Brent Meadors, COO of Warehouse on Wheels (WOW), was named an overall winner of the Top Transportation Innovators category for this year’s Pros to Know award, presented by Supply & Demand Chain Executive.
Meadors is at the forefront of revolutionizing mobile storage trailer rental solutions across North America. Meadors, a U.S. Army veteran who served two tours in Iraq, has played a key role in shaping Warehouse on Wheels’ operations, driving growth, and fostering a culture of ownership and innovation, helping grow the company from being a small operation with two locations to a network of 37 locations, 36,000 trailer units, and 300 employees. As chief operating officer, he’s tasked with collaborating with the CEO on strategic direction; leading due diligence for acquisitions and integrations; building a culture of “Extreme Ownership”; overseeing recruiting, training, and employee development; ensuring safety and business regulations compliance; analyzing data to streamline operations and improve efficiency; cultivating strong relationships with clients, partners, and stakeholders; and managing capital investments to drive profitability and growth.
Over the past year, Meadors led WOW through a transformative period. For example, he spearheaded WOW’s entry into Canada, and Monterrey, Mexico, tapping into vital trade hubs while also establishing greenfield locations in Detroit and Oklahoma City. Through strategic purchasing and process improvements, Meadors reduced fleet maintenance costs by 40%, streamlining logistics and ensuring regulatory compliance. Under his leadership, WOW’s U.S. fleet achieved zero recordable incidents in the past year. Also under his leadership, WOW recorded an average employee engagement score of 4.44/5 and satisfaction at 4.58/5, with 85% participation—a record high for the company.
While serving in the U.S. Army, Meadors honed his skills in quality control, maintenance, and leadership under high-pressure conditions as a quality control technical inspector, company maintenance supervisor, and AH-64 Apache helicopter mechanic.
We talked exclusively with Meadors about the need for mobile storage trailer rental solutions in today’s economic instability and what it takes to grow a company while retaining an entrepreneurial, customer-first culture.
Supply & Demand Chain Executive: Let’s first talk about you. Tell me a little bit about yourself and your journey to get to this current stage in your career?
Brent Meadors: I have had a blessed career. Starting in the Army, I learned to overcome adversity and gained insights into various leadership styles. This experience shaped my view of successful leadership. Upon finishing college, I applied for a junior sales position but was offered an operations role due to my military background. This role allowed me to leverage my experience and skills. I received valuable training and experience in a large organization where I held 5 positions of increasing responsibility in my 7-year employment. Later, I joined my current company in private equity. If my previous position was a good fit, then this felt like a great fit! With strong leadership support and a “get it done” culture, I have thrived and enjoyed my work immensely. The collaborative environment and emphasis on growth are fantastic.
Supply & Demand Chain Executive: One of the things outlined in your submission is that you’re a U.S. Army veteran who served two tours in Iraq. Thank you for your service. How does your time in the army relate and differ to your time in the supply chain space?
Meadors: Great question. When you look at what we do in business, a lot of times it is a series of missions. From this perspective, I can certainly draw from my military experience. Notably, I learned a lot from my deployments. During my first 12-month deployment in Operation Iraqi Freedom, we had less infrastructure, which caused us to be more flexible and resourceful. About a year later during my next 15-month deployment in Operation Enduring Freedom, our area of operations was more established, allowing us to focus more on efficiency, improvements, and a higher level of execution. This has given me a good perspective in a growth organization. Similar to my military experience, sometimes we have limited resources but still need to complete the mission. It might not always be perfect, but we can still be successful. At other times, resources and infrastructure are much more sound, and that is when you really hone in on your craft to increase your standards.
Supply & Demand Chain Executive: Warehouse on Wheels (WOW) is set to revolutionize mobile storage trailer rental solutions. In a time when container capacity is what it is, why is trailer rental important?
Meadors: We differentiate ourselves from other storage options in several ways. Firstly, unlike containers, our customer base is distinct. Trailers are dock-height and mobile, making them ideal for organizations that utilize dock doors. The mobility of our trailers allows our customers to store their goods in the most convenient locations, often out of the way, so they can focus on their core business. Additionally, our trailers offer flexibility compared to traditional warehousing. We rent our trailers on 30-day evergreen contracts, unlike warehousing which typically requires multi-year commitments. Once products are in our trailers, there are no additional variable or fixed expenses as with warehousing. For organizations aiming to remain agile and cost-effective, our solution is superior.
Supply & Demand Chain Executive: One of the goals outlined in your application is to continue growing WOW but also retain an entrepreneurial, customer-first culture. How does this work? And why is this important?
Meadors: This is challenging. As organizations grow, they tend to become more bureaucratic. One might think this stems solely from a desire for control, and it certainly does, but surprisingly, we’ve seen some of this driven by team members as well. Bureaucracy stifles the entrepreneurial spirit, so we must always be vigilant. We focus on identifying the root causes of this tendency, which typically stem from a lack of transparency, alignment, or communication amongst other things.
A few years ago, one of our core values was “Employees Matter.” We have since changed that to “People Matter.” We look beyond just ourselves or our employees. We recognize the sacrifices and commitments made by our team members’ families, which enable them to perform at a high level. We see our customers as partners whom we want to succeed. We’re not merely selling them a product or service; we are genuinely trying to help them improve their operations, alleviate logistical frustrations, or meet their budgets.
When you focus on the people you interact with daily and let what matters to them matter to you, then act accordingly, many things fall into place.
Supply & Demand Chain Executive: If you could have a conversation with your younger self, what would you tell him?
Meadors: Ask more questions, listen to others, and rely on them. Early on, I put a lot on my shoulders, which was great for learning but has left some scars. This was due to a lack of leadership on my part. Our culture respects hard chargers, but we often fail to see the wake of destruction they leave behind. If you feel the urge to run ahead of everyone, you should probably check your leadership.
Supply & Demand Chain Executive: The Top Transportation Innovators recognizes professionals in the transportation space. What advice do you have for other transportation professionals or even those looking to join the transportation space?
Meadors: It is a great community. I can attend any event in this space and have a conversation with someone like we’re old friends. A lot of us share the same challenges. Don’t be afraid to look around for help. You have companies like ours that have already solved the challenge you are facing.
