When Marina Ivanov’s family arrived in the United States in 1998, they had to start over from scratch. They didn’t speak English, didn’t know anyone, and had to rebuild everything they left behind. Fast forward to 2025 and Ivanov leads a trucking company, sits on industry boards, and is pushing through one of the toughest freight markets in recent memory. Getting there took time, adjustments, and more than a few tough calls.
Trucking goes back to her childhood. In Ukraine, her father was a farmer who owned heavy-duty equipment and a commercial truck. During the Soviet Union’s collapse, the truck was hijacked while hauling grain to Moscow. The driver was held at gunpoint, and the freight was stolen. Without insurance or protection, the family was responsible for reimbursing the customer. That moment was the turning point.
“My dad realized Ukraine was not a place that was conducive for business growth and there were safety issues,” she said. They moved to the U.S. through a refugee program and eventually settled in Rochester, New York. The first few days were hard. She remembers crying in the school bathroom from homesickness. But she adapted quickly. She went from only knowing the word “apple” in English to becoming her middle school salutatorian and earning acceptance into the International Baccalaureate program in high school.
“I was a perfectionist. I wanted to get the best grades I could,” she said. Sports were not an option. Her mother worked as a nurse, and her father drove trucks. With both parents working long hours, after-school activities weren’t realistic for their family.
Back to trucking
After seeing the challenges of trucking up close, Ivanov wanted a completely different life. She went into dental hygiene, earned her license while waiting tables on weekends, and planned on applying to dental school. She married at 19 and focused on building stability.
But when her husband’s construction work slowed and their first child was born, finances became tight. They had one difficult conversation that changed everything. Her husband said what he really wanted was to build a successful business. She agreed to support that dream, even though it meant re-entering the trucking industry. “It was a moment of surrender,” she said. “I told him I’d be there for him, whatever it takes.”
They launched their company, Apex Transit, in 2012 with her father as the first driver. He warned them not to do it. He told them that trucking was stressful and that most small carriers don’t survive. But they moved ahead anyway.
Early challenges and gradual growth
The first year was difficult. Cash flow was tight. Repairs were expensive. They bought their second truck in 2015, only to face breakdowns on both vehicles that added $20,000 in repairs each. They had no choice but to open credit cards to get their equipment back. They dug themselves out of debt after nine months and added factoring to get paid quickly instead of waiting 30 to 60 days for brokers.
By 2018, the company had 18 trucks. But growth didn’t always equal stability. “The cost of doing business as a small company was so high,” she said. When repairs hit, everything stopped. In 2016, their first brand-new truck crashed due to a health emergency involving the driver almost immediately after they bought it. Insurance covered the loan amount but not the $25,000 down payment. They pushed through again.
Finally, in late 2020, things started to turn. After years of scraping by, money began staying in the account instead of just passing through it. “For the first time, it wasn’t just going in and out of the account,” she said. But that momentum didn’t last forever.
The freight recession eventually hit their business hard. Rates dropped, contracts disappeared, and the pressure built. “It’s really hard to operate in net loss for two years,” she said. She knows many carriers who are surviving only by selling assets or refinancing their homes. The market is especially challenging for companies with 50 to 100 trucks, where overhead costs are higher and the rates don’t cover operating expenses.
Leading through pressureÂ
Today, Ivanov leads the people and strategy side of the business while her husband manages equipment and maintenance. They learned the hard way how to divide responsibilities. In 2020, when the business finally stabilized for a moment, they realized their communication had to improve. They sought guidance, reorganized roles, and agreed on boundaries. She leads strategy, hiring, and long-term planning. Her husband handles the fleet.
One of her biggest focuses now is building credibility with larger shippers. She believes relationships, visibility, and professionalism matter more than ever. She serves on multiple boards, including her state trucking association, manufacturing group, and women-owned business network. She also sits on a local North Carolina transportation board.
“I can’t control the market, but I can control how well we perform and who we work with. That means showing up, being involved, and building a real presence.”
“I can’t control the market, but I can control how well we perform and who we work with,” she said. “That means showing up, being involved, and building a real presence.”
Some of that work happens outside the office. She meets people at events, speaks on panels, and builds connections that lead to stronger partnerships. She views networking as a form of problem-solving. “Without meetings and events, I wouldn’t have the resources to handle the challenges that come with growth. It’s also how I found my people and built my team.”
Keeping a balanceÂ
Outside of work, her life revolves around her two daughters, ages 10 and 13. She spends evenings and weekends taking them to cheer, swim, and gymnastics. When she gets time to herself, she reads—mostly leadership, personal growth, and communication books. She’s also a fan of rollerblading and outdoor activities.
“I have this desire to be better every single day, to be a better leader,” she said. That mindset drives both her business life and her personal life. She knows the market is still difficult, but she believes small carriers with the right mindset can adapt and survive.
She also sees one major lesson from the past few years. Stand still and you fall behind. “The market is tough. Nobody is denying that,” she said. “But you still wake up and do the work. You focus on what you can control and try to simply do your best.”
