Eighteen Wheels, One Promise

We were launching a startup in one of the most competitive businesses on the road—trucking. There are over 500,000 trucking companies in the U.S. and we knew from the get-go we had to find a memorable and believable way to differentiate AmTrans USA from their competitors.

When we first met with Anthony Wallace, the CEO of AmTrans, there was an immediate connection. He talked about the company and the people that we’re part of the team. He also shared his business philosophy and the reasons why each member of the team had joined the company. As Anthony discussed his vision, we began to get a very clear picture of the company. From that conversation, we began developing the brand voice.

Anthony had worked for one of the largest trucking companies in the country and was very successful but he had big dreams. He wanted to have a global impact on the industry, but never wanted the company he started to forget its hometown roots. He was also a guy who had played professional football for the USFL. These were great insights that helped us in building a brand that projected strength, direction, and a clear sense of purpose.

The first thing we had to do was secure a tagline. This would form the basis for all the work moving forward. We put our senior copywriter, Monty Wyne, to work. He came up with 20 possibilities, which were eventually narrowed to four and from there we asked our client to select the winning line—Eighteen Wheels One Promise was our client’s final choice. Now we had to turn that premise into a campaign.

Our first job was to develop a company brochure. It had to tell the AmTrans story in a voice that distinguished our client from the competition. The headlines engaged readers with a sense of immediacy or a clever turn of phrase. Grant Little, our senior art director, designed the piece. It was a very unique introduction to the company. The cover consisted of the back doors to a semi trailer, inviting the reader to open them and in turn, find out more about the company.

From there, Grant and Monty worked together on the new AmTrans Website.

Grant designed the site, while Monty researched and wrote original content for it. The site had to reach different audiences, including potential customers, drivers and partners. Therefore, site functionality had to be simple and focused on the site’s purpose. Each user would approach the site in a different way, seeking different information and we had to ensure the site met those specific needs. Visually the site had to stand out, colors, photos, typography, navigation, all had to play into the unique brand story.

In addition, Brian May, our senior creative director, designed the company logo and the entire identity package for the company, including stationary, business cards, and more. He also designed and produced truck decals, branded golf shirts, caps, jackets, and key chains, extending the AmTrans’ image to an even larger audience. Our staff photographer, Sarah Smith, handled the photography for the printed materials and the website. The back-end of the site was the work of Taylor Richards, our Web Developer.

We invite our readers to visit the new site, amtransusa.com. And if your company just happens to be looking for an efficient way to move a load across the country or to the next city, give AmTrans USA a call.