Building a Profitable AND People-First Trucking Company with Marina Ivanov
July 9, 2026
Marina Ivanov grew up around trucks and never thought she would lead a company in this industry. In 2012, she started Apex Transit Solutions to pay the bills, but it quickly became a mission to treat people with dignity. She talks about the reality of being a woman in a male-dominated space and why she gives fleet managers their own P&L. You will hear how to balance high service standards with profitable operations while building a culture where drivers actually want to stay.
Marina Ivanov shares her journey from being the daughter of an owner-operator to leading a successful asset-based carrier. She admits that starting Apex Transit Solutions in 2012 was about survival rather than a grand vision. The focus changed in 2016 when she saw how steady paychecks and respect helped a driver get out of bankruptcy and buy a home. This moment turned her business into a mission-driven organization focused on people.
Marina talks about the challenges of being a woman in the trucking industry and how she overcame her own limiting beliefs. She explains the importance of visibility and why seeing other female leaders is vital for growth. A key part of her success is a "mini-ownership" model where fleet managers handle their own P&L. This makes them feel like entrepreneurs who are directly responsible for driver retention and freight quality.
We talk about the tension between providing excellent service and maintaining operational efficiency. Marina shares a story about how her team had to tell her it was okay to let a customer down to protect the company. She also highlights her advocacy work, such as banning predatory booting of commercial vehicles in North Carolina. This conversation offers a look at how leading with empathy and curiosity can create a resilient business that makes a real impact on the lives of everyone involved.
What You’ll Learn
- Why starting a business for survival can lead to a powerful mission
- How to balance high customer service expectations with your bottom line
- The "mini-ownership" model for empowering fleet managers
- Why visibility for women in leadership matters for industry growth
- Strategies for using empathy to improve driver retention
- The importance of individualized motivation for team members
- How advocacy work can fix systemic problems like predatory booting
- Why curiosity is a better leadership tool than judgment
Episode Highlights
[00:07:00] Starting for Survival: Marina explains why Apex Transit Solutions didn't start with a grand vision but grew from a need to pay the bills.
[00:10:13] The Impact Epiphany: How seeing a driver buy his first home changed the entire mission of the company.
[00:12:28] The Service Trap: Marina shares the lesson she learned when her team told her she was over-delivering to the point of hurting the business.
[00:16:16] Mini-Ownership Explained: A look at how giving fleet managers their own P&L creates an entrepreneurial culture.
[00:23:30] Seeing is Believing: Why being a visible woman in leadership is the best way to motivate the next generation of female leaders.
[00:28:00] Fighting for Drivers: Marina talks about the legislative win to ban commercial vehicle booting in North Carolina.
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