Client Coordinator
Rena
Owner, River Valley Auto Transport
Rena walked into auto transport completely green. Her first job was dispatching for a small carrier who did not actually know how to run his business. He paid her only when her loads moved, and because he tried to act as both broker and carrier, her paycheck depended on a carrier who was rarely around. Her clients' cars sat idle, her income was unpredictable, and she had to figure out the job herself just to keep things moving. The operation eventually collapsed under its own disorganization - but Rena learned exactly what happens when the person in charge does not understand the business.
She took that lesson to a brokerage in Pompano Beach, Florida, where the owner bounced paychecks on her and the entire staff. When she returned to the industry after a break, she watched another owner refuse to refund a deposit to a client who simply could not afford the move. Rena called it unethical and threatened to walk; they kept the money, so she kept her word and left.
Each stop taught her how she would not run a company: never leave employees unpaid, never trap a client who cannot pay, never promise a service you cannot deliver, and never treat carriers like they are disposable. Then came Total Car Shipping, where everything changed. Her boss there ran the business with empathy - for clients and employees alike - and Rena grew very close to him - he became one of the most important mentors of her career. In 2014 he let her move home to Minnesota to work remotely. Surrounded by family and running her own desk, she realized she already knew how to generate leads, hold her broker authority, and build systems the right way. When she shared her dream of starting her own company, he gave her his blessing. With nothing but her tax refund and a single-mom budget, she launched River Valley Auto Transport.
The early years were not easy. Competing against brokers who quoted fantasy prices and hid the real cost left her in tears some nights. She built the business one honest quote at a time and refused to compromise on transparency. The result is a repeat-client base that keeps coming back because they trust the person answering the phone. In 2023, that consistency placed River Valley Auto Transport as the second-highest-rated company on uShip among more than 938,000 freight brokerages nationwide.
Rena built River Valley around a principle she believes should be standard in auto transport: a broker should not earn more simply because the carrier transportation price is higher. River Valley charges a disclosed flat broker fee for the work clients are actually hiring her to do - locate qualified carriers, compare the available options, negotiate for a reasonable carrier rate and coordinate the shipment. The carrier's transportation payment is separate from that fee. River Valley presents the available carrier rate, and the customer decides whether to accept it; the broker does not own the truck or unilaterally set the carrier's price.
She is also candid that even preferred carriers can have communication problems and that pickup and delivery timing can change. Her priorities are to help protect the vehicle from damage, work toward delivery within one to two days of the estimated delivery date when conditions allow, keep the client informed and avoid an unreasonable transportation price. Those are operating goals, not guarantees.
Rena wants auto transport brokerage to earn the same professional respect consumers expect from licensed real estate and insurance professionals. She advocates for stronger licensing and United States accountability for sales agents who negotiate transportation agreements or handle customer payment information, along with meaningful compliance with data-privacy laws. In her view, clearer standards would better protect consumers and the reputable carriers and brokers who serve them.
Rena attributes every milestone to her Christian faith. She lives by the conviction that you cannot be a Christian in your personal life and not be one in your business life. In her spare time she is a Bible scholar and a committed animal-rights advocate, including work with one of the largest global animal-rescue movements. She was part of the team that helped free more than 2,000 beagles from scientific experiments at Ridglan Farms, and she continues to stand up for animals that have no voice of their own.