After a 45-year career that began in the company’s maintenance shop, Brent Nussbaum has announced Thursday he will step down as chief executive officer of Nussbaum Transportation (CCJ Top 250, No. 145) on Jan. 1, 2027, to become the company's executive chairman.
Bill Wettstein, the company's current president, will succeed him as CEO. Wettstein has been with Nussbaum for 25 years, previously serving as chief financial officer before being named president in 2024.
"I have full confidence in Bill and in the team around him, and I'm excited for this next chapter," Nussbaum said. "He knows this company, its people and its values as well as anyone."
In his new role as executive chairman, Nussbaum will direct the board and remain involved in company activities and industry associations.
Nussbaum's history with the carrier spans nearly a half-century. He began working in the maintenance shop while in high school, later drove a truck in the less-than-truckload division, and spent 15 years in operations. He briefly left to earn a bachelor’s degree in international business and business management from Illinois State University and a master's degree from the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, Arizona.
He returned to the family business in 1997 to work in sales and marketing and was appointed CEO in 2000.
Under his leadership, the company has grown significantly. Today, Nussbaum Transportation operates 640 trucks and 1,800 trailers, employing more than 800 people with operations focused primarily in the eastern half of the U.S.
Nussbaum Transportation was named CCJ's 2025 Innovator of the Year for the creation of Sales Scope, a proprietary program that expedites the carrier's response to Requests for Proposals (RFP), turning an hours long manual process to just seconds.
Nussbaum credited his father, Alden Nussbaum, who founded the company in 1945 and built it on a foundation of Christian faith.
"I'm grateful to God, to my family and to every Nussbaum team member who made the last 45 years possible," Nussbaum said. "I’m confident that Nussbaum will continue to honor God in the days ahead."
