The business philosophy at A&M Transport Inc. is straightforward. "We strive to provide superior service to our customers at an affordable cost," says Andy Owens Jr., operations manager. "To accomplish this, we operate tractors and trailers specified to allow for sufficient driver comfort while providing maximum load-carrying capacity."

The 147 tractors in the A&M Transport fleet currently range in age from model year 1993 to new 2012 models. About one third of the fleet is 2007 or newer. “Historically, due to the escalating cost of new equipment we’ve chosen to purchase used vehicles,” Owens relates. “Normally, we look for tractors that are two to three years old and are still covered by the manufacturer’s original warranty.”

In a typical year, A&M Transport will purchase 15 to 25 power units. To accommodate its steady growth, the carrier usually trades in some of its older equipment but generally adds to the fleet when making a purchase. For example, if it buys 20 trucks, the company may trade in just 10 units.

Growth at A&M Transport has come in part from diversification. The Glendale, Ore.-based carrier is engaged primarily in hauling interstate and intrastate truckload shipments of general commodities throughout Oregon, Washington, California, Nevada and Arizona, with most of its activity occurring along the I-5 corridor.

A&M Transport Tractor Specifications Models: Freightliner Cascadia and Columbia Wheelbase: 239 in. (Cascadia); 260 in. (Columbia) Engines: Detroit Diesel Series 60; Caterpillar C15 Clutch: Eaton Transmission: Eaton Fuller; 10- and 13-speeds Driveshafts: Meritor Front Axle: Meritor Rear Axle: Meritor Wheel Seals: Chicago Rawhide Brakes: Meritor Extended Service ABS: Meritor WABCO Automatic Slack Adjusters: Meritor Rear Suspension: Freightliner Airliner Wheels: Accuride Tires: Bridgestone; Michelin 5th Wheel: SAF Holland Air Compressor: Bendix Air Dryer: Bendix Air Cleaners: Donaldson Fan Clutch: Horton Batteries: Interstate Starter: Delco 39MT Alternator: Delco 200 amp Seats: Bostrom; National Fuel Tanks: dual, 120-gal. Paint: Dupont Imron

Principal types of freight transported by A&M include consumer, retail, food and paper products, as well as alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Additionally, the company specializes in handling industrial and steel products, along with lumber and other building materials.

Dedicated equipment
The A&M Transport fleet consists almost entirely of Freightliner tandem-axle, conventional tractors, including Cascadia and Columbia models, pulling 53-ft. dry vans, 45- and 48-ft. curtainsided trailers and 45- and 48-ft. flatbeds. Four tractors are dedicated to a dry van division used in a local shuttle operation, 103 are assigned to the dry van long-haul fleet and the remaining 40 are used for flatbed and curtainsider operations.

The A&M Transport dry van fleet is predominately comprised of Great Dane trailers. “We don’t purchase used trailers, and for dry vans we use Great Danes exclusively,” Owens reports. “In the past we have purchased models with 110-in. rear door openings, but due to some customer requests we have specified high-cube models with 118-in. door openings for the past two years. In a typical year, we purchase 20 to 30 new trailers and trade in some of our oldest models, so we have added to the trailer fleet regularly.

“For our flatbeds,” Owens continues, “we’ve found that Western lightweight, spread axle models are best for maximizing payload for our customers, including some shippers that require equipment with the capability of transporting over-length loads. Some of this freight also requires a wider array of load securement equipment.”

A&M Transport has also addressed another equipment challenges related to its hauling of over-length loads. “We had some difficulty finding used trucks with frames long enough to handle over-length loads,” Owens explains. “Consequently, we determined that it was cost effective to purchase extended frame rail kits for our Freightliner Columbias and retrofit the trucks we were buying internally to meet our specifications.

A&M Transport Trailer Specifications Models and Types: Great Dane dry vans; Western flatbeds Landing Gear: Great Dane; Jost Axles: Meritor Suspension: Hendrickson air ride Brakes: Meritor Extended Service ABS: Meritor WABCO Automatic Slack Adjusters: Meritor Tires: Bridgestone; Michelin Wheels: Accuride Lighting & Electrical: LED

“That’s just one part of the very good, long-term relationship we have with McCoy Freightliner in Portland, Ore.,” Owens adds. “We’ve purchased 100% of our equipment through that dealership for the past 10 or more years. Their pricing is very competitive and their service is excellent.”

Proactive approach
A&M Transport’s approach to finding ways to meets its equipment needs also illustrates clearly the aggressive, proactive nature of the fleet’s service operation. The company operates its own maintenance and repair facilities, which are staffed with highly trained and qualified mechanics.

“We are fully self-contained,” Owens states. “We rebuild all of our engines, transmissions and differentials, plus service and maintain all of our tractors and trailers on a strict schedule. We also perform all tire work ourselves. In addition, we employ a full-time body technician so we’re able to repair cosmetic and major damage to our equipment in-house. All painting is completed in an industry-approved paint booth on-site.”

A&M Transport has also developed an extensive database of on-road repair providers to ensure that any breakdowns involving its equipment are handled in what Owens calls “a timely and adequate manner.”

“We also operate our own tow truck and have four qualified drivers for it on our staff,” he says.

“If we experience a major breakdown, we tow a replacement tractor to the driver and bring the broken one back to our shop for repairs,” Owens explains further. “We’ve found this practice to be very cost effective, especially when considering downtime. Our entire approach to maintenance is to assure that service to our customers is not interrupted by excessive equipment failures.”

Valuable assets
Along with fielding a highly reliable fleet, Owens is quick to point out that A&M Transport considers its driver workforce one of its most valuable assets. “Our drivers are compensated based on miles driven and their pay per mile increases with their length of service with the company,” he relates. “Additional compensation can be earned through various bonus programs and for work associated with the job, such as loading and unloading, making extra stops, and tarping and untarping loads.”

Providing for employees across the board is a long-standing practice at A&M Transport. For example, the company makes health, dental, vision and life insurance programs available to qualified employees, along with a retirement plan and paid vacation.

The fact that the company treats everyone at A&M Transport like family should come as no surprise, though. After all, the company founded by Andy and Marian Owens on March 3, 1989 is still owned and managed by the Owens family, and now proudly employs three generations of family members.