MONTREAL — TransForce may no longer be an asset-gobbling income trust, but its appetite for fleet acquisitions is still insatiable.

Canada’s largest for-hire trucking company, which has always been especially hungry for Quebec carriers, just netted Saint-Ephrem-de-Beauce-based Transport Couture et Fils Itée (TCFL), to its list of catches, todaystrucking.com has learned.

The deal had not yet been made public. Executives throughout the TransForce network will be notified of the details this week.

TCFL is a $30-million carrier with 215 employees including 139 drivers and some 500 units – 105 tractors and 370 trailers. It ranks as the 18th largest carrier in Quebec.

TransForce’s marketing and communications VP Johanne Dean confirmed that TCFL general manager Serge Poulin will keep running the company.

TransForce almost always keeps in place the executive staff of its acquisitions, as it prefers to operate them as separately-run entities.

"TCFL is a great fit in our specialized LTL sector," said Dean. "This acquisition is especially interesting because of its expertise in cross-border transport."

Even though the southbound freight market from central and eastern Canada is weak and unstable?

"Yes, we are still interested," answered Dean. "What is good with TransForce in a tough economy like we see today, is being part of the family means that you are not afraid to take some equipment out of the road. We just take it and put it somewhere else. Every company is independent but, as a group, our diversification give us several options and allows our companies to benefit of lower costs."

Dean added that TCFL acquisition is in line with Transforce’s growth strategy since day one — to buy "profitable companies with proven and experienced teams that will create synergy" from under the TransForce umbrella.