# Fred Ross

> Fred Ross is the Kansas City founder and former CEO of Custom Truck One Source. His career began in family automotive service and truck salvage before he founded Custom Truck & Equipment with siblings in 1996. He led the business through private-equity investment and its combination with Nesco, and transitioned to Founder in March 2023. His other ventures include Big Thunder Marine and Iconic Marine Group.

- **Role:** Founder and Director at Custom Truck One Source
- **Organizations:** Custom Truck One Source, Custom Truck & Equipment, Iconic Marine Group, Big Thunder Marine
- **Known for:** Founded and led Custom Truck from a family operation into a publicly traded specialty-equipment business., Helped repurpose the former Armco Steel site in northeast Kansas City., Expanded into performance-boat manufacturing through Iconic Marine Group.

## Career timeline

- **Early career** — Worked in his grandfather’s automotive service and towing business, then learned truck chassis customization and bodybuilding in his uncles’ salvage business.
- **1996** — Founded Custom Truck & Equipment with siblings in Kansas City.
- **2005** — The Ross family purchased the former Armco Steel property that became the company campus.
- **2015** — Blackstone affiliates acquired a majority interest in the truck business; Ross also partnered with his son and daughter to acquire Big Thunder Marina.
- **2016** — Ross and partners acquired performance-boat assets and organized Iconic Marine Group.
- **2019** — Custom Truck first reached $1 billion in annual revenue.
- **2021** — Led the combined Custom Truck and Nesco business as CEO following the April transaction.
- **2023** — Transitioned from CEO to Founder on March 20; Ryan McMonagle succeeded him.
- **2026** — Listed as Founder and a continuing director in the company’s April proxy statement.

## Achievements

- Founded and led Custom Truck from a family operation into a publicly traded specialty-equipment business.
- Helped repurpose the former Armco Steel site in northeast Kansas City.
- Expanded into performance-boat manufacturing through Iconic Marine Group.

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — The company’s proxy statement identifies Ross as Founder and a continuing director with a term expiring in 2028.
- **2024-08** — At the Manufacturing Express visit, Ross described creating jobs for thousands of families as his greatest achievement.
- **2023-09** — Commented as Founder on the introduction of Load King Lightning PTO electric hydraulic equipment.

## Links

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fred-ross-957074261

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/fred-ross
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-22