Company Report: Daily Express, Inc.: Specializing in oversized cargo delivery
Daily Express, Inc.: Specializing in oversized cargo delivery CEO Todd Long says this Pennsylvania company has the expertise and the equipment to tackle the toughest transport jobs

Daily Express, Inc. specializes in delivering oversized loads safely and efficiently, transporting the type of freight not seen every day. This is the enormous cargo that, when it rolls past on the highway, causes drivers to take notice.
The 78-year-old Carlisle, PA company began as a mover of agricultural equipment to farmers and dealers. It now generates more than $100 million gross annual revenue, has a network of 10 terminals primarily east of the Mississippi River and delivers goods for the construction, energy (wind, oil and gas), farming, mining and crane sectors.
"We specialize in open deck transportation of oversized loads," says company CEO and President Todd Long. "The skill we execute on these over-dimensional loads separates us from our competition. We have a lot of highly competent people doing very difficult work."
Long, a graduate of Villanova University and Fordham Law School, understood he would leave his career as an option trader on the American Stock Exchange at some point to join the business his father bought in 1976.
"I have been here for four and a half years, the first two as a learner of the heavy haul and specialty equipment business," he says. "There was a huge learning curve. I had never run a big company and we have about 500 people, including 300 independent contractors, running around here."
One lesson he learned in short order was the importance of constant communication.
"This is a business of people, communication and numbers. Making sure communication goes as quickly as possible to all the people involved is critical to our success. It's a people-intensive business that requires hands-on expertise," Long says.
"All the pieces have to work just right so we can provide the special service all of our customers enjoy. You get in the door with price and being [geographically] close to where a load is moving to. You retain customers with service; as long as you can prove to that customer that you know what you're doing, the business will come back. That requires constant communication with our drivers, dispatchers and operations people," he continues.

Fuel assistance program
When oil prices soared to an all-time high last summer, Daily Express, Inc. instituted an industry-first Empty Mile Fuel Surcharge Assistance program to aid its independent owner-operators. It kicks in when diesel exceeds $2.75/gallon.
Daily Express, Inc. owns 50 of its own trucks and Long found when he crunched the numbers last July when diesel was $4.75 a gallon, the company was less profitable to the tune of $800 per truck per month - a $40,000 loss.
"Fuel surcharges cover us when we're loaded, but you're not running loaded 100 percent of the time. If you're a step-deck guy doing 100,000 miles a year and you have 25,000 empty miles at six miles a gallon, that's 4,000 empty gallons of fuel. When the price went to $4.75 a gallon, that was another $8,000 a year for an independent driver to absorb - impossible in the long run. The program is the most efficient way to put that $8,000 back into the pockets of our independent contractors. Customers appreciated it because they had a steady supply of trucks from Daily Express when everybody else was losing trucks at a rapid pace," Long notes.
"We have great (independent) drivers who enable us to have such a diverse freight base. That's why we put the surcharge in. We couldn't risk having them go out of business with their skill level. You have to retain your best people," he adds.

Economy and diversification
Daily Express, Inc. has recently made a major push into the wind energy market. Though not the primary focus, Long says "it's a big part of our business. We have set up a brand new wind operation within our company."
Wind turbine jobs are especially tricky, involving multiple components per windmill. Blades can range in length from 122 to 149 feet; towers are moved in three or four sections weighing up to 120,000 pounds each; and the nacelle (turbine) at the top of each tower can weigh as much as 165,000 pounds.
"Most of these are going to the plains in the Midwest or on top of mountains in the East. Some of the roads we travel are unbelievable, built just in advance of delivery with switchbacks and very tight turns. It's amazing these deliveries are all going off without a hitch. The credit goes to the expertise of the many people involved, especially the drivers," says Long.
The move to wind energy helped Daily Express, Inc. enjoy a banner year in 2008 due to the demand for skilled drivers to move the components. On the other hand, Long says "this year is slow because most of what we move has to be financed and the credit market has put the brakes on a lot of projects."
Still, diversification and a high variable cost structure have allowed the company to weather the economic storm extremely well. "We're in a great position. Wind energy is an important piece in the future of energy in this country as we attempt to get off dependence on foreign oil and move to cleaner energy," Long says.
In regards to the recession, he says "You live with the hand you're dealt, prepare for the future the best you can, retain your best people and maybe add a few along the way. When it turns back, we will be stronger than ever."
People, safety, technology
The company boasts an impressive turnover rate, particularly in its special equipment fleet. "We have about 120 guys and most of them have 10 to 20 years tenure. There is only a 10 percent turnover - people only leave there when they die," Long jokes.
Daily Express also offers bonuses for contractors who recruit new drivers. "We offer an opportunity for drivers to run their own business and make a nice living. We offer insurance at 30 percent below the market rate and provide loans for drivers to upgrade their equipment at just 2 percent over prime rate," Long says.
All vehicles are equipped with GPS and the company utilizes Smooth Stone Communications, allowing permits and other critical information to be sent via computer and printed on board.
In regards to safety, Daily Express takes a back seat to no one. "Safety is priority number 1 around here and everyone knows it. We have an annual safety banquet that is a celebration of our annual safety performance. We bring every safe driver up on stage and give them an award and announce how many years they have received that award. Last year we had two drivers with 37 years of safety recognition," Long says.
The company strives to run at fewer than two preventable accidents per every million miles traveled. "It's a metric everyone in the company knows about and last year was the first year we achieved it. It's an accomplishment we're very proud of," Long says.
Long is hopeful about the future. "If this financial craziness breaks, we'll be busier than ever before. The world will have to catch up on what it didn't order during the recession and we'll be ready to roll when it does," he concludes.

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