Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/591462
2 2 | BULLDOG | 2 0 1 5 V 3 S uperior Transportation CEO Pat Barber has been a Mack enthusiast his entire life, so it was natural for him to choose Mack equipment to power his fl eet. He's proud of his company's reputation for superior service transporting high profi le, challenging cargo and credits his professional drivers and top-of-the-line Mack equipment for this success. Barber started Superior, based in North Charleston, South Carolina, in 1998 as a one-truck owner-operator. Once he reached fi ve trucks, he offi cially came off the road and began managing the fl eet that special- izes in heavy hauls of rare, diffi cult, oversize or high-value cargo — a perfect fi t for Mack's combination of durability and power. They have successfully completed more than 100,000 shipments of large loads, seamlessly combining truck, rail and barge transport. They operate throughout 48 states but primarily haul east of the Mississippi River. Born Ready Barber's loyalty to the Mack brand began early: When he was born, he and his mother came home from the hospital in his father's Mack wrecker, and when his father replaced that truck with a newer Mack, he took his young son to the local Mack dealer and let him choose the color — green. Today, his Mack pride is on display in his offi ce where bookcases tower from fl oor to ceiling fi lled with miniature Mack trucks. "I've always had an affi nity for Macks, especially green ones," Barber says, pointing to a faded photograph of him and his brother in front of his dad's 1972 Mack. There has been a lot of industry consolida- tion recently, but Barber says Superior Transport is here for the long haul. Though the Great Recession was brutal, he says the company survived thanks to its strong rela- tionships with vendors, banks and insurers. Superior's goal is to be the go-to company for customers with challenging cargo, and as the years pass, their reputation continues to grow, with annual revenue of $15 million. Barber's proud of his 40-truck fl eet, con- sisting primarily of 2013 and newer Mack Pinnacle™ and Titan by Mack models, and says the equipment attracts and helps retain reliable, professional drivers. A trucker's truck With industry driver turnover trends at nearly 84 percent according to the American Trucking Associations, recruiting and retain- ing good drivers is crucial to the success of any trucking company. Barber, who was pre- viously a mechanic and a driver, feels strongly about his drivers. He knows how hard the job can be and he wants his nearly 40 drivers to operate as safely and comfortably as possible. That's why he was excited to take a deliv- ery of 13 Mack Pinnacle axle-forward AT WORK Superior success Mack Pinnacles and Titans power Superior Transportation's growth in specialized hauls Story and photos by Carmen K. Sisson