Pitt Ohio Express

Pitt Ohio Express was founded in Pittsburgh in 1979 by brothers Charles L. "Chuck" Hammel III, Robert F. "Bob" Hammel, and Kenneth W. "Ken" Hammel. The brothers came from a family with a long history in freight transportation. Their grandfather, Charles Hammel, Sr., had founded Hammel's Express in Pittsburgh in 1919{{Cite news |last=Moran |first=Dennis |date=December 14, 2016 |title=Dohrn sells four Rock Island properties |pages=A1, A2 |work=Rock Island Argus |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98791129/the-rock-island-argus/ |access-date=March 31, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com}} transporting steel for local producer J&L Steel, his only customer, with a horse and buggy.{{Cite magazine |last=Schulz |first=John D. |date=September 21, 1998 |title=Young and Upwardly Mobile |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A50339709/ITOF?u=wikipedia&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=41387978 |magazine=Traffic World |volume=255 |issue=12 |page=28 |access-date=April 1, 2022 |via=Gale General OneFile}}{{Cite web |last=Mall |first=Scott |date=2022-04-28 |title=FreightWaves Classics: PITT OHIO has achieved much in the past 40 years |url=https://www.freightwaves.com/news/freightwaves-classics-pitt-ohio-has-achieved-much-in-the-past-40-years |access-date=2022-09-15 |website=FreightWaves |language=en-US}} His son, Charles L. Hammel, Jr., took over leadership of Hammel's Express in 1960, incorporated it, and owned the company until his death in 2001.{{Cite magazine |date=June 2001 |title=Hammel's Express owner dies at 75 |url=https://content.ebscohost.com/ContentServer.asp?T=P&P=AN&K=6376477&S=R&D=bth&EbscoContent=dGJyMMTo50Sepq84v%2BbwOLCmsEqeprFSr6a4S7GWxWXS&ContentCustomer=dGJyMOzpsE2xqbNRuePfgeyx43zx |magazine=Transportation & Distribution |page=14 |access-date=April 1, 2022}}

When Charles Jr.'s sons founded Pitt Ohio, they had three trucks and operated out of a small Pittsburgh terminal.{{Cite news |last=Coleman |first=Murray |date=December 25, 1998 |title=Trucking firm to invest millions in Strip District |volume=18 |pages=1+ |work=Pittsburgh Business Times |issue=22 |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A53635582/ITOF?u=wikipedia&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=98c74fab |access-date=March 31, 2022 |via=Gale General OneFile}} The new company focused on next-day interstate express LTL freight shipments between Pittsburgh and Ohio. It leased its first warehouse in East Liverpool, Ohio in 1979 and by 1983, had opened terminals in Cleveland, Baltimore, Norristown, Pennsylvania, and Charleston, West Virginia.

By 1994, the company had grown to 525 trailers, 450 tractors, and 1,000 employees in 10 terminals. As it expanded, its revenue grew from $6.9 million in 1984 to $138 million in 1997. This meant it as the 29th largest LTL carrier and 84th largest trucking company overall nationwide by revenue despite its tight regional focus.{{Cite magazine |date=September 21, 1998 |title=Up and Coming |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A50339694/ITOF?u=wikipedia&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=dfe3666f |magazine=Traffic World |volume=255 |issue=12 |page=7 |access-date=April 1, 2022 |via=Gale General OneFile}} By 1998, Pitt Ohio was handling 6,500 shipments daily from 12 terminals and had 800 drivers operating 928 trailers and 742 power units, 40% straight trucks and the remainder semi tractors, serving 7 Mid-Atlantic states. The company had no unionized employees.

Ken Hammel left the company by 1998 leaving Chuck and Bob as co-owners. The company spun off its third party logistics services as Keystone Dedicated Logistics (KDL) in 1999, retaining 80% ownership of the new company with the remainder held by KDL's president and CEO, Don Varshine.{{Cite news |last=Davis |first=Christopher |date=March 2, 2001 |title=A matter of logistics |volume=20 |page=3 |work=Pittsburgh Business Times |issue=33 |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A71566035/ITOF?u=wikipedia&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=404f6a85 |access-date=March 31, 2022 |via=Gale General OneFile}} That year, Pitt Ohio reported sales of $163 million and had 1,800 employees with a fleet of 900 trucks. Its purpose-built headquarters and hub terminal were located in Pittsburgh's Strip District neighborhood. That year, the company also launched its first corporate website. By August 2000, it was operating a total of 17 terminals including a second Pittsburgh-area facility{{Cite news |last=Lott |first=Ethan |date=August 28, 2000 |title=Freight carrier Pitt Ohio Express adds Washington County terminal |volume=20 |page=10 |work=Pittsburgh Business Times |issue=5 |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2000/08/28/story8.html |access-date=March 31, 2022}} and one in New Jersey.{{Cite news |date=February 18, 2000 |title=Pitt Ohio Express opens New Jersey sites |volume=19 |pages=13 |work=Pittsburgh Business Times |issue=31 |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A60583165/ITOF?u=wikipedia&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=2662eec1 |access-date=March 31, 2022 |via=Gale General OneFile}}

An interline relationship with Averitt Express, a Southeastern US regional freight carrier, allowed Pitt Ohio to start serving a larger area of the US starting in 2001. This was followed within a year by an interline agreement with AAA Cooper, a Southern US regional LTL carrier as well as beginning service to Canada.{{Cite magazine |last=Schulz |first=John D. |date=May 6, 2002 |title=Early Rate Hike |url=https://content.ebscohost.com/ContentServer.asp?T=P&P=AN&K=6626227&S=R&D=bth&EbscoContent=dGJyMMTo50Sepq84v%2BbwOLCmsEqeprFSrq64TLaWxWXS&ContentCustomer=dGJyMOzpsE2xqbNRuePfgeyx43zx |magazine=Traffic World |page=33 |access-date=April 1, 2022 |via=EBSCOHost}} Pitt Ohio also added service to Detroit, Michigan{{Cite news |date=May 11, 2011 |title=Pitt Ohio Express |volume=20 |page=40 |work=Pittsburgh Business Times |issue=43 |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A75291721/ITOFu=wikipedia&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=dd60f1b7 |via=Gale General OneFile}} and Chicago in the early 2000s.{{Cite magazine |last=Schulz |first=John D. |date=July 5, 2004 |title=Earning Shippers' Trust |url=https://content.ebscohost.com/ContentServer.asp?T=P&P=AN&K=13699160&S=R&D=bth&EbscoContent=dGJyMMTo50Sepq84v%2BbwOLCmsEqeprBSs6u4TLaWxWXS&ContentCustomer=dGJyMOzpsE2xqbNRuePfgeyx43zx |magazine=Traffic World |pages=23–24 |access-date=April 1, 2022 |via=EBSCOHost}} The company added truckload brokerage, provided via KDL, and intermodal divisions in 2002.{{Cite magazine |date=January 2002 |title=Pitt Ohio Express (Services) |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A82297722/ITOF?u=wikipedia&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=28cb3836 |magazine=Logistics Management & Distribution Report |volume=41 |issue=1 |page=52 |via=Gale General OneFile}} In 2003, Chuck bought out Bob's stake in the company becoming its sole owner. That same year, the company opened a terminal in Chicago.

By 2005, the company was delivering 9,000 shipments daily from 21 terminals with 2,454 employees and 1,500 trailers, 650 tractors, 350 straight trucks, and 53 smaller trucks and vans. Its 2005 purchase of a majority stake in New Kensington, Pennsylvania-based truckload carrier ECM Transport, LLC meant it could begin offering asset-based truckload services instead of only acting as a freight broker for truckload shipments. Following Pitt Ohio's purchase, ECM president Ed Meier retained the remaining 49% of the carrier.{{Cite news |last=Cassidy |first=William |date=March 6, 2005 |title=Pitt Ohio Turns to Truckload |work=Journal of Commerce |url=https://www.joc.com/trucking-logistics/pitt-ohio-turns-truckload_20050306.html |access-date=April 1, 2022}}

In 2006, Pitt Ohio formed a joint venture with The CEI Group, an accident and risk-management firm called TruckGuardian Group providing risk and safety management and collision and claim management services.{{Cite web |date=November 20, 2006 |title=Pitt Ohio Express, CEI Group Form Truck Services Group |url=https://www.ttnews.com/articles/pitt-ohio-express-cei-group-form-truck-services-group |access-date=April 1, 2022 |website=Transport Topics |language=en}} That year, the company expanded to North Carolina (Winston-Salem, Greensboro and High Point), Indianapolis, and Battle Creek, Michigan.

In 2007, Pitt Ohio partnered with Sunline Express and expanded its coverage to New York City and Long Island. That year, Pitt Ohio and five other regional freight carriers formed The Reliance Network (TRNET). This was an interline network with Pitt Ohio serving the Mid-Atlantic US, Averitt Express in the Southern and Southeastern US, Lakeville Motor Express in the Midwestern US, TransForce subsidiaries Canadian Freightways and Epic Express in Canada, DATS Trucking in the Western US, and Land Air Express in New England.{{Cite magazine |date=December 1, 2009 |title=For Hire FOY: Pitt Ohio Express |url=https://www.fleetowner.com/operations/article/21671826/for-hire-foy-pitt-ohio-express |magazine=Fleet Owner |page=32 |access-date=March 31, 2022}}

While the network faced initial challenges on antitrust grounds, the US Department of Justice ruled in September 2009 that it would be allowed to move forward.{{Cite magazine |date=October 2009 |title=Ruling on LTL joint venture: DOJ says venture can proceed |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A21478580/ITOF?u=wikipedia&sid=ebsco&xid=38e33769 |magazine=World Trade |volume=22 |issue=10 |page=12 |access-date=April 1, 2022 |via=Gale General OneFile}} The network later expanded to add Kingsway, Mountain Valley Express, and Peninsula Truck Lines by 2016.{{Cite web |last=Bearth |first=Daniel P. |date=December 5, 2016 |title=Lakeville Motor Express Ceases Operations; Local Teamsters Denounce Owner's Tactics |url=https://www.ttnews.com/articles/lakeville-motor-express-ceases-operations-local-teamsters-denounce-owners-tactics |access-date=March 31, 2022 |website=Transport Topics |language=en}} In parallel with its participation in TRNET, Pitt Ohio established an interline agreement with Sunline Express, a New York City area carrier.{{Cite web |title=History of PITT OHIO |url=https://pittohio.com/myPittOhio/corporate/about/history-of-pitt-ohio |access-date=March 31, 2022 |website=PITT OHIO}}

In 2008, the company had 300 employees. In October 2008, Pitt Ohio along with Canadian Freightways/Epic Express, developed Heat Track, a heated trailed service for shipments heading to Canada.{{Cite book |last=Plunkett |first=Jack W. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xdNVdg24S7sC&dq=pitt+ohio+heat+track+2008&pg=PT526 |title=Plunkett's Transportation, Supply Chain & Logistics Industry Almanac 2009 |date= March 2009|publisher=Plunkett Research, Ltd. |isbn=978-1-59392-142-2 |language=en}} The following year, Heat Track was offered to the rest of the company's service area.

The company began offering a ground package delivery service, Pitt Ohio Ground, in 2009 with a 14-state service area including Pitt Ohio's home territory of the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest but extending to New England.{{Cite news |last=Solomon |first=Mark B. |date=October 20, 2010 |title=Pitt-Ohio launches small-parcel service |language=en |work=DC Velocity |url=https://www.dcvelocity.com/articles/25200-pitt-ohio-launches-small-parcel-service |access-date=April 1, 2022}} It changed its trade name to PITT OHIO in 2011, dropping "Express" to reflect its diversification outside express LTL freight services.{{Cite news |last=Cassidy |first=William B. |date=November 15, 2010 |title=Pitt Ohio Express Rebrands as Boundaries Expand |work=Journal of Commerce |url=https://www.joc.com/trucking-logistics/pitt-ohio-express-rebrands-boundaries-expand_20101115.html |access-date=April 1, 2022}} That year, the company also created a new logo and website.

The company announced in 2012 that it would be moving its trucking operations from the Strip District to a new campus it was building in nearby Harmar Township but would be keeping its headquarters in the Strip District. Its truckload subsidiary, ECM, would relocate its headquarters from New Kensington to the new Harmar campus.{{Cite news |last=Spatter |first=Sam |date=August 4, 2012 |title=Pitt Ohio to move truck operations to Harmar |work=Pittsburgh Tribune-Review |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A298531660/ITOF?u=wikipedia&sid=ebsco&xid=bba0b844 |access-date=April 1, 2022 |via=Gale General OneFile}}

In 2015, Pitt Ohio delivered 12,000 shipments daily with 2,199 trailers, 813 tractors, 446 straight trucks, and 34 vans from its 21 terminals with 3,138 employees. ECM operated an additional 1,415 trailers and 309 tractors. That year, the company began servicing Louisville, Kentucky.

In 2016, Pitt Ohio's parent company, Hammel Companies, bought four significant properties in Rock Island, Illinois from Dorhn Transfer Co., including Dorhn's corporate office. Hammel Co. had an ownership stake in Dohrn. Hammel Co. also owned midwestern carrier US Special Delivery (USSD) as well as Palmetto State Transportation by 2017. TRNET was shut down in 2017 but Pitt Ohio maintained interline relationships with several of the network's former members. By 2018, truckload carrier Motor Carrier Services (MCS) and LTL carrier Ross Express were also under the same ownership as Pitt Ohio as well as technology company Logiflow.{{cn|date=April 2022}}

In 2021, Pitt Ohio sold its interests in ECM, MCS, and Palmetto State Transportation.

In July 2022, Pitt Ohio acquired all assets from Teal Express.{{Cite web |last=Maiden |first=Todd |date=2022-07-06 |title=Pitt Ohio acquires assets from partner carrier Teal's Express |url=https://www.freightwaves.com/news/pitt-ohio-acquires-partner-carrier-teals-express |access-date=2024-05-28 |website=FreightWaves |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2022-07-19 |title=PITT OHIO adds New York LTL service via acquisition |url=https://www.ccjdigital.com/business/article/15294363/pitt-ohio-adds-new-york-ltl-service-via-acquisition |access-date=2024-05-28 |website=Commercial Carrier Journal |language=en-us}}

The company's direct LTL service area is the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest US. The company is under shared ownership with LTL carriers Dorhn Transfer, US Special Delivery, US Cargo, and Ross Express with which it interlines freight. Its interline agreements with other carriers in the US and Canada provide LTL services across both countries.{{Cite web |title=About Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) |url=https://pittohio.com/mypittohio/ltl/about |access-date=March 31, 2022 |website=PITT OHIO}} Sister company US Cargo also offers package delivery services and collaborates with Pitt Ohio for these services.

{{As of|2023|03}}, the company had 24 terminals located in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, New Jersey, Maryland, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, and New York. In January 2024, Pitt Ohio purchased the a 57-acre terminal from Yellow Corporation for $19.3 million.{{Cite web |last=Daykin |first=Tom |date=9 January 2024 |title=Yellow Corp.'s closed Oak Creek terminal sold to another trucking firm for $19.3 million |url=https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/real-estate/commercial/2024/01/09/yellow-corp-s-former-milwaukee-area-truck-terminal-sold-to-pitt-ohio/72154609007/ |access-date=23 May 2024 |website=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel}}

Pitt Ohio groups its services into four areas:

• Supply Chain: Supply chain management
• Ground: Package delivery
• LTL: Its original express LTL freight services
• TL: Truckload services sold by Pitt Ohio but provided by third-party carriers{{Cite web |title=About Truckload (TL) |url=https://pittohio.com/mypittohio/tl/about |access-date=March 31, 2022 |website=PITT OHIO}}

Pitt Ohio is a member of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) SmartWay Transport Partnership in which shippers, carriers, and related companies volunteer to achieve certain fuel efficiency and emissions benchmarks. It is also a member of Ecovadis and the Carbon Disclosure Project.

The company installed a DC microgrid at its Harmar Township terminal combining a 5 kilowatt (kW) vertical-axis wind turbine, a 50 kW solar panel system, and a 70 kW hour (kWh) energy storage system.{{Cite web |title=Pitt-Ohio Express Inc. Renewable DC Microgrid Project |url=https://www.engineeringx.pitt.edu/Sub-Sites/Centers/CFE/_Content/Partnerships/Pitt-Ohio-Express-Inc--Renewable-DC-Microgrid-Project/ |access-date=April 1, 2022 |website=Pitt Center for Energy, University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering}}{{Cite magazine |last=Bush |first=Rick |date=July 1, 2016 |title=Resurgent Pittsburgh |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A456659457/ITOF?u=wikipedia&sid=ebsco&xid=2f991cbb |magazine=Transmission & Distribution World |access-date=April 1, 2022 |via=Gale General OneFile}} The system was supplying approximately a third of the facility's power needs by the late 2010s. It's 100-door Parma, Ohio terminal, built in the late 2010s, included eight vertical-axis wind turbines expected to produce up to 48 kW, a 495 kW solar array consisting of 700 photovoltaic panels, and a 730 kWh energy storage system. The company's goal was to generate 100% of the facility's power needs through these means.{{Cite news |last=Benson |first=John |date=December 17, 2018 |title=Pitt Ohio's Parma facility boasts sustainable technology |language=en |work=Cleveland.com |url=https://www.cleveland.com/parma/2018/12/parmas_new_pitt_ohios_facility.html |access-date=March 31, 2022}} Pitt Ohio was granted a patent in 2020 for a process it developed that takes wind and solar energy into a battery system and subsequently distributes it.{{cn|date=April 2022}} {{As of|2021}}, three of the company's facilities were powered by wind and solar energy.{{Cite magazine |date=June 9, 2021 |title=G75: Inbound Logistics' 75 Green Supply Chain Partners |url=https://www.inboundlogistics.com/cms/article/g75-inbound-logistics-75-green-supply-chain-partners/ |magazine=Inbound Logistics |access-date=April 1, 2022}}

Several of the company's buildings have been certified as meeting Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards for efficient water, energy, and material usage.

In 2017, Pitt Ohio formed a partnership to deliver SalonCentric's products in reusable totes instead of corrugated boxes.{{Cite web |last=Schulz |first=John D. |date=2017-10-03 |title=SalonCentric: One Beautiful Network |url=https://www.logisticsmgmt.com/article/saloncentric_one_beautiful_network |access-date=2022-10-04 |website=www.logisticsmgmt.com}}

The company has received a number of awards from industry groups including multiple American Trucking Associations President's Trophy awards for safety, EPA SmartWay Awards,{{Cite web |date=October 2017 |title=EPA SmartWay 2017 Excellence Award Leadership Highlights |url=https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPdf.cgi?Dockey=P100T1U0.pdf |access-date=April 1, 2022 |website=US Environmental Protection Agency}} and Carrier of the Year awards from the National Shippers Strategic Transportation Council. It has also been recognized by a number of industry publications receiving 41 Quest for Quality awards from Logistics Management Magazine, two Top Green Fleet awards from Heavy Duty Trucking magazine,{{cn|date=April 2022}} and multiple Top 100 Trucking Company and G75 Green Supply Chain Partner awards from Inbound Logistics Magazine.

Pitt Ohio was sued by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in 2006.{{Cite web |date=2006-04-03 |title=Report: Pitt Ohio Express accused of discrimination |url=https://www.ccjdigital.com/business/article/14902717/report-pitt-ohio-express-accused-of-discrimination |access-date=2022-08-10 |website=Commercial Carrier Journal |language=en-us}} The EEOC accused the company of having exhibited a pattern of gender discrimination since 1997 at four terminals in Ohio by refusing to hire women as drivers and dockworkers. According to the EEOC, this constituted a violation of the Civil Rights Act.{{Cite magazine |date=April 24, 2006 |title=EEOC Sues Pitt Ohio |url=https://content.ebscohost.com/ContentServer.asp?T=P&P=AN&K=20614696&S=R&D=bth&EbscoContent=dGJyMMTo50Sepq84v%2BbwOLCmsEqeprFSrq%2B4TLKWxWXS&ContentCustomer=dGJyMOzpsE2xqbNRuePfgeyx43zx |magazine=Traffic World |page=29 |access-date=April 1, 2022}} The commission was representing a group of over 25 women in the suit{{Cite news |date=April 4, 2006 |title=Pitt Ohio Express sued over hiring |page=A10 |work=Cincinnati Enquirer |location=Cleveland |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98808129/the-cincinnati-enquirer/ |access-date=March 31, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com}} and was seeking back pay with interest, plus damages, for the women. After the suit was filed, the company denied the accusations and said in a statement that it had been "attempting to bring this matter to a close since 2000," had been "cooperating fully with the EEOC for the past 6 years", and did not "condone or tolerate any unlawful discrimination."{{Cite news |date=April 6, 2006 |title=EEOC sues trucking firm |page=C1 |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98808060/pittsburgh-post-gazette/ |access-date=March 31, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com}} An EEOC spokesperson disagreed saying, "The employer was given lots of opportunities to resolve this, and this lawsuit really is a last resort." In 2009, Pitt Ohio agreed to pay $2.43 million to settle the lawsuit and provide other remedial relief including employment to the women previously denied positions, equal employment opportunity training for its supervisors and managers, and enacting reporting and monitoring processes.{{Cite press release |title=PITT OHIO Agrees to Pay $2.43 Million to Settle EEOC Discrimination Lawsuit |date=January 22, 2009 |location=Cleveland |url=https://www.eeoc.gov/newsroom/pitt-ohio-agrees-pay-243-million-settle-eeoc-discrimination-lawsuit |access-date=March 31, 2022 |author=EEOC |website=US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission}}

• {{Official website|pittohio.com}}

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Category:Companies based in Pittsburgh

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Category:American companies established in 1978

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