Why do some small family-owned trucking startups manage to survive and grow in a highly uncertain industry, while others struggle despite similar market conditions? The answer may lie not only in external factors, but also in the personal traits of the entrepreneurs behind the business. This thesis investigates how entrepreneurial traits—specifically risk-taking and resilience—influence strategic decision-making in small, family-owned trucking startups during the early and most demanding stages of business development.

Guided by entrepreneurship theory and family business research, the study explores how these traits shape decisions related to uncertainty, operational challenges, and long-term stability. An interpretivist qualitative approach was employed, using semi-structured interviews with owners and managers of family-owned trucking startups. The data were analysed through thematic analysis to capture patterns in how entrepreneurs experience and describe their decision-making processes.

The findings show that risk-taking in these businesses is typically cautious and experience-based, rather than impulsive, and often shaped through family discussions. Resilience emerges as a key everyday practice developed through continuous exposure to operational challenges. Family involvement plays a dual role by providing emotional support while also encouraging cautious decision-making. The study contributes to entrepreneurship and family business literature by highlighting how entrepreneurial traits and family dynamics interact to shape strategic decisions in small transport firms.