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As road trip season approaches, you’ll surely soon see plenty of Day & Ross’ black and white trucks with pops of orange on the highway. With humble beginnings that sprouted from a small shipment of spuds, this New Brunswick-based company has been operating in Atlantic Canada for three-quarters of a century. Having grown to one of the largest shipping and logistics enterprises in North America, it seems that Day & Ross is here for the long haul.
First trip
The beginning of Day & Ross is credited to founders Elbert Day and Walter Ross. In 1950, the two business partners invested in a single shipping truck to launch their namesake company in Hartland, New Brunswick. Their very first job was delivering potatoes from their home province to Quebec.
At a time when railway transportation was flourishing, a business focused on shipping via truck was a fairly novel concept. Over time, Day & Ross grew its fleet of trucks and expanded its overall service offerings.
New drivers
Soon after McCain Foods launched in the late 1950s, the company became one of Day & Ross’ biggest customers. Shipping was a major bottleneck for McCain. Their headquarters in Florenceville, N.B., was far from distribution hubs, and as demand for McCain products rapidly rose, logistics became more challenging. In 1966, McCain purchased majority ownership of Day & Ross, allowing them to utilise the company’s resources to meet delivery deadlines and expand business.
Under this new ownership, Day & Ross also continued to grow. By the end of the 1960s, its fleet had grown to 800 trucks, and over time, the company grew to one of Canada’s most successful shipping enterprises. Through a series of mergers and acquisitions, Day & Ross expanded operations across Canada and eventually the United States.
In 1992, it acquired Sameday Worldwide, a logistics company. Day & Ross entered the U.S. market in 2007 after developing a business partnership with R+L Carriers. Other notable acquisitions include REI Logistics and Korten Quality Systems in 2017, Stonehammer Transport in 2018 and A&S Kinard and Buckler Transport in 2019.
Re-routing
Throughout its growth, Day & Ross added different services within its shipping and logistics niche. At one time, the company had different branded divisions for its freight, warehousing, expedited courier and cargo, contract carriage and other services.
In 2020, the company rebranded its full suite of services to the Day & Ross name. The move aimed to encourage further growth and create clarity for customers.
Still on the road
Today, Day & Ross continues to operate from Hartland, New Brunswick and remains a fully-owned subsidiary of McCain Foods. Now with a team of over 7,500 employees, drivers and owners, the company has grown from a single-truck delivery operation to a leading shipping and logistics enterprise with operations across North America.
Still on the road 75 years later, Day & Ross is in it for the long haul.
Note: A representative of Day & Ross was unavailable for an interview; the above article is based on third-party research.
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