King of Freight had developed into a notable freight brokerage and logistics company based in Wichita, Kansas. The company had built its business around connecting companies that needed to move freight with trucking companies and carriers that could transport those shipments. Rather than operating primarily as a traditional trucking company with its own fleet, King of Freight had worked as a transportation intermediary that helped businesses arrange over-the-road freight.
The company had been founded in 2008, and its growth had been closely associated with entrepreneur and freight industry professional Michael Ricklefs, also known as Mike Ricklefs. He had started the business from his apartment with a laptop and had subsequently helped develop it into a larger freight brokerage with a substantial workforce and operations beyond Wichita.
How King of Freight Had Started
King of Freight had begun in 2008 under the direction of Michael Ricklefs. The company had started on a much smaller scale, with Ricklefs working from his apartment and using a laptop to establish the business.
The early business model had been based on connecting shippers with trucking companies. Businesses that needed to transport products could have contacted King of Freight, while the company had worked to locate suitable transportation capacity for those loads.
This model had allowed the business to operate without maintaining a large private truck fleet. Instead, its value had come from its relationships with carriers, understanding of freight requirements, and ability to coordinate transportation between shippers and trucking companies.
A 2018 report had described how the company had grown from Ricklefs’ apartment into a business employing almost 200 people and occupying tens of thousands of square feet across downtown Wichita offices.
The Role of Michael Ricklefs
Michael Ricklefs had played a central role in the company’s development. His responsibilities had included entrepreneurship, leadership, business development, organizational growth, and freight operations.
His professional biography had described his experience as including business formation, operational structuring, team leadership, and navigating the commercial challenges associated with freight and logistics.
Ricklefs had approached freight brokerage as a business that required more than simply finding a truck for a load. Customers had expected transportation providers to communicate clearly, respond to problems, coordinate schedules, and maintain dependable relationships with carriers.
As King of Freight had expanded, Ricklefs had increasingly needed to focus on systems, employees, leadership, technology, and long-term business development.
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King of Freight’s Freight Brokerage Model
King of Freight had operated as a freight brokerage rather than a traditional carrier. Its role had been to connect businesses needing transportation with trucking companies and truck drivers that could move their products.
This model had provided flexibility for businesses that did not maintain their own transportation fleets.
For example, a manufacturer could have needed to move a shipment from Kansas to another state. Instead of searching for an available carrier independently, the business could have worked with a freight broker to arrange transportation.
King of Freight had handled this type of coordination by working between shippers and carriers.
The company had stated that it had offered free quoting and had aimed to provide flexible transportation arrangements based on customers’ schedules. Its services had included full truckload shipping and different trailer options for freight requirements.
Growth From a Small Business to a Larger Organization
The growth of King of Freight had been significant compared with its early beginnings.
In 2018, the company had almost 200 employees and had expanded its downtown Wichita office footprint. At that time, Ricklefs had planned continued hiring and additional office space as freight volumes increased.
By 2019, King of Freight had approximately 535 employees in Wichita and had pursued a major move into the former Gander Mountain building at WaterWalk. The company had planned to add at least 400 additional jobs as part of the expansion.
The move had represented a major milestone for the company and had also demonstrated the economic impact of its growth within Wichita.
The WaterWalk Headquarters
King of Freight’s move into the former Gander Mountain building at WaterWalk had become one of the most visible stages of the company’s expansion.
The company had planned to redesign the building and use it as a major Wichita headquarters. At the time of the proposed move, the company had already employed approximately 535 people locally and had planned substantial additional hiring.
The expansion had also been significant for Wichita because the additional employment had contributed to the city’s commercial and economic activity.
The company had remained connected to downtown Wichita while expanding its physical presence and workforce.
King of Freight’s Expansion in the 2020s
King of Freight had continued expanding after establishing its larger Wichita operation.
A 2022 report had stated that the company had 560 employees, including 274 brokers, and that leadership planned to hire another 200 to 300 people. The company’s sales had also experienced substantial growth after the disruptions in freight supply and demand during the early pandemic period.
The freight industry had experienced major changes during this period. Shipping demand had increased sharply at certain points, while carrier capacity, pricing, supply chains, and delivery requirements had shifted.
King of Freight had operated within those changing conditions and had continued building its brokerage operation.
Expansion Beyond Wichita
King of Freight had eventually expanded beyond its Wichita headquarters.
In 2025, the company had expanded into Addison, Texas, while also developing operations in Little Rock, Arkansas, and Tampa, Florida. Reports had indicated that the Wichita headquarters had employed approximately 600 people at that time.
The expansion had demonstrated that the company had moved beyond its original Wichita-focused operation.
Michael Ricklefs had also stated that Wichita would remain the company’s headquarters despite expansion into additional markets. Plans had included a new broker-focused office on the east side of Wichita.
Services King of Freight Had Provided
King of Freight had focused primarily on over-the-road transportation and freight brokerage. Its services had been structured around helping businesses arrange transportation for commercial shipments.
Full Truckload Shipping
Full truckload shipping had involved arranging an entire truck or trailer for a shipment. This service had been appropriate for businesses moving larger quantities of freight that required dedicated transportation.
FTL shipments could have included manufactured products, commercial inventory, equipment, materials, and other large loads.
Trailer Options
Different types of freight had required different trailer configurations. King of Freight had provided information and services relating to trailer types, allowing customers to select transportation based on their shipment requirements.
The appropriate trailer had depended on the freight’s dimensions, weight, loading requirements, and characteristics.
Shipping Special Items
Some freight had required additional planning because of its size, shape, weight, or handling requirements.
King of Freight had provided information for customers shipping special items, helping them understand transportation options before arranging a load.
The Importance of Carrier Relationships
A freight brokerage had depended heavily on relationships with trucking companies and carriers.
King of Freight had needed access to reliable transportation capacity to arrange shipments for its customers. The company had therefore developed relationships with carriers that could handle different routes and freight requirements.
The relationship between broker and carrier had been important because transportation problems could affect both the shipper and the customer receiving the freight.
Strong communication had helped brokers address changes in pickup schedules, delivery appointments, equipment availability, and other transportation issues.
Technology and Logistics Operations
Technology had played an increasingly important role in freight brokerage.
King of Freight had described its use of proprietary technology and logistics systems as part of its approach to improving transportation management.
Technology had helped freight organizations manage shipment information, communicate with transportation providers, organize customer requirements, and improve visibility.
However, freight brokerage had still depended heavily on human communication. Software could have provided shipment information, but employees had needed to interpret problems, communicate with customers, and coordinate solutions.
Michael Ricklefs had emphasized the combination of technology and people in his discussions about leadership and logistics operations.
Customer Service at King of Freight
Customer service had remained an important part of the company’s freight brokerage model.
King of Freight had stated that its staff had worked around customer schedules and had offered customized options such as billing preferences and dispatch alerts. The company had also promoted free quoting and an approach without hidden fees.
For businesses shipping freight regularly, these details could have simplified transportation management.
Customers had needed more than a truck. They had needed information about shipment status, pickup timing, delivery requirements, pricing, and transportation arrangements.
The Leadership Approach of Michael Ricklefs
Michael Ricklefs had described leadership in freight as requiring accountability, adaptability, and strong operational management.
In a professional article published under his name, he had discussed how King of Freight had grown from a single laptop operation into a large freight brokerage and had emphasized reliability, technology, people, and disciplined operations.
The growth of the company had required Ricklefs to develop teams and systems capable of managing substantially higher shipment volumes.
Leadership had therefore shifted from handling individual business tasks to establishing structures that allowed hundreds of employees to work toward common operational goals.
King of Freight’s Impact on Wichita
King of Freight had become part of Wichita’s broader business community through its employment growth and downtown presence.
Its expansion into the WaterWalk building had helped place a large private employer in a prominent downtown location. The company’s hiring commitments had also been viewed as a way to diversify Wichita’s economy beyond its traditional aviation and manufacturing base.
The company’s workforce had grown considerably from the early days when Ricklefs had worked from his apartment.
This expansion had illustrated how a logistics company could contribute to the local economy even without operating a large fleet of physical trucks.
The Evolution of King of Freight
King of Freight had evolved considerably since 2008.
The company had progressed from a small brokerage operation into a larger organization with hundreds of employees, a major Wichita headquarters, additional offices, technology infrastructure, and a broader national presence.
The company had also adapted its operations to changes in freight markets. The transportation sector had experienced shifts in demand, carrier capacity, pricing, labor availability, and customer expectations.
King of Freight had continued developing its brokerage model in response to these changes.
Michael Ricklefs and the Company’s Legacy
The professional story of Michael Ricklefs had been closely connected to the development of King of Freight.
He had started the business with limited resources and had subsequently helped guide its growth through hiring, expansion, technology investments, customer development, and operational management.
The name michael ricklef had also appeared in some online references as an abbreviated or misspelled version of his name, but formal professional sources had identified him as Michael Ricklefs.
His association with King of Freight had remained a significant part of the company’s history and its development in Wichita.
What Had Made King of Freight Different?
King of Freight had positioned itself around flexibility, communication, technology, and personalized freight support.
Instead of presenting shipping as a purely transactional service, the company had emphasized working around customer schedules and transportation requirements. Its brokerage model had also allowed it to connect shippers with trucking capacity without maintaining a traditional fleet of its own.
The company’s growth had suggested that this approach had resonated with businesses seeking transportation coordination and freight management.
Conclusion
King of Freight had grown from a small Wichita freight brokerage founded in 2008 into a larger transportation organization with a substantial workforce and operations beyond Kansas.
The company’s history had been closely tied to Michael Ricklefs, who had started the business from his apartment with a laptop and had played a central role in its development. The company had expanded through customer relationships, carrier networks, employee growth, technology, and a focus on freight brokerage.
Its Wichita headquarters had become an important part of the company’s identity, while expansion into markets such as Texas, Arkansas, and Florida had broadened its reach.
The story of King of Freight had ultimately reflected the development of a freight brokerage from a small entrepreneurial operation into a larger logistics business. Through changing freight markets and increasing transportation demands, the company had continued to build its operations around connecting shippers with carriers and helping businesses arrange over-the-road transportation.
