Western Express announced Wednesday, July 1, that it now is operating as one company with one name after its purchase of Smithway Motor Xpress in October 2007.
“We’ve been going through the transition from two companies to one strong company very smoothly,” says Matt Neal, Western Express director of recruiting, “It’s a good feeling having us all under the same name, operating as one team. We’re looking forward to the future.”
Founded in 1991 by Wayne and Donna Wise in Nashville, Tenn., the flatbed and dry van company has grown from a small fleet of drivers delivering only to the West Coast to a successful nationwide operation.
“Adding SMX’s operations to our existing business has been very profitable and productive for the company,” says Wayne Wise, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Western. “The combination of the two companies places us in the top 15 truckload carriers measured by revenue, creating more opportunity for our combined customer, employee and driver bases. Besides the many obvious synergies between the two companies’ dry van and flatbed operations, the Smithway people have been key factors to a positive transition. We’re proud to have them sharing our name.”
Neal agrees, saying the consolidated company has eliminated redundancies, improved efficiencies by following best practices, and controlled costs by taking advantage of a common computer platform. “We’ve also reducing overhead by consolidating functions and are being mindful of spending our dollars as wisely as possible,” Neal says.
Western Express now operates 1,600 tractors in dry van operations and 1,400 flatbed tractors. “By joining two great companies, we have emerged as one of the largest trucking companies in the United States,” Neal says. “Now, with a streamlined recruiting process and more efficient driver management, our top priority remains hiring the best drivers to meet higher freight demands. It is an exciting time, and all parties involved have been pleased with Western’s growth and great opportunities for our drivers.”
