Client Profile: D&C Freight

Neal Clack’s retirement was in full swing when his son, Joe Dischner, pitched him a business idea – launching a freight trucking business. The idea made sense. Trucking ran in the family after all, and Neal hauled explosives for a time on one of his early assignments in the Marines.

“I may be stating the obvious, but I’d rather do this any day of the week,” said Neal about his family’s new trucking venture, D&C Freight.

Like his father, Joe serves in the military as an Air Force reservist. He also works full time as a firefighter. The father and son see the business as a way to secure their family’s financial future.

At the advice of a friend, Joe researched and proposed specializing in handling “hot shots,” short, quick runs for distributors who need to deliver smaller loads and post the jobs in online marketplaces.

Neal liked the idea and reasoned access to nearby markets from their home base in Memphis gave them an advantage. He just needed financing for the trailer, and as a former loan officer, he knew he’d need a business plan to get it.

Forming a plan with Pathway

The Small Business Administration connected Neal to the Veterans Business Outreach Center at Pathway Lending, and he solidified his business plan in regular coaching sessions before working with Pathway Lending’s Business Advisory Services to refine his financial models and projections.

“The hardest part has been licensing and insurance,” said Neal. “Working with Pathway made the loan the easy part.”

With a solid plan and financials in place, D&C received funding from Pathway Lending and purchased the trailer in a matter of weeks.

D&C Freight plans to start small but looks forward to expanding steadily one driver, truck and trailer at a time as it meets growth and financial goals. They see no limit to their expansions plans.

Learn more about Pathway’s Veterans Business Center and the entrepreneurship training and counseling for Military service members and Veterans.