To make a name for yourself in the big wide world of trucking, leaders need the perfect combination of resilience, innovation, business-savvy and passion.
More and more professionals are hitting their stride in the fleet management field, stepping up into leadership positions early, learning the ins and outs of the old, and welcoming in the new to make their companies successful. And they don’t want to leave anyone behind. That’s apparent with the 2022 HDT Emerging Leaders.
These up-and-coming leaders are the next generation, bringing knowledge and enthusiasm to their positions. Whether leading from the maintenance bay or from the C-Suite, this cohort of leaders
has one thing in common: optimism. They see trucking has a vast pool of opportunity, and they all have an energy about them that screams, “We’re just getting started.”
To qualify for this award, Emerging Leaders must be under 40 years of age as of October and work for a for-hire, private, government, or vocational fleet that operates heavy-duty trucks. HDT editors look for young professionals who are influential, innovative, and successful, who can point to outstanding accomplishments and leadership qualities, and who have a passion for the trucking industry.
Trucking doesn’t start and end with the driver and the fleet manager, so we aim to recognize people making a difference through their leadership in all corners of a fleet. After all, it’s the people behind the company that make trucking possible and profitable.
This year, HDT received a record number of applicants.
Meet this year’s 10 Emerging Leaders, presented in alphabetical order by surname.
Matt Brewer
- Director of Operations
- GreenPath Logistics
GreenPath Logistics is a young company (founded in 2020 as a subsidiary of NGV Global Group) with a fleet of about 200 medium- and heavy-duty trucks that operate exclusively on alternative fuels.
Matt Brewer, the company’s director of operations, oversees the truck fleet and educates customers about the benefits of alternative fuel technologies from natural gas to hybrid and fully electric heavy-duty trucks.
Brewer started his career in trucking at Werner Enterprises and served stints at Stevens Transport; a now defunct specialized bulk carrier; and Vista Proppants and Logistics. He has been on the operation side of things for more than 12 years, in everything from dispatching to billing to general management. Always maintaining a high level of leadership.
But for him, this role is a little bit different because he has the opportunity to do “some great things for the earth.” In this role, it’s his first foray into overseeing alternative fuel vehicles. And he’s all in.
“Matt has optimized GPL’s operations by 20%, ensuring that our trucks are operating at max efficiency with the right loads and the right routes,” GPL Chief Operating Officer Dmitri Tisnoi says. “He has also made a significant impact on GPL’s bottom line, growing our pipeline of new business by [more than] $1 million per month.”
Brewer says his first year in this role is a “massive” accomplishment, and the proudest in his recent career.
“We’re doing something completely different than other trucking companies here, and to get people to buy into running alternative fuels or operate electrically — from your drivers to your employees to customers — it can be kind of a scary thing at first,” Brewer says of getting people who are used to running on diesel on board with alternative fuels. “Communicating with all these [people] in training … we’ve done a very, very good job of retaining employees here.”
Tisnoi says he believes the “hard work of ‘green transportation’ deployment, optimization and sales [Brewer] is doing today will become a new standard for the heavy-duty trucking of tomorrow.”
