Meet Demond Kauffman | Engineer BSE, MBA, President of D Kauffman Trucking LLC

We had the good fortune of connecting with Demond Kauffman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Demond, can you tell us about an impactful book you’ve read and why you liked it or what impact it had on you?
My thought process when starting my business wasn’t the traditional route most take. I wanted a business I wasn’t just passionate about, I also wanted a business that would constantly change to keep me active and force me to think out the box. After some time, we landed on the transportation and logistics industry. During the pandemic a lot of the world stopped, one key factor that remained was the movement of goods within the trucking, freight, and air parcel sectors.

Yes we have a budget. When starting a business, budget is key as many businesses are funded from the founders personal money. Budget was key as equipment, tools, systems, operational costs, office space, and services were all needed to get the business off the ground. Once the business begin generating profit, I separated the two so they are intertwined. If the business doesn’t make any profit, i do not pay myself. When the business profits, I pay myself. The primary objective is have the business operate independently. Lifestyle changes were made by the family to put the business first. Early sacrifices would pay off in the long run if completed correctly. At the current moment I live, eat, and sleep freight. Spending decisions are for the business only. I take no days off and if on travel, international phone plans help reduce costs and allow for operation when abroad.

Risk are minimized through learning experiences from mentors and planning. I talk to anyone whom will listen, and learn from all experiences. Unavoidable risk are planned in advance and watched closely and tracked with charts. I’ve always been a risk taker and worked in unfamiliar industries. Those experiences have played a major role in managing the business. Expansion ideas can create a level of fear that can become roadblocks if planned incorrectly. We’ve expanded twice in the last year and have a 3rd before years end. Planning is great, and sometimes you just have to step out on faith.

I was born in Houston, Texas. 95% of my family stem from Louisiana. My upbringing was a fine mix. Louisiana was rural with chickens, hogs, and cattle. Houston introduced me to bright lights, new ideas, and my parents passed on the entrepreneur spirit from birth. They operated and night club that taught me to count while summing receipts and invoices from customers and vendors. My dad worked hard, minimal education but got up everyday at 4am, went to work, never complained, never missed a day, and just worked. I pride myself on following in the same footsteps. I work 10 times harder for myself than any day worker for someone else.

The most impactful factor for my brand is the employees. I have a great team. It begin with one individual and has spread to 4. In a very short timeframe. We plan to follow that recipe while making minor tweaks to the strategy along the way.

Integrity is the most valuable principle to me. Self deception blocks real progress. Be honest with yourself about your business. If something isn’t working, a pivot must be made.

Work life balance has been 85/15 work. Since the business is still in a building phase, most of my time goes to the business.
Since I can manage from home through phones and laptops, I’m still around my family’s a majority of the time. As an oil and gas engineer in my previous life, time away could range form 30 to 60 days, ion my current role I stay busy, but I can still spend time with the family. The balance will improve as the company grows and additional roles are added.

The end goal is to have a practical medium-sized company (typically 50–500 employees) that wants to stay competitive, meaningful, and resilient.

A good vision shouldn’t just sound nice—it should:
✅ Inspire employees & stakeholders
✅ Guide strategic decisions
✅ Fit the size & culture of a mid-sized business (where agility, culture, and differentiation matter)

By the end of my career I want to be proud of something that was built from the ground up before my eyes.

I was drawn to an idea that’s forces me to constantly learn, experiment, and discover new perspectives, tools, or ideas — something routine jobs rarely allow.

A book I’ve read is The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
Why: It teaches how to build, test, and pivot quickly rather than over-plan; It’s hugely influential in startup culture.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My career isn’t your traditional career. I went to school for Civil Engineer Technology at Texas Southern University. After graduating from TSU, I took a job working as an engineer for Florida Department of Transportation. I worked in that role for nearly 2 years before accepting a position for Oil and Gas company off the recommendation of a stranger I met in the grocery store. The oil gas position taught me a lot and forced me to grow up very quickly. A lot of the gentleman that I work with in Oil and Gas had kids that were older than I, so me giving them directions wasn’t something that could do stepping in an unfamiliar role. I had to earn their respect and showed them my work ethic and learn with them side-by-side. While working for the oil and gas company I had a lot of time on the oil rig to myself. I utilize that time and was able to get my MBA online within a year and a half. After that MBA was achieved, I knew I wanted to start and build my own organization. Being a young engineer in oil and gas was not easy. The schedule was brutal and there was times I would be up for days at a time with the fear of something going wrong while I was asleep. My experience increased quickly to the point where I went from being a new engineer to consulting and finding work for my company. What I want the world to know about D Kauffman Trucking is we’re about the people the process and putting our best foot forward.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Some of my favorite spots to visit in the city or all food locations. I will bring them to triple J’s barbecue, which is one of the best secrets and all of Houston. I would bring them to buds meat market off of Cullen and give them a taste of that smoke spicy Boudin. I will take them to Mickey‘s Soul food and let them eat some of those delicious oxtails. For as places to go out to, I’m not the person to ask I’m a homebody.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First and foremost my family. Everybody has played a role in operating the business. Whether in the car, on the plane, or in some weird location the business has came a calling and the bell has been answered. Lester Goodwin of Goodwin Elite Logistics whom has groomed me along the way has played a vital role. Many risks that accompany business operations have been remedied and discussed through learning experiences from Lester and his family. I would not be in my current position without his help and guidance.

Website: https://www.dkauffmantrucking.com