TMG buys Ramsey MediaWorks to scale truck driver recruitment marketing

Transportation Marketing Group (TMG) has acquired Ramsey MediaWorks (RMW), bringing together two specialists in recruitment marketing for the trucking industry. The deal was announced on 1 September. Terms were not disclosed.

TMG has served transportation clients since 2022 and is owned by Thruline Marketing, based in Kansas City. It plans and buys recruitment media across Google, Facebook, Instagram, Indeed, ZipRecruiter and other job boards, and runs Outreach Engine, its own suite of AI and automation tools that plug into clients' applicant tracking systems.

RMW is a family-owned agency with more than 24 years in transportation recruitment. It has been acquisitive itself, buying the Hightower Agency in 2024. Together the two businesses have more than 100 transportation clients and over 40 people.

Garrett Ramsey, previously president of RMW, becomes president of TMG. He works alongside CEO Mike McHugh and COO Justin Gill. RMW's team, including Matt Lee, Jeremy May and Lauren Lehman, moves across, and RMW clients keep the same core team.

Why this deal makes sense

Hiring and keeping CDL drivers is one of the hardest problems in trucking, and carriers spend heavily on it. That makes driver recruitment marketing a small but valuable niche.

The two firms bring different strengths. TMG has the media buying scale and the technology. RMW has the long-standing relationships, deep industry knowledge and a reputation for client retention. McHugh pointed to how hard and expensive it has become to hire and retain professional drivers as the reason for combining now.

For Ramsey, the deciding factor was continuity. As a family business, he said, "it was important that our next chapter preserve the team, client relationships, and reputation."

What founders can learn from this

Vertical specialists are some of the most sought-after agencies in the market. A deep niche means sticky clients, a clear story for buyers and real barriers to entry. RMW spent two decades building exactly that.

The structure of this deal is also worth noting. RMW had already grown by acquisition, then chose to join a better-resourced peer rather than keep going alone. Its founder steps up to president of the combined business instead of stepping away. For family-owned agencies, protecting the team and the client relationships is often worth as much as the headline price, and the right buyer will build the deal around that.

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Sources: Transportation Marketing Group, The Trucker