FreightWaves Classics: Paschall Truck Lines has delivered the goods for 85 years

The first 35+ years

L.W. Paschall and his wife Mary founded Paschall Truck Lines (PTL) in Murray, Kentucky, in 1937. Paschall began his trucking company with a 1936 Ford truck, and he hauled “anything he could just to make a living.”

As time went on, the business began to prosper, and Paschall began to haul general freight between Murray and Louisville, Kentucky, as well as St. Louis and Memphis. 

The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) began regulating the trucking industry in 1935, so until Paschall sold the company and retired in 1973, he had to deal with the ICC when it came to adding routes or types of freight.

Prior to the sale of the company, it had grown to 35 employees and over 100 pieces of transportation equipment.

The Motor Carrier Act of 1980 deregulated the trucking industry when the legislation was signed into law by President Carter on July 1, 1980. By 1982, PTL was providing truckload services to the 31 easternmost states; by 1986, the company was offering service throughout the continental U.S., as well as to Canada and Mexico.

Employee Stock Ownership Plan

Some 40 years after its founder sold the company, Paschall Truck Lines underwent another major change. On October 29, 2013, 100% of the company’s stock was transferred to its employees through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). 

This action was taken in order “to preserve local ownership of PTL within the community of Murray and to further strengthen its future.” With the ESOP, “the future of the company” was placed “in the hands of its employees, both drivers and non-drivers.” The action also ensured that each individual owner “is personally invested in its success.”

Paschall Logistics 

Just over two years after the ESOP, the company established its own third-party logistics (3PL) division – Paschall Logistics. This took place in December 2015, because the company’s leadership understood the benefits a 3PL could bring to the supply chain. 

Like PTL, Paschall Logistics is 100% employee-owned. In collaboration with over 7,000 partner carriers, and with more than 20 employees and four offices, Paschall Logistics has established itself “as a leading asset-based 3PL and capacity solutions provider.”

Transport Distribution Company 

Interstate Personnel Services, Inc. (IPS), the parent company of Paschall Truck Lines, announced the acquisition of Joplin, Missouri-based dry van truckload carrier Transport Distribution Company (TDC) in July 2021.

Founded by Larry Kloeppel, TDC has been in operation since 1985. When it announced the acquisition, IPS cited the quality of TDC’s drivers and staff, the company’s excellent safety profile, and its strong customer relationships as primary reasons for the acquisition. “TDC continues to be led by its President Regan Stephens. TDC operates autonomously under the IPS umbrella, will retain its name, and continue to focus on providing premium regional service to customers throughout the Midwest and Central USA. TDC’s regional coverage, focus on safety, providing high-level service, disciplined management style, and family culture are exactly what we are looking for as we build and increase overall capacity solutions for truckload shippers in the USA.”

IPS President and CEO Dave Gibbs stated at the time of the acquisition, “We believe this should be a very positive transaction with minimal revenue churn, with TDC retaining its name and its current management team. Our focus is and will be to support Regan and his team on driving benefits due to advantages of scale and certain synergies.”

Commenting on the acquisition, Stephens stated, “The timing was right for some of our family to retire out of TDC, and the geographical fit was perfect between our companies. Dave Gibbs had my trust not only because I had met him before, but he kept gaining trust from day one of our negotiations, and the fact that our TDC people got to become part of an ESOP was a great benefit. The reasons that make this right for our people kept piling up.”

Paschall’s service offerings

Today, Paschall provides a number of services to its customers, including: 

Truckload 

PTL’s asset-based fleet includes more than 1,100 tractors and 3,200 trailers. The company is able to provide capacity and coverage across a large portion of the lower 48 states, enabling it to add value to customers’ supply chain network.

All of Paschall’s trailers are equipped with Skybitz tracking capabilities; freight shipments can be located and tracked with accuracy 24/7/365. 

Expedited

The Paschall fleet of 1,100 asset-based trucks includes more than 70 teams operating coast-to-coast. They provide just-in-time delivery for customers’ critical shipments. 

Regional

Through its regional fleets PTL offers same-day or next-day service on shipments throughout most of the eastern half of the United States. These fleets are based in Atlanta, Indianapolis, Memphis, Dallas and Laredo. 

The company’s regional fleets are located to support most lanes within a 450-mile radius. They can handle high-volume repetitive moves as well as time-sensitive, critical shipment needs.

Dedicated partnerships

Paschall provides its customers local, regional and national dedicated fleet services. Its dedicated fleets offer customers the same control and high-quality service as a private fleet – without the ownership cost, liability and hassle.

The company’s dedicated fleets fit many industries including, but not limited to, manufacturing, retail and food and beverage. Partnering with leading companies in many industries, PTL offers either equipment-based or power-only solutions to support any fleet. 

Mexico

PTL is a leader in providing cross-border service between the United States and Mexico. The company has 25 years of cross-border experience, range of facilities and a bi-lingual staff at major crossing points. 

The company offers solo and expedited team service between points in the U.S. and Mexico. It also provides reliable door-to-door truckload service at border crossings in Brownsville, El Paso, Laredo, McAllen, and Pharr, Texas.

Paschall Logistics

The Paschall Logistics division provides coverage throughout North America for dry van, temperature-control, flatbed, and less-than-truckload modes. Managing an extensive network of contracted partner carriers, Paschall Logistics provides contracted long-term and spot transactional services for its customers.

Storage Trailer Rentals

PTL Rentals serves storage and cartage trailer needs in the Indianapolis, Memphis, Nashville, and the western Kentucky and Tennessee markets. Its fleet consists of late-model, 53′ dry van trailers with swing doors.

The company’s storage trailers are to be used as storage only, but they may be moved occasionally from one location to another for customer loading and unloading convenience. These trailers are not maintained to DOT standards and are intended for storage purposes only.

Cartage trailers are maintained to DOT standards and may be used in local cartage service. Even though these trailers are DOT-compliant, the trailers’ service area is restricted to a 100-mile radius from the company’s rental locations.

PTL Rentals offers delivery service and pick-up service for an additional charge.

Source: freightwaves - FreightWaves Classics: Paschall Truck Lines has delivered the goods for 85 years
Editor: Scott Mall