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R+L Carriers

File:Rl-long.jpg
Company type	Private
Industry	Less than truckload (LTL) Shipping
Founded	1965
Headquarters	Wilmington, OH, USA
Area served	50 States U.S. Virgin Islands Canada Puerto Rico Dominican Republic
Key people	Ralph L. "Larry" Roberts I (Founder)
Number of employees	over 9,000 (2008)
Website	GoRLC.com

R+L Carriers is a freight shipping company, based in the United States. With over 40 years of service, R+L Carriers, Inc. has grown from one truck to a fleet of nearly 13,000 tractors and trailers. R+L Carriers serves a total of 50 states plus Canada, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

History

The Beginning
In 1965, Ralph L. "Larry" Roberts I, was a mere teenager with aspirations of owning his own business. His dream became a reality with the purchase of a single truck he used to haul furniture. The business grew with the purchase of intrastate and interstate authority from Mayflower Moving and Storage, laying the foundation for the company now known as R+L Carriers, Inc.

The Creation of R+L Transfer, Inc.
The early 1980’s brought deregulation to the trucking industry and opportunity to Larry Roberts, his family, and employees. The company became incorporated in conjunction with the design of a new system that resulted in the birth of R+L Transfer, Inc.

Expansion and Acquisitions
The initial operation was contained within Ohio, but soon expanded to five other Midwestern and Southern states. The May 1989 acquisition of Gator Freightways, Inc. further developed the company in the South. Growth continued with the purchase of Greenwood Motor Lines, Inc. in April 1992. New terminals were added annually, boosting service area strength. In March 1996, the company purchased Herder Truck Lines, Inc., a Texas-based carrier, and expansion escalated. During the next five years, terminals and service were added to the boroughs of New York City and to 23 more states. Soon after, total coverage to New York State was achieved and partnerships to provide service to Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, and Puerto Rico were developed. Expanded coverage in Western states laid the groundwork for continued growth as 2003 brought about the opening of six additional Western states and yet another in 2005. Expansion continued in 2006 as operations began in Oregon and Washington. The final phase of becoming the Premier Nationwide LTL Carrier came in the spring of 2007 with expansion to northern California. This included service centers in three major markets of Fresno, Sacramento, and Oakland. Expansion would quickly continue into Southern California with facilities in Fontana and Los Angeles which completed the west coast expansion providing full state coverage.

Advertising

Motorsports

• R+L Carriers became one of the sponsors of the #17 NASCAR Sprint Cup Ford owned by Roush Fenway Racing in 2006. The car is driven by Matt Kenseth.
• R+L Carriers joined JEGS Racing in 2009 as an associate sponsor of the National Hot Rod Association Pro Stock Chevrolet driven by Jeg Coughlin, Jr.
• R+L Carriers is a sponsor of the Roberts Pulling Team that competes in the National Tractor Pullers Association (NTPA), the Pro Pulling League (PPL), and the Ohio State Tractor Pullers Association (OSTPA).
• R+L Carriers annually sponsors the National Tractor Pullers Association (NTPA), the Pro Pulling League (PPL), and the Ohio State Tractor Pullers Association (OSTPA).

NCAA College Football

• R+L Carriers has sponsored the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl since the catastrophic events of Hurricane Katrina displaced the event from the Louisiana Superdome to the campus of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2006.

External links

• R+L Carriers
• R+L Carriers YouTube
• Matt Kenseth | Roush Fenway Racing
• Team JEGS: Jeg Coughlin Jr. Biography
• Official Website of the New Orleans Bowl