Bulldog Hiway Express is merging with the Daseke Inc. 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. They also operate terminals in Savannah, Ga., and Mobile, Ala.
“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 Inc. “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. Daseke is the second largest open-deck/specialty carrier in North America. Bulldog joins Smokey Point Distributing, E.W. Wylie, J. Grady Randolph, Central Oregon Truck Company, Lone Star Transportation (including Davenport Transport), the Boyd Companies (including Boyd Bros. Transportation, WTI Transport, Mid Seven Transportation).
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,” said Byrd.
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. 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 pounds. The company operates throughout the United States and Canada supporting the automotive and energy sectors, including wind, solar and nuclear power.