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Episode 19: Freight, Fight, and Grit — Alexxander Purcell on Trucking, Compliance & the Raw Truth of Entrepreneurship
Company Stats:LinkedIn
Guest: Alexxander Purcell, DOT Solutions & Support Engineer
Industry: Trucking / Logistics / Compliance
Company: Verified First
Focus: FMCSA compliance, audit readiness, safety management, owner-operator success
Specialty: DOT-regulated fleets, safety consulting, freight operations, small business coaching
Episode Highlights✅ Alexxander breaks down how truckers can get blacklisted with freight guard reports—and how one bad broker review can sideline you for months.
✅ Hear how he ran a business for five years while paying 20% in merchant fees, just to keep credit card payments flowing.
✅ Discover the truth behind gross vs. net revenue in trucking—and why drivers who think they’re being underpaid might be missing the real math.
✅ Alexxander shares brutally honest advice for aspiring entrepreneurs: “If you’re not ready to lose everything, don’t do it.”
✅ Learn about the chargeback trap—how rendering services doesn’t mean you’ll get paid, especially when the customer's spouse disputes the charge.
✅ He’s consulted over 3,000 trucking companies and reveals the most common myths, mistakes, and margin misconceptions in the industry.
✅ A candid discussion on generational privilege, market access, and why today’s “too many choices” can be just as paralyzing as yesterday’s scarcity.
✅ Personal reflections on entrepreneurship, family, legacy, and the grandmother he wishes he could’ve sought advice from before it all began.
Episode SummaryIn this raw and no-BS episode of The Innovators Impact, Darnell Perkins sits down with Alexxander Purcell, a DOT compliance expert and trucking industry veteran, to explore the real-life trenches of entrepreneurship in logistics. With a background that includes homelessness, merchant rejection, and paying sky-high processing fees just to stay afloat, Alexxander opens up about what it actually takes to build—and survive—in the freight world.
From helping thousands of owner-operators to guiding them through the gritty realities of FMCSA audits and financial pitfalls, Alexxander emphasizes the cost of ambition. He shares battle-tested lessons on why most people misunderstand profit margins in trucking, the dangers of underestimating overhead, and the emotional toll of trying to go solo in a brutal industry.
Whether you’re scaling a fleet, thinking of becoming an owner-operator, or simply curious about what business looks like when no one hands you the keys, this episode is a masterclass in resilience, clarity, and hard-won wisdom.
Notable Questions We AskedQ: What’s the biggest misconception truckers have about starting their own company?
A: That they’ll keep the gross. In reality, after costs, they may make less than when they were a company driver.
Q: How do freight guard reports impact drivers?
A: They can blacklist you with brokers for months—with no appeal process.
Q: What should people know about merchant accounts?
A: Just getting one can be a nightmare. Alexxander paid 20% in fees for years because mainstream banks shut him out.
Q: Why do most first-time entrepreneurs fail?
A: They underestimate the emotional, financial, and personal toll. You need full commitment—or it’ll break you.
Q: Is it easier to succeed today than for past generations?
A: Yes—and no. Today you have tools and access, but so many options can be just as paralyzing as no options at all.
Chapters00:00 – Meet Alexxander & His Start in Business
02:30 – Getting Blacklisted: Freight Guard & Broker Risks
06:00 – Surviving 20% Merchant Fees Just to Operate
10:30 – Chargebacks: Rendered Service ≠ Guaranteed Pay
14:00 – Trucking Margins & the Truth About Gross Revenue
18:00 – The Emotional Cost of Starting Your Own Fleet
22:00 – Would You Risk It All? Candid Advice for Founders
26:00 – Generational Privilege, Credit Access, and Then vs. Now
30:00 – Remembering His Grandmother’s Wisdom
34:00 – Focus, Discipline, and the Paradox of Too Much Choice
38:00 – Where to Find Alexxander Online
Connect with Alexxander PurcellInstagram: @myambitionunleashed
Twitter: @realAlexanderP
Company: Verified First
Thanks so much for tuning in to this episode of The Innovator’s Impact. Want to stay inspired by more tech-forward business stories? Subscribe to the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen—and don’t forget to leave us a review. Your feedback helps us keep delivering powerful conversations with real-world innovators! And you can learn more about our work at 81westcyber.com
View all episodes
By Darnell PerkinsCompany Stats:LinkedIn
Guest: Alexxander Purcell, DOT Solutions & Support Engineer
Industry: Trucking / Logistics / Compliance
Company: Verified First
Focus: FMCSA compliance, audit readiness, safety management, owner-operator success
Specialty: DOT-regulated fleets, safety consulting, freight operations, small business coaching
Episode Highlights✅ Alexxander breaks down how truckers can get blacklisted with freight guard reports—and how one bad broker review can sideline you for months.
✅ Hear how he ran a business for five years while paying 20% in merchant fees, just to keep credit card payments flowing.
✅ Discover the truth behind gross vs. net revenue in trucking—and why drivers who think they’re being underpaid might be missing the real math.
✅ Alexxander shares brutally honest advice for aspiring entrepreneurs: “If you’re not ready to lose everything, don’t do it.”
✅ Learn about the chargeback trap—how rendering services doesn’t mean you’ll get paid, especially when the customer's spouse disputes the charge.
✅ He’s consulted over 3,000 trucking companies and reveals the most common myths, mistakes, and margin misconceptions in the industry.
✅ A candid discussion on generational privilege, market access, and why today’s “too many choices” can be just as paralyzing as yesterday’s scarcity.
✅ Personal reflections on entrepreneurship, family, legacy, and the grandmother he wishes he could’ve sought advice from before it all began.
Episode SummaryIn this raw and no-BS episode of The Innovators Impact, Darnell Perkins sits down with Alexxander Purcell, a DOT compliance expert and trucking industry veteran, to explore the real-life trenches of entrepreneurship in logistics. With a background that includes homelessness, merchant rejection, and paying sky-high processing fees just to stay afloat, Alexxander opens up about what it actually takes to build—and survive—in the freight world.
From helping thousands of owner-operators to guiding them through the gritty realities of FMCSA audits and financial pitfalls, Alexxander emphasizes the cost of ambition. He shares battle-tested lessons on why most people misunderstand profit margins in trucking, the dangers of underestimating overhead, and the emotional toll of trying to go solo in a brutal industry.
Whether you’re scaling a fleet, thinking of becoming an owner-operator, or simply curious about what business looks like when no one hands you the keys, this episode is a masterclass in resilience, clarity, and hard-won wisdom.
Notable Questions We AskedQ: What’s the biggest misconception truckers have about starting their own company?
A: That they’ll keep the gross. In reality, after costs, they may make less than when they were a company driver.
Q: How do freight guard reports impact drivers?
A: They can blacklist you with brokers for months—with no appeal process.
Q: What should people know about merchant accounts?
A: Just getting one can be a nightmare. Alexxander paid 20% in fees for years because mainstream banks shut him out.
Q: Why do most first-time entrepreneurs fail?
A: They underestimate the emotional, financial, and personal toll. You need full commitment—or it’ll break you.
Q: Is it easier to succeed today than for past generations?
A: Yes—and no. Today you have tools and access, but so many options can be just as paralyzing as no options at all.
Chapters00:00 – Meet Alexxander & His Start in Business
02:30 – Getting Blacklisted: Freight Guard & Broker Risks
06:00 – Surviving 20% Merchant Fees Just to Operate
10:30 – Chargebacks: Rendered Service ≠ Guaranteed Pay
14:00 – Trucking Margins & the Truth About Gross Revenue
18:00 – The Emotional Cost of Starting Your Own Fleet
22:00 – Would You Risk It All? Candid Advice for Founders
26:00 – Generational Privilege, Credit Access, and Then vs. Now
30:00 – Remembering His Grandmother’s Wisdom
34:00 – Focus, Discipline, and the Paradox of Too Much Choice
38:00 – Where to Find Alexxander Online
Connect with Alexxander PurcellInstagram: @myambitionunleashed
Twitter: @realAlexanderP
Company: Verified First
Thanks so much for tuning in to this episode of The Innovator’s Impact. Want to stay inspired by more tech-forward business stories? Subscribe to the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen—and don’t forget to leave us a review. Your feedback helps us keep delivering powerful conversations with real-world innovators! And you can learn more about our work at 81westcyber.com