This week, Alabama Trucking board member and former Buddy Moore Trucking executive John Ethridge is chasing his own version of the American Dream. 

The fourth-generation member of the Moore family and grandson of the late Buddy Moore has launched a new trucking venture, JET Carriers, an asset-based flatbed-focused trucking operation based in Birmingham.

A New Carrier Takes the Road with Big Plans Ahead

Ethridge, 29, resigned last week from Buddy Moore Trucking (BMT) and its parent company, PS Logistics, to launch JET Carriers with partner Eddie Lumpkin of Metro Trailer Rental, Metro Mini Storage and Lumpkin Development. The new business will initially start with 45 new trucks, a mix of flatbeds and dry vans, and plans to have trucks on the road by early October. The company will be based in Birmingham and will primarily serve the steel, building supplies and manufacturing industries.

JET Carriers plans measured growth, with Ethridge projecting the fleet will reach 60 trucks within six months and grow by roughly 50 trucks annually after that. A brokerage division is also planned by early 2027. As an asset-based carrier, JET Carriers will own and operate all its own trucks and trailers rather than brokering freight through other companies.

“Our mission is to be family-owned and operated, faith-based, and driver-first to be among the safest fleets in the country,” he says.

“I learned from my time in this industry that drivers are key to success, and we want low turnover, career-long drivers, and not to treat them like just another number.”

Bringing in a Trusted Team

Ethridge isn’t going it alone. He’s bringing on two longtime colleagues: Clay Meherg, who will lead the safety department, and Cody Harris, who will run operations.

JET Carriers is backed financially by Lumpkin, an extended family relation and close friend of the late Buddy Moore. Lumpkin approached Ethridge about starting the company and asked him to run it, handling day-to-day operations, including hiring drivers and onboarding customers. Metro’s chief financial officer, Collier Gullahorn, will serve a similar role for JET Carriers.

Carrying On Buddy Moore’s Legacy

“My grandfather was the definition of the American dream,” Ethridge says. “He started as a truck driver and was on the road for about 10 years, and anybody who knew him will tell you he was an honest, loyal, hard-working man. He cared deeply about his drivers, employees, and customers, and he always wanted to do what was right. I think that has been the most influential principle to guide my own career in trucking.”

Ethridge started working in trucking at BMT doing odd jobs in the shop while he was a high school and college student at Auburn University. His father, Brian Ethridge, a banking executive for River Bank & Trust, was a key advisor and mentor as he mulled his decision to step out on his own. But there were also many years of mentorship from his uncle Buck Moore and aunt Susan Kirkpatrick — each considered a titan of the state’s trucking industry — who, along with his grandfather, inspired his progression into the trucking industry.

“Buddy told me once that in trucking, you never burn a bridge because you never know when you’re going to have to cross that bridge again. I think about that advice often, and I know it guides everything I do in business and beyond.”

In early 2024, PS Logistics bought BMT to enhance its flatbed, dedicated dry van, and brokerage operations, and to diversify its modal and service offerings in the Southeastern U.S.

Ethridge says leaving the opportunity to work for PS Logistics founder Scott Smith was difficult, and he carefully made his decision, acting on his lifelong goal of being a business owner.

“Scott’s the best in this business,” Ethridge says. “I worked closely with him for the last two years and learned so much from him about building and operating a business. Most of all, I respect his passion for people, particularly the drivers. He’s a good, honest, hardworking man. He sets the standard every single day. I am grateful for the opportunity he gave me.”

A Hard Goodbye, A Lifelong Goal

Ethridge adds that leaving BMT was one of the toughest decisions he’s ever had to make. When the Moore family decided to sell the company, he admits his goals shifted. “Leaving the family business with my grandfather’s name on the side of the truck was hard. Starting and running my own operation has always been a goal for me. As soon as this opportunity presented itself, I took it, and quickly announced my intentions. Everyone has been supportive, and I am so grateful to my family, coworkers and friends at Buddy Moore and PS Logistics.”