Page 33 - Arkansas Trucking Report Volume 22 Issue 6

between. Scotty supervises the chip/ Jimmy Starr: At-a-Glance
flatbed division. Gregory is the van
operations manager, and Stephanie, FAVORITE MUSIC? Country music and Gospel
their youngest, works accounting and WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU KNEW MORE ABOUT?
payroll in the office with Kathy a few I wish I knew how to better manage costs in such a competitive industry.
days a week and out of her own office
in Magnolia the rest of the time to be WHAT IS THE LUCKIEST THING THAT HAS HAP-
closer to her own small children. PENED TO YOU? As far as luck goes, when I hit a hole-in-one in 2006
“We’re together all the time …any and won a new Ford pickup. However, by far the BEST thing that ever hap-
time we can be together, we’re good pened to me is my relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, and my family and
with it. We don’t fight at all as far as I grandchildren.
know,” Kathy said. BEST COMPLIMENT YOU EVER RECEIVED? When I hear
For some people, it might be hard good things about my family and company and when people we know are out
to imagine working this close to family of town and see one of our trucks on the road, it gives me a sense of pride.
every day and liking it, but Jimmy Starr DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE CHARITY OR CAUSE?
instantly smiles when talking about his Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Ministry by Samaritan Purse. It gives us
wife. “My best day is when I see Kathy a lot of joy to think about boys and girls receiving gifts who normally would
here in the morning.” not be getting anything. It also gets the message all over the world that God
It’s obvious that they not only enjoy loves them in their own languages.
working here, but that they really enjoy
working here with each other and have WHO OR WHAT INSPIRES YOU? My wife, Kathy, inspires me
raised their children at Woodfield to every day to be the best person I can be and to treat people fairly in work
value hard work. and in our personal life.
“I know Stephanie started out
when she was about 14, working with rier and except for customer pickup, we could make a good living driving a
me. I’d venture to say Scotty might have did all their transportation, inbound truck;” he just knew he needed to be
been 11 and Greg, maybe about the and outbound. We did that for 17 home more.
same age. When they got started, they years.” “To be honest with you, it’s been an
may not have liked it, but they did it. Woodfield really grew up in dia- issue for 24 years. Whether you have 10
They did it …and all in all, it’s worked pers, or hauling them, at least. trucks or a hundred or a thousand, it’s
out for the best for our family,” he said. “We didn’t ever really say we always going to be a concern. It is,” he
wanted anything. We grew according continued.
RAISING THE BUSINESS to the customer base we had and the At the top of his mind though is
We all start life in diapers, but freight that we were able to get and the safety. With the privilege of providing
Starr started his business in them. drivers and the equipment and so forth. jobs for people is the weight of being
In 1994, Woodfield was able to get We didn’t really ever say we wanted 50 responsible for those people’s lives and
some business from a company in East trucks or a hundred. We just woke up livelihoods.
Camden called Arquest that manufac- one day, and we had a hundred. “Kathy and I are responsible for
tured baby diapers. It wasn’t always “What we did learn was hauling everything, any part of it. It all ends
steady work because they had a carrier diapers was a very good business.” with us,” he said.
outside the region that was hauling With any business comes concerns. Woodfield shifted to electronic log-
most of their freight. In trucking, finding and retaining good ging devices for drivers to record their
“As years passed, we would just do drivers is always a struggle. working hours about three years ago,
everything they would allow us to do. We Starr acknowledges that it comes and Starr believes that once everyone is
had other customers that we hauled for, with the territory. When the economy logging electronically, the environment
too, but they were just right in our back grows, so does the demand for trucks for all drivers will be safer.
door and had product that went out, and and drivers. A few years ago, Woodfield “From our side, after a guy has
also, some came in. Whatever they would added more local, short hauls to their made his day, then it is time for a
allow us to do, we would do it. business to get a driver home every day, rest. We just feel better, because we’re
“The carrier that they had at that because he remembers the pull of want- responsible for it. When it’s your
time was not based here. Often, they ing to be with his own family while he responsibility then the liability is
were not able to provide a truck for was out on the road. He said he never something you are always concerned
whatever reason in the area …After a got tired of trucking when he left ABF. about. But we have not really had a lot
few years, we became their primary car- He loved it, and he was “fortunate you 

ARKANSAS TRUCKING REPORT | Issue 6 2017 33