Brad Wiggins first earned his CDL a decade before he launched Confidence in Traveling, LLC. But at the time, he was a correctional officer, and wouldn’t become an owner-operator until 2022. Brad now runs his box truck business full-time out of Suffolk and Durham, near the Outer Banks. We talked to Brad about his long-haul journey to trucking, and how booking routes with Amazon Relay has helped make his business a success.
You grew up around trucking. What led you to follow in your family’s footsteps?
My grandfather and great-grandfather both drove 18-wheelers. So as a little boy, I grew up in trucks and always had a curiosity about them. From the ages of 5-13, I’d join them on trips anywhere from 60-80 miles out. I always thought I’d get into trucks when I retired.
I wanted to make something of myself first. I became a correctional officer and made rank as a sergeant. But I took weekend courses to get my CDL while I had my full-time job.
You ended up entering the industry a lot sooner. What encouraged that decision?
During Covid, things got bad in corrections. People were quitting and not coming back. There was a shortage of staff. I also used a retirement calculator and saw that without any more promotions and based on my salary at the time, I’d be making pennies on the dollar. So, it was a no-brainer to try something different. I said, “Let me pull the trigger and gamble on myself.”
I’d had my CDL since 2011, so I quit and cashed out my retirement to buy a truck. It was scary. I had done something for 14 years that was working – I didn’t get fired, I wasn’t broke. And when I left, I went all in with my life savings. But I don’t regret it at all.
Tell us about those early days of your business.
My truck went down in the first four months. It was expensive and stressful. I was worried I’d made a mistake. But I never gave up on trucking because I had both feet in. I was paying for the LLC, the insurance, the truck, mortgage – payments didn’t stop just because the truck broke.
I had to run food delivery while I waited for repairs, and my pride was hurt. Especially because I’d been taking the right path in corrections, becoming a lieutenant, then captain, and so on. I’d left my position with rank, so this risk couldn’t be for nothing. But I think this was a test to show me what could happen in this industry. I’m lucky that my pitfall came early. I learned quickly that trucking requires perseverance.
Tell us about your experience with Amazon Relay.
While my truck was down, I still had access to Relay’s load board. I couldn’t take loads but surfing the board and seeing what’s out there taught me a lot – I was able to strategize my business during that downtime.
I had been mixing it up with other booking sites, but with Relay, you can set your location. I can move the load radius as close as 5 miles or far out as 200 miles if I want to. I loved that I could just book based on my preference, and see what rates are available.
“Everything I was doing on other load boards, I can do with Relay, but it offers even more.”
What type of work do you book with Relay?
Relay has a lot of work for box trucks, which is how I’d like to expand my business. I find them easier to maneuver than a 53’ trailer. Say I hire more drivers, and they call out, I’d want to be able to jump in the truck for that load that’s waiting. I want to stay hands-on, and the type of work that Relay provides would allow me to do that.
I prefer spot loads because all the scheduling details are upfront. With Relay’s contracts, Monday might have 3 stops, Tuesday 7 stops, Wednesday 6 stops. Some carriers might prefer getting paid for that block of time, but on Relay’s load board, I can filter by the number of stops I want. I prefer a limit so I can always make sure I’m on time. I also love that I have negotiation power for rates on some spot loads.
“I love the freedom to pick loads and negotiate rates. With Relay, I choose the areas I want to run and just filter out what I don’t want.”
What do you love most about Relay?
The freedom. I can be waiting at home for the school bus, and if my kid has an award ceremony, I don’t have to ask for time off. I run Amazon’s box truck work, which is mostly at night anyway. Since I worked day and night shifts at prison over the years, I was prepared for overnights. But now I get to schedule when I work.
I’m not saying you can be a lazy guy just because you’re working for yourself. The trucking business takes a disciplined person, especially for Amazon. You have to show up on time. Having worked in a prison, that military style is not a problem for me. With Relay, you have to be one of those get-it-done type of guys. I always have been.
What’s been the biggest adjustment as an entrepreneur?
I worked harder at the prison, but I work more as an entrepreneur. I’ve never minded demanding work. But obviously as a corrections officer, you never know how your day is going to start or end. Unexpected things still happen in trucking – mechanical breakdowns, etc. But because Relay is so streamlined, I have much more peace of mind now, absolutely.
I also have more say over my success. Working in the prison, even if I gave my all, someone else had to give me a promotion. It was based on how I interviewed or dealt with people. But with Relay’s flexibility, the ball is in my court.
What advice would you have for a carrier interested in Amazon Relay?
Be on time, be responsible. Coming from a business with a zero-tolerance lateness policy, that helped me transition. I have a routine before every load. I’m always around my stop an hour early in case of traffic, flat tires, or construction in the summer. Always leave plenty of room for error.
Amazon calculates a performance score based on how well you deliver safely and on-time, and a high score gives you access to the most bookings. If you keep your grade right with Amazon, you have the most opportunity to make money.
What is your goal for your business?
I want more trucks, and to keep running with Amazon. I’d love to get my sons involved and create a family legacy. I could see one doing dispatch, and the other driving. But by the time I hire family, I want my name to be etched in stone. This is all about generational wealth.
Want in on the growth?
Amazon Relay offers the steady work, quick payments, and flexibility you need to achieve your company’s goals. Start your application on your desktop or in our app on iOS or Android. But first, check out Relay’s carrier requirements to make sure Amazon is the right fit for your business.
Disclaimer: Amazon does not tender loads through any third-party load boards. Any Amazon loads posted on third-party load boards will only be tendered directly to approved and onboarded carriers via the Relay web portal or Relay mobile app. If you are interested in hauling loads for Amazon, sign up and book directly on relay.amazon.com.
