Two dozen more trucking jobs are being brought to South Dakota thanks to a merger between two smaller trucking companies.
The Sioux Falls, South Dakota company, K & J Trucking, has purchased the Sioux City, Iowa trucking company Midwest Continental in a deal finalized last week.
According to KELOLAND News, the deal began with a phone call from Midwest Continental’s owner over running computer programs, but the conversation soon turned to talks about retirement and selling the company.
“It so happened the owner called me and wanted to discuss how we run our computer program and at the end of the conversation, she said when you’re ready to buy somebody, give me a call and so she was kind of ready for us to work with,” K & J Trucking President & CEO Shelley Koch said.
K & J will take over Midwest Continental’s fleet of 25 trucks and 24 drivers, which Koch says is an easier way to acquire both equipment and drivers these days.
“And all of those things today are kind of hard to find. Equipment is difficult because of all the supply chain issues and getting parts. Drivers have always been, we’ve talked many times about the driver shortage,” Koch said.
“I don’t think any of us in the country like consolidation, because more competition is better than less competition. But we’re going from 100 to 125 or 130 trucks, I don’t think we’re a big threat out there,” Koch added.