REDMOND, Ore., Aug. 7,
2013 – Daseke Inc., a family of premier flatbed and specialized carriers,
continues to grow with the addition of Redmond, Ore.-based Central Oregon Truck
Company.
The transaction, which
took place Aug. 1, comes on the heels of Gaffney, S.C.-based J. Grady Randolph
Inc. joining Daseke (in May), making the holding company one of the 20 largest
flatbed and specialty carriers in North America. Other Daseke companies
include Smokey Point Distributing and E.W. Wylie.
“Central Oregon Truck
Company is truly a premier flatbed carrier and first-class in equipment and
customer service,” said Don Daseke, president and CEO of Daseke Inc. “We
were very impressed with the management team and the way they go about
business. They truly understand customer needs and the importance of
having quality equipment and drivers who are dedicated to safely delivering
flatbed loads.”
According to Rick
Williams, one of the founders and CEO of Central Oregon Truck Company, the
decision to join Daseke brings added momentum to a company already on the move.
“We’ve been in business since 1992 and have had great success – we’re
creative, very organized and want to grow,” Williams said. “We’ll
continue with our culture and principles and with the very same management team
and drivers we have in place. By joining Daseke, we have added
substantial financial backing for growth and now have a peer group of other
Daseke companies to help realize best practices and develop business
strategies. Being a Daseke company allows us to continue to fulfill our
vision and achieve our goals quicker and easier, while enhancing our service to
our driver teams and our shipper partners.”
Originally formed by a
group of friends who were former drivers, including Williams, Central Oregon
Truck Company has been a mainstay flatbed carrier throughout the 11 western
states, and has grown to handle loads with customers throughout the lower 48
states and in Canada.
“As former drivers, we
know the importance of the person behind the wheel – safe drivers are the key
to our organization and our customer service,” said Williams. “We run
Kenworth trucks that average less than 2.2 years in age, versus the industry
average of 6-plus years. The trucks are all equipped with the latest in
safety options, including lane departure warning systems, and anti-rollover
systems. Safety is priority one, and our safety ratings and CSA scores
prove that.”
Demonstrating its
commitment to its drivers is the company’s new 28,000-square-foot showcase facility,
which features sleeping rooms, an exercise facility, café, computer lab and
laundry mat. “We also have our management team here with open doors,”
said Williams. “We know our drivers on a personal level and that culture
will never change.”
“They truly offer the
entire package,” said Daseke. “We’re looking forward to offering the
tools in capital, and peer group roundtables, which will help them grow even
further. It’s an exciting relationship for both parties.”
Addison, Texas-based
Daseke Inc. is a family of specialized flatbed transportation companies serving
49 states and Canada. The companies include the E.W. Wylie Corporation,
based in West Fargo, N.D. (wylietrucking.com); Smokey Point Distributing, based
in Arlington, Wash., (spdtrucking.com); J. Grady Randolph (jgr-inc.com), based
in Gaffney, S.C., and Central Oregon Truck Company, based in Redmond, Ore. (http://www.centraloregontruck.com).
E.W. Wylie is known for hauling heavy equipment, both flatbed and
specialized. Smokey Point is a leader in aviation-related transportation with a
highly diverse trailer fleet featuring a large inventory of curtain trailers in
flatbed, step-deck and low-profile step-deck configurations. J. Grady Randolph is
an expert in over-dimensional flatbed cargo. Central Oregon Truck Company
handles a variety of flatbed loads and offers curtain trailers and roll-tops.
Together, the companies comprise one of the 20 largest flatbed and
specialty carriers in North America.
No comments:
Post a Comment