TUCKER DELOACH

Hauling with Heart

story by JENNIFER BROWN-CARPENTER                    photos by SUSAN DELOACH

Leaving behind a stable career is not something most people do lightly. Taking a leap of faith into an entirely different industry might have looked like a reckless decision, but for Tucker DeLoach, it felt more like the next natural step forward.

Born and raised in Beaufort, the Lowcountry has always been home for Tucker DeLoach, founder and owner of Ranger Trash Company. He attended Beaufort Christian School before he transferred to Lowcountry Montessori School. After graduating from Battery Creek High School, he attended the South Carolina Fire Academy and became certified as an NFPA Firefighter II. Tucker ultimately decided not to pursue a career in firefighting.

Instead, Tucker started building a career at Jersey Mike’s Subs, where he worked part-time as a teenager. What began as a high school job steadily evolved into a major leadership role. Over the course of nearly nine years with the company, he climbed the ranks from part-time employee to overseeing seven stores between Georgia and South Carolina, and managing around 80 employees.

Tucker genuinely loved his job at Jersey Mike’s. “I enjoyed the people I worked with, the people that worked for me, and I loved the brand,” he explains. “It was a company that really believed in giving back to the community. That philanthropic mindset is what kept me with the company for so long.”

Tucker has always been a very forward thinker. “I’m a go-getter and I wanted something more for myself.” This led to the founding of Ranger Trash, which Tucker officially began running in November 2024 as a side hustle. It didn’t take long for him to realize that his side hustle had real potential and by the start of 2026, he made his decision.

“I was starting to feel stuck in my career and knew that growth was important to me. Customer service is so important to me, and I wanted to be able to provide that even more than I was in my position at Jersey Mike’s. I thought, if I’m going to do this, I’m going to have to dive in.”

As he continued to work with Ranger Trash, he recognized the “holes” in the industry. “People can often forget about the customer. Communication can be lacking. They are just dealing with your trash instead of really helping you make a difference in your life or helping you solve a problem. That’s what I have been focusing on — making Ranger Trash more personable and less systematic.”

The growth didn’t happen right away. “I had to learn how to market myself and my services. I made sure that I was a fully legitimate business and got all the licenses I needed. I knew I wanted to do this without any shortcuts, and I wanted it to be known that this is a professional service.” Tucker built a website and started networking with other business owners and people in the community. It is easy to see that the hard work is paying off. In the first quarter of 2026, Tucker has reached the same number of sales he reached during all of 2025.

Currently, Ranger Trash offers junk removal, dumpster rentals, demolition work, home cleanout, and hauling services throughout the Lowcountry. “I am always working and planning on ways to expand my service options,” Tucker says. “We get all kinds of jobs. Tomorrow I might be picking up sofas. The next day it might be a whole yard and home clean out. There is a very wide range of what we can clean up and get rid of, and it involves … well, pretty much anything,” Tucker says, laughing.

When asked why Ranger Trash is a necessary part of the Beaufort community, he points directly to customer service. “I want to help people rethink how they get rid of things. We don’t just throw things away that you have us pick up. We are actively working with organizations like CAPA and Habitat for Humanity to recycle and donate as much as we possibly can. Currently, we are recycling and donating about 60% of what we pick up. This is just another way to give back to our community.” This endeavor takes longer than the traditional way of just picking everything up and throwing it in a landfill. “I want to do things the right way, not just the easy way. I want to keep our county as clean and green as I can. If it is what is best for the environment, then it is what is best for Beaufort.”

Tucker hopes that people will focus on community involvement. He wants them to see the philanthropic mindset that he has as he operates Ranger Trash, which he carried over from his career at Jersey Mike’s. “Right now, I’m running a donation on social media where I’m giving away a full load of junk removal services to someone who needs it, so they can revamp their space or whatever they need. It’s not always about the bottom dollar but about creating a difference in the community.”

For some people, they need kind-hearted business owners like Tucker to show up for them and provide them with a better quality of life when it comes to their homes, garages, and yards. “My return rate is extremely high. If someone has used me once, they’ll probably use me again. I hope they will continue to recommend me, so that I can help more people.”

His long-term vision is ambitious. Eventually, he hopes to expand Ranger Trash into a full-service waste management company offering residential trash pickup, front-load dumpster services, hazardous material disposal coordination, portable restroom rentals, and other cleanup solutions. “Anything that can positively serve Beaufort County is what I want to be doing.”

Even though Tucker doesn’t currently offer every single one of those services, through his networking, he has built connections with other businesses in the area that he can reach out to in order to get work done. “If you call me and I can’t provide exactly what you need, I know who can. I want to be people’s first and last call. I want to grow and expand this business, but my main focus is always being the number one provider right here in the Lowcountry. This is my home. It’s where I grew up, and I love this place. I just want to know that the people here always have what they need.”

Tucker and his fiancée, Bailey, are planning their wedding for next April, and she helps out with Ranger Trash whenever she can. When he’s not working, Tucker enjoys making memories with the people he loves, playing pool at The Fillin’ Station, and spending time at community events like First Friday, 5k runs, and more. “I’m really big on family time and spending time enjoying the Lowcountry.”

“I want people to know that we care about this community just as much as they do,” he says. “I want people to enjoy Lowcountry living without worrying about the hassle of cleanup. We’ll take care of the mess so they can focus on enjoying their homes, their families, and their lives.”

(To learn more about Ranger Trash Company, you can visit www.rangertrash.com or call 843-954-0407.)