Daseke announced that Bulldog Hiway Express is merging with the Daseke family of flatbed, open-deck and specialty carriers.
Based in Charleston, S.C., Bulldog Hiway Express, was founded in 1959 and has grown to several hundred power units along with more than 400 trailers, the company said, noting it also operates terminals in Savannah, GA, and Mobile, AL.
“As the trucking industry evolves, opportunities present themselves. In many ways, this is a great opportunity for Bulldog Hiway Express,” said Rod Moseley, chairman of Bulldog and the eldest son of R.D. Moseley, who passed away in 2012. “I’ve known Don for a number of years and he’s had an interest in Bulldog becoming a Daseke company. What he is building is impressive and our new sister companies represent the best in the industry. We look forward to working with them as teammates and growing our business.”
“Bulldog is a great match with our family of companies,” said Don Daseke, president and CEO of Daseke. “They have an extremely enviable position in the markets they serve, and are dedicated to customer service, as well as their own employees. What’s more, their safety scores are impeccable something that is carried across the line with all Daseke companies.”
Daseke now offers the industry more than 2,800 tractors and more than 5,800 open-deck trailers, the company said.
According to Phil Byrd, Bulldog’s president and CEO and the immediate past chairman of The American Trucking Associations: “This is the right decision at the right time for Bulldog. The synergies and collaboration that exist within the Daseke family of companies, that we are now a part of, will bring added capacity, capabilities and value to our people and customers.”
Through his work with ATA, Byrd said he got to know Daseke and the CEOs of the Daseke companies and came away impressed. “They are an elite group led by Don, who is building something profound and unique in this industry,” he said. “It’s clear that he’s investing in people and companies that have well-deserved reputations for quality and integrity. Why wouldn’t we want to be a part of that?”
Bulldog handles dedicated and for-hire, open-deck operations, intermodal port deliveries and heavy hauls with loads reaching 180,000 lbs. The company said it operates throughout the United States and Canada supporting the automotive and energy sectors, including wind, solar and nuclear power.
“Bulldog’s founder, R.D. Moseley, was a true cornerstone in South Carolina trucking. His sons, Rod and Charles, have long been integral to the operation,” said Daseke. “And Phil has been with the company for more than 30 years. They have a true family business dynamic with a 15-year average length of service with their employees. The company’s driver turnover rate is less than 20 percent -- that’s phenomenal and speaks volumes about how tight-knit the company is – once people join Bulldog, they are a part of the family.”
“We’re looking forward to the future with Daseke, and I know our people are as well,” added Byrd. “We’ve been growing at a 20 percent clip over the past two years and now, as a Daseke company, we expect that growth to compound. It’s exciting.”
