Three years ago, Russian entrepreneur Yakiv Yelenets founded Pro Jacob LLC, a U.S.-based car hauling company. Today, the business generates more than $500,000 in revenue and works with some of the industry’s largest auto transport brokers. Yelenets continues to expand the company while strengthening partnerships across the U.S. vehicle transportation market.
His achievements have also been recognized by the professional community. Yakiv Yelenets has received prestigious awards for his contributions to the transportation industry and is recognized as an expert in the field.
Before entering the transportation sector, Yelenets built his career in a completely different industry. In Russia, he founded Level Climat, a company specializing in industrial climate control systems for manufacturing facilities and the implementation of advanced intelligent ventilation solutions.
The transition to vehicle transportation marked a new chapter in his entrepreneurial journey—one he had envisioned for many years.
“I have always been passionate about the vehicle transportation industry. The United States has the world’s most developed car hauling infrastructure and a well-established market, making it the ideal place to pursue a long-held ambition. That is why I founded Pro Jacob LLC,” says Yakiv Yelenets.
Yakiv Yelenets emphasizes that he had been familiar with the car hauling industry long before relocating to the United States. The operating principles behind Pro Jacob LLC were built on a management framework he had developed during his time leading Level Climat.
“Every business has its own operational characteristics, but the management principles that drive resilience and sustainable growth remain universal, regardless of the industry,” says Yakiv Yelenets.
From the company’s inception, Yelenets integrated digital technologies and predictive analytics into Pro Jacob LLC’s operations, introducing a data-driven management approach that was uncommon in the car hauling industry at the time.
A decade ago, car hauling was widely regarded as a highly traditional business, with many believing that advances in digital technology would have little impact on the way vehicles were transported across the country. Experience has shown otherwise. Modern digital tools have significantly improved operational efficiency, enabling transportation companies to optimize planning, reduce costs, and increase overall performance.
“One of the largest sources of unexpected costs in the car hauling business is emergency equipment repairs,” says Yakiv Yelenets. “Beyond the cost of replacement parts and maintenance, carriers also face vehicle downtime, missed delivery deadlines, and compensation claims.”
He explains that while large transportation companies can often minimize reputational damage by dispatching a replacement truck, such a solution is rarely affordable for small and mid-sized carriers. As a result, preventing major mechanical failures on the road is critical to maintaining both profitability and service reliability.
To address this challenge, Yelenets developed his own transportation performance evaluation model. Rather than focusing solely on the revenue generated by each shipment, the model accounts for the total cost of completing each shipment, including empty miles, toll expenses, seasonal demand fluctuations, and the likelihood of delays. This data-driven approach enables the company to make more informed load selection decisions while maintaining consistently strong operating margins.
Despite its rapid growth, Pro Jacob LLC has avoided a significant increase in administrative staff by digitizing transportation planning and customer communication processes. This has enabled the company to scale its operations without a proportional increase in overhead costs.
The company’s predictive maintenance strategy also contributes to road safety by reducing the likelihood of mechanical failures during transit.
Another factor behind Yelenets’ rapid growth in the transportation industry is his approach to route optimization. By minimizing downtime and maximizing fleet utilization, the company is able to improve operational efficiency across its network. To support this strategy, Yelenets relies on specialized digital platforms for route planning and operational management. At a time when many U.S. transportation companies still rely primarily on conventional navigation tools, Pro Jacob LLC has adopted a more comprehensive, data-driven approach to route optimization.
Another key component of Yelenets’ management model is an early operational risk detection system. The company continuously monitors transportation performance metrics, delivery delays, equipment downtime, and technical incidents, enabling potential issues to be identified and addressed before they result in significant financial losses.
Thanks to this distinctive approach to car hauling, Yakiv Yelenets established a strong presence in the specialized vehicle transportation market within a remarkably short period of time and secured long-term partnerships with more than 30 leading U.S. companies, including Montway Auto Transport, SGT Auto Transport, and AmeriFreight.
In 2025, Yelenets’ achievements were recognized at the Best Business Awards, where he received the award in the “Contribution to the Development of the Transportation Industry and Company Growth” category. In 2026, he was invited to serve on the jury of the international Talents Award, reflecting his growing recognition as an industry expert.
Yelenets’ experience demonstrates that it is possible to build a successful car hauling company with relatively modest initial investment in a sector traditionally regarded as highly capital-intensive. His approach also illustrates that advanced digital technologies and data-driven management practices are not limited to large corporations but can be successfully adopted by small and mid-sized businesses. Today, the financial model developed by Yelenets is attracting growing interest from companies across the vehicle transportation industry.
“Digital technologies allow me to evaluate multiple operational scenarios, choose the most effective course of action, and address potential risks before they become costly problems,” Yelenets says. “That is what enables my business to remain resilient and sustainable.”
