Guided by faith. Inspired by culture. Brent Nussbaum is building a better trucking company.

Prioritizing family, putting people first, shaking the hand of every driver in the company – these are just some of the things Brent does differently.

When Brent became CEO in 2000, he began transforming the company his father had founded into an industry standout. From innovations in equipment and driver compensation models, to a hands-on approach to driver retention, Brent has the foresight to do things in new ways.

Brent began his Nussbaum career in 1970, working in equipment maintenance. After graduating from high school, he began driving a truck before transitioning into the operations area of the company. In 1990, he left Nussbaum to pursue a bachelor’s degree in international business from Illinois State University in Normal, IL. He went on to receive a master’s degree in international business management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, Arizona.

Brent returned to the family business as VP of Sales for the truckload division in 1997. From there, he assumed the role of CEO. With his hands-on leadership, Nussbaum has enjoyed record growth and has been recognized with multiple accolades within the transportation industry for its innovative spirit, exceptional driver retention rates, and commitment to integrity. Nussbaum Transportation’s state-of-the-art corporate headquarters and maintenance facilities, opened in 2013, are a manifestation of Brent’s ideals and vision for the company’s future.

Brent and his wife Cheryl reside in Bloomington, IL. They have been married for forty years and have five children and four grandchildren. Brent’s passions include boating, biking and ministry.

As Chief Administrative Officer overseeing Human Resources, Safety, and Accounting at Nussbaum Transportation, Jeremy Stickling ensures Nussbaum is a company people will want to work for. Honoring the corporate values of honesty, integrity, and character, his team’s innovative ideas have put Nussbaum on top of the industry when it comes to hiring the best drivers and offering competitive pay and benefits.

Although Jeremy was exposed to commercial trucks while working at a gravel pit during college, his first role at Nussbaum was with the accounting department. As his responsibilities at the company expanded to include human resources functions, he was involved in instituting processes for more effective internal driver communications and insurance administration. Jeremy was promoted to the HR director role in 2013.

As the first point of contact for new driver recruits at Nussbaum, the human resources department serves a critical role. Jeremy believes in the “No Surprises” recruiting philosophy, a manifestation of Nussbaum’s values of honesty, integrity, and respect for its employees. Jeremy also has helped develop a comprehensive driver orientation program and overseen the restructuring of the company’s compensation plans. Combined, the efforts and leadership of Jeremy and his team have contributed to Nussbaum’s industry-leading driver retention rates.

Jeremy graduated from Western Governor’s University with a double-major in accounting and finance in 2010 and received his Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification in 2011. He is also a member of the Society of Human Resources Managers (SHRM).

A native of Peoria, Illinois, Jeremy enjoys music, especially playing guitar, and is a history buff (ask him what book he’s currently reading!). He is active in his church and likes to spend his free time with his wife and children.

Bill Wettstein serves as President of Nussbaum Transportation, overseeing financial and tax strategy as well as the company’s banking relationships. Bill works closely with the sales and business analytics department and enjoys being involved in pricing strategy. Those teams analyze each lane within Nussbaum's freight mix, adjusting terms or pricing as needed. Their goal is to ensure win-win customer contracts that keep Nussbaum and its drivers profitable.

After graduating from Illinois State University in 1997, Bill was working as an accountant when he heard about an opening in accounts payable at Nussbaum. Given the company’s outstanding reputation, he jumped at the opportunity to join the team.

Bill assumed the role of Chief Financial Officer in 2001. Initially, he focused on understanding Nussbaum’s cost structure and creating our pricing strategies. He also developed relationships with multiple shippers, gaining valuable experience in sales and customer service. Despite economic ups and downs, Nussbaum achieved record fiscal growth and stability under Bill’s leadership.

Bill also led Nussbaum’s transition to an employee-owned company in 2018. He continues to play an integral role in administering the ESOP and communicating its function and benefits to our employee-owners.

Bill holds a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) in the state of Illinois. In 2019, he spent a week driving OTR with one of our trainers, gaining first-hand experience as a Nussbaum driver.

While strategy, financials, and balance sheets are essential in his role as President, Bill says that solid character is Nussbaum's most valuable asset. He believes that leadership sets the standard for this character—a tremendous motivation to promote excellence in everything he does. Bill is incredibly grateful for his coworkers' trust, integrity, and mutual respect. His goal each day is to show the love of Christ and brighten the corner wherever he is.

Bill and his wife Heidi have been married for over 28 years. They have seven children (five daughters and two sons) and five grandchildren. Bill enjoys spending time with family on their farm, complete with goats, pigs, cows, and chickens. He also enjoys spending time outdoors riding ATVs, hunting, and fishing.

Our Chief Information Officer, Doug Knepp, considers problem-solving a joy. Whether he’s pursuing a solution in IT or walking alongside an employee in a dilemma, Doug is driven to serve others and help them reach their goals.

Doug graduated from Illinois State University in 1995 and then invested two years as a Software Developer at a different company. The end of those two years came in 1998 when Doug switched companies, but not job titles, and began working at Nussbaum as a Software Developer.

For over 20 years, Doug has constructed projects from ideas, patched software, and solved problems in Nussbaum’s IT Department. Over the years, he developed and continues to optimize company-specific applications to expedite and ease Nussbaum’s operations.

Doug has also had a hand in developing Nussbaum’s driver app for smartphones and a planning app for the shop. His skills eased the ELD migration of over 400 trucks in 2019.

When he’s not working at Nussbaum, Doug is spending plenty of time with his family, engaging in church activities, and volunteering at his children’s school.

As Chief Operations Officer, Doug Bradle oversees fleet maintenance, customer service, and the operations team. His passion is serving people: empowering employees to make the right decisions for Nussbaum and delivering exceptional results for our customers. His role provides many opportunities to do both!

Doug was raised on a grain farm in Secor, Illinois. After high school, he earned a CDL and hauled grain part-time while attending college. In 2003, he graduated from Illinois State University with a degree in Agriculture Science. Soon after, he joined Nussbaum as a Load Planner and Driver Manager.

Doug was promoted to Operations Director in 2015 and assumed the role of Chief Operations Officer in 2019. Throughout his tenure, Doug has worked tirelessly to improve operational efficiency and build better systems that serve employees and customers alike. He helped plan, design, and implement fleet telematics to improve communications, safety compliance, electronic logging, and vehicle tracking. He led the re-design of our operations system, which organized our drivers, support team, and maintenance department into fleets within the company.

He also helped implement Nussbaum's Driver Scorecard, a new maintenance planning software, and a mobile app that lets drivers access load, pay, and benefit information. In 2021, he established Nussbaum's first offsite maintenance facility in Channahon, Illinois.

In his free time, Doug enjoys spending time with his wife and children, working around his home, traveling, and church activities.

As Vice President of Sales and Business Analytics, Chris Aranda leverages his passion for people and business to bring justified growth to Nussbaum. In his role, Chris works to positively impact Nussbaum's growth, processes, customer engagement, customer satisfaction, and overall management of Nussbaum's customer portfolio.

After graduating high school in 2008, and while in his first year of college, Chris received an opportunity in the Ag industry to sell equipment and services to multiple Fortune 500 companies in that industry. His early success drove his newly found skill set until he came to Nussbaum in 2013. Chris cut his teeth in transportation by working with drivers in dispatch, eventually taking on a role in Nussbaum's HQ region as a load planner, later transitioning to serve in pricing, and finally landing in sales. While jumping into his new role with Nussbaum, Chris received his bachelor's in marketing and continued his success in Nussbaum's sales department. Ultimately playing a pivotal role in almost a decade of double-digit growth at Nussbaum. In 2020, Chris earned his current role as VP of Sales and Business Analytics and is responsible for leading the company's sales, analytics, and pricing strategies.

Chris enjoys an active lifestyle in Normal, IL, with his wife Brittney and their four kids. They enjoy time in the yard working and playing. They also enjoy traveling, camping, boating, mountain biking, hobby farming, and engaging with the youth at their church.