Mark Martin: The Fastest CEO in Trucking

NASCAR race car driver Mark Martin is shifting gears a little. The career-wins leader in the Busch Grand National Series is now the head of a trucking company, and while he’s accustomed to moving fast, he’s learning that 70,000 pounds of produce can really slow you down.

Martin became chief executive officer of J-Mar Express in August after his father was killed in a private plane crash. Julian Martin, who founded the trucking fleet in Searcy, Ark., died in the accident with his wife and daughter.

The 40-year-old driver is one of the stars of stock car racing. In the 1998 Winston Cup season, Martin finished in the top-five 22 times, including seven victories. That success propelled him to second in the points race.

Don’t expect any radical changes just because the company’s new executive is a NASCAR champ. Its name may have changed to Mark Martin’s J-Mar Express, but the new owner plans to follow in the successful tradition his father established.

“Continuing to do business the way my father did business is important to me,” he said. “Our customers have come to expect high-performance service from J-Mar Express, and we’re going to continue to provide it.”

For the full story, see the Feb. 2 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.