One of America’s oldest family-owned trucking companies didn’t get that way by being, well, old. In fact, the Decker Truck Line fleet is turning younger than ever, and it’s a nimble, proactive approach to growth strategy and market conditions that continues to guide the Fort Dodge, Iowa-based firm.
Jacksonville-based Advanced Disposal System is the largest privately held waste company in the country, with a 3,000-truck fleet and a footprint in 20 states. However, CEO Richard Burke prefers to focus on the company culture.
The Peterbilt nameplate on Valley Tank and Container equipment these days is identical to the one that adorned Johnny Verschuur’s classic Model 379 a couple decades ago. But trust that the medium-duty Peterbilts in the fleet are very different.
The notion that a well-appointed fleet could help draw the best drivers is a familiar concept at Tennessee Commercial Warehouse. After all, driver retention and recruitment are primary reasons the Nashville-based warehousing operation, logistics provider and carrier has been a committed Peterbilt partner since the late 1970s.
A variety of Peterbilt products goes to work daily on local projects for the Shelly Company, the leading ready-mix concrete, aggregates and asphalt provider in the state of Ohio.
It’s a state that boasts both one of the largest surface areas and smallest populations in the United States. So when Steve Mergenthaler, the third generation of leadership at the Mergenthaler Companies, says his operation partners with other carriers to transfer freight “the final mile into Montana,” trust that he’s understating things a bit.
Jeff Jefferson is not in the trucking business, but he’s like many whose livelihoods depend on the performance of a Peterbilt truck.