Page 23 - Newcom

Big Freight joins Daseke
WINNIPEG, MANITOBA
Big Freight Systems, a Winni- peg-based, open-deck specialized transportation company, has merged with Texas’ Daseke.
The Schilli Companies has also joined Daseke, the largest owner and a consolidator of open-deck special- ized transportation solutions in North America, which is now comprised of 11 companies with more than 3,500 trucks and 7,300 open-deck trailers.
Big Freight Systems has been pro- viding supply chain solutions for nearly 70 years, and is an award-win- ning trucking and freight manage- ment company, with a specialization in the power sports market segment. The company serves all Canadian provinces and 19 states.
“There was a natural comfort level immediately with the other Daseke leaders,” said Gary Coleman, pres- ident and CEO of Big Freight Sys- tems. “There will be many syner- gies between the companies. We all share the same DNA for want- ing to be the best, and I look forward to sharing best practices with the Daseke family. What’s more, we will
Speedy inks cross-border partnership
TORONTO, ONTARIO
Speedy Transport Group recently announced it has entered into a rela- tionship with Estes Express Lines, through which it will handle Estes’ freight in Eastern Canada.
Speedy Transport will be pro- viding linehaul services for Estes’ freight to Eastern Canada through three strategic gateways in Michi- gan, New York, and Massachusetts, the company said.
“We share many of the same val- ues as Speedy Transport,” said Estes president and CEO Rob Estes. “They are proactively customer-focused and committed to helping their cus- tomers achieve the highest level of success. Their longevity in the industry, coverage area, and inter- nal culture make this a great fit, and we’re excited to move forward with our new alliance.”
Speedy Transport CEO Jared Martin added: “Estes’ integrity was evident in the initial meetings with Rob and his team. It didn’t take long to realize how well aligned Estes and Speedy were and what we could create together. We look forward to many years of collab- oration, providing industry-lead- ing national solutions to our joint customers.”
be a beachhead for Daseke in Can- ada. From an operational stand- point, we now have the financial resources of Daseke to grow our company further, along with con- solidated purchasing power and risk mitigation coverage.”
The Schilli Companies began in 1961 and services open-deck spe- cialized transportation, as well as industrial warehousing and distri- bution. The business is comprised of four companies – Schilli Trans- portation Services, Schilli Special-
ized, Schilli Distribution Services, and Schilli NationalLease, a member of NationalLease.
Big Freight Systems and The Schilli Companies had an esti- mated combined revenue of US$119 million. TN
The new alliance begins May 22. TN
June 2017 • Truck News 23