Charles McAlpin  mcalpin@mcalpin.com
Notary Public State of Alabama
McAlpin Corporation is now closed. Charles is Semi-Retired, he still provides Notary Public Service for the State of Alabama 

256-340-0186  256-341-0708 Fax

Charles McAlpin began his trucking experience over fifty years ago with a used 1930 one-ton truck he purchased for $15.00.  With a total of fifty years in the trucking industry, he has over twenty-eight years as a successful owner/operator, nine years experience as a common contract carrier with a fleet of over 100 trucks, twenty-two years experience as a major broker, and fifteen years experience with computerized Trucker and Brokerage Software systems.

In 1978 Charles met Betty Jo Christenson, Chairman of the ICC through an ad in the Transport Topics.  Betty had an ad asking exempt brokers to attend a meeting in Washington, DC and help the little shippers in the “boonies”.  Charles saw this as an opportunity and attended this meeting.  Ms. Christenson explained to the exempt brokers that she wanted them to do for regulated freight what they did for exempt freight.  Her remarks were “You guys always took care of the produce, the prices may vary, but you never failed to get it to the market.”  She said, “Congress has asked me to take care of these little shippers in the “boonies”.”  All you have to do is register and you get a brokers permit.  There are no rules so when you come back next year we will take what you do and make those the rules. 

Bob Gallagher, previous ICC attorney was instrumental in setting up the TBCA. He was the person who helped us get the broker license.  Charles registered and obtained broker license B78-127.  This was the beginning of the Transportation Brokers Conference of America (TBCA) and now the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA).  This was the most important event in my transportation life.  Deregulation, TBCA, and DAT Services (Jubitz Corporation) were the ingredients that made the transportation system work.  The market driven free enterprise system has made America strong and wonderful.

At the beginning of deregulation in 1978 he became the founder and owner of Charles McAlpin Trucking, Inc., and Subsidiary, Charles McAlpin Brokerage, Inc., which he sold in 1987.  Deregulation allowed him to solicit freight from anywhere to anywhere.  After hauling exempt commodities for 28 years in 1977 he was averaging about $0.50 cents a mile, whereas regulated freight paid about $1.00 per mile.

As a broker he was able to load his own trucks through his own brokerage permit.  He then supported others helping them obtain authority including his own trucking company. He helped about 250 other trucking companies to obtain authority to solicit freight using this system.  By 1985 he had 110 trucks grossing about $14,000,000 a year.  10 million in trucking and 4 million through the brokerage.  Charles sold out in 1987 expecting to retire.

Unable to stay retired, in September of 1987 Charles successfully opened C.H. Robinson’s operation in Madison, Alabama, which was the world’s largest broker.  In September of 1988, he opened a new brokerage division for East-West Transportation in Decatur, Alabama.

In September of 1989 Charles went on to start up his own trucking brokerage company called McAlpin Bestway Services, which was operated for six years and sold in April of 1994.  Also the same year of 1989 he created an advertising agency, Trans-Media Advertising (a division of McAlpin Corporation) for recruiting drivers for the trucking industry. Trans-Media continues to grow and expand in the recruitment advertising industry.

In 1999 Charles started another transportation brokerage firm, McAlpin Corporation / Logistics brokering loads and equipment nationwide.

And just think, by the Grace of God, Charles started in 1930 and made it to the year 2000.

Graduated from East Prairie High School, Missouri 1950. GED while in the US Army.

Completed course in business management, Detroit, Michigan, 1956.
Dale Carnegie course in 1986.

Attended mechanic school, driver instruction school, and motor sergeant training, parachutist & gliderman, 82nd Airborne Division. U.S. Army 1947-1950.

Certified Transportation Broker per Transportation Brokerage Institute, Alexandria, Virginia. 1979

Charter member of Transportation Brokers Conference of America since 1978.


North Alabama Traffic Club and Transportation Professional of the Year Award, 1995.

McAlpin Corporation received the North Alabama Traffic Club Outstanding Business of the Year Award,
1995.

American Trucking Association (Litigation Center)
Alabama Trucking Association
Transportation Brokerage Conference of America
Transportation Brokers Institute, Inc.
Chamber of Commerce (Decatur, Alabama)
North Alabama Traffic Club
Kenworth Drivers Board of Directors (Kirkland, Washington).
Wellborn Cabinet, Inc. Board of Directors (Ashland,
Alabama)

Member Rotary International, Decatur, Alabama

Business Council of Alabama, Montgomery, Alabama

Better Business Bureau, Huntsville, Alabama.

Transportation Intermediary Association (TIA)

82nd Airborne Division Association