McKinley Archie, a 46-year-old former Jack Cooper car hauler, quickly bounced back after losing his longtime job when Jack Cooper shut down early this year. In February, Archie and three business partners launched Squirrelly LLC, a car-hauling company in Stone Mountain, Georgia.
Why it matters: Jack Cooper's closure left around 2,500 drivers out of work, with Archie and about 105 others hit hard in Louisville. Archie leaned on his faith and advice from his mother to keep moving forward and find a new way to support his family.
- Archie and his team used their own savings to lease and later buy used trucks. Each rig cost about $260,000, and they're planning to buy 25 more.
- Squirrelly LLC hauled its first load of Ford vehicles in April, moving Expeditions and F-Series pickups from Kentucky to Texas and Michigan.
- The company now employs 10 former Jack Cooper drivers and six more employees. Archie says, "My goal is to get most of those drivers back to work."
Squirrelly joined the Teamsters so they could handle overflow auto loads from other union carriers. Archie said it's rewarding to be back at work and helping his fellow drivers get jobs again, according to Detroit Free Press.
Archie and his partners hope to land direct hauling contracts with Ford or GM but are currently busy growing their operations with every new load.