Onfreight Logistics will be the first commercial carrier to transport live freight across the Gordie Howe International Bridge when it opens to commercial traffic on July 27.

The Tecumseh, Ont.-based carrier said in a news release the milestone reflects more than two decades of advocacy by president Steve Ondejko Sr., a former Ontario Trucking Association chairman who has long supported the bridge as a way to strengthen cross-border trade and supply chains.

To mark the opening, Onfreight will send one truck from Canada and another from the U.S., representing the company’s operations on both sides of the border.

“We started this company decades ago around a plastic kitchen table, but the foundation was poured long before,” said Ondejko Sr. in the release. “Growing up as one of eight children on our family’s farm, working seven days a week, I learned that nothing grows without hard work, persistence and commitment. This bridge wasn’t built just for multinational corporations – it was built for family businesses that create local jobs, invest in their communities, and believe in the future of cross-border trade. To have our Canadian and American drivers cross together as the first commercial vehicles is an incredible honor and a dream more than 20 years in the making.”

The Canadian business is led by Ondejko’s son, while the U.S. operation is led by his daughter who recently became an American citizen. Onfreight expanded its U.S. presence several years ago with a $10-million cross-dock terminal in Florence, Ky., supporting its cross-border freight operations.

“This bridge is about far more than moving freight more efficiently. It’s about creating opportunities for working families, supporting drivers, growing businesses, and strengthening the economic partnership between Canada and the United States,” Ondejko added.