Prime Inc. on Thursday, Jan. 3, announced the December acquisition of specific assets and the trucking operations of Transcontinental Refrigerated Lines, based in Pittston, Pa. The TRL freight network will operate as a division of Prime Inc. Terms were not announced.
“This is a promising opportunity for us in a region of the country that compliments our freight network and driver base,” says Robert E. Low, president and chief executive officer of Springfield, Mo.-based Prime. “TRL was a good company focused on service, and I am confident that all customers and the drivers will see positive benefits from this transaction.”
Stephen P. Hrobuchak Jr. and his father founded TRL Trucking in 1975 as a family-owned trucking company, starting with two trucks. Hrobuchak says TRL experienced rapid growth as a result of its focus on service. “We have experienced decreasing profitability these last few years,” says Hrobuchak, who served as TRL’s owner, president and CEO. Faced with escalating fuel costs, insurance and other issues, Hrobuchak says he “felt like the best solution for the company and [his] associates was to seek out Prime.”
The Pittston facility will function as Prime’s East Coast customer service center, joining other centers in Oregon, California, Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma, Missouri and Florida. Prime says it will retain key personnel, including Hrobuchak, to ensure a high quality of service for current customers and drivers during the transition.
