Imagine having a successful career. Perhaps you’re a physical therapist. Maybe you’re a public relations specialist.
Then you decide to shift gears and run a trucking and logistics company.
That’s exactly what Lisa Andrade Gonima and Andrea Andrade-Ahumada did when they stopped their day jobs to take over their father’s business – Del Rey Express – in 2014.
They’ve spent the last decade growing the company and trying to become the state’s best and safest company for drivers.
Andrade Gonima and Andrade-Ahumada’s parents, Rey and Silvia Andrade, started the company 40 years ago with a single truck.
Rey Andrade was a long-haul truck driver and the sisters remember his long trips away on the road. As they grew up, so did the company, and they recall acting as dispatchers in their family home, recording truckers’ information on a notepad near their landline.
“Our parents built this business with one truck. That one driver was our dad,” Andrade Gonima said. “We have a lens of respect and admiration for the men and women who drive the trucks.”
When their parents were ready to retire, the sisters took over the company in 2014.Andrade Gonima left her work in public relations to be Del Rey Express’s CEO and Andrade-Ahumada moved from a physical therapist position at a hospital to the company’s president.
The family has worked on the business together and grown it from a 12-truck operation in 2014 to a thriving business with more than 40 trucks and 45 drivers now. During the pandemic,Del Rey Express began working with H-E-B on local runs.
It’s been a meaningful partnership that has allowed the company to learn and grow. Now, they’re receiving national recognition as a place for women to work in the transportation industry.
Lisa Andrade Gonima, right, and andrea Andrade-Ahumada’s parents started Del Rey Trucking 40 years ago, which they have as taken over. Credit: Amber Esparza / San Antonio Report
The San Antonio report sat down with andrade Gonima and Andrade-Ahumada to discuss their experiences and their work in transportation and logistics.
The conversation has been lightly edited for clarity and length.
from Therapy to Trucking: How a Latina Family is Building a Legacy on the Road
Lisa Andrade Gonima wasn’t looking to get into the trucking industry.A public relations professional and therapist, she was content with her career path. But when her sister, a long-haul trucker, saw an opportunity to own her own fleet, Lisa found herself stepping into a world she knew little about – and ultimately, helping to build a thriving, family-owned business.
Del Rey Express, born from a desire for independence and a commitment to family, is now making its mark in a traditionally male-dominated field. The company, owned and operated by the Andrade-Ahumada sisters, is not only navigating the complexities of logistics and transportation but also challenging stereotypes and paving the way for more women and minorities in the industry.
“My sister is more of the risk taker,” Lisa explained. “So I was just thinking, ‘What do I need to learn? What do I need to do?'”
That proactive approach led her to the Texas Trucking Association’s Emerging leaders program. Immersing herself in the world of trucking regulations, operations, and finance was a steep learning curve, especially as she often found herself the only woman – and Latina – in the room.
“It was kind of intimidating to be the only female, only Hispanic female, there in that setting,” she admitted. “I was always just a therapist,and never in a….” (the quote trails off,hinting at the significant shift in her professional life).
Despite the initial challenges, lisa embraced the opportunity, recognizing the potential for Del Rey Express to not only provide a livelihood for her family but also to contribute to a more diverse and inclusive trucking landscape. The story of Del Rey Express is a testament to the power of family, the courage to step outside one’s comfort zone, and the growing presence of women in the world of long-haul trucking.
## From Physical Therapy to Long Haul: Latina Family Navigates the Trucking Industry
Andrade Gonima: I’ll be fully vulnerable and clear on this one. It’s hiring the right people for an administrative [role] and learning what it’s like to have to deal with [Human Resources]. A lot of small businesses, you tell them, ‘You’ve got to be prepared to do everything.’
We do have consultants, but I think the challenge is just putting that team together and, because we’re smaller, making sure that we’re setting up everyone for success.
it’s about managing people and personalities.
when we realized the challenges that we were having and they were just growing pains, we hired an operations manager, and that was a game changer for us. That was an exciting day when our [certified Professional Accountant] said, ‘You all are ready to hire an operations manager.’ I felt like overcoming that challenge and getting to that point was worth it.
What is it like working as women in this industry that is traditionally male dominated? Do you have any advice for other women who are“`html
Del Rey Express: A Latina Family’s Journey in Long-Haul Trucking
It’s not one of the traditional careers you here about when thinking of Latina women, but for the Del Rey sisters, long-haul trucking is a family legacy and a path to building wealth.
“It’s in our blood,” said Janie Del Rey, 34, co-owner of Del Rey Express, a trucking company based in Converse. “My dad started trucking when we were kids, and we grew up seeing the independence and financial freedom it provided.”
Janie, along with her sisters, Rose, 32, and Stephanie, 29, took the reins of Del Rey Express after their father’s passing in 2018.they’ve since grown the business from a handful of trucks to a fleet of 15,hauling goods across the country.
“It wasn’t easy taking over,” Rose said. “There was a lot to learn about the business side of things, but we had a strong foundation from our dad and a determination to succeed.”
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