One of the leading privately held beef processing companies in the U.S., American Foods Group (AFG) ships 6 million pounds of beef a day to over 38 countries. A top producer of lean beef, the company supplies food service establishments coast to coast, American military personnel worldwide, and plays a major role in putting beef on the table for millions of Americans every night.

America’s Service Line (ASL) is the company’s private fleet, led for the past 11 years by Scott Willert, CTP, president of supply chain for AFG. In the past year, Willert was promoted to his current title, in which he oversees ASL as well as procurement and the broader supply chain for AFG. His 40-year career in the trucking industry includes 15 years with UPS in various roles and 14 years with Kraft Foods, mostly working in or leading its private fleet.

Scott had been active in NPTC for over 20 years. He has been a featured speaker at NPTC’s Private Fleet Management Institute (PFMI), Annual Conference, and National Safety Conference; served on the conference planning committee; and presented many times at virtually all NPTC meetings and webinars. He has served on NPTC’s board of directors and the NPTC Institute board of governors. In 2023, he was named NPTC’s Private Fleet Executive of the Year.

He attended the PFMI and received his Certified Transportation Professional (CTP) designation in 2018. Under Scott’s leadership, twelve of his team members have gone through PFMI and the CTP programs.

Greg Gmeinder, CTP, president of ASL, who reports directly to Scott, serves on NPTC’s benchmarking steering committee and was a speaker at the annual conference. Two other top executives, Ellen Ingram, CTP, VP of HR and safety, NPTC Institute board member, and Nicole Schubring, CTP, director of productivity and strategy, have been regular PFMI faculty members for many years and frequently present at NPTC events. Ingram was honored as NPTC’s Private Fleet Manager of the Year in 2026.

Steve Carriveau, CTP, comptroller, serves on the benchmarking steering committee; Landon Maxson, CTP, director of logistics, was the CTP Top Graduate; and Chris Kirby, CTP, senior manager of safety and compliance, was a safety conference speaker and judge for the Driver Hall of Fame awards. Xochil Rodarte, CTP, director of sales, and David Giese, CTP, fleet maintenance director, are current and past members, respectively, of NPTC’s annual conference committee.

Several of the company’s drivers have been recognized as National Driver All-Stars, and the private fleet has won Fleet Safety awards and numerous other awards from NPTC and other industry organizations. In 2024, ASL received the Private Fleet of the Year award from FleetOwner. AFG has been recognized as one of the top 25 shippers in the United States on numerous occasions.

Building a centralized private fleet

“When I started out in this job, a critical first step was to assess the team I had and find out what I was missing. I began the process of putting the right people in place, giving them the authority and autonomy to succeed,” Willert said.

“Over the previous two years, I had traveled around to our plants to meet folks and get their feedback. Centralizing transportation was a priority. Taking transportation off the hands of the plants improved the effectiveness and efficiency of the private fleet and our transportation team.”

“Our private fleet is truly a team of elite professionals,” Willert said. “We expect excellence, and we reward it. Fortunately, we attract good people who work well as a team, who are adaptable, and willing to adjust as circumstances require. If you are a ‘me’ person, this is not the right company for you.”

The company’s private fleet has over 250 tractors and 500 refrigerated trailers. It has operated for 30 years and represents about 50% of transportation required by AFG, serving six processing plants located in the Midwest. The other 50% of company transportation is provided by outside carriers.

Willert said the company has developed long-standing relationships with a strong group of smaller to mid-size partners who serve their network well. “The small to medium carrier is a sweet spot for us. They typically share our philosophy about drivers. Building long-term relationships with these quality carriers who value their drivers helps strengthen our ability to provide an overall premium transportation service for customers.”

Retaining drivers while controlling transportation costs

“Twenty years ago, we had all owner-operators," Willert said. "Today, three-fourths of our fleet drivers are employees and one-fourth are owner-operators. Our annual turnover is well below private fleet industry standards of around 20%. This is driven by a commitment to people’s success which begins at the top.

“Our fleet has the full support of our owners. The cost of the private fleet is lower than outsourced alternatives. We operate as a profit center, retain our staff and drivers, and maintain high customer service standards despite challenging conditions in our market.”

Tom Rosen, CEO of Rosen’s Diversified, said, “We remain a privately held family business, and through the years, one thing has remained the same: We are a tight-knit group of hard-working people who care about our customers and about one another.”

Willert added, “Rosen’s Diversified has grown into a vertically integrated family of companies that provide products from farm to table. Our owners are committed to their employees and our customers for the long haul.”

“This is a great company to work for, the best in my career," Willert said. "Our private fleet team is the gold standard!”