A change in leadership promises a focus on drivers; new CCO Jake Lawson wants to focus on developing a stronger team

By Reagan Payne

Jake Lawson is a fresh face at U.S. Xpress. Bringing outside experience to his role as Chief Commercial Officer, Lawson expects to bring in new markets and strengthen the team within. His experience in e-commerce will come in handy amid the ongoing global pandemic.

“Partnering with our customers and defining the appropriate value propositions are critical for success, and it’s exciting for me to really dig in and elevate what sets U.S. Xpress apart,” said Lawson. “I also want to focus on our team development to help our people feel supported and mentored, understand their connection to the Company vision, and feel empowered to deliver great results.”

While Lawson does not have experience in the trucking industry specifically, he is well-versed in the world of supplier dynamics.

He held customer-facing leadership roles with the appliance manufacturer Whirlpool. There he focused on sales, merchandising, product development and e-commerce. Most recently, he led the sales and marketing effort for Whirlpool’s largest customer, home improvement retailer Lowe’s.

Company perspective

“I’m excited to welcome Jake to the organization and look forward to working with him to cultivate existing customer relationships, tap new markets, and engage with shippers about our innovative solutions,” said Eric Fuller, President and CEO of U.S. Xpress.

The company sees success in many areas including its new fleet: Variant. This fleet's load planning and scheduling are performed by artificially intelligent algorithms called the Variant Optimizer. This already reduces operating costs. Variant’s platform optimizes for asset utilization and maximizing loaded miles per week, enabling each tractor to generate more revenue and each driver to take home more money.

Even with this great success, dedicated still accounts for around 40% of the company’s revenue. Lawson takes the place of Justin Harness, now President of the Dedicated division at U.S. Xpress. It is also largely responsible for providing a regular routine and well-balanced schedules for drivers. 

When drivers can anticipate home time, it opens up a whole new avenue of stability for themselves and their families. Harness spent the bulk of his two decades in the industry with U.S. Xpress. Knowing the company allows him to move into this position seamlessly and create even more opportunities for current drivers and those to come.

Reagan Payne is a staff writer for Wright Media. She can be reached at rpayne@wrightmediacorp.com.