Rusty Robinson and David Stephens came from completely different worlds before their paths crossed in Perry, Florida.

Armed with a BS in Operations Management from Auburn University and an MBA in International Finance from Auburn University Montgomery, Rusty had spent nearly three decades in the forest products industry, working his way up from sawmill operations in Georgia to leading shipping operations for major pulp and paper facilities across the Southeast. His career took him through every facet of logistics—from managing woodyard operations to coordinating vessel rotations at international ports. By the time he landed in Perry as Shipping Director, Rusty had overseen everything from 175-load-per-day operations to complex container shipments through Jacksonville and Savannah.

David's journey looked entirely different on paper. After earning dual degrees in Psychology and History from Georgia Southwestern, he spent a decade as a field scientist with the University of Georgia's experiment station. From there, he built Southeastern Ag. Research into the nation's largest contract experimental chemical research organization, leading over 100 employees and shepherding more than 35 chemistries through EPA registration and global approval. It was hands-on, detail-oriented work that demanded precision and accountability—skills that would prove invaluable later.

When Rusty started up the freight brokerage arm for a Sunteck Transport agent in 2016, he needed someone sharp, dependable, and willing to learn an entirely new industry. David had recently made a career shift and was looking for his next challenge. Despite their different backgrounds, they clicked immediately. Rusty saw in David the same work ethic and attention to detail he'd valued throughout his own career. David appreciated Rusty's deep industry knowledge and straightforward leadership style. Together, they built something that worked.

By January 2020, after securing approval for their own Transportation Agency through Sureway Transportation, Rusty and David made the leap. They left Sunteck and launched Mockingbird Logistics, LLC as equal partners—a true 50/50 partnership built on mutual respect and complementary strengths. Within their first year, they'd climbed into Sureway's top 10 agencies. Three years later, they've remained firmly in the top 5. What started as two guys with different backgrounds and a shared belief in doing things right has become one of the most reliable logistics operations in the network. That's not luck—that's what happens when experience meets integrity, and when both partners refuse to settle for anything less than excellence.