VICTORIA PRESAS

San Antonio

B&A Logistics

Vice President and Founder

TBHF Alum, Class of 2018

The best entrepreneurs are problem solvers. And there’s no better word to describe this month’s Alumni Spotlight, Victoria Presas. While studying accounting at the H-E-B School of Business at UIW, Victoria’s husband was working for an oilfield fracking company. Around this time, the couple began to notice an increase in the number of trucking-related accidents. Frac sand hauling can be a dangerous job; drivers are often navigating small, congested roads with ditches. They drive long hours, sometimes at night. These conditions can make what is already a difficult job even more dangerous. 

So, Victoria and her husband sat down to try and come up with a solution to this problem. And that is how B&A Logistics was born. Today, Victoria serves as the vice president for the company and oversees all financial planning of the international and domestic accounts as well as customer relations. Victoria’s ability to problem solve, a skill she likely picked up during her service in the United States Navy, has continued to benefit her and the company. 

We spoke to Victoria about her entrepreneurial journey and how she turned an idea for a trailer design into a fully operational aggregate transportation business. 

 
Tell us how B&A began? Where did you get the idea for your business?  

My husband was working for Liberty Oil Field Serivces and they had just started a new way to transport proppant, which is a silica-based sand and there was a lot of rollovers that were happening out in the Midland Odessa area, so my husband and I sat down, and we came up with a design for a semi-trailer that would have a lower center of gravity. The way they were transporting those boxes was on a flatbed truck and they were just too high, so every time you take a curve, that center of gravity would pull those boxes in. There were 18-wheelers that were having accidents left and right. And so, we came up with this design. We found a manufacturer in Monterey, Mexico. We started manufacturing our trailers at the end of 2017. We manufactured a total of 52 trailers. We started doing that, we got a patent that’s recently been issued on a few technologies on the trailers. In 2019 we started to pull away from the manufacturing side because we noticed that the oil field started to drop so we pulled away and started strictly hauling aggregate. So that’s what we’re doing now, we’re a transport company hauling aggregate.  

How do you define “excellence” in business?  

To me, excellence is not defined by how much money the company is making. It’s how the company is taking care of its people. B&A is successful because we are delivering on time but also safely. We have safety measures in place to protect our drivers and we don’t let them exceed those hours. Making sure we do right by our clients, but also by our employees, is how we are successful.  

As an entrepreneur, what motivates you?  

Challenges motivate me. The more challenging something is, the better. I love a challenge.  As soon as a problem occurs, lots of people start to get scared and think “No I can’t do this.” But not me. That’s what drives me every day. That’s one of the reasons why I’ve been so successful. I never know what’s going to happen or what to expect, but that’s what I love about my job. Right now, as I’m talking to you, I’m reversing an 18-wheeler all at the same time. I love a challenge and thrive in that environment.  

What has been your most satisfying achievement so far with your business?  

Being able to see all the trailers we’ve manufactured on the road. It is so satisfying to be driving down the highway and see one of them. Every time I think “Oh my gosh that’s one of my trailers, that’s one of my designs!” To see what I’ve created out on the highways is a really cool experience and makes me proud.  

Can you share a time when you faced a challenge and how you overcame it?  

I face challenges all day, every day. This just happened on Wednesday, I had a huge major breakdown on one my trucks. The radiator broke and that was extremely challenging because I got stuck on the side of the highway. I got underneath my truck, and everyone was shocked that a woman with nails was getting under the truck. But you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do.  

What are yougoals for B&A and how do you see the business growing? 

I’d like to add another couple of trucks to our fleet. That’s one of our biggest goals to expand. We added one truck last year and are looking to add two more this year. Hopefully being able to grow and provide more jobs.  

How was TBHF helped you with your entrepreneurial journey so far?  

It’s given me a lot of networking opportunities. It has opened a network of resources. Being able to meet with other aspiring entrepreneurs, even if they are in a different field, is extremely eye-opening and inspiring. I also really enjoy hearing the Directors and Legends speak because they have so much experience and great perspective on what it takes to be successful.  

Thank you, Victoria, for taking the time to share your experience and insight with us. Make sure to follow B&A Logistics on Facebook and LinkedIn for the latest updates.

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