At National Carriers, a 900-truck fleet based in Liberal, Kan., there's a real sense of family – in a good way, says Ed Kentner, the director of recruiting.

"I don't like to use the term family-oriented, because I don't get along with all my family," jokes Kentner, "but we're small enough where everyone is treated as an individual. And we're honest – we're out to move freight and do it well and do it profitably. It's probably an overused expression, but people here aren't treated as a number. Tiny is Tiny, and everybody knows him."

Tiny – also known as James McKeithon – is a 30-year veteran driver whose ironic nickname refers lovingly to his large presence – literally and figuratively – within the National family.

McKeithon has been with the company since 1992 and says that, while it was simply his desire to get into the business of pulling reefers that led him to National, it's the people that have kept him there.

"It just seemed like a great bunch of people," says the Grayson, La., native, "and sure enough, it turned out to be a great bunch. They're very family-oriented, and that's great because I've got a wife and three kids. When I get ready to go home, all I do is ask and they send me there."

They also send McKeithon – and the other members of National's "Elite Fleet"– to destinations across the continental U.S. and Canada. The company primarily hauls meat out of the Midwest – beef from the Kansas area and pork from Iowa and Nebraska – and just about everything coming back, from Pittsburgh Paints and Nestle's chocolates to Miller beer and Ben and Jerry's ice cream.

As for the routes themselves, the company has no forced dispatch and tries to arrange things around drivers' schedules and families whenever possible.

"There's even a new lease called the ‘No Northeast' fleet," explains Kentner. "You can go everywhere but the Northeast. A lot of guys don't like going into New York, and this lease lets them avoid it altogether."

For those who do venture into New York, there's a $150 bonus waiting at the other end of the George Washington Bridge. It's an incentive that isn't lost on McKeithon, who travels all of the Lower 48 but prefers his Eastern routes. "I like going to the East, because I make more money, and I guess I like the people better. I go to the West too, but I just don't like the heat out there."

If National Carriers' drivers enjoy an unusual amount of freedom, it's for a good reason, say company officials: their drivers are all owner-operators. "We understand if (Tiny's) not out there on the road making it happen, we don't need a director of recruiting, or anyone else here," says Kentner. "He's the one producing all the income and making all the support behind him necessary."

McKeithon says of being his own boss, "It's been great for me, because I enjoy working for myself in addition to working for National. You get to go where you want to, you get the miles you want, and everybody knows me by name. "Of course, I don't think anybody knows my real name. Everybody just calls me 'Tiny.'"

National Carriers Quick Facts

Founded: 1968
Headquarters: Liberal, Kansas
Additional terminals: Dallas, TX; Denison, IA
Fleet size: 900 trucks
Company structure: 100% owner-operator
What they look for in a driver: A mature, professional driver who is at least 23 years old, has at least two years of driving experience and knows what it takes.
Learn more: www.nationalcarriers.com