Daseke, Inc. ( DASS-kee;[1] NASDAQ: DSKE, DSKEW) is the largest owner and a leading consolidator of flatbed and specialized transportation in North America, comprising 16 operating companies with over 5,200 trucks and over 11,000 flatbed and specialized trailers.
The Daseke axis of companies includes Smokey Point Distributing, E.W. Wylie, J. Grady Randolph, Central Oregon Truck Company, Lone Star Transportation, Bulldog Hiway Express, Hornady Transportation, The Boyd Companies (including Boyd Bros. Transportation and WTI Transport), The Schilli Companies, Big Freight Systems, The Steelman Companies, The Roadmaster Group, TSH & Co. (Tennessee Steel Haulers), Moore Freight Service, Inc, Aveda Transportation and Energy Services, and Builders Transportation Co.
History
In 2008, Don Daseke began expanding his operations with the purchase of Smokey Point Distributing (SPD),[2] which focuses in hauling large, cumbersome, aviation-related cargo. In 2011, Daseke added E. W. Wylie, a company with a large amount of business in Canada.[3]
Two years later, in 2013, J. Grady Randolph (JGR), a four-generation, family-owned South Carolinian carrier joined Daseke.[4] Three months later, Daseke added Central Oregon Truck Company (COTC).[5] By November 2013, Daseke merged with The Boyd Companies, a carrier with four companies under its umbrella: Boyd Bros. Transportation, WTI Transport, Mid Seven Transportation and Boyd Logistics.[6][7][8]
2014 saw the addition of Lone Star Transportation, a Fort Worth carrier with a presence in Mexico.[9][10] Bulldog Hiway Express, led by former American Trucking Associations Chairman, Phil Byrd, and Hornady Transportation, an Alabama trucking company established in 1928, the oldest company to join to date, both joined the Daseke family in 2015.[11][12]
In 2017, Big Freight Systems became the first Canadian company to join Daseke.[13] The Schilli Companies, which are Schilli Transportation Services, Schilli Specialized and Schilli Distribution, joined simultaneously and provide warehousing and logistics.[14] In July, The Steelman Companies (Steelman Transportation and Group One Inc.) joined Daseke and are led by President and CEO Jim Towery.[15][16] To end 2017 strong, December brought three more companies to the Daseke family - The Roadmaster Group, TSH & Co. and Moore Freight Service, Inc. The Roadmaster Group is a family of specialized transportation companies who serve the high security market - MCF is a key contributor.[17] TSH & Co. (Tennessee Steel Haulers & Company), is one of the largest flatbed haulers in the region, hauling primarily steel and industrial materials.[18] Daseke also added Moore Freight Service, Inc, which is a comprehensive freight service company specializing in flat glass transportation.[19]
Daseke acquired two additional companies in 2018, Aveda Transportation and Energy Service and Builders Transportation Co. Aveda is one of the largest providers of specialized transportation services and equipment required for the exploration, development and production of petroleum resources in the U.S. and Canada, and Builders Transportation Co. is a fleet of over 300 company trucks and 500 spread-axle trailers focused on traditional flatbed operations through the 48 contiguous states, hauling coil steel, wire products, structural and sheet steel, aluminum products, building materials, cast iron, steel pipe and machinery.
In 2018, Bharat Mahajan was appointed as the chief financial officer for Daseke.[20] In addition to this appointment, Daseke announced Chris Easter as the chief operations officer early in 2019.[21]
