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LAPLACE — Derrius Taylor remembers sitting in a classroom at Lake Pontchartrain Elementary on April 22, 2019, the day he challenged himself to be greater. After his students finished testing, he resolved to follow his dreams of starting his own business.

Just over two years later, Taylor is the proud owner of Destination Transportation LLC, a safe, professional and timely transportation company offering a variety of services between New Orleans and Baton Rouge.

Destination Transportation provides non-emergency medical transportation to clients of Medicaid-based and private insurance companies. This includes transportation to clinical appointments, dialysis, chemotherapy and specialists throughout the region. Taylor also provides services for funerals and can accommodate individuals who need wheelchair assistance.

On the non-medical side, Destination Transportation offers airport pick-ups and drop-offs, chauffeur and black-tie limousine services, sprinter vans and private exotic automobile rentals. The high-end automobile rentals currently include top of the line BMWs and a Mercedes 550 that are perfect for weddings.

Destination Transportation started with a single van and quickly expanded to become a fleet.

“In 2019, I really prayed and started researching. I never thought about non-emergency medical transportation or just transportation alone, but I had recently worked as a business consultant for a company called ISI, and I learned a lot. I started using their approaches when it came to starting a business,” Taylor said. “I love people, and I knew I wanted to stick in the people sector. I wanted to kind of change my audience, going from teaching to caring.”

Taylor started to invest in himself every time he got paid, and it wasn’t long before he was checking off goals. He got his first van from Pastor Neil Bernard at New Wine Christian Fellowship in LaPlace for $500 to launch his business.

It turned into a full-time venture in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Taylor was building Destination Transportation while teaching virtually, and he realized focusing on his business allowed greater opportunities for personal and financial growth.

Taylor said some hardships faced earlier in his career as an educator shaped him into the successful entrepreneur he is today.

“I had it hard as an employee for a lot of schools. People based it on how I was from Garyville, and I didn’t look as polished as a Tulane student would look, but I had the mind. That made me who I am. My troubles bought my trophies,” Taylor said.

Faith in God has also shaped Taylor’s path. He is the son of Pastor Laurie Adams and a member of Voice of Truth Fellowship Church in LaPlace. Taylor remains connected to his St. John Parish community as a Garyville native, an alumnus of East St. John High School in Reserve, and a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. His wife, Iesha Taylor, is the owner of The Red Carpet Boutique and the Red Carpet Boutique XL in LaPlace.

Taylor has a golden standard for his business, and he operates under the mindset that “your satisfaction is our success.”

A 24- to 48-hour notification is needed for all initial pick-ups. For more information, email dtranspo@gmail.com or call the dispatch line, 504-905-8313.