What’s in a Name?
One of my favorite ways to pass the miles isn’t only listening to books or reading billboards.
It’s reading names.
As a truck driver, owner-operator, and admittedly a bit of an observer, I spend a lot of time looking at the names on the sides of trucks. Thousands of them over the years. Some are simple. Some are clever. Some leave me smiling. Others leave me scratching my head.
I find myself wondering…
What inspired that name?
Was it a family tradition? A favorite place? A nickname? A lifelong dream? Or did someone simply need a name to get the paperwork filed?
Just yesterday I passed a truck that read Hi Mountain Trucking.
Immediately my mind started asking questions.
Was “Hi” intentional? A play on words? A family story? Or was it meant to be “High Mountain Trucking?” I’ll probably never know, but that’s the fun of it. Every truck has a story—even if only the owner knows it.
Sometimes I’ll see a company called Speedy Trucking, yet they’re patiently rolling along in the right lane.
Other times I’ll read Professional Transport, while the truck looks like it’s being held together with duct tape and determination.
The name tells one story.
The business tells another.
When Del and I started our own company, choosing a name wasn’t something I wanted to rush.
His family has a beautiful family crest, and I began researching the LaBree name. Along the way I learned that the spelling had changed generations ago after the family settled in America.
That research led me to something much bigger than just a business name.
It connected us to family, heritage, and legacy.
A friend carefully scanned the family crest from my husband’s ring, and from that image our logo was born. Every time I see it on our truck, I’m reminded that we weren’t just creating a business.
We were building something that represented who we are.
The same thought process carried over years later when I created A Woman Trucker.
There wasn’t anything fancy about the name.
It’s simply who I am.
The red, white, and blue colors weren’t chosen because they looked good together. They reflect my love for this country, the trucking industry that keeps it moving, and the values I hope my business represents.
Every choice had purpose.
As I’ve grown older, I’ve realized something.
A business name is often the first introduction people have to us.
But over time, our character becomes our real brand.
The logo might get someone’s attention.
The way we conduct business is what they’ll remember.
So now I’m curious…
If you own a business, how did you choose the name?
Does your logo have a story?
Was it carefully planned, inspired by family, or did it simply come to you one day?
I’d genuinely love to hear it.
Because behind every business name is a person.
And behind every person… there’s usually a story worth telling.
