How JoyRide Logistics Is Building a Carrier Operation Around People, Trust, and Technology

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Every growing carrier eventually reaches the same crossroads - Growth creates opportunity, but it also creates complexity. 

More drivers. More customers. More systems. More moving pieces that have to work together every hour of every day.

The carriers that continue to scale successfully aren't just adding trucks.

They're building operations that can grow without losing the people and processes that made them successful in the first place.

That's exactly what JoyRide Logistics has spent years doing.

What began as a husband-and-wife operation with a single truck has grown into a fleet of roughly 500 trucks and a team of nearly 600 employees across the United States, supported by more than 100 team members in Bosnia and neighboring countries. Together, they operate around the clock, keeping freight moving while maintaining the same commitment to service that helped the company earn its first customers.

For Director of Safety & Compliance Amela Bektic, that growth comes down to one thing

People.

Building an Operation Around People

Technology continues to reshape trucking.

JoyRide believes people will always be the company's greatest advantage.

That philosophy extends to every part of the business - from drivers on the road to dispatchers, safety professionals, and office staff working behind the scenes.

"I think people," Amela said when asked what has contributed most to the company's success. Taking care of our customers, our drivers, and the people behind the scenes. Everybody plays a major role."

The company also embraces innovation as a way to support those people. Rather than waiting for new technology to become standard, JoyRide has built a culture around early adoption. 

If a new tool has the potential to improve operations, safety, or the customer experience, the team wants to evaluate it early and learn how it can strengthen the business.

Staying Ahead of a Changing Industry

Today's carriers face no shortage of challenges.

Fuel prices fluctuate. Freight markets shift. Cargo theft continues to rise. Technology evolves quickly. Carriers also have to determine who they can trust before accepting a load.

JoyRide has responded by staying proactive rather than reactive.

“We really try to stay on top of technology, but we also try to be ahead of it. As soon as we hear about something new, we want to be one of the first companies to try it.”

The company continuously evaluates new technology, invests in employee development, and prioritizes verification when working with broker partners. That approach allows the team to spend less time solving avoidable problems and more time keeping freight moving.

Building Trust Before Booking the Load

Finding freight has never been the difficult part.

Knowing who you're working with has.

Before adopting Highway, JoyRide spent significant time verifying brokers, completing onboarding paperwork, and managing the uncertainty that sometimes came with new business relationships. Even after doing that work, there were occasions when brokers failed to pay or required additional effort to resolve outstanding invoices.

Today, that process looks very different.

According to Amela, connecting with a broker now takes less than a minute. Carrier information, contracts, contacts, and rate confirmations are readily available, allowing the team to move quickly without sacrificing confidence.

Just as importantly, verification works both ways.

Brokers gain confidence knowing they're working with a verified carrier, while JoyRide knows the brokers they choose to work with have already been verified as well. That mutual trust has streamlined onboarding and reduced the uncertainty that once accompanied new business relationships.

Safety Starts Before the Truck Moves

As Director of Safety & Compliance, Amela spends every day thinking about prevention.

Modern technology has fundamentally changed how her team approaches that responsibility.

Electronic logging devices, real-time visibility, and driver-facing safety technology allow JoyRide to identify potential issues before they become violations or accidents. Instead of discovering problems days or weeks later, the safety team can coach drivers in real time and help them make better decisions while they're still on the road.

That coaching begins with empathy.

“It's not easy doing what they do," Amela explained. 

Every conversation starts with understanding what drivers experience on the road before addressing the issue itself. The goal isn't simply correcting behavior. It's preventing future problems while supporting the people responsible for moving freight every day.

Protecting More Than Freight

One experience reinforced the value of verification.

JoyRide experienced an attempted attack on its FMCSA information when someone tried to change sensitive company records. Highway alerted broker partners, helping protect the company's identity before the situation escalated.

For Amela, that moment demonstrated exactly what verification should accomplish.

“It gave everybody peace of mind knowing that Highway is out there doing what they promised to do — protecting both the brokers and the carriers.”

Protecting both carriers and brokers while preserving the trust they've built together.

Success Built on Trust

JoyRide's growth story isn't defined by the number of trucks it operates.

It's defined by the culture it has built.

A commitment to people. A willingness to embrace new technology. An operational mindset focused on prevention instead of reaction. And a belief that trust should exist before a load is ever booked.

Highway reinforces those principles by helping JoyRide connect with verified brokers, streamline onboarding, and protect the relationships that drive its business. By combining trusted verification with faster workflows, JoyRide spends less time navigating uncertainty and more time doing what growing carriers do best: supporting drivers, serving customers, and moving freight with confidence.