King of Freight

  A story of resilience, belief, and unwavering determination is unfolding at   King of Freight , where perseverance has redefined what is possible. In 2022, Deaires Peterson joined the company's dispatch department, beginning a journey that would ultimately make company history. From February 18, 2022, to July 9, 2025, Peterson dedicated himself to mastering the operational side of the business, building a reputation as a dependable, driven, and solutions-focused professional. But Peterson's journey toward this milestone began long before he entered the freight industry. In 2013, his life changed forever when he was struck by a stray bullet, leaving him a quadriplegic. Faced with unimaginable adversity, Peterson chose not to let tragedy define his future. Instead, he committed himself to growth, resilience, and the pursuit of meaningful opportunity. That opportunity came when former CEO  Mike Ricklefs  made the decision to give Peterson a chance in 2022. R...

Five years ago, King of Freight was a new business that consisted of Mike Ricklefs and a laptop in his apartment.  Today, the fast-growing freight brokerage has 38 employees in Wichita, Kansas City and Houston, and it’s about to seriously expand its headquarters here.  “We ended up landing some pretty big accounts,” Ricklefs says of customers such as Georgia-Pacific and ABC Supply. “We’re pretty much the middle man between the business and the trucking company.”  King of Freight needs space for more employees to service accounts. “We’re scrambling to hire people and give them jobs,” Ricklefs says. Next month, the company will move from 2,000 square feet at 1835 N. Rock Road to about 5,000 square feet at the High Touch Technologies building downtown at 110 S. Main St.  Ricklefs says he has an option for 5,000 square feet more, which he thinks he’ll take within three months after hiring about 15 new sales people.  “We have the option to grow while we’re there,” h...