Byron “Buster” G. Anderson, Jr. passed away ironically on June 6th , the 80th Anniversary of The Normandy Invasion that served as a pre-cursor to the allies World War II’s victory in the European Theatre of War. Buster was a second-generation veteran as was his father Byron, Sr. who made his life a career in the U.S. Army and eventually served as The Sergeant Major of the Army. Buster was an infantry sergeant, leading his squad with the same professionalism and expertise that he carried throughout his life.

Fellow co-founder and President of The National Association of Small Trucking Companies (NASTC), David Owen shared the following with NASTC’s 13,400 member company owners on Monday:

“Words cannot possibly convey on paper the sadness, and loss as we share the news of Buster Anderson’s untimely passing. His death followed an operation that would have extended his time with us and unfortunately, his weakened heart condition failed to support his recovery.

To say that Buster will be missed is a gross understatement. The Anderson family, the Owen family, the NASTC family, and the entire driver community has lost its most ardent supporter, mentor, and cheerleader.

Buster was my friend, business partner, and confidant for 39 years dating back to 1985. We both were top producers at the Nashville based company, Comdata Network. When I decided to leave to start the NASTC company, I told my wife, “I sure do wish I could find Buster Anderson.” He had left Comdata some two years prior. Two days later, May 16, 1989, my wife answered a random telemarketing call from a man selling Carpet Cleaning Services, and his name was Buster! Bonnie recognized his voice, we got together, and NASTC was born. We recognize this as just the first of 100’s of miracles that have come our way since.

There would be no NASTC without Buster Anderson and he is irreplaceable and will be incredibly missed.”

Our business plan was a seven-page, bullet point list of possible solutions for small, full truckload carriers based on the critical mass, buying power, and economic and political clout that large full truckload companies enjoyed. The implementation plan was to build that critical mass during my six month non-compete restriction by using our tried and true inside-outside sales system that worked so well in our old days together in the Convoy department at Comdata – that is, Buster would call them, set an appointment, and I’d go see them.

Somehow, with no tangible products or services to sell and nothing but an irrefutable idea and an empty briefcase, we convinced seventy (70) small trucking companies to “Believe without Evidence,” to pay a one-year membership of $300 and become “Charter Members” of The National Association of Small Trucking Companies (NASTC).

I gave Buster cash when I had it.

I gave him an old-rode-hard-and put-up-wet 1978 Chevrolet Impala with 275,000 miles on it that all five of our kids had driven. I believe every panel had a dent – we called it “Black Beauty.”

I moved him into an upstairs apartment in a triplex on 40th Avenue North in Nashville – NASTC’s first corporate headquarters that we fondly referred to as “The Bunker.”

And, I promised him 5% of NASTC for five years.

We were ridiculed by the trucking industry – once referred to as “two men over the garage”. No one (and sometimes Buster and me included) gave us any chance to ever reach a critical mass large enough to be relevant.

Though we didn’t show a profit for over five years, we were losing less money each month.

To say that Buster earned his way in the world of NASTC through sweat equity is a gross understatement. He left “The Bunker” every Friday about 3:30 PM, drove “Black Beauty” into Nashville, and worked a 32-hour shift as a night auditor at The Hall of Fame Hotel – FOR OVER SIX YEARS!

Over the next few months, I’ll be producing a series of podcasts to provide an overview of NASTC’s 35 years as a positive growth company, one that has provided hope, collective bargaining power, and advocacy for all the trucking companies in our space. If you tune in to some of this history, I think you’ll begin to realize Buster Anderson’s true value and his life-time contributions to our industry.

I repeat: There would be no NASTC without Buster Anderson.