MC Carrier LLC: Refuge of the Roads

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Driver respect and care are at the heart and soul of MC Carrier LLC

When John Lupusor and Cristian Margineanu started MC Carrier LLC, they had two trucks, a love of the road, and a clear vision for a driver-centric transportation company. “We were team drivers, then we went solo,” Lupusor recalled. “We stayed on the road sometimes for up to three months, but that was our choice. We had a goal in mind, which was to save enough money to purchase equipment and start the company.”

Their experience driving for trucking companies had been frustrating, with few considerations for scheduling home time or lane selection options, barely decent pay, few benefits, and no paths to career advancement. If they were ready for a change, they knew there was a world of fellow drivers wishing for the same. That was in 2012.

Today, those less-than-ideal work experiences still exist and are in large part responsible for the nationwide driver shortage other companies are struggling to overcome. That’s not the case for MC Carrier employees, whose benefit package includes health insurance, dental, vision, disability insurance, life insurance, plus a 401(k) plan with annual company matching up to $2,500 and automatic quarterly pay increases.

This year, the Las Vegas-based company celebrates its first decade in business, having matured into a growing coast-to-coast long-haul operation with over 190 trucks, more than 300 trailers, and a 260-person strong workforce. (Both owners still retain active CDL Class A licenses, too.)

Their young fleet consists of dry vans, refrigerated trailers and open decks that are, on average, two years old, and equipped with accident avoidance and other safety systems. Seventy-five percent of the drivers are HazMat certified with tanker endorsement. A 100,000-square-foot facility in North Las Vegas encompasses the company’s storage, freight forwarding, freight consolidation, and cross-docking capabilities, as well as their maintenance and repair operation.

The way Lupusor sees it, success in the trucking industry begins with recognizing the needs of the individual. “Every single driver is going to have different goals in life at different stages of life, and our duty is to understand what those goals are and work with that driver. It’s not one size fits all,” he said. From asking what potential new hires want from the driving experience, to frequent check-ins to make sure drivers are safely performing to their potential (and doing so happily), MC Carrier puts drivers first.

“When we hire, we ask what exactly the person wants to do, and then have weekly or monthly conversations to find out if anything has changed, if something needs to be done with the way they’re being dispatched and the lane they are dispatched on,” he said. “Open communication with our drivers and our open-door policy is key.”

Team driving for the win

The company offers abundant opportunities for solo drivers, but MC Carrier’s specialization in team driving has been an asset for their customers who need to move time-sensitive freight, such as medication, food, and heavy equipment.

Long-haul drivers are subject to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations that require them to take 10-hour off-duty breaks during their trips. Team driving makes it possible to meet that mandate without sacrificing critical road time.

While driving with a friend, partner, or spouse may seem like a great way to see the country and get paid while doing it, which it certainly is, Lupusor stressed that it’s not for everyone. “It requires a sort of special skill to be able to sleep in a truck’s cabin as the truck moves. Not everybody can do it or wants to do it, and that’s why team drivers will usually be paid more than solo drivers.”

The team approach allows employees to be home more often and ensures their customers will get their deliveries on time. “If someone has a load from Vegas to South Carolina they can be there in 2½ days, and they can be back in Vegas in another 2½ days,” he said. “That’s an incentive for the drivers because the same trip would take 10 days for a solo driver, and this way teams can be home more often.”

Company leadership routinely asks their workers how the company can improve the way they do business. A recent survey revealed that the firm’s open-door policy was a tremendous positive. “Our people know they can always talk to a manager, they’re going to be listened to, and their problems are going to be solved,” he said. “That’s what we do better than our competitors.”

Technology is also key to driver success. The company’s in-house IT engineers have developed DriverPro, a driver performance application that gives them visibility into their weekly and daily targets, safety practices, mileage, performance evaluations, and salary statements.

“It’s an effective retention tool for us,” Lupusor said. “A driver that doesn’t get any kind of feedback or communication won’t know if they’re doing badly or well. They won’t know what they need to improve on.” DriverPro also offers a way to inspect rigs for damages. “If a driver finds the truck or trailer is damaged, DriverPro makes it easier for them to manage the paperwork and take care of all the business in one place. Their safety score, their on-time performance score, everything is in one app that they can access at any time to understand how they are doing.”

Above all, MC Carrier keeps the promises they make to workers and customers alike, which keeps great workers employed and grateful customers coming back time and time again. “We will never knowingly make a promise if we’re not going to be able to do it,” he said. “Things do change in trucking, and if something changes that affects a planned outcome, or if what we promised is not going to happen for one reason or another, we’re always open and upfront with our customers and try to be ahead of the curve.”

Lupusor added, “We’re all about making sure that our team is well compensated and well trained so we can offer the best experience to our customers.”