JRM Specialized Transport, Mechanicsville, VA. Owners Rebekah Meadows, owner-op, and Jason Meadows, manager and mechanic.
Make and model of truck/trailer?
2007 379 Peterbilt; 1998 FLD120; stretch flatbed tandem, tri and quad; stretch drop-deck trim and quad; slant rack stretch flat and drop-deck
Regularly scheduled routes or on-demand delivery?
I have a dedicated haul contract for Tindall Corp. precast among a few other major companies for steel and cranes.
How is maintenance handled? Your own shop or jobbed out?
Most maintenance is handled by Jason and myself.
How are major repairs handled?
We send out major repairs only when necessary and deal with a couple of smaller shops that do excellent work with good turnaround.
How do you resolve maintenance challenges?
Realistically, there are only two major challenges: time to get it done and weather. We don’t have a shop at our farm, which is where most repairs are made. We do our best to work with available time and weather. Part availability can be a challenge at times.
Mileage/time intervals on preventive maintenance?
PM 10,000 miles, grease two times a month, and generally check equipment thoroughly every week.
How do you get good tire mileage?
The key is proper inflation for mileage life. For us, it’s not so much the extent of mileage as it is against job sites and risk of damage from loading/offloading locations. We invest in a better quality tire for sure; work running XDA5.
Do you stock truck parts or purchase as needed?
We stock minor parts both in the truck and at our farm. Tires, batteries, brake shoes and chambers, hoses, air lines and accessories, fuses, bulbs, lights, wiring and accessories, mud flaps, hose clamps, and exhaust clamps. The list goes on and on.
When is it time to replace your truck/trailer?
If it ever came to where it’s more cost-effective to replace a unit vs. continue repairing, then that would be the deciding factor.
Biggest business challenge you face with your trucking operation?
Balancing the day-to-day operations and raising children; managing the household and our horse farm.
If you could change or add one regulation to trucking, what would it be and why?
I would do away with E-Log and hours of service and the required 30-minute break. It’s not just for the costly investment we’ve made, but about us as professionals forced to abide by a ticking clock that does not offer flexibility because of unforeseen events, accidents, excessive traffic, breakdowns, job-site/dock delays, and weather.
What do you enjoy most about what you do?
I love the challenge of hauling oversized.
