JAXPORT Partner Spotlight: Evans Network of Companies
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Photo: Evans Network of Companies Director of Sales and Agent Relations Jennifer Edwards stands with drivers operating in brands under the Evans Network such as Phoenix Transit and Logistics, Evans Delivery Company, Land Transportation, and E Transport Carriers.
Demand for trucking services increases opportunity, appreciation for owner-operators
Trucking and logistics provider The Evans Network of Companies is growing its footprint in Northeast Florida. The company’s agent-based network boasts 8,000 trucks nationwide under its multiple brands – with hundreds based in Northeast Florida, a figure that is rising despite a nationwide truck driver shortage. In Jacksonville, they service JAXPORT and three rail lines: Florida East Coast Railway, CSX, and Norfolk Southern.
“Jacksonville is a large hub for us,” said Evans Network Director of Sales and Agent Relations Jennifer Edwards. “As JAXPORT continues to grow, The Evans Network of Companies is happy to be able to offer capacity solutions through a strong dray network of 600+ trucks, as well as transloading, warehousing and over-the road trucking services. We are also that key part of the intermodal puzzle between the port and the rail yards at CSX and NS that allows containers to move continuously and arrive at their final destination efficiently.”
The primary objective of The Evans Network is to support entrepreneurs in the trucking industry. The company enables trucking professionals to run their own business by providing the clerical support, advertising, marketing, recruiting, sales and safety resources needed to operate and grow a successful trucking company. This helps reduce back-office duties for the agencies, which in turn allows them to focus on their drivers and customer relationships. Being a part of a large, multi-market network with a strong corporate office has allowed agents to respond to the increased demand for their transportation services in a post-COVID world of supply chain challenges.
“Drivers are the backbone of the economy right now. There’s nothing we consume without a truck driver touching it.”
“Having a good, strong dray network in any market fuels the intermodal industry in that area,” Edwards said. “If you have that drayage support, your city can be a logistics hub.”
Jacksonville is “America’s Logistics Center” and with that title means drayage services are vital to move cargo to and from the port, distribution warehouses and major retailers. This cargo fluidity keeps consumer goods readily stocked on store shelves and online purchases fulfilled. The spike in e-commerce during the pandemic showcases the essential nature of trucking and the critical role drivers serve in delivering goods to consumers’ doorsteps.
“In the last two years, the perfect storm was created, which highlights how critical trucks are in the supply chain,” Edwards said. “Trucks drivers are receiving a lot more recognition and appreciation than they did in the past, because the general public now realizes how essential they are.”
A trend in trucking right now is toward new technology and workforce diversification. Edwards said real-time updates from drivers, combined with increasing communication to customers, is creating delivery efficiencies.
Business growth is also creating new opportunities for women within The Evans Network.
“We have an amazing group of women within our corporate network in leadership roles right now – including directors and vice-presidents,” Edwards said. “In addition, some of our most successful and tenured agents are women. It’s awesome to see women being empowered through our company. We have the opportunity to add our unique perspective to the industry, and are really making a difference in the trucking world.”
Offering services in dray, full truckload (FTL), flatbed, warehousing and LTL, The Evans Network is preparing for the next generation of trucking. The company is growing its brokerage, third-party logistics and agent network. With more drivers to service Northeast Florida, Jacksonville’s position as a supply chain solution remains strong.
