Blair Ewell is a Fort Smith, Arkansas-based expert in transportation management. Blair has shown extraordinary logistics and supply chain abilities over several decades. Various experiences influence his decision-making, and his peers laud his ability and industry understanding. His employees value his dedication to the long-term goals of the business as well as the development and success of the individuals he mentors along the way.

Career Background

Ewell has over 30 years of experience working for various illustrious organizations. Therefore he is no stranger to the trucking and transportation sector. His first job in the field was with Ryder System in 1986. Although it also specializes in supply chain management and transportation management, this company is primarily recognized for its fleet of commercial rental trucks. His first job was as a night shift check call clerk. He was in charge of checking calls and issuing Comchecks.

He had joined the army and was about to leave, but the division where he worked broke down, so he accepted a position as a load planner for C.R. England. This prepared me for three years of service in the US Army Logistics Corps, supporting the operations of Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

After leaving the service, Blair Ewell found work with Salt Lake City-based Dick Simon Trucking. Despite beginning as a fleet manager, he worked hard to advance to terminal and dedicated operations manager positions. Dick Simon founded the business when it was still privately held and had a fleet of only 250 vehicles. When the company eventually went public, it possessed a fleet of 2,500 trucks.

Swift Transportation bought the business after filing for bankruptcy, which is unfortunate. Ewell progressed within the organization for 13 years, seeking new challenges and gaining expertise. Later, he served as Network for Swift Transportation's vice president, terminal manager, and regional vice president. The largest full truckload carrier in North America is Swift Transportation.

Ewell departed Swift for the role of Senior Vice President of Operations at Tacoma, Washington-based Interstate Distributing Company after gaining this managerial experience. The business needed help and was losing close to $20 million annually. The company turned things around under his leadership and efforts in just two years, turning a profit. Ewell afterwards started working as the Chief Operating Officer for Texas-based Mesilla Valley Transportation. Ewell established his own consulting business in 2016, focusing on turnaround jobs.

Professional Viewpoint

The collective experiences of these trucking and transportation businesses widened Blair Ewell's awareness and involvement in the sector. The foundation of his management style and personal philosophy is trust. It takes a talented team to carry out a well-planned strategy, but for everyone involved to believe in the goal and the method for getting there, there must be trust at every level.

He excels at studying the specifics and facts to increase the effectiveness and dependability of the transport process. He is highly skilled at grasping the large picture of logistics and transportation. This entails creating the best teams possible to meet demand and establishing a pricing plan that is dependable but scalable. Accountability is one of the leadership ideas he delivers to each firm. He is a firm believer in leading by example, setting high standards, and holding everyone responsible for upholding them.

current position

Ewell began working at USA Truck in 2019 as Senior Vice President of Trucking. Ewell oversees operational effectiveness in this capacity and establishes operational objectives for the business. Value stream mapping and pricing tactics are two areas in which he has specific interests. He is knowledgeable about the industry's safety regulations and best practices, and he appreciates the value of having the appropriate people in the correct positions. Under his direction, USA Truck entirely changed the corporate culture to boost productivity and morale while stopping a long-standing driver turnover problem.

The introduction of the self-dispatch procedure was one of Blair Ewell's most notable innovations. Thanks to technological interfaces, drivers could obtain information about their routes through a self-service app. One of the services allowed them to change their fuel routes without contacting a dispatcher.

Achievements

For its ground-breaking self-dispatch system, USA Trucking was named the CCJ Innovator of the Year in 2021 by Commercial Carrier Journal. The corporation recognized drivers' pain issues under Ewell's leadership and addressed them by introducing the Drive Your Plan program.

Individual Interests

When he's not working, Blair likes to spend time with his family and stay in shape by skiing or boating. He supports the Injured Warrior Project, a nonprofit organization that offers various services and accessible programs to the post-9/11 wounded warriors and their families since he has a soft spot for veterans.