Safeco Trucklines Ltd. (http://www.safecotransport.com/) is located in Surrey, BC, Canada, near Vancouver and the Washington state border. The company was founded in 2004 and specializes in both FTL and LTL in Canada and the Western and Central United States.

A TQL Logistics Account Executive contacted Safeco a little over a year ago to see if the company  would be interested in hauling freight to and from Canada for TQL. Safeco joined TQL’s list of approved carriers and has since transported hundreds of loads of dry goods for our company.

“What I like best about working with TQL is that one single call gives me multiple loads, and I don’t have to worry about payment—TQL pays right away. TQL’s Logistics Account Executives are one of the best logistics teams I have ever served,” says John Malhans, a Partner of Safeco Trucklines Ltd.

TQL’s Logistics Account executive feels just as positive about working with Safeco: “John Malhans of Safeco Trucklines is a real nice guy to work with. He has had zero fallouts and has never been late with any of the loads he has hauled for us. He’s an A+ carrier.”

It is quality carriers like Safeco Trucklines that enable TQL to provide top-level customer service to our customers on a daily basis. Thanks, Safeco!

Morales Express, LLC is located in Los Angeles, California.  In 2006, the company was founded by the six Morales brothers ranging in age from 29 to 60 years old.  Their names are Victor, Juan, Luis, José, José and José.  Yes, you are reading that correctly. 

“There are 3 José’s in the Morales family,” explains Operations Manager Brenda Ishikawa. “It can get confusing at times, but I’m pretty used to it now.”

Brenda knew the Morales brothers well before the company was founded. She was anxious to work with the brothers and handles everything from dispatching to accounting. 

 “Over the past 5 years we’ve grown to 18 drivers and 24 trucks,” Brenda likes to brag. “We move everything from electronics to household goods and frozen food.”

We like to brag about them, too.  Over the past 12 months Morales Express, LLC has moved more than 125 loads for our customers and has provided fantastic service on each and every one. We appreciate their hard work and dedication to excellence!

“Everyone at Morales has a great attitude and are great to work with,” said Timothy Kennedy, a Logistics Coordinator here at TQL. “They are very reliable and we never have to worry about them picking up or delivering a load."

Congratulations to Morales Express LLC for being our Carrier Spotlight this quarter.

Mike Elliot Trucking, LLC is located in Belvedere, Tennessee. In 1995, after having driven his own truck for over 30 years, owner Mike Elliot decided it was time to start his own company. He purchased a second truck, hired his first employee and the business took off.

In the midst of the busy holiday season, Logistics Account Executive Larry Shepherd hired Direct Express to haul a load from Fort Lewis, WA to Fort Stewart, GA. With close to 20 years of service, Larry felt comfortable that Joe, the driver, would provide excellent service.

Larry called Joe’s wife Marty, who was at the couple’s home in Dover, Ohio, as well as the manager at the Petro station, who agreed to keep an eye on the truck while Larry tried to figure out a solution. Then, he called a carrier he trusted and loaded regularly located out of Seattle, WA.  Unfortunately, his contact didn’t have any drivers available, but referred Larry to a guy named Chris at Fast Way Transport.

Chris immediately sprung into action. He didn’t have a driver that could go all the way to Georgia, but he said he would try and help. Fifteen minutes later, Chris had not only found a driver that could deliver the load, but he volunteered to personally go to the Petro station and pick up Joe’s truck. He even offered to house the truck in his secure yard while Joe recovered in the hospital (an estimated 6-8 weeks) at no charge. 

“Thanks to Chris’ efforts and connections, the load arrived safely on its scheduled delivery date,” said Larry. “Most importantly, Joe was able to concentrate on his treatment versus worrying about his truck. Chris truly did an exceptional job and his generosity went beyond anything I, or Joe and his family, could have asked for.”

Regrettably, we learned that Joe passed away on January 28, 2010. After serving our country as a member of the United States Navy, Joe spent more than 40 years out on the road as an independent truck driver. We express our deepest sympathies to Joe’s family and friends. To learn more about his travels and illness, visit his family’s online Caring Bridge Journal.

Lucas Burge
Reefer Operations Manager

How long have you been in the industry?
12 years                              

How did you get into trucking?
“I began as a driver, running as a team with my wife as a chance to see the country.”

Why do you like hauling for TQL?
“The people that handle the accounts are very personable, and the loads are generally well setup with little downtime.” 

Would you recommend TQL to other carriers?
“Yes, TQL's rates are typically fair, and the Account Executives are good to work with.”