From Local Roots to National Reach: The Rise of JZI IntermodaLogistics

3 MIN READ

By Marcia Pledger

When thinking about a major business like JZI IntermodaLogistics, it’s hard to imagine that it all started with one man at his kitchen table, sketching out plans for a freight brokerage company.

That’s exactly what Robert Fox did in 2009. After becoming a single father of two young sons, he realized he needed more flexibility than a corporate career could offer. He decided to strike out on his own and launched JZ Expedited Logistics—a name inspired by his sons, Josh and Zach. With an $8,000 loan from his parents and a plan to grow with a 20 percent margin, he set the foundation for what would become a thriving enterprise.

“You have to stay in the corporate world’s yellow lines, and that was never me. But what I didn’t know was how little I knew about entrepreneurship,” Fox recalled. “Years later, when we started growing fast, a colleague suggested I needed a controller. I was thinking, what is a controller? Are we talking a PlayStation controller?” he said with a laugh.

From Startup Spirit to National Strength

After a few years of operating as a freight brokerage firm, Fox expanded into trucking by leasing 15 trucks and adding warehousing operations.

“The brokerage part of the business was extremely successful,” he said, noting that by 2017, the company had shifted from a stand-alone trucking and freight business to an agent-based model on the trucking and brokerage side. The warehousing operations, launched in 2017, remained separate.

Fox also established a U.S. Customs-bonded Foreign Trade Zone through North Florida Warehouse, a 32,000-square-foot facility in North Jacksonville near JAXPORT terminals. That operation has since expanded to more than 350,000 square feet of warehouse space, plus 20 acres of outdoor storage and on-site equipment capable of lifting up to 100,000 pounds.

Over time, the company grew and rebranded as JZI IntermodaLogistics to include the initial of Robert’s daughter, Ivanna. In 2021, Fox sold the company to RoadOne, the nation’s largest privately held intermodal transportation and logistics provider. He remained on board as JZI’s senior vice president and minority partner.

With 100 locations nationwide, RoadOne provides trucking, warehousing, and drayage services. The acquisition strengthened JZI’s capabilities by connecting it to RoadOne’s extensive network of more than 2,500 trucks and 5,500,000 million square feet of warehouse space.

Since joining RoadOne, JZI has nearly doubled its local trucking capacity—growing from 30 to 65 trucks—and expanded its Jacksonville footprint from 250,000 to 800,000 square feet of warehouse space.

“We went from being a local family-owned company to being part of a national transportation and logistics company,” said Chris Sloope, vice president of JZI IntermodaLogistics. “Now we have the backing to close bigger deals and support from the larger network.”

“Warehousing is a big part of RoadOne’s growth strategy, because it’s central to being a single-source solution,” Sloope added. “We have 20 acres of outside storage. That’s unique. Most companies only have space for containers and trailers—but we also support heavy lifting.”

Building on a Record of Service

In addition to handling containers, JZI IntermodaLogistics has a strong record of moving heavy-lift project cargo through JAXPORT. Past projects include shipping tanks and helicopters, transporting a 100,000-pound battery, and delivering diesel power generators to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.

“RoadOne is sending the right message. We want to grow in Jacksonville,” Sloope emphasized. “We have a lot to offer the local export and import community.”