Transportation Business Owners Ready for Their Next Chapter
Most of our clients are first-time sellers. They’ve spent years—often decades—building trucking companies, freight brokerages, or logistics operations. They care deeply about what happens to their employees and customers when they exit. And they want more than just a transaction—they want the right outcome.
You might be a fit if:
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You've Built Something Substantial Your business generates consistent revenue, has established customer relationships, and operates with systems and processes that don't depend entirely on you showing up every day. You've built a real company, not just a job for yourself.
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You Care About the Outcome, Not Just the Price The highest offer isn't always the best offer. You want a buyer who values what you've built, treats your people well, and aligns strategically with your business. Financial outcome matters, but it's not the only thing that matters.
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You're Nearing a Transition Point Maybe you're in your late 50s or 60s and the relentless pace of transportation is wearing you down. Maybe market conditions have changed the risk profile of your business. Maybe you've taken it as far as you can alone and need a strategic partner to scale further.
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You Want Someone Who Speaks Your Language You're tired of M&A advisors who've never moved freight, managed a transportation company, or dealt with capacity constraints. You want to work with people who understand transportation—not financial advisors trying to learn your industry while marketing your business.
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You're a First-Time Seller You've never done this before. You don't know what buyers will ask, what terms are standard, or how to navigate negotiations. You need an advocate who's been through this process countless times and can guide you through the complexity.
When Business Owners Reach Out to Us
Every business owner’s situation is unique, but we often hear from people facing one or more of these realities:
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Situation 1: "I'm Burned Out" You've been grinding for years. The pace of transportation is relentless—driver shortages, insurance spikes, regulatory changes, market volatility. You're in your late 50s or 60s and ready to do something else with your time. You need an exit strategy that protects what you've built and sets you up financially for retirement.
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Situation 2: "The Risk Profile Has Changed" Nuclear verdicts have driven insurance costs through the roof. Financing costs tripled in 18 months. Freight rates are suppressed. Technology and regulatory pressures are mounting. You're watching the risk-reward equation shift, and you're wondering if now is the time to exit while market conditions still support your valuation.
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Situation 3: "I Want to Take Chips Off the Table" You're not ready to walk away completely, but you want to de-risk. You'd like to sell a majority stake to a strategic partner, take some money off the table, and retain equity for a potential second exit down the road. You need an advisor who understands this structure and can help you find the right partner.
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Situation 4: "I Need the Right Partner to Scale" You've grown your business to a point where you need capital, technology, or operational support to go further. You're open to a strategic partnership or acquisition if it's with the right buyer—someone who complements your strengths and shares your values.
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Situation 5: "I Tried to Sell Before and It Didn't Work Out" You worked with another M&A advisor and the process fell apart. Maybe the deal collapsed at the eleventh hour. Maybe the advisor lost interest after a few months. Maybe you realized they didn't actually understand your business. You're discouraged but still want to explore options—this time with someone who gets it.
Client proof: “We were disenchanted after our first attempt. Black Belt took a very different approach and asked not just the right questions but a lot of questions, and questions that I didn’t even have into consideration.”
— Carol Bennett, Founder, Carrier Services
What Matters Most to Our Clients
When we ask business owners what matters most about their exit, we hear these priorities again and again:
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Your People You've built a team—some of whom have been with you for years. You want to know they'll be in good hands with the new owner. You don't want to hand them over to a buyer who's going to gut the business or treat them like numbers on a spreadsheet.
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Your Customers You've built relationships over decades. Your customers trust you. You want a buyer who will honor those relationships and continue providing the level of service your customers expect.
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Your Legacy You've poured years of your life into building this business. It's more than just an asset—it's part of your identity. You want an exit that honors what you've built, not one that makes you feel like you sold out.
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Financial Security You need the proceeds from this sale to fund your retirement, support your family, or invest in what's next. This is likely the biggest financial event of your life. You can't afford to leave money on the table or get talked into terms that put your payout at risk.
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Peace of Mind You're a first-time seller going up against buyers who do this every day. You need someone in your corner who knows the process, anticipates problems before they arise, and helps you navigate complexity with confidence. You want to sleep at night.
Client proof: “We really wanted somebody on our team not having been through the process before. Having somebody on your team really allowed us to sleep at night.”
— Roger Harrison, Co-Founder, Radius Logistics
When to Look Elsewhere
We’re not the right advisor for every situation. Here’s when you should probably work with someone else:
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You Want Us to Tell You What You Want to Hear If you're looking for an advisor who will overpromise on valuation or guarantee outcomes we can't control, that's not us. We tell the truth—even when it's not what you want to hear. If your business needs work before going to market, we'll say so.
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You're Not Ready to Be Transparent M&A requires transparency. If you're not willing to share financial data, open your books, or be honest about business challenges, we can't help you. Buyers will find the issues during due diligence anyway—better to address them upfront.
Let's Talk About Your Situation
If you’re a transportation business owner thinking about your exit and you see yourself in the situations described above, we’d welcome the opportunity to have a confidential conversation about your goals and whether we’re the right fit to help you achieve them.
What happens next:
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Schedule a call — We'll discuss your business, your timeline, and what you're hoping to accomplish
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Get an honest assessment — We'll tell you if now is the right time, or what you'd need to do to get ready
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Decide if we're the right fit — No pressure, no obligation. Just a candid conversation about whether we can help
Most of our clients are first-time sellers. We’ll walk you through what to expect, answer your questions, and help you understand the path forward.