When 11 years ago Overdrive first talked with Jared Flinn, operating partner of the BulkLoads.com load board specializing in bulk freight, that business was at the two-guys-in-basement stage, following Flinn’s work trucking himself a little, then managing logistics for a big commodities outfit. He comes to the BulkLoads.com project with a passion to serve small fleets and owner-operators, the 1-5-truck carriers that he notes in today’s Overdrive Radio podcast are the board’s primary customers (in addition to the brokers and shippers posting freight there).

Today, the company employs 45 people, hosting tens of thousands of load posts daily for freight moving in hoppers, pneumatic tanks, liquid bulk tanks, end dumps and more. The growth of BulkLoads isn't the instigating reason we spoke to Flinn recently, however. He's also the author of a brand-new series of children’s books, featuring the hauling exploits of one Semi Sam, a freight-hauling tractor personified in the manner of, say, the "Thomas the Train" series many of you will be familiar with.

There are now three books in the series:

**"Semi Sam Helps With the Harvest": https://www.amazon.com/Semi-Helps-Harvest-Trucking-Adventures/dp/B0BKP8FWPH/

**"Semi Sam Delivers a Tractor": https://www.amazon.com/Semi-Delivers-Tractor-Jared-Flinn/dp/B0BMJS18Y1/

**And most recently "Semi Sam: Christmas at the White House": https://www.amazon.com/Semi-Sam-Christmas-Trucking-Adventures/dp/B0BMJGXVS1/

Flinn was driven to create the series after the experience reading books to his three children as they grew, drawing on his own interest in visual art and a recognition that there seemed to be a dearth of kids' literature involving the trucking industry. There’s some out there, and we've written about the occasional kids’ book that involves the business over the years. But generally, Flinn’s right. There’s not much, and response to the three "Semi Sam" books out as of now is testament to that.

He couldn't have realized "how good of an impact this would have. I've had so many people reach out," he said, noting "there needs to be more books like this."

If that describes your thoughts on the matter, stay tuned. For the series, it's three and counting, as it were.

Also in the podcast:

Flinn notes that inflated commodities prices have delivered generally a pretty good year for a lot of the ag-related bulk haulers, among others who utilize BulkLoads.com, and the freight niche generally. He also details in brief the board's expansion with a new factoring arm, likewise an insurance agency for small carriers and owner-operators (commercial auto liability and cargo, primarily), a bulk-freight-specific TMS and more.