Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/201087
INNOVATORS WATCHING ITSELF AND ITS IMPACT Through ongoing growth, Old Dominion keeps its security and sustainability promises BY DEAN SMALLWOOD E ven a 79-year-old company that already has earned its share of accolades for numerous innovations over the years might have a little room left in its trophy case for a few more awards. In 1934, Earl and Lillian Congdon pooled their life savings to start Old Dominion with a single truck hauling eggs between Richmond and Norfolk, Va. Their son, Earl Congdon, became chief executive officer in 1963 and helped transform the small regional company serving the Southeast into a publicly traded global company with more than 14,000 employees, 220 domestic service centers and global operations delivering goods to more than 48,000 locations, posting $2 billion in annual revenue. Old Dominion (CCJ Top 250, No. 12) provides regional, interregional and national less-than-truckload service, as well as a broad range of logistics services, including ground and air expedited transportation, supply chain consulting, transportation management, truckload brokerage, container delivery and warehousing. Through strategic partnerships, the company also offers international freight forwarding services throughout the world, and it also offers domestic household moving through its OD Household Services branch. In the last decade, Old Dominion has grown both organically via the opening of service centers nationwide and through acquisitions, including the Western region purchases of Salt Lake City-based UW Freight Line; Sumner, Wash.-based Priority Freight Lines; Denver-based Bullocks Express Transportation; and Sidney, Mont.- OLD DOMINION FREIGHT LINE Thomasville, N.C. based Bob's Pickup & Delivery. Earl Congdon Jr. stepped down as CEO in 2008 and now serves as executive chairman of the board; his son, David Congdon, is the current president and CEO. "Our company has prospered and has grown into the nation's premier LTL transportation provider," says Congdon. "Our growth was certainly not easy, and it would have not been possible without the dedication and hard work of the entire Old Dominion family throughout the years." Rewarding recognitions In 2013, the Thomasville, N.C.-based company has been recognized with numerous awards for company leadership in the industry: Forbes Magazine named Old Dominion as one of America's 100 Most Trustworthy Companies; NASSTRAC honored the company as 2013 Carrier of the Year; Mastio & Co. ranked Old Dominion as No. 1 National LTL carrier for the third consecutive year; and CIO magazine recognized Old Dominion for IT Excellence with the CIO 100 Award for the fifth consecutive year. Most recently, the company was recognized with a pair of prestigious industry awards for its commitment to security and loss prevention. The American Trucking Associations' Supply Chain Security & Loss Prevention Council bestowed Old Dominion with both the ATA Excellence in Security Award and The LTL company develops award-winning loss prevention and environmental strategies. COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2013 51