USA Logistics sees growth across borders

Source: Supply Chain Digital

Date :12/05/2008 03:41:32

CFO Robert D. Long tells Exec how USA Logistics Carriers is reaping the rewards of cross-border traffic and a long term focus.

Written by James Hurley and Produced by Crias Corrigan

A short while ago, Robert D. Long, CFO of McAllen, Texas-based trucking company USA Logistics Carriers, was flicking through an issue of a leading transport trade magazine when he came across an article that amused him. The article in question gave tips on how carriers could improve their margins and cut costs. Nothing funny about that you might think, except that the main tips it gave were for initiatives that USA Logistics Carriers had already implemented.

“We’ve been doing things for over a year now to make ourselves smarter,” Robert tells me. “We want to be one of the top trucking companies in the US and we want everyone to know that.”

Since it was launched seven years ago, the company has enjoyed impressive growth. It began with two trucks in October 2000 and now operates a fleet of over 550 trucks and some 2,000 trailers. Revenues in 2007 were over $96 million, and in 2006, the company was named the number one Hispanic trucking company in the Hispanic Business 500.

A perfect match

Robert met the two founders of the company – Aurelio Aleman and Sergio Lagos – back in 2000 and instinctively spotted potential for a mutually beneficial relationship. “Aurelio had the operations experience. He was born and raised in trucking. At 53, he’s been doing it his whole life. But he lacked the administrative control,” he explains.

Fortunately, Sergio has been doing this for 17 years. “He had worked as a controller for trucking companies with large fleets.

He always had the administrative strength and a lot of great ideas and knew what buttons to push. But he could never open his own trucking company by himself…

May 12, 2008