Early life:
Born in California and raised in Houston, the CEO of Pronto Shipping named, Tramell Kukoyi is setting her sights on world domination in the transportation trucking industry entrepreneur. She’s done quite a few things before becoming a trucking industry entrepreneur, including earning a master’s degree in social work and working as an actual social worker. Tramell hated the fact that she had to work for someone else, and her long-term goal of working on her own was achieved when she established her own business.
One day, looking out at the building of her neighborhood, Tramell suddenly realized that there wasn’t an easy way to ship items into or out of the area. She decided to take advantage of this oversight and opened a shipping trucking industry entrepreneur company. Tramell founded Pronto Shipping in 2013, which she says was a challenge all on its own. According to Tramell, there was so much to learn that she started over from “scratch”. Tramell said she always had a strong work ethic, which is what she attributes to her company’s success in the current market.
An early stint as a social worker helped Tramell start her own business, she said. The psychology and social work she took in graduate school helped her think outside the box and strategize about how to open her company.
Interaction with TN’H:
Tramell’s business has thrived despite competing with FedEx—the well-known transportation and shipping company. But she says that she worked with the company, learning much from her competitor in the process.
Starting a shipping company can be long and arduous, but entrepreneur Tramell Kukoyi reveals her formula for success in this exclusive interview with TN’H. With over seven years of shipping experience, she shared tips from the trenches on starting a shipping company and making it thrive in almost no time. When it comes to air freight forwarding, Tramell explained the process of becoming one—for instance, the number of steps and paperwork and compliance involved. It took eight months for her to approve. It is challenging to find an air freight company today because of the increasingly competitive market. Tramell has provided shippers with some insight and tips on finding freight and marketing the shipping company.
There’s always a debate among the truckers about whether to buy a new truck for the business or lease one. To this, Tramell suggested that the business owners lease a truck rather than buy one. She gives a justification in this podcast, and you should listen to it.
In an interview with Tramell, she tells us how she built her fleet of 7 trucks from scratch and gave advice on managing a fleet of your own. The best part about her management strategy was that she gave away the “key” to retaining the drivers – this was helpful. Tramell gave a talk about her journey as an entrepreneur and the challenges she has faced along the way. She concluded that it is worthwhile to innovate and take risks.
Final Thought:
When asked about her biggest piece of advice for a young aspiring entrepreneur, Tramell said, “Trust your Process, no matter what — even if it’s a bad day. You’re not going to wake up one day and be successful. Success is not overnight. Be humble and learn as much as you can.”
To learn more about Tramell and her inspiring story, Please view the Video Below
[skipto time=7:12] 7:12 – How it all began. [/skipto]
[skipto time=13:34] 13:34 – Becoming an air freight forwarder.[/skipto]
[skipto time=15:50] 15:50 – The marketing strategy. [/skipto]
[skipto time=24:57]24:57 – The story of first truck. [/skipto]
[skipto time=35:30]35:30 – Keys to retain your drivers. [/skipto]
[skipto time=49:00] 49:00 – How to get your customers. [/skipto]
[skipto time=1:01:06] 1:01:06 – The trucking course book. [/skipto]
The creator & host of Truck N’ Hustle, is a renowned personality in the trucking & logistics industry who hosts podcasts with the reputed & successful trucking entrepreneurs to share the knowledge required to start & sustain the logistics business!
Tramell Kukoyi began her journey creating Pronto Shipping and Packaging Services at a small location, just getting her feet wet in the business. She has expanded to a 25,000 square foot facility and is not only shipping but she is also using her warehouse for storage.
