By Kim Schneider
Franklin Carnes thought he’d follow in the family business—funeral homes—and at 18, he entered mortuary school. More than anything, though, he loved anything engine-related and as a child thought he wanted to own a car dealership. Instead, he bought a limo and ran what he “loosely” called a business.
After Hurricane Ike flooding destroyed his business, he thought he’d go back to plan A—but then his phone kept ringing.
The 29-year-old owner of Galveston Transportation today owns 11 new buses (five new charters, six new minis), older buses and 12 other vehicles not regulated by the DOT. For his success, he credits the new bus purchase after buying a company that had been around since 1960 and ran as part of Texas Bus Lines. “I looked in 2016 at how much I was spending on parts along, not even including mechanics and refunds, and the cost per month was the same as buying a new bus,” he explained.
He did face plenty of hurdles, not the least of which was getting someone to lend money to a 20-something with no business history. Knowing DOT laws was another challenge, and he picked up regulatory knowledge from such diverse sources as YouTube, Google, UMA education sessions and peers.
To others starting out, “I’d say be prepared to work a hundred hours a week, at least starting out,” he said. “Honesty is the other thing. There are dozens of people willing to turn a burn. As long as you’re willing to honor your word, that will carry you through.”
