WOODSTOCK, Ont. — Contrans Income Fund, one of the top ten largest trucking companies in Canada has acquired specialized flatbed carrier General Freight Carriers in Saint John, N.B.

General Freight’s operations are focused on the transportation of building products like softwood lumber and other goods, primarily within Eastern Canada and the Northeastern U.S.

The 47-truck fleet operates about 60 trailers and employs 10 owner-operators. It recorded revenue of about $10.5 million in its most recent
fiscal year.

This deal marks the third consecutive flatbed carrier Contrans has bought.

In October 2005, Contrans acquired Hopefield Trucking, a small specialized flatbed carrier with 38 power units in Mississauga, Ont.; and 50-truck flatbed trucking firm L.A. Dalton Systems of Binbrook, Ont.

As usual, Contrans will continue to operate General Freight independently with its existing complement of management and staff.

Larry Cox, owner of General Freight, told TodaysTrucking.com this morning that the time was right to sell.

“I came to a point in my life where I just turned 60, and the opportunity was there,” he says. “The offer was right and the proposition was right where we could operate as an independent company and maintain all our staff, so it wasn’t going to hurt or affect any of our people. If anything it’ll give them more opportunities that they maybe wouldn’t have had.”

Despite a dip in volumes in the Atlantic and Quebec softwood markets over the last couple years, Cox says his company was able to remain strong. “Generally, it probably did soften a bit, but for whatever reason it had little or no effect on us,” he says. “In fact, our volume of business even increased.”

“General Freight … has an excellent reputation in the industry and high-quality, modern equipment,” said Contrans CEO Stan Dunford. “We hope to leverage their strengths with ours and deliver the high quality service that General Freight’s customers have grown to expect.”