the feeling that you get when you know that there are like minded people out there that you can connect with, that there are like minded people out there that are thinking like you. You know, thus like minded, are thinking like you, you know, thus like-minded. It was an amazing feeling, and so one of the things that I like to leave with people is, like you said, when you're going through the hardships as many times as you want to throw in the towel, sometimes you just need a Carissa to call and vent a Lada to call to pray with a Nicole to call to bounce ideas off of. So there's power in numbers, there's power in unity and you can bring about change, whatever industry you're in. It doesn't have to be trucking, it could be healthcare, it could be whatever.

Speaker 2: 40:49

But once you find a village, once you find a group of people who think like you, once you find a group of people who think like you, um, I'll never forget that feeling because I yo, I never thought that there would be an african-american women's trucking association.

Speaker 2: 41:03

I thought that, like I was one of the only handful of black women that were in trucking. You know, even as that, as women drivers started signing on. Or I saw dispatch you know dispatch services pop up and pop down. Just the feeling to know that you're not alone, just the feeling to know that there is somebody that supports your dreams and visions and who have similar dreams and visions, that's one of those stories that I can't stress enough. If you put the legwork in, if you find those association like ATA Women in Trucking, the Broker Carrier Summit I'm a member of Maritime Association, there are these industries out there and to actually have the feeling that you know like I've been doing this and I'm not doing it in vain. That's kind of like when you feel like, okay, soft life season is beginning, wow.

Speaker 1: 42:00

Uh, well, I mean that's, that's huge. Uh, I love that you guys have come together and found each other and also made me a part of as well. I think that's it's going to make things you enough.

Speaker 2: 42:14

I don't mean to interrupt you, but that's another thing. You know, like there's not very many platforms that you like yours, that say, hey, come on, let's talk, and so our appreciation to you I mean our hat goes off to you giving us this opportunity and recognizing us, that makes that. That's another step. You know, I didn't, I didn't get recognized, I didn't get invitations to podcasts. I'm still struggling with that because I'm also a little older, so I'm not a big social media person. But we thank you. We thank you because you're helping bring about this knowledge and the change that we've been striving for.

Speaker 1: 42:53

Sweet man, let's do it right. Let's build big things. Yeah, it's an honor. I think it's a great privilege to be a part of it and to be in the circle there. Man, you guys are amazing. Going back to that Charleston Trucking Expo, when's the next one? That you have a time period set up?

Speaker 2: 43:11

We do, we are actually in the planning stages. We're finalizing the planning stages now. But Saturday, september the 20th, in the Charleston area it's actually in the Latsen Exchange Park I have a wonderful team who works diligently. You know, one day I'll say I want to do this. The next day I want to do that. All of us work full time jobs. They're like purely on a strictly volunteer basis, but my hat goes off to them.

Speaker 2: 43:40

We are hoping to bring the Women Leadership Panel to the Charleston Trucking Expo. But we are coming back this year for our third year and we wanna multiply that 1,500 attendees to over 3,000. And once again I wanna stress you don't just have to be in trucking. It doesn't have to be if you just want to come out and talk about your taxes. If you want to, you know you need an accountant, because now you've been running your catering business and you and all these receipts in the shoebox aren't working.

Speaker 2: 44:07

It's about community involvement. It's about the family. Our kids, on this year, are going to include STEM projects because as we learn more, we want the community to learn more as well. But of course we're still going to have a great time. We have a great DJ, dj Trip, and we're always looking for sponsors and vendors to come out and to support us. But we'll have a kids zone, we have sponsorship events. We're working on a hiring event this year, not just trucking related.

Speaker 2: 44:37

But you know, like, especially with government layoffs, we are our brother's keeper and you know that's one of the found, that's one of the founding things for the Charleston Truck Expo. So if you want knowledge on trucking, come out. If you want knowledge about business, come out. You want knowledge about entrepreneurship, come out. If you just want to eat some good seafood from the food truck and let your kids run around and get their face painted, come out. If you want to learn how to do the boots on the ground line dance because I still can't get my fan right come out. We love to see our community, we love to support our community and we love to have a great time doing it. The power of positive energy.

Speaker 1: 45:16

Yes, yes, I mean that's a huge thing. There's so much fear monger out there. There's so much doom and gloom to hear that and it's like bright sunshine coming through the clouds. I mean I think that's great.

Speaker 2: 45:29

Keep up the great work.

Speaker 1: 45:30

I'm excited.

Speaker 2: 45:32

Love hearing it. We'd love to see you. You can come, and you can come and um record live saturday, september 20th.

Speaker 1: 45:40

All right, I gotta make plans oh man and I got a birthday coming up at that time too. Man, we're getting older.

Speaker 2: 45:48

I can guarantee you we'll have a great time nice, nice, oh man, that's great.

Speaker 1: 45:54

That sounds exciting. I think a lot of people are, are to be looking forward to that, and I want to make sure they get the word out, to make sure that people hear that the listeners know what's going on. So, transportation Industry Foundation, tef it's also another thing that we wanted to touch on. You started that. What was the spark behind that idea?

Speaker 2: 46:19

what was the spark behind that idea? Man, after that first expo I learned so much and once again I keep talking about. You know the learning and how much power there is in education. So the nonprofit organization was formed and we wanted to be able to receive that the love from the community. Cm Transportation donated three scholarships each year for the past two years.

Speaker 2: 46:39

This year, by incorporating the Transportation Education Foundation, because it's not, it's not, this is not for profit, you know, and that's what a nonprofit definition is. It's not for profit. So I want to help people, we want to help people it so I want to help people, we want to help people. So the Trans Ed Foundation was able to be created so that we can continue to help and to educate and for those companies that want to pour into us, they can pour into an industry that is not for profit. So those three scholarships turned into eight scholarships. We have scholarship fundraisers, you know once again, and we have scholarship fundraisers you know once again, family or community events. This year the first black mayor of North Charleston, south Carolina, was our keynote speaker at our scholarship fundraiser. Mayor Burgess has been a huge supporter of the Charleston Truck Expo and the Transit Foundation and with that collaboration, now I'm working with his administration to get into the communities and to talk to youth. Talk to them about their future, talk to the young adults maybe who've already been out of school that may want to get into trucking, or even if they just want to own their own business. So the Trans Ed Foundation was definitely birthed because I gained the knowledge of how important the correct type of business development is.

Speaker 2: 47:57

You know, I ran out there seeing transportation. I want to save the world. Well, you know there's levels to this thing and so we want to do. Partnering with AUTA, we will have some awesome summits on the books for 2026 where we can get in and educate people there. So, yes, sir, the TransEd Foundation empower, educate and inspire that's what we're all about. So how can we do this? And we take this thing throughout the country and really make a change. Nice, nice, great work there. You see it going for the next five years.

Speaker 2: 48:38

I do, I do, but hopefully it'll be sitting in this office spoiling the grandbaby and telling other people what to do because I'm getting old, it's off life season, but I actually see this going for the rest of my life. I could be 80 years old and if somebody still wants to call me and they want to talk and they want to bounce stuff off of me, I just don't think it's something that I can turn off. We like to say, you know, like it's in you and not on you. I have so much information in my head. I've been so blessed that I just want to continue to share it and please and check us out. Charlestontruckexpocom is the website. You can follow us on social media Instagram Charleston Truck Expo. You can follow us on Facebook Charleston Truck Expo.

Speaker 2: 49:20

My company again is CM Transportation. I am Carissa Carter. Follow me, drop me a message, shoot me a question. You know, sign up for a free initial consultation and I'll answer questions for you, you know, without actually booking the consulting, you know. You know to make it to determine where you want to go next. Because there we are, out here to help and and I I love people, I have a passion for people, I have a passion for my community, I have a passion for our youth and, yeah, I, five years, 10 years, I'm still going.

Speaker 1: 49:56

I mean there's more to 10 years, I'm still going. I mean there's more too, I mean leading ladies of logistics man, you know you said that it's one of the biggest lessons you try to have for the women is coming in the industry.

Speaker 2: 50:08

And she became one of my best friends. After I met her, ms Tristan Simmons created Leading Ladies of Logistics and asked me to be a part of her mentoring program. So, as people signed up for her organization, you know we would do monthly. She would have different guests each month so I made myself available. But Tristan is a freight broker.

Speaker 2: 50:33

Tristan has went on to open a tow truck company. Like when I say, there are so many variations into this industry, but once again, her vision, our visions, were aligned. She saw the roadblocks that we ran into as women in the industry, especially black women in the industry, and she wanted to let people know the same thing. Hey, we're out here and you're not alone. She had a couple of great conferences in Atlanta and now that she's focusing on trucking or, excuse me, the tow trucking company, she's always still one of my biggest supporters. She's spoken at both of the expos this far. I'm trying to get her on the stage now, but she said yeah, you know we're getting a little older, carissa, and I'm kind of get tired of that camera, but I love her. I love what she's done in the industry. You can follow still follow her on Instagram under leading ladies of logistics. She has a lot of followers.

Speaker 2: 51:29

She has been on numerous stages recession proof. You know she's been on the recession proof stage because this industry is a recession proof industry to a certain extent, you know, depends on when some you know that political administration starts messing with us too much. But that was one of the first mentoring opportunities that I had, so that was a blessing to be a part of that and I can't thank her enough, was a blessing to be a part of that and I can't thank her enough. And and just want you know, just want your viewers to know that we were here. We've been here. She created that many moons ago and we've been fighting to stay relevant and to let people know that even you know, five or 10 years later, we're still doing the same thing.

Speaker 1: 52:15

Yeah, thank you. Thank you for doing that and being a part of those movements and mentorships. I mean, like you keep mentioning, too, the industry is aging, so a lot of the young ones we got to help them follow in our footsteps, so to speak. I mean they don't have to do exactly what we're doing, but they have to feel like they can fit in and that it's meant for them. Um, you know they they should should just cast off and say I got to go be a doctor. Uh, the trucking industry, you can do very well in that as well. Uh, the transportation industry, like, say, you don't need to have to have a CDL, um in ownership and having that uh be a part of your life or a legacy you can pass on to your children.

Speaker 2: 52:57

That's right.

Speaker 1: 52:59

Man, what does success mean to you? When it's talking about that, you don't want to talk to them and paint a picture for them. Compared to 10 to 20 years ago, what do you see it looking like for young ones, young black girls or even men, or anyone else too that wants to get in the industry? What do you see it looking like in the next?

Speaker 2: 53:20

It's a little different for me now, almost 30 years later, but when you asked me how I got into it and probably for most of the young people, it was financial freedom. That's where began, and so their definition of success can be financial freedom, and I'm okay with that, because I'm going to tell you what life is a lot easier when you don't have to worry about how you're going to pay the light bill, you know on how you're going to pay your rent payment. So financial freedom is 100% acceptable for me If that is someone's vision of success. For me it was the phone call saying hey, carissa, I got my CDL. For me, it was the gentleman that got the scholarship that is now out over the road and that was one of his dreams and his passions. The scholarship is actually named after my bonus nephew because he was before, right after his 18th birthday, before he accepted his high school diploma. He was a victim of gun violence. You know he spent many nights at my house and me and his mom were best friends. But to be able to honor his memory and to maybe change someone else and to save someone else's son, that's what success looks like for me.

Speaker 2: 54:38

I get the warm and fuzzy.

Speaker 2: 54:39

You know, of course you can never have too much financial freedom.

Speaker 2: 54:44

You know I'm not Elon Musk or anything, but it's nice to be able to say, hey, you know, let's go do this and take my mom on a tropical vacation every year. So I'm not going to downplay the fact that financial freedom is a big part of your success story, but it's the stuff for me that has come after that, the avenues that it's open for me to have that financial freedom, the being able to help my children, you know, to educate them and to create generational wealth for the next generation. And also because I think you know that those sharecroppers I was talking about, my granny and my pappy are probably looking down at me and they're probably pretty proud now, and so what they did has not gone in vain. You know they're she cleaned for the same family for 20 something years, you know, raised their kids, and their kids share my post and you know that means a lot, that that's a success, that, like what our ancestors did to get us here, that we can keep fighting and create the next generation. Uh, create wealth for the next generation Um, that's what success looks like for me, nice.

Speaker 1: 55:56

And so that's. That's a beautiful uh picture that you painted. Um. Thank you so much for helping individuals see that uh, if that's what they want, is there's nothing wrong with that. Um, not everybody's cut out to to be in the room for hours uh being a surgeon, um, so that's. That's not something that we should push on everybody, because there's more than one avenue to success.

Speaker 2: 56:19

Yes.

Speaker 1: 56:20

Thank you for providing that and also, ada, the connections and the industry advocacy that they do. Let's talk about that. How did you as being a part of that community, how did you play your role and being successful with that team? What is it that you're involved in?

Speaker 2: 56:39

I am, you know, I was totally ready to volunteer once the opportunity presented itself to be an affiliate member and you know like the vision, all of our visions, were so similar that it was. It was almost, you know, like scary. And I'm talking to Nicole, talking to a lot. I actually met a lot of firsts who introduced me to Nicole, but the prior introduction to that was a gentleman named Jeff Renro and he wanted to do a conference in Atlanta and a lot of said well, let's connect you with Carissa because she did the expo. But we all have this vision of sharing our information and not keeping it all to ourselves, of bettering our communities around us. So when I was, when I actually, you know, started attending meetings and becoming an affiliate member, as you know, because this is an organization that is in the groundbreaking stages the Power Hub oh my gosh, when she told us about the Power Hub and we were supposed to go around and do introductions, I was like I know I'm supposed to introduce myself, but all I can say is oh, wow, wow To be able to be connected with a community that actually put work behind your words. You know, like she's got a location that people will, you know a storefront, a brick and mortar that people are going to be able to physically come to and not just hear us talk on social media or not just hear us talk on podcasts, but to actually meet people in person that will actually train you to do the stuff that we're telling you, that you can train to do. I mean, it's amazing and, as I mentioned the upcoming summits, and as I mentioned the upcoming summit, just to be a part of an organization that sits on committees with the Federal Motor Carriers Association that are trying to make changes for women in trucking, who are trying to actually put their actions once again, you know, with their words, it's just been totally, it's been awesome. Of course, you know we always need support, because money doesn't grow on trees and it's not going to fall out of the sky. So we have, we've come together, you know, to support this organization financially, but we're still out there looking for those companies that say, hey, I see this organization trying to do something positive, so I need to become an affiliate member.

Speaker 2: 59:15

This membership provides my company a platform that reaches hundreds of thousands nationwide, versus maybe the Southeast region. Who may know who I am? But now, being on the stage with AADA or being a host with Aude at MADS. That reached people who never even heard of Aude. So I'm totally amazed at what the organization is doing. I am totally in awe of this power hub.

Speaker 2: 59:45

I'm excited to be in Atlanta on June 25th for the ribbon cutting. I'm excited to see where it's going to take off and take us. But everyone who is listening whether it's just a regular membership, you know, to be educated by leaders who have the experience or, like I said, to bounce stuff off of us. Or, if you're business, to become an affiliate member so that you can go on the ATA organization website and people can reach out and say, oh, this person does this, let me reach out to them. And by being a member you get discounts, like through these large companies that probably wouldn't answer the phone just for Carissa regularly, but when they see that it's attached to ATA, now you're gonna get a discount for that. It's definitely about brand building, it's about relationship building and it's been a pleasure to be a part of and I can't wait to see where it takes us.

Speaker 1: 1:00:41

Likewise. That's awesome. Great job, and keep up the great work there. The energy that you guys bring out is very contagious and I think it's something that the industry needs and I think they will continue to. You know, welcome you guys with open arms. So keep up the great work, like making those changes and and being in those big rooms. Like you said, fmcsa being involved in that. I mean that's going to make things better for everyone. I think I was thinking with how they made even the rest stops even better for truck stops and things like that that's right.

Speaker 1: 1:01:14

The showers, you know. Hey, let's raise the bar, that's right. I got to use one shower and it felt it was nice and clean and you know this is a great stop. I say everybody should go.

Speaker 2: 1:01:26

People don't appreciate small stuff like that. Right, You're right.

Speaker 1: 1:01:30

You get back out and go in the truck, feel like a superstar, so keep up the great work. So, yeah, your view. What are some of the biggest gaps in equality or access in trucking right now that you see for the future that we can possibly reach out and fix or get behind and support?

Speaker 2: 1:01:50

I think the biggest gaps are is probably the invitations to the table, you know, and and, and I think, with associations like ATA, that that is, that I can definitely already see a difference in those. I think that a lot of the gaps come from the size of the companies. You know like I'm a smaller. Well, you know, to some people I'm probably larger because I have 40 plus intermodal or 40 plus owner operators that work for me. But even our small companies still have a voice. Even our small companies are keeping the world moving, Trucking, we keep the world moving. So I think that and when I say that, you know, like the definition of small business, I believe, is under 500 employees. So I think that the biggest gap, especially with um, when it, when it comes to um, your, when it comes to race, you know, and it comes to nationality, is that um, maybe the other businesses have been at it a little longer, so their numbers, they're not considered small businesses. You know, you have your Swift, you have your JB Hunt, you have your Snyder's, you have these larger companies that are nationwide known. They have the pockets, quite frankly, because of their size, but as our small businesses, you know, we're very impactful also and I think that that is probably the biggest barrier is being recognized for our contributions, as well as the contributions that those names that the larger companies are, as the contributions that those names that the larger companies are.

Speaker 2: 1:03:37

And I think that once people realize that the collaboration of the industry, instead of it being JB Hunt versus Swift, you know like, could you imagine what would happen if we all came together? Broker transparency has been one of the big, you know, has been a hot topic also when it comes to rates and stuff like that. And when people ask me about, you know, rating and transparency, my problem has always been, or like, striking at the port. You know like, well, how come the truck drivers? They can't ever come together Because there's so many of us that are operating individually. You know there's really many of us that are operating individually. You know there's really not a lot of unity in it because of that financial freedom.

Speaker 2: 1:04:24

But could you imagine if we all came together as an industry and it doesn't matter that Carissa is a black woman that owns a 40 truck plus terminal, that collaborates with a 2000 truck plus terminal, that has information for a 5,000 truck plus terminal, you know, or company, excuse me. So I think that that is probably one of the biggest roadblocks that I don't think that we get the recognition and the attention that we have, probably because of our size and because of, you know, our standing as small business versus large business and, quite frankly, publicly traded versus private Good on America. But we're going to keep battling it, you know, we're going to keep picking away at it, one organization at a time, one company at a time, one podcast at a time. We're here, we have something to say, we're knowledgeable, we we believe in unity and coming together for our industry to make a change for our country.

Speaker 1: 1:05:27

Nice. Yeah, I love that. It's a lot of respect there and the hard work that's been put in the dedication that you guys are doing. I think that's huge. I think about, like I see my daughter. When she was younger she used to make the bracelets or the beads. Yeah up, but they make something beautiful. It's something that has value, that people can wear. I think all of us, if we come together, it's kind of like those beads and we put them on and be connected in some way to make things better for each individual.

Speaker 1: 1:06:04

That's going to be huge. If anyone wants to play along, I think it's going to be great for them as well. Maybe they're doing good out there, but you can always do something else to help someone else.

Speaker 2: 1:06:17

That's right.

Speaker 1: 1:06:18

Yeah, nice, and so, carissa, thank you so much for sharing your story, building the bridges in the industry. I think, whether you're in the business side of things or be sure to check out the expo or the lives of those you're impacting through education and mentorship, I think it's huge. So, for anyone that's listening, if you're in the trucking industry or professional, student, entrepreneur or just curious about what's going on in the logistics field, please take the time to get to know Carissa. Tap into what she's building, follow her. Check her out Made at Charlestonissa. Tap into what she's building. Follow her. Check her out Made at Charleston Trucking Expo. That's huge. Stay locked in with her work, all the work that she's doing there for the Transportation Education Foundation as well. And, of course, don't forget ATA and check them out, what they're doing aawtaorg To learn more about African American Women Trucking Association.

Speaker 1: 1:07:16

Be sure to if you need to have a community sign up Can't stress it enough Do what you can to be a part of that community, whether it be on a small level or a great level, as partnerships. I think it's going to be great too for the Power Hub when that opens and gets a lot of people involved there in that community, so more the merrier. This episode is not just part of a bigger mission, but it's to highlight the stories and struggles and triumphs of Black women in the industry and all of those alike. And, just so you know, we're just getting started, so there's more episodes coming like this, so please stay tuned. So thank you so much, carissa. I appreciate you taking the time.

Speaker 2: 1:07:59

Thank you and once again, thank you for this platform and thank you for your vision and your support. We appreciate you.

Speaker 1: 1:08:07

Love it, I love it. So if anyone's out there who would be a great fit for this series, please hit me up. Let's stay connected. Let's keep the stories flowing. This is Truckin' Ray signing off. Keep those wheels turning and remember the legacy of delivering each mile at a time. And that's delivered.