When Larry Bredewater founded L.B. Trucking in the early 1990s, he set out on being a family-run business. With two of his children now working alongside him, he's certainly met that goal.
The family aspect of his business is evident in every conceivable way, as the company was founded in the house where Bredewater grew up. But it doesn't end with immediate family. Bredewater, who bought his first truck in 1978, said he works to maintain a personal relationship with his company's drivers -- and sometimes that means working after hours.
"You just got to be available," he said, "Saturdays, Sundays..."
Bredewater's around-the-clock accessibility comes naturally. His other job, farming roughly 650 acres, also knows no time clock, and it led him to his second career over-the-road. "I grew up on the farm, and was born and raised on a farm," he said. "I went to college for a year but I didn't really know what I wanted to go to college for, so I came back home and a year later I got married. I've been working ever since."
Bredewater started driving part-time while holding down a full-time job.
"I was driving for a local farmer here hauling some grain, and there was quite a bit of grain to haul," he said. "So I decided, heck, I'm going to buy my own truck and haul some grain for a while."
This is one of 10 Small Fleet Champ semi-finalist profiles that will run throughout the next month.
