Today we’d like to introduce you to Shanieka Davis.
Hi Shanieka, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Shanieka Davis, the owner of S-Class Solutions Trucking Compliance & Solutions. Our office is located in Rockingham, NC where we serve owner operators all over the US! Prior to transitioning over into the trucking industry I had been in nursing for over 20 years and prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic, I started thinking about exploring new opportunities as I was ready to do something different and wanted to be self-employed. I considered getting my Commercial Driver Licenses (CDL) and becoming an over-the-road trucker. However, I was a single mother and would have had to bring my daughter along and homeschool her on the road, which I determined was not the life I wanted for my daughter.
In September 2019, while scrolling through my Facebook feed, I noticed a Richmond Community College (RCC) Small Business Center (SBC) webinar entitled The Best Small Business to Start in 2020. I signed up for the free webinar, took the class and was hooked! I attended seven more SBC classes and then began counseling session with a SBC director in October 2019. I explored starting a home-based business selling nursing and medical scrubs, which I planned to call Geovani’s Sassy Scrubs Boutique. I worked on my business plan and cash flows with my SBC director; however, the business was going to be too costly, so I put the business plan on hold in November 2020.
I then taught myself how to do acrylic nails in 2022 and considered opening a nail salon that I planned to call Hollywood Echelon Nail Lounge. I decided not to proceed as it felt more like a hobby for me and I really felt there was something else out there for me.
I once again considered the trucking industry and started attending a Tuesday night Trucking Instagram Live as a part of my exploration of the industry. During one of these sessions while discussing truck driving, someone asked me why I wanted to drive the truck when I could own the company and business by starting out as a freight dispatcher. This struck a chord with me. And although at the time I couldn’t afford to purchase the $650 Freight Dispatching Course that was being offered, my silent prayer was answered with a “Happy Hour” special offering the course for $150 about 2 weeks later.
I purchased the course in July 2023 and completed it in 3 weeks. The course gave me a great deal of knowledge, I felt that I needed additional, on-the-ground, practical education to put what I had learned into place, much like the “clinical” hours in my nursing training.
In November 2023, I started counseling sessions with Richmond Community College guest counselor and webinar presenter, Renae Simon. After attending Simon’s WIX webinars. Simon helped me create my logo, business cards, and website and encourage me to find a mentor in the trucking industry. She remains my mentor today!
Meanwhile, I took a Trucking Compliance Course in February 2024, and met Dominique Ballard of Unique Capital Group (my then Freight Dispatching Mentor) in a Q&A session. Ballard offered the practical coursework that I needed. I finished my freight dispatching training on March 10, 2024, acquired my first carrier just one week later and a week after that on March 25, 2024 my website went live.
At the time the name of my business was “S-Class Logistics” now S-Class Solutions contracted our first load on April 24, 2024, and my freight dispatching business gained momentum. I worked with carriers and owner/operators all over the country. I am a fast learner and quickly figured out I wanted to work with carriers that want to operate within compliance guidelines.
So in addition to my dispatching services, I also included added value services to my business such as, Compliance, Drug and Alcohol Consortium services, DOT drug testing, and Consulting Services, which is what I solely provide today – Trucking Solutions and Compliance. My services include Trucking Authority Packages, IFTA filings and most importantly Monthly Compliance Monitoring Packages amongst other A La Carte services.
I currently run S-Class Solutions Monday through Friday and continue to work as a nurse part-time. However, I do not plan to stop with Trucking Solutions and Compliance. I am planning to acquire my Broker’s License within the next 6 months and starting my own trucking company and owning a fleet one day.
I am currently paying it forward and teaching others what I know and do. As an adjunct instructor at Richmond Community College in Hamlet, NC, I have developed 2 different courses that I teach: Introduction The Art & Science of Freight Dispatching and From Start Up to Success: Starting a Trucking Company the Right Way and I offer guest counseling services to the SBC in my subject matter. This will assist others in operating their own freight dispatching businesses as I have done, and it will provide potential employees for S-Class Solutions as we continue to scale up.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Well, it hasn’t always been a smooth road. And I mean if we’re being realistic, no road to success is smooth. In fact the entrepreneurial journey alone is an obstacle course all by itself. One has to mentally prepared for a journey such as entrepreneurship and it honestly starts in the mind. I remember shortly after launching my business I took the leap of quitting my job. It was more of a leap of faith. However, I was not fully prepared for the financial strain that was around the corner. I had an extremely hard time adjusting to the drastic change with my income. I went from making $76,000 a year to making less than a third of that. But because I knew I wanted more, I knew that I wanted to be independent I worked through every single emotion the human mind and body can comprehend. And in that is where character was strengthened, my entrepreneurial brain was constructed and confidence built. Other struggles I dealt with was learning how to ask for help when I need it most. If I can be transparent here, I had to learn how to swallow my pride and learn how to accept help when offered and ask for help when needed.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about S-Class Solutions?
S-Class Solutions provides top-tier trucking solutions, including compliance services, back-office support, consulting, and DOT drug & alcohol test as well as clearinghouse management. We help Owner-Operators and small fleet owners streamline operations, stay compliant and driver long-term success.
Our mission is to ensure seamless logistics operations and regulatory compliance for every truck company onboarded. By providing comprehensive trucking solutions and compliance support, we aim to optimize efficiency, enhance safety, and maximize productivity for our clients.
We are committed to delivering exceptional, luxury service, empowering truckers to navigate the road with confidence, while ensuring adherence to all relevant regulations and standards. With a focus on integrity, reliability, and professionalism, we strive to be the trusted partner in every step of the transportation journey.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Integrity, honesty and authenticity.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sclass-solutions.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sclass_solutions/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/S-Class-Solutions/61557628437482/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanieka-davis-36a941309/
- Other: https://blinq.me/mifW1aiqgfWP?bs=db
