If you ever wanted to learn how to successfully run a trucking company, look to a leader who was born into the business. Jory Evans, CEO of British Columbia-based Evans Trucking, represents a third generation of trucking industry entrepreneurs. His grandfather hauled grain and oil post-World War II, and later his father entered the field. “My dad’s first Western Star was a 4900, so he has a lot of respect for the brand when it comes to toughness in heavy-haul applications,” says Jory.

Jory joined the family business at the young age of 16. In what he calls his “gauntlet years when you learn everything you didn’t know about trucking”, he gained a breadth of experience from dispatching trucks to performing maintenance, to managing HR including staffing and training. But perhaps the most important learning of Jory’s early career was the importance of values.

Jory’s father instilled principles like keeping a positive attitude, being self-motivated, remaining humble- yet-confident, and operating with integrity. “Our values have made a difference in many ways, from helping us to get through tough times to attracting talent when business picks up,” says Jory. “We’re connecting with people, and it’s gained traction all the way through from our employees to our customers to the industry in general.”

Recalls Jory, “Between 2007 and 2014, the housing sector experienced a major downturn and fuel prices increased significantly.” Learning to do more with less not only helped Evans Trucking to survive challenging conditions but made them stronger when the economy recovered. Nearly 20 years later, Jory has followed in his father’s footsteps leveraging efficiencies to take the business to a new level.

“While many area trucking companies were closing, selling out or downsizing, our nimble business model allowed us to expand our fleet from 20 trucks to 100,” says Jory. Evans Trucking has captured the bulk of the region’s flatbed hauling business and has even acquired some of their competitors.

As the economy began to rebound in 2015, Evans Trucking needed to rapidly grow its fleet. Jory recalls, “We started paying attention to Western Star when the 5700 came out. You could tell they were taking aim at our segment. The 5700 gave us the lighter weight, high performance we needed, combined with a rugged feel that aligned well with our company’s roughneck northwestern brand image.”

Although the new 5700s made up just a portion of the Evans fleet, Jory’s drivers found themselves grappling over who got to drive them. “I think the 5700 was a clear indication that Western Star was making a greater effort to focus on the operator,” he says.

Evans recently added a dozen Western Star 57X’s to their fleet. Jory’s positive experience with the 5700 made him confident knowing what he was buying. He describes his 57X’s as “comfortable, smooth riding and having good visibility inside with a rugged, blue collar look and feel on the outside”.

Evans Trucking had been doing a significant amount of high mount auto carrier business. Jory immediately put his new 57X’s to work car hauling as well as transporting other types of oversized, heavy equipment. “The new 57X, focused on highway application, created a new option for us,” he points out.

Opening a 50,000 sq. ft. mechanic/repair shop on site was another key to growing the Evans Trucking business. “We do our truck maintenance in-house, as well as servicing outside customers,” says Jory. Having top technician expertise on the inside gives Jory clear insight into powertrain efficiency and reliability. “The powertrain platform is really where the money gets made and there’s no doubt our technicians believe Detroit has the best product.”

Recently, Jory toured the Detroit engine plant in Redford Michigan where the advanced technology and rigorous testing opened his eyes to why the product comes out superior. Jory adds that the DD15s that power his 57X’s are central to keeping their trucks on the road longer. “We’re not afraid to keep our Western Stars for up to 1.6 million kilometers,” he smiles.

Evans Trucking...a lot like Western Star.

Jory’s father schooled him on the importance of perseverance and a never-quit attitude in building strong relationships. Decades later, gritty determination remains at the very core of the Evans family and Evans Trucking.

Today, Jory agrees there are similarities between the Western Star brand and his own. Evans Trucking is blue collar, heavy haul, strapping and tarping loads across western Canada and the U.S. And much like Western Star, when the going gets tough, it’s the company’s resilience that separates it from the competition. Jory goes on to describe his company as lean, mean and determined. “We want to be seen as a Star Nation type brand,” he says. His grandfather and father would undoubtedly agree that the Evans are a never-back-down family and brand.