Team One Transport is a dry van carrier that transports freight in 48 states, with a fleet of 97 trucks. Its drivers travel approximately 1,000 miles per day.

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Some companies might consider being small a disadvantage, but for Team One Transport Inc., it’s a source of pride, CEO Kris Kohls says. Based in Columbus, Ind., the company is a dry van carrier that transports freight in 48 states.

A 32-year veteran of the trucking industry, Kohls says Team One Transport was founded as Mount Trucking Inc. in 1984. Its founder – a former engineer for Cummins Engine Co. Inc. – grew the company to operate a 60-truck fleet and later sold it to an investment banker in 2003.

Shortly afterward, Kohls says, Mount Trucking was in financial distress, because the investor did not have experience in the transportation industry. For help, he contacted Kohls’ consulting firm, Trans-Source Inc.

Although the investor wanted to liquidate Mount Trucking, Kohls talked him out of it. “I saw that the company had the nucleus of success,” he remembers. “It had a superior fleet of equipment and [some of] the best drivers I’d ever seen. These drivers were real ‘knights of the road,’ committed to being the best and not afraid to work.”

Evolving Team One
In 2005, Kohls acquired Mount Trucking and changed its name to Team One Transport. The primary reason for the name change, Kohls says, was that he wanted the firm to be No. 1 in its industry with team drivers. Through this system, one person will drive the load during the day, and another drives it at night. “[This] allows you to run 22 hours a day,” he says.

Kohls also wanted the company to gain brand recognition. At the time, “We weren’t really known by anybody,” he recalls. “You could see the truck go down the road and you wouldn’t know who it was.”
The company also created a slogan, “Integrity in Motion,” which appears on the side of its trucks and reflects Team One Transport’s philosophy. ”Anytime anyone ever has a question about how they need to handle a problem or business dealing, I’ll refer them to the side of the truck,” Kohls says.

Against Type
Today, Team One Transport has grown to operate a fleet of 97 trucks and employs a staff of 180. In addition to its headquarters in Columbus, Team One Transport operates a support office in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Director of Operations Joe Cansler adds that Team One Transport’s drivers travel approximately 1,000 miles per day. “Our driving teams can transport loads from coast to coast in approximately 72 hours,” he says.

Approximately two-thirds of Team One Transport’s team drivers are husband-and-wife teams, Kohls says. Many, he notes, are empty nesters who decided they “wanted to see the country and make some money.

“We also have some teams that are highly educated,” he continues, noting that this goes against the stereotype of a truck driver not having a college degree. “We have people working for us that have masters degrees, nursing degrees and computer science degrees.”

Taking Time To Care
A key part of Team One Transport’s success, Kohls says, is the “people-oriented” culture that it has nurtured with its employees. “These people are like family to us,” he says. “It takes a lot of time to care.”

“If you would take a poll with our drivers, they would say that we actually do care about their lives and lifestyle,” Cansler says, adding that he and Kohls often take calls from drivers that  nothing to do with work but instead concern their personal lives. “Everyone of my employees has my personal cell phone number.”

In addition, the calls are a good way for Team One Transport to stay in touch with drivers that Kohls or Cansler will not see face to face for several weeks. “It’s pretty hard to manage the process [without calls],” Cansler admits.  

Best of Both Worlds
Recently, Kohls says, Team One Transport formed an alliance with the fourth-largest truckload carrier in the United States, U.S. Xpress Enterprises Inc., based in Chattanooga, Tenn. With this alliance, “We can have the best of both worlds,” he declares.

Through this partnership, Team One Transport has access to vendors and companies nationwide that will keep it profitable. In addition, “We can be small and [retain] the best ingredients that a small company has to offer,” he says, noting that these benefits include the openness between its management and workers.

Looking ahead, Kohls says he sees the company staying true to its niche as a “world-class” team provider that will double its size in the next three years. “At that point, we will control our growth in order to stay true to our culture: ‘small yet world class,’” he says. “There’s no need to be too successful and ultimately [forget] who you are and why you are here.”