EL PASO, Texas (February 8, 2026)—Most trucking companies start with capital. Mesilla Valley Transportation started with two drivers and a desert road.

In 1982 in Las Cruces, New Mexico, Royal Jones and Jimmy Ray didn’t set out to build an empire. They climbed into the truck themselves to keep the lights on and bills paid. Just two founders hauling freight across the Southwest, learning the business the hard way, mile by mile.

They named the company after Mesilla, a town that had been moving people and supplies since the 1800s.

From the beginning, MVT focused on one thing: doing it right. Safe trucks, professional drivers, on-time delivery, and no shortcuts. Growth was painfully slow but they kept pushing.

By the late 1980s, MVT began controlled expansion beyond the Southwest, servicing all 48 states and Canada. While other carriers chased fast growth, Royal and Jimmy stayed behind the wheel of the business, building a culture drivers wanted to stay in.

Today, Mesilla Valley Transportation operates with 2,000 drivers and 2,500 trailers, and generates an estimated $600 million+ in annual revenue. It is now the largest privately-owned transportation fleet in the United States, and it’s still run by the same two men who were once its first drivers.

Royal Jones serves as President and CEO. Jimmy Ray remains part of the company he helped build from day one as well, though no publicly available information regarding his role today is available.

Their estimated combined net worth sits near $1 billion, but the real legacy isn’t the number. It’s a company built on safety, professionalism, and pride in the road.

Oh, and did we mention thaat both still find time to work on and race their USRA Modifieds all over the southwest, especially at Jones’ Vado Speedway Park dirt track in Vado?

Learn More:

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youtube.com/driveformvt
vimeo.com/driveformvt

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