Leading by example – Taking the Hire Road

Tyler Kivi, COO of Kivi Bros Trucking, joined Jeremy Reymer on this week’s episode of Taking the Hire Road. Kivi discussed being a third-generation trucking company owner and leading by example.

Like most multigenerational logistics professionals, Kivi believes trucking has always been in his blood.

His grandfather began hauling lumber and concrete culverts in the 1950s. At that time, Kivi Trucking was one of the only trucking companies in Minnesota with an authority. When Kivi’s father and uncles came of age, they all bought their own trucks and started working with their father, incorporating Kivi Bros Trucking in the 1990s.

In 2017, Kivi and his two brothers bought the company from his father and uncles, marking the third generation of Kivis to run the business. Their father still works at the company.

Even though Kivi was born into the business, he also worked hard and paid his dues to get where he is today.

“Growing up, my mom embraced the idea that if you want something, you need to work for it,” he said.

Kivi and his brothers took that advice to heart. All three started working at the family trucking company — where they remain today — as pre-teens. Kivi recounted spending his summer breaks washing trucks and learning how to do maintenance in the garage. From there, he started driving: first intrastate at 18, then interstate at 21. Eventually, he ended up in the office, working his way up from there.

In his current position as COO, Kivi is all about flattening hierarchies and treating drivers well.

“Our values include leading by example,” Kivi said. “We like to let people make their own decisions and learn from mistakes.”

By giving employees a higher level of autonomy, he hopes to inspire them to take more ownership and become leaders themselves. In terms of drivers, this means giving them the tools they need to do their jobs — including flatbed training — and trusting them from there.

While the company has been impacted by the volatile ebbs and flows of the trucking industry over the past several years, Kivi has prioritized staying connected, communicating well and treating drivers right the entire time.

As a result, the team at Kivi Bros Trucking continues to work with confidence.

Click here to learn more about Kivi Bros Trucking.

Other highlights from this episode of Taking the Hire Road

Book recommendations: “Can’t’ Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds” by David Goggins

Sponsors: Career Now Brands, The National Transportation Institute, Carrier Intelligence, Infinit-I, Workhound, Asurint, Transportation Marketing Group, Seiza, Drive My Way, DriverReach, F|Staff, Trucksafe