Cedric Baylor and his wife, Linda, knew very little about running a business when they started Above Average LLC in 2016.
Formerly a social worker, Baylor left his field after 14 years to pursue a new job in the transportation industry. Above Average operates throughout the New Haven, Connecticut area, providing transportation for special needs and foster care students.
Baylor’s past experience inspired him and his wife to start their business. As a social worker, many of his clients relied on private transportation services to get to school and their homes. He noticed that a lack of communication was a major problem; sometimes, his clients would be left behind without a ride.
“I know what a foster kid goes through, so I know any kind of consistency you could provide for them in their unstable life is the best thing we can do,” Baylor said.
Baylor knows that Above Average plays a vital role in the lives of his students.
The McKinney–Vento Act ensures that children nationwide who are put into foster care stay in their same school district throughout and after the process creating a need for transportation solutions. Additionally, some school districts are unable to provide transportation for special needs students.
That’s where Baylor’s company comes in -- to fill in the gaps and offer school districts the assistance they need.
Proper training and safety measures are essential to his business.
“When it comes to driver training, we have a host of trainings that we give them to understand the population we’re working with and how important their role is,” Baylor said. “Some of the kids have special needs; they might not be like your kid. You may need to look at it from a different lens other than just your lens.”
Above Average also implements GPS tracking in all of its vehicles to ensure drivers are engaging in safe operation.
Baylor says it is “an evolution everyday” at Above Average. With few mentors and no prior experience running a business, he and his wife figure things out as they go. They call it “failing forward.”
“I’m kind of plateaued out with my knowledge, and I need to find out how I can scale my business, what to look out for, where I can save costs, things of that nature,” Baylor said.
That’s what pushed Baylor to join The Transportation Alliance.
“For educational reasons, it was a no-brainer for me to join,” he said.
After suffering major setbacks during the pandemic, Baylor hopes to increase operations to 20 vehicles on the road soon. He is also aiming to increase his staff to assist with the growing workload that comes with owning a business.
Please join us in welcoming Above Average LLC to The Transportation Alliance!
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