CEO Kyle Kottke on Running a Trucking Company During Covid-19, and Why 2021 Should be Good

Kottke Trucking Co. Co-Owner and CEO Kyle Kottke shares during this on-site video interview how his Buffalo Lake, MN-based trucking business has adapted in many ways since Covid-19 began to affect the economy back in March. This includes helping truckers find places to stop for gas and to stay overnight, when most locations shut down during the late spring months; and quickly adapting to a major drop in long-term business and demand for spot-contract service, to then moving back toward long-term.

The company handled all of this by being, “incredibly transparent with everybody in the network,” Kottke says. “I had to tell them the struggles we’re having, what’s going on with what you’re missing and why things are happening, and what we’re looking at. We’ve always run with an open book and thank goodness our customers know they can ask us any questions about how we do things at any time.”

Kottke Trucking is a third-generation family business with about 260 employees and operations in Minnesota and Florida.

The interview with Kyle is available to either watch on YouTube or listen to via Spotify or Apple Podcasts. 

About One Take CEO Interviews:  CEOs share how they’re leading during 2020’s pandemic and other challenges in unscripted, live-recorded ‘one take’ interviews with Dale Kurschner, a 30-year business journalism leader who today serves as a strategic communication consultant at Platinum Group. Note: No funding or other financial consideration is provided by companies interviewed in this series. Interviews are by invitation only and chosen based upon the relevance of what may be discussed during an interview.

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