Wil-Trans

Who We Are

MEET WIL-TRANS
Once you join Wil-Trans you will come to know some of the most highly respected individuals in the industry. The inspiration you receive is second to none and if you are ready to learn something new, just keep your eyes and ears open and you will discover the secret to a successful career in transportation is not really a secret after all. At Wil-Trans, the choice to learn is yours.

Executive Team

DARREL WILSON / CEO
Darrel Wilson’s career in the trucking industry started in 1980. After ten years of hard work and successful planning, Darrel took a leap-of-faith in his ability to build a successful fleet and bought twelve trucks. In 1990, Wil-Trans of Springfield Missouri was officially in business and today they currently operate a fleet in excess of 150 trucks next door in Strafford, Missouri. Darrel is successful in more ways than just the business side of living; he is married with 5 adult children and 4 grandchildren.

MIKE WILSON / CPA, CFO
Mike Wilson graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a BS/BA in accounting and is a licensed certified public accountant. He brings a diverse accounting background to Wil-Trans including seventeen years in public accounting and fourteen years working in the private sector. As Chief Financial Officer for over ten years, Mike is responsible for all facets of accounting for Wil-Trans.

Recruiting Department

MIKE SAN PAOLO / Recruiter
Mike San Paolo spent four years in the Air Force serving 1 yr in Vietnam, and retired from the State of Missouri after 27 years of service before joining Wil Trans in 2000 as an over the road recruiter. Currently, Mike recruits on site and enjoy talking with drivers who are looking for a good over the road trucking company to work for. Mike works well with experienced drivers, owner operators and those that are just getting into the industry. He answers questions and alleviate concerns drivers might have about the company or the current available programs Wil-Trans offers. When not at the office, Mike enjoys fishing, traveling and spending time with his grandkids.

RANDY BREINER / Recruiter
Randy Breiner joined the Wil-Trans family in 2006 as a recruiter and brought over twenty-six years of experience with him. After giving up driving a truck for a living, Randy dove right into local operations, over-the-road dispatch, and recruiting. With CSA quickly approaching and the industries notorious ever-changing safety regulations, it is important to recruit quality, safety minded drivers to join the Wil-Trans family. Keeping things like this in mind when talking to drivers and owner operators every day is a talent learned through experience and it has made a big difference in the quality of the fleet. In his leisure time, Randy enjoys boating, motorcycle riding, and spending time with family and friends.

RAY UTTINGER / Recruiter
Ray Uttinger, a recruiter, joined Wil-Trans August of 2010 after working in the Transportation Industry for over 36 years. In his 36 years he has worked in logistics, dispatch, road assist, owner operator/driver, and mechanic. Ray's responsibilities include recruiting and qualifying drivers. He enjoys talking with drivers and helping with their on boarding process to Wil-Trans. Ray is married with 3 children, 8 grandchildren, and a dog.

Operations

KIRK WILSON / Fleet Manager
Kirk Wilson, a fleet manager, has been with Wil-Trans since October of 2001. He first began his career with Wil-Trans in the parts department, before moving into dispatch in 2007. He oversees and manages a big part of the training program once they get in a truck all the way to the end of their training. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family.

DARREL LAKE / Fleet Manager
Darrel Lake started working at Wil-Trans in 2004 as a fleet manager. He has several years of experience in the transportation industry including air freight and LTL. He currently has 40 trucks in his fleet and enjoys working closely with each driver. Darrel ensures the success of his drivers by making sure they are on time, profitable, efficient, and happy. He also enjoys working with new drivers in orientation, where he teaches the operations side of the company.

JEFF THOMAS / Fleet Manager
Jeff Thomas started his career in transportation in 1980 and has experience as a driver, broker, sales coordinator and dispatcher. From 1982 through 1986 Jeff took a leave from the trucking industry by honoring his commitment to serve our country in the United States Air Force. Joining Wil-Trans in 1997 and running a productive, profitable fleet is something Jeff takes great pride in both professionally and personally. His commitment to his job shows every day as working relationships with his fleet are reinforced due to his ability to plan, coordinate and dispatch his fleet of drivers, owner operators and lease operators in a positive manner. At the end of each week when checks are cut and settlement sheets are printed for his fleet, his committment is shown once again.

JIM “JP” POWELL / Fleet Manager
Eleven years ago, Jim Powell brought thirty-five years of transportation experience to the table when he joined Wil-Trans. Currently, Jim works with operations as fleet manager on the night shift and is available to assist drivers and owner operators with any problems they may face on the road that could cause delays in loading or on-time delivery. Jim takes improving profitability for drivers, contractors and the company seriously and his fleet can attest to that.

JAMES “JJ” JENNINGS / Fleet Manager
James "JJ" Jennings has over 30 years of experience in all aspects of operations in the transportation industry. Joining the Wil-Trans family 4 years ago was a win-win situation for James, Wil-Trans, and the fleet of drivers that profit from his industry knowledge and productive nature. James enjoys working closely with his drivers to ensure their success and to help meet their expectations. He believes that good communication is the key to a good working relationship with his drivers, and strives to ensure all his drivers are safe and productive while away from their homes and families.

Maintenance

TYLER SMITH / Maintenance
Tyler Smith has been with Wil-Trans since October of 2001. He began his career with Wil-Trans as a diesel mechanic, before moving to road assist in April of 2009. Tyler graduated from OTC’s diesel technology program in 2004 and is very knowledgeable when it comes to diesel trucks. Tyler is responsible for the maintenance and FMCSA vehicle related regulations on all Wil-Trans trucks. He works hard to maintain our trucks so they are safe and reliable.

Safety & Training Department

LISA WILSON / Safety
Lisa Wilson has been with Wil-Trans for nine years as a safety specialist. She provides leadership to drivers throughout the on-boarding process, processing new hire paperwork and providing CSA training. Lisa is also responsible for maintaining Wil-Trans' CSA safety ratings, and the safety of Wil-Trans drivers and other employees both on and off of the road. She received a Bachelor’s Degree from Missouri State University in Logistics and Supply Chain Management in May of 2008 and is a member of Women in Trucking Association.

RHONDA THORNTON / Safety
Rhonda Thornton has been with Wil-Trans since 1998. She joined Wil-Trans after being Darrel Wilson’s personal banking assistant at the local bank for many years. Rhonda started off in the payroll and leasing departments before moving into the Recruiting Department. From there, she moved into her current position in the Safety, Recruiting and Permit Departments. She is responsible for ensuring that all applications are processed and approved in a timely manner. She handles safety issues, accidents, CSA training, and maintains our current safety ratings with the Department of Transportation. She also helps to ensure that all the drivers and driver files are compliant with DOT. Rhonda is also responsible for the Random Drug testing program, insurance and permits for over 150 trucks.

MARYANN SMITH / Logs
Maryann Smith, an Hours-of-service and DOT compliance specialist, has been with Wil-Trans since March 2007. Maryann manages the log department, proactively educating drivers to stay in compliance with the latest FMCSA rules and regulations. She is also responsible for log orientation and driver counseling. In her free time, Maryann enjoys spending time with her friends and family.

GARY MARTIN/ Training Department
Gary Martin brought a lot with him when he joined Wil-Trans’ training department in December of 2010. Gary is responsible for educating, training, and guiding drivers as they join not only Wil-Trans but also the Trucking Industry. He is also responsible for making the on-boarding process as smooth as possible. Gary has 28 years of working in the transportation industry, and he has spent the last 10 years working in management and training new drivers.

Accounting Team

Payroll and Accounting Personnel
Wil-Trans Payroll and Accounting personnel have a behind the scenes role that is very important to our drivers. They are responsible for issuing weekly settlements and payroll, answering driver’s questions concerning their payroll or settlements, preparing independent contractor agreements, and handling all facets of accounting. They have the experience and longevity with Wil-Trans that it takes to be certain that their work is flawless since it is so vital to drivers’ financial well-being. Their longevity shows their dedication is with Wil-Trans. Our payroll and accounting personnel include Shelly Coley, since 2007; Dawn Taylor, since 2002; Kathy Hill, since 1996 and Mike Wilson, since 2000.

Recruiters
The Wil-Trans Family