MEET THE FOUNDERS AND SHAREHOLDERS
DAN ABRAMS – Executive Chairman
Dan founded Diesel Direct in 1998 and turned it into a national company before selling his interest in 2015. He has more than 40 years of experience in the trucking and construction industries.
Prior to founding Diesel Direct, Mr. Abrams owned and operated several full-service truck leasing companies. He was the executive vice president and shareholder of United Truck Leasing. During his tenure, United Truck Leasing grew to be one of the nation’s largest full-service truck lessors, operating more than 4,000 pieces of equipment from 24 company domiciles in 12 states.
Dan was also a co-founder of Amtralease, a nationwide network of truck lessors. Amtralease was acquired in 2003 by AmeriQuest Transportation, a powerful trade cooperative for independent leasing companies in America.
Mr. Abrams, using his mechanical engineering education, designed and manufactured a unique line of small concrete batch plants.
He served as a board member at the Massachusetts Environmental Law Enforcement Agency, which was responsible for boating and recreational vehicle safety. He resides in Southeast Florida.
LARS RYDSTROM – Chief Executive Officer
Lars is a self-made serial entrepreneur with over 40 years of experience in creating, managing, growing and selling sales and marketing focused businesses.
Originally from Sweden, Lars was educated in Switzerland and England, where he at the age of 23 started his first enterprise, selling his own branded skincare and cosmetics range through direct selling.
Five years later, Lars sold the company and moved into mail order where he started Shopping Sense, a direct mail venture, which he sold three years later to Littlewoods, one of UK’s largest privately held companies. He also ventured into sales promotions, cosmetic surgery clinics, cell phone content and on line marketing, just to mention a few, throughout his business career.
DARRY STUART - VP Operations
Darry has more than 50 years of experience in the transportation industry. He is the president and CEO of DWS Fleet Management Services. He also provides limited time executive services such as leadership, coaching, asset management, and legal support to companies in transportation and fleet equipment management.
He has also hosted numerous speaking and training events since 1998.
An early ASE-certified master technician, he began his career on the shop floor. His fleet management experience includes working at Perdue Chicken, BFI (Browning-Ferris Industries) and United Truck Leasing. He later founded Fleet Truck Parts and then became the vice president at Keen Companies.
In addition, Mr. Stuart has also served as vice president of distribution at Cumberland Farms and Gulf Oil, where he was responsible for the delivery of petroleum, milk, bread and dairy products to 1,600 locations.
Mr. Stuart also provides diesel fuel and DEF consumption (TMC/SAE TYPE 3 and TYPE 4 fuel MPG) testing, confirming on road comparisons for one of the major truck manufacturers and a major leasing company in the USA.
For more than 40 years, Mr. Stuart has been an active member, including general chairman (2007-2008) of the Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) of American Trucking Association. He has also been the originator and moderator of Shop and Fleet Talk, a popular TMC ongoing program, for 26 years.
Mr. Stuart has been the recipient of numerous industry awards, including TMC’s Silver Spark Plug, given in recognition of an individual’s outstanding contributions to the cause of excellence in heavy-duty vehicle maintenance management, as well as CCJ’s Career Leadership Award in 1998. The industry articles he has authored, and those in which he is mentioned or quoted through his career, are in the excess of 300.