Rosedale Transport president Rolly Uloth has been awarded the Omnitracs – Ontario Trucking Association Service to Industry Award, widely recognized as one of the group’s highest annual honors.

The long-time fleet executive and association member was described in glowing terms, as family-oriented, respectful, tenacious and honest.

But trucking was not the original career path of choice. After moving to Ontario to work at Stelco, the Nova Scotia native found himself out of work during a strike in 1989. He and his wife began working as superintendents in an apartment block – the Rosedale Apartments – that ultimately inspired the name for a new business venture to pay the bills.

“I never sat in a truck or drove a truck until I owned the truck. So, I truly started at the bottom,” Uloth said.

“This is my 53^rd year in the business,” he added, referring to the challenges of trucking before the industry was deregulated. “Back in those days, when we played the game at the scales and got by, and we were successful afterwards.”

The fleet now includes 40 straight trucks, 500 tractors and 1,300 trailers, with 15 terminals across Canada, all supported by more that 600 employees.

“Rolly is a very humble man. He started from scratch in the industry and he also has tons of experience. He commands a lot of respect from people. He has a value system many of us would aspire to replicate,” says Serge Gagnon, CEO of XTL Transport.

“What’s unique about Rolly is he falls in the category of people in this industry who will likely rust out before give up,” says Mark Seymour, president of Kriska Transport. “He just never gives up working every day and supporting his people. That’s what makes him special.”

“Maybe this pandemic has created an environment that will do well for all of us. It certainly appears that way right now – except we can’t hire driver or trucks … or trailers or whatever,” Uloth said when accepting the award.

Other industry executives recognized for their longtime service included new Half-Century Club members Norm Mackie of Mackie Transportation, Al Boughton of Trailcon Leasing, and Jim Glionna, chairman of Newcom Media. Today’s Trucking and this website are owned and operated by Newcom Media.