13 Freight Group
Built on 13.
13 Freight Group is a woman-owned transportation company founded in Lincoln, Nebraska by Barbara and Craig Robertson.
Barbara Robertson
Barbara Robertson, majority owner and Co-Founder, brings more than 25 years of experience in legal administration, compliance, and operational leadership. Her background includes federal government service supporting the U.S. Department of Justice, as well as transportation industry experience supporting organizations including 10 Roads Express and Lone Mountain Truck Leasing. Barbara oversees compliance, accounting, administration, and the operational foundation that allows the company to grow with discipline and accountability.
Craig Robertson
Craig Robertson, Co-Founder and Director of Operations, grew up in trucking. His father founded Robertson Trucking Inc. in Chicago during one of the most transformative periods in transportation history following deregulation. As a child, Craig rode in the cab of those trucks, learning firsthand what it meant to build a business one load, one customer, and one relationship at a time.
That early exposure became a lifelong career in transportation. Over the next four decades, Craig built experience across trucking, freight brokerage, logistics, intermodal, drayage, transportation technology, sales, and operations, helping organizations grow from startup stages to tens of millions of dollars in revenue.
What Building On 13 Actually Means
I rode in the cab of my father's truck and learned this business from the seat next to him — that part of the story is real, and it's part of why I love this industry. But there were stretches growing up where I barely saw him at all. He was out running freight to keep our family going, and I understood why, even as a kid. But a kid doesn't feel the "why." He just feels the empty chair at the table.
Barb saw a different version of the same problem. Twenty-five years in legal administration, compliance, and operational leadership — including federal service supporting the U.S. Department of Justice — taught her what happens when an organization runs on good intentions instead of real discipline. She's spent her career being the person who makes sure the paperwork is right, the compliance is real, and the promises made actually get kept. In trucking, at 10 Roads Express and Lone Mountain Truck Leasing, she saw firsthand how often that discipline is the exception, not the rule.
So when we built 13 Freight Group, we weren't building it around one story — we were building it around two. Mine is about a driver who gets to go home instead of living in that empty chair. Hers is about a company that runs on real accountability instead of good intentions. Neither one works without the other. A driver-first company that isn't run right doesn't last. A well-run company that doesn't take care of its drivers isn't worth building.
That's the company Barb leads as majority owner, and the one I run day to day as her partner in it. Building on 13 isn't a slogan we picked because it sounded good. It's what happens when you keep a promise on the calls where it would be easier not to — when a driver's paycheck is exactly what was promised, when a customer's freight problem gets a phone call and a fix instead of an excuse, when the numbers on paper match what actually happens on the road. That's not a strategy. That's just who we are.
One company. Three core values. Every day.
At 13 Freight Group, we are committed to building long-term partnerships with customers, drivers, and communities through disciplined execution and unwavering accountability.
One Company. Three Core Values.
Integrity. We do the right thing, even when nobody is watching.
Communication. We believe trust is built through transparency and responsiveness.
Execution. Promises matter. Results matter. We deliver on both.