I am PSTC - Josh Baldwin

Austell’s parts manager Josh Baldwin has understood the importance of the trucking industry since he was young. Growing up, his dad owned a trucking business where Josh was able to see the consequences of a broken-down truck—truckers unable to work and critical supplies not being delivered. His dad’s job was so crucial, he could get called into work at a moment’s notice just like a doctor. So, when the opportunity arose for a work study in high school, Josh decided he wanted to work on trucks, changing the oil, putting air in tires and doing overall preventative maintenance at a local dealership.

“When you get into this business you either love it or you hate it,” said Josh, who’s been with Peach State since 2021. “After taking a brief break from the industry, I had something missing and knew I needed to get back into the trucking industry.”

Josh had a brief stint starting up and operating a garage door business, but it didn’t seem to have the same meaning to him that trucking did. “There wasn’t as much “weight to it,” as Josh put it. Josh got back into trucking with a job at Penske all the way out in California where he found his niche in the parts department.

“My mentality was trying to make a positive difference in lives of truck drivers by finding them the parts they needed to eliminate anyone’s frustration. The biggest difference between working on trucks and doing parts is working with people. I like to interact with individuals all day every day – customers and employees.”

After becoming the parts manager at a Velocity Truck Centers dealership, Josh eventually took the job at Peach State’s Austell, Georgia location. Since joining, Josh is extremely proud of the team he and others have have put together that’s been able to maintain a high level of morale. He credits this with management’s ability to lead by example and interact with staff daily to communicate expectations and things that are coming down the pike. He also hires based on personality more than skillset, knowing he can always train people who are a good fit with the company culture.

Josh prides himself on putting family first. He and his wife have two boys and they all love spending time at the lake together or the kids’ sporting events. This transfers into his style of management in the sense of understanding the employee when family matters conflict with work obligations.

“There’s not a lot I don’t like about Peach State because it’s a big family from the top down,” said Josh. “I feel like at other companies you’re just a number, but here you can discuss football with the CEO or play golf with the GM’s. This is the culture at Peach State and I want to be able to keep that mentality going.”