HAMLET — Shanieka Davis of Rockingham has been in nursing for 20 years ever since completing her Nursing Assistant and Practical Nursing training at Richmond Community College. However, she is also the owner of S-Class Logistics, a freight dispatching company in the trucking industry.
S-Class Logistics contracted its first load on April 24, and her company has been gaining momentum ever since. She started this journey five years ago, and now she wants to share what she has learned with others.
Davis is partnering with RichmondCC’s Small Business Center to present a free seminar, “Introduction to the Business of Freight Dispatching,” on Oct. 22 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Robinette Building in Rockingham. She will discuss the world of trucking logistics and how to launch your own business.
Davis has attended 27 webinars and received 35 hours of counseling through the Small Business Center. It all started in the summer of 2019 when she started exploring ways to become self-employed.
Davis considered getting her commercial driver’s license and driving an over-the-road truck. But as a single mother, she decided that would mean bringing her daughter on the road with her, which she determined was not the life she wanted for her child.
In September 2019, while scrolling through Facebook, Davis saw an announcement about RichmondCC’s Small Business Center hosting a webinar called “The Best Small Business to Start in 2020.” She signed up for the free webinar, took the class and was hooked.
Davis attended seven more Small Business Center classes and then began counseling sessions with then-SBC director Wayne “Butch” Farrah. Davis explored starting a home-based business selling nursing and medical scrubs. However, after working on a business plan and cash flows with Farrah, she determined it was going to be too costly to start. She put that business plan on hold in November 2020.
Davis learned to do nails in 2022 and considered opening a nail salon. She decided not to proceed as it felt more like a hobby for her.
Davis once again considered the trucking industry and started attending The Trucking Guru’s “Trucking Tuesday” on Instagram Live. The Trucking Guru, Kierra Henderson, asked Davis why she wanted to drive the truck when she could own the business. This struck a chord with Davis. She purchased Henderson’s Freight Dispatching Course in July 2023 and completed it in three weeks. The course gave her a great deal of knowledge, but Davis felt she needed more practical education, much like the clinical hours of her nursing training.
In November 2023, Davis started counseling sessions with RichmondCC’s guest counselor and webinar presenter, Renae Simon, after attending Simon’s WIX webinars. Simon helped her create a logo, business cards and a website for S-Class Logistics. Simon also encouraged her to find a mentor in the trucking industry.
Meanwhile, Davis took a compliance course with Sherranda Ivey in February of this year, and she met Dominique Ballard of Unique Way Trucking (now her dispatching mentor and best friend) in a Q&A session. Ballard offered the practical coursework that Davis needed, and she finished Ballard’s course on March 10. She acquired her first carrier one week later. On March 25, Davis’ website went live.
Since contracting that first load in April, Davis now works with carriers and owner/operators all over the country. She quickly figured out that she wants to work with carriers that want to operate within compliance guidelines.
Davis currently runs S-Class Logistics Monday through Friday and continues to work as a nurse on the weekends until her new business can support her and her daughter. However, Davis does not plan to stop there. Her plans include acquiring her broker’s license and owning her own fleet one day.
In addition to her dispatching services, Davis also offers compliance, drug consortium, and consulting services. Her offerings include three Success Packages for new Trucking Authorities and nine additional à la carte services beyond dispatching.
She is developing her own courses to teach and offering guest counseling services to the Small Business Center to help others start their own logistics businesses, and it will provide potential employees for S-Class Logistics as it scales up.
“The Small Business Center at Richmond Community College has been instrumental in the growth and streamlining of my business,” Davis said. “The wealth of resources and classes offered by the center have provided me with invaluable knowledge and skills. Courses such as How to Start a Business, Design a WIX Website for Beginners, Basics of Bookkeeping, and Introduction to QuickBooks have equipped me with practical tools and insights that I have directly applied to my business operations. The mentorship and support from the dedicated staff have also been pivotal in shaping my entrepreneurial journey.”
Davis said thanks to the Small Business Center, she has seen considerable savings in growing her own business and she is able to operate with very low overhead.
“I have navigated the complexities of business ownership with confidence and efficiency, transforming my vision into a thriving reality,” Davis added.
She has been a dream client for the Small Business Center as she works hard on her business, always does her “homework,” comes in prepared for counseling sessions and applies what she learns.
“The Richmond Community College Small Business Center helped shape and mold my mindset,” Davis said. “It is such a blessing. There are not enough words in the dictionary to express my gratitude.”
To learn more about the Small Business Center seminar on Oct. 22, call 910-410-1687 or email afmeares@richmondcc.edu. After the seminar, individuals will have the opportunity to sign up for classes at RichmondCC on how to start a freight dispatching business.
Register for the seminar online: https://www.ncsbc.net/reg.aspx?mode=event&event=400440063
