How a 15-Truck Dry Van Fleet Went From Settling to Thriving

David has been running a dry van fleet out of Laredo, Texas for years. Fifteen trucks, a small office team, and strong lanes that give his drivers great home time.

He’s the kind of operator who shows up, runs clean paperwork, and doesn’t have time for nonsense. For a while, he factored with one of the big-name companies — you’d recognize it. A lot of carriers used them. The rate seemed reasonable, and when you’re trying to get your operation moving, a recognizable name feels like a safe bet. So he signed.

And for a while, it was fine. Not great. Not bad. Just fine. But “fine” has a way of adding up.

When a Big Name Isn’t Enough

David’s frustration wasn’t one dramatic moment. It was a hundred small ones. Never talking to the same person twice. Questions going unanswered. A simple dispute over an invoice could take days just to get someone on the phone — and that’s money he needed to pay drivers and cover bills.

Feeling like a number in a system that wasn’t built for him, just built for volume. The communication was inconsistent. The follow-through wasn’t there. Over time, the relationship that should have felt like a partnership just… didn’t.

“The lack of communication was really starting to get to me. Getting a hold of someone took days and it delayed payment, but switching factoring companies felt like a big risk.” —David, Fleet Owner

The Switch He Almost Didn’t Make

David had one real concern: cash flow. Specifically, what would happen to it during the buyout. Anyone who’s been through a factoring switch knows the risk. Some factors drag their feet. Some apply pressure right when you’re most vulnerable, hoping you’ll back down. It’s a real fear.

OpenRoad walked him through the whole process — not just the optimistic version, but the realistic one. Worst-case scenarios included: here’s what we’ll do if they push back, here’s how we protect your ability to make payroll, here’s the timeline, etc.

His Previous Factor Didn’t Make It Easy

When the buyout started, his previous factor did exactly what we anticipated. Last-ditch efforts to keep him. Delays. Financial pressure designed to make him flinch and stay.

It didn’t work. OpenRoad had done the prep work — every load was documented, the team had anticipated the roadblocks, and they cleared the path for a seamless transition and funding that very afternoon. Within a couple hours of receiving the letter of release, 76 buyout loads were executed and David got paid on 12 new loads.

Life With OpenRoad

David submits invoices and the money moves. When he or his team has a question, they reach out to Devon — same person, every time — and they get an answer, not a callback queue. OpenRoad built out a custom process inside the portal specifically for how his operation runs, so nothing gets lost and nothing has to be re-explained. The friction he used to absorb without thinking about it is just gone.