Company Report: Tango Transport
Tango Transport Ian Armitage speaks to Chris Gorman, EVP at Tango Transport, to learn how the carrier is driven to satisfy and how this has seen the company become a respected industry player

Make no mistake. Despite a general trucking industry slowdown Tango Transport, Inc. has been enjoying considerable success of late. Established in 1991, it all started rather modestly for Tango, with a single trailer bought at auction for $3,500. Fortunately, its founders Robert E. Gorman and BJ Gorman - a father and son team - had big dreams and the company has never looked back.

"Our story is amazing, and is one that is truly worth telling," explains Chris Gorman, the current Executive Vice President, who joined the family business upon graduating from college in 1995.

Almost 1,000 drivers and more than 2,000 trailers strong, Tango Transport today carries goods for companies such as General Motors, FedEx, York International, Temple-Inland, International Paper and Weyerhaeuser. "We continue to expand steadily and progressively. 2006 marked the company's most profitable year to date, says Gorman, talking from the company's Shreveport, La., headquarters.

Tango is an astonishing institution not only for achieving so much with so little, but for doing it while defying so many rules of the current business climate. At the heart of the company are principles and values that seem almost old fashioned today and Gorman believes it is this foundation that has allowed Tango to succeed. "We are driven to do what is right for our employees, associates and customers," he comments. This commitment to integrity has led the company to not only impressive growth, but also life-long employee, driver and customer relationships.

"Our motto is 'driven to satisfy,'" he continues. "We essentially create customized logistics solutions for our customers, as opposed to taking a cookie cutter approach, which seems to be favored by many other industry players. In addition, our management team is one that is horizontal instead of vertical, and we work together as a team. For instance, it's not uncommon to see a manager or a supervisor in the President's office discussing the needs of one of our accounts, and we believe that approach allows us to provide superior customer service."

Technology: the future of trucking
Tango offers hands-on customer service from which strong and lasting relationships have been built. "We then use technology to undergird those relationships to strengthen them further," adds Gorman. The carrier has made technology a top priority. "Indeed we have," says Gorman. "We made a commitment early in our development to be a Just in Time carrier and to do this we have utilized cutting-edge technology. For instance, we use satellite tracking and GPS technology, which allows us to have better control over our operations, while looking at loading dock times, amongst other things, to enable our trucks to better schedule pick up and deliver loads.

"We have also implemented geo-fencing," continues Gorman. "This has improved the route efficiency and provides wireless communication via Qualcomm, our wireless and satellite producer, which means we are in constant contact with drivers."

According to Chris, there's no doubt that technology is the future of trucking. The carriers who plan on being around in the future, he believes, are going to have to embrace technology. Those that don't will fall by the wayside: "Early on, Tango Transport saw the importance of embracing new technology. This is what separates and elevates Tango from our competitors," explains Gorman.

Fortunate then, that Tango has long been a carrier committed to investing in technology? "There's nothing fortunate about it," adds Gorman. "What sets us apart is that we've had the foresight to embrace technology and we continue to stay ahead of our competitors because of this."

Trucking recession
Tango grew its fleet by a remarkable 25 percent last year, creating more than 125 new jobs for the local economy. This is a simply outstanding achievement in a declining industry. "Trucking is in a current recession," concedes Gorman. "But we continue to defy the rules of the current business climate."

What of 2008 then? Well, the industry will continue to suffer the consequences of a downturn in the country's economic activity, and it is unlikely Tango will enjoy the sort of growth it has done in recent years. Most analysts are predicting a tough year. However, Tango is prepared: "We saw the recession coming and have positioned ourselves accordingly. We will weather the current storm in the trucking industry and emerge strong and ready to take on the next acceleration in the economy," says Chris.

Despite being faced by challenges such as increased economic downturn, fuel price hikes and a declining workforce, the Gorman family is excited by what the future might bring. Indeed, Chris, proud of what the company has achieved to date, is anxious to see the business build upon its model of satisfying the customers. "We want to keep the big business done small mentality," he says. "It's important to us that our relationships with customers remain strong and at the forefront of what we do. That's critical to our success in the future and I will expect that we will continue to grow if we continue to do what is right by our employees, associates and customers. We're extremely excited for the future and can't wait to see where we end up."

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