The president of Central States Trucking recently met with three members of the Illinois congressional delegation in Washington, D.C., to discuss issues important to the trucking industry. Doug Grane, president of CST, was tapped to meet with Congressman Peter Roskam, Congresswoman Melissa Bean and Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. on behalf of the Illinois Trucking Association and American Trucking Associations.
Central States Trucking employs 300 people, and its headquarters are in Bensenville, which is located in Roskam’s district. Grane, a resident of Elmhurst, visited the nation’s capitol on March 27 and 28 as part of an ITA delegation. “It is extremely important that one of America’s oldest and most reliable industries has its voice heard in Congress,” Grane said. “We wanted to make sure our representatives in Congress know how legislation affects our business and the families we employ.”
Grane touched on policy matters related to taxes, energy and the environment, labor issues and toll roads. He discussed organized labor’s card-check legislation, ways to make trucks more energy-efficient through tax credits, federal regulations regarding owner-operators, a national standard for biodiesel, and state issues such as privatizing toll roads and the gross receipts tax.
Central States Trucking also announced that it has improved and expanded its fleet by purchasing a specialized Great Dane drop frame roller van trailer to secure ground transportation at even a higher level. The company says the trailer will be used primarily for its growing air freight division to better secure freight and protect products such as electronic equipment, furniture and perishable items from the elements.
“We are excited about this new trailer since it will provide additional security for our customers’ products and enhance our growing air freight division,” Grane says. “Our company prides itself on customer service, and this is a good example of us going the extra mile for our customers.”
Central States Trucking recently purchased 20 acres of land at Burlington Northern Sante Fe Logistics Park Chicago (BNSF-LPC) to develop a satellite office. The company plans to build an office, hire a staff and employ 15 to 20 drivers to better service its customers. Central States Trucking says it has seen significant growth since 2003, with revenues growing by 67 percent.
