As of August 1st, a family of premier flatbed and specialized carriers known as, Daseke, Inc. has just recently acquired Central Oregon Truck Company (est. in 1992) based out of Redmond, Oregon.
Daseke, Inc. also includes Smokey Point Distributing, E.W. Wylie, and most recently, J. Grady Randolph Inc. which joined in May. With the recent addition of Central Oregon Truck Company and J. Grady Randolph Inc., Daseke, Inc. became one of the 20th largest flatbed and specialty carriers in North America.
According to president and CEO, Don Daseke, “Central Oregon Truck Company is truly a premier flatbed carrier and first-class in equipment and customer service, 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.”
Rick Williams, CEO and one of the founders of Central Oregon Truck Company stated that their company was already on the move, but that joining forces with Daseke, Inc. would only add momentum. He also mentioned that Central Oregon Truck Company would continue to operate in a creative and organized way while retaining their management team and drivers. Joining Daseke adds a substantial financial backing to promote growth as well as a ‘peer group’ to help realize best practices and develop better business strategies. Rick Williams stated that, “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.”
Central Oregon Truck Company was originally formed by a group of former drivers, and have established themselves as a ‘mainstay flatbed carrier’ in 11 western states, and has grown to handle loads for the lower 48 states as well as Canada.
Williams also mentioned (as a former driver himself) that he knows the importance of the individual behind the wheel, and safe drivers are the key to the success and customer service of their organization. Central Oregon Truck Company runs Kenworth trucks less than 2.2 years of age (the industry average is 6) and that all trucks include lane departure warning and anti-rollover systems.
Central Oregon Truck Company also has a 28,000-square-foot facility which includes sleeping rooms, a computer lab, a cafe, an exercise facility, and a laundry mat – all for their drivers. There, the management exercises an open door policy, and gets to know their drivers on a personal level.
Daseke says that Central Oregon Truck Company, “…truly offers the entire package. 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.”
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