On Monday, one of the largest privately owned freight companies in the U.S., Iowa-based CRST International, announced its acquisition of Gardner Trucking Inc.
Gardner Trucking Inc. is the largest trucking carrier in California and provides service to the western U.S. According to The Gazette, this is CRST’s largest single acquisition. It is expected to add around $400 million in revenue to the company.
Dave Rusch, president and CEO of CRST International, explained the benefits of the new addition.
“CRST International is comprised of seven specialized transportation companies. We are always in search of adding companies to our portfolio that offer services which allow us to expand our capabilities for our customers. The acquisition of Gardner Trucking further complements CRST’s service offerings through Gardner’s expertise in short-haul, local markets, as well as drayage and warehousing. We are thrilled to be working with the Lanting family on this acquisition and look forward to growing Gardner’s operations in its markets.”
The current president of Gardner, Tom Landing will continue his current role. He stated,
“The Gardner team looks forward to joining the growing CRST family of companies. With the Gardner brand and its specialized service offerings, we look forward to offering our customers a wider range of services in more locations.”
Currently, CRST International is comprised of over 8,000 drivers, contractors, and personnel. The move will add more than 2,400 drivers and 500 personnel. With the new addition, CRST believes it can reach its goal of obtaining $2 billion in revenue by 2018.