“I knew I would be successful, but I wasn’t expecting to be so successful,” says Landstar 2017 Rookie of the Year Mariana Gherzu.

When a new Landstar agent is referred to as a “rookie,” the title refers only to their newness to the team, not their level of commitment to excellence or individual experience. With the freedom to find their own opportunities and expand service offerings, rookies at Landstar can quickly hit a home run.

New to the Landstar system, but not necessarily new to the transportation industry, recipients in the award’s 15-year history have always had a “never quit” attitude. That hustle, coupled with Landstar’s support, is what the most recent Rookie of the Year, Mariana Gherzu, says propelled her independent agency toward success.

“My goal is to continuously grow,” says Gherzu, who opened ENM Transport Inc. in 2016. “With Landstar, there was no limit on how I could support my customers. That support allowed me to expand my service offerings to every existing customer. Then, after just a few months, it became easy to attract and secure new business.”

A former professional truck driver and logistics coordinator, Gherzu opened her Land O’Lakes, Florida-based independent Landstar agency with more than 20 years of industry experience and a book full of potential customers.

“In the beginning, agency services and my agent advisor walked me through operations on a daily basis. They helped me learn the Landstar system and how to support my customers every step of the way,” says Gherzu.

With Landstar’s guidance, Gherzu says she quickly realized the possibilities were endless to grow her independent agency. This realization hit home as she stood with Landstar President and CEO Jim Gattoni to accept the annual Rookie of the Year Award.

“When I thought ‘I can no longer do it all’ and I had to hire employees – that’s when I knew what we were doing was something great,” says Gherzu. “I feel unstoppable now.”

For more information on becoming an independent Landstar agent visit landstar.com/agent.