Forty Under 40: Josh Whittle

He traded in his sword for a ploughshare.

Josh Whittle, a former United States Air Force pilot, did two tours in Iraq flying one of the most successful military aircrafts ever built, the gigantic C-130, used primarily for troop and cargo transport.

By the time he left the military in 2012, Whittle was a captain who had flown 334 sorties and transported 3,574 passengers and 340 tons of cargo during combat operations.

Then he came home to Springdale, bought a house and decompressed for a couple of months. Bolstered by the GI Bill, he enrolled at the University of Arkansas and earned his master’s in operations management this year.

Whittle is chief financial officer for the Springdale-based Whittle Family of Businesses — Whittle Truck Sales and Trailer Leasing, WW Transport, and RD Services. Though his title is CFO, Whittle does just about everything — comptroller, operations, human resources, safety and IT. 

Whittle is in the process of modernizing the companies in terms of technology, corporate structure, equipment and inventory. The core Whittle business is the rental of over-the-road trailers, both refrigerated and non-refrigerated. The company has always been located in Springdale, and if Whittle has his way, it will remain there. The company will also continue to thrive.

“My main goal is to keep the legacy going and keep a good name in the community,” he said.